Trevor’s Birding

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

Red Wattlebird
Red Wattlebird

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report # 11

In the afternoon of the day we went to visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra we had a short break. We’d been walking for hours and we were a little leg weary. We stopped at a convenient picnic table to have a light snack and a drink.

We’d hardly sat down when a Red Wattlebird decided we might be an easy touch for a snack of his own. Like so many birds in Australian parks and picnic grounds, this individual knew that humans meant food. So he came and sat on the table next to us.

He didn’t seem at all threatened by my camera whirring and clicking less than a metre away. It is times like this that I love having a camera in my hand all ready to shoot.

Red Wattlebird
Red Wattlebird

 

2 Responses to “Close Encounters of the Bird Kind”

  1. John Tongue Says:
    December 3rd, 2007 at 6:26 am

    Hi Trevor,
    Not sure if it’s the same bird, but we wnet to the Gardens in Canberra in 2004 and were accosted by a Red Wattlebird, sitting on the picnic table, and “staring us down” for our lunch!

  2. Eremophila subteretifolia Says:
    January 16th, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    […] plant has orange tubular flowers which are enjoyed by Honeyeaters, particularly Red Wattle Birds and New Holland Honeyeaters. Wednesday January 16th, 2008 | Categories: Eremophila; Drought […]

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