Bugger the rest of the Dope, I’m fascinated.
So those little chirps within the underlying occilation, could you speculate as to whether they represented individual variations within the species dialect or whether they represent “information” to others who would be well attuned to picking the variations eg “this is my patch and I’m a bigger and meaner bird than you, so rack off” or “girls, the cutest bird in this neighbourhood is available for rendezvous, your branch or mine”?
I really couldn’t speculate. More research needed clearly.
I have another major bird project I’m working on at the moment but when I have the time I’ll have to see if I can record more calls and compare them.
A couple of shots of PT’s resident tribe.
There are five regulars. Have seen up to a dozen but then it can get a bit territorial and agro. The adolescent is Scruff who will feed from my hand, particularly if fried noodles are on offer.
If they happen to be in line of sight on the power lines or poles when I go outside they will swoop down together in squadron formation. Precision flying but they are greedy sods and have no intention of sharing whatever they might find.
If there was some munchies on the post then the ones further away stand there looking anxious. They will not try and push past the one between them and any morsels.
So is that the male on the left, then the female then the juvenile, with another on the bin?
I enjoy feeding them too much to avoid it altogether but I try to limit it to two days a week and only a tiny bit.
Haven’t really worked out who’s who but yes the male is on the post, the female is on the bin lid. The middle one is an adolescent, I think male, without full adult plumage so maybe last years brood. They get monstered by one of the adults regularly so might be a blow-in or the parents think it’s high time they racked off and found their own territory. The furthest away is Scruff. The other juvenile is on the roof above.
And yes, feeding needs to be curtailed. But they really do sing for their supper or breakfast.
I think my Joe Juvenile is being told it’s time to go by his father. His mother seems more tolerant.
I guess they would be Megpies?
If he acquires a mate, you could call her Lenore
Muggpies in the north island, moogpees in the south
A montage of the PT resident tribe this morning.
Much more sociable, in the past couple of days Pop has been giving some of the juveniles a lot of hassles. Their favourite dining is unquestionably dry Suimin noodles which make an interesting crackling sound when they are all feeding. 
This is His Stroppiness.
The resident and dominant male of the clan. He’s been bashing the shit out of some of the adolescents the past couple of days. The others are very nervous when feeding or roosting when he’s not there and continually scanning the sky for him because when he appears like an avian Valkyrie somebody is going to cop it. If they know where he is they are much more relaxed.
Strop struts around with his wings puffed out to make himself look like a bird of doom.
He knows what he likes. Will consume all available morsels of noodles and will fight for them but if there is something else there say like seeds or breadcrumbs his attitude is “what is this shit?”, and just stands there with overweening superiority even as the others walk in and eat them right in front of him.
Not sure how tall you stand, but I wouldn’t necessarily be backing you if there was a fight.
Time has advanced and the PT resident tribe are still hanging about offering a regular morning chorus for an occasional feed…
And Strop and the missus are still terrorising the juveniles.
Has been wet and cold, well non-Canadaian cold but cold by our metrics and these bedraggled mob of juveniles look like a few scavenged calories are appreciated.
However, the real thugs and bullies of the area are these guys … Rainbow Lorrikeets.
Whether it is the Indian Mynas, Noisy Minors, Jays or Magpies, they just push in, feed unchallenged and rack off when finished. Haven’t yet seen them in a stoush with the White Cockatoos who are sometimes seen around. Not sure whose feathers would fly.
