Monday, November 3, 2008

Figbirds in the Garden

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I see – and hear - Figbirds in my yard quite frequently but seldom as close as this. I had been sitting inside and heard these birds just outside the window so grabbed the camera and went outside as quickly and quietly as I could. These photos are the result. The female in the first photograph had a sour cherry in the beak from my neighbour's bush and the male sat there and watched until she had finished.

22 comments:

  1. Wow - beautiful birds, and very nicely captured!

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  2. Not much appeal in Figbirds' diet, but I'd fight them for good sour cherries.

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  3. Mick, what a lucky and gorgeous capture.Isn't he a darling to keep watch while she feeds with a quiet mind.

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  4. Hi Mick.
    Nice photos of the Fig Birds.

    As a matter of interest, can you give me another name for the "Sour Cherry". I knew people in Canberra who grew something they called a "Sour Cherry" which was a type of Prunus. Yours doesn't look like a true cherry fruit. Any idea what type of fruit it might be?

    Cheers
    Denis

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  5. Thanks for your comments Christopher, Tony, Arija, and Denis. I don't know the proper name for that cherry but have heard it called the Brazilian Cherry.

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  6. Nice ones Mick. What's their call like?
    Regards,
    Gouldiae

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  7. Fig birds - now that's a new one for me. What amazing face colours! Nice capture Mick. :)

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  8. Hi Gouldiae, I think their call is quite melodious. Slater says: "Pleasant warbling". I must try and record more of the sounds I hear around the backyard.

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  9. Hi Tricia, we certainly have different birds. I find that's one thing that makes reading blogs from overseas so interesting.

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  10. Beaut photos of the Figbirds Mick, we get the odd one right down here, haven't caught up with them though.

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  11. Hi Mick
    Brazilian Cherry makes sense.
    It is a Eugenia, which the native Lillypillies were once grouped with - now split off.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenia_uniflora
    Photos on Wikipedia look right for the berry in the Figbird's beak.
    Well done. Thanks
    Denis

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  12. Thank you Denis, that is very interesting. It sounds like an interesting tree to have in the yard. Must have a closer look at how it is growing in the neighbour's yard. I am not a great gardener (its always more interesting to be out kayaking on the bay :-) )so have only planted those things that I see growing well in yards around me.

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  13. Good catch!

    They're chatty birds in a flock. Almost as vocal as lorikeets.

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  14. Hi Snail, so far I haven't had any flocks - just 2 or 3 birds together so I haven't heard that chatty behaviour you describe. Lorikeets - yes definitely they are always around in great numbers and very noisy.

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  15. Great capture of great birds. The colors are intoxicating.

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  16. Wonderful photos! What great birds to watch, I love being able to sit and study a bird like that, especially if you don't normally get a close look at them.

    Good birding to you!

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  17. Thanks for visiting Birdfreak and Sparverius

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  18. Beautiful images, Mick! I've never even heard of figbirds before -- always enjoy seeing birds from the other side of the world. Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Nice photos Mick! Figbirds are new to me too. I'm glad this is a world-wide thing so everyone can discover beyond their little corner of the world.

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  20. Hi Red, I agree that the worldwide coverage makes this very interesting.

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