Back from Down Under.

After six weeks away in Australia, Pam and I returned this weekend. Unfortunately my PC died at the first time I turned it on and I am without Photoshop at the moment, and with hundreds of photos to "do". This is an inconvenience but not really too desperate. While we were in Queensland we spent some time with an old school friend and each evening we were serenaded by this lovely frog, while we ate outside on their fantastic "balcony". Hopefully I'll get sorted out in the next few day and try to put together a "trip report" of our time down under.

Parrot Deja Vu

While I was sorting out my moth traps and photographing a couple of the more interesting "first for the year" moths I heard a loud, unusual but some how distantly familiar sound. When I went out side a fairly large longish tailed parrot flipped out of the Silver Birch tree in the side garden and disappeared. I hadn't identified it and though that that would be the last I saw of it.

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)

A couple of hours later Pam asked me what the noise in the garden was and I immediately recognised the call of the parrot. It was in a different tree and this time stayed there while we looked and photographed it. I know the winds have been quite strong from the south east but I hadn't expected an Australian visitor. It's three and a half years and 10,500 miles since I last saw a Crimson Rosella and the two photos bear an uncanny resemblance, although today's one doesn't feature a Gum (Eucalyptus) Tree.

This one was taken Near Melbourne, at Grant's Picnic site in Sherbrooke Forest, 14/10/2007. I must admit that I was not aware that Rosellas are often kept in captivity, certainly in Australia they become very tame at picnic sites and other place where they can benefit from human activity.

Wet Wet Wet

Today we were promised rain and we got rain. About 2 inches worth. The roads were inundated and although it doesn't quite look like Rockhampton in Queensland, the fields are looking very wet.

I drove through Rockhampton on Nov 15th 2007, but I remember little about the town, except that it made me think of the Rockhampton Rocket, Rod Laver. It was some where near here that I stopped in some forest and found a Little Friarbird. My photo notes just say "Forest off the Bruce Highway near Rockhampton QLD 15/11/2007". All I can remember is a very dry, flat area, now an area as large as France and Germany put together is under water, quite unimaginable.

Down in the Bay today I did note this very clean and tidy looking Herring Gull. already smart having lost it's head and neck streaking.

The rain was torrential and I didn't manage to see any divers or other interesting birds. These two Cormorants went by, but I can't explain the "ghost" under the front one, or the strange outline on the back one. It seems the rain had a strange affect.

Will it be a white Christmas?

This was the garden at 3.15 pm. Unlike much of Kent we woke up to very little snow this morning, and so far there has only been a about 1/4 inch added this evening. Unfortunately the rest of the south-east suffered a much heavier fall, making road conditions pretty bad. The long tern forecast doesn't give too many clues for Christmas day, them temperature is forecast for 1 deg and rain all day. This would normally be cold enough for snow, so who knows.

A little be of sad news came from Australia, in a note from Peter Jacobs, who lives in Waikerie.

Peter informed me that Mrs Stella Mack, of Eremophila Park died on Dec 9th. On Oct 22nd 2007 she kindly showed the Birdquest group I was with in Australia, the Malleefowl nest that had featured in David Attenborough's life of birds.

David's note said "Stella and her late husband were very focused on preserving habitat for birds, especially for the very endangered malleefowl. Her legacy will live on. "

This is the incredible nest that the Malleefowl lay their eggs in. They control the temperature of the eggs by covering them with the required amount of vegetation.

A Critical Bird

Back on November 21st I received the following note on Flickr

"I would like permission to use this photo in a non-for profit aboriginal language poster I am working on. Do you have this image in high resolution? The poster will be in Alyawarr, a language of central Australia, and it will be about birds that signal things in the environment. We will acknowledge all photographers and are happy to send you a copy of the poster.

Look forward to hearing from you Myf Turpin"

Of course I was happy to oblige and sent of the higher resolution picture. To be honest I'd forgotten all about it so when the postman knocked and gave me a "tube" from Australia I had no Idea what would be in it.

I was impressed by this great poster of Australian Birds, each with a little "story" about it. The poster is about 60cm by 84cm and is very eye-catching. The posters are produced by the Cultural Signs Project, Charles Darwin University. The posters in four native languages can be seen at the university Charles Darwin University WEB site.

