Birdtober Day 14: Victoria Crowned-Pigeon

 

Related to the dodo,

They have dark red eyes.

Named for Queen Victoria

And very large in size.

They live in New Guinea

And also in lots of zoos;

They are weird and wonderful

And would be sad to lose.  

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey  

 

 

Birdtober Day 13: Himalayan Monal

 

I found this recent BBC article about the Himalayan Monal and the way it has changed its voice due to an increase in human noise. The article ends with this quote from a professor called Anjal Prakash: "In listening to the monal, we hear the Himalayas asking for space, silence and care."

 

A Nepalese rainbow bird

Changes the pitch of its call

Reaches out for a mate

Over all the noise of people 

Seeking space

silence

and care  

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey 

 

 

Birdtober Day 12: Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sometimes the Sharp-shinned Hawk is called a Bird Hawk because a large part of its diet is birds. I have one of these birds on my life list; I saw it in Florida. 

 

 

Sharp shins

Sharp eyes

A small bird hawk

 

Throw birds

To young

With high-pitched squawk 

 

 

 

Birdtober Day 11: Shoebill

I wrote about the Shoebill here. I have seen them three times. It's only a day trip to see them from where I live, which is pretty amazing since the Shoebill is on many birders' bucket list and people spend a lot to fly to Africa to see them. You have to go out in a boat to Mabamba Swamp in Lake Victoria, and I'm thinking that could very well be where this video was filmed, showing "The Dark Side of Shoebill Chicks." 

 

 

 

Two Shoebill brothers

But only one will survive.

The bigger, older, stronger one

Will attack the other

And the mother will only feed the Chosen One.

Rough luck, younger Shoebill. 

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey  

Birdtober Day 10: Crimson Rosella

In 2023 I wrote about the Eastern Rosella. You can see the differences between the Eastern Rosella and the Crimson Rosella here. They come from the same part of the world, southeastern Australia. The two species are similar enough that they hybridize.

 

 

I think we should all be fans

Of Platycercus elegans

Lovely birds with bright blue cheeks

Who shred wood chips with their beaks

I think we should all be fans

Of Platycercus elegans

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey 

 

 

Poetry Friday and Birdtober Day 9: Rook

 

 

 

 

Gregarious,

Frugilegus,

Intelligent

and 

Loud

 

If you've seen 

one Rook

then chances are

you've seen a crowd

 

A group of Rooks

is called sometimes

a Parliament or Clamour,

sometimes a Storytelling

filled with iridescent Glamour 

 

Invertebrates

and Carrion

are eaten 

in the

Rookery

 

No need for 

these big birds

to practice

any kind of

Cookery

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey

 

 

 

 

I'm really enjoying this project again this year. It's a lot of fun doing research on all these beautiful birds and creating my 100% AI-free poems. It makes the world seem bigger and brighter to know that all these species are out there.

 

Here are all the Birdtober posts so far:

 

Day 1: Lilac-breasted Roller 

Day 2: 'I'iwi 

Day 3: Resplendent Quetzal 

Day 4: Gouldian Finch 

Day 5: Atlantic Canary 

Day 6: Paradise Tanager 

Day 7: Bee Hummingbird 

Day 8: Spectacled Owl 

 

Jama is hosting Poetry Friday today.

 

Birdtober Day 8: Spectacled Owl

 

It's date night for the pair of Spectacled Owls

They hoot together 

Give head rubs 

Preen each other's feathers

Hang out in the warm Costa Rican night,

Lost in each others'

Giant yellow eyes,

 

©Ruth Bowen Hersey