Another midwinter sunrise shot

Midwinter sunrise,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

The sun is far north as it's midwinter, but rising further to the south a little each morning. A good time to be thinking about making a spotdial on the ceiling.

Midwinter sunrise

Midwinter sunrise 1,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

The nights are now quite chilly, and it was cool on the beach at dawn, but not cold. This fisherman seemed to be enjoying it as much as I.

The last few days have been warm, mostly sunny, and beautiful at Sandy Beach.

Lizzie

Lizzie,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

While Johnny's renovating the nesting box in anticipation of the pitter patter of little wings, Lizzie is taking it pretty easy.

Pregnant Gouldian

Pregnant Gouldian,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Poor Lizzie can hardly fly at present and no doubt is 'great with egg'. Usually no Gouldian would let you pick them up, but she can hardly move. I even nearly trod on her on the floor.

Meanwhile, Johnny Gould is busy renovating last season's nest in the nesting box. What a man!

(If you also live with uncaged birds indoors, there's a flickr group called Uncaged! Birds in our homes just for you.)

New flickr group for North Coast photos

If you or your friends take photos anywhere between Bellingen and the Queensland border, you're invited to join the new flickr group, Rainbow Region: Bellingen-Coffs-Lismore-Tweed and share pics. Amateurs and professionals welcome. Depending on how this one goes, I'm thinking of starting a Sandy Beach group.

Tagged: flickr, photos, photography, australia

Spangled drongo eating grasshopper

Spangled drongo eating grasshopper,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

In this picture, the Spangled drongo seems to have a long beak, but in fact it's swallowing a big grasshopper.

Tagged: australia, birds, nature, photos, photography, flickr

Spangled drongo

Spangled drongo,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

The Spangled drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) is, one hopes, not as stupid as its name suggests. (In Australia, 'drongo' means 'idiot'.) You can easily tell the species by the distinctive fishtail.

This one is fairly young, as the spots haven't fully formed on his body, and he was crying out, presumably for his mother.

Tagged: australia, birds, nature, photos, photography, flickr

Flying foxes at Woolgoolga

Flying foxes at Woolgoolga,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

This picture is not from within 1,000 paces of The Ponderosa, but not very far away. It's from Woolgoolga, by the lake, about 7 minutes' drive or one hour on the hoof north of here.

At about 9.30 am these Flying foxes at Woolgoolga were keeping each other awake with a cacophony of squabbling, squawking and screeching.

My talk on the Lawsons

My talk on the Lawsons,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

On Wednesday night, June 21, I gave a talk at Coffs Harbour City Library on the topic of Louisa Lawson and Henry Lawson, entitled, 'What you weren't taught at school'. My topic was based on the novel I have just written about the Lawsons, and my research (contained in the 100,000-word online Louisa Lawson and Henry Lawson Chronology).

In this one-hour talk I covered in haste the relatively unknown lives of these two great Australians -- the 'Mother of Women's Suffrage' and her poet/author son. I covered such topics as terrorism, sedition, communes, mental illness, and much more.

It was very pleasing that more than 90 people returned RSVPs for this occasion. Unfortunately, space was limited and more than 20 people had to be turned away. My thanks to Enzo Accadia and Judy Atkinson for organising the sucessful wine and cheese night, and to all who attended on a cold and rainy Winter Solstice night.

This is the best photo available. The blue sleeve is because I stood in front of the projector.

Tagged: henry+lawson, louisa+lawson, australia, australian+history, progressive, radical+history, literature

Wrong way in Coffs

Wrong way in Coffs,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Seen in the main street of Coffs Harbour, NSW. Today.

I asked the friendly parking inspector if he sees this sort of thing very often, and he said only sometimes, and they're usually drivers from the UK. Don't ask me why.

Today's rainbow

Today's rainbow,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Rainbows last for so short a time, it's a privilege to have a camera around when I see one. This one arrived at about 3pm on this cold and drizzly day.

The whales cometh

I spoke with friends in Sydney this morning, as they were watching whales pass by Bungan Head, near Newport Beach. Yesterday a young whale came close to the headland and, I was assured, waved its flipper at them.

I've been checking the Pacific regularly but not yet seen any of this year's migrators as they head from the Southern Ocean to Winter and breed in warmer climes off Queensland. I'll keep checking, but of course I can't be sure I'll see them. If you're a local and see the whales, I'd be very pleased to hear from you so I can race onto the beach with my camera.

Grandkids and roos

Grandkids and roos,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

Two of my five grandchildren visit the roos. Taken this morning at Emerald Beach headland, NSW, Australia, not far from the Pacific Highway. Emerald Beach is two beaches or about 3 or 4,000 paces south of Sandy Beach where I live. It's the next beach south of Fiddaman's Beach, which most people call 'Back Sandy'. The island in the picture is Groper Island, which lies off Sandy Beach and inevitably shows up in many of my beach shots.


Tagged: australia, environment, flickr

Injured kangaroo

Injured kangaroo,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

This young buck was on a low bridge about 2km from The Ponderosa, on Graham Drive at Sandy Beach this morning. He had a broken leg and was covered in mud as he had come out of the swamp where perhaps he had been thrown by a car, maybe last night or at dawn -- he was flailing around all over the road.

I had the devil's own time trying to slow down the Saturday traffic around him while waiting an hour for a licensed shooter from WIRES, the state-wide wildlife rescue service, to put the poor fellow down as he was considered to be beyond saving.

When driving at day or night, but especially at twilight, please keep an eye out for roos in this area as they sometimes hop out from the scrub at quite high speeds. It's a danger to them, and to you.

Tagged: australia, wildlife

John Gould gathers for the nest

John Gould gathers for the nest,
originally uploaded by wilsonsalmanac.

I put some cut long, dry grass from the park into this philodendron planter as the birds are nesting. Unfortunately there is no longer an egg in the nest. I guess their first attempt at parenting was a failure (teen marriage), so maybe next season.

John takes this to the nest box in the bathroom, and he's been weaving a very nice nest -- much nicer than the earlier picture I posted, the one with the egg -- for when Lizzie does start laying properly.