Today I managed to photograph one of the elusive male Satin Bowerbirds.
They are not uncommon in Robertson. In fact this species is almost in plague proportions here (at least gardeners will tell you so).
But, as a some-time photographer, I find these male Satin Bowerbirds, the so-called "Blue Birds" very hard to photograph.
Today there were many Bowerbirds around, so I decided to tempt them in with some apples on spikes (screws) on a feed table. The idea is that the apple cannot blow or roll off the table. And I never use grain, so as to try to control the species which come to the table (I do not want any Common Mynas, especially, or Galahs (which are found in Robertson, but which are not "endemic" to Robertson's rainforest environment.
You can read about these spikes to hold the apple in place on the link below (I still have not managed to work out the Picasa link system to post on this forum)
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2009/08/satin-bowerbird-likes-apples.html
If anyone can tell me how to create links from Picasa albums I would be grateful.
Denis
Picasa Experiment #3
Rightclicking on the image in Picasa and selecting properties, I copied the URL which ended in jpg and then used the image tag here. But I can't find a way of getting it in a smaller size.
Picasa Experiment #4
The image posted to Picasa has to be smaller than 500 and it posts OK, but I can't find a way to reduce a larger image.
*Apologies for the personal portrait but my blog icon was the only small photo I had in Picasa.(taken in one of the many pastry shops I visited in Denmark btw)
PS. What a marvellous series of the bowerbirds at the feeder - and a very informative post.
Thanks very much Denis, I have not seen this species before and probably never will,an excellent series of shots with some very interesting information.
Hi Dennis - Great photos and commentary on an exquisite bird. I agree with your policy of not feeding birds that in a very short while would become welfare dependent.
Suggestion: With regards to photography, I'm wondering whether impaling the apples on your wattle tree would have given you a more natural setting. The apples can always be edited out.
I first became aware of this lovely creature many long years ago, but have never seen one. Isn't it the Bowerbird that steals, collects, hoards bits of blue china, glass and bric-a-brac?
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Thanks Marj, for the advice on Picasa images.
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I had a feeling it was related to the size of the image. I normally post my blog images at up to 1000 X 600 pixels.
There is a box which offers to re-size the download, but it does not appear to work.
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I felt there had to be an explanation like that. Thanks for testing the system for me.
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Much appreciated.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Thanks Tark, Tassie and Marj for the comments.
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Tark, the dilemma of "feeding" birds is overcome by doing it only once in a blue moon. They can never become dependent that way. But I refuse to put out seed, because Robertson is a rainforest patch, and Galahs ought not be encouraged into that habitat. As it is, the Rail freight people do that, by transporting grain from the inland (through the centre of Robertson), to the export freight terminal at Port Kembla (Wollongong).
As a result we have Galahs and Crested Pigeons in the centre of the village, but they seldom stray more than 200 metres from the railway line.
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Most locals (people) do not understand that they are not "natural" here. But I do not want to encourage them to stray further away. They would both compete with the local Wonga Pigeons and the occasional Brown Pigeon, and the Crimson Rosellas which do live here, and naturally feed on seeds and berries.
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Its not easy being "totally pure" in bird watching.
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Re your query about the spikes in trees, Tark, I could only work out how to drill them through a flat plate. That's why I went that way. I don't wish to kill the trees. I guess one could use a large nail then cut its head off afterwards.
But the same "ethical" issue remains about feeding birds.
That's why I come back to only putting out fruit and very occasionally at that.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Yes, we only put out feed occasionally and at different times of the day so the birds don't ever know if or when it is here. Our visitors to the trays are all local parrots that come into our gum tree every day anyway. We have never had Indian mynas come to the seed when it is out, but they will eat pet biscuits right near the back door, so we keep the pet food inside
Hi Birdgirl
You're on the right track with the (no) pet food.
Bowerbirds love it, but so do Currawongs (which chase everything else away) and Mynas (which mob other birds, with their habit of "pack" behaviour).
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Saw some lovely Satin Bowerbirds today at Melbourne Museum in their outdoor rainforest display. Only one male but alot of females all crowding around him. Chucked some bits of blue paper, plastic and pipecleaner for him to go put in his bower. I did notice that the females were also collecting and fighting over the blue things. I didn't know that the females picked up blue things as well. Maybe they were trying to impress him because I did see one female holding a blue bottle cap and dancing and making strange noises infront of the male. I don't know really but the male Satin Bowerbird sure is handsome!
HI Denis
What an excellent post as normal love those blue eyes.
Hi Laura and Smedingo
Thanks both. The eyes have it!
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Laura, I know that green birds do sometimes hang around Bowers, and play with the blue toys. I am not sure if they are perhaps young males testing themselves out, or females.
I did not know that the Melbourne Museum has an outdoor rainforest display. Presumably a large aviary.
At least you got to see them well, by the sounds of it. The male birds are really amazing. SO dark blue they appear as an absence of colour, almost - if you know what I mean.
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Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com