Last week, as the dregs of a cyclone didn't deliver much weather, apart from a cooling and welcome light drizzle, we headed south.
Before leaving I did my usual early morning rounds, checking on the state of affairs. The tawny frog mouths had been amongst the missing for two days, but as they have another place that I am unaware of, I hadn't taken much notice. There they were, in the old gum tree that is slowly disinterating through age and strong winds that whistle through its boughs shaking old branches within an inch of their life. But ... only two birds!
Where was Bambino?
It took half a moment for the realisation to sink in. Bambino had matured. He was now an adult. Once that status is reached the parents take the young to another place to make their own place in the world. Goodbye Bambino! I feel certain that should I happen upon him at some time in the future he will recognise me and peer forwards almost to the state of over-balancing in his curiousity.
Gear was packed into the land cruiser and before 8.00am we were on the road; a four hour trip south to the city for a two week sojourn. Our area, apart from a fizzer of a cyclone, had bush fires, though thankfully not close to home. The roads had been closed for four days, which must have been a real nuisance for travellers who had to make a 70km detour on their usual journey.
Soon we were driving through the burned area ... devastation on a grand scale. I took a photo out the window as we drove along ... and captured the essence of a bush fire.
Nice to know your owl family is keeping the species off the endangered list :). Hope Bambino finds itself a mate and a suitable territory.
ReplyDeleteMy parents have had a pair of butcher birds, a widowed magpie and a pair of kookaburras resident for years. They hang around waiting for handouts but go off foraging through the day and when my parents are away.
"Maggie" hops through the open screen door into the kitchen in the morning if they are too slow with breakfast and peers at them from one eye then the other while the butcher bird family (parents, current babies and the 'teenagers') line up on the verandah rail and squwark and the kookas sit in the nearby tree watching and waiting.
It's a bit of a circus there somedays and just as entertaining!
Cheers,
Robyn