Black Honeyeater, wildflowers and dragons

Went for a little drive around Alice springs and finally started seeing some wildflowers. I have been expecting them most of the year due to the rains, and although they aren't the variety of colour that can be seen in Central Australia, it was still nice to see some.

It was also a warmish afternoon so the Bearded Dragons were out as well.

The most exciting sighting though was a pair of Black Honeyeaters. The female was far more seclusive, only popping up to the branch nearby for a second and then she was off. The male however, was very friendly, piping his heart out and posing for the camera.

Black Honeyeater

Wildflowers

Bearded Dragon

Thorny Devil, Bearded Dragon, Budgerigars and Wildflowers on the Kintore Road

I have been looking for the Thorny Devil on the roads for a while now as the weather heats up in Central Australia. Just recently I have noticed a few more reptiles on the road but until yesterday, this delightful creature has eluded me and the camera lens. After a few encounters with birds of prey and reptiles, it is interesting to note when the reptiles begin to emerge, and how that impacts on the number of birds of prey scanning the ground from above the roads. I don't actually like seeing the birds get the reptiles, especially when they are as pretty as this Thorny Devil. The detail in their outer presentation to the world is truly amazing, as intricate as you could find on almost any animal.
This particular one was on the road about half way between Papunya and Kintore. I was keeping an eye out for them but still managed to drive past and had to reverse. I was so happy to see it was still in the same place. I read recently that they are great photographic subjects because they don't move too much. The article was correct in this instance.

Thorny Devil

Not much further down the road was this little Bearded Dragon. They are very funny to watch when they move across the road, it is almost as though they "swim" through the red dirt.

Before I came across these two beautiful reptiles, the birds and the wildflowers were more than a little captivating. The Budgerigars are certainly growing in numbers now, with a flock of about 200 in one instance, many other flocks ranging in size from 4-5 to about 70. The ones in the photos below were in a group of about 50 feeding on the grass seeds at the side of the road, mostly behind the raised edges, but occasionally a few would flutter into the grasses where I could see and photograph.

Budgerigars

and the Wildflower. I know I have put a lot of these up recently on a birding blog, but part of the reason for birds coming to this area is because of the feed around, including the wildflower seeds.

 and this is the road late afternoon without wind to blow away the dust

Birds and wildflower photos on the road to Kintore

Driving along the road from Alice Springs to Kintore yesterday was a day of "Oh Wow!" moments. Although this is a blog dedicated to showing others the world of birds I live in, the car-stoppers yesterday were mainly the huge expanses of wildflowers gracing the roadside. Considering there is so much space beyond what I can see from the road itself, I can't imagine what it would look like from the air at the moment. Spectacular most likely, with seas of yellows, greens, purples, blues, reds, virtually every colour imaginable. The spinifex and buffel grasses are also flowering, and with all of the blooms, come the birds.

I have seen a fair few Crimson Chats over the years, but never in the numbers I saw and heard yesterday. They were everywhere. The piping by the Pied and Black Honeyeaters have dissipated, but the chatter of the Chats has filled the void.

Here are a few of the better shots I took yesterday of the Crimson Chats

Also saw a few birds of prey

Black-breasted Buzzard

Brown Falcon

and just a few Zebra Finches - here's a female

But by far the most stunning images of the day come from the wildflowers. There are a lot of them, but pleased enjoy and if you are anywhere near Alice Springs at the moment, take a drive out west past Glen Helen, then to Haasts Bluff/Papunya and back via the Tanami Rd. It will be worth your while

Wildflowers along the road from Alice Springs to Kintore