Gratitude challenge day three of five I wrote yesterday about being grateful for where I was born and where I live now. This is one other reason - I love being around birds. Every morning when I walk or jog in south east Queensland, I have some colourful and loud company. Most often I will see Rainbow Lorikeets, incredibly brightly coloured small parrots with cheeky habits fueled by their food source, nectar from flowering trees (which sometimes ferments in hot weather). Additionally in the green and welcoming suburbs of Brisbane and the Gold Coast Ill see sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Galahs, Rosellas, King Parrots, Sparrows, Mynahs, Dollar Birds, Pigeons, Magpies, Crows, Currawongs, Scrub Turkeys and (of course) Ibis, who I have a soft spot for. One time on the Atherton Tableland (far north Queensland) I saw a large flock of Cockatoos grazing a newly tilled field together. The rich volcanic soil up there is a vividly dark red colour. Anything white - shoes, fence palings, walls that are close to ground level - inevitably takes on a rusty red-brown colour from the iron and other minerals in the soil staining them. Yet the Cockatoos in this field stayed immaculately white. How did they achieve this? I wondered about this for some time. A knowledgeable friend explained to me the birds remain so pristine due to the oil content in their feathers, which repels dust. Another memorable bird encounter was jogging up Mount Cootha one morning after a storm with Cats Miaow . A cockatoo had been swept off a branch in the storm and lay dead on a median strip in the road, sprawled out in an undignified way. The recently departed cocky had dozens of mates perched in trees either side of the road - they took turns swooping down to it, screeching to it to wake up. I acknowledge that I am very lucky to live where I do and have encounters with wild birds like this almost every day. Some of these birds are exotic breeds which, when domesticated and sold overseas, sell for hundreds of dollars. I enjoy their presence for no charge. In the photos that go with this post are details from work by the poet and painter Edwin Wilson of Mullumbimby, New South Wales. On display in the Tweed Regional Gallery.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 21:35:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015