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Wow.
I'm glad I chose to go birdwatching today. But I'm gonna regret it tomorrow. I walked 12km, up and down steep, uneven slopes.
I think I'm getting fitter. I was a bit puffed but I didn't get that awful burning in my chest and I only needed a brief rest to continue walking - and all this with a blocked nose! I also refilled my water bottle from the creek at the top of the waterfall, nice.
The day turned into a stunner. As I was driving there I heard on the radio that it was 2C in the city. It didn't feel that bad outside, just brisk and in the sun it was lovely. Later on I was glad it was winter, I think the walk would have been impossible in summer.
The dam above the farm. Pacific Black Ducks, Shelducks and Grebes on this. The falls are to the right side of the photo, over the next hill or so.
The falls from a distance. This was before we decided to go right around them.
Taken from the lookout after crossing the top of the falls.
Taken further down.
We started at Hillside Farm, then travelled north a little before heading back over to the actual Ellis Brook nature reserve. We walked up the entrance road then to the quarry. Then we decided we were game to travel up to and around the falls that we could see in the distance from the top of the farm. Lots of pricky plants. 3 species of orchids, drosera (both flat and stemmed), various grevillia, banksia, hakea, isopogon, hovea, other peas. It was lovely.
I think was called Bluebeard or something? It's an orchid. Correct me if you know the proper name.
Donkey orchid.
Despite having my camera on macro this photo is awful. It was very pretty, maroon purple filamentous orchid.
Close up of a flat drosera (Sundew). These catch insects in the sticky substance they exude from the leaves. The leaves then curl over and proceed to devour the hapless insect.
There were loads of flat drosera in this area. Pity I didn't get a shot of the stemmed species.
Brilliant day for the birds. Nothing new, but a lot of species I haven't seen much of previously.
What I saw (and possibly heard as well)
Darter
Australasian Grebe
Australian Shelduck
Pacific Black Duck
Wood Duck
Eurasian Coot
White-Faced Heron
Square-Tailed Kite (rare bird)
Peregrine Falcon (soaring, beautiful)
Spotted Dove
Senegal Dove
Common Bronzewing
Galah
Rainbow Lorikeet (near the farm, it's sad to see them this far east, but they are spreading)
Red-Capped Parrot (LOTS of them!! These are gorgeous)
Western Rosella (juvenilles, all green)
28 Parrot
Shining Bronze Cuckoo (I was the one that spotted this)
Laughing Kookaburra
Splendid Fairy-Wren (males in full colour)
Spotted Pardalote (good view too!! Also saw some nests)
Inland Thornbill
Western Thornbill
Yellow-Rumped Thornbill
Singing Honeyeater
White-Naped Honeyeater
White-Cheeked Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Western Spinebill (female on a nest! Didn't see the prettier male though)
Scarlet Robin
Grey Shrike-Thrush (calling loudly)
Golden Whistler (*squee* Only saw the drab female however. They were calling a lot)
Rufous Whistler
Grey Fantail
Black-Faced Cuckoo Shrike
Dusky Woodswallow (got my first really good look at these days. There were many soaring and some perched.)
Magpie (tame ones, they were soliciting for food)
Australian Raven
Welcome Swallow
Silvereye
What I heard (but didn't see)
Fan-Tailed Cuckoo
Striated Pardalote
Western Gerygone (they were LOUD)
Weebill
Willie Wagtail
Magpie Lark
What others saw (but I missed)
Pallid Cuckoo
White-Browed Scrubwren
Tawny-Crowned Honeyeater
Red-Capped Robin (one of the sought after birds of the day, one person said they saw it. Would be a new bird for me if I'd seen it.)
Grey Butcherbird
What we didn't see (but expected to)
Emu
Painted Button Quail (would have been a new bird if I saw it)
Red-Winged Fairy-Wren
Red-Browed Firetail (One of the birds many people came to see, was a no show. Would have been a newie for me too.)
Red-Eared Firetail (Another expected bird but a no show. This would have been a newie too.)
Mistletoebird
Next week is a full day walk at York. That should be good.
I think I'm getting fitter. I was a bit puffed but I didn't get that awful burning in my chest and I only needed a brief rest to continue walking - and all this with a blocked nose! I also refilled my water bottle from the creek at the top of the waterfall, nice.
The day turned into a stunner. As I was driving there I heard on the radio that it was 2C in the city. It didn't feel that bad outside, just brisk and in the sun it was lovely. Later on I was glad it was winter, I think the walk would have been impossible in summer.
The dam above the farm. Pacific Black Ducks, Shelducks and Grebes on this. The falls are to the right side of the photo, over the next hill or so.
The falls from a distance. This was before we decided to go right around them.
Taken from the lookout after crossing the top of the falls.
Taken further down.
We started at Hillside Farm, then travelled north a little before heading back over to the actual Ellis Brook nature reserve. We walked up the entrance road then to the quarry. Then we decided we were game to travel up to and around the falls that we could see in the distance from the top of the farm. Lots of pricky plants. 3 species of orchids, drosera (both flat and stemmed), various grevillia, banksia, hakea, isopogon, hovea, other peas. It was lovely.
I think was called Bluebeard or something? It's an orchid. Correct me if you know the proper name.
Donkey orchid.
Despite having my camera on macro this photo is awful. It was very pretty, maroon purple filamentous orchid.
Close up of a flat drosera (Sundew). These catch insects in the sticky substance they exude from the leaves. The leaves then curl over and proceed to devour the hapless insect.
There were loads of flat drosera in this area. Pity I didn't get a shot of the stemmed species.
Brilliant day for the birds. Nothing new, but a lot of species I haven't seen much of previously.
What I saw (and possibly heard as well)
Darter
Australasian Grebe
Australian Shelduck
Pacific Black Duck
Wood Duck
Eurasian Coot
White-Faced Heron
Square-Tailed Kite (rare bird)
Peregrine Falcon (soaring, beautiful)
Spotted Dove
Senegal Dove
Common Bronzewing
Galah
Rainbow Lorikeet (near the farm, it's sad to see them this far east, but they are spreading)
Red-Capped Parrot (LOTS of them!! These are gorgeous)
Western Rosella (juvenilles, all green)
28 Parrot
Shining Bronze Cuckoo (I was the one that spotted this)
Laughing Kookaburra
Splendid Fairy-Wren (males in full colour)
Spotted Pardalote (good view too!! Also saw some nests)
Inland Thornbill
Western Thornbill
Yellow-Rumped Thornbill
Singing Honeyeater
White-Naped Honeyeater
White-Cheeked Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Western Spinebill (female on a nest! Didn't see the prettier male though)
Scarlet Robin
Grey Shrike-Thrush (calling loudly)
Golden Whistler (*squee* Only saw the drab female however. They were calling a lot)
Rufous Whistler
Grey Fantail
Black-Faced Cuckoo Shrike
Dusky Woodswallow (got my first really good look at these days. There were many soaring and some perched.)
Magpie (tame ones, they were soliciting for food)
Australian Raven
Welcome Swallow
Silvereye
What I heard (but didn't see)
Fan-Tailed Cuckoo
Striated Pardalote
Western Gerygone (they were LOUD)
Weebill
Willie Wagtail
Magpie Lark
What others saw (but I missed)
Pallid Cuckoo
White-Browed Scrubwren
Tawny-Crowned Honeyeater
Red-Capped Robin (one of the sought after birds of the day, one person said they saw it. Would be a new bird for me if I'd seen it.)
Grey Butcherbird
What we didn't see (but expected to)
Emu
Painted Button Quail (would have been a new bird if I saw it)
Red-Winged Fairy-Wren
Red-Browed Firetail (One of the birds many people came to see, was a no show. Would have been a newie for me too.)
Red-Eared Firetail (Another expected bird but a no show. This would have been a newie too.)
Mistletoebird
Next week is a full day walk at York. That should be good.
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Breathtaking :)