The lunch buffet got heated when the Magpie-lark showed up uninvited.

The birds here seem to have their own social order—or lack thereof. A Rainbow Lorikeet claimed the center stage with its vivid plumage while a Helmeted Friarbird squawked indignantly over crumbs. Nearby, a Noisy Miner darted in for scraps like an opportunistic thief. And then there was the Magpie-lark—mid-flight and full of drama—its wings spread wide as though it were auditioning for an avian opera. The metal tray they squabbled over gleamed under the sun, as if mocking their antics. Behind them, the plants swayed gently in the breeze, indifferent to the chaos. It was a moment of pure theater played out against a backdrop of quiet greenery.