Kookaburras, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Galas, Whip Birds, Butcher Birds, Magpies (the list seems endless): the Australian bush is filled with the loud, raucous, joyous sounds of birds. It’s the only thing I’ve ever missed, and so of course, “K” must be for Kookaburra. Rather than present it’s genus and other biological credentials, I’d like to let my father tell you a about his first encounter with our iconic bird.
Papa arrived in Sydney on the Thursday before Easter, 1924, the remains of the Five Pounds his grandmother had given him as travelling money jingling in his pocket, and a precious envelope with a further Twenty Five, “to be banked”. As it turned out, his arrival wasn’t as anticipated, and instead of being met by his sponsor, the friendly farmer from Coonabarabran, he was thrust on the mercy of the Department of Immigration.
Times were different, back then. Instead of being handcuffed and led off to the nearest Detention Centre, young Nevis spent Easter with the Woods, at their home over near Manly.
His encounter with the infamous Laughing Jackass, that weekend, was the first of many faux pas the sixteen year old with the big hands was to make before somehow he became an Aussie, and is a story he loved telling against himself. But let him tell it in his own words:
“We swam every morning, except for Sunday, when we went to church. I was shown the Botanic Gardens, and on one afternoon went to the zoo, where I was to see the famous Australian ‘Laughing Jackass’. Well, I heard the wretched thing laughing alright, but when the family tried to point the creature out to me, I just couldn’t spot it – until Mr. Woods laughingly explained it was a bird. And here I was, looking for a beast with two large ears and four legs! ”
"... and I was looking for a beast with two large ears and four legs!'
This fellow used to visit us frequently ,once the drought set in. Competition for food was fierce and the lush, sub-tropical gardens of the Sunshine Coast hinterland played host to a myriad of prey animals for a hungry Kookaburra and his family. He would sit atop this stump, still, barely moving an eyeball, watching for frogs, and lizards within the understory of the garden. But that’s not all – seems we also had a steady supply of snakes for this vigilant bird.
The Wanderlust Gene 
These photographs are fantastic! This reminds me of a camp song I used to sing, which you probably know, “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree/Merry, merry king of the bush is he/Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh Kookaburra!/Gay your life must be!
Sure do. I think it must have been written by an Englishman however, so romantic a vision of our wicked old kooka!
Yes, I always had images of a jolly little bird from that song!
I remember sining that song too … around a campfire in the Canadian woods.
Must’ve been a bit weird! Or was it your turn to come up with a song and the tune for everything else you’d ever known deserted you at the crucial moment?
It was a popular guiding song actually, as in Girl Guides.
Of course! And Robin just reminded me it was sung in rounds – which made it perfect for singing around a campfire!
And it was sung in rounds! Amazing how enduring and widespread these camp songs are–my boys are now singing the same songs that I sang! 😉
Yes, I remember now – it was in rounds. Perhaps that’s why Lynne Ayres chose it that night it in the Canadian Forests?
Yes, I had forgotten it was sung in rounds, like “row row row your boat” –
Yes. I remember it all now – wow!
Spot on!
🙂 wonderful post. & yes, the calls of all the birds are wonderful. I love hearing a kookaburra – its adds aural mischief to the day 🙂
Mischief – downright wickedness! I had toyed with adding a sound bite to the post, but the thought of having to master another piece of internet-tech daunted me too much. Anyway, we all know, right!
I love hearing them laughing, especially in the morning. nice way to greet the new day!
Yes, sure gets those eyes open – and a smile on ya’ dial:)
love it
That’s good – Kookaburras – it wasn’t optional!:)
What a cute little bird! I’ll have to go to google to find a sound bite
Be prepared!
Great photo, and great stories!
He was one handsome bird alright!
Never seen the bird, but I have sung the song – like every Girl Guide in the known world, I guess. An interesting story and wonderful pictures.
Even you British girls? Do you think the song’s writer ever saw one either? I suppose I’d better find out a bit more about that song then – thanks, Viv.
Awwwww…absolutely stunning shots! Beautiful! 🙂
Needs a little more ah ah ah Sorel:)
Then ha ha ha!
Here in the US, I learned the Kookaburra song in grade school, along with Waltzing Matilda. I remember them being in our “song book,” maybe in 3rd grade? (That’s about 8 years old for those of you with different school systems.) So the bird is known across the world!
This’s amazing. Not only the Guides, but regular schools too! And Waltzing Matilda? They told you is was about a drifter who stole a sheep for supper?
