Look what's sitting on our flag-pole
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
Rockingham, Australia
October 16, 2018 10:33pm CST
I just had a visit from Vince’s brother and his wife. As they were leaving, we noticed a kookaburra sitting on the top of our flag-pole.
Kookaburras are not native to Western Australia where we live but were brought here from the eastern states. They compete with our smaller native birds for food and nesting places. However they are quite attractive birds and one of their favourite foods is snake. They will kill it by bashing it against a rail or by flying high with it and letting it drop.
There are four species of kookaburras which are also sometimes called ‘laughing jackasses’ as their call sounds very like a rather maniacal laugh. They ‘laugh’ to lay claims to their territory.
Behind the flag-pole you can see the Music Shack where we hold several concerts each summer and to the right is our New Zealand Christmas tree which seems to be flowering rather early.
I should have added this link when I wrote the post but better late than never I guess. It's a kookaburra laughing.
Matilda the kookaburra shows off her talents in the education center of the San Diego Zoo. This amazing call is sometimes called a laugh (hence the name, Lau...
25 people like this
25 responses
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
It's a beautiful picture and what a way for the snake to die by dropping.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct 18
@louievill I don't think he would want to share his snake with anybody. 
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14788)
• Ireland
17 Oct 18
@pgntwo Christmas on a totally abandoned beach in Goa, 1978, no music, no nonsense till you dander into the village that has no electric or running water and there in the square is a big Indian Santa replete with white beard and black boots, ringing a bell and kids chasing after him. Paradise spoiled.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct 18
When I was a child the only Christmas cards you could buy had snowy scenes on them with holly and berries - and robins. Now we actually can buy cards that are a bit more authentically Australian. We had the full hot dinner too sometimes but eventually it gave way to a cold meal though not always.
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@AKRao24 (27422)
• India
17 Oct 18
Wow! That is a great picture you captured @JudyEv ! If I am not wrong Kookaburras they belong to Kingfisher family and are very active birds. As you mentioned they are also known as 'Laughing Kookaburras'. Really you are living at a place which is surrounded by the beauty of the nature! Nice to know about the Music Shack, which has given a guest appearance in the picture!
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@ilocosboy (45155)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
You really love animals and birds, you are well informed just like this kookaburra. Having them around means healthy and sound nature of our world.
2 people like this
@ilocosboy (45155)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
They are the best entertainment in the world.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
18 Oct 18
I thought Koobarra only "sits in the old gum tree" (lol)
We have birds doing that on our lightning pole In the image you see a kingfisher
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@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Nov 18
@JudyEv Good to see you
Yes. It is called a lightning arrester.
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@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Oct 18
Thanks for the YouTube link. That is definitely one interesting "laugh." It would drive me crazy to have to listen to that all day long!
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@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Nov 18
@JudyEv That's good to know. It would drive me crazy for sure. I mean, I'm already crazy, but it would make me even crazier! haha
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43573)
• Denver, Colorado
31 Oct 18
How cool! When I was in the Army, one of the questions that they would make us do pushups for answering wrong was "How many trucks are on base?" The answer is "one." We drive "vehicles." The "truck" is what is on top of the flagpole. That bird is the coolest "truck" I've seen!
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@teamfreak16 (43573)
• Denver, Colorado
1 Nov 18
@JudyEv - I think that it might just be a US Army thing. I'm not even sure about the other branches.
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@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Nov 18
Maybe he did. Did you learn the song too as a child?
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
26 Oct 18
Never heard of that bird before.. Very interesting how they hunt snakes and claim territory. Do they build their nests on objects like flagpoles? Our Ospreys here will do that. We have one who built a nest on top of a telephone pole. Here's a photo of an Osprey nest I saw in Florida.
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