tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90256511622547925062024-03-19T14:20:11.801+11:00Ian Fraser, talking naturallyIan Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-43135236019415953282024-02-29T08:00:00.395+11:002024-02-29T08:00:00.152+11:00Ubirr and Bardedjilidji; a special Kakadu corner<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>It's quite a while (too long in fact) since I've visited Kakadu National Park, a park of world significance, as evidenced by its UNESCO World Heritage Site listing. Covering two million hectares it is Australia's largest national park and one of the largest tropical national parks in the world. It is one of only four Australian World Heritage Sites to be listed for both its cultural and natural values. It has been inhabited for around 50,000 years, the last 40,000 of them at least being a continual occupation. Nearly 25% of Australia's native mammal species are found here, and almost 35% of its bird species - I could go on, but even if you're not already familiar with all this, there is plenty of information readily available on line, including its UNESCO listing which you can find <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/147/">here</a>. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG1LbzkpYHh_ZarsPirSUFLgInNkXHS2XxPTdZMZVf_2VKDDngQ7fpyt3TjOEWA3kkjuTLeL-1mO0fWWZ_GJlI_ezC5FImsQK1EWuJOgiHkfrZ2YorAi92EeePGlniZAnaC9yyyoK4ZYlZ9-EM7fCc5NAErdd0Xv-tgh4bnlUPQUGBFa-CcjWnDnFG4Y/s1103/Australia%20Kakadu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG1LbzkpYHh_ZarsPirSUFLgInNkXHS2XxPTdZMZVf_2VKDDngQ7fpyt3TjOEWA3kkjuTLeL-1mO0fWWZ_GJlI_ezC5FImsQK1EWuJOgiHkfrZ2YorAi92EeePGlniZAnaC9yyyoK4ZYlZ9-EM7fCc5NAErdd0Xv-tgh4bnlUPQUGBFa-CcjWnDnFG4Y/w400-h276/Australia%20Kakadu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kakadu is at the end of the red arrow in the Top End of Australia (very terse and literal),<br />east of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>I have reported previously on other aspects of the park eg <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2015/04/kakadu-in-wet.html">here </a>for a perspective of visiting in the wet season; at the end of that post you can find a link to a further posting on a more conventional visit in the dry. Today however I want to take you to a small corner of the park, in the far north-east, dominated by Ubirr, a mighty sandstone outcrop looking out over the vast Alligator River flood plain to the west, and the East Alligator River to the east. This will be a relatively brief post, but I think it's a part of the park - and the country - that's worth sharing.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFzkF9BPTM82piUrZ0eOINaozGgadXRdXxrMpDNHColEXiddt-Pzjgrk1-iO5v46aWozfzdY5RXDiItI6tjiC6GQvPkuPshLxwe6LKx5MQTDYCFAf_Os-X8TP4jeVf3AFSCxAaLot1hKOrscUfAysuEMWaKizV82GszFs2j3BogVaC39uzbXdsPz9foQ/s1754/Kakadu%20NP,Parks%20Aust.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="1240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFzkF9BPTM82piUrZ0eOINaozGgadXRdXxrMpDNHColEXiddt-Pzjgrk1-iO5v46aWozfzdY5RXDiItI6tjiC6GQvPkuPshLxwe6LKx5MQTDYCFAf_Os-X8TP4jeVf3AFSCxAaLot1hKOrscUfAysuEMWaKizV82GszFs2j3BogVaC39uzbXdsPz9foQ/w283-h400/Kakadu%20NP,Parks%20Aust.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By clicking on the image you'll be able to see Ubirr in the far north-east.<br />Map courtesy of <a href="https://parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/plan/getting-around/">Parks Australia</a>.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bininj/Mungguy people (Bininj in the north, Mungguy to the south) are intrinsically involved with the management of the park, as of course they have been for millennia. I'm not going to say a lot about them, through respect. This isn't as contradictory as it might sound; their stories are not mine to tell. I couldn't interpret their culture or perspectives even if I was impolite enough to try. There is good information available, including through the Parks Australia Kakadu website. If you can do a ranger-guided walk (including at Ubirr), it is highly recommended. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>To get to Ubirr, turn north off the Arnhem Highway - Oenpelli Road just before it crosses the East Alligator River at Cahill's Crossing; it is well-marked and you'll have a map anyway. The circuit walk past the spectacular rock art (an important factor in the World Heritage Listing) is only a kilometre and mostly pretty benign, though for full benefit you'll do a bit of an extra climb up to the sublime lookout over the floodplain. <br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtDJpoqUae804x22ni1YcBPEO9kl_1LRbOTHYZcvB7D_iq1mgOh04GCrNPpsspsPrj2LnD2G3USqDovfQ042qSDUNMWiAZGP3sf0CSH1FcS4L21KnDghOZskZMPiRzWucH2ZqjKfodOkfIytxDmwxpgpODsHLV4N2soQipzHc37ZnpkP84u9MZ-f-iI/s1000/floodplain%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jtDJpoqUae804x22ni1YcBPEO9kl_1LRbOTHYZcvB7D_iq1mgOh04GCrNPpsspsPrj2LnD2G3USqDovfQ042qSDUNMWiAZGP3sf0CSH1FcS4L21KnDghOZskZMPiRzWucH2ZqjKfodOkfIytxDmwxpgpODsHLV4N2soQipzHc37ZnpkP84u9MZ-f-iI/w640-h224/floodplain%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down onto the Alligator River flood plain, above and below. The South Alligator River<br />flows into the Timor Sea (as does the nearby East Alligator) some 60km to the west. <br />We were there in September towards the end of the Dry; there wasn't much water <br />evident on the plain, but it was still very green.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBiIHnurAm0cvGzLYHS-DcfTvj09Jj2iC9negHRpC6TEkOyBhkd6qze21U6FOm6Q_fK0QmwqHAJRCdWVjir0i3hW7pi140XdDVVELwF6O8Gvtq2Sd-rK3_nuy7NWVLpkxWnn46aOama_Pr-3SCtcy5wsUWVp75_yEjiEOoRQZGVxtOz8w6PX9xdxRB3I/s800/flood%20plain%20below%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBiIHnurAm0cvGzLYHS-DcfTvj09Jj2iC9negHRpC6TEkOyBhkd6qze21U6FOm6Q_fK0QmwqHAJRCdWVjir0i3hW7pi140XdDVVELwF6O8Gvtq2Sd-rK3_nuy7NWVLpkxWnn46aOama_Pr-3SCtcy5wsUWVp75_yEjiEOoRQZGVxtOz8w6PX9xdxRB3I/w400-h300/flood%20plain%20below%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYNl377hbWKAzOHVepAmUiF_fGQm9IhKZwdAOWUOIyg3txVwcLRWXhaxY6QmsNw-rV-7MqpQAn03zgNZ3y5hB2n5Ct5NKOhmg6FsYn7iXEB3OTBJXJaz1sZ5i3qZHhnqcTYNSnSCPCXvVyJdvQtE6jXOvZoFucQblvMT5OEPcV1eEIdPduM0VOZEUG7w/s800/plain%20below%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYNl377hbWKAzOHVepAmUiF_fGQm9IhKZwdAOWUOIyg3txVwcLRWXhaxY6QmsNw-rV-7MqpQAn03zgNZ3y5hB2n5Ct5NKOhmg6FsYn7iXEB3OTBJXJaz1sZ5i3qZHhnqcTYNSnSCPCXvVyJdvQtE6jXOvZoFucQblvMT5OEPcV1eEIdPduM0VOZEUG7w/w400-h300/plain%20below%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view back to the east, and the East Alligator River in the near distance.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Kakadu is a vast sandstone landscape, and Ubirr is a superb example of it. The Arnhem Land Plateau is dominated by the Kombolgie Sandstone Formation, laid down by countless floods along great rivers originating somewhere to the north-west. The sands consolidated into sandstone about a billion years ago.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCokUv9uy0j2raOsd0Xqb8QIrPnlkvW8acSUZXrvC4vvV_7mjN0tqlVtfWzKH2NQkfvpGp7hEweTXe3xeRwUafLtWKFuXXebwl-ZsGISJKpJUoLgE6BevgxbnTxVjDNS5lvilPS53Nt6HmhFnud8XuiTPQ8shlP1GqO5LN8rxPeQ9iw8dL0IexjaiqvI8/s1000/sandstone%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCokUv9uy0j2raOsd0Xqb8QIrPnlkvW8acSUZXrvC4vvV_7mjN0tqlVtfWzKH2NQkfvpGp7hEweTXe3xeRwUafLtWKFuXXebwl-ZsGISJKpJUoLgE6BevgxbnTxVjDNS5lvilPS53Nt6HmhFnud8XuiTPQ8shlP1GqO5LN8rxPeQ9iw8dL0IexjaiqvI8/w640-h224/sandstone%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the sandstone of the top of Ubirr.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1pprOFe8z6uz8Yq6xHEL7KuI-sLZenjRlkpsvc_Wi_avDdXPYD4I718FuqwSKYd2JFKg6Nv7nazupTTOtBdWwqV4lP5I67YXucF-wpbSmB9WHjfN5ELU3EhYdWrkiV9_udXt8rokZJaalcbHkSZLfj_K-SKdR7mpwygroa9eZqd-l5pQqHsI5Y2P05k/s800/sandstone1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1pprOFe8z6uz8Yq6xHEL7KuI-sLZenjRlkpsvc_Wi_avDdXPYD4I718FuqwSKYd2JFKg6Nv7nazupTTOtBdWwqV4lP5I67YXucF-wpbSmB9WHjfN5ELU3EhYdWrkiV9_udXt8rokZJaalcbHkSZLfj_K-SKdR7mpwygroa9eZqd-l5pQqHsI5Y2P05k/w400-h300/sandstone1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more tumbled and uplifted area of layered sandstone.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf19x5aSWs7ROCcoy95Z5jarbMZdBJsWGLkK_mc1NKO4yhDSwbEZDxSB6GIQHKpgnyEUBUClT9IySLyaaKaRxOVaYllqdt23nGt5vEjY4JPovM_8HEu4GP_dHYjnbw6fkhGxPiF40je_lU4i5yIKP382FM5Ml4W-JqAbedJvchnUE92Q-VsjbYLGnTH4/s800/cliff%20face%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf19x5aSWs7ROCcoy95Z5jarbMZdBJsWGLkK_mc1NKO4yhDSwbEZDxSB6GIQHKpgnyEUBUClT9IySLyaaKaRxOVaYllqdt23nGt5vEjY4JPovM_8HEu4GP_dHYjnbw6fkhGxPiF40je_lU4i5yIKP382FM5Ml4W-JqAbedJvchnUE92Q-VsjbYLGnTH4/w300-h400/cliff%20face%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overhanging sandstone cliff faces - like those which form the nearby galleries - <br />along the walk to Ubirr.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387wubresCcn54Br-PuZLBjqaxxVVfEouzmKEsylyoL9HCEhoZOfCOLDFaV9qoAjc4xnVYI3ils8DnIUw4nzMutRlH3Ex5q0WerfsIF2b261MuhGZ_WubzJILrTMCbSi1n0hMWYi-u_cXsFldVxSn-ztRdo0cyylprvfbwXhPrhl9ET0P9girU-fXAbU/s800/fig%20on%20cliff%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387wubresCcn54Br-PuZLBjqaxxVVfEouzmKEsylyoL9HCEhoZOfCOLDFaV9qoAjc4xnVYI3ils8DnIUw4nzMutRlH3Ex5q0WerfsIF2b261MuhGZ_WubzJILrTMCbSi1n0hMWYi-u_cXsFldVxSn-ztRdo0cyylprvfbwXhPrhl9ET0P9girU-fXAbU/w300-h400/fig%20on%20cliff%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fig growing on the cliff face. There are a couple of species present, and I can't say which this is.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span>In other places Pandanus (<i>Pandanus spiralis</i>) is common both as understorey and as tall trees.<br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6pGAjjvAQpQ2G6R9rspoazNkL125J7YLSj4frfLS8SRu93f4f-sIujQokPFgralmy1bvjz4BnYAb-kzP3HnP4e0v9c4XnNgia8rVHv-qTRXj4_9xNDz2b3dywJzSxfQACu_B1U9bnlsnxUIEziG6HrwFUxcaAUEvFibGz7T48BRcislvQAqfWeHhg_Y/s800/Pandanus%20basedowii2%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6pGAjjvAQpQ2G6R9rspoazNkL125J7YLSj4frfLS8SRu93f4f-sIujQokPFgralmy1bvjz4BnYAb-kzP3HnP4e0v9c4XnNgia8rVHv-qTRXj4_9xNDz2b3dywJzSxfQACu_B1U9bnlsnxUIEziG6HrwFUxcaAUEvFibGz7T48BRcislvQAqfWeHhg_Y/w400-h300/Pandanus%20basedowii2%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pandanus growing as an understorey above...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeSN00lpLJO1Tno5wc_qS42SBHHgTQiSKiyv3bF0dq-ecB9vNzoJJnIFwmbT-Hl7WyhsbOBy9sqw6VmpmaiGa27UKiUrtMhScwk6WW2AVml1jQiM0zSj-6OE8ItXs8SEFVZzq9cswbu4Y45MRvWlXjmpILCGnFWFZN4yuMk5fmaFN_ZMBdWDrBAgnaF0/s800/Pandanus%20basedowii1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeSN00lpLJO1Tno5wc_qS42SBHHgTQiSKiyv3bF0dq-ecB9vNzoJJnIFwmbT-Hl7WyhsbOBy9sqw6VmpmaiGa27UKiUrtMhScwk6WW2AVml1jQiM0zSj-6OE8ItXs8SEFVZzq9cswbu4Y45MRvWlXjmpILCGnFWFZN4yuMk5fmaFN_ZMBdWDrBAgnaF0/w400-h300/Pandanus%20basedowii1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.... with a tall tree towering above other smaller Pandanus plants.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span>Which brings us to the gallery. <br /></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrNfBOV_qlNRMYlT0_dKnMPQfT-9a06A1PRZjmx6AMfYTU7Sr3dcmLigW-rCFheIG0ARvwQGgXoQRCdPlG8tcmmmynDUxYs67xmkDvvim2x6mtQGYitCxCSy1qGW6vICNIjGlgWL4emUnb9X6evkHpQ3bmAFn3iJ2_usYWsdmOvxCB11-8C8pURIlKaY/s800/main%20art%20site%20from%20above,%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrNfBOV_qlNRMYlT0_dKnMPQfT-9a06A1PRZjmx6AMfYTU7Sr3dcmLigW-rCFheIG0ARvwQGgXoQRCdPlG8tcmmmynDUxYs67xmkDvvim2x6mtQGYitCxCSy1qGW6vICNIjGlgWL4emUnb9X6evkHpQ3bmAFn3iJ2_usYWsdmOvxCB11-8C8pURIlKaY/w400-h300/main%20art%20site%20from%20above,%20Ubirr1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gallery is on the face of the outcrops in the foreground below us.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span><span>Most of the paintings date from the late 1500 years, and many of them feature animals which were (and are) important food items, many of them fish.<br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6edybwBeSbRqqSrkxQ6DF0eDrXgl-eEf40YYWgWHNygoKFtLidxfbnzN6aNg9Mh6imwTXAc5tLBCQMNX-Iqi-z5MkgN41pCo6TwnEwgxmy4qeltdzxEANQhDY2Me2J0RT5EjaBqKB_DqLFXSnP8XNoakFnNY40yrECBJpc-2FqwOtMVoLXkA5ynC-lQ0/s800/Ubirr%20artsite%20stingray%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6edybwBeSbRqqSrkxQ6DF0eDrXgl-eEf40YYWgWHNygoKFtLidxfbnzN6aNg9Mh6imwTXAc5tLBCQMNX-Iqi-z5MkgN41pCo6TwnEwgxmy4qeltdzxEANQhDY2Me2J0RT5EjaBqKB_DqLFXSnP8XNoakFnNY40yrECBJpc-2FqwOtMVoLXkA5ynC-lQ0/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite%20stingray%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stingray (and human shape to the upper left).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-7Mw5RHag_Zpyt5T_rybtF8EbG4oLPPL-G76K5fFc1NTCw4s198l3w8fg0lpxdZEMn4OtBLknIq1Tit68g7ujxzz7GlIbQ19LxnOYcDdaEE8rf_Brx6MMFJpILv2PiNQRfly4fc2OwJsXHj_LI0PAAshYxzckQ_zIBnBX5tp57eyMC4m6xv3W0Wyo6k/s800/Ubirr%20artsite1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-7Mw5RHag_Zpyt5T_rybtF8EbG4oLPPL-G76K5fFc1NTCw4s198l3w8fg0lpxdZEMn4OtBLknIq1Tit68g7ujxzz7GlIbQ19LxnOYcDdaEE8rf_Brx6MMFJpILv2PiNQRfly4fc2OwJsXHj_LI0PAAshYxzckQ_zIBnBX5tp57eyMC4m6xv3W0Wyo6k/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite1%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish of course - Barramundi perhaps? <br />(I'm not very good at fish, especially in the Top End!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW91ttZJOEOmmrecvbAvT6ZpcFYz_9UdfY8s34Bfr5XVDQ_b769398hZj_FnJnDX1G1U-Kg7RpIWcIk8fgsgk-aJl8NxNhYpmpcju0KJEyf5wmAnNQ_MlkkKyCfkDzXLu6QnFZxbD3K_ArTxJqIk-YKZ7BUnk7W6hU42mepGl5bwYEYwX7m6O2OtZ32Y/s800/Ubirr%20artsite5%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW91ttZJOEOmmrecvbAvT6ZpcFYz_9UdfY8s34Bfr5XVDQ_b769398hZj_FnJnDX1G1U-Kg7RpIWcIk8fgsgk-aJl8NxNhYpmpcju0KJEyf5wmAnNQ_MlkkKyCfkDzXLu6QnFZxbD3K_ArTxJqIk-YKZ7BUnk7W6hU42mepGl5bwYEYwX7m6O2OtZ32Y/w300-h400/Ubirr%20artsite5%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure this is a different fish though.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyYwIrYdLnugqcfMqpuzwkZ7_gg-XxEdHp5KQlgavuD92n-4_OdCwPpDEZmdtagvXM1mPTNqYloFM6LE6eXsIk4sfONlt-wmojXv4TASzukvl3zdcTKA_lkxSIT5cGkRS1QDlfIO_Nbw3pqZJOvPofS4C-me8lige_Z6Ov4bKqvh8Pgv2C-falQPc3Sc/s800/Ubirr%20artsite5A%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyYwIrYdLnugqcfMqpuzwkZ7_gg-XxEdHp5KQlgavuD92n-4_OdCwPpDEZmdtagvXM1mPTNqYloFM6LE6eXsIk4sfONlt-wmojXv4TASzukvl3zdcTKA_lkxSIT5cGkRS1QDlfIO_Nbw3pqZJOvPofS4C-me8lige_Z6Ov4bKqvh8Pgv2C-falQPc3Sc/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite5A%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In places the images are superimposed; to the top left is perhaps a sawfish?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAlwinhyD6queU2ykalfAqagibVYlgHW1SsRfcq4KHax8_8E4IaZUfcRe4nXnaeengY2Xup2iyPyoavFUQf6Qh9tU8exu1thIA-4JuR_vPyv4GPl7V5jOnspRTDyP4SwBbficGA7oy3IGAMaIq03vstMIxpzMNcBCZYI_5dPw5pMkhsOaoiY5qMBWXQ/s800/Ubirr%20artsite8%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAlwinhyD6queU2ykalfAqagibVYlgHW1SsRfcq4KHax8_8E4IaZUfcRe4nXnaeengY2Xup2iyPyoavFUQf6Qh9tU8exu1thIA-4JuR_vPyv4GPl7V5jOnspRTDyP4SwBbficGA7oy3IGAMaIq03vstMIxpzMNcBCZYI_5dPw5pMkhsOaoiY5qMBWXQ/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite8%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here a fish is joined by a turtle.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34B0H5a0xlBNZO6NIugWpP7eIHbJyFuxCYfCh-NkV3wtq9el063rhfrMqKdyHR54fKY_0BBrK_nC7geqO1Z0Cxss0ofEF8UXQ0jquuPvjyhi3H6za3scAZZJnI7oFpRLrhaa37X3i15yFjKjHVzRHnfQebknj0s5uWgktb5x5BUf9A7txxBl_-Divg1Q/s800/Ubirr%20artsite2%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34B0H5a0xlBNZO6NIugWpP7eIHbJyFuxCYfCh-NkV3wtq9el063rhfrMqKdyHR54fKY_0BBrK_nC7geqO1Z0Cxss0ofEF8UXQ0jquuPvjyhi3H6za3scAZZJnI7oFpRLrhaa37X3i15yFjKjHVzRHnfQebknj0s5uWgktb5x5BUf9A7txxBl_-Divg1Q/w300-h400/Ubirr%20artsite2%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And another turtle.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YdxVp9L_n-o5vd-kCH2RP5AtG5EycE7Ta4XPDdHXOw07NOAw0XaSU3hkYQqs0vm9596lVbYTPIZFYPGvSDJpPXFZau7ECvNBhb0A1u8FmYz-FOBpAX5xakYgpABseLfabC1umgXRXVj3sb8xpRQ7352maGbXs9JGsbJ1u1FQsScn_T4ZhQAFFaCCTPs/s800/Ubirr%20artsite3%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YdxVp9L_n-o5vd-kCH2RP5AtG5EycE7Ta4XPDdHXOw07NOAw0XaSU3hkYQqs0vm9596lVbYTPIZFYPGvSDJpPXFZau7ECvNBhb0A1u8FmYz-FOBpAX5xakYgpABseLfabC1umgXRXVj3sb8xpRQ7352maGbXs9JGsbJ1u1FQsScn_T4ZhQAFFaCCTPs/w300-h400/Ubirr%20artsite3%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above the stingray that I featured above, is a bird - perhaps an Orange-footed Scrubfowl,<br />or maybe a Magpie Goose.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> And kangaroos are only to be expected!<br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJ17JZfdtq1ZJWXXb8BAbpLK-loHz6rRR4rW3D-28eorRSXMbDgWJnoWXcLNUa_IXqToJzgvGB1WBx7DdKdVPFn1FTegibJQJt54UJR1CMlizJ0mlAyzw7zZbAID1mZan96slMwEv_Xj1JJX0RpbCKW1FH8f-wg-Skbbl2jDR6_pZbbYRwqqcM3-IkXo/s800/Ubirr%20artsite4%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJ17JZfdtq1ZJWXXb8BAbpLK-loHz6rRR4rW3D-28eorRSXMbDgWJnoWXcLNUa_IXqToJzgvGB1WBx7DdKdVPFn1FTegibJQJt54UJR1CMlizJ0mlAyzw7zZbAID1mZan96slMwEv_Xj1JJX0RpbCKW1FH8f-wg-Skbbl2jDR6_pZbbYRwqqcM3-IkXo/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite4%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These could represent any of several species found locally, including the shy and<br />not often seen (in fact never in my case!) Black Wallaroo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span><span>And finally an interesting historical sketch, reporting on the appearance of a whitefella in the area. It is suggested that he could have an early buffalo hunter from the 1880s.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvhHBv26omC6IUlSa3cT1ntdBZpd6Du2qupWECnBx4Bf6ftuLRQRptkVy20TX9hCUBCIa0J0ckmGWnpuhhjnZ1DOmBpJjszZxguAssStU33w8MW2S5TvB0oGtp1007vTU68aBlmVQOP3beNoW6AB45Rd6fE_6oO7CoEYrqrl5p3-OU0FYYtUFlCBH5Hk/s800/Ubirr%20artsite%20whitefella%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvhHBv26omC6IUlSa3cT1ntdBZpd6Du2qupWECnBx4Bf6ftuLRQRptkVy20TX9hCUBCIa0J0ckmGWnpuhhjnZ1DOmBpJjszZxguAssStU33w8MW2S5TvB0oGtp1007vTU68aBlmVQOP3beNoW6AB45Rd6fE_6oO7CoEYrqrl5p3-OU0FYYtUFlCBH5Hk/w300-h400/Ubirr%20artsite%20whitefella%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He seems to have his hands in his pockets and to be wearing heavy boots.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>A painting which I particularly wanted to see, but didn't, clearly features a Thylacine. This magnificent marsupial predator vanished from the mainland about 3,500 years ago, coinciding with the arrival of the Dingo. (They continued to thrive in Tasmania, where Dingoes didn't appear, until the 1930s when systematic hunting tragically drove them to extinction.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lvS4yaFuZ9W9rpn2IxbQ_tkpyf12SK7n6xfphzWYKyoUkScpaao0_96FskrWOBLiviyZRbgvQjJW3g1ZEg02qxeZtU-Ip3Y_vfpbsMxpnsmCoumVAy68lbaB5EyGqGqSKj9EwpX94ltkOOvH1-O-ZG9IvRHIHMbb0Asp0mcub-2y7zZD1uvqJfoaHPo/s800/Thylacine_rock_art_at_Ubirr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lvS4yaFuZ9W9rpn2IxbQ_tkpyf12SK7n6xfphzWYKyoUkScpaao0_96FskrWOBLiviyZRbgvQjJW3g1ZEg02qxeZtU-Ip3Y_vfpbsMxpnsmCoumVAy68lbaB5EyGqGqSKj9EwpX94ltkOOvH1-O-ZG9IvRHIHMbb0Asp0mcub-2y7zZD1uvqJfoaHPo/w400-h265/Thylacine_rock_art_at_Ubirr.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thylacine_rock_art_at_Ubirr.jpg">Wikipedia</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span>South of the highway and just before the Ubirr turnoff, is the access to the lovely Bardedjilidji sandstone walk, a 2.5km easy stroll among mighty sandstone pillars and through Pandanus and eucalypt woodland.</span><br /></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaFUt6ULRYVv4fsEz3UqvJoCLYS5IssmY_GLZmTy4vSpcROmXyjGcAf6p86NtYmS1oxYRQQMPDzjilFmMuaf4LQU_Fh9PG095tXCTX22oWOO3wwt_7D43NlgMwBRwv1JVQnUr8j-MAgoi-tIxFJneQDsOCbA-jSV-UpvKbK5TVxMKzO9RZJN3bBxdfYc/s800/sandstone2%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaFUt6ULRYVv4fsEz3UqvJoCLYS5IssmY_GLZmTy4vSpcROmXyjGcAf6p86NtYmS1oxYRQQMPDzjilFmMuaf4LQU_Fh9PG095tXCTX22oWOO3wwt_7D43NlgMwBRwv1JVQnUr8j-MAgoi-tIxFJneQDsOCbA-jSV-UpvKbK5TVxMKzO9RZJN3bBxdfYc/w300-h400/sandstone2%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dramatic columns such as this one are features.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span> </span><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDDc9cT7duVrTxaEcWy5NcHPftULNHVsTcTCU7-VfgWdgoIvETf2inNFZIgkGK5c8dTcSHzqIdxbgKjpNjSjIRqDMDSuwMfZO7Fog8ZFrOD2WZ2pR4w88Fzojhv3BoPSNpJa5haEc0eOWPl9kTdHIsfLeX1hyGqXOmXd6DCaRoOUErQ7FDl3hFfYMlBk/s800/sandstone1%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDDc9cT7duVrTxaEcWy5NcHPftULNHVsTcTCU7-VfgWdgoIvETf2inNFZIgkGK5c8dTcSHzqIdxbgKjpNjSjIRqDMDSuwMfZO7Fog8ZFrOD2WZ2pR4w88Fzojhv3BoPSNpJa5haEc0eOWPl9kTdHIsfLeX1hyGqXOmXd6DCaRoOUErQ7FDl3hFfYMlBk/w400-h300/sandstone1%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strongly layered sandstone in a grassy woodland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjRZ4ZonDaaHNPC1A5VWyUMaQsqR2swu4XtJgy3ZDpIWItRiQIJZaVh2Mh1rlumxYNo907Gl1D7Egg3aJcmTlgat-zaa-blOu0YCwFosgWNhY-ysOK6dbi6eCWCBeY2mxrmLEnQoaiJw_EbzccC8tV3kIGQ2v8wcGLH3n91IaVAtD007uhNOa1EHmPBw/s800/fig%20roots%20in%20crevice%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjRZ4ZonDaaHNPC1A5VWyUMaQsqR2swu4XtJgy3ZDpIWItRiQIJZaVh2Mh1rlumxYNo907Gl1D7Egg3aJcmTlgat-zaa-blOu0YCwFosgWNhY-ysOK6dbi6eCWCBeY2mxrmLEnQoaiJw_EbzccC8tV3kIGQ2v8wcGLH3n91IaVAtD007uhNOa1EHmPBw/w300-h400/fig%20roots%20in%20crevice%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caves and overhangs such as this provide cool shelters from the sun, with fig roots<br />providing extra hiding places for small animals.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We were there during a warm day, so didn't see as much wildlife as we would have if we'd been staying on site, but there were some nice birds to be seen.