fight or flight

I have to admit I am an avid bird watcher. As much as I whine about my parents obsession with Finches, I've come to find comfort in the family of ornaments sitting on the mantle piece...and almost bear the live ones Im forced to take care of while they have weekends away at, you guessed it; bird shows.

The security a bird must feel. Knowing at any moment when the going gets tough, a few flaps of the old wings and your off into the clouds. No traffic, No waiting for public transport, just pure freedom. So astounding that humans spend lifetimes trying to invent and perfect such flying machines, and far too often watching them crashing down causing catastrophe. And here these birds are doing what theve always done. I suppose freedom comes with their nature. Alongside cheekyness.

My favourite types of birds are the sprightly 'Superb Fairy Wrens'. The name gives away most of their traits. They lightly hop about with a burst of energy I could only dream of. Tails always upwright and although curious little creatures, they won't sit still for long enough to get a real look at. Call them shy or cheeky, im yet to decide. If I was to compare myself to a common bird, this one would be it. Unlike the photos you see here, Im yet able to catch any of the boisterous Wren. Probably due to my lack of patience. Like the T-rex I find if you stay completely still for long enough, you'll casually become invisible to its movement focused eye, and you wont get eaten.

My second bird of choice would be the Satin Bowerbird.

With striking blue eyes even more so than a young Timothy Maher, this bird is so well documented for the bower it builds during mating season to attract females.  The bower consists of the usual nesting sticks, but a quirky collection of blue (stolen) items does compliment its display.  I first stumbled across this little beauty when I notcied a lack of blue clothes pegs in the basket. When we finally found the culprit, we didnt have the heart to take the items back because his collection of blue string, bottle tops and pegs was just too dam cute (or determined). Its with hope that the female bower bird sees all the pretty blue obtained items and decides to mate with him over the man bird next door who hasn't even gotten around to building an impressive nest yet because he's too busy stuffing his face with worms. It sounds very much like a standard saturday night at the beery, except in our case drunk males seek out potential females and instead of stealing blue items to whoa her, pulls out a banana ($50 note) and offers to get her even more so drunk so he can mate - only momentarily with her, and of course with no reproductive outcomes (we hope). ahhh nature. Why be you so interesting.

When I think of my own personal style (or lack there of) I consider myself some sort of a bird. Always flocking towards items that are bright, odd, textured and of course shiny.

Come to think of it, if someone made a nest with a collection of thoughtful blue items from here and there...I would probably think it was a bit cute. Sounds like the bower bird knows what hes doing after all.