What is it ?

Anyone know who belongs to this mess ?
Looks like a hairy 'Egg Omelette' to Moi.

This chappy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Brushturkey

Resin

This is the male.

This is the female.
She had two ticks on the head.

They need to learn about allopreening! ;-)

Resin

I removed them for her.
So I wonder if that's called Gingerpreening ? ^_^

Really removed, or photoshopped out??

Resin

Really removed.
Why would I Photochop something like that ?
I only took these two Pictures of the removal.

Just wondering how you'd be able to do it - I've read that they can be fairly tame at picnic places etc., but for it actually to allow itself to be caught and held long enough to remove a tick demands a remarkable level of tolerance of people. Well done!

Resin

The pair have been visiting my Studio for several months.
They started off sharing the 'Sulphur Crested Cockatoos' Wild bird seed.
They were very timid at the start.

Not sure what went wrong with those 4 Pictures.
So I will add them again.

When all 14 of my visitors came for a free feed.
The Turkey decided he was out numbered.
So he beat a tactical retreat.

Don't blame them for retreating with that crowd! I'd (wrongly!) thought the Brush-turkey was about twice the size of a Cockatoo ;-)

Resin

The 'Sulphur Crested Cockatoos' have been coming inside My Studio for years.
If I am buisy they will rustle the red bag to get my attention.
The red bag is 20 kilos of Wild Bird Seed.

If the male came reasonably early he would be all on his own.
Within a few days he was eating right out of my hand.
And only one week later the female followed suit.

Looks like a piece of finger he's eating there?!?

;-)

This was the day she made her first tentative steps inside My Studio.

At the time I was taking these Pictures.
I was standing only two meters away from the Scrub Turkey.
Maybe she likes the smell of my Artists Paints ? ^_^
Maybe she likes my Paintings ?
Truth be known she probably likes the wild bird seed I put out for her.

Seed to eat and paintings to poop on? What more could a bird want! ;-)

Resin

I had just bought 5 cubic meters of garden mulch.
The male took that over in just a few days.
He digs big holes and then fills them in again.
My new aim is to Photograph the egg hatching progress.
And hopefully the young hatchings one day.

Excuse my intrusion- I really enjoyed reading this!

Hi Sally,
You are not intruding at all.
I posted this thread here to share.
In fact I am a tad surprised there are not a few more comments.

Good luck with getting them to breed!

Resin

Thanks Resin.

These two guys tap on My Studio glass door till I give them some sunflower seeds.

:-)

Fantastic shots, Ginger. You have a wonderful line-up of birds in your sanctuary. Nice painting of the koalas, too.

Amazing birds. You are so fortunate to have the opportunity to tame them. Love the painting of the koalas. They are so cute.

Thank you Margaret and WillowWind.

I have already posted a Picture very similar to this.
But this one was from so much closer.
Hence the clarity of definition.
I am going to do a Painting of him soon.

Remember to post how he reacts to seeing himself on canvas!

Resin

Today the female turned up with another two ticks on the face.
One was well embedded under her chin.

Wild animals are 'cuter' when you don't see all the parasites!
Pretty soon they'll be lining up at your 'clinic.'

Hi Sally.

If my name was 'PalmBob' I might have a clinic. (Bob is a Vet)
But I am a simple Artist.
So I love to take their Pictures.

This was the tick when first removed.

We have a hearty tick population around here, judging by what the cats bring in.
Well, after all, you do have to get them ( the birds) all pretty for their photo ops! Still think it's surprising they let you get the ticks off.
Your last picture of the male is quite handsome.

This was the cattle tick a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

The paralysis Tick is deadly.

Where is 'Palm Bob' when we need him ?