Yesterday was the last day before we left Booderee National Park in New South Wales, to follow more of The Yellow Brick Road in Oz.
We have been seeing so many truly beautiful birds, but none of the vulnerable Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, which is an enormous and very impressive cockatoo.
Yellow Tails are a vulnerable species, facing rapid population decline, due to habitat destruction and human predation, hence they they tend to be shy around people they don’t know
I had seen Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos here eleven years ago, but was packing my suitcase, resigned to not having a repeat experience, when I spied this one out my window.
I found my Wizard of Oz! And now, you have too.
Cheers to you from all The Wizards in magical Oz~
What a fascinating bird! Looking rather mysterious.
They are mysterious. They usually hang out high in the canopy, camouflaged by the tree and cones. Sometimes you can hear them, but not see them.
beautiful
Very please you think so!
I’m so glad this bird obliged you and your camera. Very unique characteristics with the yellow patch on his head, the red ring around his eye, and then the dexterous beak, tongue, and claws. I’m glad you were lucky and spotted this guy so you could share him with us. Beautiful!
Awwww, what a thoughtful comment. Thank you very much. You make me happy I posted.
Wow! Lovely! <3
Happy you enjoyed him & cheers to you Linda ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
Isn’t that what holidays are about: the best weather or the bird you are looking for arriving on the day of one’s departure. Your photographs are wonderful!
You are wonderful Anne. Thank you ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
It was a wonderful instance of serendipity and thank you Anne ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
It is beautiful. It also struck me that black is very rare in living things [Pandas yes, crows often more a very deep purple and to the best of my knowledge, flowers never].
Yes, there are hybrid black flowers, like roses and tulips, but natural black flowers are usually a super deep purple or blue that looks black. It is the the same with birds. Corvids like you mention and even this black cockatoo has color in him, a deep bluish-purple. I shot him on a rainy, very cloudy day, so you couldn’t see the color spectrum. In the sunshine he would glow and you could see the hues of hidden color.
He’s so beautiful! Sad to know the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo population is declining and could disappear. 🙁
It would be a terrible loss. Thank you for caring Felicia.
Awww, he is so beautifull !!!
I am so glad you think so! I do too ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
Glad you got a sighting, Cindy. I love its vibrant yellow ‘ears!’
Maybe they are earmuffs to block out the cockatoos raucous calling!!!
I can imagine a flock of them could be quite noisy!
When I saw them before, there were about 30 of them demolishing the cones of a casuarina tree. I was led to them by the screeching which sounded like shrieking cats!
Haha, earplugs needed!
Love your travels, the friends you meet and the stories you tell! Hugs!
Hugs back to you sweet Rebecca!
Beautiful pics! Hope these lovely birds haven’t been hit too hard by the recent terrible bush fires.
I got here at the end of the fires, before the area was deluged with rain, but I know the wildlife loss was catastrophic.
Unusual and beautiful bird. If it wasn’t for the pink around the eye and the yellow feathers near the eyes I would be tempted to call him Satan.
He can be intimidating looking, but he is an intelligent, inquisitive and very social bird. He was with his mate, and they make dutiful, caring parents.
And also the white on the tail
Just a flash of brilliance painted by Mother Nature!
Yes, indeed
( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅
Particularly enjoyed the detail on the feathers and what a beak!
He snaps big pine cones like they are peanuts!
Must create good source do effects
Amazing! So glad you got to see one of these awesome birds. Love your photos.
Thank you Darlene. You make me happy I posted!
OMG, Cindy… what a beauty!!
I’m so happy you captured this gorgeous bird for us.
Still, just another creature man is destroying… wittingly or unwittingly.
We, all, need to wake up!
Yes we do, and I am afraid too many of us do not want to. They don’t realize we are animals too, and our fate is inextricably linked to theirs.
Amen!
You shot fascinating photos of those birds. I believe, I wouldn’t have been so patient.
Thank you! I am enraptured by them so time in their presence is a true joy.
Beautiful pictures Cindy! Great post!
Muchos gracias mi amigo Francisco!
Un placer amiga Cindy
Hi. Soon after I started my WP journey, I began finding sites that sometimes focus on birds, such as your site. I’d never paid all that much attention to birds before. I’ve come to realize how incredible they are.
Neil
That makes me truly happy Neil. Thank you for telling me & be well.
Looks like a no nonsense bird! It looks more different than beautiful to me. It’s sad how we keep on encroaching on wildlife’s habitat but again, where can people go with growing populations? One thing that really made an impression on on encroachment is how some slimy looking frogs have completely disappeared where I grew up. I don’t like the frogs, but it just shows how some creatures are really disappearing.
It is scary isn’t it. As they go, so shall we, eventually. We are all part of the same web of life.
Fabulous photos Cindy
Grazie mille Sheree!