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVyqAt8YIRxLR6jrYrhW33kDhjL1w2i8gWVLbHZf0vEyRbG6KovBUZlpCVTHtSFRDZlEHqbr5EF3-M0SuloFud1OK-ulWi9oLszUIplMA0YeqfhP5ruArrRgzgM7xrSznaSkNx6WUEg4CX3FzQmjltvn7RkKPpr9Zc_2CbaruLjWahN011oqSIZXrV54/s800/Chestnut-quilled%20Rock%20Pigeon%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVyqAt8YIRxLR6jrYrhW33kDhjL1w2i8gWVLbHZf0vEyRbG6KovBUZlpCVTHtSFRDZlEHqbr5EF3-M0SuloFud1OK-ulWi9oLszUIplMA0YeqfhP5ruArrRgzgM7xrSznaSkNx6WUEg4CX3FzQmjltvn7RkKPpr9Zc_2CbaruLjWahN011oqSIZXrV54/w400-h300/Chestnut-quilled%20Rock%20Pigeon%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon <i>Petrophassa rufipennis. </i>This is very much an Arnhem Land<br />sandstone special, being found nowhere else. Its only close relation is the very similar<br />White-quilled Rock Pigeon from further west in the Kimberley area.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlbnOshlL6NGEvSJz7rvmz73LciE-IWa40zm1GbKcBRcN_AUEQ-p_ymoPF3sJ_34lqK6xbUqRf89atJesx40sjfUJdthZ1_hda6IFtezTgnPq5sXnU61sQpoyNk0TBnaXSJ4aegdgxvtv7Hyg45MTgYjRsh2m4TGEZNqUNZjT9sl5M5i6IQiqtXjAwis/s800/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlbnOshlL6NGEvSJz7rvmz73LciE-IWa40zm1GbKcBRcN_AUEQ-p_ymoPF3sJ_34lqK6xbUqRf89atJesx40sjfUJdthZ1_hda6IFtezTgnPq5sXnU61sQpoyNk0TBnaXSJ4aegdgxvtv7Hyg45MTgYjRsh2m4TGEZNqUNZjT9sl5M5i6IQiqtXjAwis/w300-h400/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo <i>Calyptorhynchus banksii, </i>a common but always thrilling<br />big resident of the tropical woodlands.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVhlm7lbpZfByA1mZrti4TBJLA-Emh6EN30kwrOiO1StonKBK4Xq2eCrY2RZMBtgsenmUKcYx1gFxjmb7iNUMzIvSdrwTkUeLZ4GMPbJatKcoQU3KGHLk3JXbIgLsmV6vbPsg3fPKXk7JMci0InwguGwNoOhIfG0aQ8iteAyOZl-2HaEZGfnQdGkZH-w/s800/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo2%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVhlm7lbpZfByA1mZrti4TBJLA-Emh6EN30kwrOiO1StonKBK4Xq2eCrY2RZMBtgsenmUKcYx1gFxjmb7iNUMzIvSdrwTkUeLZ4GMPbJatKcoQU3KGHLk3JXbIgLsmV6vbPsg3fPKXk7JMci0InwguGwNoOhIfG0aQ8iteAyOZl-2HaEZGfnQdGkZH-w/w400-h300/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo2%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And yes, it does have a truly impressive red tail when it deigns to show it!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq-X47CPRm5TpB1kIBXEaRxpHKgca0VUiSE0ZeLlGMMo7RFBrzqwOZ1bCGOPySRiwTsvf0GWMO0wBbiVexwntqR-ZPU819pPJzCf42OHNk8MI97ty9XXvMxW7fHEn_je4-LA8aXfrCgEE5vVkemQ-voC1xnLorPaq-oFuIuM-KJV_Tz0WE4uHbNgRt1E/s800/Rose-crowned%20Fruit-Dove%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxq-X47CPRm5TpB1kIBXEaRxpHKgca0VUiSE0ZeLlGMMo7RFBrzqwOZ1bCGOPySRiwTsvf0GWMO0wBbiVexwntqR-ZPU819pPJzCf42OHNk8MI97ty9XXvMxW7fHEn_je4-LA8aXfrCgEE5vVkemQ-voC1xnLorPaq-oFuIuM-KJV_Tz0WE4uHbNgRt1E/w400-h300/Rose-crowned%20Fruit-Dove%20Bardedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove <i>Ptilinopus regina, </i>truly a lovely bird, here checking<br />to see if the figs were suitably ripe. It is found widely in monsoon forests across<br />northern Australia and in east coast rainforests, but more usually is hidden <br />in foliage high above the ground.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, adjacent to all this is the East Alligator River, and the highway crosses it at the infamous Cahills Crossing. It is famous for the number of Estuarine Crocodiles which gather around here at the end of the Dry (ie when we were there) to feed on fish, especially Barramundi, which are pushed by the high tide into shallow water at the crossing. However it is infamous for breathtakingly foolish visitors who approach to the edge of the water and even enter it to compete with the crocs for the Barramundi. It is tempting to think of this as a classic case of Darwinian selection in action, especially as there are nice safe and effective viewing platforms provided.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhWAbnfvU3QtEMGZX7HUpVn7TsEZjEMV51nexxeRE8k7ovoc7IHZqk0qYC1vdcMRG19PQq14_T5CAZUMvLjinwk1pqOnXoG0qsPhTBb6Qct5hLwGefnVheqkzki2B0JZthCyPZXy_MmvpaTZxal0wWzQYyJEAXnaHEZVjwp-Vcs1xT_-7HmU2h352aJY/s800/East%20Alligator%20River%20low%20tide%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhWAbnfvU3QtEMGZX7HUpVn7TsEZjEMV51nexxeRE8k7ovoc7IHZqk0qYC1vdcMRG19PQq14_T5CAZUMvLjinwk1pqOnXoG0qsPhTBb6Qct5hLwGefnVheqkzki2B0JZthCyPZXy_MmvpaTZxal0wWzQYyJEAXnaHEZVjwp-Vcs1xT_-7HmU2h352aJY/w400-h300/East%20Alligator%20River%20low%20tide%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were there at low tide, so didn't get to enjoy the main crocodile spectacle.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrcMIiqWpXYRysOO0JD1mGxx8N24uzeSc4b_zFbCxKntOd0uMVGl82zda3D4UuhOZWktmIoFO9xRPwyULQECkoAKgQWhbGgxCWqrDmy9bWPGVVRPCqWBixShYj9zM5sQuFVUm6RiF_zl3xqcNZ-XXr9N654zHgdQcupkRbd6EfGtaZaNiqn7mFa6_KNA/s800/Striated%20Heron%20and%20Estuarine%20Crocodile%20East%20Alligator%20River%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrcMIiqWpXYRysOO0JD1mGxx8N24uzeSc4b_zFbCxKntOd0uMVGl82zda3D4UuhOZWktmIoFO9xRPwyULQECkoAKgQWhbGgxCWqrDmy9bWPGVVRPCqWBixShYj9zM5sQuFVUm6RiF_zl3xqcNZ-XXr9N654zHgdQcupkRbd6EfGtaZaNiqn7mFa6_KNA/w301-h400/Striated%20Heron%20and%20Estuarine%20Crocodile%20East%20Alligator%20River%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">However we didn't miss out entirely, and I'm sure the Striated Heron <br />actually knew what it was doing.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKpWpBTCY4_s0jqQE2OwQyrrVBnr0HtkeQ6hiWgi1Y_mtt5E1YXi6iPkyIL9EnNWVcSfsam4pD7qd-zHea0y7WRtDvmXpowh3VSHhbpx2sWzzWkdE-_wlGuy4_VyKMFWXt5eOCvSYbJEdEQR8EPcftxPSgbMQ8sLMpyNqyKC2GNSm_e0bEdEkkc9w62E/s1000/Estuarine%20Crocodile%20East%20Alligator%20River%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKpWpBTCY4_s0jqQE2OwQyrrVBnr0HtkeQ6hiWgi1Y_mtt5E1YXi6iPkyIL9EnNWVcSfsam4pD7qd-zHea0y7WRtDvmXpowh3VSHhbpx2sWzzWkdE-_wlGuy4_VyKMFWXt5eOCvSYbJEdEQR8EPcftxPSgbMQ8sLMpyNqyKC2GNSm_e0bEdEkkc9w62E/w640-h224/Estuarine%20Crocodile%20East%20Alligator%20River%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next time you go to Kakadu, don't miss out on Ubirr - it is a very special corner of a very special park.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks for reading.<br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 21 MARCH</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span>If you do leave a comment - and I love it when you do - please remember to click the<br />box below your comment that says 'Email follow-up comments to...[your address]' <br />so you'll know when I reply - and I always do!</span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><p></p></div>Ian Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-50957801507168010872024-02-08T08:00:00.032+11:002024-02-08T08:00:00.353+11:00Eye Spy; what colour is a bird's eye?<p style="text-align: justify;">The simple answer is just about any colour at all; the tricky follow-up though is a two-parter, 'why and how?'. However if you're looking for answers to these questions, you probably don't need to read any further here - mostly we still don't know. For much of what follows I've drawn on a recent (2022) <a href="file:///C:/Users/caloc/Downloads/eye_color_review_corbett_etal_preprint_v1-1.pdf">review paper </a>by a team from Louisiana State University led by PhD student Eamon Corbett. This is a free 'preprint' article; the final published article (2023) is available <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ibi.13276">here</a>, but it is not free. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think it is very telling that, as of <a href="https://bou.org.uk/blog-corbett-eye-colour/">October 2023</a>, only 2% of bird species and 21% of families have been studied in any way to determine what causes their eyes to be the colour they are. As with feathers, the colour of eyes (by which I mean irises) is determined by pigments, or physical structures, or a combination of both, though any given colour may be achieved in different ways in different species. I'll explain what we do know about the basis of various iris colours as we go, but mostly this is going to be a celebration of the rainbow of colours in which bird eyes may parade. (Not quite a rainbow actually - there are very few green bird eyes that I know of, and I have no examples of them.)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In this post I have primarily used Australian examples, though have included some others where appropriate. Firstly the great majority of eyes are black or dark brown - in fact the proportion of 'dark' eyes is higher in birds than in other vertebrate groups that have been studied.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz0fm9pee6EC5RMuorfaHhzAg_118MdosFtMpmV7nDFV1W0HyckNXH5yJ2T9Iwwet-OjxypAvz9gCS2KyOV7wrAggnA7hFeVNW-Htkd6PSGxHk19yEMtCUWERSI5FM1ZeoQfItsqsyUtoJjI8aYkj7ghrRYt4sqUfadWFGEPPt4468HCGklhO3mkMKSY/s800/Barn%20Owl1%20AS%20Desert%20Park%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz0fm9pee6EC5RMuorfaHhzAg_118MdosFtMpmV7nDFV1W0HyckNXH5yJ2T9Iwwet-OjxypAvz9gCS2KyOV7wrAggnA7hFeVNW-Htkd6PSGxHk19yEMtCUWERSI5FM1ZeoQfItsqsyUtoJjI8aYkj7ghrRYt4sqUfadWFGEPPt4468HCGklhO3mkMKSY/w400-h300/Barn%20Owl1%20AS%20Desert%20Park%200514.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barn Owl <i>Tyto alba, </i>Alice Springs Desert Park. It seems that melanins are responsible<br />for most of the dark eyes, but not all are in the same layers of the eye - not detail<br />we need to go into here! (Corbett goes into all of this in much more depth, <br />via the first link in the first paragraph of this post.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5TYKNsRqh9AGisWhS8zbe9eckf5tdkbLfh9YNTLGLC4MyJmCYLUBI3nvE1o_dncoe2zBCeuIY7qcrxpNGKqBeMFS7v23INiiOGunF2Cy1pr1mRyk3f2T3MW8n4dgIEzH5aB0tvIYqfxVQjP3ehIrksad4HYeYq5yHzABua8muzWSjE4Zn5SSOhXZRPI/s800/Double-eyed%20Fig%20Parrot5%20Cairns%20Esplanade%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5TYKNsRqh9AGisWhS8zbe9eckf5tdkbLfh9YNTLGLC4MyJmCYLUBI3nvE1o_dncoe2zBCeuIY7qcrxpNGKqBeMFS7v23INiiOGunF2Cy1pr1mRyk3f2T3MW8n4dgIEzH5aB0tvIYqfxVQjP3ehIrksad4HYeYq5yHzABua8muzWSjE4Zn5SSOhXZRPI/w300-h400/Double-eyed%20Fig%20Parrot5%20Cairns%20Esplanade%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double-eyed Fig Parrot <i>Cyclopsitta diophthalma, </i>Cairns.<br />This may be an example of a phenomenon we'll delve into a little more below,<br />of a dark eye forming a highlight by contrasting with a bright background; the<br />reverse can also be found in other species.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEmdIZuac8zqqSvgQwgPJSbJymqmIOqgFL2R2OcopGeiDsWEWG_t6-xRTTYUFDIe8sOZsk-88U25vrswxGrVk0g8sQmbwIb4qJQLUcDLsmpUcLP58CScZTvY_k0bQGl90N_simPi0ePBI_janq4xFvhRzBO3_deLvWjHELXSiCUFz_8wRLOUfbyAAdZc/s800/Yellow-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Duffy%20yard%200218.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEmdIZuac8zqqSvgQwgPJSbJymqmIOqgFL2R2OcopGeiDsWEWG_t6-xRTTYUFDIe8sOZsk-88U25vrswxGrVk0g8sQmbwIb4qJQLUcDLsmpUcLP58CScZTvY_k0bQGl90N_simPi0ePBI_janq4xFvhRzBO3_deLvWjHELXSiCUFz_8wRLOUfbyAAdZc/w400-h300/Yellow-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Duffy%20yard%200218.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo <i>Zanda funerea </i>in our backyard in Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps that's enough of black eyes; dark brown ones are probably formed similarly, by layers of melanins. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxyzViplo0g7PMoqv7m4q5mCfsr0q6wtpsD7AbDQG56cpKeCVqQpZZ8Qzd6tTfgUnouJj9_snOjeIFHk4XQq2o8q0qGB5Be5Fl6t0Db_iZI1OCKnwkujaIp9RpqcWMkjfotC6eEG9-reMzntB0hzs1QGu-ig8DvdaIa5H-Ec3AS-KHqKA3dbGUfmXzZQ/s800/Swift%20Parrot%20adult2%20Mt%20Majura%200508.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxyzViplo0g7PMoqv7m4q5mCfsr0q6wtpsD7AbDQG56cpKeCVqQpZZ8Qzd6tTfgUnouJj9_snOjeIFHk4XQq2o8q0qGB5Be5Fl6t0Db_iZI1OCKnwkujaIp9RpqcWMkjfotC6eEG9-reMzntB0hzs1QGu-ig8DvdaIa5H-Ec3AS-KHqKA3dbGUfmXzZQ/w300-h400/Swift%20Parrot%20adult2%20Mt%20Majura%200508.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swift Parrot <i>Lathamus discolor, </i>Canberra. A rare bird, seriously endangered by habitat loss,<br />whose eyes we probably pay much less attention to than to the spectacular plumage.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ye1hDUBH8oz-jKMnzZfqrBSwrLyxWFhyGQhVsUn8a0RUqwyFxwyn5uPvGI5u2U9JCyj0JIFtgxqrummpKt1Q5PeVXhefarmYVC3yewwxB2Fvmtd9Q_5YSP9-PUl2QTDHOpiYa5VnBn1FA_EIqQJBDn-MAU9BTKwDU3yuq62oq3TEgNqjS_IDTxOU1HQ/s800/Brown%20Quail3%20Bundjalung%20NP%200518.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ye1hDUBH8oz-jKMnzZfqrBSwrLyxWFhyGQhVsUn8a0RUqwyFxwyn5uPvGI5u2U9JCyj0JIFtgxqrummpKt1Q5PeVXhefarmYVC3yewwxB2Fvmtd9Q_5YSP9-PUl2QTDHOpiYa5VnBn1FA_EIqQJBDn-MAU9BTKwDU3yuq62oq3TEgNqjS_IDTxOU1HQ/w400-h300/Brown%20Quail3%20Bundjalung%20NP%200518.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Quail <i>Synoicus ypsilophorus, </i>Bundjalung NP, north coast NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This quail's eyes are probably reddish-brown, and this colour is fairly common too. (You'll probably be able to see these better by clicking on the photos.)<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-11WFQI46AKtJoX1r-8XT8Dtcp_M7B2aZoojTk1n1ymIAqNAFhR7NHs9FWZ4h714ZvAS6VC3vrE4B1tnDsj2_wg9xblcWXrTBDXARby7547BZvx6r2U2sUGRObNiQU1WQGmtpBGOL5fOhpnVOfcMkIGM3qspTKspAbL-e6KH1lM8C7IIcTuYNxZ5byQ/s800/Brown%20Tinamou%20and%20chicks%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-11WFQI46AKtJoX1r-8XT8Dtcp_M7B2aZoojTk1n1ymIAqNAFhR7NHs9FWZ4h714ZvAS6VC3vrE4B1tnDsj2_wg9xblcWXrTBDXARby7547BZvx6r2U2sUGRObNiQU1WQGmtpBGOL5fOhpnVOfcMkIGM3qspTKspAbL-e6KH1lM8C7IIcTuYNxZ5byQ/w400-h300/Brown%20Tinamou%20and%20chicks%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Tinamous <i>Crypturellus obsoletus, </i>near Sao Paulo Brazil.<br />(I am determined not to get sidetracked today with interesting stories about<br />the birds or the locations!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5TmamnxLwWUqaI0RVdOBXOs8gSjdtPIbosetEnrvLYVBF2ILr5tXtzntTbHpMCTOk6aHONXJyzpHwJYjGC9-4oajhUCoaU-lRwt0keqNZ6oayOg-uIDZruPNayfayxtShJdoX4EXbfmkEcJ0zjIoGGaMO0zDWsneoNpJUeDFFS7pa-SmK8dOse_6Ihg/s800/Noisy%20Friarbird%20Timmallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5TmamnxLwWUqaI0RVdOBXOs8gSjdtPIbosetEnrvLYVBF2ILr5tXtzntTbHpMCTOk6aHONXJyzpHwJYjGC9-4oajhUCoaU-lRwt0keqNZ6oayOg-uIDZruPNayfayxtShJdoX4EXbfmkEcJ0zjIoGGaMO0zDWsneoNpJUeDFFS7pa-SmK8dOse_6Ihg/w400-h300/Noisy%20Friarbird%20Timmallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noisy Friarbird <i>Philemon corniculatus, </i>Pilliga Forest, northern NSW.<br />This is a familiar big migratory honeyeater from eastern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65tqw5ArQ598Ms2w-a7ZGQ2SwspFcpWDPd6J6XNoJhaNY23jFLSEXIo_qvFdIX3wGP0YBA4l1ztxPrPOv06y7wRPQ9EKgyzs-DuRWsTuKYti-y7AAKHY1hv3pyq2dUeJnGmbj_uOMeC_stEp80K7ifXZ6jw9OiYn_ZMAVUkeVEAFVkKoK3XtRbSeamTo/s800/Rainbow%20Bee-eater%20with%20dragonfly2%20Longreach%20Waterhole%20NT%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65tqw5ArQ598Ms2w-a7ZGQ2SwspFcpWDPd6J6XNoJhaNY23jFLSEXIo_qvFdIX3wGP0YBA4l1ztxPrPOv06y7wRPQ9EKgyzs-DuRWsTuKYti-y7AAKHY1hv3pyq2dUeJnGmbj_uOMeC_stEp80K7ifXZ6jw9OiYn_ZMAVUkeVEAFVkKoK3XtRbSeamTo/w300-h400/Rainbow%20Bee-eater%20with%20dragonfly2%20Longreach%20Waterhole%20NT%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Bee-eater <i>Merops ornatus, </i>Longreach Waterhole, Northern Territory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm no artist, or any other sort of expert on colour, but a fairly unusual extension of brown in eyes is hazel, usually described as 'brown-green'; I'm not sure about these, but I'm going to tentatively call them hazel. Always happy to be challenged of course, though I hope we can agree that they are very attractive eyes indeed!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQrPAGCYifDMKVv-VhnroZoVy51ANzLaxoIwHy_BIYT1N5TGI1RJZx1kersoSsew-78XoxOns5cCEMf3_y2azZEeY1MXAfrbE8Lh0LkLQ74Ww49RCCraQOd7-pvuwPUeS0pJ3PMy6CRQ4gFPawJlf12XYC-19b-VN8uSSXEAHgmoDRMNurAM87va8zWs/s800/Kori%20Bustard3%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQrPAGCYifDMKVv-VhnroZoVy51ANzLaxoIwHy_BIYT1N5TGI1RJZx1kersoSsew-78XoxOns5cCEMf3_y2azZEeY1MXAfrbE8Lh0LkLQ74Ww49RCCraQOd7-pvuwPUeS0pJ3PMy6CRQ4gFPawJlf12XYC-19b-VN8uSSXEAHgmoDRMNurAM87va8zWs/w400-h300/Kori%20Bustard3%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kori Bustard <i>Ardeotis kori, </i>Ngorogoro Crater Tanzania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmkKbtNftCyHsq132yXQxJx8hjdM-qcFr9HgSetxvgCX5parL55fLkbCj9xchO_cJ61qLO7hyphenhyphenyBikkvrH9_jNpshpscbSttd0CrXvYa0Hj7r4iInw5eD9ByJ1FSFZMEpMeubXM_YYH2SGL3flB74EnAZ828zHYgkngJ-jsRI3b5Mbh7-JPSZIQZYAC7Q/s800/White-fronted%20Chat%20male3%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmkKbtNftCyHsq132yXQxJx8hjdM-qcFr9HgSetxvgCX5parL55fLkbCj9xchO_cJ61qLO7hyphenhyphenyBikkvrH9_jNpshpscbSttd0CrXvYa0Hj7r4iInw5eD9ByJ1FSFZMEpMeubXM_YYH2SGL3flB74EnAZ828zHYgkngJ-jsRI3b5Mbh7-JPSZIQZYAC7Q/w301-h400/White-fronted%20Chat%20male3%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-fronted Chat <i>Epthianura albifrons, </i>Canberra.<br />Australian chats are now known to be a group of honeyeaters.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's of course impossible to determine when 'red-brown' becomes 'red' (not least because it's in the eye of the beholder as much as that of the bird), but here are some pretty impressive red eyes. It used to be assumed that the carotenoid pigments that cause feathers to be red, orange or yellow have the same effect in eyes, but as often is the case, while there are certainly carotenoids in some or even many eyes, it's not that simple. In addition to another class of pigments, pteridines and purines, blood vessels near the surface do the trick in quite a few birds and cholesterol crystals have an effect in some others. I've mentioned already how few species have been studied in detail, but inevitably most of those that have been are from the Northern Hemisphere. However here are a couple of red-eyed Australian birds whose eye secrets have been revealed to make the point that we just can't make assumptions here.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5-08kXawFyTBzz7Kpx7Db5kF5rXMw82fVS8-Hh7BYcYvGZhtD0o1buUhmEF5pSKAudJKn3ZdQsRvq8UH4z4lF-_4p6rSWxluhRXja_hsPl62GXBO5CzISXRZ5qBT379dbueDwqDmGeqfXfL-yrcYEqx9f-cdhiG__fu6IRPoU8m3yA-RYo_HtEECFWo/s800/Black%20Swan%20head%200914%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5-08kXawFyTBzz7Kpx7Db5kF5rXMw82fVS8-Hh7BYcYvGZhtD0o1buUhmEF5pSKAudJKn3ZdQsRvq8UH4z4lF-_4p6rSWxluhRXja_hsPl62GXBO5CzISXRZ5qBT379dbueDwqDmGeqfXfL-yrcYEqx9f-cdhiG__fu6IRPoU8m3yA-RYo_HtEECFWo/w300-h400/Black%20Swan%20head%200914%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Swan <i>Cygnus atratus</i> Canberra. Its red eyes are due to an interaction of<br />melanins, cholesterol crystals and blood vessels.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_f_eQ1h_srAOceO-ilDAkH0_FFO7fpFvFPhleoGRY3p5Ufc5Mrf2WavMe_BWNf3SlhYEX9Lsf-gheqxot1z6VVgxKCZ3qLWqAWAJC8DL9pWWRv7RbXZZw8MwxjnP8ncWS2_8H9z_kNcxU7PCBANJLkwvI7fPnajjyHo6FcbqLEfMVEJproEVPkW-VJ8/s800/Zebra%20Finches1%20Murrawa%20Bore%20Great%20Sandy%20Desert%200716.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_f_eQ1h_srAOceO-ilDAkH0_FFO7fpFvFPhleoGRY3p5Ufc5Mrf2WavMe_BWNf3SlhYEX9Lsf-gheqxot1z6VVgxKCZ3qLWqAWAJC8DL9pWWRv7RbXZZw8MwxjnP8ncWS2_8H9z_kNcxU7PCBANJLkwvI7fPnajjyHo6FcbqLEfMVEJproEVPkW-VJ8/w400-h300/Zebra%20Finches1%20Murrawa%20Bore%20Great%20Sandy%20Desert%200716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebra Finches <i>Taeniopygia castanotis</i>, Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia.<br />Their red eyes are down to pteridine pigments.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the red eyes that follow, we can only assume that some of them are due to some combination of the above effects, and some are not! The swan's eyes are emphasised by being on a black background, and here are a few more (though by no means all I could have used) using this strategy. The whole body may be black, like the swan's...<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONxV49MW20lZekf54ug9jdHs0QIOaJsltmUaYOYK8wdOC31z25ozhWhrf-YMf4CLDwmm3MJKCmhoDEwjOIcfebWzpC01Pu1Fyap-2bxpPTn1BHnDLsTC5mcZq_KnGulvPwDBx_zFxSH6uSh8rPAmOXggAXK3jGxSQfBwTf4gdxCwPZrwst7x2cPOzBkk/s800/choughs%20drinking%20Newline%200308.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONxV49MW20lZekf54ug9jdHs0QIOaJsltmUaYOYK8wdOC31z25ozhWhrf-YMf4CLDwmm3MJKCmhoDEwjOIcfebWzpC01Pu1Fyap-2bxpPTn1BHnDLsTC5mcZq_KnGulvPwDBx_zFxSH6uSh8rPAmOXggAXK3jGxSQfBwTf4gdxCwPZrwst7x2cPOzBkk/w300-h400/choughs%20drinking%20Newline%200308.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Choughs <i>Corcorax melanorhamphos, </i>Canberra. I can be pretty<br />confident that blood vessels play a role here, as choughs can make their eyes<br />bulge and almost glow when they're threatening or being threatened.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvaUjY8lBTxttdLGWj_UwEOwGwCtxy8aDtNxld4QhO9-vmHhsONTE6FhPlXBuY04MxW2l2TvfXU3z0GnrYs_BH2opzOrRAyMPajVvjRyXRniBhFuC9P-H7Xn5KlIWqro9J5qOd4-0fHTQOKMuAzpTRm27ZWxvwlDHaU5j946GKbHpkLQzFTvV5OHogbU/s800/Coot%20feeding%20chick1%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvaUjY8lBTxttdLGWj_UwEOwGwCtxy8aDtNxld4QhO9-vmHhsONTE6FhPlXBuY04MxW2l2TvfXU3z0GnrYs_BH2opzOrRAyMPajVvjRyXRniBhFuC9P-H7Xn5KlIWqro9J5qOd4-0fHTQOKMuAzpTRm27ZWxvwlDHaU5j946GKbHpkLQzFTvV5OHogbU/w400-h300/Coot%20feeding%20chick1%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurasian Coot <i>Fulica atra</i> and chicks, Canberra. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4RKWIRX78pIBPbAntFP-NW-ajxTnQXjqFnfSPDHEILZbPF3L_bzoXfoye7QdMAHXv5UqMYpWmzWmHjqFuZVK3Nj-dHIX8L6rIY_UjVLzU70mX2qGzBskCVtfcEoSSe6W8wvfGZxZpzdzMUjrL74whGUR_RHeJJ1HKiLc6F2RqxRikz0p2fkuAK1KJzA/s800/Metallic%20Starling1%20Crystal%20Cascades%20CP%20Cairns%200119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4RKWIRX78pIBPbAntFP-NW-ajxTnQXjqFnfSPDHEILZbPF3L_bzoXfoye7QdMAHXv5UqMYpWmzWmHjqFuZVK3Nj-dHIX8L6rIY_UjVLzU70mX2qGzBskCVtfcEoSSe6W8wvfGZxZpzdzMUjrL74whGUR_RHeJJ1HKiLc6F2RqxRikz0p2fkuAK1KJzA/w400-h300/Metallic%20Starling1%20Crystal%20Cascades%20CP%20Cairns%200119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metallic Starling <i>Aplonis metallica, </i>Cairns, north Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsdqHxlun_WCgkKBhMwfRkp0X4mqHzOr1hyphenhyphenhOyLQPL-PNCcIXAqM7ns-w15pWIoVhJGpjhiwqxA6_LX7yD-8AEvtjG6wPeRgVDEr0sR8CmaxxPNRWtwgVjtXZVKLl-_V2j7zE9yUXGhwlsmirGMlmjWnYzRW0S8VvlDqRnWCf0udTFyYNbVgh-a16FZU/s800/Koel%20male1%20Rosedale%200109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsdqHxlun_WCgkKBhMwfRkp0X4mqHzOr1hyphenhyphenhOyLQPL-PNCcIXAqM7ns-w15pWIoVhJGpjhiwqxA6_LX7yD-8AEvtjG6wPeRgVDEr0sR8CmaxxPNRWtwgVjtXZVKLl-_V2j7zE9yUXGhwlsmirGMlmjWnYzRW0S8VvlDqRnWCf0udTFyYNbVgh-a16FZU/w300-h400/Koel%20male1%20Rosedale%200109.