February 2016 - Part 2

For the last fortnight, I have been up before sunrise and heading out looking for suitable spots, trying different techniques with the camera (some I am happy with, others need more work).

Also introduced Ryn to feeding the local duck population at Lake Ginninderra.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in the sunrise

Duck feeding

Duck feeding

WOW!!

Sunrise behind the Carillon

White Ibis flypast

Sunrise against Hotel Hotel

LBG looking towards Commonwealth Avenue

Bike Rack

February 2016 - Part 1

At the beginning of this month, Ginninderra Creek was running a 'banker' and all the backwaters were filled.  Autumn is also coming with the occasional foggy morning and deciduous leaves drifting down the creek and running aground on sandbars.

G Creek backwater full

Foggy Morning Walk

Autumn is coming

A couple of mornings were spent chasing the sunrise, starting at the ACT Water Police Jetty on Lake Ginninderra, and wandering the waterfront as the sun came up.

Sunrise over the Police Jetty

Glass fronted building

Construction reflection

The Golden Reeds outside the Belconnen Arts Centre

Belconnen Waterfront

Near Ginninderra College

More Waterfront

February is also the time of spiders here - small spiders drift on the wind on web strands and set up home in a variety of spots.

Dewey Web

Lots of dew covered webs

The male Tawny Frogmouth makes irregular appearances

Grand-daughter under the sprinkler with Mum

Sunrise over Dunlop

19-31 Jan 2016

Back again for an end of January roundup.

An early morning view across the road from our place - these agapanthus positively glowed in the rising sun.

Aggies in the morning light

An early morning walk at Lake Ginninderra.

Mirror calm lake

Tiny Mayflies early morning

We spent a week at Culburra Beach near Nowra.  We travelled via Tarago and Nerriga (bitumen all the way) stopping to photograph this old footbridge, then on to the Tianjara Falls.

Historic Footbridge

Tianjara Falls

At Culburra Beach, there were a range of beaches within easy walking distance of our accommodation, as well as a couple of boat ramps so I could get out fishing with whoever wanted to come.  No fish photos though, although we had a couple of fish feeds.  The weather was NOT January normal.  Instead it was overcast and rain or showers at the end of each day.

On the dog friendly Culburra Beach, Molly investigates kelp washed up after big storms

Ryn discovers water filled rock pools means wet shoes.

Spider

Paddling is fun

Crookhaven Heads jetty - near main boat ramp

Remains of Crookhaven Heads lighthouse

Mirror calm at Orient Point

Lake Wollumboola had a lot of waders feeding across the shallows.  If I have named some of them incorrectly, I am happy to take comments and fix it.

Red-necked Avocets feeding

Feeding Black-winged Stilt

'Stumpy' (see below)

One-legged Bar-tailed Godwit

Another Bar-tailed Godwit

Eastern Curlew feeding along a mangrove flat

Striated Heron

Pied Cormorants roosting

White-breasted Sea Eagle

On a drive through the Beecroft Weapons Range to Point Perpendicular there were the usual Banksias, a covey of quail crossing the road, but they were too quick to photograph and identify.  At the end was the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse.  I had passed it many many times in my 20 years Navy, but had never visited it.

Banksia

Wee watercourse near Point Perpendicular

One of the Lightkeepers houses

Point Perpendicular Lighthouse (decommissioned 1996)

After one heavy rainstorm, Alex and Ben had fun running in the puddles.

Alex

Ben and Alex

One night there was an immense storm over Canberra that we could see at Culburra Beach.  The lightning continued for a very long time.

Milky Way