A bunch of thirsty Galahs
Galahs near Peterborough
In my post a few days ago I posted several photos of several Mallee Ringnecks taken just north of Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. As I left the reserve where I took those photos, I drove slowly along the dirt road back towards the town. I stopped several times to take a few photos of the local birds.
This was early in March and we were having a particularly hot spell of weather. By the time I had left the nature reserve, the air was beginning to really heat up. I thought that it might be prudent to head back to my brother-in-law’s home and lay low during the worst of the heat. On my way home, I spotted several small flocks of Galahs having a drink at several old baths in the nearby paddocks. The local farmers had placed these bath tubs in their horse paddocks, brought the water pipe to the bathtubs, installed floats and thus provided a water source for their horses and sheep.
Naturally, the Galahs have endorsed this installation by also indulging in an early morning drink before the heat of the day to come. The second photo (the one immediately below) is unfortunately spoiled by the thin line of the fencing wire passing across the face of two of the birds. I did not notice this when taking the photo. It was only when I downloaded the photo and enlarged it on my computer that I noticed the wire. Such are the hazards of photography.
Galahs near Peterborough
Galahs near Peterborough
I was talking to our pharmacist about a latch hook rug I am making. I described it to her as a galah in the bush. She seemed puzzled and said she didn’t know what a galah was. She said she is not from Australia, so how would she know about galahs. There were a flock of them just down the road on the grass of a small park. She only had to step outside. I wonder how many birds she does know or notice. People can be in a place and not really be in a place.
Sadly, this seems to be true of many people. They seem to be so preoccupied with themselves – or their devices – that they barely notice what is going on around them. Few marvel at the wonders of creation all around. People are sometimes amazed when I point out delightful things in the natural world, asking me “How did you notice that?’ I am constantly on the lookout for both the usual – such as Galahs – and the unusual – like a Wedge-tail Eagle soaring overhead.
On the other hand, people who know me well, and my interest in birds in particular, come home from extended grey-nomad peregrinations to declare, ‘We thought of you when we saw this beautiful kingfisher!’
‘Then why didn’t you invite me to come along as a guide?’ is my usual response.