Australian magpie attacked by Rainbow lorikeets - pretty little thugs take over birdbath

A LOT happens in this video. Most notably my lady magpie gets attacked by lorikeets who follow her around the yard hassling her. Supporting cast include a male magpie, a Lewin's Honeyeater, a Spangled Drongo, a Crested Pigeon; a Noisy Friarbird, a Blue-faced Honeyeater - busy times!

The male magpie comes for a drink. She arrives before he's done and waits her turn of camera - there's a log supporting the camera tripod and she was standing on that. And good news, she's a little chatty. I think the lorikeets (or at least one of them) arrive in the mango tree above the birdbath at 1:50.

2:09 – I'm pretty sure that's a Noisy friarbird having a bit of a sing. She jumps in the birdbath and tries to evacuate as much water as possible in the shortest amount of time. After her second dip she gets attacked and bails – she flies into one of the hoop pines in front of the house.

The lorikeets explore the birdbath. I love the way they walk – at 5:24 one of them thinks its the Hulk, or at least walks like it. What you don't see when they leave is that they follow my lady magpie (Eva) into the hoop pine and continue to have a go at her.

INTERMISSION – Eva and the lorikeets will return. So with the colourful little thugs gone, the other birds who've been waiting their turn get a look in. But there's a pecking order. A Lewin's honeyeater arrives first at 5:50 and almost immediately a Noisy friarbird turns up too. You may have heard a pigeon earlier – don't worry, it shows up. At 6:32 a Spangled drongo swoops in and the Lewin's bails. The Drongo only gets a quick drink before Eva comes back.

When she gets back to the birdbath she keeps an eye on the hoop pine. She's not had a good few minutes but she wants to finish her bath. She's in the tub when they come back and she gets to splash them a bit before she gets out. I think one of the lorikeets was about to have another go at her at 7:50 and was heading for her when she bailed.

At 8:06 a Crested pigeon comes to try and get a drink. The trouble-makers chase it off but it sticks around. The Lewin's tries its luck again at 8:22 but I think the pigeon scared it off. It sticks around and a lorikeet scares it off. The pigeon gets a drink but a lorikeet bites it and the the pigeon decides to leg it.

One of the lorikeets has an hilarious bath and in due course they left. About 15 seconds after they leave the Lewin's decides it's safe and comes for a drink. At 11:46 it gets chased off by a Blue-faced honeyeater but at least it got a drink.


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