Our pair were visited by a very aggressive Sulphur-crested Cockatoo this morning. Beau was in the box minding his own business, while Swift was in the tall eucalypts opposite (which is good news in that they are finding substitutes for their usual pine tree roosts). Suddenly a cockie came heading straight for the nest-box, with Beau looking somewhat alarmed. Next thing, Swift took off and beat the cockie to the box. She had a bit of an agitated ‘yarn’ with Beau and then the cockie arrived, hung about right outside the box for a few seconds and then looked as if it was going to land. Swift dashed to the back of the box, and Beau took off, with the cockie apparently in hot pursuit. After some circling and another visit to the box (while Swift was now on the ledge watching anxiously), the cockatoo took off.
Swift then leaves and the cockatoo return after a few minutes and spends about 14 minutes in and out of the box, sometimes along, sometimes with a ‘mate’ (while a third does a fly past). They eventually leave and Swift returns after half an hour.
I doubt if the cockatoos are seriously interested in the nest-box as it would be too open for them. I suspect just trying to annoy the peregrines as they are predators (including, occasionally, of sulphur-crested cockatoos, although I have no evidence of this from our pair).
You’ll be pleased to know that I have been up to clean the cameras finally (but too late for these shots, sadly)
