This is my response to the Ragtag Daily Prompt — Contact.

After a few days of no telecommunications and internet access, I’ve finally made it back to civilization.  However, I couldn’t have been happier in the internet wilds.  The main reasons were that I was camping with my love and that I got to see some of my favourite birds, the Apostlebirds (Struthidea cinerea).

The Apostlebird is the little cousin of the White-Winged Chough.  We have choughs down home but not Apostlebirds.  When we arrived at Lake Boondooma and began to set up our tent, my husband yelled out, “They’re coming for you.”  Sure enough, a whole tribe of them zoomed in to say hello.  After that initial contact, they would check in several times a day to make sure that we were still going okay.

The Apostlebirds chat continuously and, if one didn’t know better, their chatter could be mistaken for a good scolding.  They live in family groups of 6-20 birds, with one breeding pair, the rest of the extended family helping to raise the new season’s brood.  I know that the choughs often steal young birds from neighbouring groups.  It is a bit of a status symbol to have a large family, but I’m not sure whether it is the same for the Apostlebirds.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

Here are a couple of the trouble makers.

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Here they are again visiting our tent.

I was sad to say goodbye to my little friends.

I will be home in a week and I promise to bombard you with all of my other bird friends.

Kind Regards.

Tracy

24 thoughts on “Incorrigible Contact”

  7. I’m very fond of apostle birds, but choughs are another story…such garden wreckers! Sounds as though you’re having a very enjoyable trip.

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    1. We don’t get the choughs visiting our garden, Jane. I might think differently about them if they wrecked my garden. 🙂

      We are having a great time, Jane. On our way to the Warrumbungles, and after that we thought we might try Hillsend and Sofala.

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      1. Hill End and Sofala are both interesting places historically. Are you going be near Mudgee? I sent you a message via contact, don’t know if it went to you though.

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  10. wow, they’re friendly and come right down to you. That is so cool. I’ve never seen apostle birds before. Thank you. Maybe they were named that because people thought they were preaching at them because they like to chatter?

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