BOOM!! BOOM!! PHHTTT!! PHHTTT!! Showers of Sparks BOOM!! PHHTT!! More Sparks and all the while thousands of Galahs were madly flying around in a blind panic, screeching and squawking at full volume. I just about shit myself.
So what happened? When I took the shot, the flash startled the galahs and they all took off at the same time and set the power lines swinging to the extent that they kept making contact. There were "explosions", sparks, loud phhtt noises that went on for quite a few seconds until the swinging abated. People came running out of their houses, the guy from the servo rushed out trying to see what was going on and I was just standing there in the middle of the road, mouth agape.
Eventually I remembered I was supposed to be taking photographs so I grabbed a couple of one of the flocks careering around, still screeching all the while, and then as inconspicuously as possible, slinked off back to the caravan park.
I'm really cranky though that I didn't have the presence of mind to get shots of the power lines doing their thing
Just noticed something. Even though they were literally flying around madly, in this shot they are still all facing the same direction. I think that's amazing
This is such a funny story - I hope you don't receive a huge bill to fix the lines and all the places that would have had their power cut off in the process. Still laughing! Has to be a fav, as that story would be hard to beat!
I can just see the headlines "mad" keen photographer cuts power for galah image, made me laugh, but what you said about them facing the same direction in flight, thats interesting, fav
Oh this made me laugh out loud. I showed it to David and he said he had a vision of you trying to walk away looking inconspicuous and saying 'It wasn't me'
Ha Ha what a great story Terry at least you had the presence of mind to nonchalantly keep taking the photographs, you were up and about why not the locals to:)
Think you have just confirmed the madness in you - and then trying to be inconspicuous - I find that hard to believe!! Pity you didn't get the sparks happening - but i do like the fact they are all facing the same way - and that would be flying away from you :) Fun, fun, fun!
hahaha.... I'm having a red as I'm reading this one Terry... I have a very clear mental image of this. Hilarious. My only wish is that there would have been another 365er filming the whole thing... Thank you for making my day :)
Before I looked at this picture and read the rest of the story, I was hoping none of the birds touched each other or there would be fried galah on the wire. From the angle of the other picture I would have been worrying that a wire might fall on you.
I'm glad that none of the galahs got zapped.