Cockatoos at Middle Path

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo rides the young bamboo stalk, clearly establishing a role as "King of the castle".

Crisp crosswind encourages feathering.

At last - alone on the food tray *sigh*

Thats an interesting looking gadget you have there.

Eventually all things must move and this Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has launched into space with an flurry of white looking much like a daffodil-lined cloak.

Sunflower seeds are a favoured food for white cockatoos and are an integral part of our feeder's contents.

However some birds just can't wait and - finding a plant in the garden where the seeds are still forming - will shred the flowerhead in large chunks to get at the still-immature seeds.

These large birds (55 - 65 cm) have an uncanny ability to sense rain approaching and we can reliably forecast a downpour in 4 days after they visit during fine weather.

They seem attracted by insect activity under the bark of the sally (or black ) wattles where they tear the bark off the branches with their powerful beaks to locate a tasty morsel.

Attracted to our Sally Wattles (aka Black Wattles) these huge birds ruthlessly rip the bark off branches to uncover tasty grubs burrowing beneath.

Another wary watch from the safety of bamboo.

A fly-past on the way to another wattle, like the Vincent Black Shadow, these large birds only flap their wings about every third lamppost.

Having selected the next tree to enjoy its tender ministrations, this Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo prepares to alight in the branched - flaps down, undercarriage lowered and wings on reverse thrust.

Another landing from the front - how the bird managed to fly into the middle of the tree with its huge wingspan unscathed remains a mystery - I guess only a movie would show how it is accomplished.

If you have broadband (or are willing to wait for a 2½ MB download, you can watch a video of a pair of Yellow-tailed black Cockatoos in a wattle. The first bird you see is busily engaged in removing the bark from a branch in search of grubs.

View Video of pair in tree in new window - 2.5MB

• Satin Bower Birds
• Cockatoos
• Bird feeding contests
• Ducks.
• Finches & Mannikins
• Flycatchers
• Tawny Frogmouth
• Herons
• Honeyeaters

• Birds of Prey
• Kingfishers
• Lorikeets
• Parrots
• Pigeons and Doves.
• Plovers - Masked Lapwing
• Welcome Swallows
• Feeding Welcome Swallow Chicks
• Water Birds (other)
• Birds without a page of their own

• Platypus.
• Koalas
• Possums

• Carpet pythons
• Water Dragons
• Tree Snakes.

• Frogs.

• Insects

• Encounters with the domestics.

• A Midnight Visitor.