One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways I amuse myself these days is by observing the various species of bird and duck that live around my local watering hole--Lake Monger. My favorites are the cockatoos. While the black swans and the dozen or so other water-loving birds are at the lake on a daily basis, the cockatoos are a little more discerning. They flit in and out--checking out other areas around town, I guess, before deciding to head back to Lake Monger on any given morning. I often find swarms of nearly 100 of them, spreading across the grass and into the busy street. They seem perfectly oblivious to the honking cars that almost run them over. The most entertaining feature is the way they eat. Instead of directly picking up food with their beaks, they stand on one claw and use the other to pick food off the ground and feed themselves. It's hilarious.
More photos in the "bird life" gallery.
