Sunday, August 30, 2009

Inskip - the Frustration!

Yesterday was a very interesting morning with a number of very frustrating incidents - and also some great ones which I will put in a separate post.
I was walking very quietly along the bush track toward the sea at Inskip Point. The Point and camping place were crowded with vehicles and people! The only empty place was the bush track and there were a surprising number of birds calling. I was standing very still and trying to see what was scratching around in the brush close to the track when a great thrashing started in the top of the tree. Of course all small timid birds immediately took off! It sounded like an elephant falling! I moved enough to see what was happening and saw this Brush-turkey in the top of the tree and looking as if it wasn't sure how to get down. I've never seen Brush-turkeys either flying or up in trees before!
I moved off and hoped for quiet. Further along the track there were more gentle rustles from the brush beside the track. The resulting photo is very poor indeed but typical of the frustration when trying to get photos of the elusive Black-breasted Button-quail! These people who say that the quail walk right out of the bush beside them have a whole lot more luck than I do!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Mick make sure you watch out for those Turkeys in the trees. Great photos. You will get the BBBQ one day keep trying.

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  2. Hi Mick! The Brush-turkey looks amazing. I have seen it in my field guide, but the photo shows a much more impressive bird. It seems to me that you have been very lucky and should not feel frustrated.

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  3. Hi Nickolay, the brush-turkeys are easy to see out at Inskip - just not in trees! - which was definitely a surprise to me.

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  4. We have had problems with Brush Turkeys eating very green bananas on the bunch (still attached to the plant) and I must admit that I was surprised to find them foraging so far off the ground.
    ......And I'm sure you'll find the Quail one day soon.

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  5. Hi Barbara, I had no idea they ate things like that. Although down in NSW (in the Dorrigo area) I have seen them at picnic spots beside the rainforest come in and snatch anything they could from the tables and eat it too! I thought that was just acquired tastes!

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