[Aramis]

How tall are you? Some Egrets are over 5' tall, you may end up hugging his legs!

I know, but I was thinking about one of "my" local egrets, most common of which are probably herons (grey, white, little) which are not that tall as far as I know.

 

[Genoveva]

I know, but I was thinking about one of "my" local egrets, most common of which are probably herons (grey, white, little) which are not that tall as far as I know.

Why don't you just say that you would like to take up snogging birds?

 

[Aramis]

Why don't you just say that you would like to take up snogging birds?

 

[Weston]

Bird watching can be hazardous. I once stayed in a vacation condominium that had several ponds with swarms of Canada geese and one swan. One morning the geese were out on the grounds hunting for whatever they peck around for, and I was on the patio eating toast. The swan rose up out of the pond and waddled ponderously through the flock of geese who parted like the Red Sea for him/her. He headed straight for our patio and did not seem afraid of me. Intrigued I thought I would offer him a bite of toast. He rose up to his full height which suddenly seemed on a Jurassic scale, took the toast and nearly part of my hand with it. Startled I jumped back inside and the swan got the rest of my toast as well off the patio table.

My friends had a big laugh about this, but even more so when the monster came back the next morning and started pecking on the patio glass doors, head turning from side to side looking in. "Come out sucker and gimme some toast! I know you're in there."

Saint-Saens got it wrong. He should have made heavy threatening dinosaur music for Le Cygne.

 

[LindenLea]

We clearly need an ornitholgy thread, so let's see if one appears somewhere! Birds have featured in the works and lives of so many composers, it's difficult to think of any recognised composer who hasn't made some musical reference to birds, from Handel's cuckoo and nightingale and Haydn's lark, to Dvorak's wood dove and Messiaen's, well, Messiaen's virtually every bird under the sun!!

 

[emiellucifuge]

I dont really have a reason to post this but Weston's story brought back memories.

Once on a travel we were eating dinner under the night sky, on a raised platform. Below us appeared a Jackal hungry for scraps. Despite the warnings we threw it some bread, anxious to see what it would do. Afterwards, my brother and I walked back to our room. We had to traverse some wooden raised walkways and it was pitch black with no light polution. I only had the flash of my camera to illuminate anything. Suddenly we realised the Jackal had been following us down at the side of the walkway. Decided to take some pictures but later began to think whether the flash had somehow irritated it. Walking on in the dark we heard and saw the Jackal jump up onto the walkway behind us, panicked we began to walk quickly, anxious to get into the safety of the hut. Our minds imagination was let loose in that darkness and we could imagine it stalking us patiently for its meal. Finally we fumbled with the lock nervously snd got inside.
I guess it was probably the first time i had an interaction with a real wild animal, and i guess the moral is: if you behave correctly there isnt much to fear.

Edit: concerning an ornithology thread, i have some pictures of fascinating Southern african birds that i cant identify. I would be eager for help?

 

[Guest]

Well I could contribute some Kiwi birds.

 

[LindenLea]

I dont really have a reason to post this but Weston's story brought back memories.

Once on a travel we were eating dinner under the night sky, on a raised platform. Below us appeared a Jackal hungry for scraps. Despite the warnings we threw it some bread, anxious to see what it would do. Afterwards, my brother and I walked back to our room. We had to traverse some wooden raised walkways and it was pitch black with no light polution. I only had the flash of my camera to illuminate anything. Suddenly we realised the Jackal had been following us down at the side of the walkway. Decided to take some pictures but later began to think whether the flash had somehow irritated it. Walking on in the dark we heard and saw the Jackal jump up onto the walkway behind us, panicked we began to walk quickly, anxious to get into the safety of the hut. Our minds imagination was let loose in that darkness and we could imagine it stalking us patiently for its meal. Finally we fumbled with the lock nervously snd got inside.
I guess it was probably the first time i had an interaction with a real wild animal, and i guess the moral is: if you behave correctly there isnt much to fear.

Edit: concerning an ornithology thread, i have some pictures of fascinating Southern african birds that i cant identify. I would be eager for help?

Wonderful post!

Isn't nature amazing, have you seen this? Talk about life imitating art. The remarkable moment a flock of flamingos spontaneously gathered in the form of one giant bird has been captured by a wildlife photographer in Mexico. This incredible moment was captured by Bobby Haas, an aerial photographer in Yucatan, Mexico. He described the formation, one of several hundred photographs he had taken flying above the flock, as the "holy grail" of wildlife photography. He photographed the flock of flamingos from a helicopter when the birds spontaneously formed in a giant version of themselves. Just beautiful.

THIS is why my hobbie is the birds!

 

[sospiro]

Wonderful post!

Isn't nature amazing, have you seen this? Talk about life imitating art. The remarkable moment a flock of flamingos spontaneously gathered in the form of one giant bird has been captured by a wildlife photographer in Mexico. This incredible moment was captured by Bobby Haas, an aerial photographer in Yucatan, Mexico. He described the formation, one of several hundred photographs he had taken flying above the flock, as the "holy grail" of wildlife photography. He photographed the flock of flamingos from a helicopter when the birds spontaneously formed in a giant version of themselves. Just beautiful.

THIS is why my hobbie is the birds!

What an amazing photo, thanks for posting that LL. Perhaps we could develop this into a wildlife thread?



This is Brian

 

[emiellucifuge]

Yes lets have a wildlife thread

 

[LindenLea]

What an amazing photo, thanks for posting that LL. Perhaps we could develop this into a wildlife thread?



This is Brian

:lol: Excellent, a fellow Magic Roundabout fan! Yes, I'm sure nobody would object if we chatted about wildlife, though I'm not sure if this thread is the place to do it, so we may need to de-camp to a new topic. The more I look at that photo of the flamingos, the more astonishing it becomes, they do tend to flock together in vast numbers on the mudflats on the waterline, but that configuration is miraculous, purely by chance of course, I assume a few seconds later it was gone, but the photographer must have been amazed.

 

[johogofo]

well,besides music I love chess.

 

[Huilunsoittaja]

well,besides music I love chess.

Have you ever played a chess game using the mail and/or joined the secret Chess Society in St.Petersburg?

 

[Guest]

The NZ Yellow beaked Eagle

 

[SalieriIsInnocent]

I also love to watch wildlife, particularly birds, though since I moved a month ago, I now live in the suburbs. No birds to be found.

As far as what I would consider a hobby, I guess it would be writing. I've been working on something for sometime, but I have been to pessimistic about it to finish.

I also love hiking, though haven't had the chance in quite some time. I plan to go hiking soon, before the heat returns.

 

[Weston]

Hiking and riding. I love those too, but I'm not much good at the latter. It takes time and lots of effort and heartbreak. Still it's gratifying to try.