Off for a short hike, a windy uphill drive to The Balconies. Ledges of granite, view south of the Victoria Valley and surrounding peaks. Gentle mountainous hills ringing the scene. Low setting sun. The next day I hike and bird some more.
White cockatoos call incessantly all night and day in the park in the center of town.
I think my favorite bird of Australia. They travel in flocks as pairs, then sit next to each other and nuzzle and preen each other all over. A sweet call too, for a cockatoo, like a creaking door opening, rising inflection. They're a medium black cockatoo, the males with a bright red head, the females with pale barring on the breast. The shape of the beak and the position of the eye makes them look like they're smiling.