Thornbills - Tiny Birds With Big Spirits
Thornbills (or yellow bottoms as they are fondly called) are barely 5 cms (2 inches) long. The picture on the left was taken with a 300mm zoom. Then the image was digitally enlarged. You get the idea of how small these birds really are against objects in their natural environment.
They first attracted our attention when we were trying to photograph some peewees in a paddock. What appeared to be leaves rolling
along the grass were actually these gorgeous little birds. We took some photographs of them as well and thanked them as we continued our walk. On our return, on hearing our voices, the whole flock flew out of the paddock and accompanied us for several yards, flitting about in the gravel, staying in front of us while we excitedly photographed them. We didn't have the zoom and 1.5x converter lens on that day, so the birds were so small in those pictures, that we could barely see them.
On later trips too they have come out to greet us and sing for us. They showed us that they had understood being thanked and were keen to return the friendship. Click here for the full story and slideshow and some lovely close-ups.
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