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Koel <i>Eudynamys orientalis, </i>south coast NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQa0i_cmR-TqscdY86LM6ZTYFPSSwgqFlJlSdyegaTXHt97EeE5LOzKrJLc-eAj2QUf8RKuCZCW4PwLrK9lsd25IM_6Qp1pnzhmHOd05axe43UD8mb_v_sjGL-3478wmQyTRO0Stf808gM98oyNxm9YCMEzgPqYd9ySWV3UK7VlL2cMOitF6uISbMiAQ/s800/Spangled%20Drongo5%20Duffy%200812.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQa0i_cmR-TqscdY86LM6ZTYFPSSwgqFlJlSdyegaTXHt97EeE5LOzKrJLc-eAj2QUf8RKuCZCW4PwLrK9lsd25IM_6Qp1pnzhmHOd05axe43UD8mb_v_sjGL-3478wmQyTRO0Stf808gM98oyNxm9YCMEzgPqYd9ySWV3UK7VlL2cMOitF6uISbMiAQ/w300-h400/Spangled%20Drongo5%20Duffy%200812.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spangled Drongo <i>Dicrurus bracteatus, </i>Canberra. This tropical and subtropical bird only <br />rarely comes as far south as Canberra, but this one hung around just around the<br />corner from us for a few days back in 2012.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>...others have just a black head or even just a mask.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM1pjprQFzg3q7ff6W4zszjOJxgXx0tYStTsC2ZxJPvtGONXnvhkEqDKD3zZg51E9Yl41_ly0zDKGF1kD1cpkC1iKkGHErOSj07hA73meGs2pWborbyDn96LnBvwVSWdEe_fG_187H1P5uUpf_Xvw2AEdX4e-7_kZ42-WHHPrhbfMC0CMYZkDFbpuuq8/s800/Black-fronted%20Dotterel%20Newey%20Reservoir%20Cobar%201121.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM1pjprQFzg3q7ff6W4zszjOJxgXx0tYStTsC2ZxJPvtGONXnvhkEqDKD3zZg51E9Yl41_ly0zDKGF1kD1cpkC1iKkGHErOSj07hA73meGs2pWborbyDn96LnBvwVSWdEe_fG_187H1P5uUpf_Xvw2AEdX4e-7_kZ42-WHHPrhbfMC0CMYZkDFbpuuq8/w400-h300/Black-fronted%20Dotterel%20Newey%20Reservoir%20Cobar%201121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-fronted Dotterel <i>Charadrius melanops, </i>Cobar, western NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk9qBpG027F8qeOr9SHXafhB951lv4xPL0BssEAc5rVMSmtEnDRP7NWbM_qNvKNvVnX_7NGxQEJb8ejO0fWSdMNMLBr3FLLVefPdsenv9Ht4I4pgOtvoXE2sQoZ669fhWklGOVRnA2GQC9NLQkTtNc-ANVMusUv9MUoraButYtAjDHbRIRXr5EcE1Dnk/s800/Eastern%20Spinebill%20on%20Mtn%20Devil%20Lawson%20Blue%20Mtns%200323.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk9qBpG027F8qeOr9SHXafhB951lv4xPL0BssEAc5rVMSmtEnDRP7NWbM_qNvKNvVnX_7NGxQEJb8ejO0fWSdMNMLBr3FLLVefPdsenv9Ht4I4pgOtvoXE2sQoZ669fhWklGOVRnA2GQC9NLQkTtNc-ANVMusUv9MUoraButYtAjDHbRIRXr5EcE1Dnk/w400-h300/Eastern%20Spinebill%20on%20Mtn%20Devil%20Lawson%20Blue%20Mtns%200323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Spinebill <i>Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, </i>Blue Mountains, NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2qpNGsXxfBvwVArad1sz-Kb6J0moQkbyXVDwwZH6mErqrgZZuWC7ehE4Mg9JJ2ZX2_geo4N7iCmLUiLRs6-7kmGapFzFGjndSE0CbiuXDC9-0usB0aDslQWBo3kZZlOzzpU9NKdt4tYTIz3dqdBbhTkuwXZLDchmZH5JEO44XaaIAExiRR_WoKeN_yE/s800/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2qpNGsXxfBvwVArad1sz-Kb6J0moQkbyXVDwwZH6mErqrgZZuWC7ehE4Mg9JJ2ZX2_geo4N7iCmLUiLRs6-7kmGapFzFGjndSE0CbiuXDC9-0usB0aDslQWBo3kZZlOzzpU9NKdt4tYTIz3dqdBbhTkuwXZLDchmZH5JEO44XaaIAExiRR_WoKeN_yE/w400-h300/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooded Dotterel <i>Charadrius cucullatus, </i>Dhilba Guuranda–Innes NP, South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicCw1kyjt6ugPd2axOSC9YkEGso3d22AIwpHFM1gRSLDi3KPM_HU3V4AOKTP3RFhjDTZWpG1OTTOReGX0Z_fun03tZtieWdnre69R1LDvss5tyWV-RM8G4zX1-a_y-ijWdqvlLWd8fRfHRVqdK2r8FBl5EIanL6ASn0uize3kVpr8QgycTu0J6gAcq9o/s1000/Chestnut%20Teals%20panorama%20Bawley%20Pt%200608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicCw1kyjt6ugPd2axOSC9YkEGso3d22AIwpHFM1gRSLDi3KPM_HU3V4AOKTP3RFhjDTZWpG1OTTOReGX0Z_fun03tZtieWdnre69R1LDvss5tyWV-RM8G4zX1-a_y-ijWdqvlLWd8fRfHRVqdK2r8FBl5EIanL6ASn0uize3kVpr8QgycTu0J6gAcq9o/w640-h224/Chestnut%20Teals%20panorama%20Bawley%20Pt%200608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut Teals <i>Anas castanea, </i>south coast NSW. In this case only the males have the advantage<br />of the black contrast, though the females have the red eye too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">For many other species, like the female teals, the red eye alone is enough it seems, though in all these cases it is framed in a paler plain background.<br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eRZ6blM9n0pQMJ-CXZm62KRAkYhDj2xkWvepDzDUKSUPLFj-iPbTsVNqs4bvfuBzmzQbdQzdq546ZULkAbtHXPnTLLkophUwEALqybEGuxx8w9Jlq7lAfi9ilhoDMZuXeyzT2TrbTYvx5ySa7opcRDJ481iivup9JwWERXLGdUwRCB-0gz0AmL8bDgY/s800/Red-collared%20Lorikeet1%20on%20Schefflera%20actinophylla%20Darwin%20Museum%20NT%200115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eRZ6blM9n0pQMJ-CXZm62KRAkYhDj2xkWvepDzDUKSUPLFj-iPbTsVNqs4bvfuBzmzQbdQzdq546ZULkAbtHXPnTLLkophUwEALqybEGuxx8w9Jlq7lAfi9ilhoDMZuXeyzT2TrbTYvx5ySa7opcRDJ481iivup9JwWERXLGdUwRCB-0gz0AmL8bDgY/w400-h300/Red-collared%20Lorikeet1%20on%20Schefflera%20actinophylla%20Darwin%20Museum%20NT%200115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-collared Lorikeet <i>Trichoglossus rubritorquis, </i>Darwin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7haOwQlTVkUp5ZKI91k-IGJuBjpE9gC1iQ5ewYwk8tMhM2rA7ibaXPD959YSN582KMwZdbCHpvPA5mFuOjywjFZCbCuKNF3UgEzPi0dXVn31k67it8YTa9lg0SGgmUSny8f8bxpbGy8sakf-Y-trWHd1N83Js228e47ulaAwRxsVXCeAo0403qVEANB8/s800/Olive-backed%20Oriole%20Tapitallee%201213.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7haOwQlTVkUp5ZKI91k-IGJuBjpE9gC1iQ5ewYwk8tMhM2rA7ibaXPD959YSN582KMwZdbCHpvPA5mFuOjywjFZCbCuKNF3UgEzPi0dXVn31k67it8YTa9lg0SGgmUSny8f8bxpbGy8sakf-Y-trWHd1N83Js228e47ulaAwRxsVXCeAo0403qVEANB8/w400-h300/Olive-backed%20Oriole%20Tapitallee%201213.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive-backed Oriole <i>Oriolus sagittatus, </i>Nowra, NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOcrnaedV2PjhHcFDNjf1dUEjb019MFU3450r-f1AVYNQjz4aHoXprRRLgCx0p-PfxZCxv4wTK1WLzEneTPa9ksZG77YDdpoZCUSH6_kXw_7hrNLXC6PoD7TUTRYu6bPgwRBYMlDsN1Fk9hyphenhyphenkFhuBrjxI8QlitcAxCSVKfhe2SszxYo_kxAfKWDwSP4o/s800/Grey-necked%20Wood%20Rail7%20Aguas%20Verdes%20Peru%200915.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOcrnaedV2PjhHcFDNjf1dUEjb019MFU3450r-f1AVYNQjz4aHoXprRRLgCx0p-PfxZCxv4wTK1WLzEneTPa9ksZG77YDdpoZCUSH6_kXw_7hrNLXC6PoD7TUTRYu6bPgwRBYMlDsN1Fk9hyphenhyphenkFhuBrjxI8QlitcAxCSVKfhe2SszxYo_kxAfKWDwSP4o/w400-h300/Grey-necked%20Wood%20Rail7%20Aguas%20Verdes%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-cowled Wood Rail <i>Aramides cajaneus,</i> northern Peru.<br />These eyes really almost do glow in the dim rainforest understorey.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbZYlot1tlplCulsF5bwW8pvgefKhqG-04MF4Lfvvg8FVG2w73isy-QblRhG2il0w4WJrEZLGrO62mGapOdGaDul21gDHx8fyZiys5ItsguuTM0KDf6O6SJ_teOxh_Pl3SlwyJqgfrA4hwcXWlt9dnVWisPTObDZldpeExVVoDxP-zfH3bfAht78YIFs/s800/Fire-eyed%20Diucon%20with%20grub%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbZYlot1tlplCulsF5bwW8pvgefKhqG-04MF4Lfvvg8FVG2w73isy-QblRhG2il0w4WJrEZLGrO62mGapOdGaDul21gDHx8fyZiys5ItsguuTM0KDf6O6SJ_teOxh_Pl3SlwyJqgfrA4hwcXWlt9dnVWisPTObDZldpeExVVoDxP-zfH3bfAht78YIFs/w400-h300/Fire-eyed%20Diucon%20with%20grub%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire-eyed Diucon <i>Pyrope pyrope, </i>Chilean Patagonia. <br />This tyrant flycatcher's eyes really are its outstanding feature.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuXStr2RQx1uIdf_qVhH6bigzdvZT_zDnvuOtK20KJQIbwv-AS6Sr9ti4jOLYU_UN9VWdFEk2J3cJcyT90lzJQUL5BcAjcHrbsGAVjIiWeOfGTAdwwlUZ4F5uGfEpazf3AFo3RB4-J3sGRDXdOkfOdCae9RWF37TYlag0GFeBTDXs7fXteI0ecsx49Hw/s800/Crested%20Duck2%20Puerto%20Natales%201206.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuXStr2RQx1uIdf_qVhH6bigzdvZT_zDnvuOtK20KJQIbwv-AS6Sr9ti4jOLYU_UN9VWdFEk2J3cJcyT90lzJQUL5BcAjcHrbsGAVjIiWeOfGTAdwwlUZ4F5uGfEpazf3AFo3RB4-J3sGRDXdOkfOdCae9RWF37TYlag0GFeBTDXs7fXteI0ecsx49Hw/w400-h300/Crested%20Duck2%20Puerto%20Natales%201206.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Duck <i>Lophonetta specularioides, </i>Chilean Patagonia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And red grades to orange. This is probably often due to the influence of yellow carotenoids on some of the features that produce red, but remember the earlier comments on how much we don't yet know.<br /></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeXvrm2zMOwIL8p0TUs0grv4GuIdlyR88E9HovGwVtGyB4NWo03Jg3VKjmH_UNt4soKLmfk_2wDDMp3XW5c-W-fMXQNmSazhuUlLuY_8CH4c22xBbwe0qPGoKRC0kHdhRQBDLNPf2OScNYddVcM8KzPS1V8oL0kwaGfrhYsX6Bf-97-mfllwiW7RubWQ/s800/Crested%20Pigeon%20Wagga%20BG%200318.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeXvrm2zMOwIL8p0TUs0grv4GuIdlyR88E9HovGwVtGyB4NWo03Jg3VKjmH_UNt4soKLmfk_2wDDMp3XW5c-W-fMXQNmSazhuUlLuY_8CH4c22xBbwe0qPGoKRC0kHdhRQBDLNPf2OScNYddVcM8KzPS1V8oL0kwaGfrhYsX6Bf-97-mfllwiW7RubWQ/w400-h300/Crested%20Pigeon%20Wagga%20BG%200318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Pigeon <i>Ochyphaps lophota, </i>Wagga Wagga NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IzLh0Zd8_EyckIMK6XhEjUVu7QLuNmPyk_glykt4LrNonR3HQp5YeXxRR-H3O8kapRKqBlWLpdsjBBEZHwcgcqFOxNvP_QF_dqYyWP43othYKv62seoouhk9ndchE6Q3HTTNWv7my-C69vQCFn3-WAEafGg-6HeUw2bJvx3DBpdiGQMem0eZOP9Vk_o/s800/Dusky-legged%20Guan2%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IzLh0Zd8_EyckIMK6XhEjUVu7QLuNmPyk_glykt4LrNonR3HQp5YeXxRR-H3O8kapRKqBlWLpdsjBBEZHwcgcqFOxNvP_QF_dqYyWP43othYKv62seoouhk9ndchE6Q3HTTNWv7my-C69vQCFn3-WAEafGg-6HeUw2bJvx3DBpdiGQMem0eZOP9Vk_o/w400-h300/Dusky-legged%20Guan2%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dusky-legged Guan <i>Penelope obscura, </i>Peruibe, southern Brazil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3ZQiZBDIJvKUPin-AKzP-DPpPsZYzRtokM2p7DzkZmPMdFFHkVveH3nnq-yNwLbbMEUmh3uuJY3iHGplTPCj4ja70dCUfQRA5hIBJTvccpL6i7vL8gNe4sPPARQPrKcc0ExeY1oeHIAao6jR9YHlaDRqY2gaU898DxyLa1bzpSQV4A53Q1yiiV1GOHE/s800/Hildebrandt's%20Starling%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3ZQiZBDIJvKUPin-AKzP-DPpPsZYzRtokM2p7DzkZmPMdFFHkVveH3nnq-yNwLbbMEUmh3uuJY3iHGplTPCj4ja70dCUfQRA5hIBJTvccpL6i7vL8gNe4sPPARQPrKcc0ExeY1oeHIAao6jR9YHlaDRqY2gaU898DxyLa1bzpSQV4A53Q1yiiV1GOHE/w400-h300/Hildebrandt's%20Starling%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hildebrandt's Starling <i>Lamprotornis hildebrandti, </i>Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Many birds have striking yellow eyes; in those few that have been studied contributing factors include pigments such as melanins, carotenoids, pteridines and purines, collagen fibres and oil droplets, in varying combinations. Take your pick regarding the following, all of which are in different Orders.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdarR4060VBpDgy00WrLqBFSQHolZDxrqHkyrZosuYxUtjcn24dDH1sxwWkm7KO5qLqq5t5E3o64Ub1orYOcaisOok4i7yjuMvgGd5oazx9GKkb12zJcOIEdQo91JxW4LsTDlf_beHZ1UroM4w_YuUMQEaexDVBJkD-tk3nZrsQMLIuwwMvcx2IaqXBg/s800/Shoveller%20male2%20Jerra%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdarR4060VBpDgy00WrLqBFSQHolZDxrqHkyrZosuYxUtjcn24dDH1sxwWkm7KO5qLqq5t5E3o64Ub1orYOcaisOok4i7yjuMvgGd5oazx9GKkb12zJcOIEdQo91JxW4LsTDlf_beHZ1UroM4w_YuUMQEaexDVBJkD-tk3nZrsQMLIuwwMvcx2IaqXBg/w400-h300/Shoveller%20male2%20Jerra%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australasian Shoveller <i>Spatula rhynchotis, </i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf-4U-PtslQVGB16zZ2MAozit2poYyyKS57xb3LzrNMoBq6RmuDHlyRp215s1Rg4KCMhVR_vxsnflJ0iu9WP42_uJmD2hy1XKPO5y5Y12Chq4MbKVa58SdAIhyDxAAwmOytUtSKcGcQApj-SB4rtRPs1WRRLfBNyhyphenhyphenwT3RbC-C10G783vaoDm0fwSTcM/s800/Pearl-spotted%20Owlet2%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf-4U-PtslQVGB16zZ2MAozit2poYyyKS57xb3LzrNMoBq6RmuDHlyRp215s1Rg4KCMhVR_vxsnflJ0iu9WP42_uJmD2hy1XKPO5y5Y12Chq4MbKVa58SdAIhyDxAAwmOytUtSKcGcQApj-SB4rtRPs1WRRLfBNyhyphenhyphenwT3RbC-C10G783vaoDm0fwSTcM/w400-h300/Pearl-spotted%20Owlet2%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl-spotted Owlet <i>Glaucidium perlatum, </i>Tangarire NP, Tanzania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho_hSIc8qf212rr-kCj8e8dWvCHjUo2iC0poBjH3FcnFYM9uZUz3lVwPAvuv9DsMF4cLPZVEyx5EnyfjvPJlaTJ2oVhR1_H8pYBVpiK_Zqx-E6Ax6RlGvpKCnWrvcgilcawoodAw5CkI9jm9j1M8FzxniupXBzrO6Z1uH2JMLsAERyRc2YzrhWdBMKQo/s800/Grey%20Currawong2%20Lill%20Hide%20Gluepot%20Reserve%200321.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho_hSIc8qf212rr-kCj8e8dWvCHjUo2iC0poBjH3FcnFYM9uZUz3lVwPAvuv9DsMF4cLPZVEyx5EnyfjvPJlaTJ2oVhR1_H8pYBVpiK_Zqx-E6Ax6RlGvpKCnWrvcgilcawoodAw5CkI9jm9j1M8FzxniupXBzrO6Z1uH2JMLsAERyRc2YzrhWdBMKQo/w400-h300/Grey%20Currawong2%20Lill%20Hide%20Gluepot%20Reserve%200321.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Currawong <i>Strepera versicolor, </i>Gluepot Reserve, South Australia.<br />(This is the confusingly black mallee subspecies.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SEGSW7ICaSk8jdUG8sSU09RaduJ1L_iB2UJGS9TqY2Alaxa82sNT0q0uYBhI9VStCrV4usWX9-SWqE9kyS1mvkPocsDbzo69YI-kf198pGOLgtOzaGBUNobthHZikK4YARwlX3LkRFLQYs7mP-p4VJ4JJJUQW8ejM-yVOoqC7Y9GLwJkjsH94ZlUidQ/s800/Dolphin%20Gull3%20Ushuaia%20Argentina%201214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SEGSW7ICaSk8jdUG8sSU09RaduJ1L_iB2UJGS9TqY2Alaxa82sNT0q0uYBhI9VStCrV4usWX9-SWqE9kyS1mvkPocsDbzo69YI-kf198pGOLgtOzaGBUNobthHZikK4YARwlX3LkRFLQYs7mP-p4VJ4JJJUQW8ejM-yVOoqC7Y9GLwJkjsH94ZlUidQ/w300-h400/Dolphin%20Gull3%20Ushuaia%20Argentina%201214.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphin Gull <i>Leucophaeus scoresbii, </i>Ushaia, Argentinian Tierra del Fuego.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnIalqvNxSQtH3EtszaLmKJkEQ8Pjv33Ro9i00WaRKUbc6rCe0udxqcuzSdHoJFGsbkQnsWzBTY4WF-2M7JmDJCwndrGGIYWG5sWzn-NgB-6LDsW73q5M-2I3EPy9MHJhno_kS1-yNDnUTHQZG2qispBJUWecbKjOeKfAYgv3egfswXy4N9i-dqNNfMA/s800/Collared%20Sparrowhawk1%20Duffy%20yard%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnIalqvNxSQtH3EtszaLmKJkEQ8Pjv33Ro9i00WaRKUbc6rCe0udxqcuzSdHoJFGsbkQnsWzBTY4WF-2M7JmDJCwndrGGIYWG5sWzn-NgB-6LDsW73q5M-2I3EPy9MHJhno_kS1-yNDnUTHQZG2qispBJUWecbKjOeKfAYgv3egfswXy4N9i-dqNNfMA/w400-h300/Collared%20Sparrowhawk1%20Duffy%20yard%201113.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Sparrowhawk <i>Accipiter cirrocephalus </i>(with House Sparrow lunch) <br />in our Canberra back yard.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhSNcrka4ljhVe0YKha1p5Ul2VamA8A2kjPtGMyi4jMABifNJjYJ5U6SVV8V10JZs0CEZLYFZVv5Eouv-F4l5f70stn0eUAS7RsPAFMjqfXhRrX_5GIttkdhZ-h5PdEQ0v-5moYQ2p4UqDpN8hEXKFf_axlX83_zaE2DyuF-hvkWod2LeLyGcECz-7LY/s800/Australasian%20Grebe%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhSNcrka4ljhVe0YKha1p5Ul2VamA8A2kjPtGMyi4jMABifNJjYJ5U6SVV8V10JZs0CEZLYFZVv5Eouv-F4l5f70stn0eUAS7RsPAFMjqfXhRrX_5GIttkdhZ-h5PdEQ0v-5moYQ2p4UqDpN8hEXKFf_axlX83_zaE2DyuF-hvkWod2LeLyGcECz-7LY/w400-h300/Australasian%20Grebe%20Coombs%20Pond%201119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australasian Grebe <i>Tachybaptus novaehollandiae, </i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Before we get to white eyes, there are some I can only describe as 'pale', almost white but tinged with yellow or grey.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb_sIjx5AlZv7g7sVsQYVsV5uIdnSAFbqVRW5acqXZ1OWqctPynuODM8hkz4UlwGJEPwZEORu74WE-ERzmzm2CxzQzdkYIk4lE1eSdwuoQO5TrlKHZJYpQjkPs6AWlJ84qWDSqWcIqDlKXHgR0qqM9ZDu6g6-QbKTxMeIz_vBFYecvCoO-R-heuGTyvE/s800/Yellow-billed%20Spoonbills3%20Kellys%20Swamp%200114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb_sIjx5AlZv7g7sVsQYVsV5uIdnSAFbqVRW5acqXZ1OWqctPynuODM8hkz4UlwGJEPwZEORu74WE-ERzmzm2CxzQzdkYIk4lE1eSdwuoQO5TrlKHZJYpQjkPs6AWlJ84qWDSqWcIqDlKXHgR0qqM9ZDu6g6-QbKTxMeIz_vBFYecvCoO-R-heuGTyvE/w400-h300/Yellow-billed%20Spoonbills3%20Kellys%20Swamp%200114.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-billed Spoonbills <i>Platalea flavipes, </i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuiU7lu2KV19zQXv91sGDTXiC0p_-e1HYRPdgnbWWHjnJHV-ld4zGhMjrlEYPJY-I5qPZqRro8tLmQaLX0PUB_z87G1cCseg32Px1CBPeEFHOUpCEfhOKcm60DyJbrY2STUfeHPjjKjXR6zLm8wruPUZG-Jvu_D8U8axHcQe45jhKf5GJriaq3phl114/s800/osprey4%20Hervey%20Bay%201105%20closeup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuiU7lu2KV19zQXv91sGDTXiC0p_-e1HYRPdgnbWWHjnJHV-ld4zGhMjrlEYPJY-I5qPZqRro8tLmQaLX0PUB_z87G1cCseg32Px1CBPeEFHOUpCEfhOKcm60DyJbrY2STUfeHPjjKjXR6zLm8wruPUZG-Jvu_D8U8axHcQe45jhKf5GJriaq3phl114/w300-h400/osprey4%20Hervey%20Bay%201105%20closeup.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osprey <i>Pandion haliaetus, </i>Hervey Bay, Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnplcusw3quIx0j9hStwu0T8qdcR7mvOL0-CI3BCTWcq2XNxMx4HBYxhyyL1FwJ4UbknZCQohH-42v9jdKScKhHH_eTtiwzz2sy2KzOFjKWkDhHwEcEh3Yb22LvikXrUKWCyhHCXFHBVdc0Ckvi4BqiRf1_X850CIAyIwRzR-FvOMaTwIFzSNh1vLx1I/s800/Bar-shouldered%20Dove%20on%20fence%20Darwin%201208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnplcusw3quIx0j9hStwu0T8qdcR7mvOL0-CI3BCTWcq2XNxMx4HBYxhyyL1FwJ4UbknZCQohH-42v9jdKScKhHH_eTtiwzz2sy2KzOFjKWkDhHwEcEh3Yb22LvikXrUKWCyhHCXFHBVdc0Ckvi4BqiRf1_X850CIAyIwRzR-FvOMaTwIFzSNh1vLx1I/w400-h300/Bar-shouldered%20Dove%20on%20fence%20Darwin%201208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-shouldered Dove <i>Geopelia humeralis, </i>Darwin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QdlhzBLe4FfcsuLe5mqxKVobPW9dmb1SnTYNZO4jnCYLE4jZapJkj2iBjuJv_jVEXT3wIrs1Resk8-HgBl-3V_T6tNjaAlri3O-8hsejBCWWqqa5mEmVJAiLTBWQlpOlnf1nitAQHhAwzm_9ONw5yTC6FMg7WZdsi-Ih5fBMFAXGBb7fUtRFhI6aNIA/s800/Mag-lark%20male%20Turner%20horiz%200307.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="800" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QdlhzBLe4FfcsuLe5mqxKVobPW9dmb1SnTYNZO4jnCYLE4jZapJkj2iBjuJv_jVEXT3wIrs1Resk8-HgBl-3V_T6tNjaAlri3O-8hsejBCWWqqa5mEmVJAiLTBWQlpOlnf1nitAQHhAwzm_9ONw5yTC6FMg7WZdsi-Ih5fBMFAXGBb7fUtRFhI6aNIA/w400-h323/Mag-lark%20male%20Turner%20horiz%200307.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Magpie-lark <i>Grallina cyanoleuca, </i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which brings us to those birds, and there are quite a few, with striking white irises. These eyes may actually have various pigments, but in combination with colourless light-reflecting structures or chemicals these may produce white irises. And no, I'm afraid I don't really understand that either! Here are some, nonetheless, which I find particularly impressive.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNguVNjrUXkehEfIozyi8caHow9tX6V3NM8ihkttGD5swQwIWKAgGSuzIpZ68Jm5o6BXPnNNB8-wbwcbOtClyRjEPJZYpRFPOej_6aaGzzT3-MlKDdZU9EZir83yTtwICMHDDZ37eBSg6oq2LqXHFOF8ojUvi4pz56lxJD5U1HzX26cTJZF1RqeMKh9s/s800/Blue%20and%20Yellow%20Macaw'1%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNguVNjrUXkehEfIozyi8caHow9tX6V3NM8ihkttGD5swQwIWKAgGSuzIpZ68Jm5o6BXPnNNB8-wbwcbOtClyRjEPJZYpRFPOej_6aaGzzT3-MlKDdZU9EZir83yTtwICMHDDZ37eBSg6oq2LqXHFOF8ojUvi4pz56lxJD5U1HzX26cTJZF1RqeMKh9s/w300-h400/Blue%20and%20Yellow%20Macaw'1%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue and Yellow Macaw <i>Ara ararauna</i>, Pantanal, south-west Brazil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxx6X0lUyOnqmUQdbr13TRRhLOxpxVtXiCXjrn0wQf0pAOSfXjrbA4sPxvJJuyyjv5KFzpStT_6o66F6oAtQ07GlmfPeFH2bdVx7J8wHKAVtv8IJ8CLOvFoil3BupiRmwmZRMYFpxI8l7KuX15Tukd0yA7VOICgUi6WhKkJ9uyG36E1ng3msYm_U8INI/s800/Grey-crowned%20Babbler1%20Alice%20Springs%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxx6X0lUyOnqmUQdbr13TRRhLOxpxVtXiCXjrn0wQf0pAOSfXjrbA4sPxvJJuyyjv5KFzpStT_6o66F6oAtQ07GlmfPeFH2bdVx7J8wHKAVtv8IJ8CLOvFoil3BupiRmwmZRMYFpxI8l7KuX15Tukd0yA7VOICgUi6WhKkJ9uyG36E1ng3msYm_U8INI/w300-h400/Grey-crowned%20Babbler1%20Alice%20Springs%200514.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-crowned Babbler <i>Pomatostomus temporalis</i>, Alice Springs, central Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04ZMmexoRnPKPWOw8p9omJdgMuSHiD8QIZjvO4G4y03epkAw5vY7bU5Oos45spTdXnTwIGvLHUb1etsp1cSVfucLaz5q-tj95YZZ79fmFV6pjCLj5aSsir_Rb_6W9h9Ur4ZqjArmSl2MaQ0lbHLEdqxWXL-aYrQxK4h62-VNHHJnsF6N3RKHo80jLfRo/s800/Hardhead%20male%20West%20Belconnen%20Pond%201012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04ZMmexoRnPKPWOw8p9omJdgMuSHiD8QIZjvO4G4y03epkAw5vY7bU5Oos45spTdXnTwIGvLHUb1etsp1cSVfucLaz5q-tj95YZZ79fmFV6pjCLj5aSsir_Rb_6W9h9Ur4ZqjArmSl2MaQ0lbHLEdqxWXL-aYrQxK4h62-VNHHJnsF6N3RKHo80jLfRo/w400-h300/Hardhead%20male%20West%20Belconnen%20Pond%201012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardhead (also known, much more helpfully, as White-eyed Duck) <i>Aythya australis, </i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSNcbBD9vHz7FlrzysutGVZ5yi1eUb_iHrcSChLhvPfWRF4yTtFkQigLpLJdM8Hj7yaup4tINE61CEpgrNWbFMjYSmhccWuobskvBFVoZ5OKQrV5oW-48NX4x0Pi_gIVBedS_3pW6UAiXp9WaXzac_fkZyeEHYjwx198iW9j3ejFotq-jyV8D70-0M0I/s800/New%20Holland%20HE%20and%20Calothamnus%20Cape%20Le%20Grande%20NP%200908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSNcbBD9vHz7FlrzysutGVZ5yi1eUb_iHrcSChLhvPfWRF4yTtFkQigLpLJdM8Hj7yaup4tINE61CEpgrNWbFMjYSmhccWuobskvBFVoZ5OKQrV5oW-48NX4x0Pi_gIVBedS_3pW6UAiXp9WaXzac_fkZyeEHYjwx198iW9j3ejFotq-jyV8D70-0M0I/w400-h300/New%20Holland%20HE%20and%20Calothamnus%20Cape%20Le%20Grande%20NP%200908.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Holland Honeyeater <i>Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, </i>south-west Western Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ7TGaEtzYNOf8s0HnbnqAkXOIwOsRX1VaSSBBwQzlGfpAPkSi65zZXvlf8WLB4-g73o7rtOEBM_on8DnOEao3caXNXjduF6zAH2HjPiZHtE70lBSZYWZnZ99EmvUQyzWmTljkmtpMcAAxs626tGH9YdLsCM5lmavPDuIqv4PnxfOGZCByYDxkqbRLjo/s800/Pacific%20Gull1%20Binalong%20Bay%20Tas%200214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ7TGaEtzYNOf8s0HnbnqAkXOIwOsRX1VaSSBBwQzlGfpAPkSi65zZXvlf8WLB4-g73o7rtOEBM_on8DnOEao3caXNXjduF6zAH2HjPiZHtE70lBSZYWZnZ99EmvUQyzWmTljkmtpMcAAxs626tGH9YdLsCM5lmavPDuIqv4PnxfOGZCByYDxkqbRLjo/w400-h300/Pacific%20Gull1%20Binalong%20Bay%20Tas%200214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Gull <i>Larus pacificus, </i>Binalong Bay, Tasmania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA67HDC1PFwpXXunpNGO2p59MET6q7bL8ocYoUL_Ne_SdW1S8vQ4QoaPjDZVA-xk_y0g825Ra-VIoEKQP4ST0dTsTfa3DOHw28iv4mUsuWEUQ2chyphenhyphenG-2rTHXJf1wt0_wZO8-u31BzR5iq-q31Z4q2B7dGWnj36Jns49HhU8sWv0KWKspokkEWt_XyZCIc/s800/Radjah%20Shelduck2%20TWP%20NT%200115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA67HDC1PFwpXXunpNGO2p59MET6q7bL8ocYoUL_Ne_SdW1S8vQ4QoaPjDZVA-xk_y0g825Ra-VIoEKQP4ST0dTsTfa3DOHw28iv4mUsuWEUQ2chyphenhyphenG-2rTHXJf1wt0_wZO8-u31BzR5iq-q31Z4q2B7dGWnj36Jns49HhU8sWv0KWKspokkEWt_XyZCIc/w400-h300/Radjah%20Shelduck2%20TWP%20NT%200115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radjah Shelduck <i>Radjah radjah, </i>Darwin. I'm not sure why this 'white on white' <br />works so well, at least for me, but I find it compelling.