Your favourite bird (s)
Here from dawn to dusk
The birds are busy
Along the year
The black choughs
Bring up their broods in common
In their mud nests
Always in groups they haunt
The grounds in search
Of the ever elusive grubs
Destroying the garden beds
Earning the ire of the gardener
It took them five years
But we can’t get rid of them
At first daylight the kookaburras
Laugh goodbye to the night
And laud raucously Dawn
Followed shortly
By the soft warbling of the magpies
When the sun rises
Over the horizon
Thus each day is duly heralded
The spring swallows
Twirling in this insane way
Rolling that way in the air
Full of nervous energy
Leaving us exhausted
Just watching them
Have gone home
But they’ll return next year
For another skilful display
The galahs have gone rogue this year
With the cockies and the rosellas
Maybe the fires have had an impact
Well that might mean
We won’t have to spring dawn patrol
For they are destructive
Breaking branches
And wasting food
They’re beautiful for sure
But need work on their screeching
Native Mina birds
Or alarm car birds
Very noisy ones
Not too bright
Attacking relentlessly their reflection
In the car mirrors
It started at spring
They’re still at it
Badly built their nests
The first one falling down
Before the first egg was even in
Total amateurs really
It’s a wonder they managed
To bring up four little ones
The Wild ducks did well this year
From four to twenty seven
Well done everyone
The ducklings are gone
With the paddocks going brown
While the parents are resting
Swimmingly on the pond
All these birds
Pass us by along the months
Indifferent to our lives
Following their own
Flying or waddling
They’ve a pleasure to watch.
Lucette C. Bailliet
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