Tea For One

At the outdoor cafe, Mary Cairncross Reserve, diners get used to the bolder bush creatures wandering out of the surrounding rainforest and searching amongst the tables for morsels dropped on the floor.

This Brush Turkey (aka Bush-Turkey) was bolder than most, hopping up onto this table immediately the occupants left. It headed straight for the milk jug, its head almost getting stuck inside! Straight after I took this pic the cafe owner rushed out and shooed it away.

They are big birds (around 60-75 cm with a wingspan of approx 85 cm) and live in communes. Mating pairs build a large earth and mound together and take turns guarding it while the eggs hidden inside hatch.