Ah I miss that sound! It’s been too long! 🙂
How long you been away, Lauren?
5 years and counting! definitely due for a trip back in the not too distant future – just need to save the pennies!
Oh, yea, those pennies:) Remember what that’s like!
Lovely post! First thing my family comment on – when visiting from across the ditch – is the noise of the Australian bird-life.
I’m sure they notice it, coming into our noisy world. Funny, when I first left to see the world I didn’t miss it at first. (I suppose I was distracted by everything being new, and different) Then, in Canada, I went to see The Getting of Wisdom, I think, and I barely noticed Judi Davis (?) or the story – I heard the birds, and I was off. Ever since then, I seem to be attuned to the sounds of bird and wildlife around me – but it’s the sounds of those Aussie bush birds that I miss.
You miss what you grew up with, I guess. I miss the salt smell of the sea in Auckland.
Oh yes, I can understand that. Though perhaps not the wind that made it?
True! 🙂
Though it’s not as bad as in Wellington, I guess?
just gorgeous photos of the kookaburra, and i have to agree … not the green tree snake!!!
Yes, it was terrible. Why couldn’t it have been one of those fat lazy carpet snakes that where always giving me a heart attack with their tails hanging down from the verandah ceiling?
lol!!!
Wow… he remind me of a bird on my beach. the Kingfisher. Wonder if they are the same family. I will have to go research that. Guess I will have to write about them on my blog so you can see how close they are.
Plus I do love the family memories. That makes it so special. r
Thanks batgurrl – I like bringing things close by linking them to family stories. Love to see some more of your Kingfisher on the beach, and the research you gather.
I posted the picture of the Kingfisher so you can see what he looks like. I live in Seattle so you can tell we share the same species. they are so simliar & in Wiki it says you have the Aussie Kingfisher. We are all connected!!!
What a fluffy head he has! Yes, they’re the same family – a very widespread family, too. We have kingfishers here, in Sri Lankia – the most violent turquoise and wings and black body – fantastic. Quite a bit smaller than our Kookaburra. How big is your Seattle Kingfisher?
hmmm… I would say the local Kingfisher is smaller than a crow and bigger than a robin. 🙂
Ah – that sounds about the same size as the kingfishers here in Sri Lanka, and in Australia. The Kookaburra is bigger than a crow but not by much.
That is a great story… I love the photos too.
I like it (of course, it’s my Papa’s story!), glad you did too! It’s amazing I could get so close to him – a testament to how hard he was concentrating.
I have sung that song too!!! Lovely post!
Madhu, you too? In what context? I’m going to have to do some research into Kookaburra Sits … I keep thinking it must be someone like Gould – the bird man – he had something to do with The Guides, didn’t he?
Google tells me Marion Sinclair wrote the song and sold the rights to the girl guide foundation in 1934! Just a matter of time before it spread across the ‘commonwealth’ I guess
Ahha – so it wasn’t Mr. Gould the bird man after all. How extraordinary to think of Marion selling the rights to her little song all those years ago – and here we are, so many of us having sung it (in rounds, somebody- Robin, I think – reminded me) all across the world. Viv in post-war London, Lynne around a campfire in Canada, and you in India. I like that romantic old fashioned picture.
🙂
I totally “get” why your Papa was confused… the family joke is on me here… when I first visited The Netherlands on a summer holiday (long before I moved here) I stayed with an aunt who had a holiday house near some forest.
We went walking and there were cries from family of “oooh look at the squirrels!” and everyone could see them everywhere …except me….
… but I’d never seen a squirrel before so was desperately looking for a creature the size of a cat, never thinking that red squirrels are more the size of the mouse LOL.
Having only seen pictures, I just assumed that squirrels were huge animals !
So glad somebody ‘got it’ kiwidutch – nobody else has:(
Thanks for sharing our ‘jokes on me’ story. I can get that too. It’s always happening to me – especially here where so many things were/still are strange to me!
Beautiful little bird (I’m sure the snake didn’t think so) sitting on a really cool perch. I’ve never seen tree bark like that … What kind of a tree is that? Is it native to Australia as well? I am very curious. 🙂 Great share, by the way.
Thanks, Orples! He’s sitting on the stump of an ornamental palm tree. That’s all the info I can give you, ’cause it was dead long before my time.
Thanks for the feedback…very cool bird and very cool tree, too! 🙂
🙂