Blue Mountains Journal

We ended our afternoon by taking the detour to Portal Lookout which had the beautiful Nepean River, the wide sweep of the Cumberland plains and the city of Penrith at our feet. Photo: View from Portal Lookout, Glenbrook

In February last year I wrote in "Animals - not" of an ill fated trip to Euroka Clearing in search of Kangaroos. We decided to give it another go this time. Photo: Kangaroo, Blue Mountains National Park, Glenbrook Words to walk with: From Kangaroo by D H Lawrence "Her sensitive, long, pure-bred face. Her full antipodal eyes, so dark, So big and quiet and remote, having watched so many Empty dawns in silent Australia."

I spotted Christmas Bush flowering beside the path to Jelly Bean pool. I had planned to write of this flowering tree in December but didn't come across any on my walks. Photo: Christmas Bush ( Ceratopetalum gummiferum )

This weekend we did some exploring closer to home by taking a drive to the National Park at Glenbrook. It was warm and sunny so it was a busy day at the popular swimming hole, Jelly Bean Pool. Photo: Jelly Bean Pool, Glenbrook

The Lyrebird is an iconic ground dwelling Australian bird, so named after the tail of the male, which is said to form the shape of a "lyre". However, this bird is also known as a "liar" because of its extraordinary ability to mimic the calls of other birds and the sounds of machines and other noises from the built environment nearby the forests where they live. Photo: Superb Lyrebird ( Menura novaehollandiae ), Katoomba I took this photograph a year ago but held off posting it because I hoped to get a better one. That didn't happen, despite Lyrebirds being quite common in the mountains. Words to walk with: From Lyrebird by Les Murray "Liar made of leaf-litter, quivering ribby in shim, hen-sized under froufrou, chinks in a quiff display him or her, dancing in mating time, or out. And in any order. Tailed mimic aeon-sent to intrigue the next recorder. I mew catbird, I saw crosscut, I howl she-dingo, I kink forest hush distinct with bellbirds, warble magp...

Plump crested pigeons wander along the path picking at this and that, then take off to the sky with a noise that always reminds me of a squeaky wheel. I have just discovered that this characteristic noise is made air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Photo: Crested pigeon ( Ocyphaps lophotes ) As they are a common visitor to my garden, I am surprised that I have not written of them before. I also notice there is currently in residence a new pair of birds feeding a young one. I have not identified them properly yet.

The rain has gone for a while. The sun is shining hot and bright. And this little duck is going camping ( Sweet Wayfaring ). See you when I get back. Photo: Ducks in park near Scenic Railway, Katoomba Words to walk with: From The Buladelah-Taree Holiday Song Cycle by Les Murray "It is good to come out after driving and walk on bare grass; walking out, looking all around, relearning that country. Looking out for snakes, and looking out for rabbits as well; going into the shade of myrtles to try their cupped climate, swinging by one hand around them, in that country of the Holiday... stepping behind trees to the dam, as if you had a gun, to that place of the Wood Duck, to that place of the Wood Duck's Nest, proving you can still do it; looking at the duck who hasn't seen you, the mother duck who'd run Catch Me (broken wing) I'm Fatter (broken wing), having hissed to her children."