Most people who escape to the wild hail from urban settings, eluding traffic jams, office jobs and all trivial temptations generally on offer in a city. I’m afraid we have done it the other way around, as last January we moved ‘downhill’ into the Perth Metropolitan area. Although still relatively close to the immense natural beauty this vast state has to offer, the constant immersion in Australian bush and wildlife has ended now we swapped our beloved ‘Tree Hut’ for an ordinary suburban dwelling. No more morning or evening walks in the adjacent National Park, or regular visits from residential King Skinks or Brush-Tail Possums, but leisurely strolls in nearby Kings Park or along the foreshore of the Swan estuary – still pleasant, yet a vague reminder of the ‘true’ nature that once surrounded us.
As a result I now feel as a visitor to the places that once felt as a part of me. Nevertheless, my everyday surroundings might have changed, the wildlife that used to be so nearby is still there! And how good did it feel when I ran into a family of Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) when visiting Beelu National Park a week ago. The harsh nasal wheezing of those magnificent birds wasn’t hard to miss while they were feeding on the nuts of a Sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana) tree, but to get a shot of this female’s fancy red feathers spread in full glory costed me a few hours.
i AM Safari 
Nice post and photos!
Thanks you so much Belinda, and great having you over at iAMsafari!
Enjoy your new life in Perth!
Thank you Nataly!
Must have been such a shock to your systems, Maurice! I’m glad to know that you still get glimpses of your forest family every now and then.
It is Dries, but it was an experience not to be missed. Good part is that ‘true’ nature is around half an hour driving from where we live now – it’s all relative.
Terrific shot of the beautiful tail, it’s only Yellow-tailed Blacks we get around Adelaide but I’m always happy when I see them.
Thanks! Yes, very happy with that shot, but agree that whatever the color, seeing those birds always makes me happy and excited – the most important thing isn’t it?
Great pictures! It is certainly not easy to photograph Cockatoo. I have never seem them live. Thanks! bilere
Thanks you Bilere! The only problem really is that to get a good shot you need to peek through a long and heavy lens for a long time, as these birds mostly perch on the high branches of tall trees. Good fitness exercise 😀