We all gather at the crocodile while the sky's still eerie black
And many would be happier still snuggled in the sack
But we tolerate such discomforts and we do get one or two
For we're intrepid finch folk and we've got a job to do
The Gouldian bird's in trouble there aren't many left about
So we've all come to Wyndham to help these finches out
We mill around in small mobs and talk of sightings past
'Till Sarah rolls up in her car-Sarah's always last
She gives us our assignments and we keenly take our pad
To check out our location-is it good or is it bad
Some pools have birds in numbers while at others there's a dearth
And to sit and gaze at nothing is the dullest job on earth
I get a spot that's in the bush some distance out of town
I find a place to put my chair and then I settle down
With its overhanging branches this pond looked a likely spot
I just might see some birds here but then I just might not
A Wagtail came to greet me to say the pool was his by right
He had either got there earlier or had been there overnight
He whistled to his partner who was down the other end
But we got along quite nicely and he soon became my friend
Some mudlarks then appeared they were anxious for a drink
It was Willy's happy whistling that brought them in I think
The doves all round were cooing and making quite a din
But they also were thirsty and began to wander in
There were Honeyeaters darting they did not travel far
They kept the water well in sight as boozers do a bar
For a while it looked like rainbows floating gently in the air
But they were just the Bee eaters that were gliding everywhere
Then one small visitor caught my eye standing on the shore
I blinked and when I looked again there were several more
The first one was a Double bar I knew that from his chest
And a quick visual inspection told me so were all the rest
I expect they had come early to beat the morning throng
If I'd had doubts about this pool I soon was proven wrong
For the shoreline was soon swarming with a great enormous flock
Too many birds for me to count and not yet six o' clock
A stranger was among them that I could have easily missed
I recognised the Longtail and he was noted on my list
And when he'd had his fill and left he must have found his cousins
For Longtails started coming in and coming in by dozens
The rustling sound behind I hoped was just a kangaroo
Coming to the waterhole 'cos he was thirsty too
I didn't have time to check it out I was busy noting down
Some birds mixed in that last lot black faced and coloured brown
Stars followed in such numbers they must have fallen from the sky
I really couldn't count them though I gave a darn good try
I was happy to just watch them red heads and coloured green
Far more birds in that single flock than I have ever seen
Then something that I noticed makes my poor heart miss a beat
I looked again to make sure and near fell off my seat
For there among the red heads was one head coloured black
A breast a hue of purple green feathers on the back
The colours were quite vivid with a shiny glossy sheen
And anyone who's seen them will know which bird I mean
A Gouldian was there to please me and while I stared in awe
Three more came down to join him that meant there were four
The birds came in such numbers they made my head quite sore
'cause every time I counted some I had to count some more
Then the numbers dropped off sharply there was nothing left to see
They diid not like that big brown hawk that had settled in a tree
I watched him for a little while and then he copped a stone
He wasn't helping here so he could go sit on his own
Friend Willy seemed quite cheerful when he saw what I had done
And when that hawk came sneaking back he chased it just for fun
Birds still came in to drink there but not quite as before
That didn't disappoint me though I could not have asked for more
I'd seen birds of type and number that are hard to comprehend
And the images that they conjured I shall carry to the end
I'll be able to talk about them when I get back to the crowd
And when I say I saw some I shall say it out quite loud