Weekly Photo Challenge: Look Up

July 9, 2016July 9, 2016 / Christina B / 16 Comments

This week’s photo challenge is to show what’s happening above us. Once again I couldn’t resist doing a little gallery (some of which photos I’ve used before). Looking up to the bird life, treetops, clouds, a lighthouse, a mountain top, The Giants at the Perth International Arts Festival in 2015 and the world’s biggest aeroplane coming in to land at Perth airport a while ago.

Cloud iridescence in Etosha National Park, Namibia

The Antonov 225 coming in to land at Perth airport

Cable Car going up Table Mountain

Eastern Ospreys at Rottnest Island

Nankeen Kestrel (juvenile) taken on Rottnest Island

Going on a helicopter ride north of Broome

Male Scarlet Robin, Donnelly River, WA

Red Wattlebird, Donnelly River, WA

Sacred Kingfisher, Woody Island, WA

Our local dog beach north of Perth, WA

Eucalyptus tree with some branches of a different colour and texture

Western Rosella, Donnelly River, WA

Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, the most south-westerly point of the Australian mainland

Karri trees near Denmark, WA

Full moon setting over the Indian Ocean at Hillarys Yacht Club

Measuring over 6 metres every movement of The Diver requires a legion of lilliputians

And some acrobatics as well

Y…

April 29, 2016April 29, 2016 / Christina B / 8 Comments

Y is for Yellow-throated miner and Yellow-billed spoonbill. The Yellow-throated miner is a medium sized honeyeater and we always see them when we camp at Coral Bay. We’re usually there in October which falls in their breeding season and we’ve been swooped a few times (when they feel threatened if someone gets too close to their nest) and sometimes they can be a bit cheeky, trying to get to our food.

Yellow-throated miner at Coral Bay

The Yellow-faced spoonbill is a large white waterbird which we haven’t seen very often. The only photo I have is one I took in Albany a few years ago, which isn’t very clear unfortunately.

Yellow-billed spoonbill (on the left)

Y is also for Yanchep National Park, about 45 minutes’ drive north of Perth. We’ve been there a number of times for a picnic, a little walk and/or bike ride and to visit their Koala sanctuary. There are beautiful sweeping lawns, lots of trees and barbecue areas.

The lake at Yanchep National Park

Finally, Y is also for Yallingup, south west of Perth, close to Margaret River. Yallingup is a popular holiday destination with beautiful beaches and also because of it’s proximity to the wineries and tourist attractions around Margaret River.

Yallingup, near Margaret River in south west Australia

O…

April 18, 2016April 11, 2016 / Christina B / 5 Comments

O is for Osprey. We see Eastern Ospreys along our coastline every now and then. A couple of years ago I was lucky to see two together at Rottnest Island (19 kilometres off the coast of Perth), and one was feeding at the time. They were really high up in the tree so I had to zoom in quite a bit and the quality isn’t the best but the one that was feeding looks like a female to me, who then joined her male partner after she’d finished eating (and went to sit to his left). They had me rapt for about half an hour. I’ve included some of the best shots I got.

Eastern Osprey feeding at Rottnest Island

Eastern Osprey with its catch

Eastern Ospreys at Rottnest Island

O is also for Oasis (we visited an ancient one while we lived in Dubai and it was very interesting but sadly I can’t find the photos), Orange (a beautiful city in country New South Wales where a lot of fruit is grown, about a three hour drive from both Canberra and Sydney where we went for my husband’s 50th birthday a couple of years ago), home made olive scrolls and of course: olives.