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Baddad
23-09-2012, 05:05 PM
I was busy reading the posts on IIS. The noise startled me. A kookaburra had found its way into the house. Finding itself trapped it flew into the walls and windows in its frantic efforts to escape. Eventually came down to the floor.

I'll do the nice thing. Grabbed it with intentions to release it. He clamped his beak onto the third finger of my left hand. I was expecting this. But wow! he was a strong biter. Also making a loud erh erh erh sound. I managed to open his beak.
Upon losing the battle. He went into a shock state. He had no grip on me. He became limp. I quickly got him clear of the house and softened my grip slowly. Off he flew doing the Kooka-racha.

Next time I wont mess with him. I'll throw a towell over him. See how he likes that.

I know he is the male bird. He comes knocking on the window everyday. Attacks his reflection. Has been doing it for years. I feed him occasionally. He takes food directly from my hand while he sits on the balcony of the back deck.

So what may the consensus be here. Do I call him nasty names? Do I threaten to not feed him?

He is a natural alarm clock. Hear him every morning at dawn.
Note the close set eyes of the guilty party in the photo. Picture was taken of the offending bird some years ago.

Cheers

bartman
23-09-2012, 05:18 PM
Nice story Marty.
I'm sure he'll be back.......
Cheers
Bartman

jjjnettie
23-09-2012, 06:09 PM
:) Now you know what Harry Butler and Steve Erwin had to put up with all the time.
I'm glad the little fella is ok.

GrahamL
23-09-2012, 06:19 PM
I think we all have to understand a rescue of a distressed / injured wild animal isn't always going to be apreaciated by the said creature. :)

1 I dont know the person involved but its still mentioned with laughter by all who were there many years on ,Approach injured koala , to have him run at the rescuer and try and climb that left leg to be safe , koala attached to leg as he spun around on the other one were very funny to watch I'm told .The bites he got to his hands trying to prise the poor animal off as well as the deep claw tears to his leg kept him in hospital for a week.

2. A friend who worked in national parks told me this , returning to grafton from Yurrigar there superviser driving the work truck spotted a small grey roo with skowers huddled beside a large puddle , as he bent over to pick up the small sick creature its mother bounded out of the heath and
launched with both legs into his back sending him face first into the puddle , crawling to his feet with fists clenched he just didn't understand
what had happened , launching off her tail this time she hit him in the chest and sent him straight back into the same puddle , guys in truck stopped laughing eventually and came to the bosses aid .. roo was released in time .


3 Me . I spotted a comerant tangled in fishing line beside an oyster encrusted pylon getting hammered by the waves , got my boat along side and freed the exhausted bird , it still had a large treble hook in its beak so I was taking to the wildlife careres , half way back to the boat ramp it gots its wind back and looked up at me from my lap were it had layed and just snapped at my face , got the end of my nose and slashed my hand , You know It never occured to me the edges of those long beaks are like a razor blade , the bird guy when he saw the bid I had Imeadiately put on full length welding gloves :lol:

Larryp
23-09-2012, 06:40 PM
I once rescued a baby brush-tail possum from high up on the brick wall of my house-it was trapped up there by my cat.
It was maybe 4-5" long, not including the tail, but sank its teeth into my thumb. I managed to get it across the road to the bush, hoping it would find its mother, but when I released it, it rushed back at me and attacked my foot!
After visiting my doc. for a tetanus shot, I decided it could take care of itself in future!

Octane
23-09-2012, 07:09 PM
http://youtu.be/tcXU7G6zhjU

H

Baddad
23-09-2012, 07:23 PM
Hi Mr Tucker,:)

I understand wildlife better than most. I was having a light joke about this bird. I was fully aware of what the consequences were to be when I made the grab. The poor little fella was scared crazy. I knew he would bite. I worked with wildlife for 17 years.

Been bitten by lizards, birds of countless varieties. Koalas and Possums. Need I say more?
Never would I attempt to humanize an animal. The Kookaburra gave its evening call half an hour ago. I expect him to do his alarm thing at dawn.

On a different note, my dog, Rambo, does have some human attributes.
He is a Border Collie. He is the smartest dog I have ever owned.
Besides all the simple tricks, which he learnt in seconds. I kid you not.
As an amusing thing. I make my hand into a "pistol" I say bang. Pointing the finger barrel at Rambo. He drops like he's been shot.

He has the newspaper at the back door before I get out of bed. On Saturdays he has both portions there.

He is ball mad. Sometimes he loses his toy. I say, "Its up at the front gate." He runs up there. or at the back of the pool. The first time I thought, coincidence. Not at all. He understands some words.

He is as smart as a very young child. He makes sounds to tell me when he is happy to see me. or he is hungry. When he wants to play. Barks on command. Also hand signals. Direction for him to go. He is very capable.

Above all he knows that he is not to chase the Kookaburras, Magpies, Buther Birds, etc.

The Kookaburra is not scared of Rambo. He allows Rambo within half a metre. That happens when Kooka sits on the railling, balconey, and Rambo walks past.

Yes Hans, from what I wrote earlier, it does lead the reader to conclude what you said in your post. It does mislead you. However, I am one to care for wildlife. I do understand that their small brains are mainly effective for reaction and not reasoning.

I just could not help myself to have a bit of light hearted fun when the opportunity presented itself. What I have achieved with the wildlife around here does give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

So many of them will feed from my hand. Yet years ago I could not get within 30 metres without them fleeing. Now they wait for me outside.

