Admittedly, I haven’t been to Bribie Island for a number of years. The combination of wealth and retirement has never excited me. Little did I know the photo sessions that lie ahead.

With a few weeks worth of sunny days on the forecast, what a place to be.

Expect the unexpected. My lifeline motto did exactly that. I was hoping to snatch a few good photos of sea birds.

The tidal waters on the western side of the island appeared just too inviting.

But inquisitive parrots took the trophy. They occurred in substantial numbers, literally all around Bribie Island. 

The northern half of this island is an almost untouched, soft sandy National Park. A few off-road tracks will get you from A to B.

Even the townships have plenty of green fields and parks. Especially along the western foreshores around Sylvan Beach.

What I particularly like is the fact, that old, dead trees are left standing.

That doesn’t only look bizarre at sunset.

They are an important factor to Bribie’s parrot population.

Those and other birds too.

‘The Widowmaker’ is a parrot’s favourite hollow maze. This is Australia’s most dangerous tree.

It is said that the ghost-gum eucalyptus tree has killed more humans, than any other tree.

Branches are known to snap off without warning, particularly in windy conditions. ‘Don’t Camp under a ghost-gum!’ a clever friend told me.

Springtime around here means ’spring-into-life-time’.

Some acrobats swing into spring.

Playtime plays an important role in social behaviour for young and old.

Some images may appear violent.

But there was always a passionate moment after each wrestle.

A cuddle after the huddle.

Big smiles were all around me. As was I.

Corellas were particularly curious about their environment.

There was always something else to be discovered.

I concluded, that kids are just kids and love to pick on other corella’s claws.

This generally ended in turmoil.

Mature parrots were rekindling their lifelong affection.

Which left me wondering; Is this a class act felony?

The entertainment factor was raised when the whole family played together.

This really is a noisy affair. 

With the breeding season in full swing, the western shoreline turned into parrot bonanza. Not only in bright white feature gown.

In rainbow colours too.

Nesting selection. Restorations.

Housework.

Disputes with neighbours.

Social distancing.

Playtime on the ground.

At Woodstock.

By the beach.

In tree tops.

Acrobatics.

On tap.

Plunge baths.

Wrestling.

High fives.

Cleaning.

Comfort. 

Colourful impressions.

Hesitation.

Affection.

Love.

Lust.

Parenthood.

Family.

Tragedy.

Happy Ending.

And not happy at all. The list goes on and on. 

Arguably, the parrots were my main objective with my camera.

But other birds were presenting themselves rather peculiar just as well.

They too were getting ready for a decorated breeding season.

One needs to look to it’s shiniest.

Dress to impress.

No matter how odd it looks on the frame. Perfect sunny conditions and clear blue sunny skies literally invited me to push the shutter button.

Different sunlight angles added nicely to the already colourful display.

Pointing the camera towards the sun to capture a glowing feather gown.

Or with the sunlight shining on to the object.

Shadows appeared.

Aperture did the rest. 

Well, to sum it all up, I have taken 1000’s of photos. On a daily basis sometimes.

Every morning I got up, I swore that I won’t take many photos of lorikeets in the early morning sun. That intention was dismissed rather quickly.

The same idea folded pronto while observing the corellas.

There was always a different view, a different perspective, different sunlight conditions, different environment and a different moving object.

A circus full of clowns.

And comedians. Take a bow.

It felt like a giant feather exhibition and paparazzi were invited.

Some curious birds came up close and posed in front of my lens.

Although I believe they saw themselves in the lens reflection, it gave me an opportunity for close-ups. It felt rewarding to analyse the photos for hours after dark.

Those facial expressions interpreted just like ours.

As it did with their body language. This becomes even more obvious when I watched a whole sequence sped up on my laptop.

They are just priceless. Like a movie in slow motion. These images were extremely informative about the bird’s behaviour patterns as well. This helped me to look and aim for the parrots with my Olympus OM-D, hopefully predicting their next possible move. What a funtastic camera to use. 

A big, big  ‘thank you’ also goes out to friendly locals I met during my stay. Whether it was early in the morning or for the afternoon pooch walk.

Everyone said hello with a smile on their face. Once they got used to the idea, that a camper is up all day and stalks birds with his camera. Many stopped for a chat and gave me useful advice. Probably, because their pooch was all over me. Glorious.

Thank you for your helpful tips and sharing your island with me. 

Subconsciously, these charming islanders bribed me to return to Bribie Island.

No offence meant or taken. Bribe accepted.