ODIMBAR (One Day I Might Be A Raptor) was not here on 5 April 2017, but had set up his court by 14 April. From behaviour we have considered that he is newly adult-fledged, but he could be an older bird who has shifted his court. It is autumn and the courting that dominates reporting on bowerbirds is not due till spring.

As we begin this blog on 16 April 2017, we already have our hearts in our mouths, concerned that this new family member outside our suburban bedroom window will survive the competition and that his court may thrive. His day is busy: hunting, building, learning, asserting, defending, charming, singing, raucous caucusing and dancing.

And the evidence before us, of daily life, is much more complex than what one usually reads or views on Youtube, of isolated males building bowers in spring to try to entice picky females with whom their relations are fleeting. It's not like that at all here.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

a remarkable afternoon

I hope you stay to the end of the movie. Even if you don't like subtitles.

I finally got the camera in the right place and the camera filled the 16gb SD card in about an hour and a half. Please don't say "get a bigger card." It has taken me enough time to inspect and assemble the first 24 minutes of recording!

The camera had been recording 60 seconds and then ten second interval before checking for movement. Now it's set to record for 3 minutes then 10 second interval; more coherence to the story.

I have not enhanced or cropped film in any way this time. Straight as from the camera.

This time no voice-over. The birds, who are entirely in charge of the performance, can be heard without interruption.

This is not a cartoon with fast action. It's a record of life. If your life is too short to watch it all, consider skipping forward to places where I've put subtitle notes and be sure to see the end, aware of the amount of time and patience, imagination, energy and song and dance Odimbar has put into his performance for a whole half hour!

At points there seem to be real expressions of emotion.

You can enlarge by clicking on the square device in the bottom right of the film.
You can use a device in the same corner to get back to the whole page. 


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