Wild Emus at The Lilly Pilly Tree

[briefvisit]

Turf war underway to the east -- over around the dam.
Observations began at 4:43 a.m.

Pictures in a minute

 

[Evadig]

Turf war underway to the east -- over around the dam.
Observations began at 4:43 a.m.

Pictures in a minute

Sounds interesting! I’m waiting for the footage!

 

[sourland]

when Old Guy turns the light on to go for a midnight wee.

Glad that I am not alone in this.

 

[briefvisit]

Late yesterday afternoon, a group of four emus mounted an incursion from the east – over by the dam. Same direction as the Dad and chicks have come.



This is where we began observing, as GB drives two from the house-clearing:

https://imgur.com/PIjzaiO

Consort didn’t even look up from grazing. Limpy Chick sorta drifted about at the back, vocalizing quietly. We were able to drift into the gums with our camera, and most surprisingly, the interlopers didn’t bolt.



GB then pushed them down towards the dam:

https://imghttps://imgur.com/1QtJjfsur.com/h8y2Kix



Then it got interesting. The next shot shows the four foreign emus. (Watch carefully at the end on the left -- yeh, there are four.) We didn't realise until that second that there were four.

For a female only eight weeks into The Big Emu Game, that’s pretty impressive:

https://imgur.com/1pifodw

 

[AntiqueB]

GB is a super emu!

 

[briefvisit]

She’s ‘shepherding’ four wild birds off her turf by herself. Don’t forget, readers, that if she and Consort were ‘better established,’ she’d be able to call on him for support.



The female of the breeding-pair calls the male, and they snap into synchronized defense, walking sideways with feathers raised, and simultaneously vocalizing. (I have a great clip of this, but it’s too long for my system to upload.) It’s a fine thing to witness.



So, in this clip --

https://imgur.com/HZsKyGR

--



you see the leader of the incursion on the far side of the dam – she’s the one GB is shepherding.

Then GB on the house side of the dam.

Then Limpy Chick.

Then another of the mob of four (not running away from Supreme Emu).

 

[briefvisit]

'GB is a super emu!'

GB is lookin' good for alpha status. But there have been two 'double-alphas.'

Here is Greedy Emu:

https://imgur.com/7vvRXor

I love to boast about Greedy.

Your emus don't wanna mess with Greedy. You don't wanna mess with Greedy. No one with any sense wants to mess with Greedy!

 

[AntiqueB]

Greedy Emu is just a photo on my phone, and I definitely don't want to mess with her!

 

[Evadig]

'GB is a super emu!'

GB is lookin' good for alpha status. But there have been two 'double-alphas.'

Here is Greedy Emu:

https://imgur.com/7vvRXor

I love to boast about Greedy.

Your emus don't wanna mess with Greedy. You don't wanna mess with Greedy. No one with any sense wants to mess with Greedy!

I most definitely do not want to mess with Greedy. She looks very intimidating, even in a picture!

 

[briefvisit]

GB and Consort got back at noon; vocalised a bit; had their morning wheat. Now we wait to see if another incursion is mounted -- I hear foomphing outside right now.