Off the Edge of the Map
April 17, 2005: Lake Monger Reserve, Western Australia
These are wonderfully colored birds, similar in profile to our NA shoveler, but completely different plumage. Very pretty.
Continue reading “Australasian Shoveler”
Threskiornis spinicollis
April 17, 2005: Swan Valley, Western Australia
Spotted these birds from the car while we were driving around to visit wineries in Swan Valley (only Kevin and Helen were actually doing any wine tasting). Fortunately, I was able to hop out and get some decent photos. They almost look like the negative of the Sacred Ibis – dark bodies and light-colored necks. Very cool birds.
Continue reading “Straw-necked Ibis”
April 17, 2005: Swan Valley, Western Australia
Spotted this bird while waiting outside one of the wineries. As with the kite, I never got a close look at this bird, but suspected it was a kestrel when it started kiting over the nearby field (from a high altitude). Again, my photos were good enough to make the ID, but I hope to see another at closer range.
April 17, 2005: Lake Monger Reserve, Western Australia
A very strange-looking duck. First spotted in a large flock flying out over the lake. Fortunately, later I saw a pair of them closer to shore and was able to get a decent photo. A shoveler, but even stranger in appearance than our North American variety. Sort of cool, though.
Continue reading “Pink-eared Duck”
April 17, 2005
Late morning/early afternoon
Sunday morning, after I returned from the park, and everyone else was up and about, we all headed to the Swan Valley for lunch. Then, we stopped at a couple of wineries. Kevin and Helen went in and tasted a few wines, and Daniel, Eclipse and I stayed outside. Eclipse played a bit while I looked at the birds I could see while supervising Eclipse. I didn’t see a big variety, but I did see a couple of very cool new birds, including the first birds of prey I’d seen in Australia.
Continue reading “Swan Valley”
April 17, 2005
Afternoon
After the wineries, we stopped at Lake Monger, very near Helen & Daniel’s home. There, we discovered a big lake just PACKED with great birds. OMG so many birds, including several new species for me!
Continue reading “Lake Monger”
April 16 and 17, 2005
On Saturday, Eclipse and I woke up early (as usual, since arriving in Australia), and no one else was up yet, so we snuck out of the house and took my camera down to the park where we’d had our barbecue. Eclipse headed straight to the playground, while I kept my eye out for birds. As we left the house, I spotted a few Black Swan flying past. I’d very much wanted to see these birds and was thrilled about the sighting, even though I only caught a short glimpse. They looked gorgeous flying through the sky – the contrast of black and white is lovely.
Continue reading “Subiaco, Western Australia”
April 16, 2005
After my early morning walk, we had a lazy morning until it was time to get ready to go to the footie (and I sure hope real Australians actually call it “footie”). Daniel’s team – the West Coast Eagles – were playing the Bulldogs. On the way, we stopped and had Dim Sum for lunch (OMG YUMMY)! Then, on to the stadium!
Continue reading “West Coast Eagles (Football, not Birds)”
April 15, 2005: Perth, Western Australia
Spotted one of these beautiful birds while driving into King’s Park to have breakfast – a subspecies of the Australian Ringneck. A bit later I saw a couple more up in trees near the road. Very pretty!
Continue reading “Twenty-eight Parrot”
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Western Australia
The primary reason we’d gone to the island was to see the wildlife: birds, of course, but also a tiny wallaby called the Quokka, which lives on Rottnest Island and almost nowhere else. It didn’t take us long to find our first one, browsing on some low-growing vegetation. So small and adorable! By the end of our visit, we’d seen four of them, including one that was wandering around the cafe where we ate lunch before taking the ferry back to the mainland. I really enjoyed these little friends, and it was well worth the trip to the island to see them.
Continue reading “Quokka”
April 15, 2005
Early morning
Our primary destination for today was Rottnest Island, but before we got on the train to where we’d catch a ferry, we had breakfast with Helen and Daniel at Kings Park. Of course, I spent a few minutes wandering around outside looking for birds.
Continue reading “Kings Park, Perth”
April 15, 2005: Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia
I just caught a glimpse of these birds flying past the car, as we drove from the park to the train station. Need to get a better look!
