Parkes seem to have become good friends! (Photos: The Guardian; Deb Abela)

The weather was glorious last weekend and many people grabbed the opportunity to get out and go for a walk for a change in lock-down scenery.

Some were unfortunately confronted with a different kind of danger… magpie swooping season has started!

Every spring, walkers, runners and cyclists have to deal with some very protective magpies. It’s in their nature to swoop in spring, as their protective instincts over their young kick in.

Swooping is a magpie’s protective behaviour at breeding time, to ward off intruders or potential threats from their nest, which could house eggs or young.

Swooping can include merely flying over your head as a warning, or feature physical contact from the bird’s beak or claws.

In extreme cases, that can lead to more serious injuries that may require medical attention or in extreme tragedies, cause a fatal accident.

According to an ABC news article, the magpies that swoop may have experienced past trauma or harassment.

The fact is that most magpies that are pre-disposed to swooping will. That is why the best advice is to take a detour as magpies will only swoop in the immediate vicinity of their nest.

If you have to cross a magpie’s territory, there are some tips that could help minimise your risk of being swooped:
• Walk quickly, but don’t run
• Protect your head with an umbrella, hat or helmet
• Wear glasses or sunglasses to keep your eyes safe
• Keep facing the magpie or its nest as you move away
• Dismount your bike if you’re riding, and walk through the magpie’s territory
• Move in a group as magpies are more likely to target individuals

You shouldn’t disturb or hassle birds, particularly young magpies. If you know of any swooping magpies around Parkes, let us know at editor@parkesphoenix.com.au

Parkes rising star Gracey Denham-Jones has recorded her very first song as part of a compilation album with 14 other artists in the Central West.

A talented Parkes musician features on a new album called ‘While the World Waits’ with 14 other artists from the Central West.

Gracey Denham-Jones, who is well-known among Parkes audiences for numerous gigs, has an original song on the album called ‘Wait’. It is about the complexities and emotions of turning 18 during isolation. “We are called in this world to ‘wait’ for the better days; hold on and be strong when times get tough, as there is always a rainbow after every storm,” she said.

Gracey’s first ever recorded song is number 13 on the album commissioned by Arts OutWest in response to the impacts of COVID-19 on the local music industry. She is one of 15 songwriters across 11 local government areas in the region who each wrote a song reflecting their experiences of 2020. The result is ‘While the World Waits’, a professionally produced, beautiful sound-capsule of this time in our lives.

“It is such a great feeling to get my music out there,” said Gracey. “It was amazing to get the commission to write a song.” Gracey, who was in Year 12 last year when the first lockdown happened and missed 10 weeks of school, said it took her about a day to write the song. “My message is to remind people to be resilient during these difficult times, especially the current Year 12’s.”

She is looking forward to releasing the single in the next couple of weeks on digital music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora, and to follow it up with more recordings of her music.

Gracey began her musical journey as an eight-year-old when she was cast in her first show at the Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society. Since then she has found a love for dance, drama and music. As soon as she learned to play the guitar at the start of year seven, her love for country music grew.

She has competed in multiple country music competitions and eisteddfods throughout her high school years. Highlights include performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival last year and receiving a band 6 (mark of 93) in music during her HSC year.

The album was launched online last Saturday and is for sale as a limited edition CD. Styles of the songs range from acoustic ballads, soulful pop, foot stompin’ rock, indie pop to some dreamy late night chill outs and good old fashioned finger poppin’ accapella.

Kris Schubert, hose band ‘The Safety of Life at Sea’ also features on the album, produced all but one of the recordings at The Boat Shed Studio in O’Connell.

The artists include Canowindra’s Nerida Cuddy, Orange-based Lynda Manwaring, Millthorpe’s ARIA award winner Genni Kane, Grenfell band BC and the Foot Falcons, Lake Cargelligo’s Adam Kerezsy, Smith & Jones from Bathurst, Cowra’s Josh Maynard, Lueth Ajak from Bathurst, Gavin Bowles from Hampton, Tic-Tok sensation Gabbi Bolt from Bathurst, Adam Enslow from Forbes, Amy Viola from Orange, and Andy Baylor from Cowra.

CD copies of the album can be purchased for $10 from artsoutwest.org.au and – when COVID restrictions ease – from visitor information centres and other retail outlets around the region.

Digital versions of each track will also be available from each artists’ preferred platform or site and Arts OutWest will share a Spotify playlist linking them together. See www.artsoutwest.org.au for links.