It's a bit difficult to read the text this size, this is what it says "The Owlet-nightjar makes a whooshing sound. I criticises people as they go past at night. It sees them out of the tree hollow and mocks or criticises that person".

This is another view of the bird on the poster. The first one we saw was in fact in a hole in a tree, and only popped its head out for a short time and I missed the photo, it could have been my inability to takes its picture that it was criticising.

Noisy Pitta

I photographed this beautiful Noisy Pitta at Kingfisher Birdwatchers Lodge in Northern Queensland. Fantastic friendly and helpful, run by Keith and Lindsay Fisher, this is another place not miss.

Eastern Yellow Robin

While I'm away for 3 or 4 days, getting a new knee joint, I thought I would put up a few of my favourite pictures from the last year or two.

This is an Eastern Yellow Robin building its nest, at the famous O'Reillys Resort in Queensland. If you visit Australia this place is a must.

The last post of 2007

As I thought about what to post today two thoughts strolled through my grey matter (thoughts no longer flash). The first was, I've taken something like 12,000 pictures, or rather I've pressed the button that many times, this year, so which result was I most pleased with? The second thought occured while I was pondering this, I looked out of the window and wondered if I'd ever seen so many plants in flower on Dec 31st.

Of the wildlife pictures I've taken I think that the Buff-bellied Paradise Kingfisher above just gets my favourite vote. Perhaps it was the fantastic surroundings in the rain forest, north of Cairns, or the fabulous colours of the bird or its confiding nature when I found it, or more probably it was one of the birds that when I'd looked at in the field guide before I went I most wanted to see.

Of the other pictures I've taken, this one of Josh in Cornwall, the last of a series of bring water from the sea to the sand-castle, shows the concentration on his face to get this task done. I watched him for some in and was enthralled.

Flowers blooming today- I've tried to identify them to genus, but not species or variety, let me know if I've got them wrong.

. Geranium.

a Daisy sp.

a Campanula sp.

Cyclamen

and Arenaria.

Australia Photos

I have started to put up photos (mainly birds) of my trip to Australia, on my Flickr account. As I took a lot (mainly rubbish) it will take a good few days to sort and process them. So far I've managed days one and two only! These can been seen by clicking on the Australia October - November 2007 title in the "see my photos" section on the RHS or click on Australia above. Then click on the day one thumbnail (a Crested Pigeon) etc. I hope to write the trip up as a report and post it later.

Powerful Owl Warning!!

After putting up the picture of the Powerful Owl in Sydney, I received an e-mail from Murray Lord, the friend who showed us the owl. Below is a picture of the finder of the nesting owl who lives locally and has for several years studied the various species of owls in the small reserve near his house. British wildlife photographer, Eric Hosking, lost an eye when attacked by a Tawny Owl, when he was photographing its nest, hence the title of his biography, "an eye for a bird".

Chris wrote of this episode:

"This year we have a new P(owerful) O(wl) pair who I think are raising their first brood. They do not have the relaxed predictable manner of the old pair, choose strange, separated roosts & get harassed by the currawongs as a result. They seem to be learning & gradually moving down into the heavier shade of the creek rainforest species & roosting as a family.
I found the female & 1 juvenile this morning about 6 metres up & made a note to come back with tripod later in the day when the light was better. As I turned to move on I was suddenly hit by the male who I hadn't seen earlier & he then flew to a low close branch. He had his head pushed forward in their hawk-like look & a wild eye but before I could recover to get a pic the currawongs & kookaburras went for him & he moved away.
On looking in the mirror later I realised how close I came to losing an eye."

Koala

Having been away for more than six weeks I need to get back in the swing of a daily St Margaret's photo. After a day back home we were away in Lancashire this weekend, so I thought a picture of most peoples favourites Australian, (apart from Kylie) would be in order.

At least this one was awake, they reputedly sleep for about 20 hrs a day, so most of those we found were slumbering. This one was near Melbourne and is the southern form, the northern ones are much paler.

Powerful Owl with prey

Just back this morning, from six weeks in Australia. I will put some pictures on my Flickr account but as a small gruesome taster here is a Powerful Owl, with its prey, a Ring-tailed Possum. It first be-headed it, and then sat for a long period, perhaps to let the meat "ripen" in the heat, before feeding its two youngsters.

This is one of the "cuddly" babes.

The Powerful Owl is somewhat strage looking for an owl, at some angles it looks very hawk like.