Some years ago, Alan Strom, President of the Killcare Wagstaffe Trust, demanded that a Trust member, Judy Adderley, initiate regular bird bushwalks of the local area. As Judy told us later, if Alan told you to do something, you did it.

The only problem was that Judy didn’t know anything about birds. However, with her training as a scientist, Judy soon found out and began leading interested locals into the bush to study birds. So began the Bouddi birdwalks.

At about the same time a long-time bird-watcher joined the group. As a boy, Alan Cameron had explored the bush and hence built up a deep love and knowledge of the local birds.
So Judy led the group of Birdos for years, marshalling us like children so that none of us became lost and insisting that we stopped talking so as not to frighten the birds. We’d be quiet for a while after a strong reprimand until the next time. This way we did hear and see many bush birds, such as pardalotes, wrens, honey eaters of various species and sea eagles, as well as identifying the plant varieties which abounded, especially on the walk adjoining the tip in springtime.

Gradually Judy’s memory started to fail her and she become more and more frail. She would allow Tom Jackson to take care of us but did not like Alan taking over her role as expert in charge of  bird identification. Not long before her death she was still joining us at our Christmas walk if only to have lunch with us in a comfortable spot. Vale Judy.

Now Alan is our expert on birds. We talk incessantly, frightening some of the birds away. Tom still cares for us and recently Erica has assumed the role of chief organiser. We still amble along, listening to and watching the birds at a leisurely pace, enjoying the companionship of our fellow retirees. We go from Pretty Beach tops, to Mt Bouddi Spur to the Point Claire wetlands. Anyone wanting join us should contact Erica Franks on 4360 2267 or Tom Jackson on 4360 1706.

Ann Bowe, Birdo