Cheeky cockatoo checks out the QM2.

Yesterday I was up before dawn to photograph the Queen Mary 2 on her final visit to Sydney for the year. She always draws crowds of ship watchers like myself but this time I had an unexpected friend for part of the journey – a very curious and cheeky cockatoo.

The Sulphur-crested cockatoo is famously known for their bright yellow crest on the top of their head. They are described as being extremely intelligent and can be taught to talk. They’re also cheeky and can live longer than 70 years and their squawk is a routine sound across the city.

As I was busy photographing the Queen Mary 2 at Circular Quay I was joined by one of the very curious cockatoos which decided to photobomb my shoot. Its certainly wasn’t shy – as you can see in the photos below.

It sat on the rail and happily let me snap a few shots before making a grand and colourful getaway. It was one of those ‘Only in Australia’ moments and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Enjoy the photos.