Wooden Birds

Robert Whiteley

We are fortunate to live in Brisbane near the bayside where there is an abundance of bird life, permanent and migratory. Each day I walk, often commencing on the same pathway near a lake that was originally constructed for small-holder irrigation and later pineapples. The lakes are now the home to an abundance of birds from White and Glossy Ibis to a myriad of ducks, Purple Swamp Hens as well as Swans, Spoonbills, Egrets, Cormorants and Darters.

In the surrounds are de rigueur species including honeyeaters, lorikeets, wattlebirds, kookaburras and kingfishers.

Raptors are here too.

Recently some wooden birds were here – Tawny Frogmouth. They are probably here regularly, it takes a keen eye to spot them.

I suspect most of the people who walk around these lakes notice none of the bird life. They are missing out.