Capturing the birds of the Southwest on video
I've been taking a lot of audio recordings over the past year or so and am now back into taking photos. But consistently, my favorite captures are videos. It might be because I'm getting both audio and images, or it could be because they tend to gain much more engagement from those reading and viewing my social media. What I think it most likely is, though, is that video captures the behavior, habitat, and how those aspects interact—being able to see what my guests and I see, no matter where you are. Below are a few examples of my favorite videos from last year.
Rock Parrot
This is the video I wanted to share most—the one that made me want to blog about videos and prompted me to reflect on the other recordings I've made over the past year. It was taken near Augusta, at one of the most reliable spots for Rock Parrots in the country. I've visited them both by myself and with guests many times, always thinking about recording these moments. The parrots always seem so comfortable with each other, behaving as though the regular human traffic isn't there. I had the chance to capture a few small clips as our group had many keen photographers. I laid down on the grass among the parrots and let them settle while I set up the camera, with the fluffy white seed heads framing the camouflaged olive green and distinct light blues of the Rock Parrot's plumage. They were happily taking turns snacking and filling their bills with the fibrous white seed heads when one individual decided it wanted sole claim over this particular meal. With raised wings and an open bill, it chased everyone else away. This moment perfectly captured the interaction between the parrots and their environment—passively with their olive plumage matching the drying grass, and actively as they reached up to feed on the seed heads. It also showed their interaction with each other, exhibiting aggression and possessiveness over a food source—not to mention all the lovely colors.
Rock Parrots near Augusta
Red-eared Firetail
Down at Cheynes Beach, there are almost always Red-eared Firetails around our cabins. They love using the power lines as a perch to retreat to when they're scared off the grass or need a better perspective. With a keen ear, you can often hear them calling from the powerlines while you're inside the cabins, taking a short break. I'd heard this call, which isn't often heard, while replying to some emails. I rushed out, camera in hand, to find a perfectly plumaged male displaying his long piece of grass. I took many photos before remembering that a video would suit this moment perfectly—a behavior that wouldn't have been captured on video all that often, if at all, for a Southwest endemic.
Red-eared Firetail at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park
Western Shrike-tit
These guys are always the best to watch once you finally spot them. They're so active! I often feel a bit guilty pointing a camera lens at them rather than using my eyes as they tear bark and glean chunky invertebrates from crevices and under leaves. But then I wouldn't have this memory stored on my phone. This little clip shows just how active and agile Shrike-tits are. After pointing its ears all over, searching for tasty noises, it did a full backflip—seemingly completely unnecessarily—to move from one chunk of Wandoo bark to another before returning to intently listen. They're incredible and an absolute pleasure to show my guests.
Western Shrike-tit at Dryandra (best watched with your phone sideways)
White-breasted Robin
This is another type of video—one I didn't get to see firsthand, but I think there's huge appeal in it. On our lovely block of regrowth Jarrah Marri woodland near Yallingup, we're lucky to have several Southwest endemics and local specialties. Carnaby's, Baudin's, and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos are regular visitors to our young Marri trees, alongside Red-capped Parrots and Twenty-Eights. Western Thornbills move through intermittently, above the local family of Splendid Fairywrens and below the Gilbert's Honeyeaters, who seem to favor the Bluegums planted next door. Western Spinebills like the place as much as we do, nesting in a Woody Pear. I'll often hear the distinct chuk of a White-breasted Robin when waking up or just as the last light slips away, but shamefully, I haven't made an effort to go and find it. I'd set up a nice little birdbath, which seemed to be enormously popular with the local birds mentioned above. With its regular visitors, I decided to set up a motion-sensing camera that would text me clips of every detection. I found that the White-breasted Robin loved the birdbath, and I regularly received texts alerting me to its arrival for its evening bath. This clip was taken on an evening when the bath was dry, and the White-breasted Robin seemed perplexed or frustrated by this realization. While the video itself is average, it's a fantastic proof of concept! I now see the Robin with my own eyes regularly.
White-breasted Robin near Yallingup
