Warrumbungle N.P., Part Two

Darling Pea generously decorated the landscape

vibrant hues of reds and burgundy as new gum leaves sprout from blackened trunks

White-winged Choughs were difficult to capture with their fast and jerky movements; goodness knows what it all meant

White Gums in the background

More flowers from the mighty Warrumbungles next post

Warrumbungle National Park, N.S.W., Part One

A hazy sky hadn't offered clear views to the mountains ahead.  At first thought to be smoke having blown across, though another visitor to the park suggested it was dust.

In January this year, this National Heritage listed Warrumbungle N.P. was devastated by horrendous bush-fires, revealing the terrain to the core, where it had once been disguised by towering trees.  This Australian Geographic article here tells all.

Eight months later, there are signs of new growth

belonging to the Clematis family, commonly known as Old Mans Beard

King Parrot

the views are somewhat eerie, but majestic still  

a fleeting moment, I'm wondering could it be a Blue-faced Honeyeater?

Part Two tomorrow with views from White Gum Lookout, as colourful spring wild flowers paint the landscape.

Canola

When driving the country highways, the sight of canola fields on the horizon is such a treat for me. Seeing not only the brilliant yellow, but a rustic old home still standing in the middle of it, had me turning back and driving down the dirt road to pick up these photos.

I wasn't going to step into the long grasses to the fence line; there had been recent rains under that pile, plus too, it's snake-time!  See the house?  It's near the centre of the canola field.

Imagine if it were still stable and live-able, and looking out your window to a sea of yellow flowers

   

Emu

Back this afternoon from a road trip 'out west' over the past seven days, bird-watching and sight-seeing.

Along the plains to the Warrumbungle Mountains a couple days back, was an opportunity to pick up some emu close-ups.  At first sight the emus were well in the distance, but after walking up to the roadside fence-line, they started walking on down for a closer look too.

The farm Emu Logic, has a very interesting web-site here.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

A penny for your thoughts - with such a quizzical glance, you have to wonder what they're processing.

Been picking on some clover by the looks of it, and as familiar as these cockatoos are, I still think they're good photo material.  Their raucous screeching isn't especially favoured though when they venture to the 'burbs. 

...a row of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos at Centennial Park, Sydney

Why the wing-tags is explained here

yep, I'm still here, sitting on the grass snapping away while you picnic

loud screeching to one side of me; this pair started having a tackle; I think the one on left had been the instigator.  Looks like the one on the right is making a sideways getaway

#80 on the run; wants nothing to do with it

so let's just get along now shall we?

and forget anything ever happened.

Masked Lapwing Plover

Very territorial, and a don't come any further glance accompanied with a loud shriek (from the plover that is), if I tried.  My original plan had been to sit near the waters edge and photograph some more Darters and Cormorants. 

A pair of Plovers in potential attack-mode kept me at a safe distance.  They were no doubt protecting a clutch of eggs or young ones somewhere near.  Their eggs are not easy to spot, since they blend into the ground very easily, even though they'll lay them in a makeshift shallow scraping of turf or dirt out in the open.

Now you can see those spurs at the base of each wing.

they actually look quite sharp don't they?

Something amazing  .... according to Birds in Backyards fact-sheet here: The young birds are born with a full covering of down and are able to leave the nest and feed themselves a few hours after hatching.  

This clutch was sited right alongside a concrete walking path at Sth. Tacoma, on the Central Coast, while the front-end of a parked vehicle, was all but hovering over the top of them! 

Birds from Northern Queensland

Sent to me to share with you, photos taken by Maggie S.

Bush Stone Curlew, Manunda, Qld.

Pied Oystercatcher

Pacific Baza or Crested Hawk

Maggie writes: There is a story with these birds. They were the first birds I saw on Palm Island and they were calling and doing aerial displays above the forest.  This was special for me because this is a species that I have raised and cared for in my wildlife rescue work.  

One day at school, the Bazas were calling and flying overhead when I had my class outside, so I pointed to them and said: "look at the hawks!"  One of the children said: "those are spirit birds, miss."

The next day we were playing games down at the school oval and three boys decided to jump the fence and run off into the mangroves.  At that moment the hawks flew overhead, crying... so i went down to the fence and called out: "the spirit birds are telling me you are hiding in the mangroves. Come back!" and they did!

Torres Strait Pigeon

Thanks Maggie; it's great to see the birds you find up there in Northern Qld.