Black Hills Audubon Society

Diamond Firetail

Look on top of all the grasses
tiny lights, a flash that passes
faster then the eye can blink,
faster than the brain can think,
a living jewel, a tiny bird
now sits atop the grass he stirred;
black waistcoat with diamonds white
crimson beak and rump as bright!
On his own for just a second -
then the flock somehow has beckoned
out they fly and then close ranks
in the grasses, up the banks.

Soft their murmuring as they go
their small red tail lights briefly glow
then they disappear again
Diamond Firetails on the Plain.

by Judie Peet

Judy Peet is a birder from Dubbo, central western New South Wales, Australia. A lifelong naturalist, Judy was converted to birding about 17 years ago by other bird fanatics. Until then she couldn't understand how any sane person would stand perfectly still for long periods of time, looking at a tiny bird, just to put a name to it! Since then she has worked in a few bird related projects aimed at raising public awareness about the serious decline of many of our best loved birds. Her work has involved travelling about and talking to farmers about ways to protect natural habitat on farmland for the benefit of both agriculture and wildlife. She also speaks regularly on radio about birds. Reading and writing poetry is another lifelong interest so it was inevitable that she would write bird poetry once she became involved in serious birdwatching.

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