 |
Tasty Chicky under threat . Vallis Photography
|
Jack the
Ripper is on the prowl ,literally on the
wing .
The frightening information was phoned through during screening of the ABC’s The Holmes a Court Family Saga :
a foreign voice
warning that
the killer is loose in the district . The informant , known as The Queen of the Jungle , a wildlife carer , said a
Barking Owl could be heard
making its distinctive, spine-chilling cry ,
similar to that of a Mopoke . The said bird eviscerates young
Curlews in the twinkling of an eye and we have
a cute new one
, nicknamed Chicky. Sure enough , after putting down the phone , I went into the backyard and
could hear barking in the
distance, not the canine type . It was
going to be another of those tense nights to prevent
a Christmas killing . Murder was clearly rampant in
the animal kingdom
as a Crow
had yesterday chopped
down the Sun Bird nest on the verandah
and pecked it to pieces.
Hardly the spirit of Christmas.
 |
| Killer Crows starting up the barbie. |
Shrieking Curlews woke me at 2.10am. I
jumped out of bed , grabbed the
torch , switched on the
outdoor light and ran out
onto the back verandah,
looking for the owl . Flashing the torch beam all
over , I did not spot
the bird but heard the flutter of
wings . My wife called from
the kitchen that a Possum
had just sprinted across
the yard, behind me .Then
I took up guard , sitting on
a chair at a new collapsible trestle
my daughter had bought me as a Christmas
present , and listened to the
sounds of the night ...a neurotic
Storm Bird , nuts falling from the palms, the screech of a
Flying Fox, Geckoes, an air conditioner
. Crash! Thump! Bang ! Those so and so
Possums galloping on the
roof . On previous nights , I have run out
barking like an Irish Wolfhound and also making the
sound of a Puma to
frighten them away, much to the
undoubted surprise of neighbours . There is
sudden movement on the fence – a possum ; mesmerised by the torch,
I wish it the compliments of the season and , with a broom, push it
into the neighbour’s place , where it can entertain the new
baby boy, Reef.
At
3.10, after hearing a Barking
Owl a long way off , I
break my vigil and make a cup of coffee . With my cup, I return
to sentry duty, the moon
clouds over , making it ideal
for the owl to attack. There is
sudden movement on the fence- two
more possums , one small . I flash the beam at them, making a
barking noise, and
they rapidly disappear into
another property . Returning to my seat,
I kick over the coffee.
Eventually retreat into the den and begin writing
this diary. Suddenly, the dreaded
Barking Owl is heard nearby. Rush out again, switch on more
lights, cannot see the predator . By 5.30 it will be light and the Curlews will come knocking at the back door to be fed . Only 10 more days to
go before Chicky will be too
big to make a
mouthful for the marauding Barking Owl, by which time I will be
bleary eyed , nervy , greyer, blood
pressure all over the
place. Thump! Another
Possum. Frog has started
to croak...might be
going to rain . It is now daylight, and I am
going in for medication and a kip . Kookaburras can be heard greeting the dawn...they also dine on Curlews .
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ? I think not .
