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Project Noah Nature School
Dacelo novaeguineae
This is my 400th PN spotting, and I can't think of a better way to mark the occasion than to post a spotting of a quintessentially Australian bird, the Laughing Kookaburra. And I will never forget this particular individual either... ever! We actually had a falling out and many harsh words were spoken. It's not like me to squabble with the local wildlife, but from the word go this bird and I failed to hit it off. He is my nemesis! Info on the species can be found at the reference link. Info on this particular individual can be found in my notes.
Kookaburras are found throughout eastern Australia. They have been introduced to Tasmania, the extreme south-west of Western Australia, and New Zealand. This spotting was in native bushland at Girraween National Park, near Bald Rock Creek. Close to a picnic area and camping ground, so these birds are fairly accustomed to people, and this one in particular was as bold as brass. Here's some park info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girraween_N...
This little beast stole my lunch... twice! And he just about ripped my finger off in the process... twice! And believe me, it hurt. There are signs all over the national park not to feed the wildlife, but he obviously hadn't read them. He was rude, pushy and persistent, so we had no alternative but to move to a more remote area of the national park to have lunch. He may have had speed and stealth on his side, but I have a big pot and plenty of fresh garlic on mine. Let's see who has the last laugh! (no pun intended). The last photo shows him with his little mates... eating my lunch! This isn't over yet! PS: I was back in Girraween 26 Feb 2015, and this fellow was nowhere to be found. Maybe he took me seriously?
Spotted on Oct 15, 2014
Submitted on Nov 15, 2014
10 Comments
Thanks everyone. True story, and all my fingers survived, so I guess it had a happy ending. Cheers for the nomination too, Fyn. Much appreciated.
Love the spotting and story Neil! Congrats on #400.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
haha lovely story and great pics, Neil. First the noisy miner and now this :)
Not much sympathy for 'twice' :-) (love that last shot too)
This a great spotting and I love your story. The title of your spotting also really caught my eye. Congratulations on a unique 400th spotting!
They say birds are incredibly smart, Ashley, so I can well believe it. I like the last pic too, Karen, but wasn't too sure if it should be the lead pic. Cheers for the congrats too, James. It was an awesome comment :-)
Many congrats on the 400 Neil. You have enriched many PN members with your spottings. Here is to the next 400
I think the birds know exactly what the signs say, they just choose to ignore them ;)
Love that last pic!