Thanks to my Flickr buddy DaveSPN we’d been following a pair of Australian Hobbys that had decided to nest in a tree in the carpark at a local shopping centre. The tree chosen—and they had used it in previous years—is located at one of the entrances to the shopping centre as well as the bus-train interchange. Insert words, “constantly busy” here.
It would be fair to say, that not one in a thousand who used the area were even aware of the tree, let alone its inhabitants. Nesting Hobbys can be particularly noisy at feeding times and also the other birds cry out warnings when one or the other approaches. But I never saw anyone look up to take notice.
The challenge of course is to stand in the middle of a carpark with shoppers, buses, shopping carts and pedestrians constantly passsing by and to remain inconspicuous—Euphemism for “Impossible”.
The young fledged a couple of days before the Christmas break, and we devised a cunning scheme to make the most of the closed shops on the 25th of December. A check of the weather maps indicated it would be a clear morning, and the site of the tree meant early morning sunshine would be classic.
Game in play. We breakfasted really early, still dark, loaded up the cameras, and headed out, still dark, with just a hint of light starting to fill the eastern sky as we drove along. Looked good.
Next to no traffic on the road, and we quickly arrived at the carpark with the first rays of light coming over the horizon. Looked good.
It’s hard to image a carpark that less than 12 hours previously was full with frantic shoppers but now it was as they say, empty. Except, for a couple of vehicles, which I did not go to inspect.
Not my circus. Not my monkeys.
The young birds were out, and after some preening, playing, and investigating everything that moved, Mum arrived with some food and some good action shots were easy.
A lass in a car was leaving the carpark, and shouted “Merry Xmas- or something,” as she left, I waved.
And a guy who wanted to know, of course, what we were doing. He should ask me, wandering about on Christmas morning!!! But I declined to answer the usual, “Photographing Striated Fieldwrens”, realising that wouldn’t help, nor would “Australian Hobbys, in that tree”, so I settled for some general ramble, which in the end he declared, “so, you don’t to talk to me.’ and stormed off. I thought the young lass’s response was good so offered that to him as he left.
The Hobbys of course were completely unaware of all this and just kept begging for food, or trying out their flying, and landing skills.
No coffee shops opened, so we headed for home.
So pleased with the morning, that we decided to join in the Boxing Days sales caper, and went back the following morning for a few more hours. This time we were dodging traffic, but, the birds seemed oblivous.
Here’s a selection.
Clicking on a thumbnail should give you a full size image in a slide show.
Enjoy
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Good to have the carpark almost to yourselves, David!
I can probably guess who the guy was that was wandering through, no doubt you have seen him at one of the doors to the shops!
A wonderful series of images! Great to view!
I am only occasionally hearing any of the Hobbies now, hopefully they will be back next season!
Dave N
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G;day
Ha, I think there are several blokes that could fit the bill
I guess he wasn’t impressed when I remarked that my Mother had warned me. “Never talk to strangers.?”
Bit too cerabel for him.
Saw one Hobby having a go at a passing Sparrowhawk this afternoon. Didn’t amount to much. Just name calling.
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A most enjoyable read David with a few chuckles along the way. I especially love the last flight shot with the Hobby looking back, a priceless capture. So good you get to follow these family groups of raptors. It is lovely that you share these as we hardly ever see them here where we live. We would have to to travel some distance up the coast to my daughter and brothers area to see any as we hardly see any at all now when we drive to Wagga, though this was not the case years ago. We did not see the Sparrowhawks last year, possibly the Miners drove them out. Enjoy your week, the weather here is unpredictable you have to check the weather app as they change it through the day, and storms are more often which is good for the garden and dams but not so for birding.
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Hi Ashley, we are a bit berefet of good raptor opportunities at present. Most of the Kites and Hobbys have moved on other more favourable feeding locatoins it seems. Even the fairly reliable Brown Falcons have been absent.
I’ve been trying other comment on your site, but keep getting an “Unable to post comment’, result.
I’ve tried both logged in and out of WP, so I guess there is something asquew with their algorithm.
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Hi David
I have recently had the same problem commenting with most sites. The only solution is to install Jetpack on your phone or use your WP editor to respond and not the comment button in the email. If you look at the Editor page with Media around the top is a spectacle shape, if you click on it your followed posts will appear in order and you can like and comment here. That’s what I have been doing. Enjoy your weekend.
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Hi Ashley. That’s for the iPad heads up. I don’t normally use it bit of a desktop warrior. But seems to allow me to post so that is good. Maybe I just have to stop being a Luddite and get with the program
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Exquisite photos accompanied by your funny story definitely made me enjoy this post, David. I wish I had a carpark like this closer to home.
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Hi Adam, its a funny situation, and one that is really frustrating as people seem to be so aggressive about cameras being used in public places.
Fortunately this time the best few days were over the holidays, and the carpark was not so full.
But, give me a 40 acre paddock for preference.
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I did enjoy the story as well as the beautiful images. Why is it, I wonder, that people seeing a photographer clearly immersed in his/her subject, think a conversation with them is much more important than the matter in hand? I tend to respond politely but don’t take the camera away from my face, to indicate that what is in the viewfinder is what matters to me.
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hi Eleanor, yes, the need to be in the know about what someone else is doing is so frustrating. Given a camera and long lens, and people become quite suspicious. Still I stand there and wave my mobile phone about, that apparently is acceptable behaviour.
I think this guy unravelled when I told him my Mum said, never to talk to strangers. 🙂
I used to love it during the covid years, as I’d put on a mask, and pull down my hat, and just pretend I couldn’t hear. Muttering all the time under th mask. Oh there was some benefits 😉
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Maybe we should continue to wear masks so people think we might be infectious! But it can get a bit hot and steamy under them. I didn’t mind the mask in winter, as it helped keep my nose warm.
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