Parrots are enjoying the elms

[Duncan McCaskill <>]

I took a more complete look in the elms along Benjamin Way at lunchtime today and found just two male Superbs outside ABS House, one with hardly any tail. There was a pair (M & F) of King Parrots near the police station and 3 Crimson Rosellas elsewhere.

As I was driving home I saw a flock of about half a dozen Superbs flying into a flowering ironbark (E. sideroxylon?) in the car park at the corner of Cameron Avenue and Eastern Valley Way. I only saw them from behind, so I couldn't be sure of the sexes but they all looked the same brilliant shade of green so they might have all been males.

This afternoon I again found about 10 Superbs in elms in Giralang, with an even sex ratio. One female was making an unusual call that sounded to me a lot like a King Parrot's "cree cree" call.  I have never heard a call like that before from a Superb Parrot.

It is quite easy to approach feeding Superb Parrots and get quite close to them without disturbing them, like you can with Gang-gangs. Being in the middle of a flock of Superb Parrots quietly feeding and dropping bits of elm on you is a rather magical experience.

Duncan.