It was 7 degrees Celsius in Narrogin, over 200 km south east of home. I made a cup of coffee in the dark, pulled the curtains wide open and propped myself up in bed. Sunrise was expected at 6:52 am. It was worth the wait.
I wasn’t alone. There was laughter high in the gum trees in nearby Foxes Lair. The kookaburras were awake too. I sat in bed and tried to identify the various birdsong. The noisy Black Carnaby cockatoos, ringneck parrots, New Holland honeyeaters. I’m getting good at this! Or maybe the darkness heightened my listening skills.
The view from my hotel bed is always spectacular. As soon as it was light enough I scrambled out of bed, bed hair tucked under beanie and headed to the Lair.
The fog hung low as I walked alone, taking in every sensory experience. The crunch of my footsteps, gum nuts showering around me (courtesy of the parrots), the birdsong, the honking of the Australian shelducks that chased each other above the trees, the smell of gum trees. 
There were boughs of delicate golden wattle, breaking up the grey green of winter that’s only weeks away.
Lichen painted limbs strewn carelessly.
While other limbs were decorated with frills.
The occasional splash of colour at my feet.
Then the parrot caught my eye. It was probably watching me long before I saw it! It was silent and blended in beautifully with foliage.
Soon followed by a shower of red robins that descended on the trees and shrubs around me. Curious about my presence, they were gorgeous!
As I was leaving I met a local who knows the reserve well. He told me he found a bunny orchid the day before, so I followed him like a child.
The bunny orchids on the stem were tiny. Each flower the size of a child’s pinky nail. Exquisite! My delight was so obvious, he left me alone with them!
Bush walking has taught me a valuable lesson: Expect to find something beautiful. It has become my mantra every day.
I know by living this kind of thinking, be it bush or city, my expectations are never set too high.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
A Shared Space 
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