Cloudy then lorikeets

[Alana Simpson]

The squawking lorikeets are pigging out on the red bottlebrush trees (the "nodding red" variety) outside my window. They grab hold of a twig and swing themselves upside down to stab their beaks right into the juicy little knobs of parrot ambrosia. I'm not at all happy to see them being aggressively chased away from this bounteous feast by the Indian Mynah Birds. These are the biggest threat to Australian native birds after land clearing. In fact, the the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared
them to be among '100 of the World's Most Invasive species.' Not surprising, since they are the Mafia of the bird world. They back down for nobody and no thing. They dive bomb dogs and cats, with a cackle thrown backwards as they soar out of reach. They drive out native species and when they've finished gang up on each other shamelessly. I wish I had a slingshot.

The cloudiness is not promising for tomorrow's sleepout. 10.10.10 Sleepout has been organized by Mission Australian and HRX to raise funds for Sydney's homeless youth. http://www.hrx.com.au/101010sleepout/
And it's World Homeless Day. Centennial Park's regulations state that residency is not permitted - I don't think this stops the homeless from finding a bush to sleep under. One early morning I arrived for my tai chi to see a tarpaulin covering something - clearly a body by the presence of police and ambulance by the pond. No news reports of same, suggested another anonymous death. Don't hear much about these. The park itself is a beauty. There's more than 15,000 trees and lots of native animals as well as the usual creatures who dwell on Plant Park around the world - ducks and geese and swans (black of course). Looks like we'll be sleeping between the Fly Casting Pond and the Pine Grove. Hmm weather forecast says, some drizzle. Do we bring a ground sheet and a waterproof cover? It will be 13 Celsius - that's not cold but that pre-dawn hour is when it hits the hardest. With our down sleeping bags and the prospect of going home Sunday, it doesn't approximate much to the grind of a homeless person but is a smart way to raise funds for the cause and some awareness along with it.