Wildlife Wednesday - Egret

I think this is the Little Egret, but it could also be the Cattle Egret. I'm leaning towards Little Egret because they're most often seen singly, and the Cattle Egret usually stick in a bunch.

And once again, I snuck out of my backyard on to the river, but it's close!

Breeding occurs in colonies with other waterbirds. A scanty nest of sticks is built over water. Both sexes incubate the eggs. Before fledging, the young birds are able to climb around or roost in branches near the nest.

The Little Egret feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates, as well as fish and amphibians. The Little Egret hunts in shallow water by shuffling a foot to stir up aquatic prey, which it then takes in a lightning-fast movement. It also chases small fish with its wings raised.

If it's the Cattle Egret though, they eat: grasshoppers, especially during breeding season, but eats many other invertebrates. It also eats frogs, cane toads, lizards and some small mammals. Its sharp bill is used in a lunging and stabbing manner. It often feeds by following large animals such as cattle, grabbing insects and worms that they disturb with their feet. They also will sit on cattle to look out for insects.

Cattle Egret pairs are monogamous for the breeding season, and they breed in colonies, usually with other waterbirds. Their shallow platform nests are made in wetland areas in trees and bushes, usually as high up as possible. Both parents build the nest and incubate the eggs, with one brood per season being raised.

If you want more information, I found some here at the Birds in Backyards website.

Sunday Story

Last Sunday I talked about Critique Partners. This week I want to talk about something similar, but more.

RWA is an organisation like no other I've been in. The support from this group is phenomenal. No question is silly. Everything is answered with as much detail as you can handle, and then some! No one is better than anyone else. Everyone is kind, helpful, considerate and overly giving. Sure, there are a couple of bad eggs, but surprisingly few.

RWA is a mixture of writers at varying stages. When I joined I was a complete novice. Five years later, I still feel the same way about the organisation as I did then. It matters not where you are on your writing journey, you fit in... even if you think you don't.

This is an example of what I mean. I've had the incredible experience of published authors assisting my writing (not one, a few can you believe!?). Each time, it's pushed my writing forward in a huge leap. It's often been when I've stalled. I can't find how to make my writing better, yet I'm not winning, not getting picked up. Then along comes this miracle, someone experienced and knowledgeable, who critiques my work, and shows me about a million ways to improve.

Sometimes it comes through an anonymous contest judge. A mentor in a program (like 5DI, or IWS). An idea that's built upon. A random email. I've never expected it. It kind of falls in my lap through some good fortune, for which I will be forever grateful.

If I wasn't in RWA, and probably if I wasn't an active member, this would never have happened. It's the most incredible experience.

So, if you're writing on your own. Stalled. Or unsure where to go. Join RWA. Get involved. Meet people. Chat. Ask questions. Be interested. You just never know what might fall in your lap.

Phallic Friday - circumcision

To cut or not to cut? This is a huge medical question and I'm not going to get into the debate. I just want to ask about it, from a story writing perspective - is it important?

Because of changing medical decisions about circumcision, there are age brackets of men who are, or who aren't, with a few bucking the trend. In my age group, most men are circumcised. To meet an uncut man is unusual.

I've been thinking about this in stories. Most don't mention the penis status, yet I think it's a missed detail. It's also something we as a society often don't talk about.

I have a couple of funny stories about this topic.

I worked with a lady who emigrated to Australia from a European country where men were generally uncircumcised. She got a job as a nurse's aid in a hospital and was asked to wash a male patient. When she got to his penis, he was circumcised and she had never seen a circumcised penis before. She went to get her superior, thinking the man had some awful injury. She told me she had never been so embarrassed in her life.

Another story. I shared an office with 2 guys. We were pretty open and discussed all manner of things. They were both married with kids and treated me like their kid sister. A show started on TV called "Sex" where all manner of topics were addressed. We used to discuss the show the next day. There had been a segment about circumcision and we were discussing it (we're scientists, so it was quite a medical-type discussion of the pros and cons). During the discussion, one of the fellows said, "Well, what exactly is it?" We were speechless. Then I said, "Maybe you two should go to the mens room and sort this out." But the other guy bolted, guffawing loudly. I was left to explain what circumcision was - and all I could be thankful for was that this guy had daughters!! (I don't know if he was pulling my leg or not, but I think not. He was a farm boy, but incredibly naive and shy.)

So, in my mind, discussing and describing the penis is important. I also think the same about women's vaginas, especially when I look at the statistics about vaginoplasties - it's horrific. I'll make a start on penis description... and try to have a mixture of circumcised and uncircumcised heroes. One day I may have words enough to describe women too!

Is body part description important to you? Is cut or uncut important?

Wildlife Wednesday - wren

I snuck down to the beach for this photo even though I have wrens in my backyard. The ones in my backyard are camera shy, whereas at the beach they're quite happy to pose!

This is a female superb blue wren (well, I'm pretty sure it is, there's a tiny niggle that it's not, only because I didn't see any males down there, but the males are in my yard so maybe they don't like the beach and cameras!).

Here's a bit of info about them.

• They live as a family group.
• Only the mother sits on the eggs. The others in the group feed and protect the nestlings once hatched, leaving the mother to lay up to three broods per season.
• Wrens have relatively weak powers of flight but long legs, so they spend most of their time on the ground or in shrubs, going in a series of hops as they gather food.
• They forage in groups - that way, insects disturbed by one bird may fall victim to another.
• Nest building is done entirely by the female in 3-4 days, using spiders' webs, fine twigs and grass then lined with wool, feathers or animal hair.