Sometimes “Things” Are Not Just Things

In December of 2015, in the fourth month of the birding and travel that became my book The Year, I was collecting a prescription filled at the Torquay Pharmacy. The pharmacy also sells furniture, clothing and any number of things utterly unrelated to pharmaceuticals. It is not unlike an Australian Post Office where you can buy almost anything… “Hey, no need to go to the hardware store, I’ll pick up a chainsaw down at the Post Office.” Well, almost.

Anyway, I noticed a plain grey hat that I kind of liked and I tried it on. It looked okay and it had a chinstrap. Those are handy for me since hats blow off my head easily… pointed head maybe? As I was fixing to purchase it the nice pharmacy lady mentioned that it was on sale. How much? Five dollars! So I bought two and tucked one away.

I love that hat. I have worn it all the way around the continent of Australia. I just checked my list and I have seen 157 Life Birds whilst wearing that hat. I would never throw that hat away. Never in life. It has been a part of me and my journey. However, I am wearing the back-up hat for now. The drawstring chinstrap on my old hat has broken three times. It has deteriorated and it will be replaced. Yes, I do feel an attachment for some “things” with which I have deep connections. That hat represents so much more than just an old, worn hat.

The most astounding thing is what the Aussie sun has done to the colour. Both hats started out the same dark grey as the one on the right. Seriously, that is what the sun down here can do. Our black Webber grill cover is also now a light (and I do mean light) grey.

Yes I anthropomorphise objects. For me, some things have feelings. I know how I feel about my Troopi and I do believe that in her way, it is reciprocated. Troopi has a feminine presence with a great deal of strength, power and courage. I love her. I love my hat. Yes, I love some things.

Here is an assortment of photos from the last few days. I may post this as a blog and or a Facebook post. There are several blog entries rumbling about in my head and this was part of one. I have posted this as a short blog entry. Anyway, here are some photos from my walks in the Western Treatment Plant. The WTP, or as some of us call it, the Poo Farm.
       

     

I write therefore I am. I share therefore it’s real. I love because I need to.

Glenrowan Caravan Park and Back Again

On 3 April 2019, Josh invited me along on a short Uni biology field trip near Bacchus Marsh. It was just a few kilometres hiking through Long Forest Reserve, but hills were involved and I truly realised that my lack of fitness was impacting my quality of life. I decided I needed to get myself moving. Full stop, (no pun intended).

The next day I drove ten minutes from home to the You Yangs and did an hour or so walking (maybe 4-5 kilometres) whilst casually birding. Since then I have gone on some sort of birding walk every day. That is eleven days in a row now. I will regain some of the endurance that I took so much for granted only a couple of years ago. I will indeed.

This past Wednesday morning my buddy James and I did a mini trip of about 3 hours up to Glenrowan Caravan Park. I first stayed there in November 2017. I have stayed there 7 or 8 times since. It is the best place in Victoria to see Turquoise Parrots (my opinion of course). I have easily seen them every time I have been there and this was no exception. James and I rocked up about 2:30pm and were gazing on about a score of these gorgeous little parrots feeding in the grass within minutes of our arrival.
         

                                   

Whilst standing there taking too many photos of the parrots, our friend and fellow birder, Adam Fry walked up behind us! He was staying in a cabin with his kids. While he stood chatting with us and new friend (and quite brilliant photographer) Patrick Tomkins, Adam noticed a Speckled Warbler near the parrots. I love this place.

James and I decided to take a walk. I needed to get my body moving. We headed down the long driveway and then over to Orchard Drive, the next road down from the caravan park. We had heard that Double-barred Finches were sometimes seen there. They are even sometimes seen in the caravan park as well. We did find a pair. James’ hearing is amazing. He heard them first and then we saw them. He also heard skinks in the grasses by the path on the way over. He can hear lizards! Well, he hears them moving through the grass, but it is amazing since we were crunching along on a gravel path. James is not only a most excellent travelling companion; he is also my ears (and sometimes my eyes). My hearing continues to decline and I will have to get amplification before long. I was diagnosed with severe hearing loss in my right ear and moderate in my left. Huh? What?

A lovely pair of finches landed on the grass beside the road and we took some photos and marvelled at seeing them. Glenrowan is the furthest south in Australia that these birds are seen. I had only previously beheld them in Queensland. We watched them for a bit and walked back to our cabin. We had been given the one with the birdbath/fountain in front. It was a very nice, very comfortable cabin at the low price of $80 per night for two people! I had driven the Prius up. That works out to be less expensive than buying diesel for Troopi and camping. I will stay in that cabin again. 

After an uneventful bit of spotlighting (not even a Brush-tailed Possum) we went to bed. I was up coffeeing in the dark and watched the beautiful sunrise over the front paddock. My God that is living life. Going from dark to the shining glow spreading across the eastern horizon and then blossoming into the full-blown glory of sunrise. Nothing is more beautiful than a sunrise. It fills my heart.
   

As the light and warmth increased (it was a chilly one degree centigrade earlier) birds began to come into the birdbath. We had House Sparrows first and then came King Parrots! And then we had perhaps a dozen of the Turquoise Parrots. After the King Parrots, they looked tiny! (See James photo of one beside a Common Blackbird!). Eventually a female Gang Gang Cockatoo landed atop the water-feature. We were sitting comfortably at the cabin window about 5 metres from the fountain. I had never really looked closely at a female Gang Gang. She was so beautiful. It was a wonderful few hours of birdbath watching! Then we walked over to have a look for the Double-barred Finches again.
        

The finches were not around but on the way back down the gravel path, James heard the skinks again. This time he spotted one. It was the species he was hoping for, a Southern Rainbow Skink. I grabbed a very poor shot (but you can sort of see the rainbow colours on its sides) as it went into the grass. Then we both had good looks as it sat motionless with its head out for a while. Then in an instant, it was gone. Whilst we were walking back down the park entrance we saw a ‘baby’ Southern Rainbow Skink as well.
   

       

We decided to ride back over to Orchard Drive and have a look further down the road. We were rewarded with at least 8 Double-barred Finches near the orchard. We also had another lovely Speckled Warbler and a few other birds, but it was time to head back south.

     

It had been a wonderful morning, but the day was not over. We drove back to Lara where I grabbed a short nap. After supper, darkness had descended and we hopped into Troopi and drove over to 29 Mile Road to check on the Barn Owls (her front flood lights work like spotlighting). Just before 29 Mile Rd. while still on Beach Road, a Barn Owl flushed from the grass on the shoulder. As it disappeared over the paddocks, we turned right and drove down 29 Mile Road. Over the next hour, we saw either two more or three more (hard to tell, we may have seen one twice). We had delightful views of what is to me, one of the most beautiful, magical looking birds in the world. They fill my heart like a night-time sunrise.
                     

     

The next morning we took a walk through Serendip Sanctuary and I will save that for a Facebook post in a few days. This has gotten rather long. I am doing sort of a Lifer Day, maybe it's for my lifer Southern Rainbow Skink. I am enjoying too many pistachios and an NA beer while I write. I enjoy doing that sitting here at my old ship’s desk in my study with the huge map of Australia right in front of me. It gives me hope. It does give me hope.

I write therefore I am. I share therefore it’s real. I love because I would not be genuine if I didn't.

And please don't forget I wrote a book. Just click here.