Tuesday, Day 4 Grey Nomads Camp: The birds have it.

With so many trees around the area, we see lots of birds.  Unfortunately the trees are quite tall, so most of them  are way up high or flying overhead.  However as Peter was walking up to the meeting tent yesterday there was a kookaburra laughing. Looking around, Peter spied it perfectly framed for a photo between two branches.  Shame he didn't have his camera!  So here I've included a photo of one we took on one of our holidays in Queensland; this one was in 2008.  Isn't that a 'knowing' look?

I was talking to a group of our friends when the characteristic parrot call made me look up to see the most brilliant red underbelly of a Crimson Rosella going overhead.  Again, I've had to rely on a photo from Google to show you but they are gorgeous birds.

Rick and Marilyn were watching some galahs busy in a tree near their van (they are next door to us).  Rick managed to take some photos of what they were doing.  It turns out that the birds were stripping off the bark from an area of tree trunk, around 10" (25cm) in diameter.  We're not sure why they were doing that.  Some magpies came close and the galahs hunted them off!  Richard kindly gave me a copy of some of the photos to put on here.  Today, again on the way to the 10.30 meeting, we saw them doing the same thing. I had wondered whether they were after grubs under the bark of the tree though they are normally seed-eaters, or whether they were starting to make a hollow in the tree.  But it can't be making a hollow because today they were in a different spot in the tree, and yesterday they were working on two areas.  

"You spying on us with that camera?"

"See the bit of wood flicking through the air?"

"You looking at me?"

"Boy, I've cleared a large area now!

It is fun to listen to the bird calls and work out what the bird is.  Some we hear often, others less frequently.  Magpies were calling when I typed the first part of this, before the 10.30 meeting - just calling, not their lovely melodious carolling.  Later in the day I heard some beautiful carolling on and off.
It has been another day full of blessings, with the most gorgeous weather.  We had thought we might go for a walk to the beach, which is about 20 minutes walk away.  We hear the waves, especially at night, and it is a sound that is particularly pleasant.  However I had a rest instead, to get rid of a headache that was rapidly building into quite a severe one, so hopefully we'll get there tomorrow.  
And now it's time for dinner then off to the 6.30 meeting and another early night.
Blessings, and thank you for visiting.
Sandie