S L O W W A L K . . .

*

Bird Walk...
But Slowly...

I think I have turned a corner -
I have progressed
from a Hobble
to a Waddle



I drove out of my driveway
in order to go
to the river foreshore
for a

v e r y

s l o w

w a d d l e


and saw at my neighbour's drive
a White Faced Heron,
sometimes called a Blue Crane

who was having
a spot of bother
with a group
of noisy Miners
who must have nests
in the fig tree above


The Heron
has pulled his head in
as the Miner swoops,

So he then decides
to stroll down
to my nature strip
for some peace and quiet

I park my car
at the flowering Jasmin hedge...

stopping for a moment
to admire it's star blooms

and the starburst flowers
of the Christmas Bush,
Pohutakawa,
adjacent

fireworks in nature

I cross the road
to the river side
and hear a flock
of cheering white cockatoos
flying overhead...

ohhhh too late....

but I catch the
tail end
of three flapping pelicans
heading out towards the bar

in this fig tree
there is a commotion -

what can you see
right in the centre
of the image?

I have learned
a new bird today
She is a Fig Bird
grey green in colour
black head,
and pale grey underparts
streaked with dark brown

She loves native figs
and mulberries

I waddle slowly
and enjoy the skies

until I come across
the Ibis family
foraging

and then
the Brahminy kite
glides over
the cotton wool sky

to the far reach of the river
where he has his nest

walk slowly now,
across the slipway
where the leisure fishermen
and holiday makers
launch their boats

and we'll find another ibis
this time a Straw Necked Ibis
see the scratchy looking feathers
on his neck

and some ever hopeful
silver gulls

waiting for
a generous
fisherman's return

along with a pelican

and another

and yet another
with the best possible
vantage point

Time now
to turn our backs
to the sun

And just before we leave
we have time to chat
with Willy Wagtail
who seems today
to be
very congenial
and loquacious...



Happy singing days...