One of the things on my 101 list is to spot and photograph 50 local birds. For this project, local is within walking distance from our house. I saw these five in our street, so you can’t get more local than that.
1. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
This is the first time I’ve seen these in our area. We spotted them walking back from the grocery store. There was a big flock of them moving from tree to tree up the street. Stripping the yummy seeds off each one.
Calyptorhynchus funereus – in rapid decline due to habitat loss. Feeds on the seeds of native trees and pine cones and sometimes insects.
2. Red-Rumped Parrot
I’ve seen these occasionally around our place in the last couple of years, usually feeding on grass seeds on the nature strip.
3. Rainbow Lorikeet
These are really common in our area. This pair has a nest in the hollow of tree outside our apartment. The male and females both have the same bright plumage.
4. Australian Magpie
Magpies are very common all over Australian except for the driest desserts and very thick forests. They have a beautiful song but can be a bit of a menace in Spring as they have a tendency to swoop then. We had to be careful at our old house in Spring on the bike trail near our house. On one of my runs, I got swooped and the magpie hit me on the top of the head and drew blood. I think the same one also attacked S and drew blood just near her eye. The trick is to try to make friends with them before nesting season as they do get to know people if you talk and smile at them. A good friend of mine had spent a lot of time being friendly with a magpie in her backyard so was very annoyed when her husband came out and threw something at it.
5. Long-Billed Corella
Another type of cockatoo (we have several that visit the area). Pretty common in South Eastern Australia. This one was digging in the wide nature strip not far from our house.
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