Wild Bird Wednesday 500 - By Popular Choice.

I find it hard to belive that 500 weeks ago I started Wild Bird Wednesday, and that I have not missed a single week! 

On the 18th July 2012 I posted some images of Rainbow Bee Eaters as the first Wild Bird Wednesday Link Up (World Bird Wednesday ceased the week before!) and here we are, a very long way from 2012!

The birds in this week's post have been requsted by (often long standing) followers of WBW!  I hope you like them.

Southern Cassowary.

Australian Magpie. (You can hear these birds here (sorry about the ads!))

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Rainbow Lorikeets 

Red Backed, Superb and Splendid Fairy Wrens

and last but not least (this one is for me!) the Australasian Gannet.  

So, to join in with the 500th WBW, click on the link below!  Hope all is well, and we can stay together for a few more WBWs yet!! SM

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wild Bird Wednesday 499 - Fairy Martin

These young Fairy Martins (Petrochelidon ariel) were loafing about on a wire fence at Werribee early last month.  They were present in very large numbers - which was great to see.  I wish I could have recorded the sound these birds - and associated Welcome Swallows - were making.  It was great.

Heavy work work, so only a short post this week.

Next week it will be 500 weeks since I started Wild Bird Wednesday - which feels pretty crazy I have to say.  I plan to do a 'special request' post for that week - so, if there are any birds you would like me to feature mention it in the comments over the next couple of posts, and I will see what I can do!  I have already received a request for some Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, Fairy Wrens (male!), Magpies and Cassowary - but further requests happily received. 

As ever, to join in WBW click the link below.  SM

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wild Bird Wednesday 498 - Crested Bellbird

The Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) is a bird of (mainly) the dry inland parts of Australia - although it can be found all the way to the coast in Western Australia.

The guide books mention that the bird is normally heard before it is seen, and that was my experience when I found this pair of birds in the Mallee recently.  The call sounds like this.

I was also told they have a bit of a reputation for being shy - especially the males - so I was surprised that the pictures I managed to get were of a male, and that it was close (sort of) to my car.   You can see a hint of the crest in these pictures, but it's not very clear.

Anyway, given this birds reputation for being easier to hear than see, I was happy with the pictures.

In two weeks it will be 500 weeks since I started Wild Bird Wednesday - which feels pretty crazy I have to say.  I plan to do a 'special request' post for that week - so, if there are any birds you would like me to feature mention it in the comments over the next couple of posts, and I will see what I can do!  I have already received a request for some Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos - but further requests happily received. 

As ever, to join in WBW click the link below.  SM

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wild Bird Wednesday 497 - Mulga Parrot

This is a Mulga Parrot (Psephotellus varius) a wonderfully colourful parrot that came down to the water point outside the hide I had access to in the Mallee in NW Victoria.

The bird had a very good wash, and then sat on a low twig to get its act together and generally tidy up its plumage.  I have to say I like this set of pictures.

In three weeks it will be 500 weeks since I started Wild Bird Wednesday - which feels pretty crazy I have to say.  I plan to do a 'special request' post for that week - so, if there are any birds you would like me to feature mention it in the comments over the next couple of posts, and I will see what I can do!  

As ever, to join in with WBW, click on the link below.  Cheers and stay well. SM

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The Coming Storm

While I was away in the Mallee at the start of the year, I watched a storm cell roll across the landscape - it was pretty remarkable really.

Blue skies and sunshine overhead, and a wall of clouds coming towards me.  Once the clouds were overhead, it was a different matter - with pea-sized hail followed by very heavy rain.  I thought it would be for the best if I too shelter at this point - and I stopped driving!

Anyway - once I was sat at a computer I could see I had managed to capture some lightning - which is a first for me, and a bit of a surprise as I thought I had missed the strike in the field.

You can see more pictures from around the world at Wordless Wednesday and Our World Tuesday.