Nature's Place

The best direction to be shooting at the time of day, to catch them in the light.

Picking the best shots from ones blurred by dried grass – since trimmed for future work – blowing in the wind between lens and bird.

Elegant little beauty … Sun is high, from the shadow of the beak.

Same perch from the other side, slightly different time of day too.

A more distant perch out over the water. A cleaner background but lower resolution. But good enough …

And a lucky shot, just as she was about to take to the wing. At the limits of the gear.

A small dingy does the job for this day. The tide goes up to the floor – at the front. Location couldn’t be more private. They seem to do ok.

Living quarters don’t come much tighter than a small yacht. Outside piled up. Not a lot of space inside, as I remember it from long gone days.

A houseboat is a different prospect. Still on unstable and poorly serviced foundation, but an option for some.

Kookaburra in the back garden, where I live.

Pelican preening at the local jetty, perched on a tall power pole.

Duck, regular visitors to the back door these days.

And the Stone Curlew, it’s chick season again. Keeping her eye on things.

… to inner space. … The light plays on the water tossed by the cold wind. … A lovely sunny winter’s day by the sea. … Moreton bay, seen from Victoria Point at the northern boat ramps.

Corella, they roost in the tall gum trees by the ramps and travel in gangs. Waves of white, swooping and shouting as they go. A bold boisterous lot they are.

Curious and fidgety too, the flag pole ropes might need replacing soon.

A young blue faced – green in their youth – honey eater. They are more present in the garden this winter.

Noisy Miner, also a honey eater. One greets me as I leave the kitchen with my breakfast. Struggles to hover for a couple seconds, til its had a bite of my bread.

Stranger visiting, the usual magpies disappeared for a few days and another family came and went.

A female I believe, from the shading in the white at the back of the neck. A different character to the usual resident.

I went to the car and a masked lapwing went berserk. They do that, make a big noise, to distract any present wildlife – me – from noticing their chicks. Not a very intelligent strategy, I’d say, but it works well enough.

When the parents call out the chicks got to ground, literally. They freeze stock still and pretend there’s no danger. Almost invisible, it would be so easy to step on one. Could be just a couple leaves on the ground, but once you see them …

Kookaburra, what can I say … They come and they go, there’s no telling when. But they are always welcome at the table of my back door.

This young butcherbird doesn’t seem to want to grow up. Keeps coming back and crying out as if I’m his mum and he wants a feed. Anyway …

The mum just ignores him, as mums learn to do once the young are old enough to know better.

Will have to take my cue from mum. But it’s cold now, and there’s not a lot to eat in the garden, maybe when spring arrives …

Shadows, shadows everywhere. Alight with flowers of the night. … Click on the pix for a closer view …

Begonia, tempting, to whatever attracts to this magnificent yellow light at heart of a flower.

Maybe him, or her, who knows. They enjoy all sorts of food, they do. Climbing onto my finger.

Skink skipping about in the undergrowth, a little smile at the corners of his lips. Mischievous fellow.

Honey bee on the butterfly bush. A pampered species, perhaps endangered by it. Natives can’t compete.

Hahaha … Lorrie the loony lorikeet, having a bit of fun at the bird bath. Singing bawdy songs of bounty to himself.

Lorrie trying to sneak up on me. Little does he know, I can see him from behind the camera. :-)

The garden Stoic. Such disciplined creatures, always upright and sober. Against the shadow of trees, blue sky showing.

Kookie at another time, in the bright sunshine. Waiting on movement in the garden to signal time to eat, time to die.

Butcherbird, mum or dad, comes to the back door a lot during the rain – lots of that recently. And so we get acquainted …

Kookaburra, they’ve not been around much lately, probably off to greener pastures – where they get fed enough, given the weather is not conducive.

Bush Stone Curlew, sitting during the day at Victoria Point hill overlooking the jetty and ferries to Coochiemudlo. That’s a well guarded mushroom.

The Curlew taking a breather in the lightening rain by the verandah. It’s a known safe place amongst the locals. … *Click the pix for a better look.

Until an eagle came into view way above, but not beyond the ladies capacity to see – with her chick about.

There’s also a little food to be had, when the need is apparent. Lorrie would definitely agree.

Little Joey under the protection of his mum. We get to know them but they remain wild enough to know their own ways.

You can see it in and behind the eye, there’s an absence of any selfish calculation, an innocence. That’s nature …

One Lorikeet came to pose for me a while. Nice light, gorgeous colours, and nice contrast to background.

We do our best, whoever we are. And our best comes back to us. As it is in every other way, a bit of luck.

Ooh, look over there!

Nope, here is where the action is. Here and now … Til next time.

Kookaburra, herald of the morning sun. Spies something in the grass. — Click the pix for a bigger version.

A beauty. Whip snake, colourful creature, exposed but aware in the open grass, of a Kookaburra looking on.

But the Kookaburra knows better than to tangle with this four foot snake. Not worth the risk of serious injury.

One caught out in the rain … lots of that lately, rainy days.

Hello Kookie … in the setting sun.

Posing for a few shots … on a windy day.

It’s not often I get the opportunity to shoot a dragonfly these days. Not many hereabouts.

Gone moldy in the humid weather are my various achromats/macro-lenses suitable for the work.

So the telephoto lens will have to do. Not so sharp, nor close up, but good enough.

A colourful beetle taking a break on my tee shirt drying on the line. … Click on the pix, and click again, to see the bigger version.

Vary the shooting angles, you never know what you’ve got til it’s on the big screen.

Get in close …

A big stick insect, I think. About 5 inches long head to tail, Found him in the bushes while doing the gardening. Colourful fellow.

Storm Lillies. Been flowering since the rains began a few weeks ago.

One of my garden buddies, Kookaburra. Keeps an eye out for anything to eat.

Bad hair day. Windy on the washing line.

Watch out below … that’s a serious beak.