What can't we deal with IV?

Noticed this clock in the house we were staying in at Halls Gap

I wonder why the Roman 4 is incorrect?  Nine is OK.  Strange.

You can find more close up style shots at Macro Monday2 and I Heart Monday.

I think I need a bigger room / When are you going to move out?

Kangaroos are probably even more iconic of Australia than the koala I posted a while back.  Despite the evidence circulating in certain social media sites, most of us don't have 'roos in the garden, or fighting each other in the street!

However, even through I live in a reasonably urban area, there are kangaroos within 15 minutes of my house - you just need to know where to find them!

These pictures were taken much further from home than that - if the truth be told, these animals are very used to people - they live in and around a small town calls Halls Gaps, and can be found most evening browsing on the towns sports oval!

These animals were just over the back fence of the house we stayed in - very close to where I saw the emus.

So, here is an Eastern Grey Kangaroo, complete with a well grown joey.  I am always surprised at the size of joeys that can still get into and back out of the their mother's pouch.

with added Kookaburra!

You can find more creatures from around the world at Saturday Critters.

Wild Bird Wednesday 117 - Emu

After a run of birds from the UK, I'm back to Australia birds this week.  And this is a very Australian bird.

The emu is a large, maybe even huge, bird - 1.6 to 1.9 m tall and weighing in at 30 - 45 kg.  It is endemic to Australia - meaning it occurs nowhere else.  It can be found of most of the continent, but it's absent from Tasmania.  There were once smaller species on King and Kangaroo Islands, but these species are now extinct.

Both the common and scientific names have a tale to tell about the European settlement of Australia.  The name Emu is thought to be a corruption of the Portuguese word 'ema' which was used to describe all the large flightless birds that sailors encountered.  Equally investing is the idea that although the name is Portuguese in origin, it was bestowed on the Australian bird by Dutch sailors - Portuguese was a kind of "common tongue" between sailors in the East Indies in the late 1700's.

The scientific name reflects both the biology of the bird and the history of Australia - Dromaius novaehollandiae - means New Holland racer.  New Holland is an old name for Australia and the bird can run at around 50 kph (30+ mph) if needs be.  So this all makes sense.

These birds were doing nowhere near their top speed as they wandered past the boundary of the house we were staying in last week; this rather reduced the drama, but made for easier focusing!

 You can link up your birds by clicking the blue button near the bottom of this post!  But I'm sure most of you know this already!  Cheers SM

An InLinkz Link-up

The Things They Left Behind 1 : Bedford Truck

This is the first it what will be an occasional series called The Things They Left Behind.  I am trying to find "left" objects that tell some form of story, but just let the pictures tell the story itself.  In other words, I hope to include enough information in the images to allow people to construct a story from the pictures - whether the story is correct or no is not the point, I just want people to look at the pictures and think about what story they tell.

Of course, you don't have to tell your version of the story in any comments you leave, in fact, you don't have to comment at all really!  I'm just trying something different.

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

Trademark Cat

Back and recharged after a week and a day away from my desk!

Driving on dry dirt roads on sunny days, followed by cold dew filled nights, creates the perfect pallet for P to draw her trademark cat on the back of the car.

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

Wild Bird Wednesday 116 - Gulls

I like gulls.  Always have.  Even when I was in the UK, and the species and moults were a big of a challenge.  In Australia, things are much simpler - with only one common species and two other that are not too hard to split.

So, going back to the UK presented me with a bit of a problem - identification (more or less) relies on practice, and I was well out of it!

These images were all taken on, around or over Seahouses harbour.  Seahouses is only just south of the Scottish boarder on the east coast.  It's not a bad place for gulls.

First we have Black-Headed Gulls - Larus ridibundus - which actually have a brown head!  This is a very common gull in the UK.

Next we have some Herring Gulls - Larus argentatus - whose call is beloved of all coastal TV programs, even those that come from places this gull does not!

And last we have a Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus - in flight.  I think that the yellow beak and legs provide the ID for this species.

As ever, all of the pictures look better bigger!

Now it's over to you - click on the little blue button at the bottom of the page join in.  Thanks to all those who spread theWBW word last week - lets keep growing!  Cheers SM.

An InLinkz Link-up