Something beautiful will come your way
Jul. 31st, 2005 05:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreWhite-browed Woodswallow was seen near Tagarana Bore today, among the huge flock of Masked Woodswallow that have been seen around there lately. Ricki said I better go and see if I could find it – it’s the last woodswallow I need. So I packed my lunch, grabbed a Red Eye and buggered off.
I didn’t see the target bird, but man, the plains and woodlands were gorgeous anyway. Miles of sweeping grassland traversed by cow paths and dust devils, and it’s natural grassland/floodplain, not a cleared forest. Bordered on one side by pindan scrub and on the other by open woodland – the epitome of northern Australiana. This is what I will miss when I return to Perth. The weather was nice and even in sandals I had no trouble dodging the cow pats in the dust and grass.
Sometimes young cows will stand their ground in front of the car pretending to be oh-so-tough, until the car gets close and they scamper off. Some even run towards the car afterwards as if they’re trying to save face. Most cows just run away at the sight of the Troopy. There are many calves about at the moment. One particularly cute one stood as high as it’s mother – when the mother was lying down.
Near the bore I saw a few honeyeaters, loads of friarbirds were calling, crested pigeons ran along the ground and alighted in dead trees with a flurry of squeaky wings. Somewhere a magpie carolled – a sound heard none too often up here, where the pied butcherbird takes the morning chorus stage instead. A little way away black-faced woodswallows and white-winged trillers capered about in the trees.
As I drove back onto the plains I saw them – the flock of hundreds of masked woodswallows, making their distinctive budgie calls. I stopped to look at them and grill for the white-browed, meanwhile getting one of the best looks at a Richard’s Pipit that I’ve had.
As I drove home along the salt marsh I saw a peregrine falcon lazily winging its way along – until it was harassed by a nankeen kestrel. A brown falcon then joined the fray. But it was getting late and my lunch break was well and truly over, so back to the Observatory I headed, feeling a little better about this place. Times like that are the reason I am here.
I didn’t see the target bird, but man, the plains and woodlands were gorgeous anyway. Miles of sweeping grassland traversed by cow paths and dust devils, and it’s natural grassland/floodplain, not a cleared forest. Bordered on one side by pindan scrub and on the other by open woodland – the epitome of northern Australiana. This is what I will miss when I return to Perth. The weather was nice and even in sandals I had no trouble dodging the cow pats in the dust and grass.
Sometimes young cows will stand their ground in front of the car pretending to be oh-so-tough, until the car gets close and they scamper off. Some even run towards the car afterwards as if they’re trying to save face. Most cows just run away at the sight of the Troopy. There are many calves about at the moment. One particularly cute one stood as high as it’s mother – when the mother was lying down.
Near the bore I saw a few honeyeaters, loads of friarbirds were calling, crested pigeons ran along the ground and alighted in dead trees with a flurry of squeaky wings. Somewhere a magpie carolled – a sound heard none too often up here, where the pied butcherbird takes the morning chorus stage instead. A little way away black-faced woodswallows and white-winged trillers capered about in the trees.
As I drove back onto the plains I saw them – the flock of hundreds of masked woodswallows, making their distinctive budgie calls. I stopped to look at them and grill for the white-browed, meanwhile getting one of the best looks at a Richard’s Pipit that I’ve had.
As I drove home along the salt marsh I saw a peregrine falcon lazily winging its way along – until it was harassed by a nankeen kestrel. A brown falcon then joined the fray. But it was getting late and my lunch break was well and truly over, so back to the Observatory I headed, feeling a little better about this place. Times like that are the reason I am here.
