My sister lives in the neighbouring province... I go there from time to time... and, once we drove past a field in which I spied a huge bird. An emu! What??!! I couldn't believe my eyes and, of course, wanted to stop right away and take pictures. But, we were already past him and continued on to her place.
Later, I mentioned that we should go to take a picture of the emu but she somehow was thinking I meant getting a picture of some llamas in the neighourhood.... and, in her head was thinking where would be the best place to find some llamas to photograph. Anyway... time passed, we didn't go, and next time we spoke of it ...probably even in my next visit a year later.... she said .."oh that emu!" .. We laughed our heads off after we figured out the mental mix up ... Vikki may even have had pink cheeks, ....and now, it will be forever referred to as "That Emu" in any conversation we have about it ... likely til the end of time... because we do enjoy our little foibles...
And, so it is with much ado about one little guy...or girl, because I have no clue which it might be.... that I give you....
"That Emu"
and, don't forget ...to biggify any pic, just click on it.... get up close and personal to an emu. Not just any old emu either ..... but, "That Emu"
I don't know the story behind how this one came to Canada, and I can't imagine how he survives in the -30C days in winter, even though they say they are very able to withstand variances in temperatures because they have a great cooling and heating system. They only mention temps. as low as -5C... My sister does know the lady who is a neighbour to it and eventually we may find out all the details. Stay tuned. She gave us permission to go in her yard to get a photo and that was good enough for us this time around.
They are a bird native to Australia. Wiki says they grow to as tall as 6 foot 6 ... so he isn't actually a little guy at all ... I don't know exactly how tall this one is ..but, he was well above the 4.5 foot fence around him and has been there for years so is fully grown.
He came up close to us after a bit when he was sure we were harmless ... which I guess I didn't think he would.... so, wouldn't you know it.. ....I had on my zoom lens and the other was in the car and I didn't have time to change it so had to keep backing up to get him in focus. Well, that and I wasn't sure if he would perhaps be "peckish" so didn't stand too close to the wire. Darn it I so wanted a close up of his face. Closer than this.
I need two camera bodies ... with different lenses on each. Maybe some day....
He even sat down, and, with his huge clawed feet, inched right up to the wire ... even got his feet right inside it. I wasn't sure if that was so he could get his head closer to the fence or if that is what he does for treats or what... either way... we didn't feel brave enough to take chances and besides that ..we were getting concerned in case he got hung up in the fencing wires...so we stood further away and then he ambled off ..... over near his favourite tree. We should have asked the lady if we could take him treats ... and, what he likes.... perhaps carrots or apples or other fruits from what I've seen on another blog about emus.... next time.... and maybe next time I will try to stroke that soft curly hair if we find out he is used to being petted.
The area he was in was mostly tall grasses with a few trees in it... it was a fairly large area. I wondered if he was lonely....
Look at the size of those legs...like fence posts.... and, how I wish I had a pic of those huge claws and feet.... !! I read in Wiki that they are "powerful enough to tear down metal wire fences" ... .... honestly..it said that! But, he did seem pretty tame .... so we didn't think he would do that.
Well, there you have it. My wild bird guy for Wild Bird Wednesday... and now I'm off over to see what other birds have been photographed for today.....
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22 comments:
Fun Emu story, and I think he needs a gal friend. Let us know when you find out if he stays inside in winter, and what treats you could feed him.
He certainly is a handsome bird
Sounds like a fun blogger project. What is he doing out there? One would think those temps are too cold up there? Pretty amazing bird!
Enjoyed your story and the photos are great of "That Emu" :)
i love sisterly inside jokes. :D
only one place about 25 miles from here that i know of that keeps emus. very cool birds.
Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing
Wow, cool to get such nice shots of That Emu.
There used to be an emu 'farm' about 30 miles from here. They sold all sorts of emu-ish things (like oils and such...probably their eggs too), but we have never stopped in to see. Now they're gone - a casualty of urban expansion.
Er...ahem...love That Emu, for sure. Fun for us to go and photograph, and the story was fun to read, even though the brunt of the joke was on me. That one has been used often in our household. Yes, not sure how he survives the cold. We'll have to ask. Maybe he has a shelter on cold days?
I guess I should let you know that the prior comment comes from V's sister, Vikki. Not sure how to work this blog thingy too well.
Great story and wonderful shots.
Hi Vee,
Hope you are doing well.
Love the photos of that "Emu" !
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs
Well "That Emu" is quite handsome. He really seems to be strutting his stuff. So glad the owner let you take photos.
He (?)'s a wild and crazy bird! Really does make you wonder where he came from and why ... especially since it must be so cold for him in the winter. I wouldn't want to challenge that bird ... those legs and claws are powerful.
Super story! I think I would err on the side of caution and not get too close just in case he decided to use those powerful legs! I had the same problem as you with havinng the wrong lens on the camera, so my son kept a watch on ebay, and found someone who was selling just the camera body, which was a fraction of the price of the original camera. All I had to add to it was a battery and a memory card. OK, I am sure when I am out sightseeing people think I look strange with two cameras hung round my neck - bt who cares if I get good photos!!
Lovely photos! They're big birds. We have them at the zoo here.
There's a sheep farm near me that has an emu too. I wonder if they are being used as guard birds since they have such powerful kicks. Now you've got me thinking so I guess I need to search the Internet!
That emu is a big fella! We haven't seen one of those before! We enjoyed your story about it too!
I enjoyed your story and the Emu photos. Well done!
Crazy bird, Vee. Yes I have heard that Emus are very strong... especially their legs. Several people in our province keep them for their oil and meat, but I haven't had any. suppose he is an ancestor of the dinosaurs? very tiny head for the size of his body... is that a sign of how intelligent he is? nice feathers.
up close and personal with an Emu, how lucky are you. He looks as if your winters are allowing him to thrive.
okay, so now I'm curious about That Emu too. Get the scoopy, won't you?!
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