Sparrow Faucet-Major or what !! At some stupid hour of the early morning I turned the radio on .... you get all sorts at that time.. but this time I got a couple of minutes of "Tweet of the Day" ... and it was about the Australian Magpie. That Dave Shatteredborough was doing it. He played its remarkably odd song. And then he told us that there was a famous poem about that very song. It's famous for a line in it that imitates the song. Well... I had to have a look at that .. oh yes ! Me and poetry !... well, you know what I'm like. In general, most attempts to put birdsong into writing are garbage. [ROB#37] Anyhow, here it is ... and then we'll see if that "Rule of Birding #37" is true. The Magpie [poem by C. J. Dennis] This poem by C. J. Dennis was published in The Singing Garden (1935). The Magpie “CalLOG’alloo-ay!” On a windy day. Perched on a tree-top high I pour my notes from a valiant throat; For cock o’ the walk am I! Defiant, loud, superbly proud, My song soars to the blue, A clarion call a challenge to all: “CalLOG’alloo-ay-calloo!” I have set the bounds to my feeding grounds; And here I am the king. With beak and claw I press my law On every feathered thing. Cock o’ the walk — no questing hawk, Proud eagle, crow nor thrush Stays to defy my battle-cry, My pinions’ whistling rush. “CalLOG’allay-oo!” When day is new I fill the scented morn With a joyful song, loud, sweet and long -- My echoing, hunting horn. “Calloo, callay!” I greet the day Throned on a tree-top high. In my domain I rule, I reign, Cock o’ the walk am I ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ... smashing poem that ... it brisks along ...but what about the "accuracy of song" rating ? Is "brisking" a verb ? Well, it is now. In my little world. Let's see shall we ... here's a brilliant video of two of them..... I want to go to Australia right now !! Amazing stuff ... a sort of " sing-off." But is it anythink like wot the pome sez ? ...... Well ... reluctantly ... no . But, to be fair ... who could transcribe that ... an almost impossible task. Let's all get on the plane now ! Hang on...here's three of 'em .... House tick this morning .... 2 rabbits out the back.
Never seen from the house before .... could it be the snow/ice ? Swice ... there's my new addition to the meteorological vocabulary. Swice .... the snow/ice combination. Music later ... car prospecting will fill my day .... grrrrrrr.
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AuthorThat's the author up there ... I was young and sprightly then. Archives
October 2022
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