In honor of our Queen, ( and of course Dr Jim Fowler who forgot to take his flags and Union Jack plates home last year!)
With my friend Badger being a republican, and it being the Queens birthday weekend I chose to head out to Willandra National Park to check out the bird life after the floods, and of course to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's birthday. I am certain Badger is only jesting when he declares he is a republican, I mean the monarch has brought so much good to the rest of the world and I would not be living in the best country in the world if not for its institution.
Willandra buildings.
I discovered some plates and British flags that my good old friend Jim had brought here last year when celebrating the Royal wedding, and in true fashion I toasted the Queen with an ice cold can of VB.
On a serious note. Willandra was looking superb. Cool with temperatures ranging from 0-13c, bright sunshine and the residual benefits of the past 2 years rain, both the plains, grasses, salt bushes and swamps were teaming with life.
Halls lake is only a few feet deep- perfect for Pink-eared Ducks.
Squadrons of Pelicans, Egrets, White-necked herons as well as many other birds graced us with their presence. So too did the fox, feral cat and a mob of pigs! Grey and red kangaroo as well as emu ran beside the vehicle and was all so iconiclly Australian.
Sadly by not paying attention I nearly got bogged, a dreadful situation as there is no help for at least 50km in either direction and on Sunday night was dragged out of bed by Police who thought I was a pig hunter~ Once they had checked me out- all was well!
The FJ at the shearers quarters, looking a little worse for wear with the mud!
It was a wonderful way to spend a weekend, great birding, fine food, a HUGE log fire...memories of singing for the Queen when I was a kid, and of course a toast to our good friend Jim.
Pink-eared Duck.. enjoys flooded areas where its strong bill shovels the mud in search of a meal
Birds Seen:- Australian Pelican, Yellow Spoonbill, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Australian Hobby, Grey Fantail, Australian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Red-capped Robin, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Pipit, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Sacred Kingfisher, Tree Martin, Welcome Swallow, Crested Pigeon, Black Kite, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Galah, Emu, Australian Grebe, Wedgetailed Eagle, Yellow thornbill, Swamp Harrier, Reed Warbler, Variegated Wren, Australian Ringneck Parrot, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Red-rumped Parrot, Laughing Kookaburra, Crimson Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Brown Falcon, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Willy Wag-tail, Apostlebird, Blue Bonnet Parrot, Whistling Kite, Nankeen kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite, White necked Heron, Intermediate Heron, White-faced Heron, Pied Butcher Bird, Short billed corella, Australian Raven, White-winged Chuffs, Peaceful Dove, Little Crow.
Willandra buildings.
I discovered some plates and British flags that my good old friend Jim had brought here last year when celebrating the Royal wedding, and in true fashion I toasted the Queen with an ice cold can of VB.
On a serious note. Willandra was looking superb. Cool with temperatures ranging from 0-13c, bright sunshine and the residual benefits of the past 2 years rain, both the plains, grasses, salt bushes and swamps were teaming with life.
Halls lake is only a few feet deep- perfect for Pink-eared Ducks.
Squadrons of Pelicans, Egrets, White-necked herons as well as many other birds graced us with their presence. So too did the fox, feral cat and a mob of pigs! Grey and red kangaroo as well as emu ran beside the vehicle and was all so iconiclly Australian.
Sadly by not paying attention I nearly got bogged, a dreadful situation as there is no help for at least 50km in either direction and on Sunday night was dragged out of bed by Police who thought I was a pig hunter~ Once they had checked me out- all was well!
The FJ at the shearers quarters, looking a little worse for wear with the mud!
It was a wonderful way to spend a weekend, great birding, fine food, a HUGE log fire...memories of singing for the Queen when I was a kid, and of course a toast to our good friend Jim.
Pink-eared Duck.. enjoys flooded areas where its strong bill shovels the mud in search of a meal
Birds Seen:- Australian Pelican, Yellow Spoonbill, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Australian Hobby, Grey Fantail, Australian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Red-capped Robin, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Pipit, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Sacred Kingfisher, Tree Martin, Welcome Swallow, Crested Pigeon, Black Kite, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Galah, Emu, Australian Grebe, Wedgetailed Eagle, Yellow thornbill, Swamp Harrier, Reed Warbler, Variegated Wren, Australian Ringneck Parrot, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Red-rumped Parrot, Laughing Kookaburra, Crimson Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Brown Falcon, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Willy Wag-tail, Apostlebird, Blue Bonnet Parrot, Whistling Kite, Nankeen kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite, White necked Heron, Intermediate Heron, White-faced Heron, Pied Butcher Bird, Short billed corella, Australian Raven, White-winged Chuffs, Peaceful Dove, Little Crow.
Hi, Simon. Matt from NVL here. Just to answer your links enquiry...my blog currently on air. See my comment under yours on my blog for an in-depth answer, but I'm on air for the weekend. Hope you're well. All the best. Matt.
ReplyDeletethanks mate!
ReplyDeleteJim would have loved the way you celebrated your Queen's birthday!
ReplyDeleteHe would have taken his beer out of the froster a couple of hours before the toast, I'm sure. ;-)
P.S.:
ReplyDeleteWhat pigs are you talking about? Wild boar?
Jim and I once had a quite frightening encounter with a sounder of boars, adult and small ones, charging down a hill and crossing into the underbrush right before our eyes. I think we both stopped breathing. ;-)
Yes Wild boars Merisi.. quite large ones in fact
ReplyDelete