flocked

Happy Valley has been the locale of a rowdy flock of cockatoos for as long as I have lived here.  During the week I have seen one or two of them flying above or perched on a windowsill.  In the earlier part of the day on weekends I have seen a large group of them in the trees in front of the Leighton Hill development.

These birds seem to have a weekly schedule.  Lately I have noticed them in the trees above the Happy Valley playground only on Sunday and only in the late afternoon.  It is as though they wait for the playground to fill up with small children and then suddenly they swoop in and proceed to poop all over everything, literally and figuratively.  Once mayhem is achieved they then fly to the adjacent racecourse tower and groom themselves.  A few of the birds appear appear to gnaw on the concrete structure but I would hope that they are really sharpening their beaks or something useful.  My Australian neighbor assures me that they like to gnaw on almost anything including her roof tiles and wooden fixtures so she wouldn't be surprised if they did indeed gnaw on concrete as well.

They are probably the most entertaining and beautifully plumed menaces in the Valley if you don't count the luxury sports car drivers who rev their engines up and down Sing Woo Road.