Wild Bird Wednesday 296 - Spotted Turtle-Dove / Spotted Dove

The Spotted Turtle-Dove or Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is an introduced species in Australia,  and according to the most recent guide it is confined to 'alienated habitats' - which is a phrase I have not heard before.

They are common in Melbourne, but seem to be more noticeable in my area in autumn when all the leaves - or most accurately acorns - have fallen from the oaks we have as street trees.  I spent sone time this weekend looking for these birds feeding in the fallen leaves, but they seemed to prefer driveways and pavements.

You can also see in these pictures, that once a dove has found an acorn it may not always be the easiest thing for them to swallow!

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!  SM

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Clean Air

Tasmania is justifiably famous for its clean air - there is not really very much going on to its south and west, and that's where its air comes from.  So, with clean air and (normally) abundant rain fall, moss and lichen cover many of the plants.

These pictures were all taken near the entrance to Cradle Mountain National Park.

I am also getting a bit of clean air myself, in terms of it not being so crazy busy. So, with luck I will have visited your blogs by the time this post goes live. 

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 295 - Paperbark Flycatcher

Just keeping my head above water here! Just.

This is a Paperbark Flycatcher (Myiagra nana).  This bird replaces the Restless Flycatcher in tropical Australia.  I took these images at the Mamukala Bird Hide, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

I have a lot of images of this bird that are not sharp due to its near constant movement - some much for it not being restless!

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!

I think I can see a chink in the armour of my generally hectic schedule - I hope so.  SM

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Still Crazy!

I once read a description of Australia as being "Mother Natures greatest experiment in alternative realities".  I am in no position to argue with such wisdom!

I offer this sign as evidence that there may be alternatives yet to be explored!

I'm still extremely busy - but hope to find some space to visit blogs soon!

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 294 - Lemon-Bellied Flycatcher / Lemon-Bellied Flyrobin

I only have time for a brief post this week - too much life happening!

This bird is a Microeca flavigaster (I hope!).  I have gone with the scientific name first this week as this bird seems to have at least three common names, the most common of which are Lemon-Bellied Flycatcher and Lemon-Bellied Flyrobin.  The most recent Australian bird guid suggest that this bird poses a number of identification problems due to the number of sub-species.

I believe that trying to work out the sub-species of this individual may be a road that leads to madness.  I will not travel that road!

The two pictures were taken outside the Mamukala Bird Hide, in the Kakadu National Park, in the Northern Territory.

With luck I will have time for a rather more expansive post next week!

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!

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A fine walk

Back to Tasmania for this week's post.

Cradle Mountain National Park offers a wonderful range of day (and longer) walks.

This walk actually follows the start of the Overland Track, passes Crater Lake (where we stopped for lunch) and up to Marions Lookout - where you get stunning views of Cradle Mountain.  A climb up (and down) from Marions Lookout is short but steep.  I can't help but wonder how it will feel with a full pack later in the year.

Once we had reached Marions Lookout it was all down hill (more or less) with views of Dove Lake and Lake Lilla.  A brief stop at Wombat Pool for a drink was the last halt of the day before we returned to the car park at Dove Lake.

We saw great views, a very large snake at close quarters and not that many people.  That's a recipe for a good day in my opinion!

Lunch at Crater Lake

Crater Lake

Crater Lake

Cradle Mountain from Marions Lookout

Towards Dove Lake

Walking Down

View to Wombat Pool

Wombat Pool

More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 293 - Torresian Crow

I'm going back into my older images this week - these are some shots I took 2016 when I was in the Northern Territory.

Australia has a selections of corvids - and in some places they can be a bit of a challenge to tell apart. They are basically 'black crows' - even if most really are ravens with just a few slight differences.

These birds are Torresian Crows (Corvus orru) - and I am confident of that as these were taken near Darwin, and they are the only species of this type that occurs in that area.  In other parts of Australia I would be far less confident.

I like the pictures of the bird with the rocks (not rooks!) in the background as the colours are a real taste of the geology of the area.

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below the thumbnails - feel free to share a link to this page on the many and varied forms of social media that we now use every day!

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