Ko-wellll! Distinctive notes shimmer through the sleepy summer trees. Grabbing my hat and camera, I call to my laddie: “I’m going on koel patrol!” Despite my regular surveillance, I still haven’t managed a good picture of the pacific koel, an oceanic member of the cuckoo family. Their calls lead me on fruitless expeditions through the … More The Stormbird’s Warning: Where Cuckoos and Climate Collide
January 1, 2022: we woke to find a mildly venomous spider scuttling around the living room floor. Not the most auspicious omen for New Year’s Day, even in Australia! We were hoping for a break following the unexpected trials of 2021. The year didn’t start off badly. After months of suitcase living in 2020, we … More New Year’s Review: Wrapping Up 2021 & Spinning Stories in 2022
Many Australians take beach holidays between Christmas and New Years’. My Laddie and I, preferring to beat the crowds, took our coastal trip in late November instead. If you’re an Aussie prudently forgoing holiday travel during the latest COVID outbreak, or a Northern Hemisphere reader seeking a little sea and sunshine to brighten dark solstice … More Eurobodalla Encounters, Pt III: The Price of a Free Lunch
Many Australians take beach holidays between Christmas and New Years’. My Laddie and I, preferring to beat the crowds, took our coastal trip in late November instead. If you’re an Aussie prudently forgoing holiday travel during the latest COVID outbreak, or a Northern Hemisphere reader seeking a little sea and sunshine to brighten dark solstice … More Eurobodalla Encounters, Pt II: As The World Terns
Many Australians take beach holidays between Christmas and the new year. My Laddie and I, preferring to beat the crowds, took our coastal trip in late November instead. If you’re an Aussie prudently forgoing holiday travel during the latest COVID outbreak, or a Northern Hemisphere reader seeking a little sea and sunshine to brighten dark … More Eurobodalla Encounters, Pt I: Dinosaurs in Dalmeny
Where I come from, December 21 marks the winter solstice. Short, chilly days invite protracted, warm holiday meals. I always felt a twinge of guilt at gorging on holiday treats while, beyond the picture window of my family’s kitchen, birds scraped for seed in the frozen backyard. Here in the upside-Down-Under, that dynamic inverts: December … More Yeats at Yuletide: Belonging Among The Birds, Berries, and Bees
Wild Type 