“When I go and look at the country I imagine it as it was before Europeans arrived.” Uncle Mark Flanders

Heading to the the Aran Islands a few years back I tried to get hold of Tim Robinson’s book,
The Stones of Aran: Pilgrimage . . .

Wyn was so annoyed one dawn at Valla Beach with all the dog excrement that she just put pen to paper or rather stick to sand in water.

This habitat is the most ancient in Australia, once covering ancient Gondwana. . . . Blood trickled from a leech bite a few months ago and I thought of Arthur Coga.

Unlike owls they mainly catch insects and with their beaks not talons, and rather than flying about in search of food they sit still on a low perch and wait for their prey food to come within range.

A record turn-out of 27 people and a good bird list of 67 species.

This shows the importance of gardens for helping native fauna and flora survive all the threats they are under.

The Pink Bloodwoods, paper-barks and banksias are flowering

Cats are known to feed on more than 347 native species: that’s 186 species of birds, 64 mammals, 86 reptiles, at least 10 amphibians and numerous invertebrates.

Jabiru, Black-necked Stork, Urunga The name jabiru is no longer used by birders because it is the name of a South American bird. It’s a shame that common names (that mean people us them and recognise the birds) are dying out.