On Hearing A Whipbird Poem by Francis Duggan

In this here wood where gum trees stand so tall
And peace and silence do reign overall
A silence broke by intermittent wild bird call
Like sound of whip that's cracked against a wall

It is male eastern whipbird that I hear
He sounds quite near though him I cannot see
Perhaps ten yards from where I'm standing here
In tangled undergrowth by pale barked tree.

Here in gum wood a stone throw from the town
They live their life these birds of mankind shy
With only one small claim to bird renown
Their whip like call distinct from all bird cry.

I saw whipbird for first time yesterday
I saw him first before he spotted me
And on seeing me he immediately flew away
To hide himself in leaves of tree fern tree.

Of whipbird colours I took mental note
With wings and tail a darker shade of green
With dark blue crest and breast, white patch on throat
A bird you will remember from once seen.

Here in gum wood in summer mid day sun
Where bullants crawl across the sun baked ground
All wood birds silent except for the one
The whipbird's call the only living sound.