[rod_grant]

Beautiful series (and story), Des.
The new book arrived. I have just flicked through it so far.
It looks magnificent, and thank you.

[timb64]

KP and DA55-300WR

[Des]

Beautiful series (and story), Des.The new book arrived. I have just flicked through it so far.It looks magnificent, and thank you.

Thanks Rod. Despite its quirks (e.g. the index doesn't list families together, so you can't just look up "plover" and see the list of species), and its fairly hefty size, the ABG is a mighty work and a repository of a vast body of knowledge. The introductory chapters are very informative if you have a quiet moment. The whole work is written in an accessible way - it's a little too informal at times for my taste, but it is always concise and useful.

[rod_grant]

if you have a quiet moment.

Most of us do at present.

We are just being a bit careful using Woolworths Home delivery and no urgent reason to go out.
(but just back from mowing at my daughters place - that was urgent!)
There is a bit of gardening that is getting done - not my favourite past-time and a shed that is overdue for a reorganisation.
I have a couple of books that I received at Christmas that I haven't read yet, so I need to spend less time on the internet (checking up on the Forum and following up on some Clan Grant stuff mostly) and get reading.

[normhead]

Most of us do at present.

We are just being a bit careful using Woolworths Home delivery and no urgent reason to go out.
(but just back from mowing at my daughters place - that was urgent!)
There is a bit of gardening that is getting done - not my favourite past-time and a shed that is overdue for a reorganisation.
I have a couple of books that I received at Christmas that I haven't read yet, so I need to spend less time on the internet (checking up on the Forum and following up on some Clan Grant stuff mostly) and get reading.

You guys still have Woolworths?

I don't think I've seen one since I has a kid.

[normhead]

From today's activities...

K-1 and Tamron SP AF 300mm 2.8 and Tamron 2x TC (600mm ƒ5.6)




The Jays have eaten all the white paint from the cabin porch rails. We did some research. WhIte paint contains calcium. Birds need calcium especially in the spring for their eggs, but also for brain development in the young.


In an effort to save what paint is left is left I started putting breakfast's crushed egg shells out with the seed. It all gets consumed within a few minutes of putting it out.


We bought a new peanut feeder for the Jays.....


They do love their peanuts.


Put the K-3 on the lens and all you can get is head shots..


We probably have 100 grackles with us right now.


They all come in at once and it's hard for the stragglers to find a place to even land.

[rod_grant]

You guys still have Woolworths?

We do.

Aussie owned company - I don't know if it started out as part of a multinational and was then hived off, or if someone was too tired to think of a unique name, but we still have Woolworths.
Some of our retail chains are definitely home grown - Coles named after its founder and Myer likewise.
K-Mart is wholly Aussie owned (well as much as global stock markets allow!!!) but was initially a joint venture with Coles, and Target was a renaming of a clothing/haberdashery chain named Lindsay & McKenzie which was also a Coles acquisition.

Who really understands the machinations and logic of the corporate world? And who knows who owns who?

[rod_grant]

From today's activities...

Great series Norm.
(I should get out more...)

[normhead]

Great series Norm.
(I should get out more...)

For those images, I didn't even leave the property.

[Des]

From today's activities...

Another great set Norm.

Plenty of parrot visitors here over summer and autumn.

Crimson Rosella


Young Galah


Nail-biter


Little Corellas waiting for an opportunity to raid the seed


Nap time for this Little Corella


Rainbow Lorikeet set to launch.



On the lookout


Crunch time.


Face-off. These feisty Rainbow Lorikeets intimidate even the larger Galahs. This hapless youngster was no match.



But the young Galahs come back when the Lorikeets are gone.


First three were taken with the K-3 + FA*300 f4.5; the remainder with the KP + DA 55-300 PLM. Some images X-posted from the 300mm+ thread.

[normhead]

All we are saying, is give tracking a chance...
All shot with my bird in flight tracking preset. Nothing of course would track birds the size of Jays and 4 FPS is a severe limitation, but you do what you can with what you have.
K-3 and DA 55-300

The new peanut feeder.


Incoming


Getting the hang of it.




All lined up...






Does that look like a jay who accomplished something... or what?


Exit strategies

[Riggomatic]

Set up a new perch for the birds.




SMC-K 300mm

[Des]

Set up a new perch for the birds.

Nice setup David and great result. It reminds me of Rupert's cheater branch.

[normhead]

I've added them to my store bought feeders




There was an English guy who bragged he had 28,000. Instagram followers shooting birds last time I was in the park. He attached a stick to his food distributer. I said "nice stick" he said , with his nose in the air like a true Brit, "It's a perch." To which I replied, "Sure looks like a stick." Having been married to one for 14 years and living with another for 1.5 years, I've learned how to irritate Brits.

[Riggomatic]

Nice setup David and great result. It reminds me of Rupert's cheater branch.

Thank you! Mine won't have the "sap" though.

I've added them to my store bought feeders




There was an English guy who bragged he had 28,000. Instagram followers shooting birds last time I was in the park. He attached a stick to his food distributer. I said "nice stick" he said , with his nose in the air like a true Brit, "It's a perch." To which I replied, "Sure looks like a stick." Having been married to one for 14 years and living with another for 1.5 years, I've learned how to irritate Brits.

Who am I kidding, mine is just a stick too.