TOSSED OUT INTO THE CRUEL , COLD (STEAMY) WORLD

 Parents  taking hardline with  siblings 

Old enough to look after itself, this  young  possum  has  obviously been   told to go bush by  its mother. As  a  result, it has suddenly appeared  in  the  roof  at   the  back of  the  Little Darwin  cluttered   den  with  the obvious  intention  of  moving  in . One  position  it  has explored would not only give  it  a room   with a  view , but  a light  bulb  as well, which would come  in   handy  trying   to  read  the  fine  print of  the   television guide  at  night .    

Once it settles in  and gathers  friends , we  can  expect to hear  the pitter- patter  of   a  band   of  wretched  possums  in  army boots   galloping   across  the  roof  at   all  hours  of   the  night .

Soon also to be  told to  hit  the  road  by  their  parents   are  our    two resident , now  voracious  Curlew  chicks .They are so big it is hard to tell them  from their parents  with  whom they line up at the  backdoor  early in the  morning  demanding  to   be  fed .

Their  mother is showing signs of again  going  broody ,so  the youngsters will have to move on . The  chicks are so boisterious  they  almost  knock their parents over  grabbing food  thrown out  to  them , reprimanded  occasionally  with  a  peck . The chicks  sprint about the yard  as  if  training for the  Stawell Gift  foot race . Another  sign of  their looming  departure is the  fact that  they are seen  jumping about, flapping  their  wings , as  if   keen  to  become airborne  for  the  first  time .