Of Goose-stepping and Heron Volk

Here we have yesterday’s picture of the pool geese at young R’s school having just dived in for a little duck before the School Swimming Squad get in their way with their own ducking and diving training.  At this rate, I will be able to run a feature of ‘Goose Photo of the Day’.

Anyway, today a few of we Durban and Coast Horticultural Society members attended the first meeting of a group which will engage in developing the Permaculture project of Durban Botanic Gardens – the oldest existing Botanical Garden in Africa, by the way. More on that subject will follow in the future …

I had to leave early to attend a luncheon, but Much Better Half and her sister stayed on for the first inspection of the site.  They were on their way back through the gardens when they saw a poor heron flapping furiously, attached to some wood by an irresponsible fisherman’s line.  * They yelled for assistance, and a couple of ornithologists came running and managed to immobilise the bird – but they couldn’t free the line.  Sister-in-Law frantically asked a passing groundsman to find a knife – but his disinterested response was that he had his own work to do. 

I would love to find him and deliver a little lecture on how to set priorities. Together with a few hefty kicks – just to keep his attention, of course.

Anyway, S-in-L suddenly remembered that she had a small penknife in her bag – a legacy from a previous Christmas – and the scissors on that did the trick.  The heron flew away, and one can only hope that no permanent damage was caused by the nylon cruelly cutting into his legs, and that no infection will set in.

Why are there so many detestably irresponsible humans? They really aren’t entitled to any share of space, food, air or water.

*ADDENDUM:  The mate was trying to stand on this large stick to enable the other bird to break free – that shows real intelligence!  Then it flew onto an island in the pond and watched throughout.

Talking of water, despite serious drought conditions a water main near us gave way today for the second time within a few weeks, probably as a result of inept repairs the first time, causing massive wastage and meaning that our drinking water for afternoon use has had to be collected in buckets from a tanker driving round the suburb with a loud-hailer.   Water for toilets etc we have borrowed from the pool.

© Colonialist (WordPress) November 2015

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