The winds have remained persistently strong to gale force since my last Cape Chatter … when will it ever end! Despite the windy, cold conditions, spring time heralds a period of change, and nature is in full swing, with evidence of nest building and breeding along our coastline and inland. Several intra-continental bird migrants from other parts of Australia are appearing locally with some interesting and surprising observations. The vanguards of the remarkable long distance migratory bird species from the northern hemisphere have arrived, and with it sadly, the potential for the spread of the deadly Avian Flu among our local, indigenous species of birds and mammals.