All is forgiven

Our household has a love-hate relationship with Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), so much so that they are simply referred to as Bastard Cockies (Cacatua illegitimii). Over the years they have picked at a substantial portion of the window frames of our house and have recently destroyed the windscreen and sunroof rubbers of our new car. I’m guessing all in the name of fun because the calorific value of automotive rubber must be as close to zero as you can get.

On the plus side they are prodigious weeders of Onion Grass or Guilford Grass (Romulea rosea), arriving in flocks in early spring to dig for the bulbs, clearing vast areas of the weed. However they come into their own during a summer rain storm after a spell of hot weather. The joie de vivre they seem to express by squawking loudly, stretching out their wings, hanging upside down and performing other acrobatics, to make sure all of their bodies get drenched in the soaking rain is great to watch (see photos). Maybe it is the same joy they get from destroying my car.

Either way the joy is infectious. All is forgiven..almost!