birding-aus

Not Exactly Dancing With Wolves !

To: "Birdchat" <>
Subject: Not Exactly Dancing With Wolves !
From: "Reg Clark" <>
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 16:28:25 +1000
Hello all,
Two days ago I attended the launch of a guide to good birding areas in the
Royal and Heathcote National Parks authored by Stephen Anyon-Smith. This
guide should be a help to those who may visit Sydney with Birdwatching in
mind . It is available at a cost of Aust $820 which given the present rate
of exchange ,should not be a major problem for US buyers. The launch was
held in Royal National Park, organised by the National Parks and Wildlife
Service of New South Wales . After the al fresco luncheon provided by the
NPWS , four of us (Marc Anderson, Jim Frances , David Siems and myself )
arranged to do a little birding along the main walking track which is often
good . However, this was cut short by the threat of rain and we returned to
the now empty carpark . After our farewells and they had driven-off and not
relishing the long drive home through busy traffic , I sat down on a small
rock in the close-cropped grass above the riverbank to eat my emergency
sandwich The setting was still and peaceful and I looked forward to a period
of tranquillity in the deserted park
before setting out.
I was halfway through my sandwich when I was startled to hear , quite close,
a gentle voice which said "Hello". Behind me and a couple of metres away was
snowy-white Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua glarest ) which was raising
and lowering its bright yellow crest as it cautiously approached . As I
haven't been greeted by such a lovely wild creature for many years , I
responded by handing the bird a small piece of crust........I should have
known better!!! Within seconds Five Sulphurcrested Cockatoos landed infront
of me, then a loud squarck and up from the river ran a Dusky Moorhen
(Gallinula tenebrosa ) closely followed by several others. The next hopeful
was a Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys ) who landed amongst the group
and chattered for attention. At this point the group attracted the attention
of some Australian Wood Ducks  (Chenonetta jubata ) who hurried over on the
offchance that a handout was in progress the final arrivals were Australian.
Magpies (Gymnorhina tibicens)  two of them . At this point I feared there
might be a backlash when they all found that nothing was forthcoming so
cramming the sandwich into my mouth and displaying my empty hands I backed
off thinking --"-so much for tranquillity !!". It was interesting that there
were none of the usual spongers one finds in parks amongst them.
It was a bit unnerving to hear that unmistakable human greeting word from a
freeflying creature.
Actually, that first Cockatoo was pretty dumb, I tried all the standard
phrases used when communicating with members of the family Cacatuidae, such
as "Hello Cockie", "Cockie want a biscuit?"," Pretty boy,"
 but it could only say one word.


Reg


Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to 


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Not Exactly Dancing With Wolves !, Reg Clark <=
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU