Magpies of the night

The other night I went to bed quite late, around 1pm. Lying in the darkness and silence I heard Magpies warbling away. They were beautiful haunting songs, not cries of alarm, but thoughtful and melodic tunes - very different from the songs that mark the rising of the sun. I thought it strange that they were singing in the middle of the night and wondered if it were a full moon, if something had happened to my local family of magpies that they could not rest, or if it were a special night of celebration? (this reminded me of a story my Dad told me of one morning noticing spider webs covering everything - signs, trees, cars, etc - then hearing that the previous night was the yearly occurrence of spider migration).
The next day, while having a coffee with my son in a cafe a few suburbs away, I heard a woman telling the barista of hearing Magpies singing all night long. It seemed it happened all over our area. I am not sure why they were singing but it seems it was a magical magpie night.

Sera Waters

No script, just verbs, short ones

Carmel Williams

Parkholme SA

Whyalla and the wedge-tailed eagle

My mother was born in Whyalla. While I was growing up she would tell me about a woman who was heavily pregnant in a farm just out of town. One day she was out on the property when she saw a wedge-tailed eagle caught in some fence wire.

The woman tried to help the eagle, but whilst she was helping it to untangle itself, the bird's talon scratched her on the belly. The woman wasn't harmed, and the eagle flew off.

The woman forgot about the incident until the baby was born, when she saw on the child's side - where the eagle's scratch would have been - the most perfect eagle-shaped birthmark, that the girl was to have for life.

Andy Best

Black Cockatoos in Rostrevor

As many as 10 years ago I heard a lot of loud noise coming from the east of my house. On observing I saw a flock of about 20 Red Tailed Black Cockatoos! I was told that I had been mistaken, but there is no misaking the Red Tailed Black Cockatoos. They were in a pine tree (Radiata I think) feeding on the pine cones. I did not take a photo and have not seen or heard them since - unfortunately.
Elaine Howson
Rostrevor