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.

Wild Bird Wednesday 496 - Blue Bonnet

The Blue Bonnet (Northiella haematogaster) is a parrot of the drier, interior parts of south-east Australia.  As a result, this is not a bird I have seen very often.  In fact, my recent trip to the Mallee gave me my second chance to see them, and luckily my first chance to photograph them.

I found this species of parrot to be very camera shy - in fact they seem to be one of the more nervous species of bird I have come across. Even when approached in a very slow manner - or in a car - they fly off at the slightest sign of human intervention.  So, I was very pleased and more than a little surprised when one turned up around the garden sprinklers of the house I was staying in.  I hid in a pop-up hide (adds this to his purchase list!) and managed to get the following images.  

What a cracking bird.

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

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Wild Bird Wednesday 495 - Brown-headed Honeyeater

Just to prove that not all Australian birds are outrageously bright, here are some Brown-headed Honeyeaters (Melithreptus brevirostris) from NW Victoria.

This bird is widespread along much of southern Australia - and occurs in a range of subspecies, but I am not confident to identify this species to such a level!  These birds came in to drink at a water point / hide on a patch of native bush nr. Patchewollock - a tiny town with wonderful resident bird life to be found around it.

This bird is about 12 or 13cm long, and this is the first time I have managed to photograph them.  I am growing more fond of hides by the day!

As ever, you can join in with WBW by clicking on the link below.  Cheers, and stay well.  SM

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Red (and Blue) Kangaroo

"The Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial".

So says Wikipedia, and who am I to argue.

These Kangaroos were photographed in the Wyperfeld National Park - which is in the NW of Victoria.  This part of the state is badged as Victoria's Outback - and it does have the feel of a more remote and dry part of the world.

The redder of these 'roos is the male and the one with the greyer chest is the female.  The females can look very blue/grey at times and are often called "Blue Fliers".  Males are called Big Reds!

The males are an impressive beast to say the least - Males can have a head-and-body length of 1.3–1.6 m (4.3–5.2 ft) and the tail adds up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) to the total length.

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

Wild Bird Wednesday 494 - Brolga

This has not happened in about two years, but I will be away this week!  So, I am setting up WBW494 early.  

About a week about I went down to Werribee,  on a rather sunny and windy day.  I was hoping to find a pair of Brolga (Antigone rubicunda) which is one of the two species of crane found in Australia.  This species is found over much of northern and eastern Australia.  They stand over a meter in height, and have a wing span of over 2m.  They are a big bird.

However, being big did not make them easy to find at the start of the day - and by the time I had tracked then down, the perpetual summer problem of heat haze had reared its ugly head!  This little family group also seemed to like being behind the seed head of thistles and other weeds!!

I stayed with the birds for about 1/2 hour and then let then be.  It was a wonderful little period in what continues to be a difficult time.  But the birds always help!

As you can see, this pair of birds has a well developed youngster with them.  It was still being fed by the adults, but was about the size of a small dog!

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

I managed to visit a number of blogs this week - but found it hard to comment on some.  In some cases I could not write in the 'comment box' at the end of a post.  Is anyone else having issues like this?

Cheers  SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 493 - Welcome Swallow

I thought this was an appropriate bird with which to start the New Year of WBW!

So, its a Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena).  We have this Swallow with us in SE Australia all year round, and although it is less common in winter,  its presence is not the sign of spring it is with other species of Swallows.

I can only image that this species has had a good breeding season as there were 100s if not 1000s of them at the Western Treatment plant. There were also large numbers of Fairy Martins as well, and one has sneaked into one of the pictures.

 

I know I have been shockingly bad at visiting other blogs of late - this (insert swear word of choice) Covid situation has got inside my head in a bad way, and the numbers here do not make for pleasant reading.  

Anyway - I try to get back to some form of normal soon.

In the mean time, please link up and comment, and feel free to share the WBW page with new bloggers who you know, or ones that you think have forgotten about this little community.   SM

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