Tuesday, May 3, 2011

MY WORLD, World Bird and Watery Wednesday


Here I go again, proud as punch of - no, not the photos - ,
but the five mile hike around Griffiths Island off Port Fairy,
Victoria, Australia! With two bionic heart valves and legs almost
3/4 of a century old, this old girl made it all the way along paths
and beaches, hills and dales . . .


The Shearwaters had left but the chicks (invisible) were still
there. At the beginning of the trail, a dripping Pied Cormorant,
Phalacrocorax varius, you guessed it, a shag on a rock.


A beautiful little shark-proof pool for swimming in . . .


and, be afraid, be very afraid, this demonic apparition, the
Australian Raven, Corvus coronoides, swooping on the unwary
Mutton Bird or Shearwater.


The chicks are big enough for the parents to have left them,
now it is open season for foxes and crows to help themselves
to free take-aways.

These two were obviously enjoying their lunch


and these are the grisly leftovers . . .


A little further along the path I almost trod on this White-Faced
Heron, Egretta novaehollaniae, I just managed to click, sorry
about the blurring, he was close and fast but oh so beautiful
with his deep blue flight feathers.


Hup two, three, four, keep it up two, three, four . . .

A pair of South Island Oyster Catchers, Haematopus finschi,
one of whom unfortunately had a limp so I resisted going any
closer.


The coastally ubiquitous Singing Honeyeaters, Lichenostomus
virescens, were having a slight altercation


while we had a dip in the freezing water of the great Southern
Ocean and tried to get our boots and socks on without additional
very fine sand.


On this side of the island there was another White Faced Heron
clambering among the lava rocks,


and looking back at the lighthouse on the point, it was just
500 yds to our starting point.



I know this was a long post but hope I did not bore you too much.
Who knows when I will have another chance to post. I miss you all
so much and look forward to signs of life from my fellow bloggers.

All pics. enlarge and I hope to be visiting you all again when I
am back on my own connection.

We are in Melbourne at present and I have a backlog of more than 1,000
photos already!

With thanks to the co-ordinators of all three memes . . . your faithful foreign correspondent.

27 comments:

  1. What a great series of photos, minus the sad remains of a predatory event but that is also nature's way. I am in awe of the many angles at which you have captured birds in flight. The white-faced heron's posture is classic! Congratulations and thank you.

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  2. Thanks for taking me along on this hike.That is quite a walk,so glad you were able to enjoy it.I enjoyed seeing all th birds and scenery.have a great day.

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  3. those are wonderful! no, you did not bore me one bit! beautiful place and wildlife!

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  4. Your post is not boring at all. Thank you for the hike! You did well! You are also a clever photographer, for you manage to take photos of birds in flight, which I never seem to be able to.

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  5. This was a challenging trek you’ve been on, Arija! I think workouts such as the walk you took helps to keep us healthy as long as possible. Also, appreciation of all the marvels around us surely must enhance our wellbeing. Thanks for sharing this fascinating part of your world. :)

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  6. What a great walk you've taken us on, Arija! How wonderful that you were able to walk so far! Certainly the beauty there was enough to inspire you! Look forward to more pics!! Hope your week is off to a great start!

    Sylvia

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  7. These photos are stunning! What light, what clarity, what beauty!

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  8. I'm always in awe of herons. Wonderful shot.

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  9. OOH I love this post Arija. Just like a mini vacation. I'm envious! We've had nothing but rain, rain, rain! Makes for testy temperments if you know what I mean.
    B.

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  10. Thanks for bringing us up to date. What fun to walk the hills, dales and beaches. Good for you. Use it or loose they say. Your captures are outstanding and I look forward to more of the 1000s. Keep on enjoying the journey. Hugs!

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  11. Your post was not too long for me! I enjoy seeing some of the scenery where the bird photos have been taken. I imagine your sea water is lots colder than ours up here :-) All great photos.

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  12. They were all very beautiful photos, and not a bit boring :)
    It must have been a really nice walk!

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  13. A great set of pictures. The last one of the Heron is my favorite. Well done.

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  14. I hope Australia's dogs can read :-)

    Is tat genuinel 100% sharkproof? Are you sure? Would you go in?

    Full marks on your ambulatory achievement, (she said with a touch of envy).

    That black Raven with its wings spread reminds of the ballet Swanlake.
    Actually, come to think of it, black swans were on my mind already.

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  15. Great hike and great shots!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  16. Arija, Happy WBW! Thanks for taking us on your trek. Am I missing something, volcanic rock in Austraila? I did not know. I love the style of your writing and of course your birds and landscapes are classics!

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  17. No bore what-so-ever. Wonderful photo series!

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  18. Congratulations on the five-mile hike and the lovely photos! Wonderful, interesting post,

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  19. A lovely post illustrated with your amazing images.
    Many thanks for sharing.

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  20. Wow, congrats on your walk. You did good! I loved all the birds photos, great sightings all of them. I enjoyed your post and the photos. Have a great day!

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  21. Denise has left a new comment on your post "MY WORLD, World Bird and Watery Wednesday":

    How wonderful, a great series of photos and I'd be proud of those as well as that five mile hike. Happy traveling!

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  22. BIG high FIVE on the HIKE Arija!! I am always feeling the same when I make it back to my car in one piece! Awesome birds in this post--the comment about the Crow reminded me of last spring when a fledging blue jay was swooped up off the ground by a crow and taken away to become lunch..NOT a good thing--shag on a rock ouch..lol

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  23. Five miles! You go, girl!

    I love these pictures. I'd be thrilled to encounter even one of those exciting birds.

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  24. What a fantastic hike, and good for you for making it the whole 5 miles!

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  25. I'm catching up on some of your wonderful photography and narrative. All of your posts are such a delight. The birds in this one blew me away and then on your more recent posts, the autumn foliage made me remember why I love fall so much. I hope you are having a good week! The highlight of my week is I'm getting a new camera tomorrow thanks to a generous gift. Wooohooo! My camera died last week so I've been going through shutterbug withdrawal pains.

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  26. Hey, we've got virtually the same shot - the pool with the island hills in the background!! Interesting that the island looks so similar to when I visited six months later!! Thanx for showing me your take on this great spot!

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