Birds on Norton Street

by Susan Hawkeswood

At dusk, the sound of the birds in the trees along Norton Street almost drowns out the sound of the traffic. Shrill mynahs, chorusing as the sun slides down the sky on the western side of Leichhardt. Mostly silent are the ravens who perch on the steeple of All Souls Church on the corner of Norton and Marion Streets. The ravens search for food, flying back and forth across the intersection, diving on any crumb they spy. One day, a raven battled the traffic in Marion Street, fluttering in and out of the line of cars. The raven made a move into the road just as a car turned the corner into Marion Street. Flapping its wings, the raven retreated to the footpath. The raven repeated this action over and over again, all for a scrap of food lying on the roadway, risking its life to eat.