Last early morning outing

This morning was most likely the end of my second (and final) field season, totaling about 10 months of watching honeyeaters, duskies, willies, and god knows what else (like echidnas, foxes, wombats, wild dogs, wallabies, water dragons, etc). Especially on an unusually nice cool, crisp morning like today, it made me sad to think that I probably will never be back to my field sites and I may never see some of those kookie animals again. However, if I recall how horrid the heat, flies, and ants can be, it doesn't bother me quite so much to think I won't be spending those long early morning hours outside anymore. In exchange for not tromping around in beautiful parks nearly every day, I will only be writing like a mad person, all day long... ergh.

When I think of it, besides my final seminar, I really don't have a reason to be in Australia anymore. I could essentially go home and write from there. A few months ago I set my deadline to hand in my thesis by May, but my new goal is to be back in the US by early July (in time for Independence Day, nonetheless, hahah!).

Here are a few photos of my main study species to commemorate my last day in the field:

White-plumed honeyeater (by Julian Robinson, Lake Ginninderra)

Willie wagtail (Campbell Park)

Dusky woodswallows (by Julian Robinson)

White-plumed honeyeater feeding a pallid cuckoo chick (by Julian Robinson, Callum Brae)