scouted wfi •"" | " obap^tt oi Kan- 

 garoos clashed away through the 

 scruh. 



lis I p.m.. the laigcst clearing lav 

 bctote inn! behind me: btightjai 

 Clearing aJso spied oa both sides* 

 oi [he trapfc, Red vv ..i iu- Weds were 

 in the trees on the margin of tins 

 clearing and the open area was R0I 

 deserted. I'm a Magpie was in resi- 

 lience. 



Just alter leaving the clearing, i 

 vociferous cacophony ahead Dt Itie 

 ditceted inv binoculars at ■ group Of 

 parrots sweeping head high towauls 

 m>' ami eneigciieally engaged in con 

 vcrsatiori Whether the conversation 

 was casual or a ileviee for direction 

 finding an.l lornialiou preset Vatioti 1 

 do not know, hut I hail Hie distinct 

 sensation that very shorllv I would 

 he impaled on a miniher ul beaks ami 

 pteparcd to duck. At about twenty 

 yards the formation split, and without 

 losing a syllable, swept right and let I 



to rejoin hehind me .mj eontinui 



their ait home discussion a-. !hc\ pur- 

 sued their Clear track to the cast. 



I saw four moif Yellow-plumed 

 Honeycalers Two of them were 

 younBsters hm their flvinf hsiri 

 reached a higher siandau! than the 

 perched one seen before. I hey were 

 making use of this skill to pester 

 their parents by continued pursuit 

 and loud calls tor food, 



An elusive Crested Hillhml was 

 heard quite clearly hut faintly. There 

 was always the temptation hi try and 

 sight this bird. This however was noi 

 the time or place. 



I came to L'mu Clearing; smaller 

 than Nightjar Clearing, hut larger 

 than the other two, it was toialh 

 different from the three of them. It 

 was Hat. damp, and desolate, com- 

 pared with the chccrlul malice. 

 Where the track sloped mm the 

 clearing, and later where U rose mil 

 of it. were fringes ol Weeping Putts 



sporuin and seedlings in abtiiul.iii.,. 

 of that species. I be dealing hail , 

 lew ol Ihese I'lllx-pmimis and some 

 small 1 in pontine hushes bOI In, 

 damp patches were devoid ot 

 vcL'ciaiiuii. 1 was glad to move or, 

 again and into the Malice, even 

 IhAngh the li.u k had hegun to cliinh 

 Another pair of Purple-haekin 

 Wrens was noted as well as a kan- 

 earoo on the track ahead. Ten mm- 

 i ites laid and still climbing. I emeu-... 

 a dense /one of Moonah with patclw 

 of I'oreupine Grass. In one of thi\t 

 patches stood a small malice, and 

 ;:liinpsing a »lij'lu movement, w.s 

 luckv to aim the binoculars at the 

 right s|va .md i.k us on a Shy Heath- 

 wren I ike most uf these small wren* 

 it did nor stay in sight for any gre.it 

 length ot time, hut in my glimpse 

 the white wing patch was quite dis- 

 cernible 



At 5. no p in. -j Grey Thrush san- 

 an evening solo, and taking his ailvxf 

 I unslung ms pack and flexed ON 

 HChlnj shouldfis Choosing a clear 

 patch to the leeward side ot a donv 

 low branebfil Vtnonah, I behaved lit 

 a I ow.m .mil \wcp t together jII ihc 

 ...tjiieem hjCME R(l«r to create ■ MX 

 inch mattress. TV wide shem c 

 polythene I carried was lun(£ ertou*l' 

 to cover this mattress, make u frail 



vertical windbreak, and then (bH 

 hack in lean-to lash ion to serve Hi . 

 cover tor the sleeping bag A< I 

 finished that job it was put to the 

 test us light rain felt for half 3n btW, 

 The gear remained drv \s I nipped 

 Scrub Robin called Two Rl 

 Parrots perched across the OTrtf * 

 a few moments before deciding (0 

 roost elsewhere. 



By 6.30 it was ueaiK d.itk ami 

 with daylight almost twelve houn 

 away I woildeied how much --deep 

 I could absorb. I put ur, he id dQWI 



I had just shone mv torch on niv 

 watch and having been under die 



264 



Vicl Not Vol 8? 



