2016 - more meanderings

And so I had begun to settle into the idea of "just meandering" with my camera ... that might be taking a drive for a walk, going for a walk for a walk, being unsociable on family outings and going off on my own for a walk for photo opportunities ... but nearly always enjoying and appreciating the solitude and peacefulness of "being" in a habitat, being part of something much grander and richer for its nature.

These next five were taken over at Lismore Lake - actually a real place but at the time (and sadly, mostly) quite dry but clearly still moist and with rich pickings for those prepared to browse around! The irony is there are signs up proclaiming the rich biodiversity but the artificial lake is no longer allowed to be "fed" from the very nearby Richmond River - rules! Never mind, like nature, it finds a way and you will see at times the richer and different habitat it provides when it is full after rain.

Jabiru (black-necked stork) and Australian white ibis

Breeding plummage of the royal spoonbills

Channel-billed cuckoo

Female fig bird

White-breasted woodswallow

 Driving home one afternoon I decided to go a different way through the backroads just to see what i might see. Earlier trips on backroads seemed to be rewarded with birds of prey ... and so it turned out this time ...

A hovering, menacing black-shouldered kite

And stopping by a stream near home, again, just to see what there might be to see ... this time the running water was not even enough to blind the call of a flock of silver-eyes and certainly did nothing to detract from the sound of their movement in the foliage ... nonetheless, the campouflage is impressive!

Silvereye

Another favourite short walk with often rich pickings at different times of day has turned out to be Victoria Park reserve. Here the occupants of the canopy high above are often the source of tell-tale debris falling, and very often the small and flighty tease among the lower foliage.

Wompoo fruit dove feasting on Banglow Palm fruit

Lewin's honeyeater always photogenic

Pale yellow robin

Then is a wonderful drive long the south side of the Richmond River from Wardell right to the river mouth (south wall). Wonderful walks among the mangroves and the sand dunes of coastal heath to reach the open stretches of sandy beach.

Grey fantail on the nest

Rainbow bee-eater basking on a wire

Rainbow bee-eater pair on a branch

The mournful call of the currawong

 And then on another little lane (Corks Lane) there were these gems ... just to show they are more common than I imagined ...

Male red-backed fairy wren

That spangled drongo (well ... different one).

And finally for now, back home in the front garden is the ubiquitous laughing kookaburra looking resplendent in the early morning sunshine ...