Six a.m. the cattle egrets, on their nocturnal perch, preen.
Satisfied with plumage preparations the flock departs,
simultaneously receiving runway clearance,
dispersing towards, separate, bovine assignations.
Come dusk, their appetites for parasites satisfied,
the egrets, in elegant ghostly flight, leave
high hillside garden pasture cow pens,
descend in formation, settle back to the wire.
We have cattle egrets here in Australia as well. I am surprised to hear of them parking on the wires, that their toes would have been too long.
ReplyDeleteSuch an elegant bird.
Blisshill, not my perch of choice either, but each to their own.....
ReplyDeletei'd like to see the perch! last cattle egrets i saw were in grenada on the old runway at pearls.
ReplyDeletethanks for the great photo
dx
They won't be at Pearls this week D.
ReplyDeleteLive ammunition practice.
I am delighted to find your blogs!
ReplyDeleteIn Jamaica we call them 'gaulings'. We have a silly poem about them that we say to a catchy rhythm:
Phillip pick ticks
Phillip pick ticks
Phillip pick ticks
Outta cow backbone!
Hi and welcome Jacqueline. Thanks for the poem, it's perfect.
ReplyDelete