My uncle is a bird guy. As in, sits in cold wet/hot dry places waiting for the elusive Whatyamacallit to come out of the bushes so he can get a photograph, bird guy. He’s currently in Australia for the month doing what he loves best – the aforementioned sitting in cold wet/hot dry places waiting for the elusive Whatyamacallit to come out of the bushes so he can get a photograph. Most of the time, he just sends an email with photos as communication but this time we got this: Interesting encounter today along the access road to Hypipamee Crater (for you non-Australians, that’s at the southern end of the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, Queensland). I was by myself, squinting at some small thing in the woods, looked up, and saw this guy strolling down the road towards me. Having heard of a male in the area with some chicks (= aggressive) I was a bit concerned but saw no chicks and decided I wasn’t about to be stompled/eviscerated. The bird walked casually along the road edge while I took photos. I REALLY hoped (Aunt) would follow me so she could see it, and she did, and took some shots of her own. It got a bit tense when the bird seemed to take a strong interest in our blue shirts (color of some favorite fruits, supposedly) and kept walking RIGHT up to us in a determined manner, holding eye contact the whole time. I hid (sort of) behind my tripod and (Aunt) got behind a car. Didn’t seem aggressive, just very focused, but we were intimidated. Finally it strolled off into the woods. You know you’re close when your 100-400 zoom is too long at the 100 mm end — for some of these I used a 24-105 mm lens. This is a typical Uncle email. I’m from a family of dry sarcastic smart asses. Notice that Uncle says he was “a bit concerned…” about the bird. And that the bird was “…walking causally along the road edge while I took photos.” And, that things got “a bit tense when the bird seemed to take a strong interest in our blue shirts…” Yeah, can you say understatement? I mean I’m imagining this little angry bird coming at him, something comical like a duck or a goose. Not this massive guy! HOLY CRAP that sucker is big! Right?!? I now get his very unassuming statement, “…but we were intimidated.” Yeah, I’m totally intimidated and I’m nowhere near that massively big bird. A bird, by the way, who looks nothing like the fluffy wonder that was my childhood crush, Big Bird. I mean, look at this dude's head! Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Any questions of what my family Thanksgivings were like should be answered with this post.
OR, if you don’t get the weird from this post, try this one (The Thanksgiving Threesome Story...) OR (Thanksgiving and THE SEX SHOP...) OR (THANKSGIVING WRAP UP...) It may be mortifying, I may constantly blushing but my family is never ever boring.
2 Comments
Q.D
11/30/2015 10:48:32 pm
As you know I am Australian, and totally blase about our wildlife and its many ways to kill you (because really, despite the stereotypes, it is mostly fuzzy and cuddly while trying to tear your face off).
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ej
12/1/2015 05:20:52 am
Q.D. - My whole family (Mom, Brother, Uncle, Husband) take all things on in a totally blasé manner. I'm the one who freaks out. My first day in Australia, Uncle had no issue touching a black diamond python we found on a hike just to show how it reacted to the heat of his body. I was like a mile away squealing. Had I been with him for this trip, the story would have been WAY different and involved some I Love Lucy like falls and a cassowary sized bruise on my ass! It is totally not cute and cuddly!!! Thanks for the link - gonna share that for sure! ~ ej
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AuthorMy name is ej. I'm a girl. I say that because with the short hair and the short initials, folks aren't always sure. More brilliant insights to who I am in About me Archives
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