Backyard Zoology · 1 June 2022
2022-06-01T17:11:10+10:00
https://www.facebook.com/backyardzoology/posts/pfbid04QZ8h6TfaLmZVGdgyEbo7FbLRUZreZZ8kz7zoWjup9zuhajkhGFp7Xtofdaxs7WJl

We woke to a loud crashing sound this morning. Never how you want to wake up but particularly unnerving as the owner of a very large backyard gum tree in gale force winds. Thankfully for us, it was just the roof of the neighbour's shed ripping off! And thankfully for them, noone was hurt and the damage stayed firmly with the shed only. 

I always feel so bad for the wildlife when the weather is like this, though. We huddle inside and hope that nothing too crazy happens but they get blown out of trees, especially younger animals and nests. We had part of our christmas bush come down and there was a teeny nest in that - thankfully long abandoned but still, it was a stark reminder of how hard the world can be when you're out in it 24/7.

As you can imagine, I went nowhere today - except for the dentist but I'm refusing to talk about that - but I've had a few lovely little encounters with a super reliable Nankeen Kestrel. It's not a particularly special sighting. I mean, they are found pretty much everywhere in Australia but they are just too damn cute and who doesn't love a bird of prey? 

I did have to squelch across a sports oval to get some photos, which is fine, because I wear gum boots. I ran home and grabbed Matt during his lunch break because I knew he'd be keen to see the bird too, except he came wearing DRESS SHOES 🤣 As you can imagine, he didn't have quite as an enjoyable time as I did.

Husbands, can't take 'em anywhere.

In VERY unrelated news, I've just had an article published about FMT treatments for depression. Got to say, my original headline, 'Mind over (fecal) matter' was much better 😉 You can read it here:
https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/a-promising-treatment-for-mental-disorders-fecal-matter-transplants

Nankeen Kestrel
Northern Illawarra