SkyWatch - Blue Sky with Clouds

Clouds over the dunes in Goolwa

they seem to me like a couple of birds doing a courtship dance.

Linking with SkyWatch

Wild Bird Wednesday - Hooray for Big Birds!

Nipped down to Goolwa for the day and spied these below the 

barrages on the Murray River.

Three pelicans pole sitting

our pelicans are really big birds up to 1.9m

since that is bigger than me,  even I can see them

getting into the swing of things

this White-faced Heron

also a bird of some stature that looks deceptively small at a

distance but can be up to 1m

I have stood next to one that was higher than my waist

put them all together and it looks like a dwarf next to 

the big pelicans

Stewart, any hope of an ID for the waders in the background?

I know they are not very clear,

unfortunately, due to a senior's moment, I had drained the 

battery on my canon with the 500mm lens

No idea what kind of ducks they are either.

With thanks to Stewart for hosting

WIld Bird Wednesday

OUR WORLD & Wild Bird Wednesday - Cape Barren Geese

A couple of years ago we went to Hindmarsh Island,

across the bridge from Goolwa, South Australia.

The Cape Barren Geese were grazing in a field next to the road.

There were bushes along the road, so I had to get out of the car

to get a shot.

I was used to the very tame flock on Kangaroo Island, so was

surprised at how skittish these were. Although I was behind 

cover, they were on the alert as soon as I got out of the car

and took off after the first ground shot I got. 

Suddenly they were all in the air, up, up, and away . . .

Linking with OUR WORLD and Wild Bird Wednesday

World Bird Wednesday - Feeding Frenzy

When I feel desolate, I need the open ocean to blow the cobwebs

away. All the city beaches are on the Gulf so we headed to Goolwa

and the Southern Ocean.

I love going there although it is a longish drive as it is quite near

the mouth of the Murray river. At Goolwa there are barrages

across the river and because of the recent rains, the river level

was up and quite a few sluice gates were open and the birds were

in a feeding frenzy as the fish rich water gushed out.

Masses of Cormorants, a few Pelicans and a number of adult

and juvenile Terns were involved in fast moving duck dives

and sudden up periscopes.

Flying back a bit and grazing the churning water against the

current.

The one below had just hit the water after a flight jockeying

for position.

Constantly on the move, this one I managed to catch in flight.

Seldom staying in one position for a good shot.

This Pelican seemed pleased with himself as he was constantly

smiling.

A quick dive, crowned with success.

Small wonder that he was pleased with himself until . . .

he ducked as

a tern flew overhead, he probably thought it was the axe

murderer.

There were terns aplenty, both adult and juvenile. They are such swift flyers

that it is not easy to get a clear shot at them.

World Bird Wednesday - Turn of a Tern

Sorry guys 'n gals, my camera is on the blink so I draw on a

few shots from times gone by.

On one of my trips to Goolwa, near where the Murray finally

makes it's way to the sea if the mouth is not silted up in a drought.

In the dark and decidedly threatening sky I spied an Arctic Tern,

Sterna paradisaea.

Yep, that speck in the sky is, da da!!! an Arctic Tern believe it

or not . . .

with a little iPhoto enhancement, I was even able to identify

this graceful conglomerate of feathers.

I just loved that swallow tail in the above shot and the splayed

tail at the turn below.

and the wings held high like a Cessna with it's wheels tucked up.

PS this was a lifer for me and I wondered what an Arctic Tern was doing

so close to the Antarctic.

Enjoy the many birds at World BIrd Wednesday and thanks to Springman

at Pine River Review, we can all join in.

MY WORLD ~ A Little Adventure

Last week we had a 26 hour holiday. We drove down to Goolwa

on the coast where the Murray river flows into the sea.

The sign said the beach was open to drive to the mouth, so of

course we took the opportunity.

It is fun driving along the beach, watching the birds foraging

on the retreating tide.

The dunes on one side and the ocean on the other, no other cars,

we were in our element enjoying the day . . .

when the sand below our wheels got a bit soft and I noticed

that the tide had turned . . . oops

yep, we got securely bogged even before we turned back!

Now what do you do when you have made no provision for

driving on sand? You use emergency measures . . . working

against the incoming tide we took the mats out of our newly

cleaned car and used them under the wheels to get a grip.

Two rotations of mats under wheels, digging them out and

repeating the process, and we were heading back along the

beach holding to the allowed speed limit of 40km all the way

as the sea came tumbling in and the strip of beach narrowed

and got wetter.

The waves were starting to lap at the tyre tracks as we finally

made it back to the safety of the car park.

So much for trusting signs!

After all the excitement, we had deserved the best fish and

chips on the planet which we indulged ourselves with on the

riverbank with the golden glow from the setting sun.

All photos enlarge with a click.

To join in or view others, click on the Logo.

Nature Notes ~ A Lucky Break

Everyone needs a holiday sometime, we took ours on Tuesday,

a whole 26 hours worth! I craved the ocean so we stayed in

Goolwa, at the end of the Murray river and just a spit from the

sea.

Coming home the next day, the skies darkened and I just got

under cover from opening and shutting the gate to keep the

sheep from our garden, when the light diminished and the

storm broke. Our first day of summer and a most unseasonal

thunderstorm with high humidity although it was coming from

the cold southern ocean that usually sends us blasts from

Antarctica.

All our gutters overflowed along their whole length, splashing

down on the flowerbed and forming muddy puddles on the path

that is supposed to keep our feet dry. 30.7mm in less than an

hour!

Drenched geranium overhanging the Mediterranean sea on

the path.

Greens sprang into life as plants soaked up the bounty and

nourishment descending from heaven above.

An added bonus of a little piece of a double rainbow as the

sun dared to show its face again.

Do click on the Logo at right and tell us of the changes in

your own surroundings.

Thanks to Michelle of Rambling Woods, we can all join in.

SkyWatch ~ Goolwa Sunset Part 3

This is the last group of photos of that magical sunset. I have

only left out two that might have been a little boring.

As the rainbow and golden glow faded from the eastern sky,

the clouds high above the west lit up.

I seemed to be going around in circles as the colours kept

changing around me. Below is just to the left of the above.

A little more to the left and they were more muted but

fantastic just the same.

The bridge to Hindmarsh Island now looks totally different

to the image in the first instalment.

It looked like this was going to be the end but

the light over the bridge grew again,

the sky to the west lost colour and

suddenly the sun waved its last farewell.

That night it rained . . . .

All photos enlarge on demand.

Skies glow all around the world, so click on the Logo and join in the fun.

Thanks to the SkyWatch Team we can see so much natural beauty.

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ From a Dear Friend's Garden

Recently I visited a dear friend in Goolwa and gleaned these

beautiful flowers from her garden.

Princess lilies glowing in the grass . . . .

A daisy bush and pelargoniums . . . but what a show!

As we grow older, so do the things around us. Nothing on this

earth is permanent.

Thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. for this meme, do click on the Logo

and enjoy all the beauty around the world.

SkyWatch ~ Goolwa Sunset

Last weekend I had a wonderful day with a friend in Goolwa.

We treated ourselves to remarkably good fish and potato

cakes which we ate on the riverbank and had our eyes and souls

filled with this glorious sunset.

These shots are in the order I took them. As it developed,

it was so awesome that our heads just swivelled 360 degrees

Bridge to Hindmarsh Island.

as we ooohed and aaahed at the rapid developments.

I will give you further instalments in the weeks to come.

It gets much better than this as it goes along.

All photos enlarge as always.

Click the Logo to join in or fly the skies over the world.

Thanks to all at the SkyWatch control centre for the smooth

running of this meme.