The scroungers

I am under siege!

While busy keywording images for my stock libraries, I am aware of being watched. I look up from my PC and there are two faces staring through the verandah windows. They are two Australian magpies (bottom right) who, presently, are feeding their three young. I get up and head for the fridge. They watch me with anticipation. I open the verandah door with beef mince in hand and immediately four kookaburras crash down onto the balustrade. Now I have six mouths to feed. Yet another flurry of wings and feathers, and lo and behold, two currawongs I have been feeding for the past ten years, arrive. Although they know me, they are still not brave enough to feed out of my hand. Which cannot be said for the magpies, who, on occasion, I find strolling through the lounge, past our two cats, and into the kitchen to check out if there is any leftover cat food available. Having fed the carnivores but not enough to allow them to get lazy and find their own food, I now have a dozen or so rainbow lorikeets, squabbling amongst themselves, waiting for a handout of bird seed. They alternate between the handout and finding natural food from the many native shrubs we have in our garden. Their favourite is grevillea or the bottlebrush at the bottom of the garden. When the grapes (which amazingly survived our builders) surrounding our verandah are in season, both the rainbow lorikeets and the currawongs check out the ripeness of the fruit. Within minutes, half a dozen galahs arrive and the squabbling between the birds continue. Each frantically chasing the other away. During all this confusion (and noise) a sulphur crested cockatoo ventures nervously on to the deck but although I love them dearly, they are not welcome as a few months back, one cockie completely destroyed a cane chair on the deck and then started on my cane pod chair. I have a water pistol at the ready and I only have to walk towards it, and they take off to the safety of the large gum in the middle of the garden.

I go back to keywording (sigh) and now I hear a familiar whistle coming from the rondelitia next to the deck. Its a crimson rosella which has only recently been visiting us. They are not that common on Sydney northern beaches as their main environment is the much cooler region of the Blue Mountains, 100 kms west of Sydney. They are beautiful parrots and have become tame enough to eat out of my hand. Next to arrive is a male king parrot (top left).

By this time, there are various piles of seed on the deck and balustrade and I make a mental note to hose down the deck after they have finished. Now back to keywording!