Thursday, May 20, 2010

Meet the Locals!!!!




I've been going through my photographs in an attempt to cull some that are not so 'important'. I thought some of the readers might like to see a few of the creatures that I see here in my part of the world.

We are often visited by Echidnas, such curious little creatures. I just love them. I had to spend some considerable time on the ground in amongst the prickly bushes to get this shot. He/she was making a decided effort to 'hide'.

For several years now we've been fortunate to have a pair of Tawny Frogmouths nest in the large trees close to our house. Sometimes they don't have any success, but last Spring they hatched out two little ones. The day I took this photo was an extremely hot November day, and sadly one of the youngsters didn't make it. They spend most of their days trying to look like the branches in the trees, and I can see by the look in those eyes that they were not at all pleased that I'd come along to disturb their nap time.

One of the greatest delights for me is the chance encounter with our beloved Australian bird, the Brolga. I haven't seen them often, and almost always when I don't have my camera with me. Luckily these three stayed long enough for me to get a reasonable close up, and even decided to try to intimidate me with a 'dance'.

5 comments:

Radka said...

Linda, I am getting a lot of education here, it's great! I have never heard those names. Brolga, probably similar to Cranes we know in Europe. I saw them one spring in Sweden, where thousands come for their spring "dance". We have Tawny owl, but I have not seen picture of Frogmouth. Nor have I seen Echindas. I now google everything you girls down under show us. Keep taking pictures!

DIAN said...

Linda, such gorgeous pics. The echidna is always a fascinating creature, the owls of course hide so well in the trees. You really have to know what you are looking for.

I have never seen a "real live" brolga. The photos are lovely. Thanks so much.

If you have time it would be good to see the working dogs and even hubby's horse. Your life is so different from those of us who live in the cities and suburbs.

Linda said...

Thank you Dian, yes I suppose you are quite right about that point. I certainly have plenty of 'doggy/working' photos. I'm never quite game to wipe them off the computer........LOL.....

Dianne said...

Hi Linda, Thanks for visiting my blog and having a look around. I would love to blog a little more often, but not to be lately. Glad my photos of Gatton transported you back. When I was a little girl, we used to have holidays in Gatton with our old neighours who bought the milk run there. They were very happy times. Gatton now has an exquisite new library and art gallery and we went along to the gallery after the picnic and saw a beautiful exhibition of felting by local (and well known) felter, Helen Stummkat. Love your Australian wildlife photos, and I too have never seen a brolga in real life, eventhough I am a country girl from the Darling Downs...

Jensters said...

This is loving Linda to see the insight of the birds from your part of the world....im loving the look of the Tawny Frogmouths and how they blend in with the trees....thanks for sharing x