- Nov 9, 2013
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It’s a cold clear winter’s day here – the 17th winter of Planet Rothschildi – and two wild emus are quietly crossing the house-clearing.
But the two sookey females have gone bush, and that’s the story:
about eight years ago, when (the Legendary) Eric the Emu was killed, two of the surviving chicks were injured. Now, as I can’t handle the tame-wild emus here, an injured one can only be assisted with oodles of food. They both got oodles of food. They both survived, but became a bit sookey – they hung out at the house-clearing rather than adventuring off into Great Big Emu World.
One of the two was ‘Toosh Toosh,’ the male upon whom the observation project here now depends. He eventually went bush, but turned up several years later with a clutch of five. Four survived to adulthood. And this clutch (Eric’s grandkids!) were also a bit sookey because Toosh Toosh stayed here with them longer than is usual.
Here they are the day they arrived with Toosh Toosh:
Two of Toosh Toosh’s clutch did go bush, but the two ‘sookey females’ stayed all through their third year, when they might have been out doing reconnaissance of Great Big Emu World.
And then, amazingly, they stayed here for their fourth year! And they were still here until about six weeks ago, when one went bush. Then about two weeks ago, the second sookey female finally left.
A number of wild birds (mostly females) had also turned up – every emu within miles knows the lilly pilly tree bears at this time of year. And they bullied the last sookey female – one reason why she might have left.
And this morning at about three a.m., I heard a female vocalizing happily from her roost in the gum trees around the house-clearing. She’s the bird now ‘commanding’ the house-clearing.
So, the chances are good that Toosh Toosh will extend the project by turning up this spring or next with another clutch (his third) for us to observe; but the two sookey females had been here almost literally every day for four years, so it was a poignant to hear the female vocalizing, telling the world that she commands the house-clearing and its yummy lilly pillies.
Toosh Toosh is both ‘out there’ and recognizable, but he is all that is left of the project now. If he doesn’t return with another clutch, then Eric’s family have, after perhaps two decades straight, lost control of the house-clearing. Che sera.
Supreme Emu
But the two sookey females have gone bush, and that’s the story:
about eight years ago, when (the Legendary) Eric the Emu was killed, two of the surviving chicks were injured. Now, as I can’t handle the tame-wild emus here, an injured one can only be assisted with oodles of food. They both got oodles of food. They both survived, but became a bit sookey – they hung out at the house-clearing rather than adventuring off into Great Big Emu World.
One of the two was ‘Toosh Toosh,’ the male upon whom the observation project here now depends. He eventually went bush, but turned up several years later with a clutch of five. Four survived to adulthood. And this clutch (Eric’s grandkids!) were also a bit sookey because Toosh Toosh stayed here with them longer than is usual.
Here they are the day they arrived with Toosh Toosh:
Two of Toosh Toosh’s clutch did go bush, but the two ‘sookey females’ stayed all through their third year, when they might have been out doing reconnaissance of Great Big Emu World.
And then, amazingly, they stayed here for their fourth year! And they were still here until about six weeks ago, when one went bush. Then about two weeks ago, the second sookey female finally left.
A number of wild birds (mostly females) had also turned up – every emu within miles knows the lilly pilly tree bears at this time of year. And they bullied the last sookey female – one reason why she might have left.
And this morning at about three a.m., I heard a female vocalizing happily from her roost in the gum trees around the house-clearing. She’s the bird now ‘commanding’ the house-clearing.
So, the chances are good that Toosh Toosh will extend the project by turning up this spring or next with another clutch (his third) for us to observe; but the two sookey females had been here almost literally every day for four years, so it was a poignant to hear the female vocalizing, telling the world that she commands the house-clearing and its yummy lilly pillies.
Toosh Toosh is both ‘out there’ and recognizable, but he is all that is left of the project now. If he doesn’t return with another clutch, then Eric’s family have, after perhaps two decades straight, lost control of the house-clearing. Che sera.
Supreme Emu
