passing parrots

easy food

colourful feathers 

passing by

We have been putting seed sticks in a tree at the front of our house mainly for the Crested pigeons who have appeared in earlier blogs. The sticks are sold as parrot and budgerigar sticks however the Pigeons believe the manufacturers have left them off the labels.  Three days ago  these two Crimson Rosellas began turning up. Its amazing how they can detect the location of this food as they fly in the vicinity. We have been hearing Eastern Rosellas  and noticed  a pair feeding  in street trees near our back yard. These Crimsons are not as common around our suburb, they are more a country/hills and mountains bird. The top one is an adult and the bottom one a juvenile, notice the mottled green plumage that is missing from the adult. Its an unusual combination but most likely a mating pair, the age difference may not be too much , anyway thats just a guess. The parrots are all nesting or looking for sites. This pair have turned up regularly late morning and mid afternoon for 3 days. The crested pigeons have vacated the tree to feed and clean up what drops to the ground as the Rosellas feed.  The adaptability and intelligence of our birds in Australia is amazing. They also quickly learn to trust humans , the pigeons come to my call and follow me around on the ground like tame chickens.

fishing

from above

angling for a catch

fish leaves home

There are many amateur fishing people around Port Phillip Bay from boats, piers and the beach. In the top photo amateurs fish just outside the Ricketts Point marine park and in the lower one  hopefuls cast their lines off the Queenscliff Pier.  Debate continues  between conservationists, professional and amateur fishers over where to fish, how to fish and when to fish. Marine parks have been legalised in some coastal areas, there are sound arguments to extend them and the federal Government, (conservative) has commissioned an inquiry to wind back  restrictions in those parks. Just one of the ongoing battles taking place as the conservatives battle the environment. Meanwhile in Port Phillip Bay the State Government is phasing out commercial fishing creating tension between professional and amateurs. Meanwhile fish keep up their struggle to survive.

This is my dual contribution to firstly  RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 116 Home&Leaves. To see many creative haiku using these two words visit. https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-116-homeleaves/

Secondly this is my contribution to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with ABOVEthis weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

 

fading light

layered clouds

filtering sunlight

at days end

layered clouds

filtering sunlight

at days end

Sunset on Monday night, almost the equinox and a beautiful arrangement of colour looking West across Port Phillip Bay from the Black Rock cliffs. Sadly however I was tucked up in bed when the sun rose so don’t know if it was equal in display.

This is my contribution to  RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 115 Clouds&Sunshine. Read an awesome collection of haiku by poets around the world taking up this challenge go to https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-115-cloudssunshine/

deep

bold brown eyes

such depth of wisdom

beautiful

bold brown eyes

such depth of wisdom

beautiful

Charlie’s eyes were a beautiful translucent brown, not as dark as other Afghans we have lived with and known. An Afghan’s eyes are unique in the dog world as  they look at and through you, usually one or the other and sometimes both at the same time. They are nearly triangular, slanting slightly upwards from the inner corner to the outer. The Afghan Hound is a sight hound and Charlie often demonstrated this by fixing her eyes on very distant objects. Occasionally one could sense her touching base with genetic memories  from the way she gazed into the distance.

This is my contribution to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with DEEP this weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

Spring arrives

on a walk

richness of nature

early spring

On our last walk in the Bendigo Regional Park two weeks ago  where Charlie loved to roam we began to discover the early signs of Spring, mainly the first native Orchids, other small indigenous plants in flower, Bendigo Wax Flower , Wattles blooming and increasing bird activity. These images show from top, a curious Dusky Wood Swallow, a small plant yet to be identified and a beautiful native orchid that we think is a Blue Caladenia. Both these flowers are about the size of the tip of your little finger. I was only carrying my 150-500 telephoto for birds so the flowers are captured macro style on 500 at a distance of about 2 metres, something I had not tried before.

This is my contribution to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with RICH this weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

 

early evening

moon rising

stars will soon appear

to weave magic

I am yet to explore the art of night photography especially the stars so this is as close as I have come so far. Its amazing to think people have actually flown there stood on the surface and returned to earth. Ah the world of Physics.

This is my contribution to RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 114 Magic & Stars, hit this link to read other haiku accepting this magical starry challenge https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-114-magicstars/

courage

in winter

courage is needed

for sailors

These yachts are moored at the Mornington Yacht Club down the Southern end of Port Phillip bay. I took these photos one freezing wintery morning when sailing was not a high priority for the owners of the owners of these yachts. The intensity of storms on the bay can be measured by the number of losses at this club. More than one insurance claim is usually made each Winter .  Unlike clubs further up the bay this one is not well protected by a  large breakwater. Behind the yachts in the images is the city of Melbourne CBD on the skyline about 40 kilometres to the North.

This is my contribution to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with COURAGE this weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

then and now

THEN

on the beach

at another time

memories

NOW

at sunset

the slumbering beach

time to rest

Then was one of our many walks along the beach with Charlie at Ricketts Point .

Now is another of the recent sunsets Jill and I have watched at Ricketts Point since Charlie died.

This is my contribution to  RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 113 Beach&Time. To see all the creative haiku for this challenge from around the world go to https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-113-beachtime/