The bower changed colours and patterns almost daily.
Fresh ideas increased the size of the belvedere, taking it up to the next level.
New implications were nurtured according to the birds behaviour.
A higher vantage point was needed.
These recent elements around my bower opened up another chapter of my photo gallery.
It turned middle earth upside down. Fabulous.
I am still captivated by some of the photos taken. With plenty more to come.
Recourses blew all expectations out of proportion.
Popeye popped up in places no one expected.
I was smiling all the way.
Five sticks are currently placed around the bower area as popularity grew dimensionally.
High-five to that.
It is a sticky business.
All feathered dwellers from the shire realised the options given.
Friends were made.
I discovered some unexpected bird behaviour along the way.
And captured some colourful feathers.
Mindful landowners position stakes in larger bodies of water.
It allows birds to drink sure-footed and safe.
It gives them a firm grip to hold on to, if they do end up in the water.
It’s small things like these that make a big difference.
If nothing else, the stick was an outstanding resting spot in the early morning sun.
Birds find beams easy to land on.
A higher vantage point ensured them safety for a quicker getaway.
And so I began my own sticky project.
The first branch was quickly noted as ‘safe’ to land on, very much to my delight.
A second beam was originally added to support the taller timber from the birds velocity.
They are quick of the mark.
A bowerbird’s bionic legs are perfect shock absorbers. I had to re-erect the limb a few times daily.
The short stick proved to be very popular as well.
It turned out that the bowerbirds enjoy hopping from one to the other.
The colours and structure attracted me to the third pole.
Not quite wallaby height, this branched off for a different purpose.
A horizontal latitude over the feeding area provides yet another perspective.
Looking good.
It gave all fly-byes an additional landing alternative.
Blueberries fit perfectly on branch edges.
Strawberries needed a bit more care taken.
Although, thin twigs punctured fruit in a stable manner above ground level.
This is an important factor when larger participants already occupy the spotlight. Larger than life.
Flowers look wonderful on either branch in any colour or silhouette.
Red amaryllis subsisted as my imaginary speaker system around ‘The Wall’ of Green.
Leave them birds alone!
‘Duck, Joey. It’s the Macarena’.
The layout of the blooms were ideal to hide smaller fruits within.
Unfortunately, the hollow stem couldn’t hold the weight and movements of the bowerbirds.
Agapanthus have a solid stem, which makes them ideal to climb upon.
They too were perfect to hide and seek fruits.
I was curious to see how the bowerbirds would dive into this colourful spectrum.
I positioned the flowers just far enough from the poles to avoid easy pickings.
It was fascinating. These acrobatics emerged like a treasure hunt for a juicy prize.
Each bird had different ideas on how to collect the award.
These entertaining gymnasts earned their fruity reward.
The flower bouquet of this cactus appeared like a Christmas Tree. Merry Christmas.
Within the stick forest, I was able to promote blue gems.
They are highly sought after by male bowerbirds.
Even immature male bowerbirds can’t resist them. It takes them 7 years to develop a shiny gown.
The blues are reflecting ornaments on the dance floor.
I presume that this layout deceives females from being watched from different angles. Hypnotising.
It’s all about the angle.
As an experienced angler, I carefully selected an appropriate fishing line and tied relevant knots to ensure, that absolutely no harm will be caused to the birds. Common sense!
Apart from some pride. Regardless, it felt just like fishing.
Rod and line were perfectly positioned as the bait was dangling in the wind.
Patience and dedication were often tested, but the results are outstanding.
I landed some terrific specimens.
The bycatch wasn’t too bad either.
The birds got used to my field-deployed camera quickly, which was just fabulous.
Camouflage-cam was shifted directly under the stick for a rarely glimpsed view. No sunlight reflects from the ground, generating gloomy light condition.
Blueberry hill came up trumps with some very close bird encounters.
This versatile and explosive fruit grenade was the magnet of the bower and my focus point.
Purposely tilted against the original landing stick sure did the trick.
The bowerbirds didn’t need to jump off for a quick refresher snack.
One just needs to display agility to pick any berry they desire.
Distinguished ideas just kept popping out and snowballed in multiple directions.
My creative sense was in debate with my photographic mind.
‘David Attenborough’ versus ‘Ken Duncan’. That’s how it felt like.
It was awesome. And still is.
Another blueberry grenade was screwed onto the veranda beam.
Little did I know the chain reaction this railway station created.
Travels with Ben 