CYCLONE DEBBIE DIARY # V

COCKATOOS  EXTRACT  REVENGE  / DESPITE  DENTAL  PROBLEM , KIND  POLLIE  CATHY  O'TOOLE  COMES  TO  RESCUE AGAIN .

The  French   fighting  spirit (c.1890)  of  North  Queensland .

Due to marauding  Cockatoos , the   fruit  laden  mandarin tree   was wrapped  in  bird netting  months ago, after they had raided the passionfruit  vines .  We also  covered  up   an  orange tree for the Queen of  the Jungle . Before  the  Cyclone  Debbie threat and  afterwards , the  Cockies  were  evident --- shrieking , flying about  in  numbers , prepared  to  attack .

Our resident  Curlews, the   surviving chick now much  bigger ,   drew attention  yesterday afternoon  to the  fact that something  was   amiss   by  glaring  up at the mandarin tree . Sure  enough, there were   two Cockatoos ,  one clinging to the  netting , the other  inside the  crown of  the  tree  where there had been a netting  gap  , a yellow looking   piece of  fruit on the ground  , which  on inspection had   been  chewed in a  previous  assault  , green ants   running  all  over it .

 

Shooed away, the  birds nevertheless  came  back  , joined by another . Waving a straw broom  and hurling  the  pecked mandarin  at  them caused the tenacious  trio  to fly  off . However, they came back again ,  settled  high  up in a  palm tree on which  were  bunches of  nuts , nibbling ,  casting   their covetous  eyes on  the  forbidden  fruit  under  the netting . 

 

Barking , yelling and  broom waving   did  not shift  them from their perch , but  probably disturbed the neighbours and  made them  wonder if it was a full moon. Two stones   were then  thrown up  into the palm tree   and   a clanging noise was  heard, thought to  be one  landing on  part of  the   fencing set  up about  the  yard to  protect the  Curlew  chick from   attack  by Barking Owls and  Kookaburras . The Cockatoos  eventually   flew away and   did   not  return .    

     

Up early  this  morning , we  engaged in  what  amounted   to the start of a massive  spring  clean due to  having moved  so  much  about  because of  the Cyclone Debbie threat . Into the backyard  shed had  been packed many things , plants , outdoor  glass topped  tables , tools , wrought  iron  pieces , an old wood plane  bought  at a garage  sale .   Late  yesterday afternoon  two  glass  topped  tables had been moved out of  the  shed and  the larger , used    to display potplants , had been left outside because it  was   found to have  rough, rusty  edges  from  the  effect  of  living near  the  sea .

 

Intending to move the table back to the veranda  this morning , there was an unpleasant surprise . The  glass  top was   smashed  into many pieces- one of the stones  ,  or  both , thrown at the Cockatoos , had apparently  landed on the  table .   The  ground was  covered  in a circular pattern of  shattered  glass -possibly  a  great threat to  the   Curlew   chick  which now  is a  non stop  hungry  teenager , continually picking  around   for   snacks . Solution : call in  the  very same  Fairy Godmother who provided  protection for the   Curlew's parents when  they were sitting on eggs -pollie  Cathy O'Toole , Member  for Herbert   (ALP) .

On that occasion , a  sandwich  board  shelter , above ,  made of   O'Toole  corflutes was   placed over the Curlews , at  times  protecting  a  sitting  bird  from  being  donged  by  a  heavy   falling  frond .

After  much of the glass had been removed  by gloved  hand   and  with a  shovel , there were still  many dangerous  slivers  in the  grass . Over the  top  was  placed another Cathy  O'Toole   corfplute  attached  to a wooden stake  , above ,  which had   been  pulled out  and tossed on the ground  during the last  federal election,  one of her teeth   blacked  out  in  an act  of  deliberate  disfigurement .  Other odds and ends  and a  paver were  added  to  the  protective  Curlew  cover  to stop  it  being  blown   away should  there be a  storm .

The Townsville Bulletin  ran a  front page story about a  bedraggled Cockatoo  having been  saved   by one of its photographers  after  Cyclone Debbie , the  bird described  as the   spirit of North Queensland ;   the  story  went  viral . Sadly , the  Cocky   died .   In the aftermath of  the  cyclone   , a  bull  shark was  found  on  a bank  way  up  a  stream . A person   commented   that  if a big show was made  about saving a   Cockatoo , why  didn't   somebody  give  the  shark  mouth   to  mouth ?   

HONG KONG / BORDER WITH MAINLAND FOOT, HOOF PATROL

The  border between Hong Kong and  mainland  China  produced  interesting  ruins,  landscapes  and surprises  for  our  hiking  correspondents , one  unusual event  being the  encounter , below , with  an  animal   out  for  an early morning  jog . Being  vegans , our   team   wished  the  beast  all  the  best .

 

 Our correspondents  were drawn to   derelict  buildings and surrounds which provided   good   subjects  for  their  cameras .  

 

 

 

A brick lined , meandering   stream  , with a  two storey  dwelling in the distance , a  picturesque  lake  nearby .  

 

 

DAZZLING TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES OF NORTH QUEENSLAND

 

 



Taken  during a butterfly shooting safari  on lucky Magnetic  Island  after  the  passage  of  Cyclone  Debbie  which  only  caused  a  short  disruption  to  the ferry  service.

