About Me

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Canberra-based naturalist, conservationist, educator since 1980. I’m passionate about the natural world (especially the southern hemisphere), and trying to understand it and to share such understandings. To that aim I’ve written several books (most recently 'Birds in Their Habitats' and 'Australian Bird Names; origins and meanings'), run tours all over Australia, and for the last decade to South America, done a lot of ABC radio work, chaired a government environmental advisory committee and taught many adult education classes – and of course presented this blog, since 2012. I am the recipient of the Australian Natural History Medallion, the Australian Plants Award and most recently a Medal of the Order of Australia for ‘services to conservation and the environment’. I live happily in suburban Duffy with my partner Louise surrounded by a dense native garden and lots of birds.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

When Nature Satirises Art...

The view from over the fence of a very fancy and pricey-looking winery-cum-conference centre in the Margaret River area of far south-western Western Australia.
Whether this Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris was perfecting the pose or just taking the mickey,
I reckon she just about nailed it.
The statue's right arm might offer a hint as to her motives though.

BACK FRIDAY FOR A 'PROPER' POST!

3 comments:

Boobook said...

LOL. Looks like the authorities have tried and failed to deter this type of behaviour.

Ian Fraser said...

Yes Boobook! And I hadn't noticed that until I saw the larger version of the pic once I'd posted it. Funny what we miss and the camera doesn't.

Susan said...

Fantastic! I wonder if I can train the local cormorants to pose in a similar way on some rather similar statues at Onzain on the Loire -- it would improve them no end.

We are en pleine vendanges here, with the winemakers trying to second guess the weather and achieve maximum ripeness whilst saving the grapes from the rain.