A Sandy Beach Almanac

You've landed at Sandy Beach, NSW, Australia: Lat. -30.15331, Long. 153.19960, UT +10:00 – local map & zoom Google map. I live in a cabin on this beach, 25 kilometres north of the traffic and shops of Coffs Harbour, 600 km north of Sydney. My intention is to post observations of Nature and life within 1 km (1,000 paces) of my South Pacific home.

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Saturday, March 18, 2006

March is fun time in a Sandy Beach garden

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Lyndon LaRouche movement in Coffs Harbour

Who'd a thunk it? Wacko Lyndon LaRouche people have set up a literature street stall in Coffs Harbour, NSW, here in rural Australia.

Buncha cirrus clouds

Buncha cirrus clouds,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

The rainy weather that we all got sick of in February seems to have gone. The whole sky was full of cirrus clouds the other day. It was spectacular. Pity the camera can only take one little fraction of the sky in one shot because I'd love to share that whole sky with you.

Big wasp, him dead

Dead wasp,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Not pretty, I know, and I didn't want to kill it but it wouldn't leave me alone. Imagine how big it was before it curled up in death. I'd hate to have been stung by something that big -- even the little ones hurt.

I had to kill a snake this week for the same reason: he wouldn't leave me alone. He tried for days to get inside The Ponderosa and I had to dispatch him in self defence. It's illegal to do so, but I suppose in self protection it's not an offence. If not, the law is an ass.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

More stormy weather at Sandy Beach

More stormy weather at Sandy Beach,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Where did the beach go?

Friday, March 03, 2006

High tide and storm

High tide and storm,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Today we have a combination of days of stormy weather (some flooding in nearby towns like Bellingen), and an unusually high tide. This pic is taken from a path leading to the beach.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Gouldian finch courtship dance video

The male Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae) performs his mating ritual, but the female (who at first turns her tail towards him, exposing her vent) decides she has a headache.

The first part of the ritual involves the cock bird (John Gould-Wilson) nodding his head rapidly to his chest. Then he hops up and down like a maniac. Lizzie doesn't seem to care, although the dark colour of her beak indicates she is "in season". Better luck next time, Johnny.

See my one-minute home video at Google Videos.

Click image to embiggen.

Tagged: gouldian, lady+gouldian, finch, finches, birds, australia