THE ANTBED parrot: in australia, a fine-feathered bird clings to an ceeentric existence

摘要

Sue Shephard wears a broad-brimmed hat and an easy-going grin as she bounces along on her motorbike, passing termite mounds that stand like eerie monuments in the tropical sun. It's October, and northern Australia's long dry season broke the previousday with the first big storm of the coming monsoons. A trace of dampness lingers in the air, but the dry, brittle grass, grown tall since last year's rains, crumbles in your hand. Shephard stops her bike, dismounts, walks a few yards, and tosses a lit match. The grass bursts into flames that sweep downwind.