Unexpected.

I was out photographing LBJ's the other day when this one perched high up in a rather open casuarina tree. It was only when I got home and put the photos up on the computer screen that I realized I had another photo of a bird I had not previously seen - this time a female Mistletoebird. Apart from the red undertail coverts it is indeed another Little Brown Bird.
These birds eat the fruits of mistletoe plants as well as nectar, insects, and other fruit/berries.
Mistletoe plant hanging from a tree
But! Uh-oh! I had read that these birds excrete the seeds of the mistletoe plants as a sticky 'package' - but I had certainly not expected to photograph this! That looks as if it would stick to anything!

Inskip Point

I was out at Inskip Point yesterday to look for birds but couldn't resist photographing some of the boats traveling down the channel between Inskip Point and Fraser Island. The wind was up and there was quite a swell out on the open ocean so too rough for small boats. The first photograph is of one of the car ferries that takes vehicles over to Fraser Island. (Click to enlarge all photos.)
This photo is taken looking east out to the open sea. The entrance to the channel is still a long way out but already the boats are hitting quite big swells.
This post is for Watery Wednesday.

Early Morning Beside the Bay.

Yesterday morning was nearly perfect. The sun was shining and the wind had dropped. I was walking along the southern end of the saltmarsh where last time I had found numbers of small birds feeding. There wasn't so much blossom out yesterday but I could still see numbers of small honeyeaters in the tops of the trees. Then I came upon a small group of "little brown birds" busily feeding on insects in one of the mangrove trees that edge the bush. I have had brief glimpses of similar "LBB's" before but never long enough to either ID them or to take photos. This time they stayed in the bushes and busily flew in and out. The occasional bird came out to the edge of the leaves and I could take some quick photos before it would quickly fly off again. All the time they were making soft chattering contact calls. The photos were clear enough that I could send them off to a friend and get an ID when I got home. They were Mangrove Gerygones - a bird I have heard before but never been close enough to ID. Photos of a new bird for me definitely made this a great morning!
For more bird photos visit the Bird Photography Weekly.

Trees in the water.

Mangroves are trees that grow at the edge of the sea and like to have their 'feet' in the water for at least some of the time. Some mangroves grow into tall trees and some stay as small shrubs. The different root systems are seen when the tide is low. This one has stilts at the base of its trunk. It will eventually grow lots taller. It's called a Red Mangrove.
Another Watery Wednesday Post.

Noisy Friarbird

These birds are very common around my yard and since they are also very noisy they really can't be ignored. With their bare black head and strange knob on the bill they really can't be confused with any other bird. The feathers under the chin are rather beautiful when they put back their head and start their very noisy call.Thanks Larry for finding a good recording of the bird's call HERE.

For more bird photos visit the Bird Photography Weekly.

Gymea Lily

It's rather exciting when you wait over five years for a flower and it finally appears! A friend gave me this plant. She had it in a pot and it looked to have at least a year's growth on it then. So I guess the plant must be at least 6 years old. The flower spike has been slowly growing for months and it has taken ages for it to finally open. The spike is not fully open even now but I am not sure how much more it will open in the Queensland winter.
The Gymea Lily (Doryanthes escelsa) grows naturally in open forest and woodland along the New South Wales Coast around Sydney and Newcastle. It makes a splendid specimen plant in a garden and can be bought from nurseries and garden shops. The plant keeps growing after the flower spike dies and I am told that the next flower will be even larger. In ideal conditions the spike can grow up to 6 meters tall.
The base of the plant - this also will grow larger.
The plant showing the flower spike extending up above the surrounding trees and palms.
Gymea lilies have pleasant memories for me. We lived in Newcastle when I was in my teens and my Father showed me this flower growing in the bush. He called it a 'Mountain Lily'. Although it is sometimes called a 'Giant Lily' I cannot find Dad's name for it in the references I consulted.

At the edge of the sea.

Another Watery Wednesday post.

This juvenile Silver Gull has just been caught by the wave - and my camera!