Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
black wings beating in the heat
flourish of red tail
dancing the flamenco
~
flashes of hot red fervour
sweeping the heavens
Spanish dancer on fire
~
tempo building with the heat
faster and louder
flamboyant scarlet finale
________________________________________________________________
We have been fortunate to have a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos hanging around in front of our house, the last week or so. They come in the morning to eat the seeds/nuts (or are they fruits) from the casuarina trees along the beach. They are very smart so getting a good photo is a bit difficult, as they see you coming and take flight. Again Andrew has taken a great photo – he was scouting about with Michael and they both got fine shots.
Gabe Feathers McGee 
This is exquisite Gabe!
Thanks Graham 🙂
aloha Gabrielle – yeah, beauty on Andrew’s shot. sea turtles are a lot like that too, i’ve noticed when i dont have my camera up, they’ll pop their head up and look around for a moment at times. when my camera is up and on them… zip. back down they go so fast i get water. funny how aware they have become to that eye watching them – a lot like human beings. human beings know too. it’s hard to get shots of human beings being themselves when they know a camera is watching them. so, yeah, great catch on this shot.
way cool on your poetry spins off these birds. i can definitely see the the flash of a flamenco dancer in these birds (in my memory as well). …as well as the flash of a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo in a flamenco dancer (also from memory too). way fun.
black scarlet flash
the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo
a Flamenco dancer
Haha – smart turtles 😉 My son is like that when I want to take his photo – better to get him off his guard. I love your haiku – I was going to do one with the words Red-tailed Black Cockatoo in the haiku, but wasn’t sure if I should – but yours works well.
“dancing the flamenco” Wow! Seen thousands but never seen one do the flamenco before! Well caught and described. But how could such a beautiful bird have such a raucous voice!?
Haha – Stafford, they have a raucous voice to warn off those horrible humans who would kidnap them and send them overseas in a suitcase (bloody poachers)!
Wow…I love the picture and the words that you have composed for it…just brilliant!
Thanks slpmartin – just came to me after looking at the photo 🙂
The photo is great and your words are SO fitting! Congratulations! 😀
Thanks adeeyoyo 🙂
what an amazing looking bird, your descriptions are excellent too!
They are amazing CGP, I had never seen them in the wild until we moved up here 4 years ago.
How beautiful. I am so jealous. I want to see one too.
You are so right – there is definitely a flamenco situation going on there.
Your poem is perfect. HOLA!!!!
HOLA! hahahaha, I love flamenco (have a bit of Spanish blood in my family – going back a bit now – great, great grandmother was Spanish).
Fantastic!
They’re such beautiful birds. I’ll have to add them to my list of ‘must-sees’ on my woodland wander! 😉
That flamenco reference and beat is perfect for these stunning birds … that tease of red is captivating.
Thanks Tracey and it is a tease of red – you only see the flash of red occasionally, mostly just the black feathers with the tail tucked downward.
Oh what a spectacular creature! It does indeed look like a flamenco dancer and the gracefulness caught by the camera is excellent. Your birds are so beautiful Gabe. 🙂
Thanks Val 🙂
flamboyant scarlet finale!
so good!
Thanks Ben 🙂