The Purple-Bellied Parrot: Spuggletti

spugg and marties
Spuggletti Contents: Shug’s Shanty
‘Och Ah’m back in the roarin forties
Where the icebergs float so free
Ah’m back in the roarin forties
Where the wind still never does be
Where the penguins they do a-chatter
And there’s plenty of squid in the sea
Ah’m back in the roarin forties (and fifties!)
Where there’s nary a bin to see

Och it blows from Kerguelen to Weddell
Patagonia to Tasman Hobart
Cape Horn tips Tierra del Fuego
The storms don’t half make your beak smart
The wind it hurls you a’ tumbling
Of repose it’s never in need
In the roarin old forties and fifties
It’ll toss you like ragged seaweed

Och Ah’m back in the roarin forties …
Etc. etc.

Och there’s Adelie and Emperors and Chinstraps
Macaroni, Rockhoppers, Gentoo
Flying about neath them growlers
And having a crafty old poo
Mortal foe is the old sea leopard
Who’ll chomp them if given the chance
Comes at you with teeth all a’ glistenin
Later you’ll ‘ave change your pants

Och Ah’m back in the roarin forties …
Etc. etc.

On a floe a there’s a merman singin:
‘I’d kill for a pint of krill’
Amongst the icebergs ringin
As I topped the blue waves spill
So I caromed across to join him
Startlin petrels tap-dancing a’ free
But a spermy whale spout threw him about
And the merman was lost to me

Och Ah’m back in the roarin forties …
Etc. etc.

Hear the tune whistled:


Shug: Wandering Albatross.
Abode: no fixed.   Age: uncertain.   Dependability: dubious.
Favourite saying: ‘Keep your whallopin heed doon!’
Wandering Albatross in flight - SE Tasmania
Wandering Albatross (Photo by JJ Harrison, link)

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Map of the Park
map of the park
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Spugghawk
sparrowhawk rear view   sparrowhawk front view
Female sparrowhawk in garden, August 2019.
See her contemplating a chaffy trundler here.
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The Bits of a Bird
Parts of a bird
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Shug’s Wind-Strength Terminology
Deed Calm:  Dead Calm
Driftie:  Only discernible to an albatross
Draughtie:  Bins can just about feel this
Wafter:  Like a draughtie but with slightly stronger gusts
Puff:  Light gust, may shift a barbule or two
Riffler:  Disturbs the feathers
Wee Rippler:  Definite ripples on the ocean’s surface
Snorty Rippler:  Albatross can take off without flapping
Wafty Breeze:  Worth pegging out your skiddies in
Breeze:  Breeze
Keener:  White horses on ocean surface
Whipper:  White horses blown off
Beltie:  V. strong breeze, wind now howls, big waves
Blusty Beltie:  Wind can go in different directions
Ripper:  What bins call a gale; waves torn apart. Albatross’s favourite wind
Blaster:  Bins can’t stand up now
Storm:  Wind roars; steepling seas
Hoolie:  Shug’s favourite wind
Twirlyblaster:  Water spout, tornado
Hoolie Blaster:  Too strong even for an albatross to fly in
Hurricane:  Typical albatrosses, who live in the southern oceans, wouldn’t
encounter these
Shug, wandering Albatross

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