Bird Behaviour in Action
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the horbills are quite large birds used to feed on fruit and mainly insects,arachnids and small vertebrates.
but they are not used to kill aduld birds.
in this case an African Grey Hornbill (tockus nasutus) has cought and killed a social weaver.
"a strange behaviour"
Etosha National Park ,Namibia
original 3K file here:
A black Swan attacking a Muscovy duck.
Hope you will enjoy this shot.
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©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
Bastian with his toy mouse - at 12 y.o. he is still playful as a little kitten... ;)
Posted for the "Happy Caturday" theme "Behaviour".
Bastian (mixed breed), 18.10.2022
Olympus OMD EM5 Digital Camera
Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros (M)
The black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Muscicapidae). Other common names are Tithy's redstart, blackstart and black redtail.
It is not very closely related to the common redstart. As these are separated by different behaviour and ecological requirements.
It is a widespread breeder in south and central Europe and Asia and northwest Africa, from Great Britain and Ireland (where local) south to Morocco, east to central China. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, but northeastern birds migrate to winter in southern and western Europe and Asia, and north Africa. It nests in crevices or holes in buildings.
In Britain, it is most common as a passage and winter visitor, with only 20–50 pairs breeding.
On passage it is fairly common on the east and south coasts, and in winter on the coasts of Wales and western and southern England, with a few also at inland sites. Migrant black redstarts arrive in Britain in October or November and either move on or remain to winter, returning eastward in March or April. They also winter on the south and east coasts of Ireland.
The species originally inhabited stony ground in mountains, particularly cliffs, but since about 1900 has expanded to include similar urban habitats including bombed areas during and after World War II, and large industrial complexes that have the bare areas and cliff-like buildings it favours; in Great Britain, most of the small breeding population nests in such industrial areas.
Population:
UK breeding:
19-44 pairs
UK wintering:
400 birds
I was observing a group of sea gulls next to the Yarra River when I took this shot.
I am sure you would have seen these postures and calls before.
I was also curious about these postures and their meanings.
Here you can see two common postures.
The gull in the front is showing the Forward Posture.
As the name implies, this posture is all about displaying a forward motion by holding the body roughly horizontal or slightly diagonally with the neck kinked characteristically.
The tail can sometimes be spread; the bill is either slightly opened or closed.
The Forward posture is used in the following situations:
1) hostile encounters
2) pair formation sequences
3) as a response to a bird approaching in flight
When used in hostile encounters on land, it often includes running towards an opponent, whereas in a pair formation sequence both gulls move parallel to each other
The Gull behind is doing the Mew Call
The Mew call is accompanied by a characteristic Arch-posture in which the head is held down and the wings are held slightly away from the body.
It is usually performed while walking but can be performed while standing, flying, or swimming as well.
The Mew call is used in both aggressive and non-aggressive situations:
Aggressive
1) In defense of food or territory, aimed at an opponent
2 )To attract a mate for support in territory defense
Non-aggressive
1) To attract a partner (also for courtship)
2) To call chicks that have wandered too far from the nest
3) To gather chicks for feeding or after they have been hiding after a disturbance
4) As a nest-relief invitation
5) As a call performed upon landing.
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated...
Peaceful Sunday
Dove and Red-headed Finch.
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©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
… it was an exciting experience for me to be together with more than 20 horses on the meadow, when they were allowed to be there the first time this year…
They were let out singularly, so I had some moments to see how they appeared on the meadow.
This is his NATURAL behaviour, no dressage - and if I may say that: i was astonished by this appearance of power, proud and elegance…
Have a great Sunday ahead - and please press the L button
From the "senses" series: Vision
If someone sees something, they react. Cause-effect. According to Pavlov, reflexes could be conditioned. If you don't see, you don't react. But if vision is deprived from you and you know and watch that you don't see because someone doesn't want you to see, you react. Cause-effect.
The Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata) and red worker ants of the Myrmica species (probably Myrmica ruginodis). These unobtrusive orchids can be pollinated by various insects like parasitic wasps, sawflies and beetles. Twayblade flower has a sticky pollinia that contain hundreds pollen grains stick together. Pollinia will glue itself to an insect to be carried out to another flower. I had seen in the past larger black ants exploring twayblade flowers (www.flickr.com/photos/sergeysmirnov/26782941783/).