Continue reading “Galah”
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Western Australia
Spotted several of these birds foraging along the edges of the lake. Very small, only about five inches long. They didn’t have a whole lot of color, so they were difficult to ID at first, but as I studied the photos later I did see some reddish color on a few of the birds. CUTE!
Continue reading “Red-necked Stint”
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Western Australia
Spotted this bird near the road, and had no idea what it was at first. A female bird, and much less brightly colored than the male bird would have been, but after a minute with the field guide I figured it out. Adorable.
Continue reading “Red-capped Robin”
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Western Australia
I noticed a couple of people peering into a tree near the road, and then one of them pointed out the bird – one of the most beautiful birds I’ve ever seen! What gorgeous colors, and it was posing just perfectly. One of my favorite birds of the day! About half an hour later, I spotted a second one, also perched in a tree.
Continue reading “Sacred Kingfisher”
April 15, 2005
After breakfast, Eclipse, Kevin and I rode the train down to Fremantle, where we caught the ferry to Rottnest Island, a small island about half-an-hour’s trip from the mainland. The Indian Ocean is absolutely beautiful, and we saw bunches of great wildlife. My first bird of this trip was a really good look at an Australian Pelican at the jetty when we arrived at the island. Sadly, though, by the time we’d gotten off the boat, I couldn’t re-locate it to take a picture.
Continue reading “Rottnest Island”
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Cockburn, Western Australia
Spotted a male and female of these beautiful ducks near one of the lakes. Gorgeously colored.
Continue reading “Australian Shelduck”
April 14, 2005
On Thursday, 14 April, we were still in Sydney. Connor and I had a final walk through Hyde Park, and then it was time for the coach to take us to the airport for our flight to Perth.
Continue reading “On Our Way to Perth”
April 13, 2005
Managed to sleep a bit later the next morning (until about 6.00), had breakfast at the hotel, and then out into the city. Our first real stop: The Australian Museum. Today, we timed our start so we arrived right when the museum was opening, and headed straight towards the dinosaur exhibit.
Continue reading “Chinese Gardens and Darling Harbour”
April 12, 2005
This morning, we headed out into the city around 8.30, intending to start at the natural history museum. When we arrived, though, we discovered that the Australian Museum didn’t open until 9.30. We didn’t want to wait around that long, so we headed on foot in the direction of the opera house, which was our primary destination for the day. We did see some great birds in Hyde Park along the way, including White Ibis and strikingly-colored Magpie Lark.
April 12, 2005: Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
These birds were also present in the trees near the lake, although not as abundant as the little blacks. Not sure if these birds were nesting or not. They are beautiful cormorants.
Continue reading “Little Pied Cormorant”
April 21, 2005: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
While walking the Koala Walk at the place where we stopped for lunch, one of the others in our group spotted one of these birds, but I didn’t see it. Fortunately, a minute later we found two of them in the trees very near the path. I’d so wanted to see black cockatoos, and was very pleased to find these. Gorgeous, big birds. Lovely!
Continue reading “Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo”
April 12, 2005: Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
Just spotted one of these birds, flying by as I was walking along the path towards the Opera House. Still, such a pretty bird. Hopefully I’ll see others, as I’ve always enjoyed the anhingas in Florida.
Continue reading “Australasian Darter”
April 12, 2005 Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
Spotted the first of these birds in a small stream near the gift shop, a few minutes later, found several more at the lake. Also saw at least one hybrid (Anas superciliosa x platyrhynchos).
Continue reading “Pacific Black Duck”
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to visit Australia. I think I really started in earnest after my grandparents went several years ago, and it sounded like the most wonderful, exotic place imaginable. So, when my father died and left me a fair chunk of money, I decided that one of the things we were going to do was take this trip I’d always dreamed of taking. It worked out very well, timing-wise, that our friends, Mark and Vicky Hobba, had recently had their first child. If we came in the Spring of 2005, the baby would be the perfect age for a week on a houseboat along the Murray River (something that sounded fantastic). Everything was falling into place very nicely, and we made our plans . . . we were going to Australia!
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