Recently, Marney Daniel posted on the Blue Mountains Community FB site that a sulphur crested cockatoo had stolen a bag of pegs from her clothes line. She was from further ‘down the hill’ at Glenbrook. Marney apologized if the pegs were littering someone’s backyard, and asked everyone to keep an eye out for the green bag, which featured flamingoes. I suspect it was similar to the one pictured below.

ANYONE SPOTTED A BAG LIKE THIS?
PEGS ARE ALWAYS AT RISK WHEN COCKYS ARE ABOUT

By co-incidence, our local satin bowerbird here at Blackheath had just added a handful of blue pegs to his treasures. We joked within the group that the cocky and the bowerbird were in cahoots. Cockatoos have no use for pegs of any colour so the crime was either sheer hooliganism or committed for profit.

ENHANCING ONE’S HOME!

The receiver of the stolen goods arranged them ever so carefully, in pride of place.

Blue pegs at a Satin Bowerbird's bower.
BLUE ON BLUE!

I think that completes my love nest ‘ , I heard him mutter. Must admit it did look almost perfect. He only took over this bower earlier in the year, and had to completely renovate it.

Admiring his bower with the new pegs arranged.
ADMIRING HIS BOWER FROM AFAR

Unfortunately, in the bowerbird world, eternal vigilance is required. Look, here comes a prospective thief, a stroppy young juvenile male. He probably has an apprentice bower nearby. Note the pale beak, a sign of approaching maturity. Who wants to go on lengthy treasure hunting patrols when you can simply raid another fellow’s bower?

An approaching peg thief.
ANY PEGS WORTH PINCHING?

The interloper was chased off in a flurry of feathers and admonishments. Mr Bowerbird then flew up to an overhanging branch and squawked a warning. Talk about fire in that gorgeous eye!

The evil eye burns brightly over the attempted peg theft.
NICK OFF!

It looks as if a couple of the new pegs have been liberated!

Keeping watch over those pegs!
BEST TO STAY CLOSE TO HOME FOR THE TIME BEING
AND ANOTHER ONE GONE!

The bird world is so fascinating. It’s a great privilege to be able capture these scenes with my little camera and to share some humour in these difficult days.

FOR THE STORY OF MR BOWERBIRD’S RENOVATION PROJECT, CLICK HERE

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