Australia Day looms

---

Jan 15. The morning started with a red wattlebird, then honeyeaters, grey fantail. Went on and on thru eastern whipbird which I'd heard so often but never seen. Lost count. Maybe twenty five species. What Hillsborough is to butterflies, Mallacoota is to birds. Awesome. Sat down to eat. Lyrebirds forraging. Later spruik and swim. When many people say we've done this its time to move on. Evening at Curley's to watch TV. No show! Lee (wife) for, her mother (84) in RSL against. They were passionate. Curley went out for view to escape. All good. By the river (estuary) Royal Spoonbill (breeding) with their white plumes from the back of head. For some reason I never thought I'd see a spoonbill. The whole notion seemed so improbable, that strange beak. Strange like the pelican. The pelican however improbable was common, normal.
Jan 16. Morning. Apart from the woohp, woohp, woohp of the wonga and some titterings the birds seemed to be breakfasting elsewhere. Severaal large roos grazed. Drove to Eden. Went to newspaper to get copy of article from April. Reporter wanted to follow up story, interview and pic! Good spruik. Very windy. Drove to Merimbula. Windy. Spruik. Freelance couple wanted to do story. Met at 4 in Tathra. Windy. We went around o Kiaminny cleft in rocks facing SE and sheltered. Heaps cool. They'll submit it to various publications including 'Good Weekend' (SMH). Here's hoping.

---