While Waiting to Walk - What are you doing?

Doughnut NZ said:

I seem to have developed an ability to attract birds!

I was sitting in the shade, resting from working in my garden and cooling off with an fruit ice-block when a Tui flew past, very close to where I was sitting. Then turned around and sat next to me. We live close to native bush and so we quite often have Tuis visit our garden, looking for flowers as they are nectar eaters.

They are wild birds and not particularly known for hanging out around people although most Kiwi's love Tuis because of their iconic and beautiful bird calls. They are very intelligent and are good mimics. I swear that one of the Tuis that used to visit had learned my mobile phone ringtone and would hang around outside the window calling and I would automatically go looking for my phone.

Anyway, back to this Tui. I tried to remain still to see what it would do next and it hopped onto my shoulder! So I slowly grabbed my phone out of my pocket and took this very short video:
View attachment 93953
I was working my phone with one hand so that I did not disturb it too much and actually meant to take a couple of photos but instead my finger wandered on the screen and I got a couple of videos instead, including this next one when it hopped down onto my chest where it was more in the light.
View attachment 93954
I got one more short video which captures some of its bird song before it flew away. This last video is in lower definition so that it is small enough to upload.
View attachment 93957

If anyone is interested in Tuis and their bird song then these links may help.

Tūī | Tui | New Zealand Birds Online

A large dark honeyeater with a decurved black bill, dark brown eyes, black legs and feet, and black head, underparts, wings and tail showing iridescent blue-green on the head and wings. The upper back and flanks are brown with a bronze sheen, the nape and sides of the neck have filamentous white...

nzbirdsonline.org.nz

BTW, I don't think that I have any special powers, I suspect that the Tui was attracted to the smell of my fruit ice-block.

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