Thursday, August 6, 2015

STORK AND POSSUMS BUSY

Babies are arriving  all over the  place  on  Magnetic Island . In  pyjamas , about  5am , this  odd blogger was chasing  with  a  strawbroom   one  of   many  possums which had romped about the  property all  night ,chewing the mango shoots and galloping across the roof . At the time of the chase , a nextdoor  neighbour was   giving  birth with the help of her Kiwi sister on the  premises to a  baby   girl who was obviously  in a hurry to join the never ending  possum  fun run.  The baby was transported to Townsville  in a special  pod  on  the  ferry, her birth announced to passengers over the public address system , a schoolboy obviously aware of the facts of life  commenting she  must have just popped out. The  mother was flown like Bronwyn  in a helicopter to Townsville  Hospital. The  next day, Little Darwin's Curlew family produced a chick (above) ,  peeping out at the cool world  from its  mother in protective attack mode. The  father has been taking a  turn sitting  on  the  other egg . Now the Barking Owl  alert  has begun to prevent the chicks from being eaten . In Darwin,  a 22-year-old Barking Owl , Gizmo , has died at the Territory Wildlife Park.
Now there are two chicks in family snapshot; with mother below.