Bruny Youth Stories Prize

He sat patiently. The sun was peaking from the horizon. In the distance, the land was bare. It’s rays barely a whisper through the long leaves of the large gum tree he sat. His talons curled tighter around the branch. The summer wind was making his branch bounce up and around. He shook out his emerald wings. He lowered his head and cleaned the undersides of his wings. The sun slowly rose into the sky, painting the sky a blazing pink and red. Today had to be perfect. It would determine his future. He hadn’t seen any more like him in ages. Not since he had hatched in a safe warm nest. The twigs had cradled around him. That was when he was young. Now he was alone. 
 

PIP, PIP, PIP. He perked up. Someone had just left the blossoming leaves for the sky. From where he perched he could see the green silhouette of another. Another just like him. He lifted his wings. “Pip, Pip, Pip,” he called as he whirled into the air. His emerald, ruby and sapphire feathers glided above the crescent leaves. Their gums noisily shaking in the wind. He dived through the leaves. He glided onto a branch where another fellow Swift Parrot hung upside down eating the nectar from the fluffy white flowers. He tweeted at the fellow. They looked up. Something was different. They weren’t nearly as bright as a typical male was. He noticed they had peachy pink shoulders. They cocked their head at him. Their eyes scanning along his pretty wings and handsome tail. She stepped forward. He hopped back. It’s a girl! His tiny hearts beat fluttered. A beat that sung a romantic song. He puffed up his feathers and fluff as much as he could. He did slow circles, letting her examine him with a 360-degree view. He opened his wings wide to her. She came closer. Her head stooping so close he could see the reflection of the eucalyptus tree they sat in. Her beak clicked happily. Approved. He brought his wings down. She hopped closer. They both knew that they needed a nest now.

They flew side by side. “Pip, Pip, Pip,” she called, rushing up from the leaves. “Pip, Pip, Pip,” he replied following her. She dove down. He dove down too. He came to land on a branch. The afternoon light flooded through. He scanned the forest. No sign of her. Her head popped out from the side of a gums stripped bark. She whistled him over. He glided over. He landed on an odd branch. It was flat. It didn’t smell like eucalyptus either. He peered over into what appeared to be the inside of a box. She was nestled inside with a few sticks already. He must leave her now and return with more sticks and moss to make things more comfortable for her. This is how his life went and how many other lives were told. Whether we hear them or not. 
 

Winners of the Bruny Youth Story Prize will be announced at The Bruny Island Bird Festival on Sunday, the 22nd of March at 12 pm in the Adventure Bay hall. This prize is proudly brought to you by The Bruny Kids and Nature Project, led by Claire Boost and the Tasmanian Community Fund.