What is it ?

That is my 28 year old son in law.
Those young people wear them all around Ozz.

Hey Resin!
I followed your instructions re the Satin Bird.

It was not very hard finding the 'Bower'.
I simply left a couple of blue water bottle tops on the ground outside My Studio Door.
It was not long before the male came and started stealing/collecting the blue items.
From there I simply followed the flying male back to where he was building his bower.

It is very well documented Aboriginals do a similar thing to find wild bee hives.
They catch one wild bee and tie a white thread to their leg and then set them free.
The wild bee flies straight back to the hole in a hollow log/home.

Ginger, what sort of problem do you have with feral foxes and cats?

Absolute none at all Margaret.
We do have a pack of 100% real Dingoes.
There are about 7 of them.
But one of our neighbours has Dairy Cows.
He drags the dead ones up to the back of hid 1000 acre property.
And they go there for a meal but leave our Chooks and Sheep alone.
Another neighbour has lamas and they have never been touched.

Why do you ask ?
Do you have problems in WA ?

Dreadful issue here, Ginger. Foxes are even seen around the embankment where the osprey nest is and feral cats are everywhere. For those who may not be aware, foxes are not native to Australia; nor are cats - or rats - or camels - or wild pigs - or rabbits - or cane toads.

I took quite a few Pictures of the bower site (120).
I noticed the male never entered the bower from the front.
He always went in from the back.
Even when I put bread in front of the bower he would walk around to the back and walk through and eat the bread.

That bower is really something special. And blue is my favorite color also. My house has blue stuff all over the place. LOL

To bad there isn't a cleaver, neat way to get rid of all those non-natives. Maybe the continents should all collide again and we could all be one big mess together.

That sounds like a good idea Willowwind. ^_^

He was constantly rearranging the sticks the bower is built from.
I always thought that was a clump of grass he had parted.
But no, every single one of these sticks are placed into the soil by him.
Sometimes two or three females will come when he is absent.
They damage the bower and mess with his head by re arranging the coloured trinkets.

This bower bird stuff is amusing. I'm impressed (and envious) that you can observe them.

Hi Sally,
I found it just too easy to take all these Pictures.
I had always imagined it so very hard.
But when these birds count you/Me as one of their Friends.
Almost anything is possible.
Just one thing, I never did Photograph their eggs or their young in the real nest.
OH well ! Two out of three is OK for me.

A bird can make a beautiful nest like that. I couldn't do it. Course his motovation is high.

When I was a wee Teenager I lived at Cunnamulla for about one year.
I remember seeing these exact Birds and they only collected 'White trinkets'.
I have asked the people from our National Museum why.
And they told me that it is because there are no blue items to be collect at Cunnamulla.
So they collect 'White' things which are readily available in Australia's Great Outback.
I have also seen Opals in their collection as there are Opal fields all around Cunnamulla.

Because we get 60% more rain than Brisvegas does.
Our grass is always greener than our neighbours.
So these Marsupials spend more of their time here than around Caboolture.
Can you guess how many Marsupials are in this Picture ?

since you led us with a 'tease,' I am estimating- nine- wait, ten, there are extra ears on that one!

Visitors must want to try and pet them. Are they dangerous? People here may want to pet deer but deer can be deadly in their self defense.

Yes Sally, you are right.

These Ducks are very strange. (not sure what they are, maybe wooden Ducks)
Right from the start, there were two males and one female raising three young ones.
I have never seen this 'threesome' type thing before in Birds.
Except when Paul Hogan was shagged up with two Women (sisters). ^_^
Paul Hogan was the main actor of “Crocodile Dundee”.
Day after day they would bring the three young ones for a free handout. (the Ducks that is not Paul)
They are not very friendly but will gladly take any bread I leave out for them.
Their preferred lunch is bread, but I don't always have bread in My Studio.
So they eat the sorghum from My 'Wild Bird Seed' I leave out for the Cockatoos.

Whee! did I win something? The ears and joeys were tricky.
I'd be less surprised at two female and one male.

8 ^)
tee hee!

Thanks Resin for the correct ID.
This is them less than 6 weeks later.

I got eight. Then after I knew how many, I found the others. I posted a picture of morning(?) doves like that once and one person found them all.

Resin, may I ask how you have accumulated so much knowledge on plant ID and animals? You are amazing.

It appears that the defence is left up to the female.
The two males are just moving the ducklings away from this other pair.

Good for the gal.

We call these guys our Black Chooks. (although we don't collect their eggs)
I wonder if anyone knows the difference between the males and the females ?
They dug up more than 50 sweet potatoes growing in My main Veggie Patch.
So they have now been totally banned from My Greenhouse because.
I have over 24 heirloom Tomato plants well on the way to giving me buckets full of love fruits.

Thanks Resin,
I was sure someone would know.

These two Birds turned up for a free Xmas feed.
I guess they are Pigeons ?

Look pigeon or dove like, I agree.

White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela

Resin

I googled that and found it spot on.
Thanks again Resin.
Have a very Merry Christmas every one.

I notice I got my yearly Birthday vish from DG.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1291887/
I did spy a big fat Guy dressed in Red and White in My Garden yesterday.
I will add some Pictures of him later.

The green Birds are becoming more friendly.

Merry Christmas ginger and Sambo
Merry Christmas Resin

Thank you Sally,
Did you have a good one ?

Here is that Picture of Santa trying to sneak into My House unnoticed.
He didn't count on me being in My Studio.

tee hee there he is!!
Yes we had a good one, all three kids home and happy, enough presents without breaking the piggy bank, cookies, visiting today, sips of cheer here and there....Now that XMas is over I feel liberated to look at my plants again!

Yes Sally,
It's always great to have all ones kids around.
Even if they are all over 27 yo. ^_^

The Black Bird is getting more and more friendly.
When they are scrounging for food.
The male and female are quite happy being together.
And they don't blue at all.
One day I threw out the remains of my breakfast cereal bowl. (with milk)
It was Kellogs Honey Snaps.
They were straight onto it like Bees to Honey.
But it is too expensive to continue giving that to them.

The male is getting even more friendly.
He has even started giving me a 'high five'.
Or should that be 'a high four' ? oh well !
How many toes does a Bird really have ???
Maybe they aren't even toes.
Could they be talons ?
Or do only Eagles have those ?

Thanks again Resin.
I know I can always depend on you for a good reply.
How is the weather your way ?
Have you had any snow yet ?
Our days are hovering around 37deg, C.
Swimming Pool is getting a workout.

Here is another Picture of Santa trying to sneak into the house through the Rain Forest.
But I was waiting for him.
Can yall see he is wearing sandles instead of black snow boots ?
Maybe the boots were just too hot for him here in Ozz.