As a breeder specializing in cocka­ The tour group consisted of ten toos, I was greatly excited by the people including the Monarch guide, The Land announcement in th~ Jun/Jul issue of Bill Martin, a long-time Australian Watchbird regarding Terra Psitta­ park ranger. His contacts and know­ corum, The Land of Parrots. This was ledge of the parks we visited were to of a tour conducted by Monarch Tours, add greatly to the success of the trip. of Australia. It was to visit many The people on the tour were all Cockatoos birding areas, bird attractions and Americans, ranging from parrot Australian breeders. fanciers to bird watchers of the Audu­ by Eric Nolan I contacted Monarch immediately, bon persuasion. One couple raised Brownsburg, Indiana not being able to wait for the "further show chickens and wallabies. Most information" promised for the were from California, but Seattle,

OJ following issue. I signed up, but to my Pennsylvania, and Indiana (myself) c :J disappointment, the tour was can­ were also represented. o en celled due to several factors beyond OJ The trip was oriented primarily to .f6c the control of Monarch. They were, the national parks along the east .cro however, able to offer me an alter­ coast of Australia. We began with o >­ nate selection. I signed on for their Lamington ational Park in the hills .0 o birding and wildlife trip scheduled (5 above the Gold Coast, just south of .c 0... for early October. I also started Brisbane. After a flight north to dropping none too subtle hints in my Townsville, the tour spent several contacts with Monarch, that the spot­ days in the Atherton Tablelands ting of cockatoos in the wild was my before visiting Cairns and spending a idea ofan Australian wildlife outing. day at the Great Barrier Reef. ext we The original itinerary for the tour flew south to Sydney, where we tra­ actually changed just before it began. velled down the coast and, even­ An extended airline strike in Australia tually, inland through Kangaroo Val­ made it impossible to fly to Darwin ley to Canberra, the nation's capital. and Alice Springs as originally Accommodations varied from rustic planned. This forced a modification cabins at Binna Burra Lodge in to the tour that coincidentally made Lamington National Park, to upscale the new itinerary very close to the hotels in Brisbane and Sydney. Most cancelled tour. nights were spent at family style Wild Galahs in tree in citypark.

c OJ co c o :J z o .g en OJ W .f6c E .c o ro (5 o .c >­ 0... .0 o (5 .c 0...

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos inflight by a public road, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.

Authorfeeding Rosellas and Galahs in a park.

