Last Johanna Sky (SkyWatch Friday)

Just a quick post this week – more skies from Johanna. The clouds in the first picture looked like they would produce rain – but it never really happened, just a few big drips and drops.

The “mist” in the second picture came in off the sea all the time – I just think you could only see it when the sun was low in the sky.

Children, dinner and the need to have an early night calls!

You can find more pictures of the sky at SkyWatch Friday.

You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.

Enjoy the skies!

World Bird Wednesday - Hooded Plover

Hooded Plover are small and (according to one of the field guides) tubby! They also seem to have a lot of energy, being constantly on the move. I found these birds on the beach during my last trip away. I tried all manner of stalking methods, but could not really get that close. In the end they decided that they had had enough of me and flew to the other side of a river. As I did not feel much like wading that day I left them to it.

This bird suffers badly from disturbance during the summer as it nests on the beach. This is not a good strategy if the beach is popular with children, dogs and 4WD’s. Often their breeding areas are fenced off to stop the nests getting trampled.

What I really like about these birds is that they are normally only found on wildish beaches – so if you find a Hooded Plover you know you are often somewhere a little beat off the beaten track.


You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can also see the most recent post on my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention picture on the RHS of the screen.


Enjoy the birds.

Our World Tuesday - Only place in the world where this happens!

When I was away I started to think about the idea of putting up a post that really could not be anywhere else other than “my world”. So, living where I do I did not have to think that hard about what I could do! But what did surprise me was the ease with which I got the pictures.
Near the end of a walk a cry of “I’ve found an echidna” went up from the smaller of my small people – and she was right. This one obliged by staying on the surface for a little while we looked and photographed. He (?) even kicked some dirt at us to tell to go away. If you don’t know anything about this animal, the key think to know is that it lays eggs. But it’s a mammal all the same.
We saw lots of kangaroos and wallabies during the holiday – but I thought I’d go with a bit of a crowd pleaser in the Koala – and please, please, please don’t call it a bear!




On the road out to Cape Otway Light house we must have seen 20 or 30 of these rather charming animals. You can see from the state of the trees that 20 or 30 may be just a bit more than the trees came cope with. So the koala is a marsupial – and it gives birth after 35 days of pregnancy to a Joey less than 20mm long. That’s smaller than most bees! In then stays in the pouch for 5 months!


The other remarkable thing about koalas is that it is the one vertebrate where the brain does not fill its cranium. About 40% of the volume is taken up by a think jelly! Evolution has swapped brain power for energy conservation, and produced a highly energy efficient beast that is not much chop at after dinner conversation or crosswords.

So, seeing both of those on one trip pretty much places you on the east coast of Australia – you should visit and see for yourself.


You can find more places from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

You can find the most recent post to my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen. (The most recent post has more echidna pictures from a different trip)



Enjoy the pictures.

Macro Monday - Apple Blossom

The path to my front door is flanked by two pairs of apple trees – at this time of year, albeit briefly, they produce whorls of wonderful flowers. I managed to take this picture just in time. Winter had not really given up its grip and the day after I took this picture my garden was coated with a counterfeit snow of apple petals. A few hardy flowers hung on, but generally the show was over. Today it’s warm again!


You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday.


You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.

Enjoy the close ups !

Johanna goes to sleep - SkyWatch Friday

These images were taken over a 30 minute period as the sun was setting over Johanna beach. It was a windy evening so the clouds were being pushed through and the sky kept changing. Only saw one other person and they were taking photographs as well. All in all it was a splendid way to watch the day settle down for the night.













You can find more pictures of the sky at SkyWatch Friday.

You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.


Enjoy the skies!

World Bird Wednesday - Silvereye

The fields and garden around our temporary home at Johanna were full of Silvereyes. These little birds – they are about 11 cm long - seem to behave more like mice than birds, excepting of course that they can fly and that’s beyond the mice I’ve known!

They would land in the tall grass or flowers and dive down to soil level and them move about inside the tangle of leaves and stems. You could tell they were still there because the plants would move about with them. They would then reappear at some random point fly off.
It’s the kind of behavior that’s has only really become possible to photograph with digital – I got a hit rate of about 1 useable image every 10 – 15 pictures (and that’s only if you extend the definition of useable!)


Anyway, they are a great little bird and they were our almost constant companions for the week. Hope you enjoy them!
You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can also see the most recent post on my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention picture on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the birds.

Our World Tuesday - Triplet Falls, nr. Johanna

The rain has been falling. The dams are filling. A year ago it felt like sights like this may have become a thing of the past.


