Wildlife early 2009

[Paul T]

I've posted some before, so I'll ask whether anyone is interested in seeing pics of a Crimson/Eastern Rosella hybrid that was in my garden this morning (the new camera performed beautifully!) and of an Australian magpie somewhat enjoying our birdbath?  Both of these were around our birdbath with me standing not more than 2 metres away from them.  Very, very cool.

Mark,

So they're like Meerkats and African Wild Dogs etc then?  Not sure why that is disgusting sexual habits, but I said I wasn't going to ask Lesley about that. 

Can't be much worse than our Blue Wrens, which they have discovered constantly cheat on their mates.  Both sexes tend to wander off and "increase the gene pool" at regular intervals.  Any offspring raised are usually from a mix of fathers. 

[mark smyth]

I would like to see 'your' Rosella hybrid

[maggiepie]

Paul, your waterdragon is gorgeous, and so are the babies, they are not in the least bit ugly.
I love lizards
There are none around here, I really miss them in the garden.

Would love to see your pics of magpies, lots of them.
I saw a sad, bedraggled rosella in a small cage in a petshop here a few years ago, they were asking 800$ for it ( +tax) I couldn't believe my eyes, it almost made me weep there and then.
I think there are more bearded dragons in Canada and the US than there are in Australia now,( in pet shops and privately owned )  I wonder how they got here

[Paul T]

Helen,

A lot of the lizards will I think breed happily in captivity if conditions are right, and given how much money is in breeding them I am sure they make sure that conditions are exactly right.    When my wife and I honeymooned in Hawaii we were at Walmart and had a look in their pet section (for those who don't know there pet section might as well be a complete petshop in itself!!  ).  You could buy the most beautiful Macaws (so exotic to me, by far the most interesting thing there) for $1500, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos for $1800 (the thought of these being more expensive than Macaws was just laughable to me, given I see so many SCCs every day) and the most expensive bird in the shop was a Pink and Grey Umbrella Parrot, otherwise known as a Galah.  It was $2500.  I nearly fell off my perch!!    Yes, I know it is all due to how available things are, but it was so funny to see things so common here selling for so much there.   And that was 13 years ago!!

[maggiepie]

Paul, I would have bought a baby bearded dragon or a chameleon ( they are so cool, I could spend hours watching them), but the thought of a power failure in winter would be the death of them so I can't take that risk.
Can you imagine a sulphur crested cocky in an apartment , I wouldn't like to be living next door!!!
I wonder how much the galahs bring in now, maybe Kev could start exporting some 

[mark smyth]

Paul you may know there is a huge demand for these birds across Europe and America. They are bought for pets and for breeding. Australia has an export ban on these birds yet they are comfortable with killing millions every year because they are agricultural pests.

[Paul T]

Mark,

I've attached some pics.  To those viewing, please be warned that these pictures are a bit larger than usual so that they kept a bit more detail.  I've made them about 900 maximum instead of the usual 750.  That bit of extra size makes a big difference.

The pics aren't perfect by any means, but they are SO much better than with my other camera in these circumstances.  Light was generally behind the bird, making it that much harder for focusing and light conditions, and I am still trying to work out the focusing of this camera as it has multiple point focusing and it never seems to focus quite where I want it to.  The full length first one was with me sitting at a seat about 4 metres away from it, while the others were with me standing 2m from the birdbath.  The one that is a bit out of focus on the birdbath is in there just to show the back markings in a similar position to the "normally" coloured Crimson Rosella in the last pic.  

The picture with the reflection in the birdbath was in there for no other reason than artistic license..... I think it worked out well with the reflection of the autumn leaves dimly in the water as well.  

[Paul T]

Mark,

Yes, I understand that there is a huge demand as they're so unavailable.  Yes, it is rather ironic to say the least that these are present in pest numbers here (Corellas in particular have become a VERY expensive farm pest now).

Maggi,

Here's a couple of pics of the Australian Magpie having a bath.  I just love the fact that you can even see the water droplets on him.  The first one has him looking me in the eye, and in the second one he has just burst into song for me.  Gotta love it when they sing for you. 

Warning, these pics are also slightly larger than normal, with a maximum of 900 instead of my usual 750.

[maggiepie]

Amazing pics Paul, I can almost hear him singing.
There's nothing quite like a magpie serenade.
Before I left Oz, I had a magpie who would serenade me when his missus wasn't around.
He would sing for ages, and usually finish off with a whinney. Of course he would then expect to be fed.

[David Nicholson]

Did you see the starlings at the start of "Skellig"?

Ah! I see, thanks.

[mark smyth]

They have been scattered across the country all winter and spring with no sightings but now waxwings are on the move again. 100s have been reported across N Ireland especially in Belfast and in towns along the east coast. No longer frugiverous they are now insectiverous and have been seen hawking for insects. They are heading home to the forests of northern Europe.

A hobby rare for N Ireland has been seen along the coast road near the port of Larne

[Lesley Cox]

I see the great value of including the "Quote" facility in one's replies. On reading Mark's question "could you not see the swamphen coming?" I thought he was referring to its sexual habits and was going to reply that I ran away very fast whenever I saw one nowadays. Then I realized it was in reference to the swamphen crashing into my windscreen. No Mark, I didn't see it at all, until impact.

[Lesley Cox]

Ewwww, Lesley.  Too much information.    And I'm not even going to ask about the disgusting sexual habits. 

 

I'll email you privately Paul.

[ranunculus]

I see the great value of including the "Quote" facility in one's replies. On reading Mark's question "could you not see the swamphen coming?" I thought he was referring to its sexual habits and was going to reply that I ran away very fast whenever I saw one nowadays. Then I realized it was in reference to the swamphen crashing into my windscreen. No Mark, I didn't see it at all, until impact.

Would that confirm that a male swamphen is a swampc---?      Hope your head cold gets better soon Lesley ... we don't want anything to interfere with your postings.   

[Rogan]

...and I thought a Crimson Rosella Hybrid was a plant and a Magpie was something you eat - oh, oh, I suppose you can eat it - is it any good?