28 February / March 1990

motels in small communities. wait. For the short term, he indicated habitat is further in toward the hills. For the first few days, our cockatoo that he knew of a spot near Atherton Galahs and Rosellas were also seen sightings were minimal and at long where Red-tailed Black Cockatoos here. While we watched, examples of distance. We did, however, observe a had been spotted in the past. We all of the above were seen to fly to the multitude of interesting birds and drove north out of Atherton with all deck of a nearby private residence to wildlife. The first full day at Laming­ eyes looking to the treetops. After eat wild bird seed provided by the ton, we observed Pale-headed and passing through several miles of residents. Crimson Rosellas, Rainbow and Scaly­ apparently identical woods, Bill In Jervis Bay, at Green Patch picnic breasted Lorikeets, the striking King pulled to the side of the road and area, Crimson Rosellas ate seed from Parrot, and many non-parrot species turned off the bus. As he opened the our outstretched hands, landing on including several bowerbirds and the window, we heard the cries of the arms and even heads. One plucky Eastern Whipbird. The bowerbirds cockatoos all around us. We piled out Galah even got up the nerve to snatch are builders of amazing courtship of the bus, cameras and camcorders at a seed from my hand before scamper­ structures. We observed our first the ready. The trees were filled with ing off. All this changed, however, bower at Lamington, but were to see black cockatoos. That day we esti­ when a bossy Sulphur-crested an incredible structure later near mated their number at 50 birds. showed up and chased everyone Atherton, where we also saw the Returning the next day, the number away. We also had kangaroos eating beautiful Golden Bowerbird. appeared closer to 100. To commem­ bread from our hands, including one In Townsville, we were welcomed orate my real introduction to the complete with a joey peering from by flocks of lorikeets. In the center of cockatoos of Australia, Bill combed her pouch. this small resort town was a pedes­ the bush and came up with a black Our arrival in Canberra was full of trian mall. In this were several large tail feather with a bright splash of expectation. Bill had indicated that trees. As dusk approached, small crimson. This is my most treasured Gang-gang Cockatoos were present groups of rainbow lorikeets started souvenir of the trip. The Red-tailed within the city and Yellow-tailed gathering. By dark, hundreds of birds Blacks were extremely shy birds. Black Cockatoos could probably be had taken residence. The cacophony They remained high in the treetops spotted at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was reminiscent of our Greycheek and flew away as we approached. The not far away. At a small city park, pri­ room at home, though multiplied area in which we found them, how­ marily used for horseback riding, a many times. ever, was not at all remote. They were pair of Gang-gangs was spotted. Like By the fourth day, I was starting to scattered in trees on either side of the Red-tailed Blacks before them, despair I would ever see a cockatoo what passes in Australia for a busy they were extremely shy, but we still up close in Australia. Bill promised road. There were even several homes got an excellent view. The male, with that "down South" cockatoos were scattered through the area. his brilliant red head, was especially "common as dirt" -I had only to Later, as'we headed south, we spent impressive. In this same park, a Galah a day in Sydney. Several minutes after was spotted standing guard at the we checked in, one member of the entrance to its nest hole. The mate group shouted that she had cockatoos was sitting a little higher in the tree. It The Wright Roost ., in sight. Several Sulphur-cresteds is interesting to note that, to my recol­ Jeri Wright (206) 838·9802 were flying around a balcony on the lection, a solitary Galah was never NOW HAND-FEEDING top floor of a ten-story building seen. They always were in pairs, even Hyacinths, Blue & Golds, Cockatoos nearby. They landed and appeared to when part of a larger group. ConuteS & Amazons Domestic, Close-Banded be expecting food from the occu­ Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was Roudybush Disttibutot pants. Later, other Sulphurs and probably the single most exciting day several Galahs (Rose-breasteds) were of the trip. Before we even entered GOWER'S AVIARY observed flying by, this in the heart of the park, we were mesmerized by a 500 WOODLAND RD., RALEIGH, NC 27603 (919) 71'9-607ll Australia's largest city. Several of the field full of cockatoos and kangaroos. DOMESTIC HAND-FED, CLOSED latter were also seen later in the Royal Paying each other no attention, they BANDED AFRICAN GREYS (CON- ~·t U~~~~tL~~~~~EY- Botanical Gardens located beside the happily co-mingled. Also present was CONURES, PIONUS, AMAZONS. Sydney Opera House. an Emu and its baby. Most of us DISTRIBUlORS OF ROUDYBUSH HAND-FEEDING DIET, PELLETS, Driving south towardJervis Bay, we assumed this was "Mom" and