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Blue bird irises are not common, but when they are encountered they are most striking. As usual the mechanism has not been looked at very much, but it is assumed that the principle (as with most blue feathers) is the Tyndall Scattering Effect, where minute particles in a medium reflect light of a wavelength we see as blue. No pigments are involved, and indeed blue pigments are almost unknown in birds. <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj204zPrWZIQkL19ISzcDY9Rd8Xde_LAEf5iSha3zcAhlayF3MLWQJUfTpBDy8GF460Ymhzs0qHqo4PRYC8IFnzi_c43hkn4ud4-0CfiqEzU3O2bUTjrnX5fAK89dDQRaddRbEAprMn7-Ke405FaVHspNhd2oZocp6R_zyM50uMcuN8yh-varNYNqkhWTc/s800/Chestnut-headed%20Oropendola%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj204zPrWZIQkL19ISzcDY9Rd8Xde_LAEf5iSha3zcAhlayF3MLWQJUfTpBDy8GF460Ymhzs0qHqo4PRYC8IFnzi_c43hkn4ud4-0CfiqEzU3O2bUTjrnX5fAK89dDQRaddRbEAprMn7-Ke405FaVHspNhd2oZocp6R_zyM50uMcuN8yh-varNYNqkhWTc/w400-h300/Chestnut-headed%20Oropendola%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-headed Oropendola <i>Psarocolius wagleri, </i>Costa Rica central ranges.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelWDu68a7X73WvXfwBA8XiXjDPnYWBQofLlnkyBUuSkUtiYPFnU9Bf8GsIcOe25M_xgw1YDZg84B3g_oT3WaBPgYNPhBFUDPL2Ln8WhcI_aRnpL_tJ_c1WMEWuua7IlxIFo_hWWvS_YBM9B4Y0ogYZwsg0QpHtgUCoI4ifTESvjZvpPzBBAuww1R0T70/s800/Gal%20Cormorant%20wings%20spread2%20Punta%20Espinoza%20Fernandina%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelWDu68a7X73WvXfwBA8XiXjDPnYWBQofLlnkyBUuSkUtiYPFnU9Bf8GsIcOe25M_xgw1YDZg84B3g_oT3WaBPgYNPhBFUDPL2Ln8WhcI_aRnpL_tJ_c1WMEWuua7IlxIFo_hWWvS_YBM9B4Y0ogYZwsg0QpHtgUCoI4ifTESvjZvpPzBBAuww1R0T70/w400-h300/Gal%20Cormorant%20wings%20spread2%20Punta%20Espinoza%20Fernandina%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galápagos Cormorant <i>Nannopterum harrisi</i>, Isla Fernandina. <br />This is the world's only flightless cormorant.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWavhVawhApAHyJfaReXF0d0MsVZTUkxfiqV6PGnNMpfxs-Q9OAqdE3HTuhdc9tDHT109I1oxxBS8lzFlB1v0Z-eaUBcZAgofQu8ySzScsWmUar9Msy9am5clAeDzc-IWQmLvPh8sSf7Wvg5F1l4T2k8uyyuVNQKtZGFIobjrB-UPKXtowXNyw8iRXl0/s800/Little%20Black%20Cormorant%20drying%20wings%20LBG%200109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWavhVawhApAHyJfaReXF0d0MsVZTUkxfiqV6PGnNMpfxs-Q9OAqdE3HTuhdc9tDHT109I1oxxBS8lzFlB1v0Z-eaUBcZAgofQu8ySzScsWmUar9Msy9am5clAeDzc-IWQmLvPh8sSf7Wvg5F1l4T2k8uyyuVNQKtZGFIobjrB-UPKXtowXNyw8iRXl0/w400-h300/Little%20Black%20Cormorant%20drying%20wings%20LBG%200109.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Black Cormorant <i>Phalacrocorax sulcirostris,<b> </b></i>Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstWdO7eeWDOV321ryqBoumdnxagMt3r3QDFbrRtqgyX6f0jNnFC6rSbrXtPOsdnV3wmkG9RdiIsM310w_I5NFw1ROv58jRMsrSdleEgA1O8RUAVfZjoizh3cezF7zXDAKjl_7u3GlETiZob3iFg8MA-Rrrv1qSJ7AbQr-4Ow_55LymJ7pqTlsRFEC_vY/s800/Spiny-cheeked%20HE3%20on%20tank%20Cocoparra%20NP%200122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstWdO7eeWDOV321ryqBoumdnxagMt3r3QDFbrRtqgyX6f0jNnFC6rSbrXtPOsdnV3wmkG9RdiIsM310w_I5NFw1ROv58jRMsrSdleEgA1O8RUAVfZjoizh3cezF7zXDAKjl_7u3GlETiZob3iFg8MA-Rrrv1qSJ7AbQr-4Ow_55LymJ7pqTlsRFEC_vY/w400-h300/Spiny-cheeked%20HE3%20on%20tank%20Cocoparra%20NP%200122.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater <i>Acanthagenys rufogularis, </i>Cocoparra NP, NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It is not such a big step from this to mauve, which is even rarer in birds' eyes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeSavw3tcywepJZyS4JonWMSJ2-sT-N5fO8ayNLMRf8agk_6I0RdyYjNHfNsDEriBAhjtyO6wlhSykOklM61fFof5mZ6hWKSEsXiRdKmsfg27IBj0TuAmw9LMaL9Q8br0mGxcxwbSqe7DckYpqDgCR3-72GX47nGuWGDfazJjUWkdoHwVSevagxXa3j4/s800/Satin%20Bowerbird%20male%20eating%20lilly%20pilly%20berries2%20NBG%200821.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeSavw3tcywepJZyS4JonWMSJ2-sT-N5fO8ayNLMRf8agk_6I0RdyYjNHfNsDEriBAhjtyO6wlhSykOklM61fFof5mZ6hWKSEsXiRdKmsfg27IBj0TuAmw9LMaL9Q8br0mGxcxwbSqe7DckYpqDgCR3-72GX47nGuWGDfazJjUWkdoHwVSevagxXa3j4/w300-h400/Satin%20Bowerbird%20male%20eating%20lilly%20pilly%20berries2%20NBG%200821.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Satin Bowerbird <i>Ptilonorhynchus violaceus</i>, National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Some birds also have, dare I say it, somewhat weird iris patterns; you'll need to click on these two pictures to enlarge to be able to see the effect..<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHslYwHqdUajh3uBZlt0XXIU3p8KFXDo2p_0Q0aCrTTfuhW-KRVrLeokfbTGJscAliq_R0AOyXmhGv8fFe9IYNelK-5lujELGQAh7AivkFDqp4VMspVRsxjvBGGGNu3fs2Injgqu9CBplDWZKKBwr4lcVFk-vqHUl5NW3W6q2rAsIaA_kfq8u_noER1m4/s800/Common%20Myna1%20Sydney%200717.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHslYwHqdUajh3uBZlt0XXIU3p8KFXDo2p_0Q0aCrTTfuhW-KRVrLeokfbTGJscAliq_R0AOyXmhGv8fFe9IYNelK-5lujELGQAh7AivkFDqp4VMspVRsxjvBGGGNu3fs2Injgqu9CBplDWZKKBwr4lcVFk-vqHUl5NW3W6q2rAsIaA_kfq8u_noER1m4/w400-h300/Common%20Myna1%20Sydney%200717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't often feature this species, Australia's worst exotic bird pest, here, but Common Mynas<br /><i>Acridotheres tristis</i>, here in Sydney, have a most unusual iris comprising a ring of <br />white spots around the otherwise dark iris.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMoi2l-brN75PhIDUPYrXJZ0wcVwA_S27k49sh-kngW7gdi4NKwZuFgpdmPYR8YwYaZzT9GRj03rbYzznuMpckQ0vgBXXwqYGnVi8S6U6j_rqZN0LrZw_EVvsUwu8DkK4PTxHQzmBCnLtnzSqEz9Od4lIIf7DfLIM1rFah6dDzzmw5i2afGC2rub3ZF0/s800/Golden-collared%20Toucanet%20male%20Wild%20Sumaco%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMoi2l-brN75PhIDUPYrXJZ0wcVwA_S27k49sh-kngW7gdi4NKwZuFgpdmPYR8YwYaZzT9GRj03rbYzznuMpckQ0vgBXXwqYGnVi8S6U6j_rqZN0LrZw_EVvsUwu8DkK4PTxHQzmBCnLtnzSqEz9Od4lIIf7DfLIM1rFah6dDzzmw5i2afGC2rub3ZF0/w400-h300/Golden-collared%20Toucanet%20male%20Wild%20Sumaco%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-collared Toucanet <i>Selenidera reinwardtii</i>, Wild Sumaco Lodge, north-eastern Ecuador.<br />Toucanets in this genus have already striking green-yellow irises but with added large dark<br /> patches on either side of the pupil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">In some species the irises change colour with age (as plumage commonly does) or are determined by sex.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_BkXYGbQRhOV2ceAEk4Em2rScv1ri0VNmpXnJqz_ND-7VnIZH8rQHvfYgRQk7aA0Av8dFr0YxX6tZ8i9WLlEzKj27F6mO3vDL6OXjrzAKKMu024NrGvZ9DhfQOy7cNqiIpvOpFvJJPMFJO4h1LhSUsQtNNGAfju5euMOu3yspO76pg5Z1V_H1ydBRc0/s800/Channel-billed%20Cuckoo1%20Karumba%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_BkXYGbQRhOV2ceAEk4Em2rScv1ri0VNmpXnJqz_ND-7VnIZH8rQHvfYgRQk7aA0Av8dFr0YxX6tZ8i9WLlEzKj27F6mO3vDL6OXjrzAKKMu024NrGvZ9DhfQOy7cNqiIpvOpFvJJPMFJO4h1LhSUsQtNNGAfju5euMOu3yspO76pg5Z1V_H1ydBRc0/w300-h400/Channel-billed%20Cuckoo1%20Karumba%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Channel-billed Cuckoo <i>Scythrops novaehollandiae</i>, above and below, the world's largest cuckoo.<br />The adult above at Karumba, tropical Queensland, has startlingly red eyes (and eye ring).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG3_8Rg2tRpQ9hIsX3PmU0CanC281Vq2xyBTzeAm1dRrqfCzkbIGzxr1zrzCHT5Izp28a1S2qh2VkhLY7L1IXiCxVeZgyTsA7SKVPzM74Jn1wQfGBL5WEtzkRi_o2y3rtVCWJV_68J9REkjzzncgF7k5r7GnjYwbmbgwrSSLojbJNmACyh93EzYO2i1E/s800/Channel-billed%20Cuckoo%20fledgling2%20Bomaderry%20Creek%200116.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG3_8Rg2tRpQ9hIsX3PmU0CanC281Vq2xyBTzeAm1dRrqfCzkbIGzxr1zrzCHT5Izp28a1S2qh2VkhLY7L1IXiCxVeZgyTsA7SKVPzM74Jn1wQfGBL5WEtzkRi_o2y3rtVCWJV_68J9REkjzzncgF7k5r7GnjYwbmbgwrSSLojbJNmACyh93EzYO2i1E/w400-h300/Channel-billed%20Cuckoo%20fledgling2%20Bomaderry%20Creek%200116.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This juvenile at Wollongong, south of Sydney, has brown irises which later turn red.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gp9qzvXGmV6mIMbp1acZuISoX8S0ieAPy0X81rsfQogA1ba3c_aizqKdGabnuj5aDxL6x-6woRtccmJTr4RgPWFtOmAwRU60QulwsvSmz1Y4dxBCduseeIBKdbODcXWhAugQpQxpuyMpncLsUIE1NUTWY87DlaUiALfNeHy0nx53fczLXKfSv4X0wDE/s800/Silver%20Gull%20one%20leg2%20Currarong%200216.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gp9qzvXGmV6mIMbp1acZuISoX8S0ieAPy0X81rsfQogA1ba3c_aizqKdGabnuj5aDxL6x-6woRtccmJTr4RgPWFtOmAwRU60QulwsvSmz1Y4dxBCduseeIBKdbODcXWhAugQpQxpuyMpncLsUIE1NUTWY87DlaUiALfNeHy0nx53fczLXKfSv4X0wDE/w300-h400/Silver%20Gull%20one%20leg2%20Currarong%200216.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likewise Silver Gulls <i>Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae </i>(the abundant and ubiquitous<br />Australian gull) has pure white irises as an adult - most of which have both feet by the way -<br />but they are dark in immature birds (below).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ-YtadryfO7qD-aoili8Fm69nIE9E5osh7iURr73EAYwxbvtyCwXZDazcD6JmNCAHttMZtd8-g5kC4nUIttuJF28RNR02Njjdp_CyUiVKg4Xh6_scy9jVy2uoWxNGGBS4jsHpW1k5hPqdY9SSBO8TZ8tLkKZJ_zzSPxRVNa-IrZ-NAlfHDPv_w_X0pc/s800/Silver%20Gull%20imm%20Nowra%200707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ-YtadryfO7qD-aoili8Fm69nIE9E5osh7iURr73EAYwxbvtyCwXZDazcD6JmNCAHttMZtd8-g5kC4nUIttuJF28RNR02Njjdp_CyUiVKg4Xh6_scy9jVy2uoWxNGGBS4jsHpW1k5hPqdY9SSBO8TZ8tLkKZJ_zzSPxRVNa-IrZ-NAlfHDPv_w_X0pc/s320/Silver%20Gull%20imm%20Nowra%200707.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF2CgjVPs8g0o6fZs7HC2axum3Ca7hejv24pL10Crog-50lXoEXmtALJnCpsxlqunixqDFxvEP1JKaQ15BF1UbJqe9uQpLYwAonVlcJY1hyphenhyphengP2n2bfxzog41rCsR10stbhoNMU6F6moFi187Uo7qH2PqJ4Lau2P1Dky0Z2dKze0AGVB9Q2wJAW3VVXjc/s800/Black-necked%20Stork%20pair2%20Karumba%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF2CgjVPs8g0o6fZs7HC2axum3Ca7hejv24pL10Crog-50lXoEXmtALJnCpsxlqunixqDFxvEP1JKaQ15BF1UbJqe9uQpLYwAonVlcJY1hyphenhyphengP2n2bfxzog41rCsR10stbhoNMU6F6moFi187Uo7qH2PqJ4Lau2P1Dky0Z2dKze0AGVB9Q2wJAW3VVXjc/w400-h300/Black-necked%20Stork%20pair2%20Karumba%200515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sexes of Black-necked Storks <i>Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, </i>here at Karumba<br />on the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, differ in eye colour.<br />The female on the left has staring yellow eyes, while the male's are brown.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7te15hM2Cz0iJRD8viH3446_ko2rtwIwONllK_Wxxv1FIdHwzZc77vmppzmxpWeV2AOKgwikVDcPzlKAHK_G4YyNXF4-Gl5vkk04GwPGeKTCJJn81cafp9bFFC77I4GXHEFZjARnOQO-El38GyfTB2prZXtx6uwHEjhRIgQLvKTAads_4bTAGjaJj8Ik/s800/Galah%20pair%20(see%20eyes)%20Nambung%200808.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7te15hM2Cz0iJRD8viH3446_ko2rtwIwONllK_Wxxv1FIdHwzZc77vmppzmxpWeV2AOKgwikVDcPzlKAHK_G4YyNXF4-Gl5vkk04GwPGeKTCJJn81cafp9bFFC77I4GXHEFZjARnOQO-El38GyfTB2prZXtx6uwHEjhRIgQLvKTAads_4bTAGjaJj8Ik/w400-h300/Galah%20pair%20(see%20eyes)%20Nambung%200808.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The story is the same with Galahs <i>Eolophus roseicapilla, </i>except that the female has <br />red eyes (here on the right) and the male's are again brown.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, while discussing red irises, I showed some examples of contrast
with the surrounding feather colour, especially black plumage. Here are
some more examples of eye colours accentuated by their surrounds, with black beings a 'popular' background. And I realise that I've feature a couple more red ones here - oh well, they're worth admiring!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCpUo2bHbKu4Mtqdg4TDFtlLMVXGqSYDaocpoDJjV6QrVWaAO4r02KEvFlXRyU1OS0iOzFcAXOxeb-YXthkLEORnn-xImka4XEAuvffX7WCOmNZjVAMM1RyJmbTEkHgh3aDjZmNcVEXhhIT5e4jTnph4RENCdOi4nyKGYHBnjEFH639N4bkwlbGzjEvc/s800/Blue%20Dacnis%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCpUo2bHbKu4Mtqdg4TDFtlLMVXGqSYDaocpoDJjV6QrVWaAO4r02KEvFlXRyU1OS0iOzFcAXOxeb-YXthkLEORnn-xImka4XEAuvffX7WCOmNZjVAMM1RyJmbTEkHgh3aDjZmNcVEXhhIT5e4jTnph4RENCdOi4nyKGYHBnjEFH639N4bkwlbGzjEvc/w400-h300/Blue%20Dacnis%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Dacnis <i>Dacnis cayana, </i>Peruibe, south coast Brazil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUMnKh9n5CsuTQ5iG8E00oWvLnuDLTeTmFyu-BXF066p7nvnme1H_jnn6DtbyZ0B1r6TmhfbVpGM7U9RQWCONHXn5eY4ZK3B-JJGMyD4c-9wCcdFn-dtxSwj1Y0j17wSSi_vv9hvoE_SohEygXzcliqdOwjauxFSv3Twm4FpOiiOODPIunOqIjZWX1Ug/s800/Magpie%20Tanager3%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUMnKh9n5CsuTQ5iG8E00oWvLnuDLTeTmFyu-BXF066p7nvnme1H_jnn6DtbyZ0B1r6TmhfbVpGM7U9RQWCONHXn5eY4ZK3B-JJGMyD4c-9wCcdFn-dtxSwj1Y0j17wSSi_vv9hvoE_SohEygXzcliqdOwjauxFSv3Twm4FpOiiOODPIunOqIjZWX1Ug/w400-h300/Magpie%20Tanager3%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magpie Tanager <i>Cissopis leverianus, </i>Trilha dos Tucanos near Sao Paulo, Brazil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1M8jeORHd5ifAJdEox0M2ziTDqEWUCrLDJc_dpYaG8Mm8tHWcs242Bv4Uvt93msMRzpWHU53tJZgUvbuRunW2QExSHjczmTQpYV6wceEsBP8wDkcUGkau8i3ZwcsZOUAS40ln3Lm_wJcIHBMmrIoHtqB7yx9B_GPS92aFyZcmh408rAwmIhRogpan-w/s800/Masked%20Flowerpiercer%20at%20feeder,%20Yanacocha%20Reserve%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1M8jeORHd5ifAJdEox0M2ziTDqEWUCrLDJc_dpYaG8Mm8tHWcs242Bv4Uvt93msMRzpWHU53tJZgUvbuRunW2QExSHjczmTQpYV6wceEsBP8wDkcUGkau8i3ZwcsZOUAS40ln3Lm_wJcIHBMmrIoHtqB7yx9B_GPS92aFyZcmh408rAwmIhRogpan-w/w400-h300/Masked%20Flowerpiercer%20at%20feeder,%20Yanacocha%20Reserve%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masked Flowerpiercer <i>Diglossa cyanea, </i>Yanacocha near Quito, Eucador.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWhMRLkVDzTWAcYxNTC-Pz-vgJGKQ_yH62dTpUrqqOE1BaeeYq4ryYro-oObqgA9AKkC9TKotyu5DUTsn1gdjFjZR9Kk-EQADisqlNpzwKpJWXhzhppnnYzrallBitTnKpg_DCIw-Rwk4lX4ffvi4Krt2xyP1T4xUGeQXui5d1QTZo4HMqOt4iMVtq3k/s800/Plush-crested%20Jay2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWhMRLkVDzTWAcYxNTC-Pz-vgJGKQ_yH62dTpUrqqOE1BaeeYq4ryYro-oObqgA9AKkC9TKotyu5DUTsn1gdjFjZR9Kk-EQADisqlNpzwKpJWXhzhppnnYzrallBitTnKpg_DCIw-Rwk4lX4ffvi4Krt2xyP1T4xUGeQXui5d1QTZo4HMqOt4iMVtq3k/w300-h400/Plush-crested%20Jay2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plush-crested Jay <i>Cyanocorax chrysops, </i>Pantanal, south-west Brazil.<br />(And apologies for the unfortunate background!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPz_1A4VRzQJbETmhh9d_gdi80RKfiAHa0wFYPsGEjgairbx600fNjfOLPR9uTaOCJLVg8pw1MUfEeRezYTQl-BERMVopkZJDIs0BBuJ_ANI1qQNju89WAmQUj_O6MkE1U7w-02LShL4Y5oGUkT_-46skqcY_HugfNoS-_1hP1-pkCcjmjxYk0d4byBg/s800/Torresian%20Crow%20Standley%20Chasm%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPz_1A4VRzQJbETmhh9d_gdi80RKfiAHa0wFYPsGEjgairbx600fNjfOLPR9uTaOCJLVg8pw1MUfEeRezYTQl-BERMVopkZJDIs0BBuJ_ANI1qQNju89WAmQUj_O6MkE1U7w-02LShL4Y5oGUkT_-46skqcY_HugfNoS-_1hP1-pkCcjmjxYk0d4byBg/w400-h300/Torresian%20Crow%20Standley%20Chasm%200514.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torresian Crow <i>Corvus orru, </i>central Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>And this one is in direct and, I find, pleasing contrast with the crow's white-on-black pattern.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoIU4qPgAq4wfYSSsKZx4WuU2bJOZmcingxjgVy5CL3jPPzS318eo389Nc-Cnfbuhx-gmzM8TN0nH3rciWvPFN7dptHwFrRw2om-DUAo10qrpJKThiKsCmh-fdb9mOQK6fXA-UMFsMdiV8H9ZfCJbIW86kg7hnPorQLvfI1LWQguqtB504FITWyyeeSs/s800/White%20Terns1%20LHI%200212.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoIU4qPgAq4wfYSSsKZx4WuU2bJOZmcingxjgVy5CL3jPPzS318eo389Nc-Cnfbuhx-gmzM8TN0nH3rciWvPFN7dptHwFrRw2om-DUAo10qrpJKThiKsCmh-fdb9mOQK6fXA-UMFsMdiV8H9ZfCJbIW86kg7hnPorQLvfI1LWQguqtB504FITWyyeeSs/w400-h300/White%20Terns1%20LHI%200212.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Terns <i>Gygis alba, </i>Lord Howe Island. <br />Here the black eye is showcased by the startlingly white plumage.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally - which may come as some relief to you - an entirely different kind of contrast which I'm pretty sure isn't just random. There are two species of oxpeckers, a genus of starlings, which make a living in sub-Saharan Africa picking ticks from the skin of large grazing mammals.The Yellow-billed Oxpecker <i>Buphagus africanus</i> is found right across the continent, while the Red-billed <i>B. </i><i>erythrorynchus</i> is found only in the east. In each case the eye colour forms a strong yellow-red contrast with the bill, which I find fascinating.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguntzk1Vi5Ns5DlKJXHMfZJZDxhkjagh1l7rE5OtAcHv_QT5l88MxsAMEkidu0ysAjXcVie9Qqy9Q2omeR0SCRxcMFH6jK4BXAw4k_WWWWE6QgHLwBoGShJci6LyAfiFC0C5JLM6Oj6eUsmpicc-6RvsAJ9ncYeI3pqg0slwKa1Ri5-3FOZgH1eS192Wk/s800/Red-%20and%20Yellow-billed%20Oxpeckers%20on%20giraffe%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguntzk1Vi5Ns5DlKJXHMfZJZDxhkjagh1l7rE5OtAcHv_QT5l88MxsAMEkidu0ysAjXcVie9Qqy9Q2omeR0SCRxcMFH6jK4BXAw4k_WWWWE6QgHLwBoGShJci6LyAfiFC0C5JLM6Oj6eUsmpicc-6RvsAJ9ncYeI3pqg0slwKa1Ri5-3FOZgH1eS192Wk/w400-h300/Red-%20and%20Yellow-billed%20Oxpeckers%20on%20giraffe%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two oxpecker species on a giraffe in Serengeti NP in Tanzania. <br />The Red-billed has glaring yellow eyes, and the Yellow-billed (which actually has a red<br />tip to its bill) has bright red irises.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I had intended to finish with another way of drawing attention to eyes, that is with bare coloured skin surrounding them, but I think this is long enough already, and I'll leave that for another day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for why all these different iris colours and patterns have evolved, I think that such evidence as there is (again thanks to Corbett's exhaustive review) points to the primary function as being in signalling to others of the same species, including offering information as to sex, fitness, ages etc. I'm content to leave it at that until there is further information available.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope you've been as interested in this topic as I've found myself being. If not at least I hope you've enjoyed gazing into a lot of very attractive eyes! Either way, thanks for reading this far.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 29 FEBRUARY</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><p></p></div>Ian Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-643799646535153622024-01-18T08:00:00.592+11:002024-01-19T07:19:29.468+11:00Wollongong Botanic Gardens in a city of steel and coal<p style="text-align: justify;">Lou's family lived in Wollongong when she was little and her father was just embarking on his life as a community pharmacist. However her family's connections with this busy city on the coast south of Sydney go back well before that, and they survive to this day. It was to catch up to some of this family that we spent a few days there late last year, when we (inevitably) discovered the botanic gardens. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Wollongong occupies a long strip of land between the sea and the sandstone escarpment, and this escarpment provides a superb backdrop for its 312,000 inhabitants.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlAeeVIWalzQvq6InwlhChiq6_pXnKvlc-QdxhnuF-_TZnFdekoxhS4jKnAD_wBKc2b7MoMq6aW3vbadXbfQYaMENTcxdA0Yhmqx0NlkyoifrgnXD703F5JkHolGbXKZl5FG1qufQUbXoj2U9Ak2dGUWzl5KDlfk6RKkgU9FYZJWaLTa-KfmA-1WgKY4/s800/Mt%20Keira%20from%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlAeeVIWalzQvq6InwlhChiq6_pXnKvlc-QdxhnuF-_TZnFdekoxhS4jKnAD_wBKc2b7MoMq6aW3vbadXbfQYaMENTcxdA0Yhmqx0NlkyoifrgnXD703F5JkHolGbXKZl5FG1qufQUbXoj2U9Ak2dGUWzl5KDlfk6RKkgU9FYZJWaLTa-KfmA-1WgKY4/w400-h300/Mt%20Keira%20from%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Keira from Wollongong Botanic Garden.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Wollongong still produces huge quantities of steel, the port bustles and the coal mines on the escarpment still churn out the product, though presumably for all our sakes those days will end. However there are other engines driving 'the Gong' these days, especially higher education and even tourism. Wollongong University has a good reputation, and right on its boundary lies the youthful but impressive Wollongong Botanic Garden. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 1929 Arthur Hoskins bought 30 hectares of land there, mostly dairy farm but later featuring a professionally designed and managed garden around his house which he completed in 1939. Just 12 years later in 1951 he donated 18.5ha of it to the council to develop as a botanic garden. (I would, for no good reason, usually say 'gardens' there, but it's officially the Botanic Garden, so I'll stick with that for this post.) In 1981 Hoskins' house was leased by the council to the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, who still occupy it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Peter Spooner of the UNSW, a pioneering landscape designer, prepared a master plan in 1963 and the first plantings (of azaleas) began the following year. The garden opened to the public in 1971, though it had been informally accessible for the previous three years. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnW-1BZMfBVm8EQHLUdieD6ntzqEJDiQyLn_xgnIrL3RsSahKLZyfijPRGwYBPbORAG8JkaZ6PKzLUExMD2hQMYbcV87vVQzriTNwHnPQWbzc232fN1fuDdyC3f9MUBsuSdyIyOUE4LbR8216RaKsqYMzJB-PRkJPgX_0StlTaEvrkF66rKoTy_XsrBQ/s800/E%20pilularis%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnW-1BZMfBVm8EQHLUdieD6ntzqEJDiQyLn_xgnIrL3RsSahKLZyfijPRGwYBPbORAG8JkaZ6PKzLUExMD2hQMYbcV87vVQzriTNwHnPQWbzc232fN1fuDdyC3f9MUBsuSdyIyOUE4LbR8216RaKsqYMzJB-PRkJPgX_0StlTaEvrkF66rKoTy_XsrBQ/w300-h400/E%20pilularis%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mature Blackbutt <i>Eucalyptus pilularis</i>, growing by the path in one of the forest sections.