THE SPIES WHO LOVE ME…

 

Kookaburra...graphite drawing I did a few years ago

Magpies

Butcher Bird

Noisy Miner

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Pied Currawong

Constantly I’m under surveillance by a group of tuxedo-clad spies, and by others of various sizes, dressed in outfits of varying designs and colours. They’ve bugged my place with hidden cameras of that I am certain.  I strongly suspect they’ve buried periscopes out and about in the yard.  My every movement is being monitored. No matter how quiet or stealthily-made a movement I make, out of nowhere they appear at my screen door, peering inside, blatantly letting their presence be known.  How do they know what I’m up to if not for hidden scrutiny devices?  Sometimes the spies even tap on my closed, sliding glass door to ensure I won’t ignore them.  That’s how determinedly persistent they are. Every step I take….I can’t get away with anything!

For the 20 plus years I shared my life with my two beloved furry best friends, Remy and Shama, every afternoon, when cutting up meat for their dinner, I gave the neighbouring birds the meat scraps. I can’t let them down. The magpies, kookaburras and the cheeky, fearless, little spitfires disguised as butcherbirds are not dependent on me for their food, but they do know that every day I have special treats for them.  Frequently, currawongs visit, too.  Lately, a few noisy miners have quietly joined the gang.  I wonder how much the joining fee is. 

I’ve no fears of being swooped on by the magpies.  They know I’m their mate, and am not a threat.  I call the magpies “Maggie”, the kookaburras, “Kooka”, and the butcherbirds, “Butch”, or…“Tommy Butcher” (when I was a child one of our neighbour’s name was “Tommy Butcher”.  He was a cop). The noisy miners, I call “Digger”. 

To my delight, the maggies introduced their babies to me a few weeks ago.  The “babies” are no longer small. They are as big as their parents, but they’ve not yet graduated to suits similar to those of their elders. The young ones are still clad in their murky grey-coloured rompers. No doubt they’ll soon don tuxedos, spread their wings, and fly off in search of new adventures, forgetting me.

While unloading groceries from my car the other day, one of the magpies, in a world of his own, was wandering down the yard, grazing as he strolled.  “G’day, Maggie! Whatcha doin’?”  I called out to my feathered friend. 

Without fear or hesitation, the bird turned, and walked across to me, coming to a stop a couple of inches from my feet. His plucky, confident behavior gifted me a joyful start to my day. If I could have picked him up and given him a cuddle, I would’ve done so.  He was probably checking out my shopping bags to make sure their meat was among my purchases…it was….

When I was a little girl, often, as a form of affection, my mother called me, “Maggie”.  Why she called me so, I have no idea, but I liked it. Maybe it’s the reason I’ve a close affinity with the maggies!   Just a thought!  Don’t run and hide! I’ve no intentions of swooping on anyone. Dive-bombing isn’t a habit of mine.

Daily visits from the birds, the beauty of jacaranda blossoms, and mango season, all help lighten, a little, the burden of today’s troubled world. I love having the birds around...hearing their calls.  They're a chatty mob!

With so much beauty surrounding us, why do many humans fail to see it…to appreciate it?  Too many humans don’t want to recognise and appreciate what they’re part of - what they have.  The innately inhumane behavior of some, their lack of compassion, their cruelty, is never-ending. When will humans learn?  I wish I had a positive, ever-lasting answer. There’s too much violence, prejudice, hate, sorrow… let’s restore empathy, goodwill, respect, kindness, love, caring, laughter...

Ticks tick me off. They receive no empathy from me.  A couple of weeks ago, one little pest buried into my neck, nestling in behind my left ear lobe. For a few hours, after I’d successfully dislodged it, I eased the irritation it caused by applying - laying my head on - a cold pack of frozen blueberries. My head was still attached to my neck, by the way.  Almost freezing the affected area was/is an assured, quick way to rid the annoying after-effects of a nasty tick.  Maybe I’ll send a call out to the 18 rowdy Guinea Fowls that woke me one morning a while back to come and do their job. Guinea Fowls are supposed to be eradicators of ticks

Mango-Blueberry Smoothie: Blend until completely smooth, 3/4c Greek yoghurt, 3/4c milk, 3/4c frozen blueberries, 3/4c frozen mango chunks, 1tbs honey and splash of vanilla.  Add more milk if too thick.

Mango-Blueberry Cake: Preheat oven, 177C. Butter and flour a 23cm/ 9-inch square or round pan. In bowl, whisk together, 2c plain flour, 2-1/2tsp baking powder, zest of lemon and 3/4tsp salt.  Cream 1/4c softened butter and 3/4c sugar until fluffy.  Add 3/4c coconut milk, regular milk or favourite non-dairy ‘milk’ and 1 egg; mix well. Add the flour, zest, etc; mix well. Gently fold in by hand, 1c diced mangoes and 1c fresh or frozen blueberries.  Make crumble topping:  Combine 1/3c softened butter, 1/2c sugar, 1/3c flour, 1/2tsp cinnamon, and pinch nutmeg. Spread cake batter in pan; sprinkle crumble topping over batter. Bake for 20mins. Lower heat to 163C; bake another 25mins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mango-Blueberry Parfait: Grab 1 finely-diced mango, 1-1/2c fresh blueberries, vanilla yoghurt and some granola. Place layer of berries on bottom of glass dish or large glass, then granola, then yoghurt; add layer of mango, granola, and then yoghurt again. Repeat layers until dish/glass is full. Garnish with some berries, mango and granola. Chill until ready to devour.