baby, CRUMBLES. stopped at Royal National Park, but we were corrected, as the male where we encountered our first flock Emu apparently raises the young. GREENWOOD AVIARY of White Cockatoos, as Australians Inside the park, we saw many dif­ Jane and Charles Slutz P.O. Box 1472 refer to the Sulphur-crested. When ferent kinds of kangaroos and also Henderson. NC 27536 (919) 492-9690 we arrived, the cockatoos were con­ several koalas. We had been hoping to (919) 492-4101 gregated about the snack area looking see the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos Psittaculturists •. ', Featuring for handouts, a situation not that in Jervis Bay but were disappointed. <; ~m\ /. Domeslic. Handfed A,'." Healthy Baby Parrots different from home. We fed them This was not to be repeated. While bread and French fries and one even most of the group settled in for a bar­ WASHINGTON'S FINEST ...... - landed on my knee. Later, in Bun­ becue put on by Bill and his family, Naturally tame deena, we saw a great many more two of us hiked to the top of a nearby BABY PARROTS A difference that counts: Sulphur-cresteds and several Little hill to watch for cockatoos. Shouts Quality, health & tameness Corellas. One of the corellas was from the group called our attention to guaranteed. (206) 531·9709 spotted peering out of a nest hole. a group of a half dozen Yellow-tails PUYALWP By appt. only. This was unusual in that we were very flying over them, directly toward us. No shipping, please. VISA/Me accepted. close to the shore and their normal They passed nearby and disappeared 30 February /March 1990 over the woods. Soon more appeared. These we followed into the woods. Again, like the Red-tails, they stayed Judge us by the company we keep high and flew as we approached. But even so, we were able to get a good look at these magnificent birds. One interesting note about Tidbinbilla ­ the trail we walked to observe the koalas had been planned and built by Bill when he was a ranger at the facility. Our trip officially ended in Sydney with a harbor cruise and a farewell banquet. However, about half the group spent the next day at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Bill arranged for a tour of the bird facilities, given by Ken de la Motte, the zoo bird­ keeper. Afterwards, we enjoyed the USDA • u.s. Center for Disease Control • Mayo CliniC • Saudi Royal Family zoo itself, especially the cockatoo Sloan-Kettering Institute • Walt Disney World • Busch Gardens • Opryland exhibits. The main aviary contained Six Flags • Lion Country Safari • U.S. Army • U.S. Air Force • VA Hospitals several pairs each of Leadbeater's, Countless Zoos • Universities and Game Preserves throughout the Free World Galahs, Red-tailed, Yellow-tailed, Banksian, Corellas, and Sulphur­ crested Cockatoos. Individual Write for our free catalog! exhibits housed Palm Cockatoos as well as the White-tailed Cockatoo. The Humidaire Incubator Company At each city, I looked for a pet store Department W, 217 West Wayne Street, New Madison, Ohio 45346 with birds for sale. In Cairns, we found such a shop. As I had imagined, the prices were rather startling. (513) 996-3001 • FAX (513) 996-3633 Galahs were $35 Australian, or about Serving the world for 58 years 529 in U.S. funds. The proprietor indicated that a tame baby would be more - 50 Australian. Sulphur­ cresteds were listed at 65. The most expenSive bird listed in this store was the Superb Parrot at S165. Several caged birds were observed in shops Candling without handling. throughout Australia. The most exotic was a Gang-gang in an Aborig­ inal artifacts store in Sydney. The most interesting was seen by two tour members on a trip to the Blue Moun­ em.'..'.:::.'.:::::::.• tains above Sydney. They observed Candler comes with ew Candler Lamps: what could only have been two Galah a protective cover that $6. each or 3 for $15. X Sulphur-crested hybrids in Feather­ may be used as a Plus $2. S&H dale Park, a commercial aviary and handle extension animal park. They had yellow (Maximum length Z7'') stomachs, grey back and wings, and a short, yellow crest. A Galah and Sulphur-crested were later seen caged Now with the new recessed Candler Lamp! together so it was assumed the birds • Better Illumination· Less light loss· Longer life were raised at the park. This article has concentrated on The MDS Candling Light the cockatoos that we saw on the trip. features a high intensity. I must say that many beautiful and prefocused lamp on the end of a interesting birds of all types were 101/ flexible shaft. The new style observed - from the comical Kooka­ candler lamp is recessed in a burra, who has inspired almost as metal sleeve to fit the egg con­ aa;MDS Incorporated tour. All new Candling Lights 1-800-537-2790 many Australian stuffed animals as come with the new-style lamp­ the koala - to waterfowl, owls, or order replacement lamps for 1640 Central Ave. doves, eagles, and the gorgeous, little your existing Candlers. St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Superb Fairy Wren. For any bird lover, Australia has to be the ultimate vaca­ tion destination.•

afa WATCHBIRD 31