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">While garden beds were being laid out during this time, we were more interested in the fact that, in the early 1980s, a series of 'landscape' plantings were established, to replicate the wet and dry eucalypt forest types typical of the area. Here are some more photos taken along the forest paths, which we largely had to ourselves during our visit on a warm afternoon.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB0dXSq_5q4Xaqg0dve2YtZTnalcoSa-hc0TEGXLxKfwuHG70U_aE9PZ0yMCNRUOsDeNATpqNHbqNALbL_0tIigXGjbCaQhYsQ5ifAoM7FY9n-3HHa3rPw8T43i4urlaWRuTLAm80f42SVr57VTTl_fPtrfUP5KEpQUja6-HF0xXWxFCe-8jhhVGAsGM/s800/forest2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB0dXSq_5q4Xaqg0dve2YtZTnalcoSa-hc0TEGXLxKfwuHG70U_aE9PZ0yMCNRUOsDeNATpqNHbqNALbL_0tIigXGjbCaQhYsQ5ifAoM7FY9n-3HHa3rPw8T43i4urlaWRuTLAm80f42SVr57VTTl_fPtrfUP5KEpQUja6-HF0xXWxFCe-8jhhVGAsGM/w400-h300/forest2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lUo-XCxGxa1GQsVPTDeDxlb-QwijR1DUt3huynvaqS-fzF8c6zNAqGbPj_cwU1yIdzA0KDIS77NUy758caVYiOjL4JYNTHmMrTjIkqrRwqC_fn0DGgcSIMJ5sUaObceRov3YXVTlylwpfCaIJ1_qQB5W6Ja4WUSPNUUc041POY5si0OZY4ZFa7wtmG4/s800/forest1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lUo-XCxGxa1GQsVPTDeDxlb-QwijR1DUt3huynvaqS-fzF8c6zNAqGbPj_cwU1yIdzA0KDIS77NUy758caVYiOjL4JYNTHmMrTjIkqrRwqC_fn0DGgcSIMJ5sUaObceRov3YXVTlylwpfCaIJ1_qQB5W6Ja4WUSPNUUc041POY5si0OZY4ZFa7wtmG4/w400-h300/forest1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At around the same time work also began on restoring the rainforest which had originally grown along the creek line (Middle Creek I think?), based on shady remnant stands of paperbarks <i>Melaleuca</i> sp. and Turpentine <i>Syncarpia glomulifera</i>. Most of the plantings are of regional species, though apparently higher up the creek are species from North Queensland and from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island and even South Africa, though we didn't find (or perhaps didn't recognise) those sections. Here are some of the very peaceful rainforest sections that we did enjoy.<br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjurqbh5PFYbKLMEtGLK4jlK2dmkpK8XVnsew6S9XSnLQOsLmqGrnkTV1PikJi5SLKrC5pcIyLkJotgINVnk0QJzkFtl8jv1MYps-Di3GETVkOn6xiXooq1btHdbgxA_kH8QE3Mtk-bScTbz5cg27WdBNIYRY0w8DtCXtL0Dk_udMeW7xHpyXJ2yK2yk/s800/rainforest1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjurqbh5PFYbKLMEtGLK4jlK2dmkpK8XVnsew6S9XSnLQOsLmqGrnkTV1PikJi5SLKrC5pcIyLkJotgINVnk0QJzkFtl8jv1MYps-Di3GETVkOn6xiXooq1btHdbgxA_kH8QE3Mtk-bScTbz5cg27WdBNIYRY0w8DtCXtL0Dk_udMeW7xHpyXJ2yK2yk/w400-h300/rainforest1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj8q_0UJHtcncd7eTuJ4uwyF64GTKYZ-Txyi_4ah88wav7ODs2IB1Vm7BJgcYUGWaZzYwaBABE8cmVG_EWdnyfwYqin31X2YjIPwsAC1rbEZl-0yIFN7LNkE_ND6Kx74uBWNjG1Ul_XkE1Ufiy3L4TRqBjTRPogV0gT8S3oJMq3chMwr2wHNPI132hyU/s800/rainforest2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj8q_0UJHtcncd7eTuJ4uwyF64GTKYZ-Txyi_4ah88wav7ODs2IB1Vm7BJgcYUGWaZzYwaBABE8cmVG_EWdnyfwYqin31X2YjIPwsAC1rbEZl-0yIFN7LNkE_ND6Kx74uBWNjG1Ul_XkE1Ufiy3L4TRqBjTRPogV0gT8S3oJMq3chMwr2wHNPI132hyU/w400-h300/rainforest2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvV4MzlMTssFc930breWhyphenhyphen3OWuemlO3JgMreW2zZzxB7GRFSpRJKG9FEc-5Y2J2DTqUR5Fv1Xrn2WTkFbHRbgxPz4ILUL4qPzzeSXebJ_FgFNczGnQtuc-t_seqlBtiat23gGK40e-O_4vmV7eEWRDSXG2GLBMKf75crWbEf5tIeOpAgqZvHgizor_hc/s800/rainforest3%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvV4MzlMTssFc930breWhyphenhyphen3OWuemlO3JgMreW2zZzxB7GRFSpRJKG9FEc-5Y2J2DTqUR5Fv1Xrn2WTkFbHRbgxPz4ILUL4qPzzeSXebJ_FgFNczGnQtuc-t_seqlBtiat23gGK40e-O_4vmV7eEWRDSXG2GLBMKf75crWbEf5tIeOpAgqZvHgizor_hc/w400-h300/rainforest3%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere the plantings are more formally conventional, but with a lot of native (mostly local) species alongside exotic selections. Several areas are themed, one such being the hill of succulents which we first admired from the main path and later walked across.<br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiry2ICiIJ1OoyozYEHIVnSec7xLMz2387_hNU0Vhe0VtEqhnX9DQEeLg73f5diMtxQdS7bBpv_3z0sM7MUb3JgDadNBeqa2n1NmCWKNBzyhk5U0tEIHk0evzcboK_8_rRxVbOACra8wKjnsPRaSQKjhfuLLUZxjMMkWt4E5XQuRPiMivx8MUPPdd77xEk/s1000/succulent%20hill1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiry2ICiIJ1OoyozYEHIVnSec7xLMz2387_hNU0Vhe0VtEqhnX9DQEeLg73f5diMtxQdS7bBpv_3z0sM7MUb3JgDadNBeqa2n1NmCWKNBzyhk5U0tEIHk0evzcboK_8_rRxVbOACra8wKjnsPRaSQKjhfuLLUZxjMMkWt4E5XQuRPiMivx8MUPPdd77xEk/w640-h224/succulent%20hill1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6eMxdsRJ_s04m35HqwSOSje20dhQH79UwqMaVbUse14NF_a88trY8lTbwSzzJQ_zCOSVPquq_Uzm4IUqoToTO3ZpHDkc2AD6Gdzj-NFCquLxSHCFlOAffvSoG1ImnWUtHTdMplQ7jDKlC5k5vL4fXa7myu6rPInwsHJ2DUudafWvzl49em0Ecs2Zxv8/s800/succulent%20hill2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6eMxdsRJ_s04m35HqwSOSje20dhQH79UwqMaVbUse14NF_a88trY8lTbwSzzJQ_zCOSVPquq_Uzm4IUqoToTO3ZpHDkc2AD6Gdzj-NFCquLxSHCFlOAffvSoG1ImnWUtHTdMplQ7jDKlC5k5vL4fXa7myu6rPInwsHJ2DUudafWvzl49em0Ecs2Zxv8/w400-h300/succulent%20hill2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Succulents evolved to deal with arid climates (by stockpiling water during the wet <br />season) but Australia's drylands are not seasonal, so the strategy doesn't work here <br />and this collection is of necessity mostly of exotic species. This garden was <br />developed between 1982 and 1986 and emphasises good drainage, aided<br />by the introduction of large boulders.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On the same theme, the Sir Joseph Banks Glasshouse is home to a formidable array of cacti!</div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTOwzwrgDyMPPjOOXsnwSue5UJ1yKR99E6X1JJE4Vk_OLwYqKDcuLKFzqHXlQ0CXKsVOpatHwSt3CGNzzXHKt-WMPfCq5Jhpi-At-rrA4qzj-COShpIGdWu7-duqSfRIoOPEA_Tmwiz8zHCUht60AHa4iPQP9xy1eEOXfG38-1GtipSRWiFxJioLeRJY/s800/cactus%20in%20glasshouse%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTOwzwrgDyMPPjOOXsnwSue5UJ1yKR99E6X1JJE4Vk_OLwYqKDcuLKFzqHXlQ0CXKsVOpatHwSt3CGNzzXHKt-WMPfCq5Jhpi-At-rrA4qzj-COShpIGdWu7-duqSfRIoOPEA_Tmwiz8zHCUht60AHa4iPQP9xy1eEOXfG38-1GtipSRWiFxJioLeRJY/w400-h300/cactus%20in%20glasshouse%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The impressive collection of cycads concentrates on threatened species, mostly not from Australia. The display was only opened in May 2023 and is based on the Sydney private collection of Dr Ian and Norma Edwards, who bequeathed their plants, some being 50 years old, for public enjoyment. In the event this involved carefully extracting them and transporting them on trucks to Wollongong. Threatened and Critically Endangered species include plants from Taiwan, the Philippines and Kenya and, in addition to the Edwards contributions, cycads have been transplanted from elsewhere in the gardens, while others were donated from the Sunshine Coast. This display is still developing but well worthwhile investigating nonetheless.<br /></div></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCNJ1moBXjdvoqjQwzOulA9rqGm8u8KmpoXB6aPuz2QXDoAB8OItcEQQsLhbZzSsUb2Sh91-lAkp3GVFFE14DtEGrfTIEx8-1ttC_74K3PQg2MkT-ADmpRR9SgDio6VNb2TiRyATA4borRoDDVgeX8xVylplYPOaLKJJ_Ul7-R3kT3rMxwj6oDOFYgBE/s800/cycads%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCNJ1moBXjdvoqjQwzOulA9rqGm8u8KmpoXB6aPuz2QXDoAB8OItcEQQsLhbZzSsUb2Sh91-lAkp3GVFFE14DtEGrfTIEx8-1ttC_74K3PQg2MkT-ADmpRR9SgDio6VNb2TiRyATA4borRoDDVgeX8xVylplYPOaLKJJ_Ul7-R3kT3rMxwj6oDOFYgBE/w400-h300/cycads%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the newly-planted cycad collection.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">More established, and more extensive, is their palm collection of which they are justly proud. It comprises some 6000 square metres spread across lawns and incorporated garden beds, with some 800 palm species (!), all of them at best uncommon and many endangered. There is an emphasis on species from Oceania, especially Hawaii, and from Madagascar, but there are others including Australian. Plantings began in 2013 and were substantially completed by 2015. Many palm species are dioecious - ie having separate male and female plants - so the emphasis here is on clumped same-species plantings to maximise their chances of setting seed to assist in conservation of the species.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdx1cb-AZB-bhPi2hFPO3lod04OWowcDmByS7StuS3t2sJHPSMbUIZOVq7ILBUMYfQC3tUD-k7UDlunBx6mPelUeXqG0RViU3HT1BUfgkNKKF-CRHL4gPvUEskkWkdTm4zPCfvvOrnGEUhLmp6uNyzYQmzvJPJh7yM20Wr1og3agGkyxQ6oNrDAmHwZk/w400-h300/Pritchardia%20minor%20Wollongong%20BG%201023-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pritchardia minor</i> is a small Hawaiian palm, highly endangered (like most<br />Hawaiian palms) and restricted to less than 200 mature trees on two mountain<br />ridges on just one island. The abysmal story of the unique Hawaiian birdlife is<br />fairly well-known, but the situation of its endemic plants is no better. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here are some more general shots of the palm gardens; no species identification, I'm sorry.<br /><i> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12DLVTf-n8GQR3wFXDf8z2lkvP0j9CsljpxI7u3j6AmpSWJJ4me1jrboTddJJ5EOkX2csAdDBHoIqdtL-YQO2j4hfuhixKFcLHqK1bThxQH3FtBQi8ym88y5My8M3VYqY5D9BCn-Qk7w06n-O9L1zAeT13qbClVMOHAHNUwVsuGZmDPfiEpQnt331SeU/s800/palms2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12DLVTf-n8GQR3wFXDf8z2lkvP0j9CsljpxI7u3j6AmpSWJJ4me1jrboTddJJ5EOkX2csAdDBHoIqdtL-YQO2j4hfuhixKFcLHqK1bThxQH3FtBQi8ym88y5My8M3VYqY5D9BCn-Qk7w06n-O9L1zAeT13qbClVMOHAHNUwVsuGZmDPfiEpQnt331SeU/w400-h300/palms2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsHrYuO0IN_pPPftwRd-eCulOViZBqUzp6zAxrS_z7u2Te6FscuqNA-viNcgt-Dq4qKz3bPgJPe-PncCfmmdMiXrvmRu4PIqjLHvZnnIugKPZOChfVlkM0rIP6TU07_W01vXVUvFxp6sWL4Ue8RrzW-aJaXS5uizJ0NFL3LTLfYL1-8h-lPsv9I4k2Ik/s800/palms1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsHrYuO0IN_pPPftwRd-eCulOViZBqUzp6zAxrS_z7u2Te6FscuqNA-viNcgt-Dq4qKz3bPgJPe-PncCfmmdMiXrvmRu4PIqjLHvZnnIugKPZOChfVlkM0rIP6TU07_W01vXVUvFxp6sWL4Ue8RrzW-aJaXS5uizJ0NFL3LTLfYL1-8h-lPsv9I4k2Ik/w300-h400/palms1%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTmwhlz8qP0_MCsyNx6ZWkbihMzC1cUwObatr8f4amphElAM_oSAlPBj-sEJzvk_Fn8fTlBWZ_2xVkqFnhs1P2YOTi7ZSHWW5tCjhJxY6kQXtzrHtGj5IgKvwlz5qaOE_n0h5J2VXYJ5BOiH_iMe6YZC7dzg7xYT2orj_x34mIcGK9nVRf2oKxtNJlas/s800/palm%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTmwhlz8qP0_MCsyNx6ZWkbihMzC1cUwObatr8f4amphElAM_oSAlPBj-sEJzvk_Fn8fTlBWZ_2xVkqFnhs1P2YOTi7ZSHWW5tCjhJxY6kQXtzrHtGj5IgKvwlz5qaOE_n0h5J2VXYJ5BOiH_iMe6YZC7dzg7xYT2orj_x34mIcGK9nVRf2oKxtNJlas/w400-h300/palm%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And some individual plants that caught our attention. Some were local...<i> </i> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqIxM9e1c3XQ3jHIPtmp0oPWhyphenhyphencTN36pye3ECP2c7NB4JkGzkB76ZjZvaOaJubHoyCCL_oIA7D4v3hXZCIWT9iPC2QSik_Ew1mV5hk1dEhdnALjAEvLfME26GKvItEJ8ttKgEXq1vKA0ULetO2JNZy1z-mNjnS8zS6wpVbCsD6YCWpwmTl2KuTyIcwt4/s800/Doryanthes%20excelsa2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqIxM9e1c3XQ3jHIPtmp0oPWhyphenhyphencTN36pye3ECP2c7NB4JkGzkB76ZjZvaOaJubHoyCCL_oIA7D4v3hXZCIWT9iPC2QSik_Ew1mV5hk1dEhdnALjAEvLfME26GKvItEJ8ttKgEXq1vKA0ULetO2JNZy1z-mNjnS8zS6wpVbCsD6YCWpwmTl2KuTyIcwt4/w400-h300/Doryanthes%20excelsa2%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnificent Gymea Lilies <i>Doryanthes excelsa</i>, above and below. Those flower spikes are <br />some six metres long! These were just finishing, though the day before, up on the plateau <br />just a few hundred metres above, they were still in full bloom.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07ENHNeTIWBC55nvAsvIY9L0SyAHe3NGcBXHPYiR3T0kzoiT31L3aQ3JmL6d2GaYeVdAi58lX8cMwYiL0VWOyKiBUutO8HUrQSilJhyFtdZxt0V_JQv9DNfnEeohKDY-moOg3D0GXe9MOH9U8D7TDcyUd5bIJCkFnq6hu4Fd2GLpgjLFaH4hoUi0VRas/s800/Doryanthes%20excelsa3%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07ENHNeTIWBC55nvAsvIY9L0SyAHe3NGcBXHPYiR3T0kzoiT31L3aQ3JmL6d2GaYeVdAi58lX8cMwYiL0VWOyKiBUutO8HUrQSilJhyFtdZxt0V_JQv9DNfnEeohKDY-moOg3D0GXe9MOH9U8D7TDcyUd5bIJCkFnq6hu4Fd2GLpgjLFaH4hoUi0VRas/w400-h300/Doryanthes%20excelsa3%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGFpAwFfh28SANFAe8v4g7sg0dqgd8wr9biEoFHcD7C-UtB67tmFV6Mho_tOav5biV2SN35fduesIM7q5NZHYP5YuM1aQ_fOCHxatPiPlzSD1nJ8qXhCesebEsIM3ui3XNT0t_Qg8Sc644DGGluJJyS4b_mk7k8Uk9NjXZ1ggL3fquK1NqEWIk-aeH-0/s800/Xanthorrhoeas%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGFpAwFfh28SANFAe8v4g7sg0dqgd8wr9biEoFHcD7C-UtB67tmFV6Mho_tOav5biV2SN35fduesIM7q5NZHYP5YuM1aQ_fOCHxatPiPlzSD1nJ8qXhCesebEsIM3ui3XNT0t_Qg8Sc644DGGluJJyS4b_mk7k8Uk9NjXZ1ggL3fquK1NqEWIk-aeH-0/w400-h300/Xanthorrhoeas%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass trees <i>Xanthorrhoea </i>sp.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUepNMQwjxSYreKVPpQh1l5MUrgKyv7JmljiKVpA6DJ1EfTnko9dIdrGQJbks5-VGonKJzdt_joAoZ48MJ14RGSFPfk_JH7XMCmcENg_i8aBPziSeF14Q1IyBz7KIIsrvqHfTpKIm_3HOpMvfPWAHsQRZKf2CKbcuuneV8RPhRnALzOE3mRc6mQFtJrbg/s800/Melaleuca%20hypericifolia%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUepNMQwjxSYreKVPpQh1l5MUrgKyv7JmljiKVpA6DJ1EfTnko9dIdrGQJbks5-VGonKJzdt_joAoZ48MJ14RGSFPfk_JH7XMCmcENg_i8aBPziSeF14Q1IyBz7KIIsrvqHfTpKIm_3HOpMvfPWAHsQRZKf2CKbcuuneV8RPhRnALzOE3mRc6mQFtJrbg/w300-h400/Melaleuca%20hypericifolia%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillock Bush (not sure why) <i>Melaleuca hypericifolia </i>is fairly common on the south<br />coast, I think especially on sandstone. It is truly a beauty.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Others were from a bit further afield...<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLfYfQA-WvpMOs5FudjXXo1s8rEt22iFWXG7lgvfyw9wif3Y-Y9Ha6KpLA_vudDZMS5d4-n0-tV-GhFmHtBWgVszLDT7VzWGiCbfjH8Po7z63_xwyiDBQCfegje_t9HAZ2E6StYQtEjgAEcvWP0KORf9QXJMqcz0EZrIantCbky9P3Zmk8y3eePwWo_I/s800/Alloxylon%20pinnatum%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLfYfQA-WvpMOs5FudjXXo1s8rEt22iFWXG7lgvfyw9wif3Y-Y9Ha6KpLA_vudDZMS5d4-n0-tV-GhFmHtBWgVszLDT7VzWGiCbfjH8Po7z63_xwyiDBQCfegje_t9HAZ2E6StYQtEjgAEcvWP0KORf9QXJMqcz0EZrIantCbky9P3Zmk8y3eePwWo_I/w300-h400/Alloxylon%20pinnatum%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorrigo Waratah <em>Alloxylon pinnatum, </em>another stunner, this one from the warm temperate <br />rainforests of the Dorrigo Plateau and the Border Ranges further north.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVxFdDi5eHLkmB74n8NYmF5qd6CNat8aF83n9Qb39eelSZ7r1OcS1ZjqmWUrpOaGw23dBctd7Cny9DHFe1FpISaqIT2uyBVJIoJTJkkiLTzy2lGziQikaU00DOw919l4TdXQOwnp8CINU9ClPP7xP8HyNM1WeE0HNSYmH0XRpa28S7CGCe-0U_glKUEw/s800/Brachychiton%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVxFdDi5eHLkmB74n8NYmF5qd6CNat8aF83n9Qb39eelSZ7r1OcS1ZjqmWUrpOaGw23dBctd7Cny9DHFe1FpISaqIT2uyBVJIoJTJkkiLTzy2lGziQikaU00DOw919l4TdXQOwnp8CINU9ClPP7xP8HyNM1WeE0HNSYmH0XRpa28S7CGCe-0U_glKUEw/w300-h400/Brachychiton%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurrajong <i>Brachychiton populneus</i> is mostly found west of the Great Dividing Range.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvBiO8PlGdp1_3Qu7ZU3pk42wT3fC2t0XddO8FDnbAKVlHDdYdcOqZM3n5YWTn-Ohsyjjiih2-inLbosmDbRXvTxAj8R_UIV94pGnBGiieP-1KjtZMn-ChxaOCXdZxWUJ_tU8td08PsvPTVyLzuRq88BrLURuZmEgrk_r551JSaRslK6513YIuZnDO24/s800/Anigozanthos%20rufa%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvBiO8PlGdp1_3Qu7ZU3pk42wT3fC2t0XddO8FDnbAKVlHDdYdcOqZM3n5YWTn-Ohsyjjiih2-inLbosmDbRXvTxAj8R_UIV94pGnBGiieP-1KjtZMn-ChxaOCXdZxWUJ_tU8td08PsvPTVyLzuRq88BrLURuZmEgrk_r551JSaRslK6513YIuZnDO24/w400-h300/Anigozanthos%20rufa%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These delightful Red Kangaroo Paws <i>Anigozanthos rufa</i> are from a whole continent<br />away, in the south-west of Western Australia.</td></tr></tbody></table><i></i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEAxRBSl2IbSCdp98DgFZunhxagTfn4TPq-mGm3PKz9uOvjrlEeevoVjP6Mdlg-9_O6sdIxfGMrFUNXTcfvL3EujFfWUHzfnUnSe0P313yuq1xocerjbppSxiAQ64kWQZ8AlE7sSYsV3DgfWvaZvFrpGhSZLz8ACs5mg8dtJJtEpu6Gn0807tbC3Yvl8/s800/daisies%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEAxRBSl2IbSCdp98DgFZunhxagTfn4TPq-mGm3PKz9uOvjrlEeevoVjP6Mdlg-9_O6sdIxfGMrFUNXTcfvL3EujFfWUHzfnUnSe0P313yuq1xocerjbppSxiAQ64kWQZ8AlE7sSYsV3DgfWvaZvFrpGhSZLz8ACs5mg8dtJJtEpu6Gn0807tbC3Yvl8/w400-h300/daisies%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this magnificent spread of paper daisies (I'm not going to hazard a guess at their<br />genus, as this group is subject to a great deal of horticultural experimentation and<br />hybridisation) probably originated in the west too, though it looks very fine<br />in its current setting!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And still others are from much further away still, as we've already seen...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh0naSFo7hECIdt1xx6jico3Ov0JVORXDrXbX2zHTbNBoahnCp3m7Qpq97-ETSsC_86g_DaymjpS7Nxj0iMLtlvwLSMGoAlRKBFF_X9V8YutVjoeBDouvGxeDXZIaV8kXolFe9j-hDVCbUBQLP9jVYm-pyTG66Rv-dNwnR-oMqWUCzX_hUqNw0ZxXVJs/s800/Strelitzia%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh0naSFo7hECIdt1xx6jico3Ov0JVORXDrXbX2zHTbNBoahnCp3m7Qpq97-ETSsC_86g_DaymjpS7Nxj0iMLtlvwLSMGoAlRKBFF_X9V8YutVjoeBDouvGxeDXZIaV8kXolFe9j-hDVCbUBQLP9jVYm-pyTG66Rv-dNwnR-oMqWUCzX_hUqNw0ZxXVJs/w400-h300/Strelitzia%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... plus others like this glorious Bird-of-Paradise flower from South Africa.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i> </i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0uhA8zKU-MIMlJoH-V8Hlr9pe4yqfIhN0u3slHHnXPJ98uH-3nfKMqjzUWmxBV6LGSV2m2rjb2bLFX6H_yANAnEpSsqeeq_6x0KB9RHXJsdDoJxRaOf4U3jZK1LjweBfbYoDUVOs_pGgAvzMBu2i7MJv1ARegHrF0gYKR9ohJ8KhQBdy4Hce8EbkYxw/s800/Dracaena%20draco%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0uhA8zKU-MIMlJoH-V8Hlr9pe4yqfIhN0u3slHHnXPJ98uH-3nfKMqjzUWmxBV6LGSV2m2rjb2bLFX6H_yANAnEpSsqeeq_6x0KB9RHXJsdDoJxRaOf4U3jZK1LjweBfbYoDUVOs_pGgAvzMBu2i7MJv1ARegHrF0gYKR9ohJ8KhQBdy4Hce8EbkYxw/w400-h300/Dracaena%20draco%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the perhaps even more amazing Dragon's Blood Tree <i>Dracaena draco, </i>a lily<br />in the family Asparagaceae, is endemic to the Canary Islands off north-west Africa.<br />Here it is growing in the succulents garden that we've already visited above.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Of course there is wildlife in the gardens but on the warm afternoon that we spent there not much was active. 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<p class="MsoNormal">Rainbow Lorikeet <i>Trichoglossus moluccanus</i> feeding on a
flowering <i>Xanthorrhoea </i>spike.</p>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<p class="MsoNormal">White-browed Scrubwren <i>Sericornis frontalis</i> in the cool
gloom of the rainforest gully.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And while we didn't see any of the guests this time, we're always happy to see one of these 'bee hotels' which are designed to provide accommodations for native bees.<br /></div></div><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8vFCIaKrHCTSZWJrTI_IlgUfQPhVOYip1LeTDgqb7lExc0M4aUXbJdNjIYTQVfquvvjqK_n_Myp6SwIAdRZ8QGeArMHDsa7q1WJllgE1uXlanqJlH7z9ESq4_xWPP9O4bjTWygUegiHULMB0QR9WhwBl0xx10e75Tv2R7jeXTfsV8xY8M8_3mwKL6q8/s800/bee%20hotel%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8vFCIaKrHCTSZWJrTI_IlgUfQPhVOYip1LeTDgqb7lExc0M4aUXbJdNjIYTQVfquvvjqK_n_Myp6SwIAdRZ8QGeArMHDsa7q1WJllgE1uXlanqJlH7z9ESq4_xWPP9O4bjTWygUegiHULMB0QR9WhwBl0xx10e75Tv2R7jeXTfsV8xY8M8_3mwKL6q8/w300-h400/bee%20hotel%20Wollongong%20BG%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But, the story of the Wollongong Botanic Gardens doesn't quite end there. In the 1980s, for reasons lost to me at least, the gardens took on the management, as 'annexes' of the gardens, of three natural areas in the immediate region. We visited one of these, Puckeys Estate Nature Reserve, on the coast well within Wollongong just 5km to the north-east of the gardens at the edge of suburb of Fairy Meadow. (The other two, Mount Keira Summit Park and Korrongulla Wetland, are on our schedule for a future visit.) In the late 19th century an English
chemist called Courtenay, or Courtney, Puckey (really!) bought land here and
experimented with extracting edible salt from the water. His work didn't seriously effect the natural values however and after his death in 1944 the infrastructure crumbled into ruins. (While Courtenay doesn't have his own entry in the esteemed Australian Dictionary of Biography, two of his daughters do. Both Mary and Selina were pioneering doctors and hospital administrators.)<br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reserve (as noted, it is managed by the botanic gardens rather than the NSW Parks Service, which is a little puzzling given its conservation values) is accessed by a 1.5k walking track, including a board walk and bridge over the lagoon.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ONic_3g9_UxhtcbFeGK8ChwUgAzLNoWv5-dx-zI1TNu2KpR8udxnAtJcVVDFwn0aSdnGzCQA8pgO8aN5flrxsMi7Hum_Igj1lzOIKYFCm808-hKtzNqnyCX9V3vMbgFWX8FbybSKVcobyFbt8FrvaxCsJDcQgawMrvvHuT2pgtaS_h-9O-jgXUgks5I/s800/bridge%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ONic_3g9_UxhtcbFeGK8ChwUgAzLNoWv5-dx-zI1TNu2KpR8udxnAtJcVVDFwn0aSdnGzCQA8pgO8aN5flrxsMi7Hum_Igj1lzOIKYFCm808-hKtzNqnyCX9V3vMbgFWX8FbybSKVcobyFbt8FrvaxCsJDcQgawMrvvHuT2pgtaS_h-9O-jgXUgks5I/w400-h300/bridge%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning of the walk, looking ahead to the bridge; the sea is just to the right.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFvklEjpXxtLzv3XhCoXPxdzBrwJWTQ0E_42Prh0_Ea0Yotj35rb7PErCf2WBeEP_kjEmx269gKAPFkyfDFUmf7JMafcf0IVqEkqj4QZ0OrHKZrRLv4DEaCo9XtePiAkwPSmHtr9nEcPC-hLwqCySrFcQc-oy2cPuz9maK9dGDxgUfSzhWufCp5dQLWY/s800/lagoon%20and%20mouth%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFvklEjpXxtLzv3XhCoXPxdzBrwJWTQ0E_42Prh0_Ea0Yotj35rb7PErCf2WBeEP_kjEmx269gKAPFkyfDFUmf7JMafcf0IVqEkqj4QZ0OrHKZrRLv4DEaCo9XtePiAkwPSmHtr9nEcPC-hLwqCySrFcQc-oy2cPuz9maK9dGDxgUfSzhWufCp5dQLWY/w400-h300/lagoon%20and%20mouth%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across to the mouth of the lagoon (currently closed, as is regularly the case<br />with many of these coastal lagoons) from the same vantage point as the previous one.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6qMfVRuG2nMc2yQO9bPoEPz3FOGfOwwx1-4qQIIN3t0P6pa1u55St0YBQm9LRlsguQ_YU0o3hp7oXAp-hGmGzS0B-ARr70IfgjT3wexIzopDCwOAB0Lhev1eSj9c25TWfNGG9v7cJ4OL3Iq6NpiqOM0ADLGJs5pzPrmZAJERRm1Ry6j-TsTdainymvY/s800/mangroves%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6qMfVRuG2nMc2yQO9bPoEPz3FOGfOwwx1-4qQIIN3t0P6pa1u55St0YBQm9LRlsguQ_YU0o3hp7oXAp-hGmGzS0B-ARr70IfgjT3wexIzopDCwOAB0Lhev1eSj9c25TWfNGG9v7cJ4OL3Iq6NpiqOM0ADLGJs5pzPrmZAJERRm1Ry6j-TsTdainymvY/w400-h300/mangroves%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mangroves fringing the lagoon are just one of the significant habitats protected here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE3PiSlzQNHELfKPsxlsGzpn2qn6mifVbvkPmxEGwkguUMLBRcapTihzykRxPmdfCYMm-4VHqUotCYjImVWWv_5sI1fMYwyRGdS7vuVOFTOoh1gK17XR1Tt2idfCkLKQU4p6Vr03be8T9UYKGUaMmf2fm4Auy8-umEzX_NSzxm17ag96YWid_w5oe3VU/s800/boardwalk%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE3PiSlzQNHELfKPsxlsGzpn2qn6mifVbvkPmxEGwkguUMLBRcapTihzykRxPmdfCYMm-4VHqUotCYjImVWWv_5sI1fMYwyRGdS7vuVOFTOoh1gK17XR1Tt2idfCkLKQU4p6Vr03be8T9UYKGUaMmf2fm4Auy8-umEzX_NSzxm17ag96YWid_w5oe3VU/w400-h300/boardwalk%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another is this Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest, dominated by Swamp Oak <i>Casuarina glauca<br /></i>and Swamp Paperbark <i>Melaleuca ericifolia </i>which are immersed in water for much of<br />their existence.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Accordingly the understorey is open. Vines are a characteristic.<br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinUAs6iGLbXPDwYkmbCkn8ih5N1DHQzDfG7ixh81IVtuVuNNGoMn8wM35X7ePGrtHlvX20_zwCjjTSNJrTiPlgDBFvk0IwiiBXho7H1BDSxDxhK_hNNiwZLHgntCLbi7csQHruDlkMkb20DRNeoHJZHcyIbG65MoEWOhNb8uGymLSmqGqcSQ0TtYk95U/s800/Parsonsia%20straminea%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinUAs6iGLbXPDwYkmbCkn8ih5N1DHQzDfG7ixh81IVtuVuNNGoMn8wM35X7ePGrtHlvX20_zwCjjTSNJrTiPlgDBFvk0IwiiBXho7H1BDSxDxhK_hNNiwZLHgntCLbi7csQHruDlkMkb20DRNeoHJZHcyIbG65MoEWOhNb8uGymLSmqGqcSQ0TtYk95U/w300-h400/Parsonsia%20straminea%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silkpod Vine (or Monkey Rope) <i>Parsonsia straminea</i> along the walking track.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>These forest open into Coastal Saltmarsh at the edges of the lagoon, where the soil is always salty and the plants are regularly inundated by brine.<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlgR3VmvD4KXfprQNWRdedR6x-_0OFvO7Wsq36KnSGAH7D8ZxoJ2GcRaKNErSkW9cUOYfK1B44oF_HNywTMFyp_1q42I7RrfRf9MjM4Lr5INDkKiV4Vrzakb1EGOWz4XegeoZjw3OG2gDzX2dlVLnw95JBlYhMYj_mkFEcGxjCJc-MbGDd4jjG-YpvfI/s800/coastal%20saltmarsh%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlgR3VmvD4KXfprQNWRdedR6x-_0OFvO7Wsq36KnSGAH7D8ZxoJ2GcRaKNErSkW9cUOYfK1B44oF_HNywTMFyp_1q42I7RrfRf9MjM4Lr5INDkKiV4Vrzakb1EGOWz4XegeoZjw3OG2gDzX2dlVLnw95JBlYhMYj_mkFEcGxjCJc-MbGDd4jjG-YpvfI/w300-h400/coastal%20saltmarsh%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edge of the saltmarsh between the lagoon and the walking track.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At the base of the dunes on the other side of the track are small patches of scarce littoral rainforest.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIP8CrqS2s36XAe82lXPlW9M1OzYLRbxoKaImpaFGzaxiOgy1P1tmS1u18ggDvZ2hbmoFTXZu-9Ws7nCh9YCaNWgReyW1cU92yTTWVpG7ixP1XeFcQvCSnhcwRGCQ3IAOqSLqCZgzid6ZHW9zjiYl2DTm2xl_4lBb2rzysosmmJX1_kb9HYJoASVic2M/s800/coastal%20forest%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIP8CrqS2s36XAe82lXPlW9M1OzYLRbxoKaImpaFGzaxiOgy1P1tmS1u18ggDvZ2hbmoFTXZu-9Ws7nCh9YCaNWgReyW1cU92yTTWVpG7ixP1XeFcQvCSnhcwRGCQ3IAOqSLqCZgzid6ZHW9zjiYl2DTm2xl_4lBb2rzysosmmJX1_kb9HYJoASVic2M/w400-h300/coastal%20forest%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal (or littoral) rainforest remnant in the shelter of the dunes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And the intact dunes themselves are of ecological interest and value.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiN1bj_PpZn08o_QHBx0KU0T8w-E4x1-mSondwrgSh8hEwznbK04fbzNf8mGVuMUXdVpWrm2I8ZmZg2lZq-OGyI4XT_7LpIekuIVCeRi70HkrbtcHFCOZyJJ3W06YSr7IN95cTpO4_WAtOsu3mE-eJqcbObEksf8uiCiU8TN2X4QHVdif1rTHRGeaJVU/s800/dune%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiN1bj_PpZn08o_QHBx0KU0T8w-E4x1-mSondwrgSh8hEwznbK04fbzNf8mGVuMUXdVpWrm2I8ZmZg2lZq-OGyI4XT_7LpIekuIVCeRi70HkrbtcHFCOZyJJ3W06YSr7IN95cTpO4_WAtOsu3mE-eJqcbObEksf8uiCiU8TN2X4QHVdif1rTHRGeaJVU/w400-h300/dune%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path through the dunes from the main walking track to the beach.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">'The Gong' is well worth a visit and deserves a good couple of days, with excellent restaurants and cafes to supplement your visits to the gardens and associated natural areas such as Puckeys Estate. We recommend it all to you.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRV09O_CL01lb2IDvz6Da7B8EZulEvroMoWO128Kv4fTO6BNo-5AmHKhSTeCcf0EZO4gvREhy6NY5icj9zngFYEIohBwY8daTMbgrEd2FzXRILmoLYRIMYPd6eNDSCNBGgGu8NfdaZ1qSBomAe8KNbz2aGtcqWKWYlX__qM8FSd48hbjfpKpgg6c6YRE/s800/Yellow-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRV09O_CL01lb2IDvz6Da7B8EZulEvroMoWO128Kv4fTO6BNo-5AmHKhSTeCcf0EZO4gvREhy6NY5icj9zngFYEIohBwY8daTMbgrEd2FzXRILmoLYRIMYPd6eNDSCNBGgGu8NfdaZ1qSBomAe8KNbz2aGtcqWKWYlX__qM8FSd48hbjfpKpgg6c6YRE/w400-h300/Yellow-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo%20Puckeys%20Estate%20NR%20Wollongong%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo <i>Zanda funerea </i>in a banksia by the track at Puckeys Estate.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 8 FEBRUARY</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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(As sometimes happens, at least one month passed with no appropriate photos, in which case I've presumed to 'borrow' photos from other, over-picced, months.) It was a pretty good year overall for us (though not of course for Australia, or the world at large), with our first overseas trip in four years, and our first longish holiday in our camper trailer. Anyway enough of words, here's one way of looking at our year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And as
ever I don't make any pretence to photographic excellence; I have no
training and my pics are definitely records rather than art. This
collection was chosen for their associations rather than any misperceived
excellence.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>JANUARY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGG9io-BHTkcHFqSSnfOcMsk1NZT7GQ6TrCVxsU24DIx_2zKhljteQC2khWuhRka5YJR21yPu1fqJn3Ex1umHQrNe6HyF4pOITdyIRm9p5oEMnd2WVxOIIbPHy6qEQNjwdKFleoyG6mP2cdQu42d6_nlcg6YpyhYs03SM9v1Cs7M-g9oe0aVcoEBqSqQ/s800/Thelymitra%20alpicola%20Corin%20Dam%20Rd%20MCG%20track%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGG9io-BHTkcHFqSSnfOcMsk1NZT7GQ6TrCVxsU24DIx_2zKhljteQC2khWuhRka5YJR21yPu1fqJn3Ex1umHQrNe6HyF4pOITdyIRm9p5oEMnd2WVxOIIbPHy6qEQNjwdKFleoyG6mP2cdQu42d6_nlcg6YpyhYs03SM9v1Cs7M-g9oe0aVcoEBqSqQ/w400-h300/Thelymitra%20alpicola%20Corin%20Dam%20Rd%20MCG%20track%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first time this lovely sun orchid, <i>Thelymitra alpicola</i>, had been reported in <br />the ACT (and I hasten to say that I didn't find it, but was Acting on Information Received). <br />It was growing in typical habitat near a bog in Snow Gum woodland, but was previously<br />only known from NSW in the Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains. Even with <br />the aforesaid information it took me a while to find it, and I felt very privileged.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>FEBRUARY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZTichTeZ3pKBcxXopBMHNF_iZNU9IiL1TBTUVVkGkFHFyQyRypX_nPmCJ1-nK4uP89pVpI3FRzcBImLwBhXfAmPBZOU-1C_en6XLyIzpJ237z5r130WjqvrnIFmcN7aFw9Hz0SigG_F-PZo4Td8HBabImGrat549VoggnSkEzWFyHYwlXx6WhVi9Qpg/s800/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling7%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZTichTeZ3pKBcxXopBMHNF_iZNU9IiL1TBTUVVkGkFHFyQyRypX_nPmCJ1-nK4uP89pVpI3FRzcBImLwBhXfAmPBZOU-1C_en6XLyIzpJ237z5r130WjqvrnIFmcN7aFw9Hz0SigG_F-PZo4Td8HBabImGrat549VoggnSkEzWFyHYwlXx6WhVi9Qpg/w400-h300/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling7%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the past couple of years it's been our practice to pack up the camper trailer as<br />soon as summer school holidays end and head for Beowa National Park (formerly Ben<br />Boyd NP) on the far south coast of NSW. On this occasion we made a day trip south<br />into Victoria to Croajingalong NP near Mallacoota. Our highlight there was watching,<br />with some enthralled campers, these two big Lace Monitors <i>Varanus varius </i>competing for mating<br />rights in the area. It was mostly a wrestle (and they were still at it when we left <br />after quite a while) but those claws are horrendous and there was some gashed skin too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MARCH</b><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HxpPAeV8_nNEH197aRVuY3KUfXFgF4tcPerLivRnxkYkNh0Vg9zS1fJuJRPzIwgTvDbS8FUUFlL61ytPEWPru4gtKI5TlqoWHhxKvHrTV62EISoHOhXIpq8jQC8Olce0G132xO_1intq7QkFYNoAFloeHzDhCqMsoKQb_Uj9h6PXewpG7BvyBNvSb3c/s800/Ocybadistes%20walkeri%20Greenish%20Grass-dart1%20Duffy%20garden%200323.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HxpPAeV8_nNEH197aRVuY3KUfXFgF4tcPerLivRnxkYkNh0Vg9zS1fJuJRPzIwgTvDbS8FUUFlL61ytPEWPru4gtKI5TlqoWHhxKvHrTV62EISoHOhXIpq8jQC8Olce0G132xO_1intq7QkFYNoAFloeHzDhCqMsoKQb_Uj9h6PXewpG7BvyBNvSb3c/w400-h300/Ocybadistes%20walkeri%20Greenish%20Grass-dart1%20Duffy%20garden%200323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In March we went to the Blue Mountains (another regular and fairly-close-to-home <br />destination) but my favourite image from March is this one, taken in our back yard, of a <br />Greenish Grass-dart <i>Ocybadistes walkeri </i>with its proboscis deeply into a<br />glowing everlasting daisy <i>Xerochrysum bracteatum.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>APRIL</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRff45-G185JDk2NBqvj4ebbi6VRHs5iuJEue0A8-S2u3540OQbzItV8vTvL1MWSPxBOStMPOAQgbDDqgWzV7HEy2BA_ZzUe2KYNOD2R0wKV3KCjxJeWcT7f9BBRBHUt7oxDnTppbBnYqR5TPjtWt2VszdewhnnsbVv4w9d9A9TwnqmfRnccJVpWfOQ/s800/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKRff45-G185JDk2NBqvj4ebbi6VRHs5iuJEue0A8-S2u3540OQbzItV8vTvL1MWSPxBOStMPOAQgbDDqgWzV7HEy2BA_ZzUe2KYNOD2R0wKV3KCjxJeWcT7f9BBRBHUt7oxDnTppbBnYqR5TPjtWt2VszdewhnnsbVv4w9d9A9TwnqmfRnccJVpWfOQ/w400-h300/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In April we spent a few nights in Forbes, a town we're fond of on the south-western<br />slopes of NSW, some 300k north-north-west of here on the Lachlan River. On its edge is<br />one of our favourite wetlands, <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/05/gum-swamp-forbes-favourite-wetland.html">Gum Swamp</a>. However my favourite memory-photo from <br />this trip is this one taken from a footbridge over Lake Forbes (an anabranch of the Lachlan<br />in town, now managed as a permanent lake) in the late afternoon. This Australian Water Rat <br />(or Rakali as it's often known now, an Indigenous name from the Murray-Darling)<br />swam towards us and eventually right under us, showing off its characteristic<br />white tail. It was a very nice moment.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MAY</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejNoom3iy3ni4bCkvqKdF7P6Ri7WgJVCqA11-CRc7MIb9Dgz-6mYKZ1D_-Sq9eVebs6IzaQiiI-tGK2Rb2m_bkPw7-bX0Jl6vdxKPaDHB7yhA5YIR6ZZc5YO3PFyBcDqnEJzxHlmYSkJDws3JQDnG8uwoemXQzd4FRXFih-2HgdUvs9Feu5kAOl2YDcw/s800/Hobby%20with%20bird5%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejNoom3iy3ni4bCkvqKdF7P6Ri7WgJVCqA11-CRc7MIb9Dgz-6mYKZ1D_-Sq9eVebs6IzaQiiI-tGK2Rb2m_bkPw7-bX0Jl6vdxKPaDHB7yhA5YIR6ZZc5YO3PFyBcDqnEJzxHlmYSkJDws3JQDnG8uwoemXQzd4FRXFih-2HgdUvs9Feu5kAOl2YDcw/w400-h300/Hobby%20with%20bird5%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our May highlight was a camping trip out west to<a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/08/mungo-park-for-all-time.html"> Mungo National Park</a>, nearly 800km<br />from here on the arid western plains. It is famed as the site of the one of the oldest burial<br />sites in Australia, some 40,000 years old, and apparently the world's oldest cremation site.<br />However its 110,000 hectares have some excellent wildlife values too, and one morning<br />while walking near the campground I came on this Australian Hobby <i>Falco </i><span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv wHYlTd z8gr9e"><i>longipennis, <br /></i>breakfasting on what was I think one of the numerous and raucous Yellow-throated Miners<br /></span></span><span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv wHYlTd z8gr9e"><i>Manorina flavigula </i>which dominate the area. This one's dominating days ended that<br />morning however, and the falcon was too engrossed in its meal to be disturbed by<br />my observing it.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>JUNE</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavumoiW1uyxrDfwGUctxThYRp3C2LlN3T0CcEwIlku7GmyinczdxeVWG42tADWAP-Sw1zWulPjJGsXG35Sxd9mqhE_5YHf1Zg45r0wwwiTkzMkkbb4UrDK5fLz1VDqGaOkK-YNV0VUzScL5glgDjStatFARf7pO414P69jVYehH1LtMMtojxvHTvzz8E/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris4%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavumoiW1uyxrDfwGUctxThYRp3C2LlN3T0CcEwIlku7GmyinczdxeVWG42tADWAP-Sw1zWulPjJGsXG35Sxd9mqhE_5YHf1Zg45r0wwwiTkzMkkbb4UrDK5fLz1VDqGaOkK-YNV0VUzScL5glgDjStatFARf7pO414P69jVYehH1LtMMtojxvHTvzz8E/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris4%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June was a non-affair as far as photography was concerned, which gives me an opportunity<br />to feature a trip we did to Lake Cargelligo in February, when after some angst on my part<br />the goannas got 'shot of the month' billing here. This is also on the Lachlan River 400k to <br />the north-west of here, where we visited an old friend. The highlight here was a veritable<br />cornucopia of waterbirds following flooding across the countryside. But my choice of <br />photo for the month is this one of a glorious Pink Cockatoo <i><span class="w8qArf"> </span></i><span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv wHYlTd z8gr9e"><i>Lophochroa leadbeateri,</i><br />part of a flock feeding and squabbling by the roadside early in the morning on Callitris<br />Pine cones. As I watched, little groups creaked across the plains to join them <br />until the roadside trees were glowing pink; a wonderful experience.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>JULY</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_w80vYuz0iMX_8wRO6WaYvTSXIAsaQItZ_shPMT-eZm2b0idA_Boq0HbSUd4v99zWaSfeRaiZexkGo9z-R8lgYwwkffqDgFsr2CblAhZJSHl0tnw6zbFD7apLkbZnZ-5eKg3K7XGOnfQ3AfirAY3IZ6Ah-7RLlLPZKrFTVTr23CN0bsPNOi6xHnKWWI/s1000/Neotropical%20River%20Otter4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_w80vYuz0iMX_8wRO6WaYvTSXIAsaQItZ_shPMT-eZm2b0idA_Boq0HbSUd4v99zWaSfeRaiZexkGo9z-R8lgYwwkffqDgFsr2CblAhZJSHl0tnw6zbFD7apLkbZnZ-5eKg3K7XGOnfQ3AfirAY3IZ6Ah-7RLlLPZKrFTVTr23CN0bsPNOi6xHnKWWI/w640-h224/Neotropical%20River%20Otter4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In July we finally got to accompany a tour to Costa Rica, originally planned for 2020 before COVID<br />changed the world and ended international travel for us for four years. Needless to say there<br />are numerous photos I could have used but one of my abiding memories of this trip was this <br />extraordinary encounter with a rare, threatened and little-understood mammal, while on a<br />boat trip on the Rio Suerte ('Lucky River') returning from Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast.<br />This Neotropical River Otter <i>Lontra longicaudis </i>popped up from the water as we <br />approached and proceeded to eat its catfish lunch while we watched.<br /> A special moment in a tour of many special moments.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>AUGUST</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeexhZxwNosD-5aoJBT_6aGpvr1yGekjzRQqseuyU5b0cwn3hO1KKTkn2YqWjXa-lGmLwy_gm5b8j0R5CqC1vrf9FkW6HtHIdgwNR983ZNOTRqQFERFSdBTADRJJFZmztyXQqHfAkf5t3iZ6Ra5S3irlbx9OvtnIkWeJU2GVZOSRoEzBvJBS69F85uyho/s800/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeexhZxwNosD-5aoJBT_6aGpvr1yGekjzRQqseuyU5b0cwn3hO1KKTkn2YqWjXa-lGmLwy_gm5b8j0R5CqC1vrf9FkW6HtHIdgwNR983ZNOTRqQFERFSdBTADRJJFZmztyXQqHfAkf5t3iZ6Ra5S3irlbx9OvtnIkWeJU2GVZOSRoEzBvJBS69F85uyho/w400-h300/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am glad to be able to offer two (very different) photos from Costa Rica. One morning <br />this amazing creature was found by one of our group in her room, from where <br />another of our number (hello Steve) extracted it, identified it and placed it on a <br />convenient tree trunk to be admired. It is a tailless whip-scorpion (an arachnid but not a <br />true scorpion or even a true whip-scorpion) in the Family Phrynidae, found throughout <br />the tropics. However I'd never seen one and was enthralled; the fact that it was at<br /> least 10cm across helped there too! The six back legs are for walking, the front pair stretch <br />forward as sensory organs, and in front again are the formidable spiked jaws (pedipalps). <br />I saw many striking animals in Costa Rica, but perhaps none more so than this one.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>SEPTEMBER</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN5GkOIGTkzQ0HeGAdtSFc8g6TcX_BuvD5dKcLz9PvzvnKorRkH-e8u6Ukg4nvC0NaKfhptBMJrFgXnzP-38TkAaMi_aCyG9OeJtn1ORyDrhTYbj6kwk_A6SBtGaSCC-yZ48qxmwcHjuegimz0cJKX3mB4chmH7h9RXBFmerDS4YIA6kY0oEeNP4b4S8/s800/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN5GkOIGTkzQ0HeGAdtSFc8g6TcX_BuvD5dKcLz9PvzvnKorRkH-e8u6Ukg4nvC0NaKfhptBMJrFgXnzP-38TkAaMi_aCyG9OeJtn1ORyDrhTYbj6kwk_A6SBtGaSCC-yZ48qxmwcHjuegimz0cJKX3mB4chmH7h9RXBFmerDS4YIA6kY0oEeNP4b4S8/w400-h300/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In September we did a long-planned camping trip to South Australia (my 'state of origin')<br />to visit three of my favourite parks there. The first one, Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park<br />at the foot of Yorke Peninsula, proved to be our most memorable. This Hooded Dotterel (or <br />Plover if you prefer) <i>Thinornis cucullatus</i> was foraging on Shell Beach, near our<br />campground, at dawn one morning while the beach was still otherwise deserted <br />(I stayed up on the dunes). This is a nationally threatened species and generally shy,<br />so I was thrilled by this encounter.<br />And as a bonus I can't resist sharing the exquisite beach it lived on, taken that same early morning.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIftQ2Pcrsh3S28q2qX_AB8MO2lZ-89Qmmqijj9udsLfyXq2Pq2036YKzDExwvauoIDE7Uwjei6JeS2kWFwpL7E9XxVZofKbeI2_i-wdPU5SmQRXicnq_BHoH25DwXKQ_gG6aVk2RXk3Ha9OkocQ4LJeTG7xaBUFIJ1fxcnuOhdkDC66MlarLwriGzeY/s1000/Shell%20Beach%20at%20dawn%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIftQ2Pcrsh3S28q2qX_AB8MO2lZ-89Qmmqijj9udsLfyXq2Pq2036YKzDExwvauoIDE7Uwjei6JeS2kWFwpL7E9XxVZofKbeI2_i-wdPU5SmQRXicnq_BHoH25DwXKQ_gG6aVk2RXk3Ha9OkocQ4LJeTG7xaBUFIJ1fxcnuOhdkDC66MlarLwriGzeY/w640-h224/Shell%20Beach%20at%20dawn%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>OCTOBER</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7kfSnMae84Hpf9WWXgUabVV0rZeYdPu1dYmHlq-pE4GpFD-7jfXzsdU57Vj_dZ82O6q1A9PDEUc61ouwL8Tu-Ip1EzC6b2XQCo2dPzRK5HPwBIY6_YuozpEdtJa1Adh2NSjTLxK19ggNS4hqJIrNgVrwzgy2TzOk1HwjM_gfkGCbM5cDX0YZHKgeYUg/s800/bluebush%20and%20mallee1%20Redbank%20CP%20SA%201023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7kfSnMae84Hpf9WWXgUabVV0rZeYdPu1dYmHlq-pE4GpFD-7jfXzsdU57Vj_dZ82O6q1A9PDEUc61ouwL8Tu-Ip1EzC6b2XQCo2dPzRK5HPwBIY6_YuozpEdtJa1Adh2NSjTLxK19ggNS4hqJIrNgVrwzgy2TzOk1HwjM_gfkGCbM5cDX0YZHKgeYUg/w400-h300/bluebush%20and%20mallee1%20Redbank%20CP%20SA%201023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That holiday extended into October, so I can legitimately double-dip! On our way home we<br />had intended to make our last camp in the little-visited Red Banks Conservation Park near<br />Burra in the mid-north of South Australia. However that afternoon it was raining, very<br />windy and cold, so we opted to stay in Burra instead (for the record at the old railway station<br />which is well worth bearing in mind if you're there). However both mornings I went <br />out early to Red Banks; I saw but didn't get a photo of the Redthroats for which it is <br />noted, but loved being out in this semi-arid mallee-bluebush scrubland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>NOVEMBER</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtkJAiOPmdxaf1Vr58Em2lftUqnKz2q31QCdWePdizJ9clrKKRVbWzVoKZ5EJHOUUJ9qdcVugVd8E9Ik1cTODmaPVxz110ooPk-zjAEJ8gPCkKlvRn8WjJ43Cy17jYq8WOHm9J7J56U5lL3byc-u1MGg2V4Bmh8qVKZLyMMtHdo7GcN72SHZsbayV_AY/s800/Walls%20LO2%20Blue%20Mtns%201123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtkJAiOPmdxaf1Vr58Em2lftUqnKz2q31QCdWePdizJ9clrKKRVbWzVoKZ5EJHOUUJ9qdcVugVd8E9Ik1cTODmaPVxz110ooPk-zjAEJ8gPCkKlvRn8WjJ43Cy17jYq8WOHm9J7J56U5lL3byc-u1MGg2V4Bmh8qVKZLyMMtHdo7GcN72SHZsbayV_AY/w400-h300/Walls%20LO2%20Blue%20Mtns%201123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In November we were back in the Blue Mountains and managed to find a lovely short<br />walk that we hadn't done before. The flowering was mostly over, but the walk to the<br />Walls Lookout, culminating here in spectacular sandstone scenery at the edge of the mighty <br />Grose River Valley, was exquisite and memorable. It is reached from the Bells Line of Road,<br />then turning off to the Pierces Lookout picnic area; you can walk from the carpark by<br />the road, or take the shorter option from the picnic area further in.<br />We just love the sandstone country.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b>DECEMBER</b><br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmeGXNt5b5u9vZb_dn3TTpPD5uddSi8zMMGafyN3IP-Fo2wMimuy4TZ1UQRThqjQC161fTXWdT4kx5DzNKmyxFTmKZg0JafJW-qbmUMJCUfFCppgkutu1YSSiTNh2uveVZ01GCRjhqgz8FfUZCiBVx_6gGQ3aNt5zhJ7Wbq_8I8_jCYUgYc1OFUS8j4w/s800/P1020066.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmeGXNt5b5u9vZb_dn3TTpPD5uddSi8zMMGafyN3IP-Fo2wMimuy4TZ1UQRThqjQC161fTXWdT4kx5DzNKmyxFTmKZg0JafJW-qbmUMJCUfFCppgkutu1YSSiTNh2uveVZ01GCRjhqgz8FfUZCiBVx_6gGQ3aNt5zhJ7Wbq_8I8_jCYUgYc1OFUS8j4w/w400-h300/P1020066.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In December we always spend a few days at Currarong at the north end of<br />Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast to celebrate Lou's birthday. It's a pleasureland of<br />sheltered bays, forest and heathland. For some reason I didn't take many photos <br />this time - probably because I already had so many from previous visits - but I like <br />this one, taken by Lou with my camera from the car window at the boat ramp. The<br />tide was full so these Crested Terns <span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv wHYlTd z8gr9e"><i>Thalasseus bergii </i>had lost their roosts on the <br />rocky reefs just offshore and had to battle for individual perches at the ramp. <br />We are looking across the ocean to I think Mount Coolangatta in the hazy distance<br />(you might need to look at a map to make sense of that).<br />Perhaps not of general interest but good memories for us.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So once again, this was my year, or at least a version of it. Thank you very sincerely for reading my offerings, and for your support through your comments below. As I've said before, whatever is coming we can be sure that nature is always there to inspire
