A Feathered Friend
May 3, 2012 § 18 Comments
There’s a new resident in our neighbourhood whom we have named “Kakatua”. We would never have spotted our new neighbour if Lil’ Miss Maple and I had not been out on the veranda one lazy afternoon.
As usual, Miss Maple positioned herself on the lounge chair for a nap. I, too, was about to fall into a slumber when, suddenly, a frightening noise sliced through the still air: “BRAAAAAAAK, BRAAAAAAAK. BRAAAAAAAK, BRAAAAAAAK.”
I stumbled onto my feet and blinked my eyes once, twice, thrice to shake them out of their semiconscious state. The leaves on the tree were rustling in a puzzling manner. Looking up, I spotted a… could it be? Cockatoo!
Wild cockatoos are native to this region of the world. In fact, the word cockatoo is derived from the Malay word ‘kakatua’ which is used to describe this particular avian species. Cockatoos, however, are quite a rare sight in urban Singapore. I’ve been lucky enough to spot a few, although always from a distance, when these gorgeous birds are in flight. On this day, however, we were within pretty close range. Kakatua’s arrival to our abode was certainly a welcomed sight.
It was amusing to watch Kakatua enjoy an afternoon snack from this fruit tree. And look at the balancing act—perched on a branch with one claw while the other maneuvered the fruit between the beak. Now that’s talent!
After the feast, Kakatua bade us farewell. I wonder where’s the next destination for our feathered friend. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we meet again. Miss Maple, who was perhaps a little jealous that Kakatua was receiving so much of my undivided attention, did not even stir to wish Kakatua a good flight.
All it took was just a bit of coaxing (and a belly rub) on my part to make amends with the furball. And, perhaps if Kakatua were to bring a tasty house gift on the next visit, Miss Maple may have a change of heart.