Raucous cacophony

Australian birds are numerous, many are garishly coloured; they are not very shy and when together frequently create a raucous cacophony. It seems to have  rubbed off on to a number of Aussies too!

bluebirdIn the early morning we are stridently informed by the blue ring-necked lovebird that there are insufficient sunflower seeds for breakfast.rainbow lorikeets

No sooner is the feeder topped up than rainbow lorikiets chase him away and colonise the feeder in  a mass of scarlet, electric green, purple, orange and yellow, squawking and crooning.

noisy minersA sudden intensified chattering and shrieking from the local noisy miners indicated that there might be a snake about. Sure enough – coiled on a branch above another seed feeder is our local carpet python. Still a youngster at about two metres and the thickness of a pick-handle, his brown paisley camouflage makes him nearly impossible to see.

31.1.18 Our python 001

The noise attracts the attention of a family of sulphur crested cockatoos who perch in the trees about the area, grinding out their harsh shrieks.

To make matters worse this corella cacophonyattracted a flock of correllas, which circle above like helicopter gunships, adding further creaking shrieking.

Finally, the local crows croak by adding their indignant comment to the whole affair.aus crow

The noise is a raucous cacophony.

 

The snake slumbers on, unperturbed; none are brave enough to engage.

Lewins honeyeaterEventually they all get bored and move off,  leaving only the Lewin’s Honeyeater which chatters on all day every day, a Spangled Drongo  and spangled drongothe crested pigeons  (kuifie duifies) which are practising for Spring because the sun is out.

Later, my wife who has been trying too sleep after a night shift, is awoken by a crow and a butcher bird on the verandah,  arguing over a dazed spotted dove that had taken refuge behind a pot plant. I rescued it and had to go inside to avoid the butcher birdclose attention of the persistent and clearly hungry butcher bird.

 

So much for the stillness of suburbia – it’s worth its weight in gold!

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Author: manqindi

Post imperial wind drift. Swazi, British, Zimbabwe-Rhodesian, Irish, New Zealand citizen and resident, now in Queensland, Australia. 10th generation African of mainly European descent. Catholic upbringing, more free thinker now. BA and Law background. Altar boy, wages clerk, uncle, prefect, student, court clerk, prosecutor, magistrate, convoy escort, pensioner, HR Practitioner, husband, stepfather, father, bull terrier lover, telephone interviewer, Call Centre manager, HR manager, grandfather, author (amateur)

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