Monday, July 28, 2014

Bymien Picnic Area

Last week I took visitors from New Zealand out to the Bymien Picnic Area. This place is about 3 kms down the Freshwater Road which is reached from the road to Rainbow Beach. There is a magnificent area of rainforest here with trails through the forest and signage at intervals along the trails naming and describing many of the rainforest species.

This is tropical rainforest so there are many beautiful palms through the forest.

All plants struggle to reach the light above the highest trees. The Strangler Fig starts as an epiphyte high in a host tree. The roots then start downwards and eventually completely cover and surround the host tree until it is dead and the Strangler Fig stands by itself.

I heard quite a number of birds in the forest but they were high in the canopy and impossible to photograph. As we sat eating our picnic lunch this Brush-turkey came and checked us out.

I thought it was being very obliging to sit down in the sun where I could get a good photo. I should have known better!

We were sitting and eating beside the picnic table. The bird first came and tried for crumbs in front of us - then it went away! The next thing I knew, it had flown onto the table where the rest of the food was sitting and picked up a pack of sandwiches. I chased after it but there was no way that bird was going to let me get near. I didn't want the sandwiches after the bird had taken them - but I didn't like the idea of the plastic wrapping being taken away!

For more scenery from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

26 comments:

  1. such a neat, neat bird! love the strangler figs and the palms, too!

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  2. Didn't realise turkeys were so intelligent.

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  3. What a beautiful trees in a beautiful place, Mick!! I would love to visit there!! Amazing birds, too!! Marvelous captures as always!! Thanks for sharing the beauty and the fun!!

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  4. How cheeky to steal the sandwiches!

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  5. Great photos and what a brazen little turkey ~ Wonderful post for OWT ~ thanks,

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  6. The trees are lovely, I always enjoy a walk in the forest.. Cute shots of the turkey! Have a great week!

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  7. these bush turkeys must be very used to people to do this. I hope it didn't choke on the plastic. I have heard of kookaburras and magpies and crows doing such things, but not bush turkeys. The rain forest looks amazing. Have a great week.

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  8. Such wonderfully lush vegetation and I'm surprised that turkey did not try to snatch your lunch between hand and mouth.

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  9. How lush and leafy!

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  10. The strangler fig doesn't sound very nice, but it sure weaves a beautiful pattern on the host tree. Your turkeys certainly are more colorful than ours, which are a drab brown and black.

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  11. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful place... great images.

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  12. That really a magnificent area, a place to go. The bird is an interesting species and a little robber.

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  13. Hi Mick This reminds me of Australia. Great greenery and I love the Brush Turkey

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  14. Great images of a bird I've not come across before. Than you.

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  15. That is one beautiful turkey!

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  16. :) made me smile Mick; lovely photos too

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  17. a beautiful forest and a very COOL bird. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  18. It must be wonderful to have tropical rainforest so close to home where you can escape into another world. Like you say, perhaps not the best for seeing birds when they are up in the canopy, but the sounds must be incredible.
    That Strangler Fig has certainly worked out a way to prosper and it must be a wonderful to examine it close-up like that.
    Looks like that particular Brush Turkey has met the human race before! Let's hope they are not all as tame.

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  19. At least you got a great shot of the thieving scoundrel!

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  20. Beautiful place! Such interesting trees! And I love the turkey! Very different.

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  21. Lovely photos! She's a smart bird. She figured out an easier way to get lunch. :)

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  22. One aggressive turkey! Lovely photo.

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  23. Great looking place - shame about the pushy turkey!

    We went off to find snow today - strange that we live in the same country!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  24. Strangler Fig is an apt name for sure. But the roots wrapping the host tree are quite pretty. In answer to your question over on my blog, yes the barge is new this summer. We purchased it from a man who helped build it in a friend's yard. It is quality construction and solid welded aluminum. We've been looking for a landing craft for about a year when this came on the market and it is perfect for the quads and travel on Powell Lake. As you can guess, a new book is in the works about all our barge quad ride adventures. It will be out and available at Amazon (print and Kindle) probably in September or October. - Margy

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  25. Why that brazen thief! But a very handsome one. How funny. (We have a four-year-old great-grandson who was afraid of crows because one stole his french-fry out of his hand ... he's seven now and has outgrown that, but it was hard not to laugh at the time; can't imagine what he would have thought of the turkey and his whole lunch!).

    We have strangler figs in Florida -- so fascinating.

    It's fun to show company your neighborhood isn't it? Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

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  26. I love tropical rainforests. What a cheeky bird!

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