Black cockatoos flock to Minmi

Perhaps nobody was able to lead the horses to the water. So the cockies went for it.

Bob “Minmi Magster” was having a snooze at his Minmi property when he heard the yellow-tailed black cockatoos making a racket.

“They’re squawking woke me up. In 50 years, I've never seen so many. There was about 40 in one tree and another mob in another tree, close by,” the Magster, a renowned bush poet, said.

He had a chuckle watching the birds drink from an old tub that’s normally used as a horse trough.

“I’ve never seen that before,” he said.

Asked why he thought so many of the species were around, he said: “I’m hoping it’s not because they’re losing their habitat out this way”.

“I don’t know. They’re a bit of a mystery bird. They’re a beautiful big bird. They fly around low. You’d think they’d fall out of the sky, they fly that slow,” he said.

Topics knows what the Magster is saying. The black cockatoos seem to have a prehistoric flight style.

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy describes them as having a “distinctive slow, deep wingbeat”.

They have a high-pitched shriek that sounds like it belongs to a time before man dominated the Earth.

The Magster understands. That’s why he wrote this poem: Perched high on the top of a big silky oak tree; This flock of black cockatoos are a sight to see; From whence they came and to where they go; That is a question I’d like to know. Perhaps they came from the Sugarloaf Range close by; Or a timbered ridge west of Minmi; Maybe they’ve flown from some distant county; To rest awhile in this huge silky oak tree. But a more important question is I think; How to save these beautiful birds from becoming extinct. The answer is I’m sure you’ll agree; Is we must strive to protect local biodiversity; And the good news is we can all play our part; And there’s no better time like now to start. So be aware, show that special care; It is the duty of one and all. Respecting and protecting; Where our city meets the bushland; At the edge of the urban sprawl.

The Magster plans to read his poem at a Biodiversity Day event at Blue Gum Hills Regional Park at Minmi on Thursday next week.  

Speaking of wildlife, take a look at these baby alligators. The Australian Reptile Park says there’s been a “baby boom” at the park, with the recent arrival of baby emus, dingo pups, wallabies, possums, cockatoos, lizards and turtles, as well as alligators.

“Many of the beautiful babies require around-the-clock care and some are bottle-fed up to five times a day,” the park’s general manager Tim Faulkner said.

“The park keepers have forgotten what a full night’s sleep is like, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.”