The morning had been spent walking Dougall on the bike path where I recorded and posted a video of a concert of bird calls. The evening was spent at QPAC, at a concert entitled Night Parrot, commissioned by the amazing Katie Noonan who asked Jessica Wells to write a 20 minute piece of music about the Night Parrot. We also heard music on the Albatross, the Lark, the Magpie calling and of course the remarkable piece from Ralph Vaughan Williams on the Lark Ascending. The music played by the Acacia Quartet and sung by Morgan England Jones was feathery, furious, flighty and light and so much of it reflected the birds, their calls and their wing patterns. The words in particular of the Night Parrot told its whole remarkable story and this is one I would love to share with you, as everyone should know about it.
A painting of the bird by William Cooper from the National Library of Arts.
This is it - it's unlike other parrots - its not loud, squacky or boisterous. It is quiet and unbelievably ground dwelling and those who speak Greek will see this reflected in its name Pezoporus Occidentalis - but the remarkable thing about this tiny creature is that it was thought to be extinct for one hundred years, no one had seen it- yes, for many years they had given up on ever seeing it again .... until 2013 when John Young a wildlife photographer captured footage of the Night Parrot. Bush Heritage immediately established the Pullen Pullen Reserve where it was sighted. As the composer said this is a remarkable event- how important it is that we all come together to protect this bird at a time when climate change is threatening so many species.
To find out more and to donate go to http://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/night-parrot?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1MXpBRDjARIsAHtdN-3De2rFJNbL6pOQ_v4mSB8wQfmuEPqV-rs0vT9JjyrhvDM9P6dfjNkaAkxIEALw_wcB
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