Monday, February 26, 2007

You Talkin' To Me? You Talkin' To Me?













The above picture is for you, Don aka “Wino”. Your convincing display the other day begging me for more kookaburra pictures put so much pressure upon me, my heart crumbled. There was nothing else left for me to do. I folded and succumbed.

On the subject of kookaburras...when I was living at the coast…Sunshine Beach, around the corner from Noosa Heads, on the southern side of the Noosa National Park...excuse me please, I must digress for a moment or three…

Sunshine Beach has a great Surf Life Saving Club perched on the dunes high above the surfing beach below. If you ever get a chance to get up that way, it’s worth a visit for a beer or two. A tremendous ocean view is on offer. All the surf clubs along the coast are worth visiting. Built on prime beachfront land, they offer magnificent views out over the Pacific Ocean, while one can kick back, allowing the troubles of the world float on by over a beer or your beverage of choice.

I was still married when I lived on the coast. Our home was a two-storey dwelling built on the line of secondary dunes, about 500-600 metres from the main beach. The house had been erected on the highest section of the land, set back from the street. We renovated much of the house, knocking down the existing narrow, short deck and replacing it with a much wider deck that then ran the whole width of the house. It extended out to the edge of the dune into the tree-tops as far as safety would allow. When sitting out on the new timber deck, we were in line with the tree-tops, thereby placing ourselves in the flight path of the many varieties of birds that inhabited the area. The ocean was clearly visible from the deck, the kitchen and dining/living area. The view, however, didn’t extend to the broad, golden beach below, not that that mattered, because the privacy provided by the deck being so high up nestled amongst the trees, was worth more than a billion or so grains of sand.

As has been my habit for many years, I encouraged the birds to recognize the household as a bird-friendly household and, of course, it didn’t take them very long to discover ours was a ‘safe house’. Even Ruska, my ginger cat at the time (the one taken by the python on Hinchinbrook Island), ignored the birds. They, in turn, turned their beaks up in disdain when he appeared.

Every day, most days more than once, Mum and Dad Kookaburra paid their visits by either sitting on the thick log railings of the deck or the outdoor table. Frequently, they would perch on the kitchen window sill, peering across the sink into the kitchen wondering what they could scrounge from my soft-hearted self. Then their little family multiplied in number. “Mumma” and “Poppa” brought their two kids with them and introduced them to me.

The house next door was rented out to a couple of very nice young surfer lads. Their life was filled with board surfing, girls, music, board surfing and more board surfing. In the back yard they set up an old bath-tub, which they would fill with cold water. After a morning of catching waves, they would then sit in it and play chess.

All was quiet next door. The boys were off surfing somewhere. I was on the upstairs’ telephone looking out my dining room window into the next door yard as I talked. I noticed one of the ‘Kookie-kids’ splashing around in a little bit of water left in the bottom of the bath-tub.

For a while, I thought, “How great! He’s having so much fun splashing around in the cool water.” Suddenly, much to my horror, I realized he was stuck in the pool. Each time he tried to escape, his little claws slid back down the enamel coating of the old bath. He couldn’t get out and he was distressing.

I quickly ended my telephone conversation. Tossed the phone aside, ran down the stairs and leapt the dividing fence between the two properties with the skill of the best Olympic hurdlers.

My poor little feathered mate wasn’t in a very good shape. He had water pouring out of every orifice. I cradled him in my hands and returned home with him. I thought twice about giving him ‘mouth-to-mouth’, but I laid him on his side, switching sides regularly, and then I held him upside down as the water kept pouring out of the poor little guy. To the best of my ability, I dried his drenched feathers with a towel. Placing him in a sunny corner of the deck, I left him on the towel in the sun to recover from his frightening ordeal. And recover he did, much to my delight.

Thereafter, that little fellow came to visit me every day. He would sit on the kitchen window sill watching my every move. Sometimes, he would venture further into the kitchen. I caught him a few times perched on the back of one of the kitchen chairs or on the table. I didn’t mind. I think he thought I was his second mother, or at least his personal Sunshine Beach Lifesaver!


