CYCLONE DEBBIE DIARY # V

COCKATOOS  EXTRACT  REVENGE  / DESPITE  DENTAL  PROBLEM , KIND  POLLIE  CATHY  O'TOOLE  COMES  TO  RESCUE AGAIN .

The  French   fighting  spirit (c.1890)  of  North  Queensland .

Due to marauding  Cockatoos , the   fruit  laden  mandarin tree   was wrapped  in  bird netting  months ago, after they had raided the passionfruit  vines .  We also  covered  up   an  orange tree for the Queen of  the Jungle . Before  the  Cyclone  Debbie threat and  afterwards , the  Cockies  were  evident --- shrieking , flying about  in  numbers , prepared  to  attack .

Our resident  Curlews, the   surviving chick now much  bigger ,   drew attention  yesterday afternoon  to the  fact that something  was   amiss   by  glaring  up at the mandarin tree . Sure  enough, there were   two Cockatoos ,  one clinging to the  netting , the other  inside the  crown of  the  tree  where there had been a netting  gap  , a yellow looking   piece of  fruit on the ground  , which  on inspection had   been  chewed in a  previous  assault  , green ants   running  all  over it .

 

Shooed away, the  birds nevertheless  came  back  , joined by another . Waving a straw broom  and hurling  the  pecked mandarin  at  them caused the tenacious  trio  to fly  off . However, they came back again ,  settled  high  up in a  palm tree on which  were  bunches of  nuts , nibbling ,  casting   their covetous  eyes on  the  forbidden  fruit  under  the netting . 

 

Barking , yelling and  broom waving   did  not shift  them from their perch , but  probably disturbed the neighbours and  made them  wonder if it was a full moon. Two stones   were then  thrown up  into the palm tree   and   a clanging noise was  heard, thought to  be one  landing on  part of  the   fencing set  up about  the  yard to  protect the  Curlew  chick from   attack  by Barking Owls and  Kookaburras . The Cockatoos  eventually   flew away and   did   not  return .    

     

Up early  this  morning , we  engaged in  what  amounted   to the start of a massive  spring  clean due to  having moved  so  much  about  because of  the Cyclone Debbie threat . Into the backyard  shed had  been packed many things , plants , outdoor  glass topped  tables , tools , wrought  iron  pieces , an old wood plane  bought  at a garage  sale .   Late  yesterday afternoon  two  glass  topped  tables had been moved out of  the  shed and  the larger , used    to display potplants , had been left outside because it  was   found to have  rough, rusty  edges  from  the  effect  of  living near  the  sea .

 

Intending to move the table back to the veranda  this morning , there was an unpleasant surprise . The  glass  top was   smashed  into many pieces- one of the stones  ,  or  both , thrown at the Cockatoos , had apparently  landed on the  table .   The  ground was  covered  in a circular pattern of  shattered  glass -possibly  a  great threat to  the   Curlew   chick  which now  is a  non stop  hungry  teenager , continually picking  around   for   snacks . Solution : call in  the  very same  Fairy Godmother who provided  protection for the   Curlew's parents when  they were sitting on eggs -pollie  Cathy O'Toole , Member  for Herbert   (ALP) .

On that occasion , a  sandwich  board  shelter , above ,  made of   O'Toole  corflutes was   placed over the Curlews , at  times  protecting  a  sitting  bird  from  being  donged  by  a  heavy   falling  frond .

After  much of the glass had been removed  by gloved  hand   and  with a  shovel , there were still  many dangerous  slivers  in the  grass . Over the  top  was  placed another Cathy  O'Toole   corfplute  attached  to a wooden stake  , above ,  which had   been  pulled out  and tossed on the ground  during the last  federal election,  one of her teeth   blacked  out  in  an act  of  deliberate  disfigurement .  Other odds and ends  and a  paver were  added  to  the  protective  Curlew  cover  to stop  it  being  blown   away should  there be a  storm .

The Townsville Bulletin  ran a  front page story about a  bedraggled Cockatoo  having been  saved   by one of its photographers  after  Cyclone Debbie , the  bird described  as the   spirit of North Queensland ;   the  story  went  viral . Sadly , the  Cocky   died .   In the aftermath of  the  cyclone   , a  bull  shark was  found  on  a bank  way  up  a  stream . A person   commented   that  if a big show was made  about saving a   Cockatoo , why  didn't   somebody  give  the  shark  mouth   to  mouth ?