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I've had a few private comments on my birding
antics relating to the large tree in my front yard...... so now it is time to
'come clean' on another happening relating to it. Even slightly more
embarrassing, if you can imagine it.
I've had a lot of noisy flying foxes sharing the
pleasures of my flowering gum late at night (yes, I even stand for long periods
looking up at night time too!). Somebody interested in
this asked me if they roosted there during the day, so a couple
of weeks ago imagine my surprise to see a flying fox hanging at the top of
the tree in broad daylight!!!! Wow..... Rushed
inside, called the family out - including my visiting father-in-law (who already
thinks I'm a little odd), phoned the local wildlife guru (Mike, that is you..)
and relayed the exciting news over the phone. I even brought the new
video camera out and filmed it. All ok so far. Watching,
watching intently through the binoculars and I slowly realise the wings
look a bit tatty. "Oh dear, I hope it is alright" I say as I strain for a
closer examination. Hmmmm, it does look in a bad
way........
Well it would be, if it had been a flying
fox.......... I slowly realised that amazingly, goodness knows
quite how, a tatty black plastic bag is hanging in the uppermost branches
of the tree, slightly wafting, oh so flying fox like, in the faint
breeze. Oh, HOW embarrassing. Madly back on
the phone before local wildlife people descended on the place.
I'm hoping I still have the video footage so I can
prove just how stunningly convincing it looked like one. Trust me,
I'm a birder.......
Cheers,
Karen Pearson
Hampton, VIC.
(phew, I feel better now I've
publicly 'fessed up).
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