At bay

Southern Boobook

Heading down to lock up the chooks before dusk, we were surprised to see this Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae) emerge from a dense Sweet Bay tree not 5m from the house. After a brief spell in a Sweet Bursaria bush, it flew across to a Black Wattle where it perched for a while, arousing the interest of a curious Grey Shrike-thrush.

Then all hell broke loose as a raucous Red Wattlebird flushed it into a nearby Yellow Box tree. The wattlebird was then joined by a pair of noisy Grey Butcherbirds, who proceeded to pester the hapless little owl with dives and beak-clicking for a good ten minutes. All the while the wattlebird kept up a manic cackling as we watched from a distance.

The owl kept the birds at bay and was finally left in peace, except for the howling wind which was blowing, making photography difficult. This mobbing behaviour by other birds seems to be a common occurrence in the life of a boobook.

Spotted in a Black Wattle

Resting in a Yellow Box

On the alert

Butcherbird gets in the picture

Phew, they’re gone