Tuesday, December 23, 2008

What bird is that?

Thank goodness I finished the little cardigan I was making for my neice in time for Christmas. I don't think it will fit - the arms look kind of long, but it is summer here anyway, so maybe it will fit in time for Autumn. I guess it is the thought that counts. I made this from a thick cotton blend I bought a while ago from Lincraft, it is so soft.

We are spending Christmas Day with my family this year, so on Sunday night we had Christmas with Jeremy's family. I was very spoiled by their thoughtful gifts and affection. I'll show the other gifts soon, but here is one particular favourite. This is actually a half-watering can planter. So the rear side is flat and has a screw hole so I can put it on a wall and plant things in it. It already has drainage holes too. I think this will be just perfect for geraniums.

And finally, are there any bird watchers out there? There is this lovely native bird with a long curved beak who likes to suck the pollen out of my grevilleas. This bird is quite large (probably a bit bigger than a magpie) and brown and tawny. I think the male has large red swellings on either side of his cheeks - unless I saw an symetrically deformed one! But it is the female I have seen around a lot over the last year. Anyhow, this bird has had a baby!! It sits around and cries constantly for food. And I mean constantly. Its cry sounds like someone winding a very rusty winch .... all day long. And the baby is actually bigger than the mother! The baby gets nervous if I get too close and flies off in a very wobbly and precarious fashion - hence the poor photo. I didn't want to alarm it as the last time it saw me it flew into a wall. The mother also came when I took this photo and gave me a very aggressive telling-off. The baby is more yellow-y than the Mum who is quite brown. So, does anyone know what kind of bird this could be or know anyone who could identify it?

1 comment:

bettsylyn (Lynda) said...

Looks to me like a pheasant coucal - is the noise it makes like oop,oop,oop? We have had one here which visits the garden regularly. No sign of babies though so you are lucky. If it isn't one of those then it may be something related.