Backyard Zoology · 6 January 2019
2019-01-06T19:02:17+11:00
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Mum says that as a kid I used to sleep with one eye open. She'd walk into my room to check on me and that one eye would follow her around! I had FOMO before FOMO was even a thing 🤣But I remain a pretty rubbish sleeper in that I can't seem to stay in that dead asleep state, that total relaxation, all is right with the world mode. The slightest noise and I'm wide awake and wide awake I pretty much stay. 

I was snoozing this afternoon when I heard a Channel Bill Cuckoo in our gum. Now I've been wanting a half decent photo of one of those noisy buggers for ages and Matt said I went from sound asleep to out of bed within 10 seconds. Not the worst skill to have I guess - at least I'm fast at something! Problem was, the cuckoo was even faster then me and took off before I even really got into position. You'll keep bird, you'll keep.

Prior to that we had a super quick jaunt to the Botanic Garden. It was overcast and cooler thank god but pretty much quiet bird wise. The Dusky Moorhens have a new clutch of 7 chicks which are kinda cute and the coots were being all coot like but not much else was happening. Thankfully for us, Matt spotted a White-Faced Heron hunting in the large pond. I love these birds, total focus when on the prowl, contorting themselves into the exact needed position and then to dart forward so quickly at just the precise moment. It's super cool to watch but also a tad annoying to have a bird show you why you really need to take up yoga. Not 100% sure what this one was catching (read: I have absolutely no idea but I've thrown around beetles, tadpoles, fish and water striders as a possibility but all with the same level of zero confidence). So yeah. It was catching...something. And a lot of it.

Hoping to actually get out and do a little touch of actual exploring tomorrow what with that being my theme for the year and all. 

White-Faced Heron
Wollongong Botanic Garden