Blogger: Aggie Rothon, Communications Officer
The running joke in my household at the moment is that whatever film any one suggests watching my response will always be, ‘hmmmm, I don’t do war/romcom/sci-fi films.’ My comeback quip is always ’but I like characters and contemplation not fights and action!’ Whatever my argument however I have to admit that I can quickly lose interest in any film that doesn’t grab me in the first ten minutes. So for that reason, and because telly has been rubbish recently, I am trying to be more open minded about films. So far I have done well. I even found myself watching Rocky the other night. And guess what! It was actually really good. But, of course, that’s because it’s all about Rocky’s character.
For those of you that haven’t seen the Rocky films they are about a young lad who lives in downtown Philadelphia. He’s a boxer with heart but he’s someone who has never really succeeded. Until of course, he not only wins the girl of his dreams but stands up to the world heavyweight champion and becomes a hero. I like him because he takes his (real and metaphorical) blows with good grace and humour and he always has an interesting comment to add afterwards. One of his best comments in my opinion is this, ‘don’t you think birds are like flying candy.’
The pastel coloured budgerigars and cockatoos of Australia certainly are. They are the Refreshers or Love Hearts of the bird world. Orange breasted sunbirds from South Africa are the colour of the jaffa in Jaffa Cakes and the candyfloss colours of scarlet ibis suggest sweetness and indulgence too. But what about our birds? The ones that we enjoy everyday, twittering from the trees or hanging from feeders outside our windows. Surely they are just as much food for our (and Rocky’s) imagination.
Goldfinches burst from tree to tree, their wine gum yellow and red twinkling from autumn skies. Sherbet coloured great tits and lime green greenfinches dart across our gardens. Barnacle geese gather on our shorelines, humbug bodies rotund against the oncoming winter and cream and chocolate speckled song thrushes warble from the top of the garden fence.
Yes, I agree Rocky. Birds are like flying candy. Not just for their bright, sugary colours but for the sweetness of their songs and the feeling of satisfaction when chancing upon the evening chattering of the blackbirds or the purring of a turtle dove. Birds make our countryside lush, just like a square of chocolate rounds off a good meal. Personally, I feel there is something missing if I don’t taste sweetness in a day, a landscape without birds would be far too savoury.
Article in Eastern Daily Press on Saturday 10 September 2011.