While in the field very late Friday afternoon, I watched as three Carnaby’s Cockatoos, one of my very favourite species of Australia fauna, flew in low across the paddock I was working in, disappearing into a patch of jarrah, marri and banksia trees. Their low flight path made me suspicious – these majestic creatures are usually flying high overhead – so I quietly made my way over to them. At first, I couldn’t work out where they’d gone, I thought they might be perched in the low branches of the marris but they were even lower to the ground than that – they were on it! I’d read many times that both Carnaby’s and Baudin’s will come to the ground to forage every now and again but had never seen it. They watched my approach without concern, even the lookout bird in a nearby tree didn’t sound the alarm. I watched them scout about, picking at fallen branches and nuts and nibbling on anything tasty that they found. They were larger than I had imagined them to be, I’d never been that close to them before; it was an exhilarating but also humbling experience. After a while, the lookout gave that famous cry – the one that tells me I’m home, back in the land of my birth and my blood – and they all moved out, flying off literally into the sunset.
Female Carnaby’s Cockatoo foraging on the ground
A closer look…in a poor quality photo. It’s times like these you think that lugging a great big camera around the field with you would be worthwhile!
For anyone who wants to know more about Carnaby’s Cockatoos, which are a threatened species, a wonderful local documentary on them was released and aired on the ABC last month, called ‘On a Wing and a Prayer‘.
Well, that’s a wrap. Until next time…
