Who's a pretty boy then?

This fine buy (or girl) came to visit us on the deck this morning. He sat on the railing, looking expectantly at the (empty) bird feeder. I filled a bowl with bird seed and cautiously opened the door, and put the seed on the table. He immediately got the idea and started eating the seed and allowing me to take his photo. Unfortunately it was a very dull grey morning and I couldn't get a sharp shot of him with wings open, moving from the railing to the table. But here he is with his glorious crest up (he's a sulphur crested cockatoo, for the non-Ausssies). They are a very large bird - 45 to 55 cm long. Isis, watching from inside, was absolutely beside herself! She was quivering and standing up against the window and desperate to get to him - despite the fact that the bird was bigger than her!

My son had a fun, cold, wet and exhausting weekend canoeing down the Goulburn River in country Victoria with his Sea Scout group, which meant a drive out to near Seymour this afternoon to collect him and his friend.