16th August - the unpredictability of wildlife - currawongs - hornbills

Sunday 16^th August 2015

Katy’s and Jeff’s house, on the side of Mt Wellington, is surrounded by a flock of very cheeky teenage currawongs.  They fly around in a pack, zooming much too close…

They are very keen to walk right into the house, to wreak havoc on the furniture and the floor.

I do love these big black birds.  But sometimes it feels like being on the set of a horror movie – those big sharp beaks!!

The big black hornbills in Papua are fabulous too.  We felt like absolute Attenborough-style bird experts, because every time we went into our favourite bay on Batanta Island, we could guarantee a flypast, at sunset, of hundreds of these fabulous birds. 

Fabulous flypast

Until…the last time we went there, for two nights – there weren’t any.  Maybe one, or two, but not hundreds.  It made us realise how very stressful it much be, running Attenborough-style nature tours.  You just can’t guarantee the presence of wildlife; wildlife is random, and WILD!

Hmmm….

Today’s birthday – Fleur Harmsen!