CasaBelle (Bellingen) - Day 3

Day 3 begins and I have included the first 3 images to offer a glimpse of the fantastic morning it was! The first one a panorama from the rear lawn of the villa looking south west with Deb emerging from the breakfast porch - we were up and about earlier today in the hope of seeing the male regent bowerbird ... alas, it was not to be! The second image is through the hedged path over a seat down to the pond with the bordering northern forest in the distance. The third image is the trees to the west (left) of the second image, but I have taken the liberty of including the shot from the late afternoon as it accentuates the variety of "green" we fail to capture in our lazy use of colour! Anyway, the point here is to offer a sense of the fantastic environment we were immersed in and why I was able to enjoy catching such a variety of birds. Good weather is always a bonus when you travel or holiday 😀.

The next 6 photos I have included were all captured as I wandered the above landscape prior to our second very sumptuous breakfast. As noted above, while I did not get an audience with the male regent bowerbird, I was granted another with the female (picture 2) 😊. The only "new" bird for this location was the third one - my ever elusive eastern whipbird ... as you can see, it was "in there" and I swear they laugh at you each time they crack their whip and you go searching for that call that is almost at arms length.

The by now familiar little wattlebird enjoying morning nectar

A female regent bowerbird scanning its domain

An eastern whipbird at it's cagey best - hiding!

A white-cheeked honeyeater perching proudly

A proud magpie being hauranged by a little wattlebird

A pair of red-browed finches foraging for seeds

We had earmarked today to head along the north bank of the Bellinger River to explore boardwalks at Urunga and to have a look at Hungry Head and complete a loop by visiting the Raleigh Winery. We found the Urunga Wetlands boardwalk first. Alas, while it was a beautiful spot the wildlife was absent for our visit. We did bump into a local wildlife photographer who gave us directions to a beach site where rainbow bee-eaters were nesting and where he was heading off to. Fortunately our tour of Hungry Head "led" us on to Wenonah Head (but no fire trails necessary this time) which we decided to explore after seeing it to the south from a lookout. Turned out to be where the nesting site was! However, even before snapping at the many pairs of bee-eaters we were treated to the "big three" sea raptors each kite-surfing into the stiff nor-easter (if you click on each image you are likely to be able to zoom in a bit closer ... I left as is to show off their domain on such a clear cloudless morning).

Osprey - note the wing shapes & head scannning.

White-bellied sea eagle also head scanning

Brahmini kite - also wings swept back

And then to the rainbow bee-eaters! These rank among my very favourites. They always look so proud of their elegant and elaborate plumage. The first photo below shows the plumage as I have most photographed them previously - the soft limes, oranges, blues and yellows are almost pastel with a strong hint of irridesence contrasting the black chest and eye bands. So catching a pair in my "usual" appreciation was to be expected.

Thereafter, the midday light caste a very different palette on their plumage! It was this difference I focused on and have shared with the remainder of the chosen photos. Here the same colours are much more irridesecent and almost burnished in the light. No less beautiful to be sure, and highlighting for me the wonder of the anatomy of feathers. An artists delight I'm certain.  In the final photograph of this set, look carefully to the left of the bird perched left and you can see a blurred white cloud-like puff ... it is actually a crescent moon but I could not quite get in the right position for a composition with it immediately ove the head of the bird (but I was trying, just very conscious of not dithering too long and missing the shots altogether!).

Even the ground provides a further variation!

And concluding this set of portraits is the same pair captured first looking south, then north; a nice juxtaposition from the same perch allowing me the privilege of getting quite close - thank you!

 

After that wonderful experience, we headed back to Urunga for a coffee and a sit down before braving the howling nor-easter and walking out the Urunga wall boardwalk. Much easier returning than heading out. Labelled below are four birds that had braved the nor-easter like us, albeit in quite different ways!

Pelican in a wind tunnel!

Little egret fishing in the mangroves

Bar-tailed godwit taking a break from "feeling" its prey

A pair of pied oyster catchers searching the sand

Then on our loop to the Raleigh Winery along the southern bank of the Bellinger River we spotted this dollarbird perched on the powerline. A closer inspection shows the range of colours that are far from "black" and the distinctive orange beak and feet. When it took off the silver "dollar" circles under each wing (giving rise the name) were very clear.

Then after some excellent wine tasting and the purchase of a couple of bottles of red and two "to die for" brandy cremes (mango & coconut and butterscotch), we headed back to enjoy our afternoon tea. The first photo below shows how relaxed Deb had become ... and then a few treats I found wandering around before calling day 3 to an end. Pity tonight is our final night!

I marvel at how clearly these tiny birds are so clearly visible and I am very grateful the size of each jacaranda flower provides such clear context for "tiny" 😉.

Acrobatic scarlet honeyeater

Peeking out!

Watching the photographer carefully!

Perching proudly

A laughing kookaburra focusing fully!

And so we have just a morning left ...