Brown Falcon revisited #02
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Tag Archives: bird watching
Australian Raven / Crow
I hear the rasping caw of the mortuary bird
alone at the top of a single skeletal tree
black feathered reaper scavenger and restorer
observer for signs of frailty failure and futility
calling to others announcing death as imminent
there at the carrion end of the cycle of life
crow presence at death's arrival is prescient
beak and claw ready to tear and cut like a knife
the murderous flock train beady eyes on their prey
awaiting the moment they can safely descend
they utter hexes for stillness at the meat of the day
aware their role is to share in marking the end
Spotted pardalote
This pardalote resides near the ground
a nest, burrow or embankment
"sleep dee dee" is its call
a sighting generates excitement
Photography days #27.
All work is my own and subject to copyright. I do not use AI. I do not want AI to use my work.
Spring beaks
chirping for attention
mouths always open
feeding is a frenzy
chicks ever hoping
Photography days #24.
All work is my own and subject to copyright. I do not use AI. I do not want AI to use my work.
Birds
Each bird to its own
the cockatoos wheeling and complaining about the violent hand claps that have warned them off the fruit
I swear they’ll go hungry or find someone else’s trees to plunder
the blackbird dashing here and there
tossing up mulch and leaf litter from the garden beds every which way
then singing for their supper
who could begrudge them with such sweet voice
the tiny silver eyes scouring the Japanese maples for tiny insects
darting from one bough to another twittering to each other as if conversation was never allowed a gap
the wild ducks patrolling the grass
mama papa and nine waddling ducklings
who alternate between a confident swagger and animated scurry to parental shelter when too far astray
the chiming grey shrike thrushes sending their musical calls to each other
gladdening the hearts of everyone in acoustic range
adding their friendly company to garden diggers and verandah sitters with books in hand
the magpie family units patrolling the grounds for prey
maturing juveniles wrestling on granite pavements practicing nesting with twigs and twine stolen from the vege patch
constantly whining and dining at mums beak
the multi coloured rosellas in flocks of crimson, green and metal blue
nipping seed heads from the grass flashing colour into the sky
making the landscape a vivid tapestry
bell chiming to each other from tree to tree
the twitching turning ever restless honeyeaters constantly on the wing
eastern spine bills diving into blossoms with curved needle beaks
new hollands darting and diving with gusto at every intruder
wattle birds holding all at bay or aggressively chasing them away
the hopping bower birds establishing their flock
with growing numbers and inquisitiveness staking their ground
atop water bowls and into every ripening fruit they can steal their strong stubby beaks ready to stab and peel
the soaring raptors spiralling aloft on the wind
keen eyes of the hunter for anything that moves
diving like a deadly missile from heaven above
to capture a rodent, a rabbit or unaware dove
Poetry days #09.
All work is my own and subject to copyright. I do not use AI. I do not want AI to use my work.
The Lunette walk, Winton Wetlands
This is the second last of the ten walks to be mapped and published by me from Winton Wetlands. It has taken a while to get to, but it was worth the wait: Lunette walk
You can find the other Winton Wetlands walks I have published to date here: https://wintonwetlands.org.au/walking/
‘Twas
It was only one bird, I saw was missing from the sky.
And then I realised there was another missing that I could not deny.
Then,the flocks and gatherings I saw were missing from the coast.
Where had all the birds gone? That flight, that wing, that multitudinous host?
I saw the water washing clear upon the beaches of rock and sand.
I saw the water empty there, devoid of life it flushed the sparking strand.
There was one ragged crab as dead could be, it was wedged in a scaly crust.
Where once there were shellfish diverse and plentiful, now all were ground to dust.
Summer people walked and played in the waves, they paddled close to shore.
Unaware of the teeming life, that was there no more.
Where the water touched the land, the interface was sterile,
But one could still splash and be cool, with no inkling it was puerile.