HONG KONG FELINES

 

Photographs by cat lovers  Michael and Sarah  who  have two pampered , tech  savvy  cats , in  Melbourne ,  who  will freak out  when  they  view  these  close  encounters   on  video .  

HONG KONG ARCHITECTURE

By our wandering correspondents,Sarah and Michael

Sign on top of  building centre, background : HOUSE  OF  THE  YEAR  20 .



 

Scaffolding on  building .

CYCLONE DEBBIE DIARY # lV

Sunbird  Drama  turns  into  Rum  Event

Although Cyclone Debbie did not hit Magnetic Island , strong winds   sprang up and  sent the   Sunbirds  nest  rocking ,  rolling  and twisting ,  causing  concerns about the  safety of  the  two chicks inside  and  the  very  survival  of the  nest . 

Placid scene , pre  blow ,  one  chick  visible  inside nest.

Wind  still gusting ,   about  9.30pm , a  check of the  nest was made   before  making ready to  hit  the sack ...Oh no ! Most of the nest was missing . The  bulk  of  it  was  found on the  ground , blown into a  corner , the birds  still inside . On picking up  the nest, intending to perhaps  tie  it  back to the light  cord from which it  hung, one of the  chicks  flew off into the  dangerous  night . A hand was   clamped over the entrance   to prevent the other  from  doing  the same . However, it  wriggled  free  and   flew  inside the  house, coming to rest next  to  a wastepaper basket .

 

Into a shoe  box , with a  circular   hole   for air , went  the  nest and its restless occupant ,  placed  near   potplants  brought inside  the house for  protection shoul d the cyclone strike .  A search , to  no  avail , was then  made of  the garden for  the  other  tiny  bird .

Up at  6am , the shoebox was  tapped lightly...no response. On opening   it was  discovered  that  there was  no Sunbird . Thence  began  a  search  at  floor level   with a  torch...not  in  potplants, bookshelves  ; not  in the box with the elephants; not in the box of seashells  behind  the  lounge ; not in  the  wastepaper  basket ...Puzzling . The bulk of the  nest  was  attached to the   cord   with string in the hope that it would attract the parents, and maybe the bird which had  flown  into  the  dark .

 

My wife , with sharp hearing , detected  the  distinctive  sound of a  Sunbird outside  in  shrubs .  While searching in  the area  where the tiny   bird  flew in the night , an adult  Sunbird was  seen  where  this blogger was recently bitten on the  hand   by a spider and  ended up with a colourful and swollen hand . Gingerly, shrubs were  pushed aside  in  the hope  that  the  baby  bird   might  be  found . No such luck . 

Then  my wife shouted that  she had  spotted the    bird  we had been looking for  inside the  house .  It  had  been sitting up high  next to a   Beenleigh Rum Toby  jug  while  we  had been  searching   down  low , behind furniture .  It could also  have been  on  high  snuggled up to  a  Venetian glass  swan with  a  smashed   beak while I crawled  about  on  my  hands  and  knees  with  the  torch  looking for  it . 

 

When I dashed inside, the bird  fluttered down behind  a writing desk where   it was  caught with a  cloth, carried to the nest , released - and  darted off into the  nearby trees , quickly joined  by  a twittering  parent.

 

Much later, in the Little Darwin den , a distinctive  , repetitive  sound was  heard  , which  was almost certainly  the  call of a  Sunbird , described in What Bird is That ?, by Neville W. Cayley,  as "Tsee.tsee". On investigating, nearby was  a Sunbird chick, almost certainly the  one  which  had been  on  the ship's ration ,  calling   for   its  parents .

 

It was able to  be caught ,  did not want to  be  inserted  in the re-erected nest,  released  and   took  up  a position  on  the  car windscreen wiper, above . From  there  it  flew onto  a  fence , called , a  parent  promptly responded and darted  in  with  food . It was last seen flying after its "mother" .  Sunbirds are distributed along eastern Queensland  from Cape York  to Gladstone ; New Guinea , Admiralty  Islands , Solomon Islands  and  the Celebes .

ISLAND INVOLVED IN EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATION WAR

Magnetic Island, off  Townsville, North Queensland ,  has been flooded with  the above  DVDs  proclaiming  that  evolution  is a  " Fairytale for the Naïve "  and that  the " Bible  contains  Truth  for  the Sceptic."     Each  disc   contains an attached printed message   addressed to   Dear Magnetic  Island  Resident/ Visitor ,  from  Dr Piet van  Rensburg , of  Mackay , an apparent   lecturer  in engineering ,  who  mentions a website listing more  than  3000  top scientists  and their credentials  who publicly reject  evolution .  He  also  mentions another  website  www.creation. com . , said to be  an internationally  respected  group    operating  from  Brisbane .

He  goes on to say "our family "  is  busy  with a  non-denominational  project   to distribute  two excellent  Christian  DVDs throughout  Mackay and  neighbouring  areas ..."This is not  about getting  anyone to  join a  church , but rather   to  give God   the glory  that is due to him . " Magnetic Island  is   hardly a  neighbouring area  of  Mackay , being  323  kilometres  north  by  road  from there.
  

Island residents are urged to swap  the DVD deposited in their letterbox  with  immediate  neighbours as  they  should  be  different .  Recipients are  urged to   contact him  if   they  would  like  to arrange a seminar on  the topic .  Here endeth  another fire and brimstone  parable , not  yet  detected  by  the  sinful , fork-tongued  local   media.