tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post466653168632751195..comments2023-06-28T22:58:28.247+10:00Comments on Sixth In Line: The natives and the interlopersElisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-27918296588083259782011-07-08T21:16:18.923+10:002011-07-08T21:16:18.923+10:00I'm glad you agree, Tame Lion, or at least nod...I'm glad you agree, Tame Lion, or at least nod your head my way. Thanks. I'm pleased to meet you.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-78051790075029249002011-07-08T17:41:45.627+10:002011-07-08T17:41:45.627+10:00Vigorously nodding my head in agreement!Vigorously nodding my head in agreement!Sweet Lilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04613556729394471187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-4096492361794305642011-07-04T21:38:46.475+10:002011-07-04T21:38:46.475+10:00Scary bulldozers, Lucychili, the price of progress...Scary bulldozers, Lucychili, the price of progress, so-called. Thanks.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-43708307070442201902011-07-04T21:37:54.990+10:002011-07-04T21:37:54.990+10:00Thanks for the qualifier, Frances. I don't in...Thanks for the qualifier, Frances. I don't intend to read your words as 'harsh' but sometimes I do. By now you'd think I'd know you better. Thanks.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-4678588064318444372011-07-02T21:45:41.857+10:002011-07-02T21:45:41.857+10:00yes.
our ever growing population and the bulldoze...yes. <br />our ever growing population and the bulldozers marking our right of way are really scarylucychilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519163424062626658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-3997733038458029802011-07-01T19:44:09.729+10:002011-07-01T19:44:09.729+10:00I did not mean my comment to be chastening, Elisab...I did not mean my comment to be chastening, Elisabeth. Just a comment on the atavistic - but not universal, as can be seen in the comments here - ways of the human heart.Franceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05588049222095187200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-2565140439174711692011-06-30T20:50:21.823+10:002011-06-30T20:50:21.823+10:00Steven and I coincided on this theme, Ruth. It mu...Steven and I coincided on this theme, Ruth. It must be something in the ether. <br /><br />It's lovely to hear from you again, too. Thanks.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-29881097772536048992011-06-30T20:49:00.447+10:002011-06-30T20:49:00.447+10:00It's lovely to see you here, Tumblewords.
I...It's lovely to see you here, Tumblewords. <br /><br />I agree, change is difficult to accommodate and yet it's inexorable. You'd think we humans would get used to it, but no, we still baulk at its demands. <br /><br />Thanks Tumblewords.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-19145105919972104152011-06-30T20:47:02.243+10:002011-06-30T20:47:02.243+10:00Co-existence seems to me to be so necessary, Tracy...Co-existence seems to me to be so necessary, Tracy and yet as you say more often than not the stronger one forgets the needs of the weaker and operates according to their own whims and needs rather than compromising with the needs of others. <br /><br />I have found out recently that part of the problem with the pigeons is that they have been encouraged to take up residence by a neighbor who likes to feed them bread daily. She's since been reported to the local council and has been told to stop feeding the birds. It seems very sad, doesn't it? <br /><br />Thanks, Tracy.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-15734577615821156572011-06-30T20:42:36.712+10:002011-06-30T20:42:36.712+10:00I did not realise that pigeons were intelligent, K...I did not realise that pigeons were intelligent, Kleinstemotte, but I suppose of I reflect on it long enough, it's evident they are, particularly their homing abilities. <br /><br />Thanks for this.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-78974275056401680542011-06-30T20:26:51.913+10:002011-06-30T20:26:51.913+10:00I immediately thought of Steven's similar stor...I immediately thought of Steven's similar story of disrupted nature.<br /><br />It's good to see you and read your rich words again.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-41252217231868337052011-06-30T14:25:06.247+10:002011-06-30T14:25:06.247+10:00Well said. Change is difficult when it comes unbid...Well said. Change is difficult when it comes unbidden, I think. Supposing we are all interlopers at some time, and in some place, it probably behooves us to take care of 'stuff' as we go. Nice to have found you!!Tumblewords:https://www.blogger.com/profile/04279038951489894119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-87037373656246960942011-06-30T08:22:41.918+10:002011-06-30T08:22:41.918+10:00When things are thrown out of balance in nature an...When things are thrown out of balance in nature and life, it's hard to remain loving and understanding and forgiving, even if these are absolutely our intentions. I am certainly not one who hates birds, but to see me sobbing from tiredness a few months ago, as a mockingbird had set up shop just outside our window and sang for females from 4:30 am to 7:30 am for two months straight... I would have killed that bird with my bare hands. When tiredness, frustration, and impatience take over, we resort to solutions that will benefit only one of us - the one more willing to viciously defend its territory.<br /><br />I won't say that you're wrong or right, or admonish you for your feelings of frustration (which to me seem justified.) I will say that this world is shrinking, every day, and that every living thing needs a place to go, and if we do not find ways to co-exist, woe will befall both of us. And this can be extended to immigrants and refugees of all sorts, just as Frances suggested. I wish you peace, I wish you an easy solution, and I wish the birds a new home that fits them well.Phoenixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07477498671080132176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-16639355475772343662011-06-29T05:07:29.150+10:002011-06-29T05:07:29.150+10:00I don't find the bird poop as awful since I gr...I don't find the bird poop as awful since I grew up in rural areas and it was just dealt with by rinsing the spots. What I find sad is that bulldozers are moving into some very pristine areas so real estate can maximize it's profit. The urban planners have lost sight of the future. Our world is now just one huge "let's make the profit now"place.<br />Pigeons are very intelligent birds. They could be moved to a better site.Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-71587792026471680762011-06-28T22:02:21.980+10:002011-06-28T22:02:21.980+10:00I'm inclined to agree with you, Persiflage. T...I'm inclined to agree with you, Persiflage. There's something glorious about our cockies, for all the noise and mess they make. Why is that I wonder? <br /><br />Is it the visual? Is it the fact they're native here? I expect both. Also, although they seem to be increasing these days, there are still fewer cockies in the city than pigeons, as far as I can see.<br /><br />Thanks, Persiflage.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-59264733861894123512011-06-28T21:59:28.345+10:002011-06-28T21:59:28.345+10:00When we had birds, Jim, many many moons ago I reme...When we had birds, Jim, many many moons ago I remember the mess of seeds scattered across the floor more than the poop. I've never heard of this amazing 'poop-off' product. I doubt you could use it on washing. Another go through the washing machine is no doubt the best bet there. <br /><br />As for the mess generated by babies and little children, I know it well. One of our daughters now in her mid twenties tends to make a mess whenever she eats. My husband's response; 'We should get the cooks in'. Chooks is the Australian slang for chickens and hens. I expect you'd know it. <br /><br />They will eat anything, and they too leave a mess.<br />Thanks, Jim.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-81762188909167312052011-06-28T20:22:45.153+10:002011-06-28T20:22:45.153+10:00The pigeons are out of control, not just here in o...The pigeons are out of control, not just here in our cities either. I do think they are verminous creatures.<br />The sulphur crested cockatoos can be a great nuisance too, and are both raucously noisy and destructive. They sharpen their beaks on the woodwork of buildings and do quite a lot of damage. <br /><br />It always amazed me how they would break off a branch, and extract the nut kernel, but then drop the branch and ignore the other fruits on it. It made me better acquainted with the term bird brain. However, I regard the cockies with quite a lot of fondness, which I never feel for the pigeons.persiflagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161607100227748374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-38543095560423006372011-06-27T22:43:12.098+10:002011-06-27T22:43:12.098+10:00Oh, I have nothing profound to say about bird poop...Oh, I have nothing profound to say about bird poop, Lis, other than after being urinated on, defecated on and vomited on my daughter as an infant a little dod of bird poop really does little to offend my sensibilities. Since our bird is territorial and always goes to the same places in each room we’ve bird-proofed those areas as best we can. His cage has an extra cardboard ledge jutting out to catch whatever he decided needs to go over the edge. In that respect he’s quite good and will back up over the edge to do his business. The same in the kitchen. He always flies to the top shelf and so it also has a protective undershelf. But if you time it wrong picking him up he’s not averse to leaving a neat poop on your shoulder or on the carpet. The rule there, certainly as far as the carpet goes, is leave it till it dries if you can. With a bit of practice you can, however, lift the whole thing with a piece of tissue paper leaving only the tiniest smear which you can get rid of the next time you vacuum. I usually go over his spots with a metal spatula we’ve set aside for that purpose. The dribbles on his cage I get with the predicatably-named ‘Poop Off’. Wonderful stuff. He actually makes more of a mess chucking seeds off the top of his cage and shedding feathers.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-52044768816847478602011-06-27T21:43:36.579+10:002011-06-27T21:43:36.579+10:00Most of us find change a little difficult to tackl...Most of us find change a little difficult to tackle, Anthony. And so we look for someone to blame, perhaps, despite the fact we know change is inexorable.<br /><br />Thanks, Anthony.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-7674223982347944892011-06-27T21:42:02.833+10:002011-06-27T21:42:02.833+10:00Too right, Frances. These are the words directed ...Too right, Frances. These are the words directed against migrants and others who are considered undesirable because they are different or because they threaten us in some way. <br /><br />I feel suitably chastened by the metaphor. Thanks, FrancesElisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-44386205565596834632011-06-27T21:40:11.943+10:002011-06-27T21:40:11.943+10:00Yours is a balanced perspective, Kirk. I agree we...Yours is a balanced perspective, Kirk. I agree we tend most to malign those who are like us in the survival stakes. It's probably that competitive urge. And I agree with you: we humans have been the worst of protagonists.<br /><br />Thanks, Kirk.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-36083362568023108962011-06-27T21:37:54.573+10:002011-06-27T21:37:54.573+10:00You'd have seen your share of pigeons in Melbo...You'd have seen your share of pigeons in Melbourne too, Kath. It seems so strange writing to you in far away Geneve. I imagine they have their pest problems there too. It's hard to strike a balance.<br /><br />Thanks, Kath.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-16650843865329533812011-06-27T21:35:49.512+10:002011-06-27T21:35:49.512+10:00I'm fond of sea gulls, Jim, but I can see why ...I'm fond of sea gulls, Jim, but I can see why your mother might object to them. I love the way they soar through the sky above the beach but I have noticed that they can be brutal when it comes to gathering cast off from folks who sit nearby on the sand picnicking.<br /><br />I'm curious to know what you might say about bird poop. When ever it gets on my car, my husband urges me to wash it off post haste. He reckons it can be corrosive, though not as bad as bat poop. Something in the acid of their- the bat's- diet. <br /><br />I suppose there are worse things to worry about, though.<br /><br />Thanks, Jim.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-71207127498855555232011-06-27T21:27:04.672+10:002011-06-27T21:27:04.672+10:00Thanks for the generous words, Erin. Forgiveness ...Thanks for the generous words, Erin. Forgiveness and survival of the fittest. They clash.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28133718.post-29094695164869200932011-06-27T21:26:13.208+10:002011-06-27T21:26:13.208+10:00I have an ambivalent relationship to magpies, Pat....I have an ambivalent relationship to magpies, Pat. They are quite an Australian symbol, but they are aggressive, especially in spring when they're nesting. <br /><br />They attack people's heads all too readily. I am fearful in spring at the washing line because of the magpies, but I wouldn't want the cats to get at the magpies. I suspect they couldn't. <br /><br />Thanks, Pat.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.com