Lamb Island Queensland…Kookaburra and Butcher Bird

http://www.willyweather.com.au/qld/brisbane/lamb-island.html

It is wonderful being back in my cottage on Lamb overlooking the sand at Stradbroke Island from the front window, and chatting with the curlews as they pose amidst the shrubs and trees in the garden.

It is also great to see the Kookaburra that lived here and he has grown from a cheeky youngster to a very handsome bird. Today he sat on his usual perch and casually caught mince balls as I threw them to him.

The excitement attracted the curlews, a butcher bird and a  bower bird who also watched for missed scraps and I was able to get some nice photos of the friendly kookaburra.

A young butcher bird was here earlier in the week and the gardener told me how they follow the curlews and ducks when they have young, and confuse them so they can catch the baby bird. He said the butcher bird then hung the duckling between a forked twig whist he ate it.

I felt sad for the duckling and resolved not to feed them.

I only feed the Kookaburra when I have some meat..which is not often as I am mostly vegetarian. He was lucky today.