An Ode to Joy

This is not an entry about my photography, but about joy.  That's joy with a small 'j', not with a capital 'J' who is a whole other story.

New South Wales is a very enlightened state that issues Seniors' Cards to all over sixty who work less than eighteen hours per week.  It says on it, and I quote:-

"The holder is a valued member of our community.  Please extend every courtesy and assistance."  

And in the main people do.  I remember vividly the day that mine arrived in the post.  It was accompanied by a booklet and one or two separate sheets of paper that fell on the floor.  I picked them up and read them.  They were both advertising discount funerals.  

Essentially it is a discount card, and many cafes and restaurants, DIY outlets, some supermarkets and others offer special deals to Seniors.  But the greatest boon, especially to a hobby photographer, is that many of the State's transport organisations offer remarkable and much-appreciated discounts.  I can travel for approximately 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 km) by train, bus or ferry, go anywhere, for just $2.50 per day.  One is tempted to wonder for how much longer this deal may last.

Anyway, eight years ago, when I first received my card, I decided to go to the Heads.  Ex-Naval personnel will immediately have one image in their minds, but I mean the entrance to Port Jackson, the maritime name for Sydney Harbour.  To get there, I had first of all to catch a train, two buses and then walk for a kilometre to reach the car park on top of North Head.  I was soon talking to an affable young man with a mobile phone, who was a professional whale spotter.  From our lofty position on top of the cliff, he located the migrating whales and communicated with the many boats which take visitors out to see these amazing creatures at close quarters.

He said that there was a young humpback whale actually in the Heads.  I looked down, but all I could see was a flock of Silver Gulls driving a small shoal of fish to where they could easily be snapped up and eaten, but there was no sign of any whale.

Only a few seconds later, the water erupted, displaced by what appeared to be a railway car.  It seemed to hang in the air for several seconds (actually nearer to a second) before performing the largest belly flop ever.  It was, of course, nothing to do with railways, but was a humpback whale, and was nearer to the size of a largish sailing yacht. I'm sure you get the idea.  This was repeated two or three times.  It was a humpback full of joy!

But at that moment, something strange happened.  The silver gulls, normally pugnacious little beasts, suddenly scattered and disappeared.  A large, (and when I say large, I mean big) solitary bird gracefully swooped down and plucked a large fish out of the water with its talons.  This flying nemesis was a White-Bellied Sea  Eagle, which has a body up to 90 cm (3 feet) long, and a wingspan of nearly 2.5 metres, (about 8 feet).  There are some good videos on Youtube of these birds catching sea snakes in North Queensland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VLvqgfuZOk8

I stayed longer than I meant to, and the young whale spotter offered me a lift down the hill to the nearest town of Manly.  On the way, he stopped the car, opened the door, and asked me to listen.  i could hear birds noisily roosting.  "They're Little Penguins" he said.

Later I reflected that I had seen humpback whales, including one up fairly close.  I had seen a very large eagle.  And I had heard the local penguins.  All these amazing creatures in the wild were only about 5 miles (8km) from the city centre of a conurbation of 4 million people!  

Sydney really is a rather special place to be.

I was reminded of this today, as my wife and I returned home after a morning's shopping.  Without flapping its wings once, an enormous bird soared a thousand feet out of Berowra Creek, sideslipped high above the main road which runs along the ridge, and sank gently towards Cowan Water.  It is the fourth one I have seen locally in the last two months.  Pure absolutely unadulterated joy!

No other birds were to be seen.  Only 50% of its diet is fish.