Crows and Cocky's

[The Mechanic]

The Crows and Black Cockatoos were in early this year...

If you have ever followed me on this .. you'll know what this means...

Winter Rains.... For Victoria at least...

Last year the Crows came in around Late March...

At the same time you see Black Cockatoos fling passed to nest out for the winter up in the mountains... (so the old timers say)

This year the Crows came in early March along with sightings of Black Cockatoos passing our area...

This will mean good winter Rains and also that winter will come in a few weeks earlier than last year... im uncertain if it'll mean a longer winter...

I'm in a unique spot at the moment where I can observe these things.. but soon I will no longer be living in this house (not our home anymore)

We're moving our of the City to a small small country town about 20 kilometres out...

The winds are calmer and it can be 3 to 5 degrees warmer on a warm day.. for instance ... I have observed say 23* on my car temperature gauge driving from the city but after driving out to my new Block the outside Temperature can be running at 27* to 28* ...

So after 18 years of living on the coast with cold winds we'll be finally back to the country, surrounded by Gum Trees (I love them )

[Black Orchid]

I have flocks of white cockatoos here every day and GOD they make a hell of a noise. A few crows too.

When we lived up the north coast we had a lot of red and yellow tailed black cockies there. Someone drove in out of nowhere one day and offered us $25,000 to catch a pair. Obviously I said NO and sent them on their way. This was many years ago.

[Neferti]

I have flocks of white cockatoos here every day and GOD they make a hell of a noise. A few crows too.

When we lived up the north coast we had a lot of red and yellow tailed black cockies there. Someone drove in out of nowhere one day and offered us $25,000 to catch a pair. Obviously I said NO and sent them on their way. This was many years ago.

I've had the yellow tailed black cockies here too, not for a while though. White cockies everywhere ... but since I stopped trying to feed the Rosellas ... the cockies have disappeared. Thankfully.

I once had a Robin Redbreast sitting on my fence .... wish I had taken a picture. Also used to hear a Kookaburra but that was years ago.

My absolute favourite is the Blue Wren and had them here but that was a long time ago. Still see the occasional Willy Wagtail but the Sparrows have disappeared, the Maggies are still around, finches and Currawongs are still around.

I like my Maggies.

[Black Orchid]

I haven't seen a Wren or a Willy Wagtail for years. I have had a Kookaburra around here quite a bit lately though.

[brian ross]

I have Cockatoos, Kookaburras, Wrens, Magpies, Ravens, Crows and so on, all 'round me. My neighbourhood is on the edge of suburbia, right near a national park. We are serenaded off to sleep by Kookaburras and woken by them. We have Cockatoos and Cockatiels fly over at dusk. We occasionally get Koalas calling as well.

Were you aware that Kookaburras were introduced to SW Western Australia by White settlers? Did you know that the call of the WA Magpie is markedly different to that of the Eastern ones? Can you tell the difference between a Raven and Crow?

[The Mechanic]

Nice Brian..

One of the reasons we are moving to where we are is because of the Setting that Attracts birds .. I've only heard one Kookaburra so far... but when I go camping I go to areas where they may be.. and if I hear them laugh, it makes the trip all worthwhile

we have Blue Wrens on our front doors.. we usually see them in the cooler months around here sometimes...

I see Robin redbreasts up in the grampians.. but a rare and exciting sighting sometimes...

and even better is the Golden Breasted Robin sightings... only twice in my entire life.. once was with my Grand Daughter so that was very special...

bo... we used to have kookaburras around our home in Camperdown vic when I was a boy... but not anymore... we were on the edge of town with many trees in the area... but they are all gone now... alone with the wildlife..

[Black Orchid]

I have plenty of trees around me. There is a river and a national park almost outside my door but there is a distinct lack of the birds of my youth. Masses of invasive Indian Mynas.

I have not heard the one Kookaburra that I have sighted several times recently sing though. So sad.

[Valkie]

I have plenty of trees around me. There is a river and a national park almost outside my door but there is a distinct lack of the birds of my youth. Masses of invasive Indian Mynas.

I have not heard the one Kookaburra that I have sighted several times recently sing though. So sad.

Indian Mynas, disgusting birds
The kick the eggs out of every nest they can
Attack other birds in groups
And destroy everything

Muzzos of the bird world.

[Neferti]

When I thought I was "doing the right thing" and putting out "Wild Bird Seed" I would get a lot of cockatoos, Rosellas and so forth. Plus a few Indian Myna's and Pigeons.

I got fed up with the interlopers, so I stopped putting out the seed. No sign of sparrows, cockatoos, mynas or pigeons .... they are probably getting their FREE feed, elsewhere.

I still get the Rosellas though.

When I lived in Sydney we had Kookaburras .... I used to put out meat for them.

[Valkie]

When I thought I was "doing the right thing" and putting out "Wild Bird Seed" I would get a lot of cockatoos, Rosellas and so forth. Plus a few Indian Myna's and Pigeons.

I got fed up with the interlopers, so I stopped putting out the seed. No sign of sparrows, cockatoos, mynas or pigeons .... they are probably getting their FREE feed, elsewhere.

I still get the Rosellas though.

When I lived in Sydney we had Kookaburras .... I used to put out meat for them.

The disgusting little buggars are smart too

Set up a few traps and caught a few at first, drowned em.

But now they won't come near the traps, all I was catching was natives.
Let em go, but stopped trapping the,
Found the mynas nests and destroyed the eggs
They don't come back, but they still attack other birds nests.

Even the old slingshot they get wise to, one stands guard while the others cause trouble.

They are taking over, but recently a butcher bird has come around
He seems to like mynas, caught a few already, hope he stays.

We have a lot of native shrubs and trees, to attract natives
Mynas attack them all the time
But you should see what a kookaburra does to a Mynas head when it gets peeved.
And the old kookaburra can outfly Mynas most days.