Mid-year mixture

Even in our cooler months we are blessed to be easily able to wander around and enjoy our environment and fauna and flora. "Cold" is seldom below 10C (50F) 😊, so it is often very refreshing to get out and enjoy some of that fresh cooler air. Our sub-tropical climate does not see too many of our trees shed their foliage so the green rolls on and birds have pretty much continual cover for their activity. So here is some of the variety enjoyed across June and July back in 2018.

AS I am want to do from time to time the first photo here is a diversion from the avian theme and different ground-dweller. This healthy echidna we spied crossing the road and waddling across the culvert gravel to safer heavier grasses. A treat to see one, and even better to see one in good light to capture the spines and also the variety of colours to assist their camouflage. Hope it found lots of ants on its meandering.

Echidna

Next up is a trio showing a fairly regular visitor to a wattle just outside my office window. Not always easy to get good clear shot of this striated pardalote was especially co-operative and even seemed a little curious observing the photographer 😉. I know it is a common refrain, but you do marvel at the palette bird plumage offers.

Head square-on

Head tilting right

Head tilting left

The next trio are examples from our winter garden at home. I spotted this butterfly on the under-side of a leaf on our murraya hedge. The likeness to a "dead" leaf struck me as much as the way the rain droplets were clinging to the leaf. I thought an excellent example of what nature offers for free if we take the time to pause and take "it" in ... because there are a LOT of "its" for us to savour!!

Our resident (or one of!) lewin's honeyeater was perched on the edge of the bird bath cautiously surveying if it was safe to take a dip ... yes, the water was low, but there was some in there! Always fascinating to watch their anxious and nervous peering before and after the dip. Glad to say that caution has so far paid off for this fellow who, as I said, seems to to be a regular.

Then final contribution for this winter garden trio is a rear view of a laughing kookaburra. Also regulars in our trees and shrubs, this one was on a branch surveying the driveway for any lizards or other movement of similarly tasty morsels. Oh yes, that sturdy large kingfisher beak!

The next series have been included to show-off "pairs". First up a pair of circling birds of prey ... far too far up for me to identify, and also I have blown this cropped image up ... the point really here is just to show the synchronisation of their soaring as they ride the thermals with such grace.

Next is a couple of kissing rainbow lorikeets as they happy enjoy a preen in the late afternoon sun on the branches of a big old silky oak tree over the back in a neighbouring yard. Something very natural about "snuggling-up" and having a smooch on a winter's afternoon that suits their fantastic plumage.

And the final set of photos in this trio of "pairs" is dedicated to a very common and noisy visitor to the bell flowers among our bananas (these ones being the lady finger variety). First up is the young blue-faced honeyeater in full squark making sure mum/dad know exactly where it is 😁 ... second is mum/dad waiting patiently and letting the squark peter out (and don't most of us know what that hope is like) ... and the final one, showing mum/dad encourage the young one to have a go for itself and figure out the best way to learn and become less reliant on mum & dad! Yep. we have ALL been there (and you choose if that is as the young one or mum/dad, or both!).

The next several I have simply labeled as they are shots from various locations mainly during drives that led to observations and thus photos rather than planned walks or trips to specific locations. This might have included walls for walks sake, but with my camera ... just in case ... I point this out because it is frustrating when you DON'T have your camera and a really good opportunity is missed - though this needs to be tempered by the realisation that you are THERE and thus able to be in the moment and totally enjoy the experience as creating a memory (just that you do not have the picture to prompt the memory). Yesterday (Sunday 4 October 2020) was a prime example ... we were walking along North Creek towards the skate park in Ballina and witnessed a magnificent show by a white-bellied sea eagle and a brahminy kite as they soared high and wide on quite stiff north easterly thermals above the creek and river searching (unsuccessfully) for their lunch ... a reminder of how lucky we are to just drop into a cafe when we are ready - very spoiled 😋.

Straw-necked ibis

Magpie on a fence post

Pale yellow robin

Black swan grazing in a drain!

Noisy pitta perched on a rock

Glorious wompoo fruit dove

Little corellas showing off acrobatically

Grey goshawk ghosting in the canopy

One more wompoo fruit dove

One more pale yellow robin side-perched

This next trio offers the wonderful opportunity WE can actually offer birds by providing nesting sites for them. These poles are common around our northern rivers and it is fantastic to be able to see them successfully in use to foster the next generation ... in this instance ospreys and this nesting pole is on the Pimlico Road, just south of Ballina on the western riverbank. 

Nest and feeding bar atop the pole

The patient teenager ...

Mum/dad preparing the sushi!

And to wrap up this mid-year mixture, from the same location, a smaller bird of prey no less magnificent.

Nankeen kestrel searching from a wire

Hovering ready to dive for prey!