Sunday, May 26, 2013

not the real deal, but close



In between doggie stories, MTWaggin’s blog is always chock full of great photos of Montana landscapes, flowers and wildlife. 
Spring is sprung further north, and a short while ago she posted some shots of a Meadowlark and then mentioned how much she enjoyed their song. Naturally I had to check it out.

While listening to the meadowlark on YouTube I realised I have access to an endless number of birdsongs.

Sometimes MTWaggin shares videos of her “cruises” in search of things to photograph. While Teddy sits at the front of the kayak sniffing a million smells an hour, MT sits further back recording the sounds of lapping water, birdsongs, and a camera taking photos.

The sound of the camera reminds me a little of this little Aussie trooper: [the lyrebird, not David Attenborough]











10 comments:

  1. No way FC! That was blooming fantastic to watch, the lyre bird I mean not David Attenborough haha! although he is pretty fabulous also! Gosh what a clever little mimic it is, I must admit I'm getting more and more hooked on the birding thing all the time, the most important quality I seriously lack is patience :) I may have to head over to MTWaggin to check it out!

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    1. Grace, until I found this clip, I thought stories about lyrebirds imitating chainsaws were just urban myths.
      Astonishing stuff, eh?

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  2. I think I blog posted that video years ago. It still amazes me.

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    1. You're a prolific blogger and a stayer, Andrew, so I would be surprised if you hadn't already posted it. But it sure is amazing stuff.

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  3. Awww thank you and I adore David A. and have seen these clips of the lyre bird many times and still don't get tired of hearing them!

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    1. The frustrating thing is that when I visit Sherbrooke Forest or similar places, it's very hard to track down a lyre bird by following a bird call:)

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  4. It's hard to track down a lyre bird full stop! They're not always easy to spot ... especially not when they imitate mobile phones - as we found one day in the depths of the NSW rainforest!!! Amazing!!

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    1. A mobile phone? LOL

      Perhaps the only reason David A can get close to one is because his special whisper is a special mating call in its own right?

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  5. Fruitcake I saw a female lyrebird at the National Rhodo Garden Olinda and it was in a damp gully beside a track through ferns and not quite totally camouflaged as it looked like a wet fern log. I was alone and stepping very quietly.
    Up on Mt Beauty, driving with a friend, a male lyrebird was beside the road and of course we slowed to a stop, only to see it leap back in the bushes. As we started again I saw the sneaky little shit just leap back out again.
    We got into town and excitedly shared our sighting while buying postcards and the guy said "oh they're everywhere" yawn.
    I dream of a platypus sighting though.
    I see from my stats this morning that a browser from Kansas left AOD via ScuseI.

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    1. Ann, is there any chance the sneaky little shit leapt out again just as you drove off because he was recording your number plate?

      Oddly enough, I've seen platypii aplenty at Sevens Creek [or Seven Creeks, depending on your politics] in Euroa.
      It helped that someone showed me where to look. Platypii are shy and, when I was a young'un, were much tinier than I'd imagined. Also, much lighter in colour than the muck that runs in Sevens Creek - itself much lighter than the muck that runs through the town's domestic water supply.

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