Flights of Fancy

The biennial Bruny Island Bird Festival is now done and dusted and all at #87 can sit back and consider how they will contribute to the event in 2024. As passionate bird lovers we were always going to be involved and the program which included talks, walks, markets, an art exhibition and workshops offered many opportunities. It was wonderful to see almost all events fully subscribed and wherever you went you’d come across small groups of twitchers deep in concentration. Let me tell you some of the camera equipment on display was a source of lens envy!

Those of you who follow us on Facebook will know that Marcus took part in the gatepost sculpture exhibition that required you to create something from recycled materials. The sounds of industry were evident from his workshop and he emerged with Tempus Fugit (time flies), a skew whiff cuckoo clock constructed from old timber and metal, pine cones gathered from the beach and a bird which started life as a plastic drink bottle. Our neighbour, Wally, had also been busy ‘creating’ and in the late afternoon before judging both entries were carefully put into place. We wandered up and down the stretch of Bruny Island Main Road connecting our houses while the sun set and not a car in sight. To steal a Darryl Kerrigan line, ‘how’s the serenity’. Excitingly Wally was awarded first prize – you can see all the entries on the Gatepost Sculpture Trail .

Meanwhile I took myself off to a Feather and Botanical Printmaking Workshop workshop run by Rhyll Plant from Castlemaine. Beach walks had centred around me collecting feathers and leaves to print and I was amazed by the results. I probably hadn’t done any real printmaking since high school and let’s not even think about how long ago that was! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and am now stocking up on the essentials. Look out, no doubt you will receive printed cards this Christmas.

To finish the weekend two special ‘birds’, our friends Zoe and Stacy flew in from Sydney for the weekend and joined us for Sunday lunch. So lovely to have them with us.

‘And Ruby’ I hear you ask? She told me to remind you that she’s a bird dog and her contribution to the festival revolved around keeping watch over the sightseers looking at the sculpture and bird-life in general!

Love from Bruny, cheep, cheep.

For our overseas readers Darryl Kerrigan is the main character in the classic Australian movie The Castle. Many quotes from the movie have become part of our everyday vernacular.