This is the bird that appears in the song “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks. It is a remarkable bird as are all of the other remarkable birds.
White-winged Choughs are easily recognised but often mistaken for “crows”—a double mistake, as the birds most frequently called “crows” in Australia are actually ravens. And yet you continue to make this simple error!
White-Winged Chough searches for Walnut Smashing Stone
On Saturday Dad is having a big moving sale at his place in Araluen. He’s cleared out the packing shed, and the house and everything. Araluen is a tiny town in NSW about 90 minutes from Canberra. Dad has sold his place because, as he says “I am sick to death of those fucking peach trees”. There aren’t many peach trees left at Dad’s place. There were hundreds when he bought the sort of organic but not really, peach orchard 20 years ago. Over time he has taken them out and replaced them with natives and so on. And a water hole. And loads of snakes which pisses off Gloria from next door. But you know, snakes are people too.
We had a house in Canberra for many years and that’s gone now. Mum was part of an autonomous feminist collective at a place called Tarlina in Majors Creek which is just a few miles up the road on top of the mountain and that’s gone. So this is the last link to the area for our mob. Sad.
Anyway, when Dad moved into Araluen he noticed the Choughs would get the ripe walnuts and find a stone to smash them on until they opened. When he realised this, he put stones all round the place so the Choughs would have easy access to Walnut Smashing Stones. That’s just the kind of guy he is. He would also tie newspaper round the bottom of the apricot trees when there was earwig trouble. All the earwigs would hide in the newspaper and then later he would go around with his chickens and take off the newspaper and the chickens would eat all the earwigs. They laid beautiful eggs those chickens and they followed dad everywhere.
Anyway, if you’re near Araluen on Saturday, drop in and buy some of his crap. It gets underway around 9.30. He’s got an old medical school skeleton (gone already apparently), a roll away laying nest for fowls, a well deepening windlass, ironware, sulky steps and a bunch of other stuff that I have no idea what it is. There are apparently some early apricots too. It’s the house that look likes a space station, you can’t miss it. But if you get lost, you can ask around, the locals don’t like him much ever since he was President of the Araluen Water Users Association, but they know who he is. He’s only been there 25 years so he’s still a blow in obviously.
Watch for low-flying Choughs
While speaking to Dad about the Choughs he emailed me: ”I may have told you that the Choughs find it hard to keep up their numbers in their family groups so at times they ‘kidnap’ young choughs from other groups.” This may explain how I came to be related to these people who know what a windlass is.
12 Comments
FD, even I know what a windlass is….But a well-deepening windlass????
Come on now. Inquiring minds are dying to know.
I tried to Google it and the only hit I got was to here :-( Good luck to First Grand-Dog and his sale – I’d be there if I could. I hope he’s moving to Penguin – there’s a terrific statue there.
OK, what IS a well-deepening windlass??
Sounds like the well is dry. “can’t go any deeper”
:) :) FD, I did so too, I did so too know that Raven’s aren’t crows. In fact I’ve got an old bird-watching book which requests any reader spotting a real crow should get in touch with the local council. Because of the threat of two turning up and having progeny. :) :) Make the Mynah and the cane toad look like amateurs. :)
I also know what a well-deepening windlass is. It’s a girl, under the age of twenty-two but over the age of fifteen, employed by her dear old dad to dig out the silted-up family well. On hot north-wind days she can’t breathe so she’s a windless well-deepening windlass. Seriously, I have no idea. Do tell.
Hope the sale went well for FD’s Dad’s Dad.
I’m fascinated by the Unibrain of a Chough group, Bird Borgs. During the drought a group moved to my place and their social structure was a constant fascination. There was almost NO interaction with the resident Currawongs nor the dominant pair of Magpies.
Wish that I’d look at this Blog earlier then I would have been able to get to the sale. Is there any residue to pick over, or take in bulk?
Nothing to do with choughs but I just had to tell you, Mr Onthemoon, that your calendar arrived today and it is wonderful!!! I laughed a lot and out loud as well.
Thanks Catherine. I am glad you liked it.
I have to agree with Catherine. The calender is actually worth the week of bread and water diet I had to endure to afford it.
Congrats and well done FD.
Now then….How about an answer to the question on everyone’s lips.
WTF’s a well-deepening windlass? :)
Haven’t received the calendar as yet.
When are you going to put us out of our agony and tell us WTF a well-deepening windlass is.
Dear FD, please could you turn my logo into pants? I haven’t worn a skirt in yonks. Pretty please :)
:).
I don’t mean a pair of pants, I mean just sorta…No, I like it as it is.
You can find the answers to some of your questions in part 2 here – http://blogs.crikey.com.au/firstblog/2008/12/08/7-kettles-and-a-black-house-spider-badumna-insignis/
But not the thing about the pants.