Hi All

I'm having a self-enforced week's break from writing to catch up on (a) some reading, and (b) everything I should've done in the last few weeks (and didn't). I wish the car would clean itself. :)

On top of that, it's been a strange few days. Mid-week, we said "Farewell" to our year 12 students as they finished lessons now head off for the exam period that starts tomorrow. I always miss them. And, sadder still, we wished a final farewell to one student who sadly lost his life on Tuesday. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, those of his mate, and those of his friends and wider loved ones. A young life lost too early.

Thursday passed without a storm (!!) - still cold, but warming up again. It's trying sooooooooo hard to get into Spring, but just can't quite commit itself just yet. Then again, we could have Hurricane Sandy bearing down on us, and after the large loss of life in the Carribean, I wouldn't want to be in the path of that critter. Taking storm cloud photos - yes!

Bird count: Still low numbers due to the influx of predators. Did see the y/f h/es, babblers, thornies, currawongs, wattlebirds, pardies (yes - SAW "Dead-tree Pardie"). Heard wrens, GWs, fantails, shrikey, spiney, kookas. Summit Road Willie Wagtail still exists - at least until the next car drives down the road. And I DID see a raptor fly over the road with a sizeable catch in its talons! Sorry, no way could I stop and identify it (or its prey) without crashing the car (not a good idea, but then, maybe I should be more committed...)

The spider orchids are just hanging on; looking forward to a few more native lilies opening up (not sure which one yet), ditto the native (white) daisies. The grasses haven't flowered as well as last year, but they're still beautiful.

Back to writing at 8pm tonight (7 days' break) - but I think it can wait until tomorrow. Bought some wonderful maps of the U.K. on Friday to sus out Albert's next journey, find an intruiging landmark and take off on the next story.

Happy writing
Bo
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Hi All

Writing news first: Sent off one BIG "assignment" this afternoon. I am relieved, exhausted, happy, dying for a LARGE moscato and a night in front of Sir David Attenborough on the telly: Kingdom of Plants. Then it's a week off from writing to READ The Lazarus Club by Dr Tony Pollard.

Yes, this week the storms by-passed us. Huh? How will I know it's Thursday without a storm? I know never to wish it would "stop raining" - we've had drought for too many years to even think that one. A few "wet" years are a welcome change, and put water into the river and groundwater systems.

This week I joined with the Writers Group students (at school) for a visit to the ABC Adelaide building at Collinswood (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). What a blast! We were guided through the TV and radio areas, met up with the Behind the News team, David Bevan from the 891 Breakfast Show, and Ian Henschke from the morning program, sat at the news desk and watched how "green screens" work. Strangely, we were running over half an hour late by the time we left. So much to see! And the students behaved!

I must've been brain-dead last week. I forgot to mention the superb workshop with Carol Lefevre (www.carollevfre.com) at the Crime Writers of SA meeting (held at the SA Writers Centre) - inspiring, great advice, fun, and learned heaps! Thanks Carol!

Bird news: the kookaburras and ravens were flying circuits of the summmit, so the little birds kept low. Result: a bloody lousy bird list - even the regulars were missing, although I did hear and-almost-see a bird that's either a RBF or a white-browed scrub-wren (I really hope it's a scrubbie - I miss them). Did hear wrens, thornies, spiney, shrikey (who almost flew into me), pardies, and the kookas and ravens (visible and vocal). The flowers are amazing - including a few landscape/flower pics this week. The grasses are beginning to flower/seed - a magical time. And I spent a bit of time removing weeds while I was there - when the mountain provides such beauty and tranquility, you just have to give something back to her.

Okay, the video's a few weeks away. Getting help with that one in case I stuff it up.

And 70 years since El Alamein. To our diggers: You gave your lives to save us. Thank you is never enough.

Happy writing
Bo
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Hi All

Back to work, back to editing and back to our regular Thursday storm and tempest with an added cold snap for the record books.

Yes, it SNOWED in the Adelaide Hills and mid-north, with even heavier falls in the eastern states - particularly in Katoomba! Thankfully, it DIDN'T coincide with my bushwalking and birdwatching trek - no way would I have gone far in that! For some great pics, check out the ABC Online website:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-12/snow-falling-across-eastern-australia/4308904

A revegetation weekend: On Saturday I helped plant seedlings at Byethorne Park (Nairne) with the Nairne Trees for Towns group where I was checked out by a grey fantail (obviously coming in to watch the dumb humans). It was Mount Barker summit's turn this morning with weed removal (bridal creeper and "soft" thistle) on the north tip and summit track. Few birds today, more yesterday (thornbills, wrens, babblers), heard more: GWs, shrikey, fantails, but the numbers seem low at present. Are they nesting? The native flowers are magnificent this year.

A sad farewell: Max Fatchen - poet, writer, journalist. A gentle sweet man. Thanks for the fun. Farewell, Max.

The best way to finish a Saturday: Watching the RX-207 and 621 steam locomotives haul the lucky punters on the SteamRanger Experience into Mount Barker station. Wow! Did I mention the weather's improved?

The best way to finish a Sunday: celebrating a 60th Wedding Anniversary of two wonderful family friends. Congratulations, Aunty Marj and Uncle Hartley!

Happy writing
Bo
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PS I haven't forgotten the video - I've forgotten how to "cut" it. Asking a work colleague tomorrow :)

Hi All

My last day in Katoomba, so I started with two early morning hikes - one last trip around the Prince Henry Walk (Katoomba Falls to Echo Point), then the short way into Leura Cascades via the Cliff Top Road. The cascades are beautiful - such an astounding display of ferns! And I caught up with the striated thornbills who were nesting near the track. Just took a photo of course!

Other birds seen: thornbills (striated and brown), 6 glossy black cockatoos, sulphurs, pied curras, wattlebirds, magpies. Heard: yellow robin, scrubbies (not seen today), whipbird, and associated other tweets (wish they'd stay still). I think the "chi-chortle-chi" bird is a striated thornbill (but didn't see ANY striations yesterday - still not sure on that one), now have the "ee-oo-ee-oo" bird. Heard honeyeaters, couldn't see them for an ID. Like I said, birds need QR codes.

Writing: not so great today, in transit, then I'll have to store everything as I have eight hours to fill in before my plane leaves. Oh well.

Thank you Katoomba for a wonderful time!

Sydney: Booked my case into a locker at the bus depot at Central Station (follow that?) then jumped on the monorail for one of my last rides before they pull it down next June. WHY?? It's such a great tourist attraction. Of course, the ibis are still at Darling Harbour and also at Belmore Park (and probably every other park). Martime Museum Willie Wagtail is still there bossing everyone around, as was a sulphur on the ramparts of the Town Hall - yes, in George Street surrounded by zillions of people and heavy traffic. Obviously irrelavant. Had another wonderful hot choc at the Guylian shop on the corner of George and Argyle Streets (although why I'm having a hot drink on a 30C day is beyond me.
Now it's back to the grind. Spent the rest of my time in Dymocks in George St - and didn't walk out with anything (it was soooooooooo hard).

Flight back was fine - hey, we made it safe, what else matters?

Saturday: Left early on the drive home. Enjoyed a short walk around MtBS - not many birds but the native flowers are amazing. CFS information session this arvo to "Get Ready" for the bushfire season - an informative seminar. Never thought about the DOORMAT catching fire.

Tomorrow is Carol Lefevre's seminar with the Crime Writer's Group at SA Writer's Centre. Monday...is back at work...

Happy writing, birdwatching, bushwalking, editing...
Bo
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PS I'll work on that lyrebird video tomorrow (Sun)

Hi All

Well, I didn’t quite get to the Leura Cascades. On the map, the last section was a steep downhill run so I went the other "not so steep way," and saw a cliff edge approaching. Knowing that cascades have to be below that, and "downhill" is not my strongest (walking) gradient, I figured a cascade is a cascade is a cascade. I’ll try and get to the public car park tomorrow (early) and go in from there. That track HAS to be in good condition.

The birds: I'll start with two precious gems: the southern yellow robin who flew by my feet, dug up an earthworm and it took it back to the nest. I couldn't breathe! This is the bird I saw/heard yesterday that I thought was a rose robin. Had the robin bit right!

Later, I met up with the superb lyrebird who more or less glared at me to stop so it could go on with its digging. I did, it did, and I hope I’ve got some great video of it. (Just have to rotate the video - sorry, that's about 2 days way). AND I saw the “chi-chortle-chi” bird near Varuna – a warbler I think but I’ll have to look it up. AND I saw a striated thornbill going into its hanging bunch-of-leaves nest and excited chicks welcoming it. HOW CUTE IS THAT?? It was right by the path…(HUH??)…in a really marshy narrow bit under an overhang. As you do.

Now I'll add the regulars (and what regulars): scrubbies, fantails, shrikey, spiney, sulphurs, pied curras, I keep forgetting to add black-backed magpie, wattlebirds (both kinds), crimson rosella (I think, not sure it wasn't a king parrot). Heard: kookas, whipbird, and a bunch of gorgeous tweets that belong to flitting shadows in dense bushland. Yeah right.

Writing: better today, improving one scene. Pleased.

Other news: The ABC were filming scenes for the upcoming third series of Dance Academy at three locations in Katoomba. WOW! Great work for these young actors and crew. Thank you ABC.

Tomorrow it's a shorter walk, then packing up to head to Sydney and eventually home. It's always hard to leave Katoomba.

Happy writing, birdwatching, bushwalking, editing...
Bo
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PS The lyrebird video will be posted soon

Hi All

An early Prince Henry Walk brought a few more birds (at last) and an awe-inspiring view of the Jamison Valley.

A couple of hours later, I took the train to Wentworth Falls for my unheroic set of walks, starting with my favourite "Darwin's Walk," named after the great scientist who walked through this area in 1836. WOW! A gorgeous day. After skirting the top of the actual Wentworth Falls, I walked along the Shortcut Track (another favourite) to the Conservation Hut. Found a shady spot for lunch, and was immediately joined by two white-browed scrubwrens. Now THAT was hard to take! Walked back to another Falls lookout, then back along Darwin's Walk to the train station. Yep, I'm dead.

The bird list:
Eastern spinebills, wrens (possibly variegated?), crimson rosellas, thornbills, grey fantails (one told me off until I finally saw it), clogs, pied currawongs, three glossy black cockatoos, sulphurs, galahs, wattlebirds - red and little, white-browed scrubwrens (a favourite). AND...Mr and Mrs Rufous Whistler - the first time I've ever seen them! I'm SOOOOO excited!
Heard: kookas, fantail cuckoos, treecreeper, eastern whipbird.
Not sure: rose robin - the call was right, and some other bird I have NO IDEA what it was and I don't have my field guide...AAAAAAAAAH! Grey/brown bird about wattlebird size, black eye, in sun has a glossy green sheen to its feathers. To quote a famous book: WHAT BIRD IS THAT???

Writing: Not quite so much today (feeling guilty), will do more tomorrow.

Tonight: Lasagne at Papa Dino's in Katoomba Street. Delicious! Worth the walk (although my legs are telling me otherwise!)

Leura Cascades tomorrow - providing there's no slippery and ridiculously steep descents on tiny steps with no handrail.

Happy writing, birding, bushwalking, everything
(and editing)
Bo
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Hi All

An early flight - and I'm back in Katoomba for a few days BBW - bushwalking, birdwatching (feathered) and writing, although not necessarily in that order. Spring is simply the most glorious time to be here with the gardens full of azaleas and the bush tracks revealing arrays of native flowers.

First, I took short walk to Varuna, the Writer's House, to drop in some forms and catch up with ever-wonderful and uber-hardworking Vera. Next, I hiked up to the shops for some fruit (essential) and to check that my favourite Italian restaurant, Pappadino's, is back in business - YES IT IS!! I'm DEFINITELY a patron tomorrow night.

With only a few hours to spare before the cold really sets in, I decided on a short walk to Echo Point for one of the most amazing views in Australia (and the world), then trek west along the Prince Henry Walk to Katoomba Falls, down about half of the Furber Steps, then up the Round Track and back to Shelton-Lea.

What a change from last year. I'd forgotten that about a week after I left, some misinformed individual (the PC version of what I'd like to call him) lit a bushfire in this area. The result, this whole section is burned, and where there were once hectares of eucalypts, leptospermums (tea tree), banksias and so on - there are blackened sticks. Grrrr. About half the plants are regenerating (the beauty of the Australian bush), but many of the eucalypts are not, sadly. And of course, the birds have gone. I'm heartbroken. I'm hoping most have moved below the burned areas or over onto the west side of the falls (which thankfully wasn't burned). Thanks to the skills of the firefighters, the advance was halted around Katoomba Falls Road. It will recover, but it takes around 10 or so years.

Okay, not all was lost. I DID see some birds, not many, but it wasn't the best time of day to see them. Today's tally: thornbills, female satin bowerbird (what a joy! And I left the banana sandwich at home [long story with that one]), rock warblers (YESSS! OVER THE MOON!), yellow-faced honeyeaters, wood (maned) duck, sulphur-crested cockatoos, pied currawongs, HEARD a fantail cuckoo, possibly saw white-browed scrubwrens (not sure), and heard/saw quite a few others I couldn't identify. Wish they'd come with a QR code - it'd be SO much simpler!

Writing: of course. On the plane, on the train, about to enter it onto computer...if I don't fall asleep - it's been a long day.

Tomorrow: Wentworth Falls - the easy tracks (and I mean REALLY EASY). Too many ledges overlooking death-defying sheer drops. I will never be Mrs Bear Grylls!

Happy writing, birding, bushwalking, everything
Bo
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