Pelican

clever move I thought!

Willie Wagtail

Ricka-ticka-ticka-tick, that's how my Birds of Australia book describes the 'varied brief but melodious phrases of the Willie Wagtail, a 20 cm (8 inch) medium-small, fantail flycatcher. 

 

While walking through the sensory garden, the first thing I really noticed in the heat of the day was the intense 'lemon' scent in the air.  In the foreground on the left is a rosemary shrub, noted for rememberance, another pungent scented plant.

 

 

Inscription reads "this garden is dedicated to the memory of the servicemen and women who since federation have given their lives for the freedom of Australia.  Dedicated on Rememberance Day 11th November 2002."  The Entrance/Long Jetty R.S.L. sub-branch.
 (R.S.L. standing for Returned Soldiers League)

foreground, left, is a lemon myrtle

Australian native Grevillea

 



...such a friendly Willie Wagtail, didn't mind me stopping to take its photo.  Won my heart!

hybridised eucalypt, suited to the home garden

 



it would flit off to the ground and snatch an insect, then return for another shot

another Grevillea

 



sorry, I'll have to move on; you've been such a charmer!  Byeeeee

 

Later addition:  You can hear the willie wagtail from this Birds in Backyards fact page.  Look down the right-hand side for Mp3

 

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Lotus

Seen today at a nursery outlet.

 

The Entrance, Central Coast, N.S.W.

28 kilometres (17 miles) from home base now, after the couple hours spent by Soldiers Beach,  I'd then continued on to The Entrance. 
 

and after a long walk around the foreshore, it's right here where I bought my little folding chair, thermos/treats, and enjoyed a refreshing breeze

sitting under this old casuarina (she-oak)

 

 and in the other direction

 islands spotted in the distance when walking

 

  

 the seagull had been paddling in the water and decided to come up and see if I had any handouts I guess

 

view over the fence

 



 a long way out

 

 having the time of their lives it looks like

 

 

I did see lots of people fishing along the shore but I didn't take photos of them; thought they might get a bit touchy.  Besides it was birds I was hoping for and yes I did pick up some decent ones that I'll share over the next few days.

 

Soldiers Beach, on the Central Coast, N.S.W.

 The surf rough, and the wind buffeting in my ears.  Hazy, salt-spray in the air.

 

time to chat some while waiting for the next big one

 

 



 

it's all happening in the same pond
 



glad it was him and not me!

 

 

oops!

mystique over the marshes

just imagining, not imaging

Pelican

Sunrise from the other side of the lake, a photo taken two years back (this blog post)

 

That was then, and this was last week, when I was hoping for some late morning snapshots by the water.  Knew that the skies were indicating a change in weather, but there might've been enough time to get something out of  the visit, perhaps.
 

 

well there wasn't really, as it turned out.  By the time I parked the car, and opened up the door against the wind with camera in hand, it started raining again.  The speedboat in the distance was definitely in a hurry to get somewhere...maybe he too was planning on keeping dry.

 



 

 grey skies and Casuarina (She-oak)

 

I figured if I drove down the coast some, that by the time I got there, perhaps the showers might've disappeared for a while.

 



 

I was glad to see a lone pelican was sitting on a post at the little jetty at Budgewoi.  No sooner I'd pulled up when again, the showers started, enough to dampen me off and made it so that I could only aim the camera from a certain direction else the rain would fly onto the lens.  There was no time to stand around and wait for the best shots; it was a matter of grab what I could get and get back into the car.  I waited for some time, wondering do I drive back home or will the rain ease of in five, ten ...?  I got in and out of the car another few times between showers that really weren't going to let up.

Chestnut Teal

 



a vehicular bridge in the background

 

 

 

 

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Hydrangea

Crispy, dried hydrangeas, make for interesting indoor decoration now that flowering is on the downturn.  Still some unique colours happen.

 

Sharing with i heart macro



End of day, over the bay



...while there were clouds hovering, I thought maybe a good time to be down by the bay for some sunset photographs.  It might look serene and quiet, but near to where I stood was a large palm tree in someone's property backing onto the bay.  In the evening it fills up with very noisy birds settling down for the night.

And since no-one else is walking around at 8 p.m. it might look a little suspicious if I was to walk right up near their back fence to check them out. They actually sounded like starlings, but I don't see them around here.

One day I'll ask someone living nearby.  I might've suspected they'd be rainbow lorikeets in numbers but I'm not sure they sounded like those. 

It was lovely to take in that view and watch for the colour-play that was there for a short while

 and then waned some

 just panning around to where the sunset hadn't reached.  The Eraring Power Station is visible over to the right and the premises alongside are all lit up for the night ahead

 

and back again, with a glimpse of the moon

time to head home