Can't post this in the best shots thread as this was definitely one that got away!!
Came home for lunch unexpectedly and was sitting on the patio when I felt like I was being watched and could hear small movements in the palms and trees beside the pool. When I crept round the trees I saw a beautiful female Satin Bowerbird hopping along the fence and up into a tree. She was watching me for ages so I snuck back inside to get the camera ( she was sooooo close) and...... wouldn't you know it I had left it at my office!! I grabbed my little camera but it failed to show anything , just a bunch of leaves. The I saw the male and they were both hiding in the top of a big palm tree.
I was wondering if they had just dropped in or can anyone tell me if they are likely to have a bower nearby?
Do they go very far from their nest?
Cheers
Birdie
Hi Birdie
.
Bowers are where the males display to the females. Bowers are always on the ground.
.
Females do most of the nesting, I understand, and they might choose a site be high in a tree.
You can read about the bower and mating and nesting on the BiBY site:
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/bird/28
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Thanks Denis, I thought you might be browsing!
At first I thought I had a green catbird, but it was the scalloping on and under the breast that made me think not. I am a bit confused though as the pictures I have seen show a much browner looking bird, whereas the one I saw was a lovely green colour on the top half and the chest was brown tones. At the rear underneath was creamy coloured under the tail area.
It made a short sharp high pitched chirp noise, nothing like the catbirds around here.
I will be doing my best to get a shot.
:)
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi Birdie
I posted a blog about Satin Bowerbirds last week.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2009/08/satin-bowerbird-likes-apples.html
There is a female Bowerbird there.
I also have some photos of a recently deceased (road kill) female.
I generally do not post such images as some people are squeamish. I can tell you that there is a lot of yellow under the abdomen and under the wings.
Above the wings the primaries (the main flight feathers) are bronze coloured.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Hi Denis, Thanks for that it is defintely a bower bird though I am not sure if it is an immature male as there was a lot of green on the wings and top, do the imm males have the scalloping? That was the most intriguing feature of the bird from the front. It had a series of 3 creamy spots running down near the wings and a splash of cream under the eye towards the shoulder. I thought the patterning was very beautiful anyway.
Thanks again
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland