If I ignore it, it will go away

yellow-throated miner and butcherbird, Western Australia
@JudyEv (341824)
Rockingham, Australia
September 19, 2018 5:29pm CST
While in Ravensthorpe in the south-east of Western Australia, we stayed with friends on their farm. It is a quiet spot with a few kangaroos around and about seven emus in the front paddock. There are also plenty of birds including two pied butcher birds and some yellow-throated miners which can often be seen on the verandahs hunting down spiders and other insects. The miner (Manorina flavigula) is a species of honey-eater and endemic to Australia. It has a yellow eye-patch and legs and is between 22 and 28 centimetres (8.7 – 11.0 in) in length. The pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) is a songbird native to Australia and is slightly larger than the miner being 28 to 32 cm (11 to 12.5 in) long with a long hooked bill. Mostly they seemed to get along well but one morning the miner was intent on annoying the butcherbird and Vince was lucky enough to get this shot. The miner is much smaller but that didn’t stop him harassing the butcher bird. And doesn’t the latter look very smart in his black and white plumage? Maybe the miner was jealous of the butcherbird's good looks. In case you're wondering, the miner didn't hit the butcherbird. In fact, I don't think he even scared him.
9 people like this
9 responses
@RasmaSandra (80659)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Sep 18
That is a great photo. I love watching birds. That is about the same kind of photo that I got back in Riga, Latvia by a duck pond as you see in the photo a seagull was coming in for a landing right over the duck in the pond.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
That's a great shot too. Here is another shot of the two of them. It was hard to choose between the two.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
30 Sep 18
@RasmaSandra I love the picture.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (13126)
• Ireland
19 Sep 18
@judyev That really is quite a picture. Congrats to Vince.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
Thanks. It's not often you manage something like there. There is a website called 'Crap Bird Photography' and people put up all their (non) photos of 'blirds' etc.
@xFiacre (13126)
• Ireland
20 Sep 18
@JudyEv Actually you would wonder if that bird is lining itself up to crap on the big one!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
@xFiacre Could be but it didn't happen while we were watching.
@wolfgirl569 (107932)
• Marion, Ohio
19 Sep 18
Great shot. They are both very pretty birds.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (107932)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Sep 18
@JudyEv That is unusual but would be fun to do.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
I thought the butcherbird was lovely. I'e seen them before but not so close. Apparently they become tame enough to feed from your hand.
@just4him (317249)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Sep 18
That's a great shot Vince got of the birds. They're beautiful and I can see the expression on the one just seems to be waiting for the other to leave.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317249)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
23 Sep 18
@JudyEv Yes, he does.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Sep 18
He does seem to be ignoring it doesn't he?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
23 Sep 18
@JudyEv Good picture Vince took. I am glad he did not get in the middle of their fight and get hurt himself.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Sep 18
If he had shown himself they would have flown away and we wouldn't have got any photos.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
25 Sep 18
@JudyEv I know what you are saying. I see a good picture of my Sophie so go get my phone and she moves so no picture afterall.
1 person likes this
@Icydoll (36717)
• India
20 Sep 18
Very nice picture Judy.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Sep 18
Birds can be hard to photograph.
@snowy22315 (181998)
• United States
20 Sep 18
Oh wow,,an annoying little bird he must be!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
Some of the smaller birds can be very feisty.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
19 Sep 18
I liked them both.That is a good shot there.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341824)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Sep 18
He was lucky wasn't he?
@JESSY3236 (20046)
• United States
21 Sep 18
cool picture.