The Daily Good News
My favourite bird may have been eliminated (figuratively) from bird of the year, but maybe next year.
"These birds never leave the beach – they are born and live and die on the beach. At 100 grams – the birds spend all their lives in all sorts of weather and storms.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/how-lovers-of-the-h…
They hang around on a quiet stretch of beach nearby/. Lots of pied oyster catchers too.
Back to the birds, as a little kid I spent one school holidays with a few others and our primary school teacher at the Gould League of Bird Lovers camp held at the Lake Ainsworth National Fitness camp . Our school was inland and not for a second did I foresee that about 15 years later I would be catching waves next to the big headland a few miles south of the camp.
Our teacher was a committed amateur ornithologist and I'll be forever grateful for her passing on her knowledge and love for birds. We used to catch ,band and release for research- sturdy motorcycle gloves for the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo - and take long nature study hikes during school hours .
The Gould League had the first favourite bird comp back in early 1900's. Haven't voted yet but Galah will get mine.
Sadly the King Parrot has been eliminated from the running.
My vote has gone to the humble Aussie maggie as the quintessential Oz bird. Plus Seaslugs little mate pushed me in that direction.
Carn' the Pies!
(fark, first time I've said that in my life)
The Maggie is too obvious but it’s hard to beat. I sort of view it like a early naughties Kelly Slater of the Oz bird world. You get bored of it winning but it wins cause it’s the best. Not the prettiest looking bird, it’s their personality , willingness to interact with humans and their universal accessibility which gets them over the line so often.
King parrots are cool and you can get up close and personal with them but they’ll never come over and just hang out like a magpie.
Powerful owls are flat out incredible - basically the great white of the Oz bird world ( Wedgie is the tiger shark ) - the only problem is you are mostly only aware of their presence when you hear the blood curdling scream of a possum getting rinsed during a dark night. Winged Jack the Rippers.
Brought you a beer and a bag of chips Blackers?
That's my kind of bird.
tubeshooter wrote:
How the hell is the bush turkey still in the running ?
TS
Haha...It's a fake left agenda. Unpopular is the new popular.
In other vaccine news. Somehow I doubt that there will be protests at the Shrine about this one though
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2021/10/6/22712898/who-malaria-vacci…
Further to above re malaria
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210618091723.htm
"Recent successes with vaccines against COVID-19 highlight the advantages of mRNA-based platforms -- notably highly targeted design, flexible and rapid manufacturing and ability to promote strong immune responses in a manner not yet explored,"
I was wavering between the galah and the maggie this morning but I still had to give my vote to the maggie.
Only a handful left.
Just voted .
Galah's have a great sense of play , I'm sure other birds do too, but with the Galah its 'much more obvious and relatable to humans I think. I've watched a flock of Galah's divebombing a large clump of trees at speed and then tearing through them as fast as they can , shrieking as loud as they can. Cant see this activity relating to food catching , mating, check rearing or other mundane activities. Its a rush. They're frothing - like their own version of surfing.
Excellent work there Stu. A mate of yours?
Apparently the Superb Fairy Wren won the bird of the year. Have to admit I love ‘em, always see them around the beaches in the foredunes and in the banksias and Swamy areas, anywhere with some thick vegetation for them to dart into for protection.
But Maggie’s have to be the best. Smartest birds in the block. Got a pair in the backyard at the moment with a constantly squawking youngster saying ‘feed me, fucker.’ Young fella seems to be interested in what we’re doing and comes up to the glass doors and knocks occasionally. Mum/dad just watches.
Anyone know what would be good food for a Maggie for us to leave out for them?
Just want to maintain good relations.
Not mince apparently . They don't have tongues so babies can choke . They love cheese .
From my mother so beware .
batfink wrote:
Anyone know what would be good food for a Maggie for us to leave out for them?
Just want to maintain good relations.
Get a loaf of that cheap Devon. . They lose their minds over it. Cheese is good though I’m not sure how healthy it is for them?
RIP Ndakasi.
“She will be missed by all of us at Virunga but we are forever grateful for the richness Ndakasi brought to our lives during her time at Senkwekwe,” Bouma said.
The global population of mountain gorillas was critically endangered when Ndakasi was born in 2007, but the species has grown some 47 per cent to an estimated 1,063 this year, park officials said.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/female-gorilla-in-vi…
He’s a big fella Blowin, Good thing your Maggie’s have fledged.
Walked around the headland again this morning. Bursts of sunlight out on the sea highlighting the chop on the small swell lines. A few people at the lighthouse watching for whales. Birdsong. Not another person on the track itself. Reflected rain drops on the foliage. Surf? Who cares?
