Water Babies

I have been a bit slack lately, I started writing this post about three or four days ago. Just goes to show I do actually work through the week! We feed the birds on a regular basis in our back yard, and one of the things birds like to do after dinner is clean up. The birdbath becomes a busy place and for the most part they are a bit shy about going there when I am watching. Understandable as I wouldn't be happy with a bunch of birds watching me take a bath either!

So I set up the camera and the remote so that they could have their privacy and I could still get the shots. The only trouble was I could see the birdbath from the computer so I had to go by sound alone. If I heard a splash I pushed the remote button. It worked surprisingly well!

What surprised me the most was not only the amount of birds you can fit into a tiny bird bath, but the different types of birds and their interactions with each other. The sparrows would sit around the edges while the starlings splashed about, this gave them a light cooling off shower without having to get totally into the water. It seemed to work for many of them - not all though, as there were some sparrows looking like downed mice from time to time.

The birdbath on a hot day

Some days it is just too hot to venture out into the sun, so I take to my arm chair by the open french doors and watch the birds play. This young black bird was particularly fun to watch. It would hop along the lawn inching closer and closer to the birdbath, watching for danger with every hop and then jump up onto the birdbath and splash about for a few minutes before flying off.  This was repeated several times so I had plenty of opportunity to photograph its antics.

We have put stones in the birdbath to give the smaller birds a chance. They didn't seem to like it when it was too deep, but now they are happy to splash about in there also. The things we do for our art!

The Starling

The starlings fly in a flock. They arrive in a flock and they make enough noise to scare off anything other than the sparrows. Their chicks are very aggressive and bully their parents constantly. That being said, it is the starlings who are most timid in the water bath. I find this rather amusing because when we head to the beach you can often see the starlings scavenging for food at the low tide mark, so they are not afraid of water.  Today's post is devoted to the starlings and their antics in the water bath. They splash so much water about I almost need to refill it after each one!

Visiting Photogs

We have two visiting photographers from Auckland, (they also happen to be my mother and her husband), and the plan of the trip was to get out and take nature photographs. Typical Wellington has put on its best weather for the event and while we drove around most of my usual haunts, the wind chased us back home.

So I introduced them to my backyard birds. The birds all came out to play regardless of the wind and we managed to get some good images. It is good to have a plan B and especially when it means not having to leave the house. We stay tucked up warm inside and the birds perform just out the door.

Hopefully tomorrow's weather will be calmer and warmer and we will get out to places like Zealandia and the Zoo. Matiu Somes Island is also on the list of places to go if the weather plays nice. If not, well there is always the scrabble board!

The bird bath

It has been very hot here the last few days and I have taken to relaxing in the back of the house by the open doors with my feet up enjoying the breeze. Of course I have my camera sitting on my knee and if the birds are brave enough to make it to the birdbath then I can photograph them. The birds think it is far to close to the camera but the heat of the afternoon made them a little bit braver.

Once they get used to it being there and my not hurting them I am sure the opportunities to photograph bird water play will increase. You could call me a lazy photographer doing this but I am finding that the longer you just sit and watch the birds, the better versed you become in their behaviour and better able you are to predict their movements. Getting that good shot is all about patience.

I had lots of patience while I was shooting these images, I fell asleep in my chair and had a nice snooze. I am surprised the snoring didn't scare the birds away!

Altering the Universe

The puddle has dried up for the Summer and even if we fill it, it is just getting slimy and icky. The birds were still doing their best to get some water out of the dried mud, so yesterday I dragged out last years broken bird bath and rigged it up for them to use instead. It took about 3 hours before they trusted it enough to try it out. Today it is a part of their universe and not at all scarey like it was the day before.

The birdbath started out full, however I think I am going to be heading out there again soon to refill it. The blackbirds are great at splashing the water all over the place and it makes it difficult for the sparrows to reach when they want a drink.