February 2022

 A better month was February - finally away from Covid, although we're both still feeling the after effects.

Early in the month I was doing the rounds of the garden, when I noticed a bird trapped between the pumpkin plants and netting.  It turned out to be a young Tawny Frogmouth.  It had damaged its feathers to the extent it could not fly, so I delivered it to the local vet for on-forwarding to ACT Wildlife to care for it until it could be released into the wild again. I also learnt how to swear in Frogmouth!

On my regular dog walk, this time at Lake Ginninderra, a huge flock of Little Black Cormorants was gathered on the shore.

Balancing granite boulders - Namadgi has a lot of them, but they are intriguing.

Leaden Flycatcher along Ginninderra Creek

'Blue eyes' - Little Black Cormorant

Silver Gulls having an argument on which piece of rock belongs to whom

Purple Swamp Hen in flight

This pair is often near the car park when I walk along Ginninderra Creek

White-plumed honeyeater

February 19th we took off for a fortnight in Darwin!!  Next day was 'The Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise'

One of the smaller beasties

A larger version of the Saltwater Crocodile

They will come out of the water after meat dangled at the end of a pole

The larger residents are named - this one being Casanova

Casanova doing his jump

I love the Black Kites that follow the boat looking for handouts

Black Kites can eat on the wing

Black Kite

RAIN - 4 days of it during a cyclone bypassing Darwin

Double-bar Finch with nesting material in its beak

Red-collared Lorikeet - a sub-species of the Rainbow Lorikeet

Visits to Fogg Dam:

Australian Bustard

Magpie Goose

Darter preening

White-breasted Sea Eagle

White-breasted Sea Eagle stooping, giving the local waterbirds a fright

Comb-crested Jacana (or Lotus Bird).  Their large feet allow them to walk on floating vegetation and lily pads

Water Lilies were doing well - almost flat enough for the Jacana to do its walk.

Termite Mounds on the way home from a yummy pizza lunch.

Visits to East Point

A young Jabiru scavenging at East Point

Little Friarbird

Spangled Drongo

White-breasted Woodswallow on the wing

Rufous-banded Honeyeater

Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Mornings at Sanctuary Lakes and Marlow Lagoon

Two-lined Dragon

Little Corellas - junior demanding food

Grey-crowned Babbler

Another four days of Darwin saved for next month.