wordsfromanneli

Thoughts, ideas, photos, and stories.


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Australian Wood Duck

Another photo from my friends’ holiday in Australia.

Is it a duck or a goose? It seems to have features of both and its Latin name has been adjusted  somewhat (from chen to anser?) to cover both features. Not sure about the Latin names, but there is definitely something goosey about this wood “duck.”

Hi,

My friends!

See me here?

I’m a wood duck,

Why am I called that?

No, I’m not made of wood,

I nest in tree cavities

Away from many predators,

My flightless ducklings leap from the tree,

When I call from the ground, they jump to me.


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The Lunch Menu

 

“What to do? What to do? Which ones should we go after, Dad?”

“That’s a tough one, Son. So many dinners. So little time….

I guess we watch for a cripple, or a loner, like always.”

 

Poised

Over

Fields of geese

Eagles search out

 Opportunity,

Eyes open for cripples,

Some lone, wandering straggler,

Any kind of anomaly

Lacking the protection of the flock,

A victim to be whisked away for lunch.


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Shovelers

Folks!

May I

Introduce

The shovelers.

Their bills are special.

Wide with comb-like strainers

They sweep the water’s surface

Back and forth, swishing and slurping,

Straining out plankton and crustaceans,

Cleaning the water as they eat their lunch.

 

“Whadda ya say, Missus? Wanna go for a swim?”

“Naaaaah. I’m good. Just catchin’ a few rays.”

**Photo by friend, Sonia.


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Look but Don’t Touch

A young puppy knows nothing about porcupines and the pain they can inflict just by being there.

Emma bounced around this one in a field, probably wondering why it didn’t either fly away or come out to play.

 

 

Ouch!

Needles.

Avoid them.

Time to back off.

Explore somewhere else.

Leave Mr. Porcupine

Or become a pin cushion.

Naivety comes with a price,

But, for once,  listen to your elders.

Best not to indulge curiosity.

 


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The Root Cellar

Perhaps it’s not quite like a fridge, but it was a cool place to store the potatoes, turnips, carrots,  beets, and squash.

*Disclaimer – This is not my root cellar but it was on land where I was visiting. The poem is purely fictional (although probably possible).

“Go

Bring back

Potatoes,

Carrots, and squash.

The wicker basket

Is handy to carry

Everything.” — “But, Mom,” I whined,

“It’s so dark in there, and there’s bugs!”

“Nonsense! The bugs are more scared of you.”

Off I went … and of course, I proved her wrong.


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The Roundup

Apologies for the fuzzy photos, taken several years ago by this mediocre photographer with a mediocre camera.

You want me to what?

To get up and move?

To get off my butt

And to get in the groove?

A cow hand today

Has no need of a horse,

His ride needs no hay,

It’s a quad ride, of course.

 

Just fill it with gas

And go roaring around,

No cattle will sass,

And to follow, they’re bound.

There’s always a stray cow

That has to be got,

But magically, ends somehow

In the cow lot.


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Birdfeeders

 

Hawk!

Warnings

are shouted.

Bird seeds are served,

but not for me; still,

hunger motivates me.

Unsuspecting songbirds feed,

inadvertently becoming

 my prey, providing me with fresh meat.

Yes! Bird feeders  —  the balance of nature.

*****

Thanks to Linda for her help with etherees, a poetry form I had not yet tried. Any future tips appreciated. Check it out here:

An Earthy Etheree


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Lyrebird

This bird is named for its amazing tailfeathers which resemble a lyre, a U-shaped, harp-like instrument. Unfortunately, the video only shows glimpses of the tailfeathers – but the main feature of the clip is to show the mimicry the lyrebird is capable of. They have been heard mimicking other birds, as well as copying sounds like sirens, dogs barking, and even cameras clicking. What a variety!

The video was taken by my friends who visited Australia recently. Lyrebirds are rather shy so this was a lucky capture.

Please turn up the volume for the best results.