This time few red ants were exploring the orchid and its flowers. One of the ants was crowned for its efforts with pollinia. It is hard to say if ants can indeed pollinate these orchids or it is an occupational hazard. Also, if pollinia stuck to its forehead on the top their three extra simple eyes, the ant may lose its ability to navigate and might be doomed in this case. Brown's Folly, Avon Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, Bathford, near Bath, Somerset, England, UK
Although they are not the only birds to engage in similar behaviour, gannets are famous for "billing" or “mutual fencing.” While it can happen any time both birds from a mated pair are at their nest site, it is quite routine when one bird returns to the nest after foraging for food or nesting material. The two gannets will face each other, often touching and calling. They then shake their heads side to side with their bills clacking together. They often bow, rub necks, and preen each other’s neck before taking up the more mundane activities of nesting in colonies, such as bickering and fighting with neighbors.
RKO_9069.
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Puffins mating and courtship ritual, the puffins will pair up before they come onto land from the sea. Once they are on land, the pair may perform billing, a behaviour where puffins rub their beaks together. There numbers are falling because of global warming and this year bird flue.
Courtship behaviour of the great crested grebe.
great crested grebe
Haubentaucher
[Podiceps cristatus]
Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.
Mating lasts less than five minutes in banded demoiselles, though can take longer in other damselfly and dragonfly species. Afterwards the pair separate, but the male guards the female from rivals while she lays her eggs. The female pushes these into plants in the water, so searching for patches of emergent vegetation in slow-flowing waterways is often the best way to spot this fascinating behaviour.
Source: BBC Wildlife magazine.
Clicked a long time back. When I approached the beach it was the Grey Heron that I first spotted and so I tried to get close hoping to get good shots. But it kept moving away from me. It was then that I spotted the Greater Flamingo. Since it was a new species for me my focus shifted to it. I tried to keep close to the Flamingo and spent a lot of time trailing it hoping to get good shots. It was then I noticed a change in the Grey Heron's behaviour. It suddenly seemed to want to get close to the Flamingo as if to attract my attention. It flew in close and kept coming in the frame as if it was jealous of all the attention I was lavishing on the Flamingo. Watching this scene what impressed me was the dignity which the Flamingo maintained, going about its business without a care and seemingly unaffected by the frivolity of the Heron. In the bargain I got good shots of both.
Curious behaviour, the Redshank didn't eat the fish, it just picked it up and dumped it on the edge of the water. It must have been annoying the Redshank!
This little guy is very entertaining and knows no fear of humans. He took nuts from my hand, climbed into my bag to look for more food and played with my shoe laces to get my attention. This kind of behaviour is rather unusual, even for the squirrels at Monrepos who are all used to people.
Stag frantically digging up mud at the edge of a lake to cover its antlers before dressing them in vegetation. Not sure if this is to impress the ladies or threaten other males in the rut.
I made a quick trip to the nature reserve after work and met this beautiful and friendly girl. After moving to a very photogenic spot on the grass she spent several minutes turning, preening and generally showing off all her best sides for the camera! It was hard to pick a shot in the end :)
This is the typical behaviour of this Eagle Owl - it hides in plain sight and is so easy to miss. It finds the edge of a small quarry pit, and hides in the grass. Sometimes people pass by it within a few feet and not realize its presence. I have seen it dozens of times and by now am able to find it in and around the quarries.
This is a medium sized Owl around 50-55 cms, that frequents rocky areas near green vegetation. Often found on rock edges sitting silently and active at night, the bird is very easy to miss. It primarily hunts rodents, but also eats snakes, lizards, frogs and maybe other agricultural pests.
Thanks so much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
First is a Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar, next a Soldier Beetle, then a Ladybird and a Hoverfly. Please try viewing large. Thank you....
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) male female
Just time for a quick visit to the Vic Uni Pond today. The Grebe chicks should hatch any day now. A difference in behaviour in that both male and female (and I can't tell which is which) didn't venture very far from the nest, giving me some opportunities to get some images with both in the frame.
