“Why So Swift?”

Note:

Originally written for The Guardian’s Bird of the Year in 2023, this poem has just become topical again. Firstly, there is an election this weekend (19 July 2024) in Tasmania and one the issues is native forest logging – which must end for the Swift Parrot to avoid extinction, as well as for the protection of a myriad of other forest-dwelling species. Therefore the ‘Vote’ is still valid and this time more powerful.

In some good news I recently posted about the sighting of a flock of 60 Swift Parrots on the mainland – not as many as there used to be, not as many as we need, but nevertheless a good sign.