Blowin wrote:
Get a loaf of that cheap Devon. . They lose their minds over it. Cheese is good though I’m not sure how healthy it is for them?
Cheers hutchy and Blowin. Mate, no Devon at our house, I’m mighty partial to berliner though so they’ll get some upgraded Devon.
Fritz and tomato sauce on fresh white bread haha, south oz grommet staple
Heard Warren Ellis, musical genius, speaking on the radio yesterday. He has set up an animal sanctuary in Sumatra for local wildlife, focusing on rescued animals that can’t be released into the wild due to injuries or other special needs. His book, Nina Simone’s gum, is also a good read.
https://www.ellispark.org/
blackers wrote:
Heard Warren Ellis, musical genius, speaking on the radio yesterday. He has set up an animal sanctuary in Sumatra for local wildlife, focusing on rescued animals that can’t be released into the wild due to injuries or other special needs. His book, Nina Simone’s gum, is also a good read.
Sounds good blackers, there is a Victorian woman who lives in Bali who has set up a rescue centre for stray Balinese dogs or dogs whose owners no longer want them or don’t look after them.
The organisation’s name is Mission Pawsible. You can find them on social media.
I’ve been donating to it monthly for 3 years now, they do some fantastic work.
Good man, goofyfoot. It's nice to see, and be able to support, people doing good things. Much better than reading insane ramblings and perpetual arguments on the internet!
BTW, from recollection you were expecting a new addition fairly recently. Hope all is going well.
Blackers yes it’s much better I agree! I get sucked in sometimes to the stupidity of it.
I just checked out Warrens organisation, looks like it’s going to be incredible. Sounds like they have big plans.
All good with the new addition thank you! Just trying to get used to walking around like a sleep deprived zombie again,
Finding an old board of mine in my nephew's board rack and realising the planshape is pretty damn alluring in a mini-mid-length kinda way.
6'0" x 19 x 2 3/4 with a semi beaked nose to keep the thickness running forward
Slightly different planshape but the Machado Creeper - an 8' middie with the middle 2 foot cut out. Great for swooping cutties and down the line speed runs. Best as a quaddie with twin fins at front and small trailers.
Look at lot like a 7S Jetstream
Volume Middys by Richie Lovett look o.k.
Ha ha ha...OK.
Made by Pato at PCC back in the early noughties. Not a model, I vaguely remember requesting something along the lines of a progressive fish. Not sure why he went longer than I'd normally get, but fifteen years on, few months out due to injury, and a few extra kegs on the scales, it's now almost perfect.
I like the looks of that board.
Btw- which bird came out on top in the Guardian vote?
I was referring to the Machado creeper looking 7s ish
The Pato Red Nettle looks fun.
zenagain wrote:
I like the looks of that board.
Btw- which bird came out on top in the Guardian vote?
Superb Fairy Wren won the prize, not blue headed finch.
I believe I have been smacked down by Udo. :(
udo said...'.The Patto Red Nettle..'.......Stu rubbing his beard and adjusting his manbun comes to the conclusion that he could flood the markets with a new design......well hipsters dont know its been all done before.....looks at his phone, rings GSI........
How good is finding an old board you’d forgotten you’d even made.
Found this old thing hidden under a heap of ag pipe under the house. I put it’s genesis at circa 2009. I remember coming here ( over East) for a few months and none of my boards worked in the weaker waves. So I pumped heaps of volume into this self styled thing. The outline was either ahead of it’s time or from a time best forgotten. Those brown lines down either side of the deck are where I took an electric plane to the rails after finding them too boaty. Just ground them down then glassed them back,over.
I remember it going pretty good but promptly forgot about it when I left and didn’t return for a couple of years. Might have to give it a run even though it looks a bit hideous despite the mid length high volume nose currently in vogue.
It’s 6’0 and that’s the only dimension I remember.
Mixed news yesterday. Twin #1 knocked twin #2's tooth out, and not a baby tooth either, which meant visiting a few Emergency Departments to find a dentist who could work miracles on a Sunday.
When the Gong options dried up, the wife bundled twin #2 into the car and headed north to Sydney to try the dentist at Randwick Kids Hospital while I took the other kids out trick or treating.
While walking the streets I came across a junk pile a few streets away with this Froggy Byrne twin fin clinker channel. Few dings, nothing major, missing a fin, but all the fundamentals are in place. The clinker edges are sharp enough to shave off and there's no cracks there at all. Great find.
As for twin #2: no dice with the Randwick dentist. Need an implant when he's older. Might even get a nice resto on this board and offer it to him.
Dedicated to good news ....