Came across this bruin in the arctic, he was feeding on a musk ox calf. His eyes tell the story, stay away! Taken from inside a truck on a gravel road. Decided to heed his eyes and stay in the truck with minimal movement. (The photographer didn't get this old being stoopid!) I have had very close encounters with Grizzly Bears while hiking and have been bluff charged and followed for miles before. One thing that is important is to read the animals behaviour. This one is quite obvious, wouldn't you say?
Not sure what,s going on here.At first i thought the ants were moving their larvae to another location,but the first larvae is clearly a plant hopper nymph! So moving plant hopper larvae for security,or food?
Thanks for your comments and faves,they are truly appreciated.
Barrow. Très abondant mais je n'ai pas insisté vu qu'on en a des tonnes à Montmagny, entre autres, avec un plumage équivalent. Everywhere on the wet toundra. Nuptial behaviour. Nice song.
Since lockdown, the animals behaviour have changed especially the squirrels in my local area. The seagulls and pigeons have encroached their territory. The squirrels are now scared, not so easy to photograph them anymore.
This female squirrel is pregnant. She came down from the tree a few times to get the groundnuts from me but she would not come close. When she got the nut she will climb up a tree keeping her distant until she finishes the nut before coming down again.
Although it is noted that animals can be seen more easily these days as compared to before lockdown. The sudden change of the way of life has certainly affected not only humans but of animals too.
Has there been less food for the squirrels ? Most probably it has as the seagulls have move inland to find food because the tourist trade has ceased and not much food for the seagulls at the seafront. Same goes for the pigeons.
So, it is not that a place had became quiet and other animals appear. They are actually forced to look for a greener pasture. Just an observation in my normal location shoot of squirrels.
Brighton 🇬🇧
26th March 2021
Red-winged Blackbird perched in a Upland Willow along the shore of Gillies Lake in the Gillies Lake Conservation Area located in the City of Timmins in Northeastern Ontario Canada
Just for the record, to keep some of the instinctive feeding behaviour for these birds, their food is hidden in boxes and cups etc. I can't remember the name of this beautiful bird though!
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Pacific Black Duck
Scientific Name: Anas superciliosa
Description: The Pacific Black Duck is mostly mid-brown in colour, with each feather edged buff. The head pattern is characteristic, with a dark brown line through the eye, bordered with cream above and below and a dark brown crown. The upper wing colour is the same as the back, with a bright glossy green patch in the secondary flight feathers. The white underwing is conspicuous in flight. Young Pacific Black Ducks are similar to the adults in plumage.
Similar species: The Pacific Black Duck is closely related to the Mallard, A. platyrhynchos, introduced into Australia from the Northern Hemisphere. The two species are very similar in habits and occupy the same niche in the two regions. The two species will interbreed in situations where Mallards have been released.
Distribution: The Pacific Black Duck is found in all but the most arid regions of Australia. Outside Australia, its range extends throughout the Pacific region.
Habitat: The Pacific Black Duck is one of the most versatile of the Australian ducks. It frequents all types of water, from isolated forest pools to tidal mudflats. Pacific Black Ducks are usually seen in pairs or small flocks and readily mix with other ducks. In the wild, birds are often very wary of humans and seldom allow close approach. Birds in urban ponds become quite tame, however.
Feeding: The Pacific Black Duck is mainly vegetarian, feeding on seeds of aquatic plants. This diet is supplemented with small crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. Food is obtained by 'dabbling', where the bird plunges its head and neck underwater and upends, raising its rear end vertically out of the water. Occasionally, food is sought on land in damp grassy areas.
Breeding: Mating in Pacific Black Ducks coincides with availability of sufficient food and water, and often with the onset of heavy rains or when waterways are at their peaks. Courtship is accompanied by ritualised displays including preening, bobbing and wing-flapping. This behaviour is often initiated by the female, and, other than copulation, the male helps little in the breeding process. Often, two broods will be raised in a year. The number of offspring produced may seem quite high, but only 20% of these will survive past two years of age.
Minimum Size: 50cm
Maximum Size: 60cm
Average size: 55cm
Breeding season: Highly variable
Clutch Size: 16
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2019
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