400:52
I arrived in Hobart and Tim, my host, was keen to get my 50 birds. It’s been the same all the way through: people have adopted my little project as their own. They say things like, “I know where we can get ’such-and-such bird’. I’ll take you out there now”. Then, sure enough, on the wire, or in the canopy of the tree, or soaring high over yonder peaks is such-and-such bird.
What’s interesting is that people often know a lot more about the birds than they let on. Tim, for example, did his honours on seabirds, but “was never much of a ticker”. It’s good to see that there’s people out there who are interested in the natural world around them and who do actually give two shits what happens to it - like the Save Ralphs Bay group.
The problem is the money-grubbers who want to develop coastal mudflats into canal estates. This, is beyond my comprehension. Maybe I should write to them and say, “Dude, I saw bird 49 there (sooty oystercatcher). How about you fuck off back to the Gold Coast?”.
Anyway, heading into the conference now, a bit late, but who wants to hear a politician opening a conference anyway?
August 28th, 2006 at 11:47 am
That didn’t take long to make 50! There was a bird calling at uni just before, tried to twitch it but I think it was on the roof.
Thanks to Tommy and Tiiiiim for mending my bike.
Tim-tim - I’ll call you this week and pick up those pedals? Thanks.
August 28th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
400 eh? better get pedalling, baby!
or maybe you could count your surplus new birds as kms? - like, 10 ks each?
xxx z
August 28th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Maybe a handicap of 12.5% to compensate for fixed gear and titanium rod? And another 12.5% just because you are small-man?. Hmmm? Yes well. ahem. come….on.
August 31st, 2006 at 7:55 am
I see that the forecast for Hobart today (last day of winter) is 21 degrees and sunny. Can this be right? And the forecast for Peterborough today (last day of summer) is 21 degrees and cloudy. Let me think about that for a split second. Thinking over - Hobart sounds good. But then again in Santorini (where Pete is) the forecast is 5 days of sunshine and 32 degrees each day. I guess he’ll just get thirsty and have to have a beer to recover.
August 31st, 2006 at 6:11 pm
are we running off the monthly break up of seasons or the equinox style break up of seasons? making the 21st of September the start of spring
September 1st, 2006 at 8:19 am
An interesting question. According to the Museum of Victoria, “In some parts of the world, such as Australia, seasons begin on the first day of a particular calendar month - in March for Autumn, June for Winter, September for Spring and December for Summer. In other countries such as Britain, it’s accepted that the seasons begin on the dates that the Earth passes four special points in its orbit about the Sun”.
The problem in Australia is that in September the weather gets most un-winter like. For example, it’s a glorious day in Sydney today with a forecast top of 24, and tomorrow a top of 27. Hardly the stuff of winter. Mind you, I also noticed that the weather in Hobart will deteriorate next week with a forecast top of only 12 one day. Could this be caused by Tom’s hot air leaving the state, or does the sun really shine out of his arse thereby causing a cold spell when he departs?
September 1st, 2006 at 12:52 pm
jesus, i leave you fuckers alone for a week…