Indigenous to Tasmania, this black currawong landed on my car at Cradle Mountain, hoping for a handout. I made him pose for a picture first! Later, just as I was eating a steak sandwich by a shelter shed, it swoopped like a bolt of lightening and snatched the meat clean out of my sandwich. A stream of new words he'd never heard before followed him to the treetops!
Correction: I meant, lightning, not "lightening".
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Nice photo with Cradle Mountain in the background. Thanks for supplying the story - it gave me a laugh. I had the same experience with a cheese sandwich and a kookaburra!
Hi Tark
Top shots there!
I too have had the same experience in Perth once with a steak sandwich and a kookaburra. Left the two bits of bread clean and took the steak!! :'D
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thanks Birdgirl and birdie, I was completely gobsmacked by its audacity ... I suppose it's consoling to know that others have suffered the same humiliation at the beak of a bird!
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Good shots and a good experience mate, it reminded me of when I was young at Tidbinbilla nature reserve in the ACT an Emu did the same to me.
Yeah Tassie, we can laugh about it now but at the time ya feel murder in your heart!
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Yep, mine was a crow on south coast of WA !
I didn't expect to find such a cheeky bird so far from densely populated areas, but I guess it was used to lots of tourists.
Look at the beak on that currawong!!
We hear the Black ones all the time in the hills around our place but don't see them near the house. The Grey currawongs DO forage around the house though (not on sandwiches I'm glad to say)
Yes, Currawongs, seagulls, crows, magpies all seem to like our tucker and if they can't cadge it frome us, they are not above stealing it! Thanks zoidberg.
Formally attired in spats and tails ...
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Are the Pied Currawongs the ones I get around my house - black mostly but white marks on underwings and across the tail? if so they are quite shy when we feed the butcher birds and maggies , but one day a whole family of them came to the garden and their calls were quite musical as they communicated with each other en masse.
Do they really eat the nestlings? I have gone off them since reading that.
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
No birdie, those at Cradle Mt had no white tail markings. I've seen the ones you mention but not sure whether they are currawongs or not.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Birdie the ones you are talking about sound like the ones I have in Tasmania that are Grey Currawongs, however I don't believe they occur in Queensland so maybe yours are the Pied.
I had a bit of confusion identifying mine at first, the online guides weren't that clear so I ended up checking out a few books and they helped a lot.
G'day Tark,
.
here's a non-birding question for you. I was having another look at your Currawong pics and noticed the inside of your car door. What type of car is it ?
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
That, my good friend was my beloved 1963 Chrysler AP5 Valiant Safari, push button automatic, 3.6 litre slant 6 motor, 145bhp!
It was our 'getaway camping car' but became too expensive to maintain and run. I bought and restored it in 1980 and sold it last year.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour