More Avians.....big and small

As previously mentioned there are a pair of Sea Eagles in my area.
Locals have told me that a nest is close handy, and the pair regularly do trips to and from the ocean, fixing those sharp eyes on all...including the lens of my camera.






I believe I photographed a product of that nesting the other day...pictured below.




I was able to get the following shots of this bird also....




Seems the young bird was collecting material for a nest...as we are well into nesting season now.
Since it is not yet mature I wondered if it was helping with the parents nest building....or starting its own.
Perhaps a little learning time is needed to build such a large construction successfully .

More info on these amazing birds can be found here

One a much smaller scale I was also able to photograph this little guy below.....



This Butcher bird was happy to have his photo taken and I have spotted at least three in the area.

Avians

Having been told that it is a great time to watch birds, there being a profusion both of numbers and species at the moment, I got the camera out for a day at the beach.
What I have presented here is, except for a Sea Eagle , some Seagulls, a couple of Crows and some Plovers, what I was able to see during a 3 hour walk.
I recognize the Sandpipers, though the others are a mystery...Perhaps there is an avian expert out there who could ID them? :)










The Black Swan is presently with its mate in a neighboring Dam, and seems to have taken residence there over Winter...along with some Ducks and Waterfowl

Where DID he go?

I have received much in the way of emails asking where I have gone.
Thank you to those of you who have missed my roaming's...camera in hand.
We will keep in touch...be it from a distance.
After spending much time in the beautiful Highlands area, having taken literally Gigs of material covering everything I could from wasps to waterfalls, I have moved camp to the far south coast.
I now live on a little seaside property with new and exciting flora and fauna to upload to this site.
To illustrate how far south it is I have loaded this shot.
(tongue in cheek)






Yes, some would say its the ends of the Earth though, for a nature photographer, it is paradise.
A pristine environment awaits my lens and you may expect natural wonders unseen in more populated areas.

A big thank you to Denis for all his help, and for some very interesting field trips during my time in Robertson....congrats also with your work in helping stop the Aquifer Project. Kudos

Droplets

In previous posts I have shown the surface tension properties of water, in regard to the shape of droplets and the crown like designs as the liquid hits a solid surface.
I couldn't resist adding this latest shot of droplets hanging on a spider web.
Water gives not only its amazing surface tension properties to create this shot, it also has the ability to act as a lens...giving the reflections of the plant behind it...producing a myriad of reflected forms.

Back online (kind of)

Well its been a long break from the life of a regular blogger...posting pics at will, with Internet at a safe distance from a good coffee though, with a little persistence, I managed today to align the satellite dish and so am able to send these few pics to you the viewer of my humble site.

Having returned from Germany, I have settled in in a new area with a whole new set of flora and fauna to post.
The following shots are, firstly, of a glorious sunset I was able to capture the other day...followed by some local fauna.




These avians are regular visitors to my area and are, I believe, a hawk and a sea eagle.
The hawk was hunting in my backyard for mice, and the sea eagle has a nest not far away and does regular patrols on the trip to the ocean and back.
I hope for more pictures of these two, and will post what I get.



This last shot was taken by Petra when we were at the beach the other day.
I am not sure what type of whale it was, though a group of three passed by and I look forward to a little whale watching over the next few months as well.


I have many pictures of Germany yet to post, and will do so as I go through the many Gigs that I have taken.
You, the viewer, may look forward to many interesting shots over the following months.

Back in OZ

Just a quick note to say I'm back in OZ.
As I have no internet connection at the moment I will amass a variety of photos and service will be resumed ASAP.
Take care all, and see you soon with some mind blowing pics of our natural world.

Birds and the Bees

Spring, especially in an area where the seasons are so pronounced, is a time to get into the act of reproduction while the food sources and climate support the raising offspring.

These pictures below are of Reproduction of two sorts.

The insects are male and female, requiring sperm from the male to fertilise eggs within the female.....whereas the snails are asexual (each being effectively male and female ).

This means that they supply 1/2 of the genetic material needed and both produce young (lay eggs).

The snail below is of the same species, though shows colour differences to those above.

It is redder in appearance and, if I had the time, would be interested to cross snails of both colours.

It would be interesting to see the ratio of light to dark snails, and mixed shells, through this method of reproduction.

...and if you have ever wondered what a bumble bee looks like compared to a regular bee....wonder no longer

....of course, all the regular predators are out taking advantage of the increased food sources.

...and even a little fungi.

This bracket fungi is similar to its Australian counterpart, though was very white and seemed of much denser composition. This is possibly due, in part, to differing climatic conditions from those I have observed in detail in places like Robertson Nature Reserve ( see previous posts).

I would like to wish Denis Wilson and his colleagues much success with their fungi exhibition being held at Robertson NSW Australia. Perhaps a few pics of the exhibition Denis?

Trip to Bergisches Land

A trip to a nature reserve in Bergisches Land, Germany, proved to be of interest with panoramic scenery as pictured below.
The patchwork of mixed colours a visual treat as new foliage erupts.








The fields are alive with flowers, and trees have regained their leaves... with a sunny 25 degree C day making for a pleasant walk in the Wald.
Although the water was still icy it made for a refreshing dip after a long hike.




I promised Denis a few bird shots and, with the warmth of the day, it didn't take long to fulfil his request.
More shots are on the way, with some interesting observations on springtime behavioural pattens.
( if I can just photograph the quick little avian I am after) :)




Even the Bumblebees were out and about



With a trip to the North Sea planned next week, it will be interesting to observe the local fauna and flora there in relation to this area that lies some 600Km south.

Many changes afoot

A recent trip to the Black Forest was an eye opener, with many trees on the fringes of the great forest suffering from the ravages of acid rain. The trees seemed wilted somewhat, though as I travelled deeper within the wald things seemed to improve greatly.
The German government is fighting this problem with a massive replanting scheme.
Damaged trees are removed and are replaced with farm grown trees.
This is done while migratory birds are away in Africa so as not to disturb breeding season.
This shot was taken deep in the forest and, although the trees are healthy, altered weather patterns that cause mini cyclones have taken their toll even here.



Things have been warmer of late.
The following shots taken at 2 areas 500km apart from each other, illustrating that all but the highest altitudes feel spring in the air.

Northern Hemisphere Spings to life

Spring has had a late showing in the Northern Hemisphere this year, with winter temps keeping things sleeping well into April.
In warmer areas things have are under way now, though in some parts things are only just getting started.
In Berlin, pictured below, Cherry blossoms are in full show with many deciduous plants greening well though, as you can see, some have only started budding.



In my travels I came across a unusual sight.
The tree pictured below is beginning its regrowth for the spring.
When I first saw it I thought the shapes to be a collection of nests.
Shapes like this are common in Australia after bushfires, as regrowth begins, though no fires have affected these plants and, as I saw many, must be a common and usual event for this species.





The picture below is the view from Schloss Burg.
The area is at about 400m above sea level, and the forests are still to show significant regrowth.



Its not all winter here though, as the following blooms demonstrate.



Spring is underway in the Northern Hemisphere, and I will post more as it progresses.

Hiatus soon rectified

There has been a hiatus in the postings of late and this is soon to be rectified.

I have the opportunity to cover the natural world in Europe for 2 months and plan many a forest walk in order to capture the onset of spring here.

Postings may be sporadic due to the nature (no pun intended) of my travels, though I will do my best to provide interesting insights and begin with a shot from the beginning of my 22 hour journey to get here.

The Southern Highlands shown in the distance under scattered cloud.