CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

The trees in our backyard are very popular with the local birdlife - for which I'm very grateful, although I didn't expect to see these big fellows just outside my backdoor. And I guess they didn't expect to see me, either. But this one didn't let the camera clicking interrupt his dinner. Although, he did keep a good eye on me. Probably, thinking bad cocky thoughts about paparazzi spoiling lunch.

The crimson rosellas aren't the only Australian cockatoos who like the pine trees on my morning walk. These sulphur-crested cockatoos were busy proving they *will* chew something other than power-lines (see previous post on these guys). There were three of them, busy vandalising the top of this pine tree: Suspect #1, tried to look innocent: Suspect #2 had a very devil-may-care attitude and kept right on munching: Suspect #3 proved too difficult to photograph, but Suspect #1 made up for it, by slowly stalking another branch: I guess he thought if he acted casual, no one would suspect: And then he struck: Suspect #2 wanted to know what I was gonna do about it:

These guys were enjoying the morning sun on the highest point they could find. They came. They sat. They preened. They munched on the power-line. They stared at me staring at them. And put on a good display. Then they went. But even this large cockatoo is scared of magpies!