As always a treat filled with beauty. This was wonderful. Thank you so much.
I almost missed this! Thank you more my friend & cheers (＾◡＾)
Beautiful!
Grazie John!
What a cheeky wizard! He’s beautiful…
I <3 my friends who <3 cockatoos! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅
Wow, very cool! Wizard of Oz indeed. Magical.
Thanks Trent. He looks like a wizard to me!
He’s lovely – and has very sweet face. 🙂
I am happy you can see this. They are sweet birds ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
Thanks Cindy for sharing a light on endangered species and sharing their images with us here online. I am glad you were able to have this experience a second time!
Hugs & cheers to you Linda. Hope all is well with you. ( ˊᵕˋ )♡
Beautiful creatures Cindy, but just a bit noisy like all the cockatoos. Glad your holidays got a few pictures of the bird life here 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽
They definitely tend to have a lot on their minds and they love expressing it all at once!
You have set something off with your images Cindy. I had a pair of birds out the front of my home that I have never seen in my life. Very beautiful with so many colors. A friend informs me that they were Wompoo Fruit Doves and due to the fires their normal food has been reduced so many birds are coming into the suburbs as that is the only place to find food.
I’ve lived in the coastal areas for years but never spotted any before this, a blessing to have seen their beauty and realise what is so important to protect 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋 🦘 🐬 🐳 🌺 🌹 🌈 🐦 🐤 🐣 🐥 🦆 🦢 🦅 🦉 🦚 🦜
What synchronicity! I googled your dove and I photographed something similar. I think what I saw was an Emerald Dove. I will post photos soon. Australia has such an incredible variety of doves, in such amazing colors. I had never heard of a Wompoo Fruit Dove! A gorgeous creature, with a perfectly Ozian name!! Wonderful (＾◡＾)
The bird life is amazing, and I would think you’re attracting accordingly dear lady 😀 🦜
Awww, thank you! ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Really beautiful birds.
They are handsome and impressive aren’t they!
Some animals can sense whom to trust and this one knows that you can be trusted! What a handsome bird. So sad that its population is being decimated.
Yes, wild animals and birds danger warning systems keep them alive. They are incredibly observant of human behavior and body language. It is very rare for me to photograph a wild creature without it looking in my camera lens before I see them! Watching wild creatures is one of my greatest joys. Harming them breaks my heart (＾◡＾)
Stunning! Glad you were prepared this time. Love your new gravatar photo also. Forgot to mention it before.
I decided I needed to keep current, not cool to keep an image from 8 years ago. I took this one in a hotel bathroom. Good lighting…..laughing (＾◡＾)
🙂 Looks good to me.
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Amazing photos and how fortunate you were able to get them before you left. The cockatoo certainly appears to be enjoying his food.
My husband asked, “Do they ever stop eating?” (＾◡＾)
Kind of flies in the face of the old “eats like a bird” to describe the dainty picker at one’s food.
He eats like a bird just like I eat like a bird 🙂
Ha ha! 😀
❦
Great captures Cindy 💛🙏💛
Thank you Val & Happy Weekend!
Three cheers to your magical cockatoos! Great photography, Cindy!
Your comment made me smile. Thank you Peter (＾◡＾)
oh, how lucky! Glad he stopped by 🙂
He was most considerate to pop by at the last moment (＾◡＾)
Ahh…last day in parrot-dise! You’re in Pollywood, my dear friend!♥♥(ʃƪ ˘ ³˘)♥♥
Pollywood is my kind of entertainment!!! (＾◡＾)
,､’`,､’`’`,､
How lucky to spot him. I’ve never seen one in the wild
Wow! That surprises me Pauline. It makes me feel even more blessed by their visit. It was a pair. I assume male and female but the the one I call ‘he’ was more willing to be photographed. I often notice this with birds (and people), some like having their photos taken a lot more than others! 😉
Definitely find the male birds around here are more dominant, and quite often more colourful too. On a side note jack is more than happy to be in front of the camera, whereas I tend to be the one taking the photos…🕺🏼
I do not like having my photo taken either, not at all, unless I take it myself in a hotel bathroom, laughing…….I like being behind a camera.
Me too Cindy, no selfies for me…..
<3
How cute and right on time.
Did you see any of the burnt devastation?
We have seen some, yes. We arrived with the rains though, so everything quickly turned a magical emerald green that was so beautiful to see. I noticed water pans everywhere that people had been leaving out for the wild birds and animals during the drought and fires. Now there are torrents of rivers and ‘water, water everywhere!’
From one extreme to the other. Geez…
Yes. But the rain is sorely needed and such a blessing over fire.
I can see that.
(｡♥‿♥｡)
It’s come out very pleasant.🍉
The birds have obliged to be captured.
They did. They obliged me and I am most grateful (＾◡＾)
Wow! Amazing bird. 🙂
Yes! Big, beautiful and impressive!
