A New Bird

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A new bird
in my courtyard...



I went outside
to investigate
the source of
a loud and long conversation
that had been rolling along
for well over an hour-



that's the time
I had been sitting
replying to your
wonderful comments



- an hour of rest
after a 6am Farmers' Market start
followed by the first
stand up paddle
in quite a number of months
since the advent of the cooler weather
and the ankle gremlins...



Armed with my new mate, Canon
I battle through the hazards
of Daughter # 2's room
and emerge unscathed on the deck
on the street side
of our home
in a small courtyard
edged with palms, lilly pillies
and a frangipani tree
under which Kealia,
the border collie
lies at eternal rest



In the centre of the courtyard
is a large trampoline
that Daughter mentioned above
will not yet part with
as it holds too many
happy gymnastics memories



And so I search the lilly pilly
from where the harsh cook-cok-cork
is floating
and barefooted and fat ankled
I hobble over stones
trying to discover the pair

Here he is
the Brush Wattlebird
a dull brown bird with fine white streaking
and white tipped tail
who can have pugnacious body postures
and bill rattles
but otherwise is quite undistinguished,
but boy can he sing
often harsh and repetitive notes
and just when you are heartily sick of him
he lets out a beautiful trill
and you forgive him
his raucous cook-cok-cork

and now I look for his mate
grappling my way
between the trampoline
and the tree's low hanging branches
tilting my head back at 45 *
until my neck objects,
looking for this bird...



But then I see a shape,
a large soft grey shape
too large
too quiet
too still
to be the Wattlebird's mate

I move again
and sense someone looking at me
our eyes lock -
well my two with one of his
ringed in brilliant yellow



He is soft and downy
with a long tail
and I think he clutches
something rodent sized
in his claws
There appears to be
a dangling furry shape
hanging below the branch
on which he perches

Wikipedia

Excitedly I return to my study
pull out my bird book
to no avail
but then at the rear of the book
on a page headed 'sometimes seen'
I see the Nankeen Kestrel
Yes that's him




I've seen a new bird today
and in my tree
in my courtyard




Oh Happy days




And it makes me wonder
at the myriad of other things
that are present out there
in my environment
that I have not seen
or been witness to...




But I am keeping
my eyes wide open...






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