If I ignore it, it will go away
By Judy Evans
@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
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.
@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.
@snowy22315 (181998)
• United States
20 Sep 18
Oh wow,,an annoying little bird he must be!
1 person likes this