Eastern Yellow Robin
Fooled
I saw a creature in long shaded grass
Apparently brown and moving fast
It turned and twisted while trying to pass
Through slender grain of yellow cast
I looked some time at its bobbing head
At its swinging tail strange pointed red
The smooth curved back came round again
Fluidly rodent it looked up at me then
To my surprise it turned out to be
Not a snake or rodent looking at me
But of avian descent with full head to see
A juvenile rosella stared knowingly
Who’d have thought such bright disguise
Could cloud the vision of observer eyes
On the ground coloured plumage denied
Flashy brilliance so vivid in the sky
Port Campbell Discovery Walk
Here is a link to the latest walk I have published on VictoriaWalks walkingmaps https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5483
Australian Pipit
A common Australian terrestrial bird that spends most of its time on the ground for foraging and breeding. Prefers semi to open habitats. I often see them on rural tracks running the wheel ruts.
Falling birds
All those birds falling from the sky Some birds live More birds die So consider Why oh why? We poison food chains and nature deny We pave We divert We scrape the sky We take too much don’t comply heat the planet watch it dry Then only crocodile tears do we cry As our legacy becomes the worlds biggest lie That we care action says we deny
The Reed Warbler
That clamorous reed warbler
With the protracted breeding song
Passages of enamouring power
Designed to bring along
A partner for the season
With whom to court and spark
To share nesting in long reeds
At the edges of the lake
I do not know the words
Of this loud and spirited song
Launched from this small bird’s throat
Into the gathered avian throng
In the early morning,
at the end of each long day
Persistent and single minded
Seeking a mate to hold in sway
But the message is clear and proud
I am the one for you
Come to me my darling
Let’s see what two can do
Superb Blue Wren
Reedy Lake
Trail Checklist
Name:
Reedy Lake Wildlife Reserve, Kirwan’s Bridge
- At present Reedy Lake is empty of water.
Responsible Authority:
- Parks Vic
Community
- None known
Acceptable modes of transit:
- Walk, cycle, horse, mountain bike, dirt bike, 4WD
Distance & duration
- 4km wide Reedy Lake Rd has four approx. 1-2km access tracks into the lake
GPS coordinates & map
36°43’31.4″S 145°07’13.8″E
-36.725397, 145.120493
Grading (using the Parks Vic Track and Trail Grading Manual):
No common walking trails were found. The tracks to and around the lake are 4WD and dirt bike, heavily rutted and boggy when wet. Many peripheral tracks are being created. Controlled access along engineered dirt roads would improve this situation.
Amenities:
- Camping
- 4WD
- Dirt bikes
- Horses
- Water activities when water is present
- Highly significant Aboriginal cultural place
- Significant birdwatching site
- Diverse ecological vegetation classes within Reserve (flora)
Hazards
Snakes, tree and limb falls, slippery surfaces, getting bogged, dumped rubbish, uncontrolled camping, uncontrolled tracks and trails
Restrictions
- Take your rubbish with you
- No potable water
- No toilets
Trailhead sign & Informational Signs
- Only a one board naming sign seen
Directional signs / bollards or trail markers
- None
Brochure
- None
Conclusion
At the present time, this location appears to be dominated by 4WD and dirt bikes. Tracks were impassable by other means. Dry weather would change this. No established trails for non-mechanised use were evident. Litter and dumping of rubbish was evident. Reports mention an uncontrolled camping site. This was not seen. One concrete grated wood bbq was found near one entry point. However, it did not appear to have been used and evidence of other open fires nearby suggested camping occurs in this location at random. Reedy Lake can be enjoyed by a diverse range of recreational users, particularly when water is present in the lake. However, it is also subject to abuse. Ideally, this would be corrected by planning for improvements in multi-purpose access and oversight by Parks Vic.
Encounter with a Brown Falcon
Gallery
Winter forager
Image
Photographed at the edge of the Tableland in a stand of flowering manna gums, this acrobatic female white-naped honeyeater was one of dozens foraging for nectar. Nowhere near as colouful as her male counterpart, she was just as noisy with her husky throated sqwawk and musical whistle. When her beak wasn’t deeply inserted into one of the thousands of bright yellow sprays of bloom it was furtively seeking insects.
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