We have been to Paluma twice before on this trip and that's because it is a very nice village at the top of a mountain with an interesting climb on the way up, and beautiful scenery to boot.  My main reason for going yesterday was to try and get some in-flight shots of the very exotic birds that live up there.   When we reached the summit it was much cooler than down below, and in the strongish wind, cloudy conditions and shade, almost cold enough for a long sleeve shirt!  At the pottery, Ken the potter told me that it had been quiet on his feeder this last few days, and he expressed some surprise at this. However, there were still Honeyeaters feeding on the sugar solution. I decided on a short walk at first because I wanted to try and see the Noisy  Pitta, a bird that is very territorial by all accounts and one had been seen on our first trip.  I couldn't believe my luck when I saw it in the very same place that it had been before.  I took the photos missed on my previous visits. They are a ground loving species that are described as preferring forest and jungle areas where they pick around the leaf litter.  Visually, they are an extremely pretty, and brightly plumaged bird with jades and yellow as well as a red brown head, short tail and longish legs.  When disturbed it didn't fly but scurried away to safety. 

Back at the Pottery feeder, I set up the gear and tried very hard for some in-flight shots but it was quiet and I found it hard.  Eventually, the "big-players", in the shape of a pair of glorious, amazing, fabulous and exotic Rifle Birds came in to my fruit offerings and I took some thrilling photos of the male who is in fact a Bird of Paradise.

If all the birds are like this in paradise then I am going to start behaving in the hope that I can get in!!!!!!!  The plumage is just totally iridescent and in a bird the size of a small dove, really impressive.  The females are totally different, being a combination of rich browns and lighter contrasting  tanny fawn on the breast.  Both have a long down curved black beak.  Perhaps the most impressive feature is the inside of the mouth that in both sexes is the colour of ripe mango!

 

I must tell you about yesterday morning.  At the nearby cemetery, good for birds as I have said previously, there was a Black Kite again sat on the top of a grave stone.  It was catching the light and really showing well.  I sat in the car and took some photos and waited for him (or her) to fly off because I knew that this would be a great photo opportunity, and it was… look at the results.

  This morning in the garden, (quite often there are more birds here than elsewhere), a Sacred Kingfisher sat on the clothes line post.  I took, at last some great close ups of yet another beautiful species.  I have now managed good portraits of both Kingfishers which I am very pleased with. My Kingfisher Gallery on PBase will certainly be enhanced now that I have 3 species of Kingfishers to show.

For family and friends…….. Jenny is getting better and the tablets are working well.  She has almost recovered and is back to her usual lovely self and as we speak normality returns! We are planning a quiet day on the beach today as part of Jenny's recovery, but Bee Eaters are working around the garden at the moment and it might be hard to tear myself away.  Just to give you a flavour of the scene here.  It's winter now, there are Bird Wing Butterflies flitting about, described by some as the worlds most beautiful butterfly.  They are large, very large and much bigger than a Blue Tit for example. We have Peaceful Doves in the garden and I can hear the Bee Eaters,  as well as a Brown Honeyeater, probably the most common bird in the garden, apart from the doves. Mynah birds are popping in and out and a Spangled Drongo is in the big tree at the end of the garden.  We quite often have Ibis  and a pretty little Flycather is usually around,  perhaps already a hint t of that paradise?