We have finally been able to break out of our 5km border restrictions.
Not big mind you, we only needed about 7km to get to The Office.
Along the River Park walking track the bush is alive, as they say to the sounds of parrots, lorikeets and smaller bush birds, including Wagtails, all busy either defending a nesting location or challenging for better accommodation.
None, it seems, more so, than the large number of Rainbow Lorikeets that have descended on the park area. Over the years their numbers have grown to what can only be plague proportions. Each hollow in every tree seems to be a Rainbow chosen location, much of course to the chagrin and detriment of the smaller birds that simply can’t compete with the noisy, brash and boisterous Rainbows.
But they do have some advantages for the photographer, besides their brilliant colour scheme.
As EE commented as we walked down the track with the calls of the Rainbows ringing through the trees, “They are bit like a single bird circus, each one has its own act.” Perhaps its partly bravado, partly the need to show-off to their peers and partly to intimidate other species. But there is no doubt that a pair can provide hours of entertainment, as they talk, preen and dance together.
We were a bit late for the opening of this bird’s performance.
Two options I think:
It had been holding on to the bark on the branch and it had given way under the weight and it had desperately grasped the bark above with its beak,
or
It was using the bark and the balancing act to impress its mate.
Either way, as it waved the bark about with its foot, was it trying to gain balance or simply attention.
Easily able to support its weight by the beak, it didn’t seem to be in any hurry to recover and rolled around for quite a long time. In the end, dropping the bark, it did a ‘chin up’ grasped the bark near its beak with first one, then both legs and swung up onto the branch.
Hard to say, but the crowd threw popcorn and cheered at the performance. 🙂
You can tell we’ve been locked up too long when such simple things form such great amusement.
Enjoy
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Great captures David, if there is anything positive we have gained from our lock-down it is that we all have been made to appreciate more the very simple things around us that do not cost us anything, and take time to stop and smell the roses, in what ever form that takes. Lovely to see the Loris playing, we do not see much of that, it is mainly the larrikin Cockies and Corellas showing off to their peers and ladies. 🙂
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Hi Ashley, yes I think we have gained an appreciation of our ‘local’ birds, and local birding spots that might otherwise not have occurred. The drama for us is that 5km has really limited us and to be blunt, brutal and angrily honest, I don’t think it made a hillofbeans difference to the numbers of infections. People seem content to run the risk.
Still it looks like it might be behind us soon. EE has had two vaxes, I still have to wait 2 weeks for the second, but at least things will be different from here on.
I used to work in Sydney some years back and stay at a serviced apartment near Nth Ryde, and the gardens were filled with Rainbows. Amusing to sit on the balcony and be entertained. :_)
Remain Safe
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This post brought many happy memories from my visits to the Office and to the Mansion, from where I usually was getting all the way to the bridge. It looks like I’ll be able to do t again as of this Thursday – can’t wait.
It also brought some reflections concerning the Loris. I’ve lived in Australia for 33 years now, longer than in any other country so far (not that I’m expecting to beat this record), but I always get excited when I see these, according to the recent surveys, most common Australian birds and I stop and watch and shoot.
On the other hand, observing your postings on Flickr, I hardly see any photos of Rainbow Lorikeets. Also, I often wonder, why so many people don’t pay any attention to them in parks and in the streets. I assume that to the “locals” (as if I’m not one of them) they are like sparrows in Europe. Still, I have seen some great captures of sparrows, although I am sure that Rainbow Lorikeets have better potential for photographers thanks to their gift for creative posing and better facial expressions (to say nothing of the feathers). Thus your post also surprised me quite a bit. Of course your photos of the lovely performance do not surprise with their visual pleasure they provide.
All the best to both of you. Enjoy the gifts of the springtime.
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Hi Adam, the track down past the golfcourse rings with Rainbow calls at the moment.
Interesting observation about my Flickr or non posting of Lorikeets.
Probably post more of Purple-crowned and Littles with an occasional Musk. But hadn’t noted that I rarely put up Rainbows.
If you asked, I’d probably say its because I see quite a number from other Flickr streams and don’t want to clutter it up to much. Same with Willie Wagtails. I spend hours with them, but only post a few.
I can only search this year’s data but found I’d highly starred (*3) 20 Rainbow shots, and just for comparison 43 Brown Falcon, 67 Wagtail. Not much to go on, but we just haven’t been out as much this past 18 months.
What I don’t photograph, I do spend a lot of time being bemused by their antics, their attention to one another and their sheer ability of “nothing is impossible’ when it comes to moving about on trees.
So, no I haven’t abandoned them, and I do photograph Sparrows as well.
But I do prefer White-winged Chough. 🙂
I also have a self-imposed rule of only posting 1 photo per day on Flickr. (occasionally adding a NTGC or some thing exceptional) so I’m often culling out quite a number from posting.
Those I can make a series of end up here on the blog. (Most times)
So all good. Hard not to be amused by them, and I really wish in this case that I’d been there just that little bit earlier to see how it had gotten itself into the predicament.
Hope you journeys, now we can travel a bit more get you out and about to interesting locations.
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Beautiful photographs as always, and such a delightful clown you have shared with us. I get the impression that whatever went wrong during the performance, a Rainbow Lorikeet would always manage to make it seem that it was intended all along.
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