us and keep us in perspective, and I have every intention of continuing
to share it with you through these posts. May your 2024 start peacefully
and naturally. My best wishes to you, Ian.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 18 JANUARY</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span> You can ask to be removed from the list at any time,</span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></span><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span>or could simply mark an email as Spam, so you won't see future ones.<br /></span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></span><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span>If you do leave a comment - and I love it when you do - please remember to click the<br />box below your comment that says 'Email follow-up comments to...[your address]' <br />so you'll know when I reply - and I always do!</span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p></div>Ian Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-57028295427464660502023-12-14T08:00:00.114+11:002023-12-15T09:53:47.308+11:00Sandstone; perfect building material for a landscape<p style="text-align: justify;">This is my last post for 2023 (except for the traditional New Years Eve farewell to the year). It's a long one, though it mostly comprises photos, and is different from anything I've offered before in that it features not a particular group of animals or plants, or a place, but a type of landscape. I love sandstone and the unmistakable form it gives to a landscape and the sometimes extraordinary structures it can produce. Some of the grandest scenery I know is built of sandstone, and this post is almost entirely Australia-oriented. Overall
this is intended to be a celebration of such landscapes, which I
always find to be satisfying and often truly glorious.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWuW76voX9oPAqcaHffnOYtxdaWAvAuLRm0VG4_he6Xtb8iEp1IEU5aXwOdQF7pzr-by3Lnekshu5skx0egziryq5Ff7b6amTSOw_fXgM7kJCwruuHFHPAid9lO_MYbgQ962Mu0UklmUstLNolof1txyZLhIPTPkAhxIbU6F376G97tW8b-THTYkf8CI/s1000/West%20MacDonnells%20panorama%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWuW76voX9oPAqcaHffnOYtxdaWAvAuLRm0VG4_he6Xtb8iEp1IEU5aXwOdQF7pzr-by3Lnekshu5skx0egziryq5Ff7b6amTSOw_fXgM7kJCwruuHFHPAid9lO_MYbgQ962Mu0UklmUstLNolof1txyZLhIPTPkAhxIbU6F376G97tW8b-THTYkf8CI/w640-h224/West%20MacDonnells%20panorama%200513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tjoritja/West MacDonnells from Larapinta Drive near Alice Springs, central Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SxvvsS4NyoNKTW5ffBXCtqGbRq4e-6CDS3IKyne2eUMo8KLvUWoJ8fMaCXHw9VznydYUuKFXefV11KFI50znhoZm6cSzmZtqN4Z_B6moHgvDyvZBCa8tvRAPr37EeZfqHMWKQ0RJX_vhyphenhyphen36kXXCAcVjzmwrHUnSys6G4ZCmVDwLbuEkPp5mnicCChD4/s1000/Govetts%20Leap%20view1%20Blue%20Mtns%200421.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SxvvsS4NyoNKTW5ffBXCtqGbRq4e-6CDS3IKyne2eUMo8KLvUWoJ8fMaCXHw9VznydYUuKFXefV11KFI50znhoZm6cSzmZtqN4Z_B6moHgvDyvZBCa8tvRAPr37EeZfqHMWKQ0RJX_vhyphenhyphen36kXXCAcVjzmwrHUnSys6G4ZCmVDwLbuEkPp5mnicCChD4/w640-h224/Govetts%20Leap%20view1%20Blue%20Mtns%200421.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Govetts Leap of part of Blue Mountains National Park, near Sydney.<br />The oldest Blue Mountain rocks formed from marine sediments between 470 and 330 million <br />years ago. Later they were buried deep under new sediments in a shallow sea between<br /> 280 and 250 million years ago. Finally yet another layer was added by rivers carrying sand from <br />far to the west, between 250 and 170 million years ago.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlu_kXLpeaz2KbpflT5QLjgh185nNu6hfMh8U0Gp6z7Lz8EBg3lRQxhTDWxf5sjDqqvUVae02bGnJn3-KWdNkf9tghvgH43bbBb3RosrYaRH4ngbjEACt_3aL3sRE7l9b52-Ia26AG_y6ZITMSy9d9bltGVx85rogsdoAYbqD3O-Mfa9dL7S2OVzNKuQ/s1000/Heysen%20Range%20Bunyeroo%20Valley%20FRNP%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlu_kXLpeaz2KbpflT5QLjgh185nNu6hfMh8U0Gp6z7Lz8EBg3lRQxhTDWxf5sjDqqvUVae02bGnJn3-KWdNkf9tghvgH43bbBb3RosrYaRH4ngbjEACt_3aL3sRE7l9b52-Ia26AG_y6ZITMSy9d9bltGVx85rogsdoAYbqD3O-Mfa9dL7S2OVzNKuQ/w640-h224/Heysen%20Range%20Bunyeroo%20Valley%20FRNP%200513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heysen Range from Bunyeroo Valley, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia.<br />The Flinders sediments were laid down between 500 million and a billion years ago, in a great <br />trough (the Adelaide Geosyncline) in which sediments settled in layers up to 20km deep.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course people have long associated with and utilised sandstone for art works and building material and, while that's not my interest today, it would be foolish not to acknowledge that. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xGCS4_5mzEVaMiHvU3HicS73HLZXAA1-UZG87aMfBPXUPBkXhE8OjftEwfEK0ty_TFrtoS2CACLb4dsrkVbV1Y2L5RCPZFIAqxwVhDJOs4bFyc_MNBf1eXmQmJE334cKpzeVFX7mBiNFS0oX7vdY_DMY1ntrfuLl2nAhxC9PYZTLGMuJYtwo2A9v1Ps/s800/Ubirr%20artsite8%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xGCS4_5mzEVaMiHvU3HicS73HLZXAA1-UZG87aMfBPXUPBkXhE8OjftEwfEK0ty_TFrtoS2CACLb4dsrkVbV1Y2L5RCPZFIAqxwVhDJOs4bFyc_MNBf1eXmQmJE334cKpzeVFX7mBiNFS0oX7vdY_DMY1ntrfuLl2nAhxC9PYZTLGMuJYtwo2A9v1Ps/w400-h300/Ubirr%20artsite8%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the extraordinary Indigenous galleries on Ubirr Rock, Kakadu National Park<br />in the Northern Territory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY-uCW2Tb5FPNOak2Ayq6_LT7gEiZ9NtcbhlkBI9gdqaFh_ZCAnXZynVTp_ySYI0SnEeppnb7m_viLOFXFLBA1F677owUGZ3NQtSbibQ1sBlJw7eY75Y9e-C8XfuReGrNstbO7OYjgkzCZL2dgqgtP_zCYAqF6Tub07jX5_VRxITi6TDNAxGFnHYBaGk/s800/petroglyphs%20Sandstone%20Cliffs%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY-uCW2Tb5FPNOak2Ayq6_LT7gEiZ9NtcbhlkBI9gdqaFh_ZCAnXZynVTp_ySYI0SnEeppnb7m_viLOFXFLBA1F677owUGZ3NQtSbibQ1sBlJw7eY75Y9e-C8XfuReGrNstbO7OYjgkzCZL2dgqgtP_zCYAqF6Tub07jX5_VRxITi6TDNAxGFnHYBaGk/w400-h300/petroglyphs%20Sandstone%20Cliffs%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petroglyphs (carvings) on sandstone in an under-cliff shelter in Timmallallie <br />National Park in the Pilliga forests, central New South Wales.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5yPWCTLtMWBiwqdBoPXQCmFR5KxTbhWzgsQHswEiJUs5Yk8qsMx9Tg2FCrxR3-wRMge_dq9ijNTMQ788UuWwr6mT6tWWG-F21jflTp1eSu0wpDa1Trywbs6VEukNd6dYahMAIg395Ku_jH8h7rA08gi9l8BVX6WJIF1MtnEy1aiusDUkUf-fj_Vbr0M/s800/sandstone%20Glebe%20Foreshore%20Walk%200717.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5yPWCTLtMWBiwqdBoPXQCmFR5KxTbhWzgsQHswEiJUs5Yk8qsMx9Tg2FCrxR3-wRMge_dq9ijNTMQ788UuWwr6mT6tWWG-F21jflTp1eSu0wpDa1Trywbs6VEukNd6dYahMAIg395Ku_jH8h7rA08gi9l8BVX6WJIF1MtnEy1aiusDUkUf-fj_Vbr0M/w400-h300/sandstone%20Glebe%20Foreshore%20Walk%200717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandstone outcropping, heavily quarried, by the sea in Glebe, central Sydney.<br />Much of the city centre and old suburbs of this, Australia's first city,<br />was built of this sandstone and it continued to be used throughout the<br />nineteenth century. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">All sandstone was formed from silica particles laid down long ago, having eroded from even older rocks and been carried by rivers or the wind to form deep beds and, with the aid of the ultimate tool, time, compacted by the weight of younger material above and sometimes chemically 'glued' into stone. Later it again became exposed on the surface. I am not a geologist and have no pretensions to being one, so I'm not going to say much more about the process of formation - if you're interested there's plenty of material out there about it. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock, named for the obvious reason of comprising sediments. Finer sediments, settling in still waters, form mudstone or siltstone, while coarser ones, containing larger particles or even rocks carried along by strong currents, can form mixed conglomerates. I hope that I'm not making any errors that would offend a geologist, but I always welcome comments and corrections.</div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQuYNDgRIBwgvW0zp9RwsQVY1h7wZQxOD089GQvL6yAEpwus06uKiyVWNT2CVkyr-0Sb6r7AXVsjBfSdrxciDqxUPEEqPormlLTK97QWx1hiSihYEwPciEfad0KfhZD0c2N3FeTszHzfYFnVoPrGKHmHo1M9n3lEJmII6tgZLA1-I_diCa0V44Xgm1-w/s800/Glen%20Helen%20sediments2%20West%20MacDonnells%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQuYNDgRIBwgvW0zp9RwsQVY1h7wZQxOD089GQvL6yAEpwus06uKiyVWNT2CVkyr-0Sb6r7AXVsjBfSdrxciDqxUPEEqPormlLTK97QWx1hiSihYEwPciEfad0KfhZD0c2N3FeTszHzfYFnVoPrGKHmHo1M9n3lEJmII6tgZLA1-I_diCa0V44Xgm1-w/w300-h400/Glen%20Helen%20sediments2%20West%20MacDonnells%200513.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large particles in sandstone in the gorge walls at Glen Helen, Tjoritja/West MacDonnells.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ca0_0JhUjsIF2HtfGq0qYVtzERpL_QqiVWkfqYp_cNmOaCJ6U05_Kn1OqquHz9wJumLc7XyU88PmcPDLYTtAMfOtxmvkP3x9iWzrcFX8Ph0AlR2j85HQhKExXENJ_XYxAPjIE4fH80fvjuVJe3xBKsUlkjSKw28jkSXAFXaz2NFITS_ecJP_fZYyVuk/s400/conglomerate3%20Valley%20of%20Winds%20walk%20Kata%20Tjuta%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ca0_0JhUjsIF2HtfGq0qYVtzERpL_QqiVWkfqYp_cNmOaCJ6U05_Kn1OqquHz9wJumLc7XyU88PmcPDLYTtAMfOtxmvkP3x9iWzrcFX8Ph0AlR2j85HQhKExXENJ_XYxAPjIE4fH80fvjuVJe3xBKsUlkjSKw28jkSXAFXaz2NFITS_ecJP_fZYyVuk/w400-h300/conglomerate3%20Valley%20of%20Winds%20walk%20Kata%20Tjuta%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conglomerates in the Valley of the Winds, forming the mighty domes<br />of Kata Tjuta. The nearby equally mighty Uluru (which we'll visit soon)<br />is comprised of finer sandstone, but both structures were formed<br />from the eroded remains of mountain ranges to the south and west.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It's not a simple 'there, it's now done' process of course, the earth is restless. Where the layers were once nicely horizontal and parallel, later upheavals are revealed in buckled and uplifted layers.<br /></div></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTUt-nonWA9JFHWbkuvAH7rqWhGhHbiyuj9vyeuXUGRoDs2q2AmNilZE_LAtDzUXaHqiYylBw9g8oUBtUtz63WXLRT6-gMP7-tQ_O_FlCpdgqXGte5JSsBUSK_QQNO4HTbrHeN3c465zwE2tVHJw7q0QPdWqY98UszRfnergvGY__jdCp7sCjkDlRHyI/s800/folded%20sandstone%20Jack's%20Creek%20walk%20Cocoparra%20NP%200318.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTUt-nonWA9JFHWbkuvAH7rqWhGhHbiyuj9vyeuXUGRoDs2q2AmNilZE_LAtDzUXaHqiYylBw9g8oUBtUtz63WXLRT6-gMP7-tQ_O_FlCpdgqXGte5JSsBUSK_QQNO4HTbrHeN3c465zwE2tVHJw7q0QPdWqY98UszRfnergvGY__jdCp7sCjkDlRHyI/w400-h300/folded%20sandstone%20Jack's%20Creek%20walk%20Cocoparra%20NP%200318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folded sandstone along Jack's Creek in Cocoparra NP, central southern NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaM3mDzyENWfVuOeDv4HcRcSzYY16vSJ5Pm-q0YbmsZulNIHRg-jj41Rp5P38qdoS-5r2csMnYTwelV15mDKhMl-5Un9ccjlyoRybrCSHxP5oYx_VKZqgGQWmP4jTgSfflw-CDklpIjyBJk4W_BPbNW1hs9VIc0tnwiucfhgctmBLh51qZUsNzjzL63Gs/s800/slopes%20of%20Uluru%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaM3mDzyENWfVuOeDv4HcRcSzYY16vSJ5Pm-q0YbmsZulNIHRg-jj41Rp5P38qdoS-5r2csMnYTwelV15mDKhMl-5Un9ccjlyoRybrCSHxP5oYx_VKZqgGQWmP4jTgSfflw-CDklpIjyBJk4W_BPbNW1hs9VIc0tnwiucfhgctmBLh51qZUsNzjzL63Gs/w400-h300/slopes%20of%20Uluru%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Uluru, many of the layers have been lifted to almost vertical,<br />as in the top centre of this photo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And not all layers were placed there by the force of water; wind can do the job too. The hard pure sandstone that forms at least the top 50 metres of the stunning Kings Canyon Plateau in Watarrka NP in central Australia is believed to have formed from wind-blown dunes some 360 million years ago. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTPg3eoTapnnukiSdYuY9xFJ2Y5e8lRb1738C8ctVYf-ioSLrnHe9S8Pe6nmAqu6UiEYtFfjCxoYEt0-O9BW-Hb_boCJNZFRSS3wWy0Jo1KcnJmZDpEmRFJWAzywvT6N4vlr0u7FEsjKPpDJxCGZsGhuPEjkiSCNi0MWJKaqoEcaRrxPlYPxaF1cU1MA/s800/crossbedded%20ancient%20dunes%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTPg3eoTapnnukiSdYuY9xFJ2Y5e8lRb1738C8ctVYf-ioSLrnHe9S8Pe6nmAqu6UiEYtFfjCxoYEt0-O9BW-Hb_boCJNZFRSS3wWy0Jo1KcnJmZDpEmRFJWAzywvT6N4vlr0u7FEsjKPpDJxCGZsGhuPEjkiSCNi0MWJKaqoEcaRrxPlYPxaF1cU1MA/w400-h300/crossbedded%20ancient%20dunes%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cross-bedding, with clearly visible fault lines, provides evidence to geologists that the <br />origin of this sandstone was in wind-formed sand dunes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The famed 'beehives' of the plateau formed from this structure. These fault lines formed cracks which weathered and eroded into the modern beehives which display the layers of dune sand from which they derived. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1xUIdJIzMY-SpIExWenD5tHMOao0nklHQDTajzwX73vFz6xcKdDrvhhOZDOYzVCQZ6D-GWdSSqbpeBAOXM2fv_xm4fpkvUD-uPFw3m_L-0s3hy2Y5JPpCvpoDVqWrE6_L5Yn27yRlZdO5jeIS9Ms0xg_RTlGx7-AGcOJuEzwX442p0HZqpr7JojqdnU/s800/beehives2%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1xUIdJIzMY-SpIExWenD5tHMOao0nklHQDTajzwX73vFz6xcKdDrvhhOZDOYzVCQZ6D-GWdSSqbpeBAOXM2fv_xm4fpkvUD-uPFw3m_L-0s3hy2Y5JPpCvpoDVqWrE6_L5Yn27yRlZdO5jeIS9Ms0xg_RTlGx7-AGcOJuEzwX442p0HZqpr7JojqdnU/w400-h300/beehives2%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of Australia's best-known mountain ranges are formed of sandstone. We've acknowledged Tjoritja/MacDonnells, the Blue Mountains and Ikara-Flinders above. Here are some more, some well known, others perhaps less so.<br /></div></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiCSwowNKk5rLJkdKs_PJ4GOxYolTpnXeAIQkJgPD-J8YAb5ggKivHJHJ3pCc2nXCsK2NYqbJy695jdBtKylvag3682KdEi701EFK9jBlLXIBOQWuWZVu1zNxs7tYEF8rWC9zQ-cX44wRI1ywk84537wrXs8lQ3vvMls0LizbisKi_g9NqUNqSTDZAis/s800/from%20Central%20Lookout%20Stirling%20Ranges1%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiCSwowNKk5rLJkdKs_PJ4GOxYolTpnXeAIQkJgPD-J8YAb5ggKivHJHJ3pCc2nXCsK2NYqbJy695jdBtKylvag3682KdEi701EFK9jBlLXIBOQWuWZVu1zNxs7tYEF8rWC9zQ-cX44wRI1ywk84537wrXs8lQ3vvMls0LizbisKi_g9NqUNqSTDZAis/w300-h400/from%20Central%20Lookout%20Stirling%20Ranges1%200913.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Central Lookout, Stirling Ranges, central southern Western Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vsk_XYV-tTmT2r33mE9z7ayS5IEZf68RkQK_alBnWXNxLItDHegMDA0RYeS0m9rfFG0k7GefewXBxBmel0sv_0_740enmXWCBEEnIKaync0PcEH46_h8CfH8o7iNUw2YTeXZ08lMUwYL3lblz6Jq-4ge6t8Fkf3AhL8EJHPhYBd77QdyKvfEi8yJJ-g/s1000/Musgrave%20Ranges1%20Mulga%20Park%20Road%20CA%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vsk_XYV-tTmT2r33mE9z7ayS5IEZf68RkQK_alBnWXNxLItDHegMDA0RYeS0m9rfFG0k7GefewXBxBmel0sv_0_740enmXWCBEEnIKaync0PcEH46_h8CfH8o7iNUw2YTeXZ08lMUwYL3lblz6Jq-4ge6t8Fkf3AhL8EJHPhYBd77QdyKvfEi8yJJ-g/w640-h224/Musgrave%20Ranges1%20Mulga%20Park%20Road%20CA%200513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musgrave Ranges, on the South Australian - Northern Territory Border.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH1Q58nUobWTofIgn7elTwDpri0e6TELEYUkAtyWYR_b5ow1arw_8i62tVwFUNm46q_tP1Xz4HDkkjG_d2o49HDriDGZkqAEXvF0gVU9Hp9ZL2c7x9efCk6730JuZWq3OU2ey5ahtbVqierPKxffoJa2JYvP6-bmowSBdSNH-MnBE4gk2kCaeZWeZyPA/s800/evening%20with%20Mulga%20Mutawintji%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH1Q58nUobWTofIgn7elTwDpri0e6TELEYUkAtyWYR_b5ow1arw_8i62tVwFUNm46q_tP1Xz4HDkkjG_d2o49HDriDGZkqAEXvF0gVU9Hp9ZL2c7x9efCk6730JuZWq3OU2ey5ahtbVqierPKxffoJa2JYvP6-bmowSBdSNH-MnBE4gk2kCaeZWeZyPA/w400-h300/evening%20with%20Mulga%20Mutawintji%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening on the Bynguano Range in the mulga country of Mutawintji NP,<br />far western NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHP5sx8tvt1iZ61V9xYzD6iUPBhwvolIp-KBVGIZQKiFM9DCnnN_H1tc88jFVaROhu-amuUR14F6zkbXZ-HKwqjotgq0BjWXum_DcMJgF9cTK9-BciH5NaVTqk2Sx8v0l48X3YIaYVmzzXf-kxjxG-EtMfSncH82fozxyGRUvNchmDlUO5PX9cknQ6Hk/s800/view%20from%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHP5sx8tvt1iZ61V9xYzD6iUPBhwvolIp-KBVGIZQKiFM9DCnnN_H1tc88jFVaROhu-amuUR14F6zkbXZ-HKwqjotgq0BjWXum_DcMJgF9cTK9-BciH5NaVTqk2Sx8v0l48X3YIaYVmzzXf-kxjxG-EtMfSncH82fozxyGRUvNchmDlUO5PX9cknQ6Hk/w400-h300/view%20from%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mount Zero in the north of Gariwerd/Grampians NP, western Victoria.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9eVS0vILxwaF7E6n7LfGr1-rBEzHqxljNBxkjLMLXqqhUwj5URpCRN35Hpk7JdEhtoW08A9mQ1qodFZDxWxf1oUnKfBf_91mXBfHMDntuwqR3SwfQOq6gGtH3zJrnjICHH8Fl6DPkRNyOA-rnvuVfq-U3YWWx-oFjiBGrKBnBdLbaL9Tb6rYoSeR_gM/s1000/Weddin%20Mtns%20from%20SE%200322.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9eVS0vILxwaF7E6n7LfGr1-rBEzHqxljNBxkjLMLXqqhUwj5URpCRN35Hpk7JdEhtoW08A9mQ1qodFZDxWxf1oUnKfBf_91mXBfHMDntuwqR3SwfQOq6gGtH3zJrnjICHH8Fl6DPkRNyOA-rnvuVfq-U3YWWx-oFjiBGrKBnBdLbaL9Tb6rYoSeR_gM/w640-h224/Weddin%20Mtns%20from%20SE%200322.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weddin Mountains NP from the south-east, near Grenfell, south-western slopes of NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-44SkxkGvE4fBfy9nUSg9rLby2ZoZT8kuW6LKH3086BWFrlyKmqOvSczXiwgaT4BPJEU4XaR_yRUiiBSOJWBV3cx2Or5jEtNn3lsozV2gJi7G94EKMknntc4HZapJHTYGeh6gFyT7Df39FzN374xl9r5cKFWfnMh_Q__Okf6ia1_Yks-ZOsCjh_5PHA/s800/spinifex%20hill2%20Gawler%20Ranges%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-44SkxkGvE4fBfy9nUSg9rLby2ZoZT8kuW6LKH3086BWFrlyKmqOvSczXiwgaT4BPJEU4XaR_yRUiiBSOJWBV3cx2Or5jEtNn3lsozV2gJi7G94EKMknntc4HZapJHTYGeh6gFyT7Df39FzN374xl9r5cKFWfnMh_Q__Okf6ia1_Yks-ZOsCjh_5PHA/w400-h300/spinifex%20hill2%20Gawler%20Ranges%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinifex-covered sandstone hill in the Gawler Ranges NP, north of Eyre Peninusula, South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOkcbHKeF-Dv-SxCJcsnWHtqX6ksrJhRG-v3eZil5YcLF_DyN4P68nI4qXX3waiv2-vhcBR45NyrDcxOm9oTySNGLpy9AJib9p0mjHO-lzdm7lcEolg2WjQe_4Df69j8S5dS3Bql83iMRXOAshvxILHF9NaSiS-CqNXyDt6xiXQ86rQMQVB4Ve9IRCHY/s1000/Amunurunga%20Range1%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20NT%200716.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOkcbHKeF-Dv-SxCJcsnWHtqX6ksrJhRG-v3eZil5YcLF_DyN4P68nI4qXX3waiv2-vhcBR45NyrDcxOm9oTySNGLpy9AJib9p0mjHO-lzdm7lcEolg2WjQe_4Df69j8S5dS3Bql83iMRXOAshvxILHF9NaSiS-CqNXyDt6xiXQ86rQMQVB4Ve9IRCHY/w640-h224/Amunurunga%20Range1%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20NT%200716.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amunurunga Range along the Gary Junction Road west of Alice Springs near the WA border. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And of course in Kakadu National Park in the Top End of the Northern Territory we can be absorbed by some two million hectares of sandstone landscape!<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK35-dkD9mU4MAF_aX-s-Qy9D0VQNGt1B9TNotFiNjXGG32Teo_rh5hjVFHgP_JPbG3T1NcMp32ZDCOgNk9dPT4atbc0pYyMuAcGmUSzDcrFyElwk1Wq9ZTIz2kgXpgGksi7yi800dFvEPRp11eIbzl97S8Cc22QoijLqMxGJh2MiXOufukHVuGiHDAfA/s1000/sandstone%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK35-dkD9mU4MAF_aX-s-Qy9D0VQNGt1B9TNotFiNjXGG32Teo_rh5hjVFHgP_JPbG3T1NcMp32ZDCOgNk9dPT4atbc0pYyMuAcGmUSzDcrFyElwk1Wq9ZTIz2kgXpgGksi7yi800dFvEPRp11eIbzl97S8Cc22QoijLqMxGJh2MiXOufukHVuGiHDAfA/w640-h224/sandstone%20panorama%20Ubirr%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from Ubirr Rock, Kakadu.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Similarly the Chapada dos Guimaraes, in south-western Brazil, is a landscape of sandstone, a whole vast plateau rather than a recognisable range. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii79BFugRmPkxMTt26sIiqc88as_U7Ucn6dB1jO4dHzRY6guYGPpkbwnx36673QQMsNJoNmd_TAxmoHvko3gP46oJRWCBAzzrSktZuWAiTTo5ZUErrF-QnErDUI_JE9enjqZXMd3n2-wsuzbqLVwPTftDd7vSMmXjMYyPNjxDs2NMBL32TRZhTKsvfYI/s800/sandstone4%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii79BFugRmPkxMTt26sIiqc88as_U7Ucn6dB1jO4dHzRY6guYGPpkbwnx36673QQMsNJoNmd_TAxmoHvko3gP46oJRWCBAzzrSktZuWAiTTo5ZUErrF-QnErDUI_JE9enjqZXMd3n2-wsuzbqLVwPTftDd7vSMmXjMYyPNjxDs2NMBL32TRZhTKsvfYI/w400-h300/sandstone4%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapada dos Guimaraes, a wonderful wildness of sandstone just north of<br />the more famous Pantanal wetlands.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand monoliths - literally 'single rocks' - may form, ranging in size from quite small to utterly vast. (Monoliths can also be of volcanic origin.) To be honest I'm not sure of the difference, if any, between a monolith or an outcrop, and may be blurring definition boundaries here. That shouldn't stop us from admiring them though!