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Twenty minutes ago, I heard a cacophony of Magpies' alarm calls and raced
outside fully expecting to have to eject Furball, Ms Neighbour's cat, from
whatever cat-astrophe the beguiling little brute had initiated.
A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, suffering from beak and feather disease (in my
uniformed opinion as far as avian diseases go) was perched on a power
cable. A pitiful sight sans crest and very little plumage on its
underparts.
Four Magpies and seven Magpie Larks were also perched on the cable. The
magpies were doing most, if not all the calling, and certainly all the
attacking. Three of four times a duo would launch a coordinated attack by
swooping close to the cockatoo's head as the cockatoo snapped its bill at
them.
Three more agro Maggies arrived, as well as four Magpie-larks and two pair
of Crimson Rosellas. The latter sat still and mute. Four Pied Currawongs flew in
but remained in a tree well away from the action. After about three minutes, the
cockatoo flew away, seemingly, its flying ability unimpaired by the beak
& feather disease. Most of the magpies flew after it as did the cautious
currawongs. Within seconds I'd lost sight of them, and the other birds
quietly dissipated.
So, I wonder if all this was an avian version of the way people used to
stone lepers in days of yore or, without its crest, the cockatoo may have
appeared to be a raptor, perhaps a Grey Goshawk.
John Layton.
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