Beaky birds a hit with Katanning kids

Katanning children got the chance to learn about a variety of birds and their beaks thanks to the Katanning Eco Centre’s Beaky Birds session last Thursday.

Allan and Laura Lawrence bought in Vivi the macaw, Mage the corella and Rori the female red-tail black cockatoo for a visit, giving children the opportunity to not only learn about the unique birds but also to make some new friends.

“The kids learnt about beaks, different styles and lengths, what they’re used for,” Eco education officer Michelle Berrigan said.

“It’s something fun and interactive for the kids. The kids like to think it through, and take some of that information home.

“They like the birds and they like the beaks.”

Last week the Eco Centre hosted a Critter Crawl session, which enabled children to get up close with a carpet python, a bobtail lizard and a skink.

“We taught them a bit about snake safety — if a bobtail latches onto your finger, if you put it on the ground, it will let go,” Mrs Berrigan said.

“They get that information and they get to touch and feel, so it’s not an overload.”

The next children’s eco activity will be oblong, long-necked turtle spotting on Friday at the Eco Centre from 4.30 to 5.30pm.

“We’ll be having a walk along the creek line to see how many turtles we can spot,” Mrs Berrigan said.

Turtle numbers in the Katanning region are reported to be good, notably in the area of Piesse Park, which has seen an increase in numbers of native animals of all sorts thanks to the regenerative work undertaken by volunteers.

“Down here they’re holding steady ... in the metro city area, not so much,” Mrs Berrigan said.

“We have quite good breeding numbers.”