Cheers:)

Baddad
23-09-2012, 07:36 PM
Hi Humayun,:)

I'm inclinded to believe that the whale was displaying gratitude. I have experienced gratitude displays from animals myself. Most times after a rescue they just flee. But there have been times when there is a special display.

Just like the Whale. Something special, rare, but when it happens you know it.

Cheers:)

Hans Tucker
23-09-2012, 07:50 PM
Since you are so offended by my response it has been deleted.

bartman
23-09-2012, 08:35 PM
Bugger....missed it ....and I thought the science forum was the one to watch.....heheheh;)
Bartman

ZeroID
24-09-2012, 01:14 PM
My best is hooking a Yellow Headed Gannet on a fishing lure while trolling one time, 6 foot wingspan !!
It was only tucked in his beak so we carefully dragged him to the back of the runabout where he perched beside the outboard screeching at me with wings widespread. I managed to throw a towel over his head and move quickly to sit beside him so I could get the lure out. He was very docile while I did this. Even gentle with his wings but when I flicked the towel off to turn him loose he went bannanas, chomped on my thumb, belted me round the head with his wings and then took off.
Still felt good about it though as he soared away ...

Baddad
24-09-2012, 02:06 PM
Hi Brent,

I did similar. Caught a large sea-bird on lure. The towel does the trick everytime. But look out once you lift the towel.

I also caught a sea-bird as I cast out. The line wrapped around one wing. He put up quite a fuss. No damage done.

SWMBO and I, one day, decided to have lunch at a beachside table. The seagulls flew in and pestered us at the table. They fought on the table.

No amount of shooing them would deter the varmints. I knew just how to do it. Its quick effective and no one or animal gets hurt.

The gulls were very bold. So I grabbed one. It shrieked its alarm call. The whole flock took off. Along with the captured bird that I released within two seconds. The flock never came back nor did they pester anyone else in the following hours.

Most birds have an alarm call in their vocabulary. Sometimes I have rescued a young bird from the pool or trapped in a fence. It squarks its alarm call and I get attacked by other birds. Even different species get into the act.

A one day fledged Pied Butcher Bird I rescued from a fence entanglement. I copped a hiding from the parents. However that young bird weeks later became very tame to me. I fed it sometimes. I whistled for it and it came flying from far away to me. A wild bird that became my little pet. It would fly to my hand.

Cheers

graham.hobart
24-09-2012, 02:43 PM
When I lived in the UK I was driving back from work along a country lane very fast when I hit a pheasant.
When I looked back in the rear view it was struggling to get up and looking a tad ropey, so I pulled over and decided to put' it out of it's misery'!

The road -up till then had been deathly quiet all the way home.
As I was wringing this birds neck in the middle of the road a funeral cortege appeared -I had both my hands on it's neck so I couldn't wave! They passed slowly by -all eyes on me and the mangled bird.
Talk about poor timing!
Graz

Varangian
24-09-2012, 03:04 PM
Your house is obviously in his territory so he is not going to go away. He is attacking a perceived rival male in the window and trying to drive it out of his territory. You've also semi-domesticated him if he is eating out of your hand.

By threathening to call him nasty names or refusing to feed him already tells me that you two have developed quite the relationship, you're already sounding like an old married couple. Short of shooting him off your property, your problem (i.e. early morning wake up) will not change whether or not you do either.

I think it's very beautiful, I wish you infinite happiness and hope you can resolve the morning squabbles as soon as humanly (and avianly) possible. :lol:

Baddad
25-09-2012, 06:58 AM
Yes John,
:lol::lol:
That's how it is. I do have ulterior motives. I feed these birds just frequently enough to keep them around. They eat the grasshoppers and other nasty insects. I truly don't mind having them around.

Their noise actually is relaxing. It means that they are doing normal things. Its when they go deathly silent, that bothers me. Maybe a storm or an alien presence, er human intruder, that is.

The Kookaburra has now got a name. Compliments of my Daughter in Law. She is in Germany, husband flies Blackhawks.

Kookaburra, Chester, and his hen mate is Cora.
Magpies were named by me years ago. Lady and F1-11. F111 used to swoop me until I started feeding it. Now it follows me around the yard, looking for a handout.

You saw through all the guise John. I do like to have Chester and the others around.

Cheers:)

Varangian
25-09-2012, 11:52 AM
:lol:

I applaud you, we need to be more intuned to the patterns of nature. This is a wonderful example of intergration between the urban and the natural. By the way I love your names for the Magpies.

Waxing_Gibbous
25-09-2012, 07:35 PM
Ungrateful wretch!
We have two (or one, or more, who knows, they all look the same) Kukes that regularly stage home invasions.
I practice the towel method as they have preposterously sharp beaks and aren't afraid to use 'em.

Baddad
26-09-2012, 07:31 AM
On lawn-mowing days I have noticed that the Butcher Birds fly in. I have 2 acres to look after. The birds follow me around. As the ride-on slices through it exposes the bugs. The Birds have a banquet.

The Plovers are an interesting bunch. On foot I can get no closer than 20 metres of any of them. On the ride-on 3 metres. For some reason they don't see the machine as big a threat as a human on foot.

The Kukes and Magpies and Butchers are so tame that I can walk to within a metre or two. They are looking for a handout as I approach.
Now as the daily weather is dry the birds are at the back deck more often.

Cheers