Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Birds on the Roadside

It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog and even longer since I posted regularly. I am still here and still OK apart from a body that no longer always does what I want it to do! It is astonishing to me that all those breaks, and tears and sprains from a life-time ago have come back to haunt me! I am very grateful for all the birds I can see and hear out side my windows and especially grateful for all the folks that continue to post about interesting and beautiful birds in their own areas.
I am going to try to photograph some of the birds I see and hear close around - even if they are not always in picture-perfect poses.
We are well into summer now. Along with considerably warmer weather all the usual bugs and 'bities' have come out in their millions! My house is fully screened with very fine wire in the screens but things still manage to come in. A lot doesn't get in and numbers kill themselves against the lighted windows. The other morning I looked out to discover a very cheeky Pee-Wee sauntering down the back patio  and picking at the bugs that were littering the patio.
A couple of weeks ago there were Australian Wood Ducks right outside my front fence. I decided that by the time I went inside and and got my camera they would have moved too far away for great pics. When I went outside a couple of days ago they were back and this time I went inside for the camera to at least record them there. Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata) look so different from the birds in the USA that are also called Wood Ducks. I frequently see these ducks wandering along beside the road. I think they are finding young and tender grass and weeds. It is a perilous place to take young ones and not a lot survive. This morning a male was walking along the far side of the road and the other adult - the female - was on this side with three young ones.

For more scenery from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

14 comments:

  1. oh, how beautiful! keep in mind, those birds you see as 'normal' every day visitors are exotics to so many of us across the world! these are awesome!

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  2. awww love those ducks - good close up :-)

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  3. What lovely shots! Hope the body is getting stronger!

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  4. this seem to be a very sweet wood duck. Love the shape of the head. Glad you got some shots :)

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  5. Thought you had been quiet Mick. Hope everything is OK. I agree that birds do live dangerously at times, especailly our Mallards in the breeding season. Barn Owls also, which will insist on hunting the roadside even while traffic is thundering past.

    Good to see you back on form with the Wood Ducks.

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  6. Nice shots of the wood ducks. I do about 80% of my birding/wildlife watching in the backyard or from the car window theses days. On a good day I can still do a short walk. It keeps me sane though. (I think) ☺

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  7. Wonderful shots of the sweet ducks ~ thanks, ^_^

    Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^

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  8. The Wood ducks are beautiful hope the little ones survive.

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  9. I hope are feeling much better soon, and I hope the birds you can see keep you going.

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  10. They certainly are different Mick (I just saw my first "American" wood duck recently, what a thrill. Would love to see yours if only I would ever be so lucky. They may be almost common backyard birds to you, but they'd be exotic to me. (Although I can hardly imagine that ducks could actually be a common yard bird anywhere!) Glad the suicidal bugs provided a good banquet for the other bird.

    Thanks for posting -- getting old(er) sure ain't for sissies as someone once said and we often repeat. Take care!!!

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  11. Glad to see you are back. We are currently sharing Wood Duck - we have about 30 on our front paddock - and insects. They are invading in their thousands - all this wet weather we have been having I think.

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  12. Nice birds - strangely, we sometimes get them sitting on our roof!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  13. Sorry to hear your birding adventures are in short supply. Get well soon.

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