Big Boy, the Loerie Bird
I may not have a photo of a loerie but was previously driven to have a cartoon made. However, this is a “big boy” of a different sort, Larry the gay Loerie bird
He was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen; green like the earth, blue like a stormy sea. I was beautiful too; wiser in the moment, a better human being…
For 6 and half years I’ve failed to get a quarter-decent photo of a Knysna Loerie bird. Traditionally, they’re shy.
For 9 months that failure has been emphasised because the complex where I moved to has a large, resident Loerie I’ve name Big Boy.
In previous places where I stayed, I was used to small flocks of Loeries moving on but this guy, despite having had a rare female visitor, seems to be alone, having made this his home too.
Because I have a bottom of the range cellphone and bottom of the range camera, I’ve never managed to get the photo I most want (moonlight runs a close second).
In the early light of today’s cold morning, I was taking a short walk when Big Boy flew right in front of me and landed on a branch, at the level of my elbow, only one metre away.
Ironically, I had nothing on me with which to take a picture… but I had eyes supported by the memory.
We stared at each other for about 10 seconds. Then he hopped a further metre away, to where he was happy to keep eye contact for longer.
Big Boy and I lived in an elongated moment…