Birding and a good laugh!

Lewins Honey Eater.(not my photo)

Sunday I did my usual 2-3 hour walk over the same ground I have for the past three weeks. I am surveying the area over the 4 weeks prior to the burn off.


Eastern Whipbird.(not my photo)

The day was warm, dry and a very warm westerly was blowing. I noted the ground has dried out substantially since last week and most of the regulars were in the canopy, or on the ground.



White-browed Scrub Wren.(not my photo)

I was delighted to spot the Eastern Whipbird, on previous occasions I have listed it by its call. Also spotted was the tiny White-browed Scrubwren. This tiny little bird forages in the ground litter, is quite plain, and only centimetres long.



Crimson Rosellas (click on photo and zoom in)

I returned home to find the Crimson Rosellas eating the flowers from my weeping cherry tree. I thought the contrast in colours was great.



Anyhow, I finished the walk and stumbled on this editorial in the Weekend Australian.. Sadly,(even though I am a few months off 50), it made me laugh a great deal!! (bird list is at the bottom), read on:-

YOU know you've turned 50 when: that person in the hat cannot possibly be a pilot.

Your voice starts to have a tone, perhaps only slight, but there none the less, of pompous authority.

Restaurants are suddenly very noisy.

You assess a good night's sleep according to how many times you got up.

You lust after the cars/guitars/clothes of your youth.

Today's sporting stars seem to lack the elan, the bravado, the derring-do of those of your day.

You start to say "in my day" - without any deprecating old man impression.

You remember school/university/first jobs with deep affection - no matter how much you hated it at the time.

You fall asleep during movies.

You start thinking of getting a home on one level.

When discussing politics you say things such as "the best lack all conviction, the worst are full of passionate intensity".

You find yourself telling a story you know you've told before, but you don't know if it was to these people. You continue. They let you.

Something you always hated starts to seem OK. Gardening. Musical theatre. Port. British detective dramas made by BBC Manchester.

Comfort over fashion. Every time.

You raise your optimum weight by 5kg.

You fall asleep reading the paper.

You feel unreasonably proud of being across a new technology: "There's this great app on the iPad!"

The city at night seems threatening. Footpads and ruffians lurk at every corner.

This seems like an excellent topic.

The first time you hear about a new recreational drug is on the ABC news.

You can't pronounce the name of the biggest pop star in the world.

Pop music seems vapid. Pornographic. Angry. Violent.

When you get out of bed, everything hurts.

You have a health issue that remains undiagnosed, chronic, and every few months you resolve to do something about it.

There are periods of your life you no longer remember.

You can't remember anyone's name any more.

You have no new friends.

You really must sort out the photos/clean the garage/turn that kid's bedroom into a study

Why not go on a cruise?

You can't believe you once smoked.

You try to tell young people things. No really, I know you won't listen, but if I knew this then, I think by 60 you stop that.

You've been to a 60th.

I presented these ideas on my radio show and, it being talk radio, a medium favoured by the mature, many shared accurate insights. You know you've turned 50 when:

The sharp and pungent music of your youth is now broadcast easy listening style in your supermarket - Ross.

You're drawn to golf courses - Nathalie.

You look in the mirror and see your mother - Virginia.

Quite interested in conversations about knee and hip replacements - Murray.

Waking up to Macca is a highlight of the weekend - Mark.

Before accepting an invitation to go out, you check the TV guide - Annette.

You look at your twin sister and think, God she's looking old - Amanda.

At school reunions you confuse teachers and students - Maurice.

Your back goes out more often than you do - Geoff.

Young men in shops start calling you "sir" instead of "mate".

In the shower you only wash down to your knees - Wal.

When the hairdresser inquires "Eyebrows, sir?"

Wombatisation - Ella.

When a man has to choose over or under, as in belt and navel - Gary.

When people stop telling you you're a hypochondriac - Peter.

You find yourself teaching previous students' offspring - Sally.

The only thing you put up your nose is Vicks inhaler - Mick.

You think Nirvana is new music - Carole.

Getting in or out of a chair requires vocalisation - Rob.

You feel you have wisdom that others need to hear - Kath.

When the young fellow at a drive-in bottle shop offers to carry your purchases to the car - Malcolm.

The twinkle in your eye is only the sun on your bifocals - Kamal.

You'd swap your broad mind for a narrow waist - Warwick.

If you are a woman you turn invisible - Mercedes.

You start to shout at the radio - Sue.

Everyone starts talking about their dogs - Del.


I'm not even sure politics would count. The now Prime Minister (as at the moment of writing, possibly at the time you're reading) is 50 on September 29.


And that's me. As if you hadn't figured that out.


Birds seen:- Red Wattlebird, Striated Thornbill, Grey fantail, Yellow Robin, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill, Golden Whistler, Lewins Honeyeater, Common Bronzewing, White Browed Scrub Wren.