BLACK KITE

Since I blogged yesterday, so much has happened.  I had begun to associate a scream of fright by Jenny as an exciting few minutes, it means that she has seen something she doesn’t like the look of, or even worse has decided to jump on her, and that means something exciting to see!  So it turned out to be yesterday, but in the end, she got her own back!  Tree Frogs……….. who would have thought they could be such good fun and a source of such frights as well.  So far on the trip, we have encountered 3 different species but all in the house.  I will be able to give you a species list once I have managed more research but in the meantime, a short……. very short description, will have to do.  There is a basically, a large green frog that is like a pet at the house and he doesn’t……… (as I write, I hear my first kookaburra)…….. enter but stays out around the front door balcony. He has been seen most evenings. Then, in the house, and that can mean anywhere, are brown tree frogs, so far seen in the bathroom, on the bookcase and in the wardrobe.  They are quick and agile and hard to catch.

BROWN TREE FROG ON THE BOOK SHELF

THE OFFENDING TREE FROG!

Yesterday before the frogfest, I had quite a lot of fun photographing a Black Kite in flight as you can see above.   I got hold of some scraps of meat from the butchers and have been baiting one that I saw close to town.  In fact, as I write this at the moment, I am waiting for him to repeat his performance, but today I have rigged up my remote infra-red trigger to catch him as he swoops in to pick up the offerings.  So far, just Silver Gulls, but I am hoping for his return sometime soon…. should be quite a shot!

This morning, very soon after dawn, there was a small flock of Rainbow lorikeets feeding on the wispy flowers of bottle brush (or similar)…….. (the Kite is back, but no interest in the food yet). 

RAINBOW LORIKEET

I almost forgot to mention, Black Cockatoos are a spectacular bird, much bigger than the crows and Rooks in the UK.  When I saw my first yesterday they took me surprise, their calls were not particularly harsh and I was expecting them to be a small flock of Crows as they flew in to feed on a Sea Grape by the edge of the beach.  I had my camera set up ready for flight shots of the Kite so I was thrilled to get these amazing birds as they nonchalantly , almost glided in.

As this morning progressed, we had a nice visitor as we sat and ate breakfast on the balcony. A lovely Gould’s Shining Cuckoo came on to a perch as close to the house as it could get.  really stunning. Then out by the beach, late morning I photographed Bower Birds, I will post their photos tomorrow…… please check back.  

If you are reading the blog and are related to Jenny and I, then hello! Email us and send pics of the grandchildren! Missing you already!