The Greatest of These is LOVE: May 2013

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday: Whistling Ducks

There are 2 kinds of Whistling Ducks in Australia. And as I promised Theresa from The Run*A*Round Ranch Report , here they are.

The Wandering Whistling-Duck.

"The Wandering Whistling-Duck is a large duck with rich red-brown plumage overall, with a paler face, front of neck and upper breast. There is a dark stripe on the crown of head, nape and back of neck. The bill and legs are dark. There are elongated flank plumes, which are off-white with chestnut edges. In flight, the dark underwings, cinnamon and chestnut underbody, white undertail and trailing dark legs are seen." - Birds In Backyards

And the Plumed Whistling-Duck; which is quite different in colour and appearance

"The Plumed Whistling-Duck... is a tall, long necked duck, with very prominent long lanceolate off-white plumes edged in black along the flanks. The face and foreneck are light, the crown and hind neck are pale brown and the brown feathers of the upper back are edged buff. The breast is pale chestnut, finely barred in black. The bill is mottled pink and grey and the legs and feet are pink." - Birds In Backyards

You can see the distinct differences in colour, markings and build in the image below...

This is my contribution to Stewart's meme:

Point Cartwright, Mooloolaba, QLD

Last month my husband, Michael, took me away for a few days break to the Sunshine Coast. The first day we met up for brunch at Mooloolaba, with a lovely couple we met through Instagram (not the first time we have met them).
After brunch we enjoyed a stroll on the rocks at Mooloolaba Beach & then drove around the headland to Point Cartwright.

The view towards Point Cartwright from Mooloolaba Beach...

At Point Cartwright, we were greeted by many Paragliders enjoying the perfect conditions & beautiful warm weather.

I have entitled this one "The Chase"

The view south from the rocks at Point Cartwright

And from right on the point, I spied this "Instagrammer" (aka, my husband, Michael)

I love a good splash!!

What a beautiful world we live in. It should never be taken for granted!

Sharing my beautiful part of the world with these memes:

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Sunflower Fields near Warwick, QLD

Early last month, we took 2 day trips to some Sunflower fields near Warwick, QLD. I had been given the tip by a photographer friend, that there was a field still in flower (rather late for the time of year). The weather on the first day wasn't great (rain) and we almost didn't go. But a few photographer friends, who had left earlier than us, assured us that the weather was much finer inland. Not raining, at least! It was a two hour drive.

A stop on the way at Aratula, to photograph these amazing clouds, this beautiful scene... and part of the Great Dividing Range.

And another stop, to photograph this beautiful rainbow as we drove up through "Cunningham's Gap" - one of the passes through the Great Dividing Range. The mountain in the foreground is one of the mountains in the background of the previous 2 images...

This is what we were greeted with when we arrived at the field. As you can see, the sky was quite overcast.

A week later we went back when the weather was clearer...

I love how the sunlight caught the petals of the sunflowers as it sank lower in the sky...

And sunset was much more colourful...

My contribution to:

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday: Little Corella

On the way home from shooting a sunrise back in May 2012, I noticed a group of Corellas feeding, up fairly high, in a tree on the side of the road. Of course I had to stop an get a few shots as I hadn't seen them in the wild before.
Not the best of shots as they weren't very cooperative with regard to staying in good light, but probably time I posted them...