Birding

Intermediate Egret encounter

February 1, 2015 by Clare M 5 Comments

Some weeks just fly by and here I am realising it is the weekend and time to write and get away from painting woodwork and other projects we have running around our home! So, I am digging into the past! Our  garden has been active with birds as always and we have had the company of the noisy raucous Grey-crowned Babblers, three Black-chinned Honeyeaters that have become regular visitors as they patiently wait for one of the native trees to open its flowers, Double-barred Finches, Brown Honeyeaters and Great Bowerbirds to name a few. The projects are running along nicely and the birds are quite happy to watch us work and we continue to provide them with much needed water in this hot tropical weather.

So, I go back to our time in the Northern Territory last year when I was regularly visiting Knuckey Lagoons Conservation Reserve as the water levels dropped each day and the bird-life was incredible. I had just cycled there and got comfortable on the grass when an Intermediate Egret appeared interested in my bicycle and wandered towards it as you can see in the header photograph. It wandered closer to my bicycle to have a closer look…not very interesting if you can’t eat it!

Intermediate Egret (8)

Intermediate Egret (9)

 Intermediate Egret inspecting my bicycle!

Another Intermediate Egret approached and then the feathers were all ruffled up and it stood its ground.

Intermediate Egret (2)

Intermediate Egret (4)

 Ruffled feathers on Intermediate Egret

The Intermediate Egret then decided to walk around me and get what food there was in the damper grass in front of me!

Intermediate Egret (5)

Intermediate Egret (6)

Intermediate Egret (7)

 Intermediate Egret in search of food

Frogs were readily available and it was soon enjoying them close to me.

Intermediate Egret (3)

 Intermediate Egret enjoying a frog!

You don’t always need a big camera, sometimes birds come close to you!

Written by Clare M
Clare and her husband, Grant, have lived permanently in Broome, Western Australia since 1999 after living in various outback locations around Western Australia and Darwin. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. She monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of Broome's coastline by bicycle and on foot. She chooses not to participate in social media, but rather wander off into the bush for peace and tranquility. Thankfully she can write posts in advance and get away from technology!