Watery Wednesday: Currumbin Beach

I've been meaning to link up with Watery Wednesday for a while with these shots. This was a particularly wild and windy Saturday at Currumbin Beach... perfect for these sailboard riders!

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Wild Bird Wednesday: Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike

It seems every time I go out with my camera lately, I come across a lifer or two. I have so many new birds to share.

This week my hubby (aka my driver) had a weekday "rostered day off". So, after an early doctor's appointment, we went to a local birding area in Wellington Point that I had heard has hundreds of migratory waders (more lifers there). That 100-400mm lens on my wish list would have been brilliant. After that we drove down to Wellington Point Reserve & beach, on Moreton Bay, for a walk along the water. Here I discovered more lifers.

While walking along the path near the mangrove trees, I heard an unusual call in a tree,  so I took a closer look and discovered a fluffy juvenile bird sitting on a branch nearby it's nest calling for it's parents I assume. The adults were nowhere to be seen so I snapped a few shots having no idea what it was.

And here are the adults that turned up about half an hour later. They were acting very territorial and chased away a Sacred Kingfisher (I got a single shot of it before it took off with the 2 Cuckoo-shrikes going after it)

I still had no idea that the baby was related to the adult birds as they were a few trees away. Thankfully I am a member of 3 birding groups on Facebook and 2 of the members were able to ID the young bird.

Did you know: Cuckoo-shrikes are neither cuckoos nor shrikes, but are so called because their feathers have similar patterns to those of cuckoos and their beak shape resembles that of shrikes.

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Project 366 Rewind {Week 44 & 45}

I feel like I'm always playing catch up lately with Project 366 Rewind... here are weeks 44 & 45, way too late!

Day 302 (October 28) - It was a wild day at Currumbin beach (on the Gold Coast) but you wouldn't even know. I just loved the shades of blue behind this Silver Gull that was happy to pose on the fence rail.

Day 303 (October 29) - It was an even wilder & windier day on Bullcock beach in Caloundra (Sunshine Coast) and I was over the moon to capture this Osprey catching a fish.

Day 304 (October 30) - I didn't get out anywhere exciting after our busy weekend up and down the coast, so I just walked outside and captured this view from the backyard as the sun was sinking in the west.

Day 305 (October 31) - There's nothing nicer than a bushland stroll. Judy Holt Reserve.

Day 306 (November 1) - Kookaburra; Australia's largest kingfisher.

Day 307 (November 2) - Red-backed Fairywren. This was a "lifer" for me. Judy Holt Reserve, Birkdale.

Day 308 (November 3) - Variegated Fairywren. Another "lifer" for me.

Day 309 (November 4) - Willy Wagtail at Nudgee Beach Reserve.

Day 310 (November 5) - Rainbow Bee-eater. Another "lifer" at Nudgee Beach Reserve.

Day 311 (November 6) - Cocky want a Macadamia nut? Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in our Townhouse complex. Thes birds have beaks strong enough to crack a Macadamia nut.

Day 312 (November 7) - Leopard tree & beautiful bokeh.

Day 313 (November 8) - Brisbane Wheel at sunset.

Day 314 (November 9) - City light trails & the Treasury Casino. More long exposure experimenting.

Day 315 (November 10) - Brisbane city by night with the Riverside Expressway & Kurilpa Bridge

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Minnippi Parklands Sunset

Just down the road from our house, 500m in fact, is a lovely place called Minnippi Parklands. The sunsets from there rarely disappoint...

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Wild Bird Wednesday: Rainbow Bee-eater

As I promised Stewart last week, here is my surprise "lifer" found in an unexpected place.
My husband and I took a drive to Nudgee Beach, never having been there before. To our delight, we discovered a walking track through the "Nudgee Beach Reserve" which looked promising bird-wise. And it was!! Not that far along the track, I heard some bird calls and ventured into the bush to take a closer look. While photographing a sweet little Willy Wagtail, another bird flew into the same tree and remained at very close range while I excitedly clicked away...

It stayed long enough to capture a number of photos before flying to another tree where it was quite well camouflaged

As I approached slowly, it flew to another tree much higher and further away...

 

 

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Skywatch Friday: Moogerah Dam

I've been meaning to post these images for a while. I took them on one of our country drives where we ended up at Moogerah Dam just in time for sunset...

Have a wonderful weekend my blogging friends!!

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Wild Bird Wednesday: Kookaburra

The Kookaburra is Australia's largest Kingfisher. They are well known for their unmistakable calls which are similar to a loud cackling laugh. There are 2 types of Kookaburras in Australia; The Laughing Kookaburra & the slighly smaller Blue-winged Kookaburra.

 

Below is the Laughing Kookaburra which is native to eastern Australia, though it has been introduced to south-western Australia & Tasmania.

 

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