This is Triplet Falls in the Otway Forests, west of Melbourne. These are cool temperate rainforests (similar to those in the Pacific North West of the USA). It’s a wonderful place. Now it feels like its come back to life, with back side rustlings, bird calls and natures white noise – the fall of water.



You can find more places from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

You can find the most recent post to my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the pictures.

Macro Monday - Blotched Dusky Blue

This is probably the last of the shots that I took in the Grampians. I was photographing flowers, when this little flash of metallic blue flew past. Orchids were forgotten for a while as I chased this butterfly.

I think that it is a Blotched Dusky Blue – but I’m sure it’s a butterfly! You can read the full story of this picture on my other blog.


You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday.

You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.

Enjoy the close ups !

Johanna Sky - Skywatch Friday.

Keen followers will know that I spent some at a rather splendid location to the west of Melbourne last week.


Johanna is about 3 ½ hours from Melbourne and ½ an hour from Apollo Bay if you happen to know the area (I suppose they are still those times away even if you don’t know the area – but that’s a pedants distraction!)


I liked the abstract shapes and colours of these water tanks on the property – although I have no idea what the orange ball is!

I liked the way that their solid form contrasted with the sky.

As I was taking the picture 3 Corellas – small white parrots - shot past and I was able to include them in one of the shots.

You can find more pictures of the sky at SkyWatch Friday.

You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.


Enjoy the skies!

World Bird Wednesday - Masked Lapwing

Masked Lapwing – or Spur winged Plovers as they were once called – are familiar birds over much of Eastern and Northern Australia. I tend to see them most often in their natural environment - the grass in the middle of roundabouts, road-side verges, football ovals and under my window when I am trying to sleep in!



We call them “the bird of stress” for their tendency to fly around shrieking for no apparent reason. They will also swoop you if the fancy takes them – and their old name comes from the fact that the have black-tipped yellow spurs on their “shoulders” which they use against predators and otherwise innocent pedestrians!

In the hand they are a remarkable bird, with the yellow face mask feeling like soft leather – but when we do happen to catch one you need ear plugs!

You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can also see the most recent post on my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention picture on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the birds.

Our World Tuesday - Welcome to Johanna

Just spent a week out West – along The Great Ocean Road at Johanna. The Road was built in the 1930’s as a project during the Depression. The landscape was built over millions of years by the sea and the wild wind.







We stayed in a small cottage on a dairy farm – lots of cows, mooing and other stuff. The beach was a five minute walk from the front door, and in the evening the setting sun lit up the folds and buckles of the landscape. You fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean and you woke to them as well. As you may be able to tell, I liked the place. More posts to follow!

You can find pictures from around our world here at Our World Tuesday.

You can also find the latest post on my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the pictures!

Macro Monday - Green Grasshopper.

I found this rather good value grasshopper (and a friend) on a Native Mint bush in the Grampians recently. It was blowing a gale – I was holding the bush with one hand and the camera in the other. All things considered it’s not a bad picture! I can’t make any progress on naming the beast – so help or suggestions welcome.

You can find more macro shots here at Macro Monday.



You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the close ups.

PS: have set up an RSS feed if anybody feels like subscribing.

Queenscliff Skies - SkyWatch Friday

This is a simple idea - its two views taken from the same spot. I was stood in the middle of the road near Queenscliff - luckily it’s a rather quiet road! As the sun set I was not sure which view I liked the most, so here are both of them!









You can find more skies from around the world at SkyWatch Friday.



You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the skies.

World Bird Wednesday - Noisy Miners

During a work trip to Brisbane I sneaked out at the end of the day for a walk. The park across the road had a number of Noisy Miners in it. Although the light was fading I was surprised at the images I managed to make.

In many places these birds are a bit of a pest – although they are native bird they can come to dominate areas and drive all the other birds off.

But whatever their status they brightened up an evening walk.

You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention picture on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the birds.

Our World Tuesday - Big Waves

When tide, time and wind conspire Point Lonsdale can experience some rather large waves. At the top of the tide they break over the walkways – much to the delight of the kids and photographers with motor-drives!

These images were taken a while ago – but I really like them. They are all about summer and the excitement of childhood. We have lapsed back into winter here for a few days, so this gives me something to look forward to!








You can find other picture from around the world at Our World Tuesday.


You can see the most recent post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.


Enjoy the pictures from around the world

Macro Monday - Paint Chip Dog

This paint chip lives on a wall in East Melbourne. It’s caused by moisture moving out through the mortar in a brick wall. I think it looks like a little Scottish terrier type dog. Whatever it is doing I will leave to your imagination! I also like the way that random processes have made an object that seems to have order – there really is no dog there, but most of us will see one.


You can find more close up images at Macro Monday.

You can also see the latest post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.

Enjoy the close ups!