20 September 2010

Dutch off tune, Albert on song...(Australia) July 2010


I awoke on the middle of the night to see the first full game of the World Cup (soccer/football) as O Reilly's Rainforest Retreat had kindly decided to put it on their big screen live at an ungodly hour of the morning. I could not resist. Well the final was poor, the Dutch were offtune, and rightly Spain won. As I watched the game dawn rose, and so as the Spanish were lifting the cup I wandered into the rainforest of Lamington NP once more, with one target in mind: Albert's Lyrebird. For several days this wraith had been taunting us with its far-carrying mimicry, and I could take it no more! On arriving at a known territory we found two people peering intently into the bushes, we crept closer knowing just what it must be from the weird and wonderful sounds emanating from nearby, then suddenly this extravagant male wandered across the path and allowed us to watch it displaying at close range, spreading its strange, peacock-like feathers over its back. More than content we sauntered back towards the guesthouse in readiness for checking out, although just as we going to emerge from the rainforest another lyrebird stepped out in front of us, and treated us to magical views of it scratching around in the leaf litter.

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