sandeyeTHRU THE WINDOW
October 31st 2007 16:26
Having my third week of government enforced classes, I have not had much time to doze on the windowsill or bench outside to observe my feathered friends this month. A few birds that I have spotted, whilst taking a breather, washing up, or doing laundry, include observing Smokey, one of our tame show pigeons, courting a tissue that must have blown into our yard from the street. Poor Smokey was convinced it was another pigeon for a time - but eventually left it and went to try his luck with a turtle dove instead!
I spotted a pair of parent magpie-larks feeding their two youngsters yesterday. I heard them before I saw them, shrieking from the carport roof, then diving onto the lawn to feed.
There was a solitary pelican gliding above our yard this morning. Usually they flock in a group of 3-20 birds, and fly a few blocks out, near the ocean - oftenly in a V shape. This one just sailed across, did a u-turn a few houses down and flew away in the direction of Wollongong harbor again. We also had a pair of black cockatoos fly overhead somewhen in the past 3-4 days. They had slight patches of yellow on them, so finally I have identified our local cockatoos as Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos.
One last thing I would like to share - some silver gulls eat baked beans! I made a pizza from scratch, topped with baked beans as I had ran out of tomato paste/fresh tomato, and threw a half slice out for the pigeons to peck at. Two seagulls came screeching to claim this offering instead. One tried a baked bean, spat it out and snatched the crust with sauce and an olive to munch. The other, ate up six or seven baked beans that it found lying on the grass. I have never known gulls to eat baked beans before - though the Kookaburra and magpies have eaten them.
I spotted a pair of parent magpie-larks feeding their two youngsters yesterday. I heard them before I saw them, shrieking from the carport roof, then diving onto the lawn to feed.
There was a solitary pelican gliding above our yard this morning. Usually they flock in a group of 3-20 birds, and fly a few blocks out, near the ocean - oftenly in a V shape. This one just sailed across, did a u-turn a few houses down and flew away in the direction of Wollongong harbor again. We also had a pair of black cockatoos fly overhead somewhen in the past 3-4 days. They had slight patches of yellow on them, so finally I have identified our local cockatoos as Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos.
One last thing I would like to share - some silver gulls eat baked beans! I made a pizza from scratch, topped with baked beans as I had ran out of tomato paste/fresh tomato, and threw a half slice out for the pigeons to peck at. Two seagulls came screeching to claim this offering instead. One tried a baked bean, spat it out and snatched the crust with sauce and an olive to munch. The other, ate up six or seven baked beans that it found lying on the grass. I have never known gulls to eat baked beans before - though the Kookaburra and magpies have eaten them.
| 38 |
| Vote |
Add Comments
Read More
