Corellas are in town

For 3 days in a row corellas (native Australian white cockatoos) have visited our area, specifically my pine trees (and trees in the backyard) as well as the street pines (Norfolk Islanders).

They first came on Sunday morning at 6am (thanks very much), waking me up with their cries which could only be described as squawks and that is probably too kind a term. They stayed for about half an hour, then flew off wheeling and circling in a group of about 30.

On Monday morning they revisited with a larger crowd, again at 6am. They hung around in the trees for a bit longer, till about 7am. You could hear them chewing away, occasionally squawking, before they again rose into the air simultaneously and flew off.

About 100 (!) came again on Tuesday morning at 6am but this time they stayed until 8am, to make sure they really finished the job. This time they left a HUGE mess - in the street, in my garden, on cars, everywhere within range, before flying off to leave someone else to deal with it. That night, even though it was really hot, I swept up the street mess, as I wanted people to like them rather than hate them, and let's face it, we don't like our lives being inconvenienced by nature any more.

They haven't as yet returned. It was an invasion, yes, but one I enjoyed. I got a really good close up shot of this bird in the backyard, and if they had come back for long enough and I had talked to him for long enough, I reckon he might have got tamer. They do listen to you when you speak to them. At least, they look like they do.

I couldn't think of a better way to herald Australia Day! (Which I never celebrate.)