Currawong art

I have obviously spent too much time recently looking at Chinese ink art.

Following  my return from China yesterday, it occurred to me that the currawong's blueberry ash stained droppings were art. See what you think - I think this is beautiful.

Of course it is possible that I am overly fond of my currawong friends. Admiring their droppings is probably some sort of evidence of over fondness, perhaps some sort of pathology?

Blueberry ash, which makes the blue stains, is an Australian native plant - we have one in our yard.  They are lovely trees - Eleocarpus reticularis, producing pretty pink fringed flowers and blue berries amongst dark green classic leaves. The cuurawongs love the berries  tossing them back with a flick of their heads.  

Gifts from Half-tail

A while ago I blogged about Half-tail the Currawong.

Currawongs are bigger than magpies and smaller than ravens and are B&W Australian birds that are omnivores. (This is a rather odd photo of Half-tail -  s/he is inspecting me rather closely while sunning his/her back and thus in a strange pose!)

Half-tail visits our garden for all sorts of things. A bath in the bird bath usually each day - a very tidy currawong.

Other activities include collecting sticks for nesting, searching for worms in the vegetable patch and very gently taking the occasional mince ball from my hand.

Half-tail sometimes leaves curious 'gifts' as thanks?  This is the latest offering -  a small collection of blueberry ash berries  hardly digested and deposited on the verandah table.

These are usually offered via regurgitation from their crop just as they do for their babies. Nice, thanks Half-tail...

Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulartus)  is an Australian native plant of the wetter parts of Sydney's forests.  We planted one in our backyard and it is a magnet for the currawongs who hop about finding the little blue balls.

They hold the small berries so delicately in their big heavy black beaks before tossing them back with a flick of their head. The little blue balls result in very dark purple currawong pooh.


Strange, isn't it, why did Half-tail deliver these to us?

The table on the verandah is where we eat most meals, is this an accident or a contribution? Thanks for the mince balls perhaps? They seem so intelligent these birds that it is hard to imagine that this is just accident without some purpose.

It would be good to speak currawong so we could have a chat about the meaning of blue balls, the offering of mince, mutual curious stares and the taste of worms.