Hi all,
Last Sunday Joy and I went to Phillip Island to check the place out and try
and add a few birds to the year list. It was a very successful day and
included a Southern Giant Petrel feeding straight out from the boardwalk at
the cafe complex at the end of the road.
We also had an interesting encounter with a Little Wattlebird. The Banksia
are in flower and lots of Little Wattlebirds were feeding on the nectar. As
we watched one bird feeding high up on the outer edge of the tree a raptor
called from above. The response from the Wattlebird was instant and very
interesting. It “froze” in a twisted pose with all its feathers fluffed
out. I wonder if it was a cryptic pose with the bird trying to mimic a dry
Banksia flower? The colour of the bird, grey-brown with white flecking, and
the shape it assumed made it look, with a bit of imagination, somewhat like
one, and maybe just enough like one to fool a distant raptor? I have put a
photo on my blog.
I considered the possibility that the bird had just decided to warm itself
in the sun but it didn't move slowly into the pose and shuffle its feathers
as a bird starting to "sun" usually does. At the sound of the raptor cry
the bird "snapped" to the position and froze. After about 3 minutes in the
pose, and with no further raptor calls heard during this time, the bird
flew down and into an adjoining Banksia.
Has anyone else seen this behaviour?
cheers
Jenny
http://jenniferspryausbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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