What a beautiful bird! I love the colors. Thanks for the great pictures!
Thank you more for appreciating this splendid guy (＾◡＾)
He’s beautiful 😸Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend🐾😽💞
Happy Weekend sweet friend (＾◡＾)
Great shots of a shy bird. Such an intelligent face!
Yes! Happy you see this. Parrots are currently being studied for all sorts of intelligences, including emotional, logical and ‘sense of self in place,’ in other words, they are very self and other aware creatures.
I think that some humans can’t do that!
Yes, way too many, unfortunately, for all of us.
Worth waiting for, wasn’t he? 🙂 🙂 I love a happy ending!
He was worth it and more. I spent at least three hours with him and loved every second (＾◡＾)
das ist wieder wunderschön, liebe Cindy, Klaus
Danke & schönes Wochenende mein lieber Freund Klaus ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
möge es ein guter friedlicher Tag werden
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Superb as ever
You are a lovely friend Derrick ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
X
Your wizard of oz is beautiful😃 I tend to think of these birds as white as that’s all I’ve seen in domesticated ones. Their colours are magnificent and in this one’s case dark and mysterious!
He is a dark, beautiful, mysterious creature that even Wolfie would respect ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
He is indeed and Wolfie would respect him enormously. They would make a wonderful and mysterious team!
They would! I can imagine many mystical adventures on far off worlds….
If I were a bird, I’d definitely be it 😁
I like your taste in birds! (＾◡＾)
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
A picture by Cindy Knoke of a beautiful Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo in Australia.
You are the best Patricia. Thank you! (＾◡＾)
Wow Cindy, my son’s is white with yellow on his head… this black beauty is really stunning. Thank you for this post… its amazing to see the bird black. I’m going to repost this.. big loving hugs!
The cockatoos and I thank you for your thoughtfulness my friend. It is much appreciated. Cheers & Have a wonderful weekend.
Reblogged this on dymoonblog and commented:
Bom dia, Hi! I’ve never seen a black cockatoo. Isn’t this bird amazing. Thanks Cindy for posting this.
I am so happy to make the introduction. This is only the second time I have seen them in the wild and it is quite a thrill! (＾◡＾)
That is a very unique bird. So wonderful to see the beauty from your window! Beautifully captured, Cindy!
Thanks much Amy. I actually did go outside, and spent about three hours getting closer and closer to him. This is probably why he is looking at me in such a perplexed manner!
💗🐧
How fascinating, that the one bird you wanted to see and resigned yourself to not seeing, comes to visit you. Specifically, you. Thanks for letting us see him. He looks wonderful.
The world is a most interesting and often serendipitous place, if you take the time to notice, which I know you do (＾◡＾)
Sure makes it more interesting! 🙂
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Lovely! Your images always make me smile, Cindy!
Your comment just made me smile (＾◡＾)
You are in Oz! How fabulous. And you got to see a black cockatoo. Even more fabulous.
We are in India and got to see (and photograph) a pied hornbill. I do so love these kinds of travel moments. Happy travels
Alison xo
Yep we are in Oz. I think this is where you are from, if I am not mistaken. I was reading about your Indian adventure and lost suitcase. What a total hassle. But, I admire you for not letting it spoil your adventure. No small feat.
Yes it’s my home country. I love Canada and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and call myself Canadian, having lived here more than 30 years, but I’ll always be an Aussie.
I can see well why.
These certainly are pretty birds. It’s a shame it’ll be extinct if care is not taken to keep these alive. 🙂 Thank you Cindy.
I agree with you. It would be a terrible shame. Hope all is well with you my friend (＾◡＾)
Thank you Cindy. Your passion and joy for birds shine through your words and photos.
Happy Weekend Cheers to you Brad (＾◡＾)
👀
The black cockatoo was new to me. After seeing these superb photos, I like the color black a whole lot better.
Awwww, what a nice comment. It motivates me to keep on posting (＾◡＾)
Wow! A nice photo end of your visit!
Much appreciated Darnell. Thank you!
You bet!🤗
This guy has something of human, especially on the first picture. 🙂
Agreed. Parrots are super intelligent (＾◡＾)
You can just see their personality Cindy.
Leslie xoxo
Yes! Happy you can. They are most personable, yet shy, birds (＾◡＾)
🙂
wow, thank you for sharing, Cindy, I have never seen one, they are beautiful. xxx
Thank you for appreciating him Adele & cheers!
<3
What a gorgeous bird! I love his markings, but ooh, I’d beware those talons, ha!
And that beak! He can crack whole pine cones.
That is one handsome bird, Cindy. Nice of him to visit you. And you to share the visit. Thanks. –Curt
Much appreciated Curt & happy weekend my friend (＾◡＾)
Like your unique approach to smiley, Cindy. 🙂 You have a good weekend as well. –Curt
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Gorgeous pics!
