lirralirra

Stage 4 lockdown, plus a storm, plus a power outage, plus a tree across the driveway, plus a leak, plus a warning not to drink the water.

The Lilydale SES solved the tree problem (thank you Fiona and Steve), the weather is calm, the power is back, there’s a bucket under the leak and the water can be boiled.

I decided to take the dogs for a walk, I flung the door wide, strode outside, and froze at the sight of a couple of dozen Crimson Rosellas feeding on the grass right in front of me. The most remarkable part of it was that they didn’t take off. I propped the door open, grabbed my camera gear and tiptoed back to start shooting, handheld, semi-squatting, very uncomfortable, but smiling.

Most of the birds, like the shots I’ve shared, were youngsters that were gradually replacing their green plumage with the crimson red of the adult birds.

There’s a lot of kikuyu grass here, it’s a pretty ordinary lawn but it supplies food for parrots and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos as they love munching on the rhizomes. They dig up a sprig of grass with their bills, and bite into the rhizome to extract the sugary starch. They’re happy, I’m happy and kikuyu is tough enough to handle it and quickly regenerate.

Happy birding from home, Kim

~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra
~ Facebook group  Ethical Bird Photography