Wild Bird Wednesday - Common Bronzewing

Apologies for the quality of these shots, very fast reaction 

on my mart and rainy late afternoon light are not conducive

to startlingly good photography 

even so, I am very pleased I captured this incredibly shy 

and elusive bird

although I know it very well, since it is native to my Mt.Lofty garden

where I had one that was happy to forage in my vicinity,

it always kept in the densest shade.

The Common Bronzewing has a haunting daytime mating call

a protracted hoooot, like the San Francisco fog horn, 

followed by an interval . . .

then, another hoot with the intervals becoming progressively 

longer until you give up waiting for the next one and yep,

three seconds later, there it is.

It is always a pleasure to listen to, not only for the haunting 

quality of the hoot but also the surprise factor involved.

These two shots I managed to capture at the end of my pine 

plantation walk as I headed for my car and watched four 

Magpies squabbling, one flew into a tree across the road as I 

headed for my car. I dropped my eyes and there, within a 

couple of feet of my bumper, was the Bronzewing at he 

side of the road. 

It was in an 'alert' position so no time to check settings, just

lift camera and shoot (and pray).

The Bronzewing turned as the Magpie swooped and I clicked.

Moments later,  obscured my car, it had taken off.

Just when I was a little disappointed at not bagging any birds 

in the plantation, I was on the verge of ecstatic 

at this bird being handed to me on a platter

at the last moment.

Joining Stewart's 

Wild Bird Wednesday

and Michelle's

Nature Notes