Wild Bird Wednesday 327 - Australian Pelican

As some of you may know, I have been travelling for work for the last two weeks.  Thankfully I now have a bit of down time to catch up with life, do some washing and generally collapse in a heap!

A while ago (when I was still in Australia!) I found a group of Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) loafing about on a jetty at Queenscliff, Victoria.

This is a jetty where fishermen regularly launch - and possibly more importantly - return from fishing. I think the birds were after a free lunch.  They got plenty of clicks, but no chips from me! (Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes).

As ever you can join in with WBW by clicking on the blue button below: cheers SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 326 - Cape Barren Goose

I spent last week with a group of birders from Canada - it was fun to show them some of the birds in my neck of the woods.

We spent a day down at Phillip Island, which is a couple of hours east of my house.  Although famous for a somewhat plastic penguin parade, it is also a good spot for more authentic birding.  One of the first new birds I was able to show my guests was Cape Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) which is a bird that only occur in SE Australia.  Unsurprisingly it was a tick for my guests!

We found a family group, with young and two adults.  Wonderful looking little birds.

The last two shots are of 'full sized birds' - the one with the grey bill is a juvenile. The one with the green / yellow bill is an adult.

As ever, click on the blue button to join in with WBW.  Cheers SM

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Street Art - Part 2

Hosier Lane is a short lane (!) in Melbourne that has become a bit of a hot spot for Street Art / Wall Art / Graffiti (call it what you will).

We had a bit of a look there last week - and in one of the adjacent lanes, where I found the cat.  The art on the walls changes pretty often, and a couple of days after we were there, an artist places 1000's of real tulips in the laneway.  The tulips were, for some reason, destined for land fill and the artist used them instead - part of the instillation encouraged people to take the flowers away.  I would have like to have seen it.

I like the chaos and free expression of these works.

You can find more pictures from around there world at Our World Tuesday  (I'll be in Cardiff when this is published - probably overworked!)

Wild Bird Wednesday 325 - Tawny Frogmouth

During a recent conversation with some friends, they mentioned that they had 'some owls' in the trees near there house.  To say that this peaked my interest would be a bit of an understatement!  A viewing was some organised.

The owls were in fact Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides).  These birds are classified with the Nightjars, rather than the owls - but so much for taxonomy!  Frogmouths are nocturnal, and as you can see their life during the day is pretty low key.

There were two birds outside our friends house - one sat in the open, and one partially hidden in some leaves.

As ever, click on the blue button to join in with WBW.  Cheers SM

An InLinkz Link-up

Street Art - Part 1

I spend a couple of days in central Melbourne recently - the photographic opportunities were rather different to my more frequently visited locations.

These concrete blocks have become a standard part of many streets scenes following the use of cars as weapons by people who seem to have no understanding of how the world really works.   Clearly, the art on these blocks was done by a person or group who has (dare I say it) a more concrete grasp of reality.

You can find more pictures from around there world at Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday 324 - Welcome Swallow

The Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) is a common bird near where I live.  It is most abundant in the summer - but there are always a few about.  Unlike the Barn Swallows I grew up seeing these birds are not just present for me in summer.  Many to the summer birds do move north in the cooler months, but its not the all or nothing kind of migration seen in Barn Swallows.

This sequence of pictures shows an adult returning to (what I take as) a young bird - the pictures were taken late last month, so I was surprised to see such well developed young birds.  Which just goes to show how much I know!

The adult returned, possibly empty-beaked, and the young bird was clearly not pleased! It tried to follow the passing adult, but ended up falling onto its back.  It was all rather comical.

As ever, click on the blue button to join in with WBW.  Cheers SM

PS: this is the start of a very busy month: visiting birders, work travel and then a break - so please be patient with me!  SM

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Sealers Cove

A couple of weekends ago I walked out to Sealers Cove at Wilsons Promontory National Park - its a walk I have often done, but this time I was testing out a new backpack and sleeping bag.  Both worked well.

As you can see, its not a bad place to spend a few hours - although at twilight the possums were a bit of a problem to everybody.  Clearly they (thats the possums!) are used to getting food from campers - and one of them made off with my breakfast fruit bread!  I was less the impressed.  But, in hindsight its actually rather amusing!

I sat on that tree, drank a fine, camp brew coffee and watched the Sooty Oystercatchers - it was a great weekend!

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

Wild Bird Wednesday 323 - Eurasian Coot

Just back from a wonderfull disconnected trip to the beach.  With luck I will catch up with comments before this post publishes - if not, my apologies for being off line.  We all need to recharge at times.

I think that Coots are rather assuming birds - filled with huge levels of  passion and anger, that often shows up as they charge about over lakes and ponds at the slightest sign of wrong doing by other birds.

I caught this bird in a more relaxed (or exhausted) moment, and rather liked the reflection.

As ever, click on the blue button to join in with WBW.  Cheers SM

An InLinkz Link-up