This unique Australian bird will be gracing the walls of the Arizona-Sonara Desert museum in October as part of the SAQA global exhibition “Connecting Our Natural Worlds”.

Our brief was to share a story of something relevant to the theme which speaks to our personal experience of the natural world in our own backyard. The artists statement, had to identify danger to the flora or fauna represented and recommend a call to action.

Old-timers in our district recall that they would often hear the eerie ‘weer-loo’ call of the Bush Stone-Curlew, especially on moonlit nights. Sadly, this event has become quite rare, as this species is now seriously endangered in our area.

The Bush Stone-Curlew is a shy ground-dwelling bird, found across Australia in open woodland habitats. A curious looking thing, its distinctive features are large eyes and long, gangly legs. It requires areas with lots of fallen branches and leaf litter – for foraging, shelter and camouflage.

The Bush Stone-Curlew’s only defence strategy against predators is camouflage. Whereas other birds fly away, it lies flat on the ground and stays still, hoping to blend in with its surroundings. Their chicks make an easy meal for introduced species such as foxes, dogs and cats.

In the Murray River Catchment area where I live, to aid this species’ survival, farmers, in particular, have been encouraged to protect remnant woodland and leave fallen timber on the ground. There is also a consistent programme of regeneration, through planting native species, as well as trying to control feral animals.

Techniques:

Whole cloth mono-printed background with fabric paint, fabric collage, thread sketched and quilted on a domestic machine.

Materials:

Cotton substrate, fabric paint, variety of fabrics including commercial and surface-designed cottons. Cotton and polyester threads.