Author(s): William McInnes

Contemporary

This is a story about birdwatchers. David is one, and Clare's father was one. David has a bad history with girlfriends as he is a 'twitcher'; he spends all his time and money chasing birds around Australia so he can add them to his list. It's not a hobby that attracts many young and desirable women, and over the years David's girlfriends have grown more interested in buying houses and having babies than spending days bogged in mudflats waiting for an unlikely sighting of the storm-tossed vagrant bird, which normally lives in Papua New Guinea. Clare, divorced and mother of a teenage daughter, has sworn off men completely and is reasonably happy with her decision. It's not through any bitterness from her failed marriage, but because she had breast cancer five years ago and has found relationships difficult ever since. Clare never expected to meet someone like David. They try to stay apart, but like a pair of birds dancing around each other they might have to give in to their feelings.