While I was posting an update pics of the Tawny and baby on this thread. I heard the wonderful screechof the Yellow Tail near the back fence. I trotted out and they obliged by sitting still long enough for me to take a coupel happy snaps.
I love these birds, probably the most "majestic" (anthropmorhising I know) bird we have near us.
The above is the male, (well so my copy of Pizzey says), with the reddish/purplish eye surround
Great photos.... I have never seen them close up like that.Your pics show all the delicate yellow outlines in the body feathers. Thanks for posting the pics.
I have severl times but sans camera. A most magical time was once I was riding down a local fore trail on my mountinbike and two flew onto the trail in front of me and continued flying down the trail. I was right under neath them, no more than 2 - 3 meters away. Saw how tighlt the close there claws as they fly... wow.
In uban areas they are a lot more leary, so all you ever see is this (at the tomb of Thynderbolt in Uralla)
but living in the bush you get to interact with them more so in their natural state.
Interesting anecodte, they seemed to be chasing bugs of insects under the bark ? They especially liked the grey gums. As I was taking the pics, I heard a noise in the grass about 10m away and I thought it must have been a goanna but no, it was a Yellow Tailed ripping the hell out of the bark of a young grey gum, and it was on the ground.
The pic is terrible as there is a lot of blady grass in the way but she was really going for it. Soon as I approached, she she took off into a tree about the same distance away
This is the same bird
Probably on the prowl for borers, grievousbh.
Wow, lovely photos. Impressive claws on them...
Naah, Woko, I swear they're probably just destroying the tree for fun; it seems to be a favourite pastime!
Lucky you to have them come to your back fence. Great pics.
And like Woko said, yes they do tear apart trees to get to the borers.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
That would be an amazing experience .... to almost be flying along with them