It's a fruitful life, this birding caper. With lovely, big, juicy mangos (my preferred spelling) thrown in. Among Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park's plantings are several big old mango trees, and one smaller one offering much tastier fruit. Fight off the green ants and start licking your lips. Want some? Too bad. All gone. Conservation volunteers deserve a wee perk now and then for their efforts. So, of course, do birders. And Brush-turkeys.
Fruitful, too, some sightings. My three Spotted Whistling Ducks now into third week at the borrow pits in Town Common Cons. Pk, Townsville. Twice lately they've come feeding close, slurping across the surface of the water lily leaves with rapidly vibrating bills. Now and then one will dive from view to feed off the lily stems. It seem possible they may stay until the Wet arrives. No sign of that yet.
Elsewhere in the Common, two Barking Owls had their peaceful, hidden day roosting shattered by three enraged Great Bowerbirds. But the relentless barrage of bird abuse, including mimicked Whistling Kite fury, didn't move the owls. Owls moved to more open possie overnight and put up with my intrusion as stolidly as they'd outlasted verbals the day before.
And, finally, how guilty a pleasure it can feel, that so much natural wonder is mine at a time so much natural disaster is befalling Australia, the people, property, wildlife and bush. What to say? Life goes on . . . From the ashes . . . Count our blessings . . . For now, I'm lost for words.
