Lichen

This lichen was growing on a small shrub in the Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania - this kind of lichen only grows where the air is very clean.

I like the muted tones in this picture - possibly caused by the light rain and heavy clouds of the day.  And for January, it was cold!

You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday2 and I Heart Macro.  SM

Autumn Colours

A quick post containing an image taken on the way to work - I just like the colours.

You can see more skies from around the world at Sky Watch Friday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 148 - Little Corella

I have been chasing these birds for a while.  There have been big flocks of these small cockatoos all over Melbourne for the past month, but I either saw them when I did not have my camera with me, or missed them when I did!

Eventually I tracked some down this weekend - a flock was gathered in a Liquid Amber tree in the only 1/2 hour of sunshine of the whole weekend.  It made for difficult exposures and good images.  It also gave me a chance to use a newish toy - I bean bag camera rest.  I placed it on the roof go my car and used it to support my 400mm lens as I took the pictures.  On the basis of a few photo outings I can only recommend that you get one!

The Little Corella - Cacatua sanguinea - is a small (what a surprise) cockatoo, measuring about 35 -39 cm.  I only really see this bird in Melbourne during the winter months.

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Any colour you like ……..

I went to car design exhibition this weekend - the colour scheme seemed somewhat predictable, even if Henry Ford would have disapproved.

Given that H shares something with these car I have also included a picture with him in it!

You can find more pictures from around the world here at Our World Tuesday.  SM

On the surface of things

The rocks around the coast of Freycinet have a golden cast to them, and when you add a icing of lichen you get some remarkable colours.

I suppose, this is another of my micro-landscapes.

You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday2 and I Heart Macro.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 147 - Australasian Grebe

This will be a very brief post today - the combined forces of work, a birthday and a cat mean that I am rather pushed for time this week!

However, over the weekend I managed two short visits to a local pond and found these Australasian Grebes out and about.  I think these birds are more acclimated to humans than most grebes as the boardwalk by the pond is a popular venue for dog walkers and duck feeders.

So, I will let the picture speak what ever number of words they can.

Now it's your turn to click on the (probably) familiar blue button to link up with WBW

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On the Beach

These are some more shots of the beach at Coles Bay in Tasmania - I do have a bit of a fondness for these kinds of micro-landscapes.

You can find more pictures from around the world here at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Clouds over the Hazards

Does what it says on the tin; this image shows clouds over The Hazards.  This shot was taken from the north end of Coles bay in the Freycinet National Park in Tasmania.

You can see more skies from around the world at Sky Watch Friday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 146 - Red-necked Stint

This little chap is a Red-necked Stint, Calidris ruficollis, and its probably Australia's most abundant migratory wader.

This bird arrives from its Arctic and Alaskan breeding grounds in our summer - so really the idea that it 'over winters' anywhere is not correct.  This is one of the key waders you need to be able to identify inVictoria, once you can ID these, you can't start to find birds which are not Re-necked Stints!

These birds are not in their breeding plumage, and are probably part of the population that does not fly north to breed.  Even though they 'should' be elsewhere, you can normally find a few in the correct habitats.

This bird is about 13 - 16cm long, and when we band them, you can easily hold two or three safely at one time.  These birds we feeding in the mud of some drying semi-slaine lakes at Point Lonsdale a few week ago.  I have say I always like watching these busy little birds.

These birds don't have a 'red-neck' because they have not come into breeding plumage.  I do like the images with the reflections.

Now, once more, its over to you!  Click the blue button below the thumbnails and off you go!

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Post 834

Greetings - I have managed to get to post 834 before I post I picture of my own cat!  (The ones here and here don't count - they were not of my cat!)

One of the key reasons I have not posted any pictures of my own cat before today (and as far as I know posting pictures of your own cat on the internet is close to compulsory!) is that I did not have a cat!

All that changed with the arrival of Mr. Hudson - a rather large, middle aged cat, who we 'rescued' from the RSPCA about two weeks ago.  He now thinks he owns our house (he could be right) and has four human servants (he is right!).

So, my world this Tuesday - and for many tuesdays to come - will contain this wonderful old fur-ball!  If I am late replying to your comments from now on, it's the cat's fault!

Grumpy!

He purrs a lot, likes to hide under our bed and is slowly getting to know his new owners!

You can find more pictures from around the world here at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Aperture

A few weeks ago I was messing about with the kids and a camera while standing in line to see a huge stinky flower.  As is my way I wondered what an extreme wide angle close up of H's eye would look like.  While I was taking this shot - and people around me were moving away and phoning social services - I noticed that I could see my reflection in H's eye.

At this point I got the idea of seeing if I could get the front element of my lens to line up with the pupil of H's eye.  This shot is the best I managed, with a bit of cropping.

In my past life as a science teacher I used to do the classic comparison of a camera and the eye sort of thing - I think I would have used this image as an introduction.  I get the feeling that part of me will always be a science teacher!

You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday2 and I Heart Macro.  SM

Blue Sky over Mount Donaldson

When we were in Tasmania in January we did a really good walk to the summit of Mt. Donaldson.  The walk takes about 3 to 5 hours, depending on how many times you stop to eat chocolate or take photographs.  In my case the stops are frequent and for both reasons!

On the summit is some form of beacon - I assume it was part of a navigation or mapping system.

Anyway, as you can see - the view is pretty good.  As far as I recall we did not see another person on the walk.

You can see more skies from around the world at Sky Watch Friday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 145 - Little Grassbird

Some birds do seem to get a bad press in the field guides - this little bird is described as 'skulking' and its voice 'mournful'.  What this means to birders is that it may be a little difficult to see and that its voice is never going to be used as a ring tone.

But what this really means in biological sense, where it matters most, is that its behaviour is suitable to its habitat and its voice carries what ever information and meaning it needs!

Anyway, enough of my defence of the Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus), on to the pictures.  This bird was feeding in some short vegetation on the edge of a coastal wetland, just near where I took last weeks Pelicans images.  I think it may have been used to collecting food scraps from the tables nearby as it as not in the least bothered (as far as I could tell) by my presence.

This bird is about the same size as a House Sparrow, but a little leaner.

And now it's over to you - click the Blue Button below, paste in your blog posts URL into the widget that appears and you will have joined the WBW community!  SM

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Dolphins in the Bay

Port Phillip Bay has a population of about 100 - 150 rather special dolphins - they are a species of Bottlenose Dolphins called the Burrunan Dolphin.  This type of dolphin only occurs in the Bay and The Gippsland Lakes to the east of Melbourne.

It's common name is based on the local aboriginal languages and means (according to you know where) as a 'large sea fish of the porpoise kind'.

I saw these dolphins when I was out on a dolphin watching tour during Easter.

The first two images show a small pop of the dolphins teasing the people in another boat!

When they had had enough fun with the other boat they came over had had a bit of a play with us!

I like this last shot a lot - I was surprised how well it came out - I like the combination of colour and shapes.

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

Kew Tram Depot

Kew Tram depot is an important part of Melbourne's tram network - and it was opened 100 years ago today (today being Sunday!).

As ever I was drawn to some of the small details of the trams and the surroundings.  I would have liked to get into the engineering sections of the depot, but they were off limits.

Metropolitan and Melbourne Tramsways Board Logo 

Public Transport Victoria Logo (current)

Restaurant Car Logo

Tram Headlight and Number

You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday2 and I Heart Macro.  SM