• Greenhood orchid - PhD
    • Spider orchid - Honours
    • Albatross - Photoessay
    • Orchid - Intro
    • Flora
    • Trees
    • Orchids
    • Birds
    • Mammals
    • Search
  • Blog
  • About|Contact
Menu

TOBIAS HAYASHI

  • Science
    • Greenhood orchid - PhD
    • Spider orchid - Honours
  • Photography
    • Albatross - Photoessay
    • Orchid - Intro
    • Flora
    • Trees
  • Species by Species
    • Orchids
    • Birds
    • Mammals
    • Search
  • Blog
  • About|Contact
untitled-51.jpg

The value of birds

August 1, 2018

Last Friday I wasn't feeling great. I was feeling pretty sad and a bit lonely. 

Still, research had to be done. I found myself out in the wheatbelt of Western Australia near Brookton, wandering around the bush looking for pollinators I wasn't finding. I'm used to days of not finding pollinators -- in fact, its the norm. Days of good pollinator action can be rare when you're first trying to locate them. But no pollinators means lots of waiting with not much to show for it.

Because I was feeling sad, I promised myself that if I hadn't found any pollinators by 4pm I would call it quits and spend the last hour of sunlight looking for rufous treecreepers at a nearby place I had seen them last year.

Perhaps it makes sense for the rufous treecreeper to be... well, rufous. The colour of the wandoo trees is truly remarkable and quite similar to the colour of the bird.

Perhaps it makes sense for the rufous treecreeper to be... well, rufous. The colour of the wandoo trees is truly remarkable and quite similar to the colour of the bird.

Come 4pm, no pollinators. I drove to a patch of beautiful wandoo woodland I had seen the treecreepers last year.

I got out of the car, set up my camera and walked in the direction of where I had seen them last year. Found the place, located a pair of treecreepers, and immediately one flew over and perched in the tree not 4m from where I stood. One of those rare and beautiful moments in birdwatching where everything happens exactly as imagined.

untitled-50.jpg

What gorgeous birds! Such incredible beauty wrapped up in a ball of bright orange feathers!

For the next hour and a half I had a magical time following several pairs of these treecreepers around. They were exceptionally obliging subjects, on the condition that I didn't make too much noise. Several times I approached to within 10m then sat quietly on the ground and they would hop past me in their constant search for grubs. 

It felt to me like this was the world's way of gifting me a little bit of happiness. In the face of such beautiful little birds, all I could feel was gratitude and happiness.

untitled-49.jpg
I just love the colours here... and the pattern of the dead tree stump behind the bird. If only that damn stick at the front wasn't there. It's just a bit too conspicuous.

I just love the colours here... and the pattern of the dead tree stump behind the bird. If only that damn stick at the front wasn't there. It's just a bit too conspicuous.

In birds Tags birds, the value of birds, rufous treecreeper, climacteris rufus, wandoo, Western Australia, wheatbelt
← Firewood Banksia IIThe Inhabitants of the Banks courtyard →

Latest Instragrams

Follow me on Instragram @TobiasHayashiPhotography


The leafless tongue orchid is odd looking orchid which occurs along the NSW coast. It is listed as threatened due to habitat destruction for land development. .
.
#cryptostylishunteriana #cryptostylis #threatenedspecies #orchid #summer #meroonp #botany
The leafless tongue orchid is odd looking orchid which occurs along the NSW coast. It is listed as threatened due to habitat destruction for land development. . . #cryptostylishunteriana #cryptostylis #threatenedspecies #orchid #summer #meroonp #botany
Cute little summer orchids. Lazy times at the beach. .
.
#orthocerasstrictum #meroonp #hornedorchid #orchid #summer
Cute little summer orchids. Lazy times at the beach. . . #orthocerasstrictum #meroonp #hornedorchid #orchid #summer
The ‘idiot bird’ or ‘dumb bird’ in Japanese, Short-tailed Albatross in English. It was almost hunted to extinction in the 20th century for its feathers, but now there are almost 5000 birds. The rarest of the three species of Albatross found off Japan. .
.
#albatross #shorttailedalbatross #ahodori #hachijojima #japan #seabird #birdwatching
The ‘idiot bird’ or ‘dumb bird’ in Japanese, Short-tailed Albatross in English. It was almost hunted to extinction in the 20th century for its feathers, but now there are almost 5000 birds. The rarest of the three species of Albatross found off Japan. . . #albatross #shorttailedalbatross #ahodori #hachijojima #japan #seabird #birdwatching
This is one of those times where I couldn’t get close enough to the dragon to get a nice portrait of it. So instead, here it is in the tangle of the rainforest floor, perfectly camouflaged, perfectly in its element. .
.
#camoflauge #southernangleheadeddragon #marycairncrossreserve #rainforest #tangle #dragon
This is one of those times where I couldn’t get close enough to the dragon to get a nice portrait of it. So instead, here it is in the tangle of the rainforest floor, perfectly camouflaged, perfectly in its element. . . #camoflauge #southernangleheadeddragon #marycairncrossreserve #rainforest #tangle #dragon
Evening sunset walks are for admiring purple daisies. Aranda Bushland is actually the best. .
.
#arandabushland #daisy #oleariatenuifolia #sunsetwalk
Evening sunset walks are for admiring purple daisies. Aranda Bushland is actually the best. . . #arandabushland #daisy #oleariatenuifolia #sunsetwalk
Rainforest patterns. Snake-like buttress roots.
.
.
#rainforest #marycairncross #sunshinecoast #buttressroots
Rainforest patterns. Snake-like buttress roots. . . #rainforest #marycairncross #sunshinecoast #buttressroots
Happy New Year! May 2019 be your best year yet 😊
Happy New Year! May 2019 be your best year yet 😊
Old friends. That's what I feel when I see birds like this Spectacled Monarch which I haven't seen for years. Old friends, beautiful friends. .
#marycairncrossreserve #spectacledmonarch #oldfriends #rainforest #birdsofinstagram #birdsofaustralia
Old friends. That's what I feel when I see birds like this Spectacled Monarch which I haven't seen for years. Old friends, beautiful friends. . #marycairncrossreserve #spectacledmonarch #oldfriends #rainforest #birdsofinstagram #birdsofaustralia

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive news and blog updates.

Rest assured, your email address will not be passed on to anyone.

Thank you!

© Copyright 2018 Tobias Hayashi Photography.