Its funny, we lived on the edge of Table Mountain National Park for many years, our rodents were plenty, our snakes were free and our birds knew when to squawk.
The Fish Eagle …bless its socks…would fly by at a very respectable 10.37 am ..maybe 11
( who knows, the fishing may have been THAT good that a sleep in was required) but it would fly over quite high not stoned although, i’ve never tested one, i’m more thinking altitude, and release its gentle bellow over the skies .
I’d stop my work and look up in wonder “aah…that’s stunning” i’d say to myself or whatever dog was under my feet, maybe i’d run out and see if I could see it gliding in the thermals like some adrenaline junky before it plunges to earth and grabs a rabbit or mouse.
My expectation of living on the last wild bit of land with nothing between us and the sea but acres of Port Jackson interspersed with fynbos ,a nuclear lake and some horses was that it would resonate with the noisy sounds of wildlife. The mouse in my dishwasher making pancakes with the cinnamon I sprinkled in the futile attempt at discouraging it from nesting was not the noise I had in mind though and apart from that ….all (as they say in the classics) was quiet in the land.
Until we moved to Suburbia.
Granted the house is perched on the rocky slopes of Elsies Peak and the back of the property has been handed over to a jungle of rock, wild dagga, nasturtians and………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………birds.
Growing up in this house my father was adamant that we could never ever have cats because they will chase away the birds! I’ve had many post life conversations with him recently at 3.45am about this law and that he was wrong. Wrong. Wrong WRONG!
You people moan about Hadeda’s….ffs….amateurs.
Hadeda’s at least have the cognisance to go to sleep so even though their gut wrenching yells at 5.32am are annoying…at least that’s the only time they yell.
Ladies and Gents let me introduce you to the Guinea Fowl!
The Tik Addict of the neighbourhood.
They strut around in their hoodies all pumped up yelling at each other, picking fights with random shiny car rims with no concept of time as its reach for the lazers all night long! They are who Lionel Richie wrote about all those years back but these dudes are next level. Its fights and bitch slaps at 2am…then they move from the front of the house to the back of the house and those that manage to fly somehow perch drunkenly on a wire and screech from there.
When we moved my concern *to be honest* was a host of other things…so when the teens stumbled out in the morning looking more hungover than a teen after Karaoke at the Bell on a school night except this time they were tucked up in bed…I had to say with a worried look
“did Nana’s snoring keep you up last night ?”
“MOOOOOOOMMMMMM” they bellowed….
“Its the birds!!!!!!”
Next thing I see in the Google search is “how to scare birds away without killing them but if they have to die by mistake thats ok as well”
#birds #hadeda #assholes #guineafowl
grinleer 