This was one of those magical moments that happen when you walk in the Aussie bush. I was strolling along under the canopy of tall gum trees…

… when I heard a swooshing and clattering of wings. I looked up, just in time to receive a spattering of large droplets on my face.

Oops, I thought, some bird had a little accident.

But then it happened again. And I saw this face looking down from high in a leafy cluster:

Looking around, I saw four or five other birds – all Australian King Parrots.

(The birds were very high up indeed. My camera’s zoom has done a good job, though some of the images are a little fuzzy.)

They were swooping through the wet clusters of leaves at the top of the trees, then coming to rest for a good grooming session.

And I was lucky enough to share the resulting shower of droplets!

Here’s a female King Parrot. It’s interesting how short her tail is in comparison with the male birds. It’s perhaps a trick of perspective:

Common name: Australian King Parrot

Scientific name: Alisterus scapularis

Approximate length: 44 cm

Date spotted: 1 April 2018 (Autumn)

Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’51.3″S 151°14’52.3″E