Trush Song

When I was but a lad, I used to tell my Mum that I could hear a Thrush, high in the walnut tree singing,'Good morning to you, good morning to you!' As if it was personal.

On my early morning stroll, I hear the same call. There is a Thrush sitting on the high point of a Macrocarpa tree [the same tree each morning] and he/she spends the best part of an hour saying 'good morning' as the sun rises.

I have no idea why they do this but it is their habit, no doubt corresponding with like minded fowl. It is in competition with Blackbirds, Bellbirds and Tuis. As well as a huge flock of Starlings congregating in a stand of Eucalyptus at this time of the year.

We have been critical of the early settlers because they brought with them mistakes like rabbits and hares, gorse and old man's beard, to name a few.

Presumably they brought Thrushes and Blackbirds for their song and I don't blame them for that.

Thrushes and Blackbirds pay for their robbery of strawberries, raspberries and currants with their song.

Not so Starlings, whose warble I enjoy but generally  have no beauty in their song - they do a job though in consuming grass grub but we pay for that with the mess they create.

House Sparrows too  turned out to be a dud, but Hedge Sparrows are pleasant enough - both to look at and their plaintive song.

Nostalgic Englishmen introduced the Skylark and the reward us country folk with their pleasant trill flying high, then dropping like a stone and cunningly walking some 20 metres to their nest. They do little or no damage to the environment.

But I like the Thrush