Post by wheelspinner on Apr 13, 2009 9:10:55 GMT -5
Well folks, here is my trip report ...
The weekend before Easter we headed to the country for the baptism of my niece. We then wended our way, via many wineries, through the Pyrenees and into the Grampians. We stayed a few days at the spectacular town of Halls Gap. We then spent Easter at my mother-in-law's place.
I took the opportunity to fish out my 300mm lens and gets some wildlife photos. Hope you like them.
Where we stayed at Hall's Gap. The drought is so bad now that kangaroos are just coming onto the lawns to get a feed.
Around the back of our unit was the Grampians National Park, where I saw these Long-billed Corellas.
Elsewhere in the Park, I spotted this Laughing Kookaburra.
My mother-in-law lives in the Mallee, near the Murray River. There is a heap of bird life there. In her front yard, there was a red-flowering eucalypt that was honeyeater heaven and Grand Central Station for bees. I spotted at least six different species of honeyeater in this tree alone, and it was abuzz the whole time with honeybees working overtime. Among the birds were:
A blue-faced honeyeater. My first sighting of this beautiful bird.
A red wattlebird (named for the red wattle hanging from his neck)
A honeyeater I was totally unable to identify
A grey-fronted honeyeater
And a white-plumed honeyeater.
This white-plumed honeyeater was picking berries ....
... and then taking off.
In the backyard, a crested pigeon.
An eastern rosella
A white-winged chough (an evil-looking critter IMO)
A pied butcherbird (one of our finest songbirds)
And finally, a seasonal visitor ...
The weekend before Easter we headed to the country for the baptism of my niece. We then wended our way, via many wineries, through the Pyrenees and into the Grampians. We stayed a few days at the spectacular town of Halls Gap. We then spent Easter at my mother-in-law's place.
I took the opportunity to fish out my 300mm lens and gets some wildlife photos. Hope you like them.
Where we stayed at Hall's Gap. The drought is so bad now that kangaroos are just coming onto the lawns to get a feed.
Around the back of our unit was the Grampians National Park, where I saw these Long-billed Corellas.
Elsewhere in the Park, I spotted this Laughing Kookaburra.
My mother-in-law lives in the Mallee, near the Murray River. There is a heap of bird life there. In her front yard, there was a red-flowering eucalypt that was honeyeater heaven and Grand Central Station for bees. I spotted at least six different species of honeyeater in this tree alone, and it was abuzz the whole time with honeybees working overtime. Among the birds were:
A blue-faced honeyeater. My first sighting of this beautiful bird.
A red wattlebird (named for the red wattle hanging from his neck)
A honeyeater I was totally unable to identify
A grey-fronted honeyeater
And a white-plumed honeyeater.
This white-plumed honeyeater was picking berries ....
... and then taking off.
In the backyard, a crested pigeon.
An eastern rosella
A white-winged chough (an evil-looking critter IMO)
A pied butcherbird (one of our finest songbirds)
And finally, a seasonal visitor ...
