Red Belly & Whipbirds.
I
was reminded today that the season is changing… the weather is rapidly
heating up, summer is just around the corner… the bush tracks I love to
wander should be ventured with the utmost care & respect.
And not in open shoes.
The bush is, after all, the natural home of native animals.
Below you will find two photos from my morning walk… well, you’ll find a lot more than 2, but let’s just focus on them for now… this
is an Australian Red Bellied Black Snake, which is a species of elapid
snake native to eastern Australia. A bite from it is not usually fatal
and is less venomous than other Australian snakes. It has an average
total length of 1.5 to 2 metres and is fairly common in this area. That
being said, you won’t run into one every day of the week, today was just
my lucky day.
Red Belly Black
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As
I walked along Stumers Road to where the tidal creek washes in, I heard
the distinctive call of the whipbird… I love the whipbirds song and
they were accommodating enough to put on a performance while I filmed
the thicket in which they were playing. I did catch a glimpse, but
didn’t get them on the video. Whipbirds are somewhat plain to look at,
or so many think, but I think it’s a perfect example of how true beauty
goes much deeper then outside appearences. It is a dark olive-green and
black in colour with white cheek patches; they have head crest and the
male and female are similar.
Whipbird Song
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Brush Turkey, males have black feathers and a red head, and grow to about 60–75 cm (23–30 in) with a wingspan of about 85 cm (33 in)
Brush
Turkeys were a regular meat on our menu when I was growing up out in
the bush. The "Outback" is a very big place and in many areas shops are
few and far between. They taste fine, like turkey.
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Rainbow
Lorikeet's live in rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas; they
are a medium sized parrot ranging from 25–30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) in size,
with a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in
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I think this may be a Wattlebird, but I'm not sure.
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You always know the beach is nearby when you see karkalla or pig face
Karkalla
leaves are succulent, 3.5–10 cm (1.4–3.9 in) long and 1 cm (0.4 in)
wide, and curved or rarely straight. The flowers are light purple in
colour, and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide. The globular purplish red fruit is about
2.5 cm (1 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide.
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A
grey heron, feeding in Stumers Creek;standing up to 100 cm (39 in) tall
and measuring 84–102 cm (33–40 in) long with a 155–195 cm (61–77 in)
wingspan. The body weight can range from 1.02–2.08 kg (2.2–4.6 lb).
Herons eat fish, frogs, and insects.
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It was only 11 am but the day was heating up. It reached 29c. So I took a wee rest :)
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And there was the beach and the Pacific Ocean, Down Under side.
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I noticed this guy... and wondered what he was up too... turns out he was putting up a marker and an X marks the spot...
I realized he was waiting for tandem parachuter's to come in...
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Peace and Inspiration Everyone, and thank you for wandering my way.
Sharonlee Goodhand 22/11/2013
OceanSong
