Black Cockatoos calling the rain

A bit of heat and Manly Beach was packed with people. For most of the visitors, by now 6 - 8 million p.a. (pdf), it seemed unnoticed, that 3 giant Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus) were gliding through the arcade of Norfolk pines. Some of these ancient gigantic Pacific trees (Araucaria heterophylla ) can get up to 57 m tall. Although not endemic to Manly, they fringe the beach and provide a flightpath for the Black Cockatoos going north to the next headland. The tall trees and the giant birds both originated on the Gondwana supercontinent a long time a go. (pdf) The presence of these birds always brings the rain.
> Pines and Birds at Manly Beach

Pines and birds at Manly Beach

Manly Beach once had sand dunes and heath vegetation on it, but now it has rows of pines. These giant conifers (Araucaria) are living fossils originating from the Mesozoic (251 to 65 million years ago). The Norfolk Island Pine, (Araucaria heterophylla) endemic to that island has been planted along the beach promenade. For 40 years they appear symmetrical in form, then the 50-70m tall giants arrange their shape according to the environmental conditions. There are other tall gymnosperms growing throughout Manly, Bunya, Hoop, Kaurie and many more.

At dusk these 'trees of life' at the beach start to become alive with the screeching of the local Rainbow Lorikeets. The giant remaining figs sound with fig birds. Lorikeets fly in large swarms over Manly screeching as they go, which is unusual for bird swarms. Suburbia is still intent to feed these creatures to death. > Black Cockatoos calling the rain
The video captures some of the 'beach corridors', where Lorikeets, Wattlebirds, White Cockatoos can still mingle.
Thanks to DotAtelier for the video