Astute reader that you are, you’ll recall several times I’ve said that I think I have Grey Box sap flowing in my veins.
We had to motor to the northern subs today for medical things, so it was not a big ask to travel that little bit further to Woodlands Historic Park. Haven’t been there in many a long day, and now we are pretty much in the one day tourist category.
The wind was strong, the weather hot, and it didn’t look all the promising. Till. We found “Petite”, and again Astute reader that you are, you’ll remember, in some detail I hope 🙂 that she is a very charming if very small Red-capped Robin. What was more exciting was that she had two juveniles she was attending. Clever girl, small though she is, she must have started early in the season and all things worked to her favour and the gene pool ends up the winner.
I’ve not worked with this bird very much so would have expected her to be quite wary. And she was. Flying further away and taking the young with her.
Yet after about 20 minutes or so, she worked out that I meant no harm, and that I wouldn’t invade her space with the young and then it all changed. She bought them back to the bushes near us, and was happy to feed around me. Hunting quite close to me on the ground and encouraging the young to do the same. Awesome.
Her young are well on the wing, and yet are still masterly marked to keep them safe. The little grey chevrons make a perfect match to the Grey Box scrub.
Also those who have been brave enough to follow along on Flickr might have noted a slight change in direction for me at the moment. Mostly I am wrestling with the exploration of the craft and the process of both bird photography and my expression of that.
Found this piece suitable for today.
There are moments in our lives there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual–become clairvoyant. We reach them then into reality. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. It is the rare few who able to continue in the experience and find expression for it. Robert Henri – The Art Spirit
Thank you Petite for sharing the moment with me.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Great shots of some beautiful birds
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G,day, Been awhile since we’ve been out there. Hadn’t realised how much I would miss it. Was very happy that this bird settled down quite quickly. But try as we might couldn’t get a handle on the male, maybe over in the cemetery area. So hot we just ran out of time.
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Good evening David. This is a very moving part in your journeys through the poetry of birds. It will resound in me for the rest of this evening. Only recently, while lying quietly amongst grasses and reeds and observing the antics of birds around me I was thinking how wonderful it was to take photos of them on their terms. I had no doubts they could see me very well despite my dirty green shirt and “low profile” so I treasured every moment when some of them came so close that only portraits where possible. Again – thanks for sharing!
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Hi Adam,
It is a you say a most remarkable thing to be in the bird’s world not as a invader but as a partaker. It opens up so many intguiging interactions that never happen when you rush through an area as the intruder.
I don’t do the camo, hide stuff. I think my birds are clever enough to figure all that out. And again I’d like them to accept me, and invite me into the dance of their life.
As you say, its a spine tingling moment to be face to face with a bird, and watch its chest feathers rise and fall as it breaths, and know that you are welcome there.
Glad you liked the moment and thanks for sharing your adventure.
Robert Henri said
“The object is not to make art, but to be in the wonderful state where art is inevitable. (The Art Spirit).
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