As we adjust to our ”new normal”, Paul and I decided to make sure we went for a long walk every day, to help us keep fit, and sleep well.
Fortunately, Canberra has been designed to have corridors of bushland between suburbs, and there are many fire trails (backtracks) that skirt around suburbs.
Life in the bush is thriving again since the recent rain, and to our delight, we saw quite a few birds as we walked.
I noticed a splash of colour and saw two baby Rainbow Lorikeets preening themselves in the hollow of a gnarled old Eucalyptus tree.
and this endearing little Galah also resting and nesting in the same tree……all unhurried and blissfully unaware of world events around them..
The Brindabella Mountains are recovering from the dreadful summer fires and now there are only clouds overhead, rather than smoke rising from them.
In the distance we could see Sulphur Crested Cockatoos swirling and swooping through the suburbs like shining white kites. (unfortunately hard to capture without a good lens on the camera)
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos are not very common in Canberra, but since the fires, many of these parrots have come to Canberra for the water and vegetation.
They are the smallest bird in the Cockatoo family, and make a sound like a creaking door. They mate for life, and live in family groups, and they are very low-key compared with their cousins, the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.
My mother used to say the black cockatoos bring the rain……we would welcome the rain and the cockatoos any day.
On the way back home we saw a group of Magpies; very familar to all Canberrans.
They stood together, warbling softly to each other..indignation written all over those intense stares…
There is certainly something going on here…
The problem is the Magpie in the nearby tree. She has long white markings on her back.
This Magpie is a ”ring-in” …… an outsider. Her striking white markings suggest she is a coastal Magpie… and not from this area.
This Magpie comes from the State of New South Wales, not our state, known as the Australian Capital Territory.
She hasn’t heard the news…the borders are closed!
Never mind, the Canberra Magpies border patrol are on to it!
We left them to it , and I hope all went well.
A day in the sunshine, walking and looking at the birds, cheered us up immensely.
Less news and more walking is our plan!
Hard not to smile at these two …absolutely no social distancing going on in the koala world. (photo from Pinterest)
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and may you enjoy at least a little of each day in these unpredictable times !
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