Modern Bird Watching

Arthur has climbed down the tree, leaving the broadcasting device on.

Now he's supposed to lurk somewhere, waiting.

He looks for a suitable spot.

He finds one.

I'll lurk somewhere nearby, says Jinjing. Two lurkers in the same spot might look suspicious.

Jinjing looks for a suitable spot.

He finds one.

Nothing to do now but wait.

Sleep-may-be, sleep-may-be, sleep may be! (That's the recording).

Wheet-wheet! (That's not).

Did you hear that? asks Arthur.

I did hear it, says Jinjing. Wheet-wheet. It's not on our recording.

Go and find Amanda, says Arthur.

Okay, says Jinjing.

She is some distance away, up another tree, attaching a broadcasting device.

She is not using string.

Arthur used string, says Jinjing.

Why? asks Amanda. I gave him some zip ties.

He must have dropped them, says Jinjing.

Easy to do. Other than that, how's it going? asks Amanda.

We have a question, says Jinjing. Is wheet-wheet in the forty spotted pardalote's vocabulary?

Yes, says Amanda. But it's tricky. The call and response are a single wheet, so it's two birds communicating. Makes it hard to pinpoint the direction.

But they must do it, says Jinjing. Thanks. I'll tell Arthur.

Before you go, says Amanda, does Arthur have a camera?

Yes, says Jinjing. He took a selfie, up in the tree. There was a bird in it.

Get him to send it to me, says Amanda. And any other birds he spots, too.

Okay, says Jinjing.

He flies off, back to Arthur.

Any info? asks Arthur.

Yes, says Jinjing.

He explains the call and response wheets. Wheet-wheet means two birds in two different locations.

Complicated, says Arthur. But not my problem. Anything else?

She wants you to send her the selfie, says Jinjing. I told her there was a bird in it.

What's her number? asks Arthur.

Jinjing sighs. He will have to fly back again,.

Really! Modern bird watching sucks.