A Visit Home

Five years is a long time. I’d last visited home before the covid stuff, but I eventually got home to see family and friends, eat a lot, and spend some time with my beloved Australian nature this August. I could write about everyone and everything as a detailed summary, but I feel it’s December now, and time has passed. No need to write about the details. Just tell that it was the highlight of my year, and I want to say thank you to all.

I will say I had the most amazing experience with this beautiful Square-tailed Kite who didn’t care about me standing right in front of it when it came and broke off nesting materials, then circled all around me. What a wonderful experience.

Black Falcon

Michael’s Bird Bath

Thank you to Mick Atzeni for taking me to Michael Hare’s place for a visit and thank you to Michael Hare for letting Mick take me. Michael’s place is as good as anywhere can get for wild wonders. How long can anyone really watch Variegated Wrens bathe whilst only metres away from a wild koala? -Well? I guess we ran around in circles when the bazas flew over! How can anyone get anything else done in such a place?

Please be patient and wait for all the pics in each slideshow below and imagine there are no work duties tomorrow.

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Young Variegated Male

Variegated Fairy-wren
Young male

Highfields Falls, Queensland, Australia

Monday, December 23, 2013

Here’s a young male Variegated Fairy-wren I photographed with Kevin Williams last Monday. I think I could spend all my time photographing this one species and I wouldn’t get bored. They don’t stay still however, and it’s difficult to get a clear shot without twigs or leaves in the way. I think he is just changing into his colours. There was one adult male in the group and he was very rich in colour in comparison but more difficult to get in front of the lens.

Variegated

Variegated Fairy-wren

Upper Lockyer, Queensland, Australia

2008-9? Maybe early 2009, January?

This beautiful little Fairy-wren is found right across Australia. This male was photographed in Upper Lockyer, south-east Queensland, so I think it is of the race Malurus lamberti.


Back in Niigata, last Saturday, October 5th, some friends and I went hoping to find migrating raptors at Yamamoto Mountain in Ojiya. Sadly, we didn’t see any as I think we were too late in the season. We saw one swift flutter by but I haven’t Identified it. According to the web, there were 300 raptors seen passing the mountain back on the morning of September 18th. Last year, I think I went about that time but I was too early! 
Anyway, hope this little Fairy-wren makes up for a poor Japanese raptor report.
For more wonderful bird pictures and information check out Stewart’s Wild Bird Wednesday