24 comments:

  1. Awww...the poor guy. But, yeah to you for coming to its aid. :-)

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  2. Wow! You were quick of the mark, Robbie...I've not long posted this! lol

    Yes...I'm so glad I was looking out the window that day and discovered what was going on in that bath-tub. He was still only a little fellow, too...not yet fully grown. I felt good about saving him, I have to admit. :)

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  3. Hey! I came running back over here to knock on your door and was greeted by that kookaburra. He is hilariously cute. I am actually gearing up for my trip to area 51. The dog sitter has not called us back though. If she can't sit, we won't be going. Dogs are #1 around here. Anyway, back to preparing film, cameras and all that. Mr. Corn Dog and I have high hopes for foolery mostly.

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  4. Lee, love the photograph of that feisty looking kookaburra! When I lived with my daughter a few years ago, we had two kookaburras who adopted us and I used to feed them. It got to the stage where they knew my car and would be waiting for me when I hopped out.

    The magpies are the same, they know my car and wait for me...or come up to the ranchslider and look at me pleadingly, letting out a lovely warble or two if I don't notice them at first.

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  5. I'm so glad to hear from you, Corn Dog...I've been popping into your blog often as you may have noted. I was a little concerned that you may have been unwell...fortunately, this is not so...:) Enjoy your trip and thanks for your comment.

    Robyn...they sure are alert...the ones here come flying over to the tree outside my back door when I walk outside. I think they have sentry points and small sets of binoculars to watch my every move! As I've mentioned previously, when I call the cats, the kookaburras, magpies and the butcher birds turn up! lol Sneaky little devils!

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  6. Funny how you can become so very attached to our feathered friends, they are so cute, I do understand and would feel the same.

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  7. Hi Ellee...thanks for popping in. I'm not one for birds in cages...I like to see them free. We have so many varieties here...and some that are magnificently coloured, such as the Rainbow Lorikeets, Rosellas and King Parrots. I'll try to get some pics of them one of these days.

    The Bower birds are quite stunning, too with their shiny black feathers...there's a deep hue of purple or turquoise in their plumes depending on the light.

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  8. lee,
    You made quite an "imprint" on the youngster!
    I'm not surprised in the least.
    rel

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  9. G'day, Rel...they're pretty smart birds...they know what side their food is buttered on or what part of the fridge it comes out of! ;)

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  10. That is the perfect caption for that photo. Great story, too.

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  11. Awww... how great is that story!!! (love the picture!) He sure was lucky that you happened to be keeping an eye on him that day!

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  12. Hi Lee ~~ Good on you rescuing the little kookaburra and they remember don't they? Thanks for your comments and good wishes, I'll be OK.
    Take care, my friend. Love, Merle.

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  13. Gtotracker, Deslily and Merle...I think we should start a Kookaburra Fan Club...they do capture our imaginations, don't they? They're very special birds.

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  14. great story ,lucky you realized he needed help. Such a cute picture.

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  15. Yes, I was glad I did, Shelly. I was looking out the window just at the right time. :)

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  16. lee,

    The Kooks?

    Wino's fan club will have to be called the 'et als'

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  17. lol Gto! Sounds right! ;)

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  18. A kind hearted soul you are Lee. Being able to communicate with birds wouldn't make one a bird brain? No it wouldn't, you are right. You are very descriptive and very enjoyable.

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  19. lol Cliff...you always have the knack of making me laugh! I thank you for that! :)

    I don't think I'm a 'bird-brain'! lol

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  20. What a great story. Lucky bird, being spotted by you and not a hungry cat!

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  21. Hi Liz...cats never bother kookaburras...I've never had one that showed one bit of interest in them...even when sitting about a foot from them.

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  22. Great story. Lucky kookaburra!

    Here is a shamless plug for a friend's blog. Stormy is Marc's wife (over at LST). They also have a cabin by the woods and both are avid bird watchers. Drop in if you would like to see some gorgeous photos.

    /end of shamless plug

    http://cabinwood.blogspot.com/

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  23. Do'h Lee! Didn't know you visited Stormy's blog! Just ignore my last comment! Between you, Don and LST, I keep too busy to visit a friend's blog!

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  24. Marc directed me to Stormy's blog the other day, Neo...that's the first time I've visited...but I intend to not be a stranger to her blog....she takes great bird pics. :)

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