Great Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

That was the name John Gould called the bird that most of us call simply "Sulphur-crested" and arguably, after the Kookaburra, the most widely known Australian bird. On my recent trip "In Search of Cattle Egrets", the most commonly seen bird was undoubtably these Cockatoos, and when you are looking for white birds in paddocks (egrets), they can make for a frustrating search! Gould mentions the farmers dislike of these birds (he's writing in the 1860s) and comments "it is consequently hunted and shot down wherever it is found, a circumstance which tends to lessen its numbers." One imagines it would!!
I found large flocks in the Broadmarsh and Meadowbank area, but the biggest flock appears to be in the Ouse area. I set off from Ouse on the Osterly Rd., looking for egrets, and shortly came across a large 'cloud' of Cockatoos rising above the trees and calling noisily. I assumed they had been disturbed by farming operations, but as I turned back towards Ouse, I saw the 'culprit'--a Wedgetailed Eagle, just close enough to photograph. All the Cockatoos stayed in the trees until the Eagle had disappeared into the distance. The flock here appears to number at least 800 birds, and the other 2 flocks mentioned,are in the 2-300 range. Coincidentally, I came across another Wedgie in the Meadowbank area, on the way back. Although I've watched many Wedgetails over the years, I still stop and watch these magnificent flyers whenever possible.