When I wrote my first Leon Chameleon PI book in 1992 there was no internet to do research on the animals and birds so I had to visit the library, nature reserves, museums and search out people in the know.
We had plenty of moles in the garden so I was able to see Constable Mole. I saw my first Purple Crested Loerie (Sergeant Loerie) at an expo and we subsequently had some in a tree in the garden. Rats were not a problem as I'd seen plenty, nor were crows. Snakes I could see at the snake park. I also eventually tracked down a man who was breeding chameleons to put back into the wild because they were becoming scarce.
But now I've finally seen a Spotted Eagle Owl (the Beak - the judge in the Pigeon Valley Court). It seems to have made its home here in my retirement village and spends the day perched on a branch of a tree only a few metres away from my cottage. The other birds get all flustered when they see it, and it certainly looks intimidating. We are thrilled to have it here.
