With all the channel-billed cuckooing & koeling going on in the east I thought you'd like to know that summer is on its way here in SA, too. On 30th September I heard a rainbow bee eater, the earliest in the season I've ever heard/seen one. Also, on 2nd October I saw the first big flock of yellow-tailed black cockatoos for the season, 22 in all.
I may have mentioned before that in my location the appearance of yellow-tailed black cockatoos has been quite interesting - to me, anyway. We had 2 appearances of one & two about 16 years apart. About 6 years ago they began arriving in small numbers, about 6, in late November, leaving in March. Then larger flocks of up to about 35 were sighted in late November with numbers dwindling after a month or so before disappearing in March/April. This winter there was a party of 7 around almost every week so in 2012 they've had a constant presence for the first time. Now the 22. It's wonderful knowing their numbers seem to be increasing in our neck of the woodlands.
a great bird to see in flight with the long tail
Peter
And another rainbow bee eater heard today!!