Most appreciated. Thank you Sandhya (＾◡＾)
What a beauty!!
Oh my goodness, it really is Oz to find this very large and colorful bird right outside your window. What a perfectly delightful send-off! Great photos of this cockatoo, Cindy.
Such a beautiful bird! Thanks for sharing them!
Thank you more for appreciating them ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
It makes perfectly good sense to me Cindy that you title him the Wizard of Oz. Not only does he look the part – wrapped as he is in his coat of dark feathers – but there in full view just for you to make your wish come true, as all worthy wizards do 😀
Wonderful photographs of a wonderful wizard. Take care,
DN
Smiling…. I just love your comments Dewin. They are so well written and expressed.
Thank you 😀 I think your Wizard is a harbinger of joy and happiness. We certainly enjoyed catching a glimpse of him as well. A very striking fellow indeed.
Happy travels!
DN
(｡♥‿♥｡)
I dearly love all the wizards in the Magical Oz. Thank you, Cindy!
Visa versa 2UX2 Jennie ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
😍
I never thought they call this “black” but it is close. He (she) is handsome and cute.
There are shades in there aren’t there. The camera sees it better than our eyes do. His mate is blurry in the background and looks totally black from a distance.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nMyeAvQsEI4/maxresdefault.jpg
Awww, thank you my friend & cheers ♡´･ᴗ･`♡
Amazing shots of a very endearing bird.
Happy you like him & cheers!
Wow, how lucky was that for you, Cindy..What a beautiful bird as always wonderful images 🙂 x
Much appreciated Carol, thank you & cheers!
ruhe dich aus und hab viel Spaß an diesem Sonntag, Klaus
Ich wünsche dir eine wundervolle Woche, mein Freund.
Wunderbare Aufnahmen, meine Freundin, danke
Prost auf dich Ernst & bleib gesund mein Freund!
What a lovely bird. I hope they can save enough habitat for survival. 😀
I share your hopes Jules and thank you!
Beautiful post Cindy!
Cheers & congrats on your new digs Gary!
He looks like he’s got a lot of sass and personality haha! What a cute face!
He definitely decided he would hang around with me……. and EAT!!! 😉
Nice to have you in Oz. I’ve only ever seen the sulphur crested cockatoo down here in VIC. Not my favourite bird. Glad you got to see one of the special ones. 🙂
It is a very special treat and it is lovely to be in wonderful Oz!
I hope you missed all the not-so-wonderful bits!
I came with the rains, so all I saw was green! <3
I’m so glad. This has been one of the worst summers most of us have ever seen. Also the weirdest. We’re still in February, yet it feels as if we’re in the tail end of autumn, getting ready for winter.
Yes. Lots of rain. We just arrived home and it was 86F! The weather is seriously off.
Wow, that is so back to front!
Yes. Not good.
That was a good bit of luck. You were ready to leave when he appeared outside your window. Good shots, too.
Yes. It was quite a wonderful bit of luck, thank you & cheers!
Cindy, thank you for these beautiful photos!
Thank you more for your kindness Charles & cheers to you!
Lucky you 🙂
I have A-list picnics in Oz! 🦘
Thanks for reading my post. What a gorgeous bird, Cindy! Thanks for the fab. photos. Hugs x
You are most welcome, twice! Cheers to you Joy <3
Amazing photos
Grazie mille Lyn <3
❤️❤️
Always amazed by your world travels and stunning photos that you share from your journeys, Cindy. <3 You are a lucky soul. 🙂
What kind and lovely thoughts Olga. Thank you my friend and I very much appreciate you traveling along with me. You make the experience better.
You were certainly lucky to view this magnificent bird Cindy, and beautifully photographed.
Awwww, thanks so much. They are a tad on the shy side but such amazing creatures. 🦜
Love all the parrots, but never seen this beauty before. Wow!
Parrots rock big time, and Oz has the most amazing variety. It is why I went back. If you like wild parrots, I have a lot more of them from Oz to show you <3 🦜
Can’t wait to see them! We loved our two trips to Australia quite awhile back. Would go again but what a loooong flight!
Yes, it is a long flight. We get non-stop red-eyes from LA that make it more tolerable.
I’ve never seen one of these before. Didn’t even know they existed! Thanks for sharing these photos.
Thank you more for appreciating them & cheers!
So glad you found that rare bird. It’s a beauty.
Yes, I was thrilled. It was actually a mated pair ღღ
Fascinating
🌻🌻🌻
Your photos are beautiful, what type of camera is used?
You have been nominated: https://tangietwoods.blog/2020/05/17/sunshine-blogger-award-5/
Thank so much for your thoughtful kindness Tangie. I so appreciate your kindness. These photos were taken with a Sony HX400. Stay safe and well.