|
|
A few years back I saw a bird walking through our garden and got glimpses here and there of the most glorious mix of colours. After a few days he got the courage to come out into the open and my heart beat a few extra beats at the sight of the sun shining on his feathers and the way they sparkled and the long orange tresses on his head looked like an array of pure soft silk.
.
I befriended this bird over several days and he decided that ‘we were meant for each other’ and he took up residence on our verandah. He would stay most of the day and at dusk would head for the safety of the bush but come early morning he would be back tapping with his beak on our bedroom door. How he knew we were in there is anyone’s guess.
When I was outside tending to things in the garden he was my constant shadow. I named him Silky and he would come when I called his name. Our verandah was becoming a rather nasty sight as he was spending long hours on there. But never mind, the hose did a reasonable job of cleaning up after Silky.
I told other birding people on the mountain about my visitor and they looked at me in disbelief when I described his colourings. I took video footage of him and at last I got an identification. Silky was some type of exotic pheasant who had probably escaped from someone’s enclosure. I have borrowed a photo from Google as this is exactly what Silky looked like.
Unfortunately he became very possessive of me and started attacking Tony when he arrived home. He would fly at him near the face and the spurs on his feet looked rather lethal. I had to get rid of Silky by constangly chasing him off until eventually he didn’t return but I could hear his call in the forest for quite a while. I hope you’re still running around free somewhere Silky.
Then there are our magpies whom we have fed for the last 8 years. They are territorial and always nest high up in a large gum tree so each year we have had numerous young ones presented to us. They usually produce two young but on one occasion there were three and the smaller one always appeared to be unwanted by mum and dad and also his siblings. This little fellow would get pecked and pushed around constantlyu and at times he would lay on his back, legs straight up in the air in a pose of complete submission. This is a characteristic habit of ‘maggies in trouble’. Mother and Father maggie are very tame and eat from my hand. I give them a choice of meat and tasty cheese. The cheese is definitely their favourite. You will notice in the following photos the difference between the adults and the juveniles. The speckled young take a good 12 months to obtain the adult plumage.
At nesting time magpies are renowned for their aggressive behaviour and everyone knows that if there is a nest overhead and you are walking by then you must protect your head and eyes. The unfortunate postman and children riding bikes seem to be their favourite target. I had one young boy screaming whilst hiding in our carport behind the car. I went to his aid and led him safely up the street. On another occasion I saw a man walking along with a huge branch held over his head like an umbrella.
I could stand at our mailbox and call ‘maggie’ and they would fly towards me from their very high nest in a gum tree and swoop down right at my feet. From there they would march up the pathway to the house. Magpies are funny to watch as they stride/march in a very positive way which resembles ‘maggies with a definite mission’. They have on occasions marched straight in through the front door as though it was left ajar specifically for them. The funniest sight was finding one sitting right on top of my bread oven.
Maggie Mum and Dad will come to the window and look through and if they don’t see anyone they will go into chorus with their beautiful song and patiently wait. I never leave them disappointed. I hope you stay around for a very long time Maggie mum and dad.
Lastly a bird that is very close to my heart is the kookaburra. They are territorial and become quite tame if you befriend them when they are young. The first really tame one I had was named EP and he would sit until dark and watch me through the kitchen window. Many a night he spent in a tree outside our bedroom, far away from the rest of the family. I fed him by hand and he continued to visit for over 12 months and then I never saw him again. He didn’t leave until he introduced me to 8 more. Out of these eight, I befriended two but my special favourite is Sweet P who will let me stroke and feed her and she also sits on my hand. How do I know that it is always the same kookaburra each time – well I marked her foot with vegetable colouring just to be sure but after a while I knew her by her mannerisms and the expression on her face. She often talks to me but not with her laughing voice. She uses a different low rumbling sound and I talk back to her. I believe she understands certain commands by the tone of my voice. For instance, kookaburras bash their food to soften it and occasionally when I am feeding her at my Kitchen window she will attempt to bang some of the larger pieces on the window ledge and when I say ‘No Sweet P’ she takes it to the verandah rail and then returns when her bashing is finished.
Kookaburras are very family orientated and will defend their territory and each other. The young females will stay on for up to 5 years to help the parents tend the successive nestings. I once observed a kookaburra with a snake in it’s mouth and he was belting the snake on a thick branch to kill it. A Currawong saw what was happening and thought he would get in on the act. Currawongs are quite aggressive large black and white birds. The kookaburra clung onto the snake and within 30 seconds another 4 or 5 kookaburras arrived to support him and scare the Currawong off. I didn’t even hear any distress call but there obviously was some sort of communication.
The kookaburras are a constant joy to observe and I’ve had the odd one inside when they get a bit over anxious at the sight of steak on the chopping block. They will often select a piece and fly back out the window but on occasions one will get a bit disorientated inside and fly around and around like a light aircraft overhead. One little chap decided he would just go into the bedroom and sit on the bed. Kookaburras never mess in their nests and I have never had one do a mishap inside. They are definitely a special part of our lives and Sweet P, I will miss you so much when the time comes for you to leave and find your own territory.
If you would like to hear the laugh of the kookaburra then just click on the little speaker next to my name on the forum.
When you rise in the morning
Form a resolution
To make the day a happy one
To a fellow creature
Sydney Smith
|
