It's pick on martybabe week...again!

[martybabe]

Hopefully you have stopped to watch their antics rather than think they are out to get you. I think they are by far the cutest native bird. On the banks of the Arnold river, two years ago, I had seven land on my fly rod at one time. Twas really special.

PS I wouldn't say they were orange underneath.... more of a creamy yellow.

PPS. I believe the Maori think that if one flies into your house someone close to you is going to die. Bummer dude.

Don't get me wrong they're fascinating little buggers, never seen birds behave like that before but i definitely saw it as aggression, really weird, oh well. I shall treat them as little friends from now on rather than be-winged ninja assassins.

[Donor]

Yaaarp... brilliant little sods they are!

When I go out golfing in the early morn at Hauraki, the blighters circle me like the proverbial bad smell, munching away on the midgies stirred up by my clod hoppers.

...but a 7 iron usually fixes that...

[martybabe]

Yaaarp... brilliant little sods they are!

When I go out golfing in the early morn at Hauraki, the blighters circle me like the proverbial bad smell, munching away on the midgies stirred up by my clod hoppers.

...but a 7 iron usually fixes that...

Aha, someone that knows what I'm on about, aint it weird behaviour, I wonder if it's just a morning thing or seasonal cause they've granted me free passage for many months, It's only the last week or so they've been stunt flying in my face.

[Mikkel]

Right back to business, I have researched the b'stard birds in question( know your enemy) and the little mongrels shall be called NZ fantails and they do indeed feed only on the wing eating little buggy things that ya can barely see.

Sounded like fantails to me - was laughing at the thought of a 3 inch magpie though

Fascinating birds IMHO, fantails I mean, there something inherently cool in a bird that can do loops! And they certainly aren't shy either...

The native robin is rather cool as well, they really show an interest when you're out tramping - looking for worms and grubs you might kick up as you're walking along.

On the banks of the Arnold river, two years ago, I had seven land on my fly rod at one time. Twas really special.

Seven birds on your rod at one time - damn you gotta teach me some of those skills one day

[martybabe]

Seven birds on your rod at one time - damn you gotta teach me some of those skills one day

Hell yeah. Damn, I missed that one big M, your on form this morning. Too much coffee I reckon.

[Mikkel]

Hell yeah. Damn, I missed that one big M, your on form this morning. Too much coffee I reckon.

Hehe, nah no coffee so far. Got a slight headache so will steer clear of the caffeine for now.

I haven't had breakfast though and am rather hungry - guess that might be it

[MSTRS:Me]

I haven't had breakfast though and am rather hungry ...

Just you leave those fantails alone. They are not good eating. And there's bugger all of them to the pound...or Kronar.

[martybabe]

Hehe, nah no coffee so far. Got a slight headache so will steer clear of the caffeine for now.

I haven't had breakfast though and am rather hungry - guess that might be it

I'm having Fantail Flambe for brekkie. Nah I'm happy now I know there not after my eyeballs or my High balls come to that.

Have a good day in the permafrost M. smell ya later. x

[Mikkel]

Just you leave those fantails alone. They are not good eating. And there's bugger all of them to the pound...or Kronar.

Don't worry, I wouldn't be that desperate - I'll settle for a Tui I think

Have a good day in the permafrost M. smell ya later. x

Yeah, it's actually bloody fucking cold here in Chch today. Was it only permafrost it wouldn't be so bad - the air would dry out pretty quickly. It's these cold damp mornings where the cold goes right to the bones that is the problem...

[Hinny]

Seven birds on your rod at one time - damn you gotta teach me some of those skills one day

Just down the river a bit from the outlet at Lake Brunner. There must have been 20 of them flying around me. It seemed like everyone of them had a go at landing on my rod. It may have been because we were in bush and the rod was a comfortable near horizontal perch. For quite a long period there was not a time when there wasn't at least one perched there. I thought it was really cool.

[PrincessBandit]

We have a lot of fantails around our place. They are gorgeous, but then i've never been dive bombed by them. They chatter noisily at me when i'm working in the garden and flit around gobbling up all the midges etc. that get disturbed by my pathetic efforts to tidy up especially around the fish pond.
As for the superstition of them coming inside your house, i have had two occassions to find one inside (and for quite a length of time too) and no one ended up dying. (Well, not that i know of).

[Number One]

My last license was issued when I was nine months pregnant with our boy. Looked like Shrek! Farken terrible....Shrek with a moko to be precise.

Hope the rest of your week is better

[martybabe]

We have a lot of fantails around our place. They are gorgeous, but then I've never been dive bombed by them. They chatter noisily at me when I'm working in the garden and flit around gobbling up all the midges etc. that get disturbed by my pathetic efforts to tidy up especially around the fish pond.
As for the superstition of them coming inside your house, i have had two occasions to find one inside (and for quite a length of time too) and no one ended up dying. (Well, not that i know of).

I'm pleased to hear about the last bit , I had one in the Kitchen not so long back, I dont like fluttery things in the house, I wanna get rid of em but at the same time they seem so vulnerable and fragile, It makes me go all funny inside. Now a Moa in the house, that's more like it, 15 foot bird meets cricket bat, that I can do but li'll floppy fluttery things oooh no.