Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Who? What? When?




One of the rainy days we had last week, I heard an unfamiliar bird calling from the front garden. So I snagged my camera and went out to see who it was. Quite high up the gum tree was this bird - "Who are you?"

I got these two blurry shots before this bird took off. Then I noticed something odd hanging in the tree - "What is that?".

Its a birds toy! "When did that arrive?" Later in the day The Most DH said he had seen one of our new neighbors up in the tree a few days back.

Which gave me a nice feeling, because, they cant possibly see it from thier side of the tree. Have they placed it there for me?

But back to the original question...Who is this bird?

3pm - Its a FEMALE SATIN BOWERBIRD!!!

19 comments:

Lavender said...

A juvenile of something? Cuckoo, Bower, Catbird? Its the blue eye that throws me most, youd think thered be a mention of it in my ID books - I will have to search for an ID online...unless you know who it is?!?!?!?

Anonymous said...

It certainly looks like a cuckoo! Any wing shots? HAHA Does it have a cuckoo's tail? Brush Cuckoo? The eye colour could be reflective of the toy ... The beak however, doesn't look curved or pointed like most cuckoos ... MAYBE your neighbour wants you to adopt their exotic bird? Hhehhheeee

Lavender said...

Anon I wish I had more shots, he was not cooperative! Tehehe All I can see of the wings is in the top shot - brown. Never saw the tail, cheeky bird!
The beak was giving me trouble as well, and that eye, I suppose if its a juvenile it could change, making it something not noted in my book.
The birds in backyards site has been down, they have a 'finder' Id like to take a crack at it with -
This ones a puzzle!
Tehehe about the neighbors exotic pet - they have a Lorikeet id love to get my hands on! :)

Barkfoot said...

If you hadn't caught it in two different poses I would swear you were trying to trick us with a plastic model!

Anonymous said...

Do think it's a juvenile whatever it is ... the beak and feet are light coloured which have thrown me as well! Sticking to Brush Cuckoo or Neighbour's Gift HAHA!

Lavender said...

Barkfoot LOL I will one day you know! Tehehe! Have to have something for days when there is nothing to blog about :)

Anon Gotta be a juvy - or Im sure we would have a postive id between us Tehehehe I so wish it would come back, tail shape would really help, or if the back has a pattern....If its a Neighbors Gift, how do I reciprocate? HAHAHA!

BetteJo said...

It could be my Uncle Bob for all I know. I know our common neighborhood birds, and they are nothing like that!

Lavender said...

Hi BetteJo He is a new one, thats for sure! Im still trying to get a ID - Curiouser and Curiouser! :) Maybe he is your Uncle Bob Tehehe

Lavender said...

GOT IT!!
Its a female Satin Bowerbird, see the fact sheet at birdsinbackyards.net
This is so exciting for me, as Ive been a great admirer of these birds all my life - although people who have them in thier backyards (further south of me) tell me that I should feel lucky not to have them....party poopers!!


But this bird showing up, at this particular juncture of time in my life - which I will explain in another post soon - well, its just really really IRONIC.

Lavender said...

Why is it, when you see pictures of Bowerbirds, they only ever show the male? Sure he is that gorgeous blue and builds those brilliant bowers- but Mrs is quite beautiful too!

Anonymous said...

WOW Lavender well done with identification! My Bday present this year was an identification book and it says the owners of Bowers deposit in them natural or artificial objects usually similar colour or reflectivity, to the bill, eyes or plumage of their own species .... wonder if the neighbour's gift of a toy brought one to your yard? WELL DONE!!!

kj said...

that is some neighbor you have, lavender. i wish someone would leave me a colorful little present in my back yard.

i like this bird.

Lavender said...

Tehehehe Anon When I used to to afrt & craft markets, Id always have a collection of blue objects under my shop's sign. Blue bottle caps, drinking straws, clothes pegs, blue bits of candy wrapper...many many people used to look at my little bower display with the most confused look on thier faces, BUT once in awhile Id catch someone looking at it with a big smile, and I knew they knew what I meant by it! Tehehe

Great Bday gift Anon - bet you can spend many happy hours with that - mine is starting to look 'well loved' - but no female satin bower bird in it, Harumpf!

Lavender said...

Hiya KJ! Its kinda cute, isnt it? When they first moved in they brought me a bird theyd found that needed a little help. I think they saw my aviaries over the fence and had me quickly figured out Tehehehe!
I tried to get out to your blog yesterday, and got an error code - which Im sure was just a blogger glitch - even have 'visit KJs blog' on my list, so I will see you there soon! :)

merlinprincesse said...

I know what it is!!!! It's a female Satin Bowerbird!!!! What? I'm late? I should read the entire post? Thehehehhehehe! :))))
She's cute! Even if a party pooper! :)

Jean-Luc Picard said...

I know we see a lot of birds on this blog, but plastic ones?

The Enterprise Christmas Party Invitation is now on my Journal! Hope you can come.

Lavender said...

Merlinprincesse Hahahahahaha! Good one, cheeky girl!

Lavender said...

Gday Captain! Tehehe, would I do that to you? (Yipper! As soon as I find a plastic one!)
Oh, Christmas on the Enterprise - I'll be there! Thanks Captain!

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