At the risk of starting a social-media-stampede, the past couple of weeks we’ve been waiting and watching to see if some Blue-winged Parrots would make the trek across from Tasmania to winter over among the saltbush marshes along Port Phillip Bay.
Nothing is prefect in the prediction of their arrival, or indeed where they might show up. But we do have a secret weapon: the dogged determination and persistence of EE when it comes to scanning through miles of seemingly endless grasslands.
Now the Blue-winged might not have quite the mystic of their Orange-bellied relatives, but given there are a few more of them in play the odds do increase a little.
However.
Our old nemesis the weather has contributed more than its fair share of cold, blowy, overcast days, and even finding them, the photo opportunities are slim. The little parrots are also quite ready to fly at an instant, so close approaches are hardly the order of the day.
We picked up a small flock, about 6-7 recently on the outskirts of a salty lake with some reasonable stands of gums among the saltbush flats.
Several days of very ordinary weather added to the difficulty, but at least they seemed more than just passing migrants and we located them a few times from recent trips.
The precious little birds gave us some good views and the opportunity to enjoy their company. As an aside, I once used “precious” in an article and was berated by the editor as I was putting value on some inanimate object. 😦
These days it seems copywriters have scraped the bottom of the adjective barrel as everything from icecream to sporting events or foodaramas are described as —blockbuster, awesome, mega**, sensational, crazy, off-the-chart, sustained performance— blah, blah, blah.
Here then is a handful to introduce the birds
Enjoy
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 