Noisy Pitta

04 Jan 2007

One interesting about The Conservatory is they introduced two species of birds as a way of controlling the problem caterpillars that had invaded the habitat and devastated the palms. The White-Browed Wood Swallow, "a predator to the caterpillars" the leaflet told me, lived in the upper tree canopy so even with my zoom lens it was nothing more than a silhouetted black dot I could barely get focus on. This little guy however, a Noisy Pitta, foraged on the ground amongst the leaf litter ("assisting in the release of nutrients for plant growth and helping control ground level insects" - quite an informative leaflet that one).

I didn't expect to see the Noisy Pitta in the dense undergrowth but when I saw a couple of people bent over and peering into a shady leafy spot I suddenly saw the beautiful little bird. And sure enough, he was flicking leaves here and there as he walked around, diligently doing his little job!

He's also got bright red bum feathers which I managed to catch a shot of, but unfortunately out of focus otherwise I'd have made this a double-shot.

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Now endorsed by my mum: "I love it!" she said.