cockatoo | jmgoyder

Wrong way. Go back.

by jmgoyder

In Western Australia we have big signs wherever roadworks are being done in case people go the wrong way. This can be useful, but it can also be a bit confusing.

It’s a little bit like that with blogging because you get really curious to go down a certain blog path, you like what you are reading/seeing, but you are also uncertain of where exactly you are and sometimes the historical context of where you are, in that person’s blog, takes quite a bit of time, quite a bit of deciphering.

With my own blog, Wings and things, it’s obviously the same experience for new readers or followers because, of course, the latest post is always the most recent and, unless people have time to go back, they might not ‘get it’ that there are two different-but-same stories running parallel. The Love story is about the past but everything else is about the present.

As many of you already know, my husband has chronic Parkinson’s disease and terminal prostate cancer and is now in a nursing lodge close by. Our 18-year-old son recently had major spinal surgery. And me – I love birds!

I can’t keep up with the many blogs I am interested in, no matter how hard I try, but one thing I like to do is to go back and read the very beginnings of those blogs which is what I hope people will do with mine. It’s not that there is a wrong or a right way necessarily, but going back can be fantastic!

Oh yeah, and if you go back, you will find that I don’t usually do 4 posts in the day. I cheated today with the pics – hehe!

blogging Family Friendship LOVE STORY Wings

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Pink and grey galahs

by jmgoyder

A few posts ago I mentioned there were more wild birds here than ever before. Apart from the fact that there is birdseed and wheat grain everywhere, I think this is mainly to do with the fact that birds attract birds! Two of our white peacocks made friends with some of them.

Here are some pictures to prove that, yes, we now have at least two (maybe six) pink and grey galahs. For those of you who are either birders or photographers, I can’t lay claim to either of these titles yet. In other words, the photos of the beautiful birds are really crappy! You will need your binoculars for the second one!

Wings

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The birds who love to be photographed

by jmgoyder

Okay so the camera has been found, its battery charged and Son just helped me put both together with a muttered, “You have evolved from a caveman into a caveman.” I didn’t think that was very kind and, when he took the battery out of the camera and told me to try again all by myself, (looking at me as if he were a headmaster in a Harry Potter movie) I did it all correctly and he gave me a gold star kiss on my nervously perspiring forehead. “There is hope,” he said, leaving the scene.

And speaking of scenes, where are all the wild birds I saw yesterday? Gone. Well, not gone actually, as I know they’ll be back but why can’t they be here now when my camera is ready?

Then, I suddenly realized what I could do. I could photograph the birds I purchased from doudou, who is not only a great blog friend, but who made the emus especially for me!

http://doudoubirds.com/

They arrived yesterday in a big box and Son, Husband and I gradually unwrapped them all (it felt like Christmas!)

So this is a picture of Emerys 1, 2 and 3 (uncannily like the real ones when they were smaller), and the next one is of a pink and grey galah (the real ones are nowhere to be seen today!) and a bluejay, which reminds me of my five years in Canada as a child. We don’t have bluejays in Australia, so it is lovely to see the galah and bluejay getting on so well!

It is refreshing to be able to photograph such cooperative birds and even Son thinks these pics are “okay”!

Thanks, doudou!

Family Wings

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Believing in birds you can’t see

by jmgoyder

There are all these new birds here – I counted over six pink-and-grey galahs yesterday, a multitude of blue wrens, some wild ducks, and more crows and magpies (which I took for granted before) than I have ever seen before. It’s becoming a wonderland of domesticated and wild birds living in relative harmony, and even our three dogs are okay with things. Now that is a small miracle!

The title of this post is not me trying to be profound; it’s me unable to find my camera – arghh………….

Wings

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One blink!

by jmgoyder

This is not a spectacular photo but who cares because I have FINALLY taken a picture of the wild birds here – one blink and I would have missed this.

In Year 2, a new kid arrived in the town and was plonked next to Son in the classroom – a bright, white-haired little boy. Blinks were exchanged. A rather thunderous friendship began….

Sunset reckons a better photo could be taken of Thunder. Son thinks I’m a galah.

One blink, two blinks, three blinks….

Family Wings

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A beautiful black cloud

by jmgoyder

I found a Youtube that shows exactly what happened when we let Wantok go. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZnQ2QFgq4&feature=topics

Then I found another one of an Australian couple releasing a red-tailed black cockatoo into the wild and this was very reassuring because I was worried Wantok wouldn’t be able to find a group. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo8pmpD62lg&feature=endscreen&NR=1

When we first acquired Wantok, one of Son’s friends came over and I was showing her off, saying she was an endangered species, but he told me that where he lives (about 7 kilometres east of here up in the hills) there are red-tailed black cockatoos everywhere. Of course I felt a little silly then! Anyway that’s where I’m sure Wantok must have gone as it is an area of dense bush, a beautiful habitat.

A weird thing happened yesterday. I heard Wantok’s distinctive cry except it was multiplied and, looking up, I watched in awe as a beautiful black cloud of red-tailed black cockatoos flew across the farm, very high up in the sky. This has never happened before and I was so amazed it took me a moment to get my voice to call out “Wantok?” but as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone.

We have definitely done the right thing.

Wings

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Wantok wings away

by jmgoyder

Today is bittersweet because Wantok has flown away to her freedom, and I am numb with shock. This is what happened.

Son and I returned from visiting Husband in the hospital yesterday afternoon, to find that Wantok had begun to chew away the electrical power points in the veranda, so Son and I then had an argument about what to do with her.

Son: She wants to be free or she wouldn’t be getting so out of control.

Me: I told you I’ve ordered the aviary. We just have to wait a couple of weeks for it to be built.

Son: That’s not freedom. Look at her. She wants to fly, Mum – really fly. (Wantok was swooping back and forth above our heads).

Me: She can fly in here – she flies up and down the veranda all day. (I ducked as Wantok’s wings fanned my hair).

Son: And that’s normal, is it, for a huge, wild cockatoo to spend its life flying inside a room.

Me: Well, no.

Son: Same thing goes for the stupid aviary idea. She’ll still be trapped. I thought you didn’t agree with caging birds.

Me: I guess I thought she’d be more tameable and she could come in and out….

Son: Plus she’s started biting us – that means she’s not happy. And she stares out the window a lot. (As if to demonstrate this, Wantok settled on top of her cage and stared out the window at the peacocks.)

Me: So what do you want to do?

Son: I want to take her outside and see what happens.

Me: Okay, but if she flies off you have to follow her.

Son: Are you sure?

Me: No, but you obviously are.

So then Son went up to Wantok and she climbed onto his shoulder, then he walked to the veranda door, opened it and went outside. For a moment or so, Wantok took in the new situation, then seemed to take a deep breath and, in a whoosh of wings, she was off, uttering loud, guttural cries of joy.

I watched Son run after her, but less than a minute later he was back looking appalled.

Son: Mum, she was too fast. She’s already halfway to the hills. I lost sight of her. Oh no, what have I done? (He was close to tears).

Me: You’ve set her free. (I could feel a sliver of my heart peel away).

Oh, I hope we’ve done the right thing. There are wild cockatoos up in the hills and I feel sure she will find them and make friends with other wantoks and be much happier. Maybe she will come back and visit.

Maybe.

I am bereft.