Diary of a Carbon Farmer

This is the diary of an Australian family who escaped from the city, joined a farming community, and learned to love soil. Carbon Farming is about growing soil carbon - the first link in our food chain. The topsoil is where God's creation is taking place, at every moment. Carbon is the building block of life. By growing it we can restore ecosystems to health. At the same time we can remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as Carbon in the soil.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Red Rumped Parrots, our constant companions

We have large flocks of red-rumped parrots who live in the trees and among the grasses. They flock like budgerigars, but not in the same numbers. They also live on grass seeds that grow in abundance in native pastures. If your pastures are all introduced species, you are not being hospitable towards the local wildlife.

They were perching in the tree outside my window this morning, most of the time with their heads tucked under against the wind. Then, when the sun comes out, they flit to the ground to feed on seed.

My poor little Canon Digital IXUS400 does a good job considering it has a very inaccurate x11 digital telescopic facility which my shaky hands renders blurry, and a slightly more accurate physical x3 telescopic capacity. Otherwise you have got to be like an Indian scout, creeping up on the wildlife to get within range. They have promised me a real telescopic lens, but I don't believe the finances will bear the pressure.