The album was funded by the NSW Government’s Arts Restart package. Proceeds from CD sales go back into supporting local musicians and live music events in the NSW Central West.

By Maggi Barnard

Proceeds from ‘While the World Waits’ from CD sales will go back into supporting local musicians and live music events in the NSW Central West.

Some well-travelled Golden Wattle seeds that went all the way to the International Space Station and back will be distributed to schools across Australia for the inaugural Australian ‘Seeds in Space’ educational program.

An extra-terrestrial parcel of Australian Golden wattle seeds has returned safely to earth and is undergoing biosecurity screening following its journey into space.

The seeds travelled all the way to the International Space Station and back following a Memorandum of Understanding between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Australian Space Agency. The seeds were collected by CSIRO from a wild population in Victoria, and are held in the National Research Collections Australia at CSIRO as part of a unique resource alongside representative seeds of other Australian plant species.

“This is one small step for Golden wattle but one giant leap for biosecurity science and innovation,” said Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud.

“Biosecurity officers will now inspect the well-travelled Golden Wattle seeds to ensure that they meet biosecurity requirements and have not picked up any exotic pests and diseases on their journey.”

Once the seeds have received biosecurity clearance, they will be released to the One Giant Leap Australia Foundation to distribute to schools across Australia for the inaugural Australian ‘Seeds in Space’ educational program. The aim is to see what effects the space journey has had on their germination as a fun and exciting project to engage the next generation in STEM.

The Australian Ambassador to Japan, Jan Adams AO PSM, will be presented with some of the returned seeds from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in a ceremony at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo. The space seeds will be planted in the embassy garden as a symbol of the growing relationship in this area.

The One Giant Leap Australia Foundation is supported by the Australian Space Agency on this project, in collaboration with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo Research Module on the International Space Station, which facilitates space-related educational projects.

For more details about One Giant Leap Australia Foundation visit https://onegiantleapaustralia.com/

The Central West Livestock Exchange

The Central West Livestock Exchange (CWLE) in Forbes will be holding its monthly Store Cattle Sale today, 20th August amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in Central West NSW with strict safety rules in place.

“We have taken advice from the relevant authorities regarding the cattle sale and the staff are confident the sale can go ahead despite the current stay-at-home orders in place,” said Forbes Shire Council General Manager Steve Loane. “The utmost diligence has been taken to ensure buyers, freight operators and our staff can carry out their vital work for the commercial livestock industry.

Only essential workers are to attend the sale and this includes agents, registered buyers and council staff. Family mem-bers can watch the sale online through the StockLive online auction.

“All transportors must remain in their vehicles whilst the sale is being conducted, and vendors delivering stock should leave immediately after delivery of cattle,” said Steve.

CWLE Manager Cassi Walmsley said the sale was shaping up to be good one with 1,800 cattle. This week saw 27,000 sheep through the yards and 1,100 cattle. This is a vast improvement on previous months and the prices are high and the quality very good.

Traffic and Highway Patrol officers have been on key arterial and back roads across regional NSW as part of the COVID lockdown.

You might have noticed police patrols on the main roads into Parkes over the past week.

A total of 1,400 officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command have been on key arterial and back roads across regional NSW, checking vehicles travelling without a reasonable excuse.

Chief Inspector Scott Rayner of the Parkes Police said a lot more police officers would be seen in high visibility uniforms on patrol to ensure COVID compliance. “They will be very strongly enforcing the COVID rules,” he warned.

As many as 166 Police Information Notice (PINs) were handed out in a 24-hour period in regional NSW over the past week as part of Operation Stay-At-Home that started on Saturday at 5pm.

Australian Defence Force troops were also deployed to assist with compliance checks and patrols, while five teams were sent to the Central West on Wednesday to help with the vaccination drive in vulnerable communities.

In addition, penalties have significantly increased and the following fines are in place for Public Health Order breaches:

• $5,000 for breaching self-isolation rules.
• $5,000 for lying on a permit.
• $5,000 for lying to a contact tracer.
• $3,000 for breaching the two-person outdoor exercise/recreation rule.
• $3,000 for breaching rules around entry into regional NSW.

At the time of going to press it was not yet clear whether the lockdown might be extended past Sunday, but in the mean time it is vital to stay at home unless you need to leave for an essential reason. If you must leave home, stay within your local area. For more information, visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules