The blushing bush

Crowding the edge of the track they flow back into the bush enjoying the respite from drought and fire and exhausting heat. Swaying their blooms in the breeze they clamour that size doesn’t matter being more beautiful than petunia or poppy or exotic polyanthus. Squawking galahs paint the air with garish pink and grey heralding the carpet of boronia and grevillea and spider orchid Which sneak through the leaf litter growing in the crushed sandstone the core debris of the bush humming as the colours sworl the canvas.

Silent rituals of the bush

Gum-trees Stripping Say the need's born within the tree, And waits a trigger set for light; say sap is tidal like the sea, and rises with the solstice-heat - but wisdom shells the words away to watch this fountain slowed in air where sun joins earth - to watch the place at which these silent rituals are. Words are not meanings for a tree. So it is truer not to say, 'These rags look like humility, or this year's wreck of last year's love, or wounds ripped by the summer's claw.' If it is possible to be wise here, wisdom lies outside the word in the earlier answer of the eyes. Wisdom can see the red, the rose, The stained and sculptured curve of grey, the charcoal scars of fire, and see around that living tower of tree the hermit tatters of old bark split down and strip to end the season; and can be quiet and not look for reason past the edge of reason. Judith Wright

Birders - a breed apart

Generalising, birders are frequently aged geeks! I am proud to be part of their rank!

Today I took the Follow that Bird bus with ten other birders, and together with our guides, Janene and Edwin, drove up to Howes Swamp in the Yengo National Park off the Putty Road near the Colo River. In total we saw 73 species, hearing another 19 species. We also saw a Black Wallaby, a Lace Monitor, a European Fox, and numerous butterflies.

Needless to say, I did not see this many species. I am a rank amateur, but will work on my skills until I can see when the bleeding obvious is pointed out to me.

My next birding excursion will be to Lord Howe Island at the end of February. In the meantime, I will practice my skills with some early morning outings in Centennial Park over the summer. I also am desperate to get myself one of those binocular halters, and one of those birding vests. Green with envy I am!