[Lynn Eades]

I have a story about a Kookaburra. We were travelling through Gregory National Park (south of Darwin) While stopped for lunch we walked along a stream and spotted a Kookaburra quite close. First he appeared to be blind, but then opened his eye to look at us (Chris and I) He didn't fly away, but was a bit high for a decent photo, so I decided to try something that worked with a Budgie.
I picked up a stick, which I put up against his chest and he climbed up onto it. This enabled me to bring him down to our level to take a photo. Wouldn't you know it! The film was finished. I went back to the Landcruiser, found another, and brought it back. I left Chris with the stick to hold,then I put the film in the camera, and we took photos, taking turns to get each other with the bird. After what probably amounted to 10 minutes of passing our Kookaburra back and forwards, talking to it and each other, and holding it's weight on a stick,(it was heavy!) I poked the stick back up by it's branch, rubbing it's chest against the branch, The kookaburra climbed back on to were he was when we first saw him.
This is a pretty remote part of Australia, and I would speculate that this Kookaburra had never seen a human before, and wasn't the slightest bit concerned about what we were.
I am sorry that I cannot post a photo. This was in the days of films and the photos are in storage at home in N.Z.

Rick we have just about collided with your big beautiful eagle. (two feeding on a road kill roo).
They are a very majestic creature. In the moment of being close you get a glimpse of the power, the size, and the beauty. For me animals bring highlights to my life.
Note. I believe Australia has two kinds of Kookaburra. There is a larger noisy one with lots of blue colour. These are common on the east coast of Australia and also found in the bush around my sister's place at Wainui (north of Auckland, N.Z.) This one we met (same as Tony's photo) was a smaller, of a more creamy colour. I believe they are no where near as vocal as the blue ones.