November 2017

Bit of a mixed bag this month.  Morning dog walks, day trips, fishing on Lake Burley Griffin.

Lavender glowing in the morning sun

 An afternoon drive up to Bull's Head, then down the Bendora Road to the Cotter River.  Played around a bit with ND filters to 'stream' the water rather than 'freeze' the action.

Cotter River

Drone view of the Cotter River

Later afternoon over Uriarra farmland

Sacred Kingfisher

Kingston Foreshore from over the lake

Mrs Frogmouth in the classic dead branch pose

Junior Frogmouths - fledged during the month

Thornbill contemplating the dogs

Noisy Friarbird

Mowing Gang at Umbagog Park

Breakfast (on toast)

Christmas Cactus

Welcome Swallow fledglings

Peewee Fledgling

Eastern Grey watching the dogs

Red-brow Finch

Drone above Springbank Island

Recruit Seadog Esme watching her bone (RS Pepper has acquisitioned it)

We did a day trip down to Gundagai, through Tumut and back through Kiandra.  I had memories of Paterson's Curse being a sea of purple, but it seems as though the farmers now have a better control over it and there were only isolated plants.  We were also too early for the alpine wildflowers, although many of the shrubs were in flower.  The brumbies feeding on Long Plain attracted a number passing of cars.  We stopped at Yens Bay on Lake Eucumbene for lunch and the dogs found RABBITS!!

Brumbies on Long Plain

Yens Bay - Lake Eucumbene

Sunset by drone from National Rock Garden

Superb Blue Wren preening

Stepping stones awash

October 2017

This month we finish off our houseboat holiday - where Pepper and Esme enjoyed the early morning light

And I caught at least 3 carp over 11 lb.  They liked frankfurt chunks!!

We had the boat with us to do the shopping run.

Campfire, courtesy of Connor, on the banks of the Murray - also a bit of drone flying - careful, lots of trees and Jamie 'relaxing' on a branch.

A final sunset

Some comedy from pied cormorants on a small snag in the river.

 A passing paddlewheeler on the final night

A stopover night in Gundagai on the way home - this is the old road bridge (now a 'managed ruin').  I would hate to guess how many times I crossed that bridge before the bypass was built.

Back home - the spring/summer visitors had arrived.

Sacred Kingfisher

Olive-backed Oriole

Pardalote

Ginninderra Creek at the stepping Stones

Pepper enjoying the water flowing over the stepping Stones

Road works at the junction of William Hovell Drive and Coppins Crossing Road - for the new suburb of Whitlam.

Road works at Coppins Crossing Road

Road works at Coppins Crossing Road

Frogmouths kept their hatchlings well hidden until they were too large to hide.

Shoalhaven River at Warri Bridge

Esme deciding if she is in trouble (again)

Frogmouth young - growing

Drone over the Arboretum

Early morning at the Arboretum

September 2017

Sorry if this is a tad late, but we have been on a houseboat out of Mildura on the Murray River without wifi.

At the beginning of September we  went over to Kingston as Des had a gift card from 'Essential Ingredient' burning a hole in her wallet.  We stopped off at Bowen Park to give the dogs a run, and I was taken by the amount of duckweed floating on the lake; then by the reflections of the Kingston Foreshore Apartments in the lake.

Duckweed and reflections

Coming out with everything but the kitchen sink

Mr & Mrs King Parrot sharing a tray

This month's photo challenge was candid or street photography.  While I considered using the previous one of Des outside 'Essential Ingredient', I finally elected to go with two in black and white.

Crossing the construction Zone

Smart Phone Papparazzi

Walking the dogs one morning, Esme leapt into a pile of leaves and disappeared.  It was a culvert about a metre deep and full of leaves.  She was very startled when she surfaced.

Esme swimming in leaves

Male Superb Blue Wren

 I have been wanting to take some photos of the development near the Canberra Airport and finally found the time to do so.

Brindabella Park - one of a number of buildings

Charging Hippo aka a Moving Car

Mr Frogmouth on the nest

Apartments going up in Gungahlin

On the Murray

Murray Hawk - moored for the night

Still and blue

An "Interesting" dead tree

Goanna on the alert

Pelicans at sunrise

One of our 'escort'.  The swallows must have nested under the houseboat as they escorted us for the ten days we were on the move.

Another "Interesting" tree

Pelican Parliament

Frequent Fliers

Closest we came to rain

River Gums at sunrise

Sunset over the Murray