On 4 Dec 2015, at 10:44 am, Philip Veerman <pveerman@pcug.org.au> wrote:

> This is all curious. I also wonder about your note. According to books,
> there are no lorikeets anywhere near Alice Springs. Is there a recent
> unrecorded feral population?
> 
> Philip
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fleur r Leary [mailto:fleurr.leary@gmail.com] 
> Sent: Friday, 4 December 2015 10:15 AM
> To: Stephanie Haygarth
> Cc: Graeme Clifton; COG List
> Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Rainbow Lorikeets
> 
> When I was in Alice Springs two years ago, lorikeets (not sure what variety)
> were stealing sugar packets from an outdoor cafe - they ignored the packets
> of sugar substitute.  They would fly off with them, perch and eat the sugar
> at their leisure.
> 
> 
> On 4 Dec 2015, at 7:56 am, Stephanie Haygarth <stephanie@effect.net.au>
> wrote:
> 
>> In about 2006 I was at the former Red Belly Black Cafe in Civic.
> Australian ravens were taking sugar sachets from outside tables, to the
> annoyance of one of the waiters.  I spoke with the waiter and he said that
> he'd seen how the ravens had quickly learned to distinguish between natural
> sugar and synthetic sweeteners, always preferring the sachets of the natural
> product.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Matthew Higgins
>> On 04/12/2015, at 7:51 AM, Graeme Clifton wrote:
>> 
>>> An out of area report.
>>> 
>>> At The Rocks in Sydney on Wednesday, I saw a Rainbow Lorikeet fly down to
> a table at an outdoors eating venue and pick up an unopened sugar straw.  It
> immediately flew to an overhead tree and was joined by another.  They seemed
> to be biting on the packaging and presumably extracting the sugar.
>>> 
>>> Graeme Clifton
>