[Photos] Bushwalking - Maralla Bushland 02 (Bush Forever 300)

[moonvoice]

On our second visit to Maralla Bushland,
we had this incredible time where a large flock of Carnaby's Black Cockatoos
- one of the largest black birds in the whole of Australia -
And also Critically Endangered
rose up from the ground as we walked past and then proceeded to give us an aerial show - all while screaming very loudly together (as they do) in that musical way, before settling down in the bushland we were about to walk in.
It felt very special. My shots aren't great, but here, I don't know if I'll ever have an experience like this again, because sadly these flocks are dwindling every year, and this would be one of the largest remaining.

















I should mention that they initially rushed us. They passed so close by us that we just stopped and stared before we realised we had cameras. We could have reached out and touched two hundred of them.





It's hard to convey how large these birds are, as well, but they are far larger than ravens.



The winter sun turning everything to gold.



Or neon green





Sheoak / Casuarina in the foreground.





This Casuarina (Sheoak) is one of the largest I've ever seen. Ever. I called her 'Grandmother Sheoak' as soon as I saw her (might be a Grandfather). (Look at the nest in the top!) I had to get tricksy to get all of the tree in the frame. I have never seen any Casuarina this tall or grand, especially in land this open. An old, twisty turny handsome beauty.



The dead seedheads of these native grasses became limned circles in the sun.







The Bee Tree - this male sheoak on the left (er, male because that orange-y-rust colour is a profusion of TREE SPERM *coughs* - also maybe *currently* male because some Casuarina produce both male and female inflorescences but anyway) - was the most abundant source of nectar for ages around, and as a result, it is absolutely writhing with bees. Glen and I gave it a wide berth because we're both allergic. But it's a lovely colour.



More of that lava fungus (not the official name lol)

Comments

[cmcmck]

Fabulous!

Here, it's that delightful little clown, the puffin, which is becoming endangered.

I just can't imagine a world without them! :o(

[bunny_m]

=[

Puffins are love. Except when coming in to land, when they are a menace to all nearby.

[alatefeline]

Wow. Thank you. Under the circumstances I think those are quite good bird photos.

[mdlbear]

Those are marvelous. Thank you.

[konsectatrix]

Outstanding. That must've been amazing to experience in person.

[silverjackal]

I really enjoyed the photos of the trees as well, but the cockatoos must have been incredible to experience. I also have a potentially stupid question (but it was a hellishly hot day and I've had a large-ish beer, so intellectual brilliance is not my strong suit at the moment). When you say the Carnaby's Black Cockatoos are bigger than ravens you mean Australian Ravens, yes? Because I've seen a Carnaby (sadly just the one, not your glorious flock numbering in the hundreds), and it was smaller than the Common Raven, particularly the northern race (C. c. principalis) that we have here.

[bunny_m]

Wikipedia sez:

C. corvus:
at maturity, the common raven averages 63 centimetres (25 inches) in length and 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) in mass

C. coronoides:
Measuring 46–53 centimetres (18–21 in) in length

Carnaby's black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) Measuring 53–58 cm (21–23 in) in length

So the Australian Raven is a fair bit smaller than the Common Raven, whilst Carnaby's Black Cockatoo sits in between, size-wise.

Of course, 'round here you don't get 200-strong flocks of Ravens, nor are they as boisterous or deliberate vandals, which the cockatoos can be at times. Like 14yr old boys with wings, the buggers.

[moonvoice]

nor are they as boisterous or deliberate vandals, which the cockatoos can be at times. Like 14yr old boys with wings, the buggers.

No bird can get as much bullshit from trees on your car (like whole green pinecones) in Australia as a flock of black cockatoos, lmao.

When I was in highschool there was a large flock outside of our windows while we were doing our TEE exams and they got someone to come and shoot nearby to dispel them because otherwise would have had to resit the exams they were just SO LOUD.

[silverjackal]

You also have to factor in that I'm automatically thinking of the particular subspecies of Common Raven I live surrounded by. The Northern Raven (Corax corax principalis) isn't as big as the subspecies found in the Himalayas (C. c. tibetanus which are the largest Common Ravens on the planet), but it's still quite routine to have individuals who are 65-66 cm in length and very powerfully built. I as thinking "No way is a Carnaby's Cockatoo regularly larger... they would have to be the size of a larger macaw for that... Oh wait... Australia! Different species of raven. Derp." :D (For what it's worth I've been caught in this conversation before, where I said "Magpie" (meaning the Black-billed Magpie that we have here), I inadvertently confused moonvoice because of course the biology of the Australian Magpie is quite different.)

Common names for animals can be a pain in the rear.

[moonvoice]

Yes! My bad, I should've been clearer with my language. :D

[silverjackal]

No apology needed. I should have thought about it harder before asking, but I was very tired from a day of hiking and disproportionately intoxicated from a single (albeit large) beer as a result, so my logic faculties were not strong.

[sundog]

The cockatoos are so pretty!

[foxboi]

ooh, thank you for sharing! These are lovely photos of plants and cockatoos alike