To regular readers of this blog, my apologies. Sometimes the world beyond blogging gets in the way.
I have been travelling to Atitjere, Harts Range, for work. It is only 210 kms from Alice Springs, and, with recent rains, opportunities for taking photos should have been excellent. Time slips away occasionally doing that other thing (work), so my chances have been limited thus far this year.
However, there have been a few occasions where the burst of the shutter has prevailed.
Some recent highlights have been Banded Lapwing on the Plenty Highway, a Wedge-tailed Eagle family of 3 on the Stuart Highway near the Plenty Highway turnoff, some Bourke's Parrots during the day about 50 kms north of Alice Springs next to the Stuart Highway, Budgerigars, Cockatiels and Major Mitchell Cockatoos at waterholes both north and south of Alice Springs, and, there are quite a few families of Brown Falcons around at the moment, young, lovely chocolate brown ones included. The Honeyeaters are back again, not your run of the mill ones either. Pied, Black, White-fronted, Grey-fronted, Grey-headed are all noisily occupying the trees just beyond the town boundaries.
If you don't live in Alice Springs then you should be watching the weather events in the Centre. There was a lot of rain over the Christmas-New Year period, as well as follow up rains since then, the last good downpour on Thursday night. These rain periods translates to flowering grasses and soon, flowering trees (some have started already). With flowering events, and ground water readily available, the birds in the area are flocking, nesting, feeding, and hunting. Rather than go to your usual Easter hide-away, book a ticket and head to the Centre. You won't be disappointed.
Here are a few photos from the past couple of weeks.
I have been travelling to Atitjere, Harts Range, for work. It is only 210 kms from Alice Springs, and, with recent rains, opportunities for taking photos should have been excellent. Time slips away occasionally doing that other thing (work), so my chances have been limited thus far this year.
However, there have been a few occasions where the burst of the shutter has prevailed.
Some recent highlights have been Banded Lapwing on the Plenty Highway, a Wedge-tailed Eagle family of 3 on the Stuart Highway near the Plenty Highway turnoff, some Bourke's Parrots during the day about 50 kms north of Alice Springs next to the Stuart Highway, Budgerigars, Cockatiels and Major Mitchell Cockatoos at waterholes both north and south of Alice Springs, and, there are quite a few families of Brown Falcons around at the moment, young, lovely chocolate brown ones included. The Honeyeaters are back again, not your run of the mill ones either. Pied, Black, White-fronted, Grey-fronted, Grey-headed are all noisily occupying the trees just beyond the town boundaries.
If you don't live in Alice Springs then you should be watching the weather events in the Centre. There was a lot of rain over the Christmas-New Year period, as well as follow up rains since then, the last good downpour on Thursday night. These rain periods translates to flowering grasses and soon, flowering trees (some have started already). With flowering events, and ground water readily available, the birds in the area are flocking, nesting, feeding, and hunting. Rather than go to your usual Easter hide-away, book a ticket and head to the Centre. You won't be disappointed.
Here are a few photos from the past couple of weeks.
Budgerigars
Cockatiels
Crimson Chats
Diamond Dove
Major Mitchell (or Pink) Cockatoos
Zebra Finch
White-fronted Honeyeater
Brown Falcon
Gee, I'd love to send my bum to the centre, Richard but it's busy stuck to a swivel chair in an office in Japan. I went to the centre when I was 16. Would love to go again. Keep up those splendid observations and pictures.
ReplyDeleteCome on Russell, ditch that awful Queensland Coast on your visits back to Oz! The Centre is .... well, the CENTRE! :-)
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