The Avian Life in Pymble

So, we're back to the birds again... I was able to capture a shot of the elusive Kookaburra in the "bush" out behind the college. If you haven't clicked the link on my page to listen to its distinct call, you have to check this out. It's like a cross between a maniacal laughter and a baby crying. Give it a second to get to the middle of the recording to get the full effect. If you play it at work, the sound will be sure to attract some attention.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/daceloNovaguineae.mp3



And then, there's the ubiquitous Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (I think the sulphur is on account of the fact that they come from hell!). You might wonder why, even how I could harbor such hateful feelings toward a cute looking bird. For whatever reason, we seem to have a flock of them that have made Canisius College home... and they have an ear piercing screech that sounds like the call a prehistoric pteradactyl might have made... at 5:30 am and then throughout the day. Let me tell you, they might appear to be big white innocuous birds, but wait till you hear a squadron of them swooping in over the lawn!

I know, you're thinking I sound a little imbalanced, and maybe it's true! For your amusement, below is a link to u-tube where these birds have their own video series...

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/sulphur-crested-cockatoo-01/288230385534736450/?icid=VIDURVPET02

Actually, the sad thing is that the fires have affected over a million birds and animals, including cockatoos. There's a very sweet story of a firefighter who rescued a Koala bear named Sam... picture to follow.