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.