Steve Paxton's photos with the keyword: Bird

The very last day of my working life I sat down in the sun and warmth for the very last 10min. I was greeted by the one and only thing that I will truly miss in this school. This bird has been my constant companion always looking for a free feed most times almost side by side to my boots. I had to look before I moved she was that close. Soon the be a mum she is flat out building a nest I lost some of my sock to her nest. She is a wild bird that came to trust me I would never do her harm or touch her , she instead touched me. Time to time I will put my work shirt on and go back and see here and hope for some new chicks. Almost the end of an unbelievable tale but here it is in colour. This is one of 10 shots of her from the day. This was her last......... The story started March 2024

What you are about to read is solely under the birds control. I tend to ignore the bird and let it do what it wants to do. A tall story.. week 1 Wednesday I was trying to fix the primary mud kitchen and all the leaks on the Poly pipe. While I was on my knees trying to screw up a clamp I had a visitor a small willy wag tail I noted the Bird but kept working in the quiet. The bird walked all around me as I was there. I got up and sat on the wall to turn the tap on and check. I noted I had the willy wagtail on the limestone block wall less that 7"away from me. I had to get up and go back to the shed to find more clips to crimp up the Pipe. When I sat down the Willy wagtail flew down on the ground at my feet walked under my legs to the other side and flew up to the limestone wall again less than 7" away. The whole time the bird was chattering away and moving , I did nothing but carry on working watching the bird. When I got up to get ready for home the bird flew away. Friday when I took my ladder and the piece of wood for the roof of the bells and pipe area I noted the sound of a willy wag tail in the tree above. When I got set up to drill to screw in the long screw to hold the wood , on the end of the wood (two way from me about 15" apart) landed the Willy wag tail. I kept working and ignoring the visitor only to have it move to the next one right next to me. I was slowly driving the long screw into the wood only to have the Willy wag tail land on my rolled up sleeve at my elbow of my left arm. Sat there for a while moving and chattering away I stopped what I had just finished to find the bird walking down my arm to my watch on left hand. I did not move but started to talk to the bird only to have the bird standing on my watch. The bird flew into the tree, both occasions there was no one about to witness any of this but myself and the bird. week 2 Friday I was in the sand pit try to look under the table of the mud kitchen to see how the pipe work was hooked up. to do this i had to lay on the sand and look into the hole I dug under the table. I heard the chittering of the bird next I could feel my hair being pulled. Once I finished I sat on the block wall of the sand pit to send a message what I found when I felt the bird on my knee so just changed the app to camera and to the photo with no movement at all, I just prayed the camera was able to focus it was so close..... I kept the same pose till the bird decided to move to the block wall then into the sand pit where I had just be laying. you can see my boot print in the sand. In no way have I even tried to call or influence the bird it is all up to the bird I just go about what I am doing. This is not a tame bird it's a wild bird that lives in the school area , yes its a juvenile bird but it seems more than interested in what i do about this area. Ps 5/4/2024 these school holiday I had the huge job of removing 50 odd years of paint and sanding back to prepare to give the whole wall 2 new coats nine windows in full length.. I was between two air-conditioning protective cages very slowly scraping of all the old loose paint in the quiet of early morning. I felt something on my shoulder I knew the bird was on the cage to my left . In the glass window I could see the reflection of the small bird as it moved to the right then hopped on to the right frame beside me . I still don't know what to make of this behavior. 15/4/2024Today I had my normal straw hat on to help with sun protection as I walk out of the pre primary only to see that I had a passenger on the hat on the shadow on the ground below me..... Its a wild bird.

My wife came in come look at the stealers in the tree. There are three huge trees in our yard but no fruit ripe to pick but the 28 is having a field day quite happy low down to let me take the photo. Wife is not happy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_ringneck

We took a 4 hour cruise up the Kalgan River on the Kalgan Queen. As I had a camera I was forewarned where the fish would be thrown and be ready it was over in seconds but I have 4 stunning sequences from fish floating on the water pick up and fly away in this shot you can see where, pick up and fly away. It pays to keep Both eyes open and watch the bird fly in and out. www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/WA-osprey this is a trip I can completely recommend for history lesson, facts and humor, www.boattours.com.au/tours

The bird Sat enjoying the warmth of the Sun As it very wet and school holiday's we coped a very bad set of days that where dry to cut down trees. my day off is friday but was only dry day and saturday to cut out peppers trees that have been left to grow wild in the school grounds. we did not want to climb ladders on a wet day and cut out trees. I got home stuffed on saturday went to bed early. Next friday is looking much the same I have 14 blocks to lay so do not need a wet day at all so far friday next week is shaping up as my only dry day. Each block is 33 kg so it's not going to be a super fast lay more a calculated one. HFF I have miss for work at the school.

My wife went to the hairdressers I took my long lens and waited patiently on the Boardwalk on the lake. This was deep with in the trees thank goodness for focus tuning...the bird has just eaten a grub and has its foot on a Stick Insect next in line. Its good the lens does not show the leaves and brush in between.

The bird is Know as a 28 by in large from the sound they make. by all account from read the below link this is a female no red mark on the head and the colours not quite so bright or vivid. may even be the same one I took a photo of last year as well. two males beautyofbirds.com/twenty-eight-parrots The parrots have taken a liking to the three Guava trees we have in the yard BUT the dont eat the ripe fruit the eat more when they are green. They sit up there silently eating away only way you know bits of fruit fall out of the tree. This is the first one who was more interested in eating than worrying about me and the camera. The softer yellow two at the bottom of the photo are ripe for picking are untouched.

Herdsman Lake Walk I had a few hours to kill while the wife was at the Hairdressers. What a place.

I came out to check if there was any more ripe fruit on the trees. I heard a very quiet noise of bits falling out of the tree and landing on the leaves below. it took a while to find the "28" sitting high up in the tree enjoying the White fleshed Guava.

Part of learning a new house is who you share the area with. this is not the first time I have seen this bird when I get up early but the first time I got the camera and tried to capture on the D810 in QUIET mode. In the park next door we have a tree that a whole flock of Corellas roost each night, in the morning fly out just after first light. the size of the flock and the noise is staggering. I will find out what tree and sit in wait and hope not to be eaten by mozies........ This in part is why I own a camera thats not called a phone and matching lens.... Enjoy an early morning in Southlake's WA.

The one time I kicked my self for not taking a longer lens on the bus trip. "I will not be seeing any birds" 120mm is just not long enough but what a colour statement, moral of the story never say never..

www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Lichenostomus-virescens Wild Birds in the heat are hard to find reminds me of the saying... Only mad dogs and English men go out in the mid day sun.

A bird that led me on a merry chase for 20min decided to pose Fence post and wire gives some scale to this bird. Do look at this large check the water drops out on the feathers.

A bird that led me on a merry chase for 20min decided to pose Axe gives some scale to this bird.