Woke up early this morning, and decided to go for a birding walk in Centennial Park, Sydney. While concentrating to photographing the frogmouth, I heard a commotion about 50 meters away. I could see a group of noisy miners messing around, as if they were attacking each other. Knowing how combative these birds can be, I decided to take a closer look with the aim of getting a few action shots.
On closer look, the group of up to 10 noisy miners were attacking one dove.
Not wanting to miss the show and photo opportunity, I rush nearer towards the scene.
The noisy miners were harassing the dove, flying over it and using their craws to grab the dove. I was not convince at that point that the craws of noisy miners could do much harm.
Managed to take a photo of this aerial attack as I walked nearer.
The noisy miners surrounded the victim while making a lot of noise, intimidating the dove.
The noisy miner spreading it’s tail as part of the war dance.
As the attack went on, it looks more vicious. The noisy miners carried out serial aerial raids, and the dove looked helpless and injured. The dove was just lying there very still. It was less than a minute since the attack started, I was surprised that the noisy miners could cause so much damage.
There was this urge arising from deep in me… maybe I should be compassionate and help the dove out of danger. But craving for good action photos, I struggled with the decision to stop photographing and start to intervene with the natural world.
For a few good photos, am I ready to see this suffering to continue? Without intervention, the dove would probably be dead. The many years of INCOVAR and UniBuds, could have planted the seed for a little compassion. I decided to walk up and stop the bullying.
As I walked towards the birds, a couple walked by. They turned their head to have a look at the commotion and walk on… Later they turned again, seeing this Chinese boy standing near the injured dove, fending away the noisy miners. I wonder what they were thinking…
As I stand near the dove, it looked scared and badly injured. There were hardly any feathers left in it tail. Surprisingly, as I stepped back to take this photo (1.8m away from the bird, that is the minimal focal length of my lens), the Noisy Miners attempted another aerial raid. I had to pretend to kick them, to fend them off.
Standing over the injured dove, I was hoping that it will gain enough strength to fly away. But it just sat there. The noisy miners were still loitering around, waiting for their chance to finish up the dove.
At this point I decided to pick up the dove and send it to a vet. As I hold the dove in my palms, it struggled and flew off. One noisy miner started to chase after it, luckily the dove managed to fly for cover in a bush nearby.
Looks like I would never be a good wartime journalist. Shall stick to being a medic.
The dove in this incident looked like a Spotted Turtle Dove. This is a photo taken some time ago of a Spotted Turtle Dove in good health.
My other birding related post
http://chenghiang.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/size-does-not-matter/
Another bird fight involving the noisy miner
http://chenghiang.wordpress.com/category/birding/
Filed under: Birding, Photography, Provoking, Reflection, Wildlife
I like this post! It reminds me of the highly-acclaimed photographer who took a photo of a vulture circling a starving, skin-to-bones, helpless African child. Many commentators criticised that photo as lacking in compassion because the photographer should have been saving the child rather than taking that photo. And yet…that picture still remains a powerful image in the minds of many…
The photo that Tina is talking about…
http://www.arab2.com/picture-worth-thousand-words/images/vulture-child.jpg
I see the years have taught much to us. I remember a pigeon once in Botanic Gardens in Belfast…..
Is compassion a deep inner outflowing? Can it be a chance to make amends for the past, perhaps lifetime?
Am heading back to NI in a week for reunion. Wonder what it will bring….
Haha…. Dr T good to see u here…
Thanks for reminding me about the pigeon in Botanic Garden in Belfast. Well… it ran into my bicycle spoke, and unfortunately had a laceration on it abdominal wall causing the guts to spill out. I had no intention of causing harm to it, it was purely an accident.
Have fun in Belfast. Do visit me in Sydney someday.
很好很吸引人的照片！可是，我恐怕没有你那么有心，可以坚持下去，继续拍照。。。 虽说自然界的斗争，顺其自然，但有时看着也终究于心不忍。只不过，我有一点纳闷，为何它们会团结一致去攻击鸽子呢？争地盘？
（恕我喜欢写中文，搅局一下，呵呵）
不支持中文？
Great!
渡渡，
鸽子飞入了它们的地盘吧…
Hi ChengHiang,
Great nature, action and birds behavior photography and documentation.
Your may post to this Birds Behavior Study Group, and wing of Singapore Nature Society for more world wide exposure.
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/
Best regards,
/Redzlan/.
Hi. This is a great account of bird behaviour. The dove must have been injured in the first place to invite the attack by the mynas. Great images. As suggested by Redzian, can I repost the account in my website? Credits will be given to you all. Let me know. Thanks.
YC,
Thanks for reposting my photos.
Please link back to this blog.
Will do, thanks.
[...] For a more detailed account, please go to Ichxian’s site. [...]
Have just posted an account of your observation. Thanks.
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/05/28/noisy-miners-harassing-a-spotted-dove/