Field Note

While Chasing Wonder has taken me around the world, my favourite place to find it is here - at home.

A few weeks ago, I was walking around my local lake when something made me pause.

It was an unfamiliar bird behaving in an unusual way.

The bird was cutting through the water like a torpedo, its entire body lying flat against the surface of the water - like a crocodile going for its prey.

And then there was another bird - identical to the first.

The two of them were flicking and bobbing their heads, mimicking each other’s movements.

I watched them in fascination.

It wasn’t until later that I realised what I’d been watching… (You’ve probably figured it out already.)

They were Great Crested Grebes, engaging in a highly choreographed mating ritual.

And if I hadn’t paused and followed my own curiosity, I would have missed it.

I wasn’t chasing wonder that day, but somehow it managed to find me anyway.

🇦🇺 Melbourne, Australia, September 2026