Friday, November 23, 2007

Cuckoo and peacock - an odd couple


I've previously mentioned the flowers growing in my English-style garden here in Tasmania.
At the moment I have black poppies, blue cornflowers, masses of red valerian,
forget-me-nots, jasmine and various varieties of honeysuckle, and of course dozens of different roses.
But the sights in the garden are not the only things which differ from my garden in Western Australia.
In the evening, instead of listening to the trucks rolling along on the Great Eastern Highway, I listen to the night sounds.
The thump of the feet of the tiny Bennet's wallabies, the call of a cuckoo and, just recently, the cry of a peacock high in tree.
I was told the male bird (who used to be part of a pair) visits every spring.
None of the neighbours know where he comes from. But the calls of the the cuckoo and peacock are most distinctive - and beautiful.
Photo: Peacocks at Cataract Gorge in Launceston (within walking distance of the city). MM

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