How to take a photo of a cockatoo

In Twenty Easy Steps....

1. Dart maniacally outside (in pj's) at 6am as you hear them fly over your house.
2. Calm down and listen quietly for the cracking sounds of seeds and nuts.
3. Hear cracking and stare at said tree they are in for ever.
4. Realise your views are completely blocked by too many branches.
5. Search the perimeter of the yard to find the best vantage spot (far back corner).
6. Stand on chair (no camera yet at this point!)
7. Not great but can see a head... run inside and grab camera (oldie as it was all set up)
8. Fire off a few shots... not high enough!
9. Traipse into shed and pull everything out in order to get to the step ladder trapped in the corner.
10. Position ladder and climb precariously to top rung (still in pj's).
11. Wave to startled neigbour that you can now see in their back corner two houses up whom you've never encountered before.
12. Proceed to shoot away despite stupid branches in front ruining your focus...
13. Decide to try new camera with big daddy lens - run inside, hoping they won't have flown away by the time you come back out.
14. Cockies still in tree. Try a few shots with heavy camera on top of step ladder.... nearly tip ladder on side and decide maybe not the best idea!
15. Decide to jump into empty neighbours yard for better vantage.
16. Head to the front yard where the fence is lower and starting to fall over.
17. Precariously straddle breaking wooden fence whilst trying to protect new camera, ignoring the stream of busy commuters driving straight past you in your pj's.
18. Get into neighbours yard and head to the backyard.
19. Try firing off a few shots with Big Daddy - can't get it to focus on bird and not branch!!! Arghhhh!
20. Cockatoos fly away a minute later....

Oh well! I still got a few ok ones on my old camera at least!
This is a Carnaby's White Tailed Black Cockatoo and they don't usually land in the trees in my yard (red tails usually) so you can see why I went to rather ridiculous lengths to photograph them!