<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9DlYxruGbvtqygiwEL1s7P5VbllidgIdcfWFO_UCecwqo_OGBlsYXj6snbDmaKbC19D-Wrk-gbId4sJQafxngm7EzLo-ZCyjXtDhuVqLj7pPbp-4TAWNWEF5cVI2aRyDeCRyLcV_EfyL9l1SLlwUr25iz5zMZauTonfj7nwamyOlFHfKfyNIjEzPN-4/s800/sandstone%20in%20woodland%20Weddin%20Mtns%20NP%200322.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9DlYxruGbvtqygiwEL1s7P5VbllidgIdcfWFO_UCecwqo_OGBlsYXj6snbDmaKbC19D-Wrk-gbId4sJQafxngm7EzLo-ZCyjXtDhuVqLj7pPbp-4TAWNWEF5cVI2aRyDeCRyLcV_EfyL9l1SLlwUr25iz5zMZauTonfj7nwamyOlFHfKfyNIjEzPN-4/w400-h300/sandstone%20in%20woodland%20Weddin%20Mtns%20NP%200322.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isolated boulder, Weddin Mountains NP, NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-a9HYLp4J7LMCNXJXn0TNOkXRyemjW3XCvv58LO6Hud_nxJYlImimHRTATPRrESee79elHUlhzrwT16HXuusxBWjKiEQa90I-i-k-v1jquhzrGiPTPwkCqZnAwVldH5q3d5N-JfdJo21HKZCT28nNYNhZPlw4aXMTmoUTwSJ8zaAD-e3acGrLfKePPU/s800/sandstone%20outcrop%20Vic%20Falls%20Road%20Blue%20Mtns%200323.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-a9HYLp4J7LMCNXJXn0TNOkXRyemjW3XCvv58LO6Hud_nxJYlImimHRTATPRrESee79elHUlhzrwT16HXuusxBWjKiEQa90I-i-k-v1jquhzrGiPTPwkCqZnAwVldH5q3d5N-JfdJo21HKZCT28nNYNhZPlw4aXMTmoUTwSJ8zaAD-e3acGrLfKePPU/w400-h300/sandstone%20outcrop%20Vic%20Falls%20Road%20Blue%20Mtns%200323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larger sandstone outcrop (perhaps better described as a column?)<br />along the Victoria Falls Road, Blue Mountains NP.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4NbKnkuRAOHYgQvtHlj-q6cH04Lwb-QaQ3esTosK4EQtRNP2U4wyqVQk7_oL5gaEE2pV62BReaOuQ9kA0kkxJ2-KuRUPCCiVCeY9fFclo6plSVBaU80YODgmfK80QFwYzx1LH0uaDxP6mKUiZ-YnrUwEy565p6wuJ8JE5T0f6Dm0h0g0OOKaZREpb2A/s800/Corroboree%20Rock%20East%20MacDonnells%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4NbKnkuRAOHYgQvtHlj-q6cH04Lwb-QaQ3esTosK4EQtRNP2U4wyqVQk7_oL5gaEE2pV62BReaOuQ9kA0kkxJ2-KuRUPCCiVCeY9fFclo6plSVBaU80YODgmfK80QFwYzx1LH0uaDxP6mKUiZ-YnrUwEy565p6wuJ8JE5T0f6Dm0h0g0OOKaZREpb2A/w400-h300/Corroboree%20Rock%20East%20MacDonnells%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corroboree Rock, eastern Tjorita/MacDonnells. This rock is of great significance<br />to the Easten Arrernte people, to the extent that apparently even its 'real' name<br />is not to be shared.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3A52emPC5ct9L7PdarneoNiF5pPAsRIq8ujgM4Gt7QWStUeoR6YYzFDBK9_kZs7XvnOR9ee1tzlGdS4eUoFOlA_ogZAnRDjCJWA6JJJURPp1O1ftIEauMRSOg_jJOaE5Ps_sqAR_fZdqES-JWX5oKdqMwyy-wk4V6AWxBjWiR40oK196ZRh7UUyzYLnM/s800/Wild%20Dog%20Hill,%20Whyalla%20CP%200807.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3A52emPC5ct9L7PdarneoNiF5pPAsRIq8ujgM4Gt7QWStUeoR6YYzFDBK9_kZs7XvnOR9ee1tzlGdS4eUoFOlA_ogZAnRDjCJWA6JJJURPp1O1ftIEauMRSOg_jJOaE5Ps_sqAR_fZdqES-JWX5oKdqMwyy-wk4V6AWxBjWiR40oK196ZRh7UUyzYLnM/w300-h400/Wild%20Dog%20Hill,%20Whyalla%20CP%200807.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Dog Hill, Whyalla Conservation Park, South Australia.<br />(On reflection, perhaps an isolated hill rather than a monolith, but that raises questions <br />anyway! Happy to have your opinion on this one.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And some really big ones, all from the Northern Territory I now realise. <br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibkjMeme7_Tb4d73VIV4SmW51-zG07ZrKpeK7MoaYakgy2LSZewmuIOq0DjnbC86HfuJyr_vOlw7HpKIosMcRynqQQK9wwflCjo5XqRIANUpMs2a5EhwhYzjwO954RAb6sbiXSupwloTor-pX5otg1-qFz1H9XMbigH4Dz_Kyttiq7cAmwvKoAiIBkNk/s1000/Nourlangie%20Rock%20panorama1%20Kakadu%20NP%200115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="1000" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibkjMeme7_Tb4d73VIV4SmW51-zG07ZrKpeK7MoaYakgy2LSZewmuIOq0DjnbC86HfuJyr_vOlw7HpKIosMcRynqQQK9wwflCjo5XqRIANUpMs2a5EhwhYzjwO954RAb6sbiXSupwloTor-pX5otg1-qFz1H9XMbigH4Dz_Kyttiq7cAmwvKoAiIBkNk/w640-h166/Nourlangie%20Rock%20panorama1%20Kakadu%20NP%200115.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrunggui (more generally known, though incorrectly, as Nourlangie Rock), Kakadu National Park.<br />This site was and is of huge importance to Bininj Mungguy people and contains many<br /> significant art sites.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ItLwe7endgR-QXmC5QKcRtY0TLqIBIY-syYnHqucsPAJ4tNOtqqazkuf29oJ4BbroR43u2qkbIG37uAIAO94jto7mNZlh1fEZy6UUOrcKgHi_E_sC9OdZ-AgaBceZECJWA_X8uedE-MKXoASt5_IvjilgP3DxLEmsX_hT7DzqpcerlFK7oYhtkVwIw/s1000/Haast's%20Bluff1%200616.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ItLwe7endgR-QXmC5QKcRtY0TLqIBIY-syYnHqucsPAJ4tNOtqqazkuf29oJ4BbroR43u2qkbIG37uAIAO94jto7mNZlh1fEZy6UUOrcKgHi_E_sC9OdZ-AgaBceZECJWA_X8uedE-MKXoASt5_IvjilgP3DxLEmsX_hT7DzqpcerlFK7oYhtkVwIw/w640-h224/Haast's%20Bluff1%200616.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Ikuntji or </span>Haasts Bluff, a stand-alone mountain at the western end of Tjoritja, some 230km <br />west of Alice Springs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqdG8IabnkFsMZvj3lx7hyphenhyphenBhHz6fZBRjQ57H-TQn5HY9kPsq00xtbmma3bdiOC3BduDeNEVoJTiUhxECIAgHoUycftye2I-rFS5mT7tchBjUSKcB32SZCn58YilTtSU2z0LqhDl769xmefRj0K2gg7bB1APkBgO3kdDLMgneR0Fzt-tphci5IRVX5aTg/s1000/Uluru%20sunset13%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqdG8IabnkFsMZvj3lx7hyphenhyphenBhHz6fZBRjQ57H-TQn5HY9kPsq00xtbmma3bdiOC3BduDeNEVoJTiUhxECIAgHoUycftye2I-rFS5mT7tchBjUSKcB32SZCn58YilTtSU2z0LqhDl769xmefRj0K2gg7bB1APkBgO3kdDLMgneR0Fzt-tphci5IRVX5aTg/w640-h224/Uluru%20sunset13%200513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course the sublime Uluru, the greatest monolith of them all, rising out of the central desert.<br />Here the rock is catching the last glow of the setting sun, with purple evening <br />shadows gathering at the base.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">An aspect of some sandstone ranges that I love forms when a layer of harder material is deposited on older softer material. As erosion of the softer surrounding material proceeds, a ridge or even a range is left standing above the surrounding plains, protected for at least a while longer by the hard resistant cap.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYMXEf0Ae27ALKIrRh22XN_HwaX1bfsKlGqndpqxPsPZj5yhHXGfOpavoYq5Ag1X9K-C6HFHw0yn18UVZ_G2VhmHwf9EJqqTKaUyYNXRIigm8gl9KKmXSetB599iLIgr4fW7pd0f7vtBe7eXGhxU16T-WkLbbCGajYIFKPp1W6QdFmroH4D8SbQ-vFd4/s1000/capped%20hills%20panorama%20Larapinta%20Drive%20CA%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYMXEf0Ae27ALKIrRh22XN_HwaX1bfsKlGqndpqxPsPZj5yhHXGfOpavoYq5Ag1X9K-C6HFHw0yn18UVZ_G2VhmHwf9EJqqTKaUyYNXRIigm8gl9KKmXSetB599iLIgr4fW7pd0f7vtBe7eXGhxU16T-WkLbbCGajYIFKPp1W6QdFmroH4D8SbQ-vFd4/w640-h224/capped%20hills%20panorama%20Larapinta%20Drive%20CA%200513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A capped range in Tjoritja/McDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vPjPys8qq8KdK9sAFLMlLHIs9UbISSXkhgX-XTTdWx-cRb_5NTFK3HuzID5wXmhKkwYRx93e2WjbBMw5MPBSdnLTkTZ6mVruKWPPxT12v7kampzJkGD_Tm1yIsgNT0BhPCiKfDi1hgJ96bKecp-wekJzhiJTc8uxJdENKP4ElPAt9YCTTtW0AqYSdcE/s800/Mt%20Connor%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vPjPys8qq8KdK9sAFLMlLHIs9UbISSXkhgX-XTTdWx-cRb_5NTFK3HuzID5wXmhKkwYRx93e2WjbBMw5MPBSdnLTkTZ6mVruKWPPxT12v7kampzJkGD_Tm1yIsgNT0BhPCiKfDi1hgJ96bKecp-wekJzhiJTc8uxJdENKP4ElPAt9YCTTtW0AqYSdcE/w400-h300/Mt%20Connor%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atila, also known as Mount Connor, central Australia. It is near the highway to the west<br />of Uluru, and I'm sure many people coming from Alice Springs to the west mistake it <br />for Uluru. I had initially featured this above as a monolith, but I'm uncertain now. <br />Certainly it's a single mighty lump of rock, but it's really a remnant of higher land surface, <br />protected by the thick cap clearly visible. <br />Does it matter? It's a superb part of the land whatever we call it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inevitably the undercutting of the cap occurs through the actions of wind and water, and smaller isolated capped outcrops are formed. In North America the term is usually mesa (Spanish for a table), but in Australia the evocative names include breakaway or jump-up (which of course is entirely a misunderstanding of the formation). <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzZZTzjygRs8xG_5ouy6GQ3TzL5TSsxY498dnrDXccQdACwN-vAnrBsJGaGH-JpRFZMC_QVAz3HEY5suo96hr-pWfmtlJnJiXR-FbvuZivrSbJ8t2GpipOXDhaUbSGS3oZ1oTlbtjZk9K1QzUjVoTfjBWzRf0397Uyx1V8fmEX8UA5Opiq1RBLQm2ezY/s1000/breakaways%20panorama%20Coober%20Pedy%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="1000" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzZZTzjygRs8xG_5ouy6GQ3TzL5TSsxY498dnrDXccQdACwN-vAnrBsJGaGH-JpRFZMC_QVAz3HEY5suo96hr-pWfmtlJnJiXR-FbvuZivrSbJ8t2GpipOXDhaUbSGS3oZ1oTlbtjZk9K1QzUjVoTfjBWzRf0397Uyx1V8fmEX8UA5Opiq1RBLQm2ezY/w640-h232/breakaways%20panorama%20Coober%20Pedy%200514.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakaways near Coober Pedy, northern South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuz_jgja9yi7OwjN9SJg8AtoEEkbmAfYkjZAADrErslgahHF2BRjQmJXvy5Bfrs9PMaoxLxcKtj4VrMD4jUDvqDL48xEGObyC4MTE8TXzdqtCuCMDUPDimgC-yiO6gUBUy6fQu3vbweZCf-LBoISHpS5_2Dn9FL5GfFPG1T9-lSDuIOVjx0i94Bo810A/s1000/Mt%20Webb%20and%20moon3%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20WA%200716.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuz_jgja9yi7OwjN9SJg8AtoEEkbmAfYkjZAADrErslgahHF2BRjQmJXvy5Bfrs9PMaoxLxcKtj4VrMD4jUDvqDL48xEGObyC4MTE8TXzdqtCuCMDUPDimgC-yiO6gUBUy6fQu3vbweZCf-LBoISHpS5_2Dn9FL5GfFPG1T9-lSDuIOVjx0i94Bo810A/w640-h224/Mt%20Webb%20and%20moon3%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20WA%200716.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Webb under full moon at sunset, on the southern edge of the Great Sandy Desert,<br />far eastern Western Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4uwNfapfjrx-1v3zhKhTUFvyWYqTKwvUQa1NRiLe_wVt6BJIcAWedTHp-eLCZBtqIIbHg87yEiupxlJcm2TTuGfCAvPKC_yM48z0EjcCFvutsiJQX42GdKPNo4nlliwDhhyphenhyphenHJqAc_gwmVDcjUua0OVE7APlGuEoVRAfuepXsRGyWBlGz90E9TSCaxfU/s800/mesa%20Cawnpore%20Lookout%20Winton%20to%20Boulia%200413.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4uwNfapfjrx-1v3zhKhTUFvyWYqTKwvUQa1NRiLe_wVt6BJIcAWedTHp-eLCZBtqIIbHg87yEiupxlJcm2TTuGfCAvPKC_yM48z0EjcCFvutsiJQX42GdKPNo4nlliwDhhyphenhyphenHJqAc_gwmVDcjUua0OVE7APlGuEoVRAfuepXsRGyWBlGz90E9TSCaxfU/w400-h300/mesa%20Cawnpore%20Lookout%20Winton%20to%20Boulia%200413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jump-up at Cawnpore Lookout between Winton and Boulia, western Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lICmJivcgDVoUROY9zndyRwsBx_2TJTTl2_kh4e-CwZmxCajnwOb1XSRgt9q835KFTFjcFsiIasxy0cJa45y0WTblnlH0sS09c2PmCk4SO97yuhcnSZXmEpEWUELOvDVJHZH9TWOdFuvSLBPavNiPzlt1ek945V9ZQevmyDpvunKNSQZdYa13vpKRMA/s800/Gibber%20chenopod%20shrubland%20and%20jumpup%20Theldarpa%20Stn%200411.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lICmJivcgDVoUROY9zndyRwsBx_2TJTTl2_kh4e-CwZmxCajnwOb1XSRgt9q835KFTFjcFsiIasxy0cJa45y0WTblnlH0sS09c2PmCk4SO97yuhcnSZXmEpEWUELOvDVJHZH9TWOdFuvSLBPavNiPzlt1ek945V9ZQevmyDpvunKNSQZdYa13vpKRMA/w400-h300/Gibber%20chenopod%20shrubland%20and%20jumpup%20Theldarpa%20Stn%200411.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jump-up on Theldarpa Station, far north-western NSW. <br />'Soon' the remnants of this protective cap will be entirely eroded away.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And what happens to the caps which are being undercut to tumble down the hillsides? Well in large areas of arid Australia they scatter across the plains to form an entire landscape of hard wind-polished stones, known as gibbers.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-warX02XFKqX21t9BUpDtpZI17yqMa2MsAOWpJ2Ww0fgtOzSp24xTjXVvN3j-WfAZkZ2TCnnGKefuquRwnYjXhSu0z6O-0r7AIoHCA9ucowNIgUy6kOxDvcvdF55wTbfZ1VPgLmhGKJAd2qar-dUyPZenQri0oa-RSkCyQtd3F5rcW5C0CfpfNVOqb0/s800/gibbers%20Pimba%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-warX02XFKqX21t9BUpDtpZI17yqMa2MsAOWpJ2Ww0fgtOzSp24xTjXVvN3j-WfAZkZ2TCnnGKefuquRwnYjXhSu0z6O-0r7AIoHCA9ucowNIgUy6kOxDvcvdF55wTbfZ1VPgLmhGKJAd2qar-dUyPZenQri0oa-RSkCyQtd3F5rcW5C0CfpfNVOqb0/w400-h300/gibbers%20Pimba%200514.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gibbers near Pimba along the Stuart Highway, northern South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And of course not all such landforms are in arid country.<br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIjhoQfyKxL84FUSJN9E0y6g2zarqXJEKVLJK632lQ9tLM90-mHNDhWfBY_fbK9l8Q5_6SQAhWvOIsqoS_a2FPAdCCVgQNLv9cpdkxiuSHNW_pwGlHhnh6f7iqKSXyr9yf7uDVJvrSl1TZQiyLldVBDdCQCS1ziJ_ttnMY-dizZZU_D0xUah4NCAWB9U/s800/Pigeonhouse%20from%20Bawley%20Pt%200608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIjhoQfyKxL84FUSJN9E0y6g2zarqXJEKVLJK632lQ9tLM90-mHNDhWfBY_fbK9l8Q5_6SQAhWvOIsqoS_a2FPAdCCVgQNLv9cpdkxiuSHNW_pwGlHhnh6f7iqKSXyr9yf7uDVJvrSl1TZQiyLldVBDdCQCS1ziJ_ttnMY-dizZZU_D0xUah4NCAWB9U/w300-h400/Pigeonhouse%20from%20Bawley%20Pt%200608.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didthul, later named Pigeon House Mountain by Captain Cook,<br />from Bawley Point on the NSW south coast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Towards the end of their career, such jump-ups can form quite spectacular columns.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpaMSrjDiIK3DooCufcVSelyFqh9DNUsI7Jhd0hqIYSYkqSwm47G-9xCofIMERfhEz6c0EIHig9UowzNgFpnIUgZ2fBOtfYbbeSxTbdyN2U1u1d-LlNkMSg6hLnXj4JeUjHcuJdfXDeDLwAOROlqtbqHBRHmfxr5qhG4PRN_AkqpHeRC8aYuBGaY1VDo/s800/Chambers%20Pillar2%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpaMSrjDiIK3DooCufcVSelyFqh9DNUsI7Jhd0hqIYSYkqSwm47G-9xCofIMERfhEz6c0EIHig9UowzNgFpnIUgZ2fBOtfYbbeSxTbdyN2U1u1d-LlNkMSg6hLnXj4JeUjHcuJdfXDeDLwAOROlqtbqHBRHmfxr5qhG4PRN_AkqpHeRC8aYuBGaY1VDo/w300-h400/Chambers%20Pillar2%200513.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chambers Pillar, central Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiybG7PfJuqAAO6IeDmO02YiS1GaeqKdNWhmQAyVroGHvyzoWsz_aP5WljClE175Umy2SFyzSW2qBi9CV-CCrT0z7vBT71C9CoJhzrjbXYmoCCs4TaKAgOXb4a0867tRUJ6KdcAolYuGWAqNIGNswMbAajas3TKJnvXxS8W3IvIMZWKq-TuTYzqJtPhHg/s800/Oldupai%20Gorge2%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiybG7PfJuqAAO6IeDmO02YiS1GaeqKdNWhmQAyVroGHvyzoWsz_aP5WljClE175Umy2SFyzSW2qBi9CV-CCrT0z7vBT71C9CoJhzrjbXYmoCCs4TaKAgOXb4a0867tRUJ6KdcAolYuGWAqNIGNswMbAajas3TKJnvXxS8W3IvIMZWKq-TuTYzqJtPhHg/w400-h300/Oldupai%20Gorge2%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capped sandstone columns at Oldupai Gorge (usually mistranscribed as Olduvai)<br />in Tanzania. This area is famed as the site worked on by the Leakey family, with <br />local people, to cast early light on the origins of our species and those of our forebears.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Some other columns, sometimes even more spectacular, are formed differently. Sediments are laid down at different times, and meantime the earth may have tilted so that there are joining planes of different-aged sediments at different angles. These joints are potential weaknesses which may start to separate when the pressure of kilometres of overlying material is released by erosion, and water, wind, plant roots and ice will over time enlarge the joints and even split them, leading to crumbling away of some material and leaving a 'core' that can be of remarkable shapes. Bear in mind that this is a lay explanation, but it's got the gist of it. One of Australia's best-known landmarks was effectively formed in this way.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05E9aLcVXIB2QgK-NYkXbirRy9BdHqV6oPwa2XvbD0mzRyagnBKxZoofNJr67inS3WTNjsXcJBZI48Eyy9kYZry9KP-n51h5PJRIBc2_A9b1mBNa2PyqLoWYw62CHyy0Uilw2ZHcwAn-2TwLOVj7G9g1H_gIyI57A6PFPwxqrSdkOGW_lPZM6tdckRc8/s800/Three%20Sisters%20from%20Katoomba%20Falls%20LO%20Blue%20Mtns%200421.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05E9aLcVXIB2QgK-NYkXbirRy9BdHqV6oPwa2XvbD0mzRyagnBKxZoofNJr67inS3WTNjsXcJBZI48Eyy9kYZry9KP-n51h5PJRIBc2_A9b1mBNa2PyqLoWYw62CHyy0Uilw2ZHcwAn-2TwLOVj7G9g1H_gIyI57A6PFPwxqrSdkOGW_lPZM6tdckRc8/w400-h300/Three%20Sisters%20from%20Katoomba%20Falls%20LO%20Blue%20Mtns%200421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Sisters formation at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, with the<br />Jamison Valley as a mighty backdrop. (The oft-cited sisters 'legend'<br />is entirely a 20th century whitefella beat-up incidentally.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Several sites in the Top End of the Northern Territory also feature extraordinary sandstone columns, with 'lost cities' in at least two national parks.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF6vFFkvAIPVD3eKt8RwgzG78uE8B4e3L93MLV2yEz-w43Anw1D_kTioRBMxM8kF_qb1frlgPYKMtGgFaSx8Tet7wIUIz0tt-tfJC0lBWXc9AQoQ9Fwc5F2pz_gT29_HSx4F4hQ6vT3PaFNDM45CdaHH9-oHuu21e0xjQa6QmI3f5_uH95hCPwjJmydI/s800/sandstone2%20Barbedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF6vFFkvAIPVD3eKt8RwgzG78uE8B4e3L93MLV2yEz-w43Anw1D_kTioRBMxM8kF_qb1frlgPYKMtGgFaSx8Tet7wIUIz0tt-tfJC0lBWXc9AQoQ9Fwc5F2pz_gT29_HSx4F4hQ6vT3PaFNDM45CdaHH9-oHuu21e0xjQa6QmI3f5_uH95hCPwjJmydI/w300-h400/sandstone2%20Barbedjilidji%20walk%20Kakadu%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Bardedjilidji Walk, Kakadu National Park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BfAKcuyTbb_PxKPuys72qFkZQ6C9dy1n_mlXZbkwwkaWMFO4sM6CH8QLM_JOB7-bsHs5BVkHu-j3wwfoKDBwmolAE9hEjHKVqrV1Ale0a_BzPdUAsnlIdBsbKIhqegKNJs8VPc8wYhIyqUWhsY1TWR4xVPtwfsG3jJKwjCaFvff8qG_U0Lx3_mT7saw/s800/Sandstone,%20Lost%20City,%20Litchfield%20NP%200607.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BfAKcuyTbb_PxKPuys72qFkZQ6C9dy1n_mlXZbkwwkaWMFO4sM6CH8QLM_JOB7-bsHs5BVkHu-j3wwfoKDBwmolAE9hEjHKVqrV1Ale0a_BzPdUAsnlIdBsbKIhqegKNJs8VPc8wYhIyqUWhsY1TWR4xVPtwfsG3jJKwjCaFvff8qG_U0Lx3_mT7saw/w400-h300/Sandstone,%20Lost%20City,%20Litchfield%20NP%200607.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost City, Litchfield NP, south-west of Darwin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fjoNCXpOIJUMljEBPJuxjRL4GZHcy26gtFNDb1G00k7FWXnBL4kHwQpfQOHHSUG8NBz4qTU7NRHZ-kbWGxsTMTm5C8PHXvwOxfIAGw9bvEkSDydQVvkMZOQTQ3Fb1rgIzwTJJiw80S4sXzIqynKxBhl16Ph3uXvNPzceOMBL7D2Pef4ArC0-XiohtFU/s800/Southern%20Lost%20City%20Limmen%20NP7%200816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fjoNCXpOIJUMljEBPJuxjRL4GZHcy26gtFNDb1G00k7FWXnBL4kHwQpfQOHHSUG8NBz4qTU7NRHZ-kbWGxsTMTm5C8PHXvwOxfIAGw9bvEkSDydQVvkMZOQTQ3Fb1rgIzwTJJiw80S4sXzIqynKxBhl16Ph3uXvNPzceOMBL7D2Pef4ArC0-XiohtFU/w300-h400/Southern%20Lost%20City%20Limmen%20NP7%200816.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above and below, Southern Lost City, Limmen NP, in the eastern Top End<br /> (there is also a Western one in the same park).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzRS7AaWWNGSKEjM3s8mRA5hcOCjE2YoLP6Kp1TefNBOYVPtG9i2tLA0-2tCb5YKY209VdZRdNOpLfTG1Du1Klsfq3qwkfyvUR3ar2s3T4aWsb23J7pugi730An5gkLZ96S6nFI3_J0pytGMpLC2iu9ff9jIPF7Zhbqb7LIM7bOzogD_8zdfaysiiWk0/s800/Southern%20Lost%20City%20Limmen%20NP6%200816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzRS7AaWWNGSKEjM3s8mRA5hcOCjE2YoLP6Kp1TefNBOYVPtG9i2tLA0-2tCb5YKY209VdZRdNOpLfTG1Du1Klsfq3qwkfyvUR3ar2s3T4aWsb23J7pugi730An5gkLZ96S6nFI3_J0pytGMpLC2iu9ff9jIPF7Zhbqb7LIM7bOzogD_8zdfaysiiWk0/w300-h400/Southern%20Lost%20City%20Limmen%20NP6%200816.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one shows very clearly the smooth surface of the shearing plane,<br />where it split; a smaller one is also visible in the previous photo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On grander scale these shearing planes can form mighty cliff faces.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAMeFvtUb-hBOUcrvzjtVSdPigizOripIHsBf4BPdBfysjw7ZlopHk9ebgSztRr4i-3fX72KGc0mh2S_ytu1V8Yisqrg6licru9cG-YfDiJWYEIyc2Y_q7C-sTjv_DkHLX7-IPuCswFdz_rKHt57PCX4S-HIhiJX7MfTjXUhhSXlwMz4Iph6yo3YcK8M/s800/sandstone%20cliff%20Bako%20NP%20Sarawak%20Borneo%200516.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAMeFvtUb-hBOUcrvzjtVSdPigizOripIHsBf4BPdBfysjw7ZlopHk9ebgSztRr4i-3fX72KGc0mh2S_ytu1V8Yisqrg6licru9cG-YfDiJWYEIyc2Y_q7C-sTjv_DkHLX7-IPuCswFdz_rKHt57PCX4S-HIhiJX7MfTjXUhhSXlwMz4Iph6yo3YcK8M/w400-h300/sandstone%20cliff%20Bako%20NP%20Sarawak%20Borneo%200516.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seaside cliffs, Bako NP, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAPX6ZWVMrVBO-_0qWwvfvqmObim-dRKCf0Z0hv-vxZ4m7rP8ZtjTe5QSigeL3c5V5Ap6RK0o6oDSt766kznbuo0gtS3O-fr4AsNM1evn_jyHSy1tpmE0p-I4H3b4fYi8TQI8wsM_H94dn-Nygp_mOHD00qCWMz8HESxmZkfR7_THXGH-25Us7oO0bcQ/s800/canyon%20wall%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAPX6ZWVMrVBO-_0qWwvfvqmObim-dRKCf0Z0hv-vxZ4m7rP8ZtjTe5QSigeL3c5V5Ap6RK0o6oDSt766kznbuo0gtS3O-fr4AsNM1evn_jyHSy1tpmE0p-I4H3b4fYi8TQI8wsM_H94dn-Nygp_mOHD00qCWMz8HESxmZkfR7_THXGH-25Us7oO0bcQ/w400-h300/canyon%20wall%20Kings%20Canyon%20walk%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An enormous example of the phenomenon in the wall of Kings Canyon,<br />Watarrka NP, central Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Other cliff faces aren't as 'neat, but can still be imposing.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFyjWjtKC33FXzf5sUAZU_J3THwPzGb9msk-tuws8T3cmBtjoyMSl92ufsGX7BHAIEmAeouwlM97oDO_-d7fQjRB34bEV0wx6rCMAqWWv6UrfGfXAg_qi60st_oRifwus5leqGtbBL3vQzRbR1qMDtmipIh5MUuTY41VPbfJR4LCdWQZPh41-rlTBQNY/s800/cliffs2%20Boodjamulla%20Lawn%20Hill%200816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFyjWjtKC33FXzf5sUAZU_J3THwPzGb9msk-tuws8T3cmBtjoyMSl92ufsGX7BHAIEmAeouwlM97oDO_-d7fQjRB34bEV0wx6rCMAqWWv6UrfGfXAg_qi60st_oRifwus5leqGtbBL3vQzRbR1qMDtmipIh5MUuTY41VPbfJR4LCdWQZPh41-rlTBQNY/w400-h300/cliffs2%20Boodjamulla%20Lawn%20Hill%200816.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs at Boodjamulla/Lawn Hill NP, north-west Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Pdi_B9IvNYlUVpl4hyv92ccRVGc1M_eGdrPI-7mFwAmNLfGLlmqQBVvOFlN7H5Zuct3ILm9DfvxPliQ4Rp1FqSIp4ynWXaqzFzBNOAcY_XB7B5i8A4DUkReBpSTGx7OViAKEOMvtYOH6XP3mIzZ9jZC3uRqxlcdeYDQSszaXBC8ccnNMk5XECB059AA/s1000/Glen%20Helen%20panorama2%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="1000" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Pdi_B9IvNYlUVpl4hyv92ccRVGc1M_eGdrPI-7mFwAmNLfGLlmqQBVvOFlN7H5Zuct3ILm9DfvxPliQ4Rp1FqSIp4ynWXaqzFzBNOAcY_XB7B5i8A4DUkReBpSTGx7OViAKEOMvtYOH6XP3mIzZ9jZC3uRqxlcdeYDQSszaXBC8ccnNMk5XECB059AA/w640-h196/Glen%20Helen%20panorama2%200514.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mighty and rugged cliff face in the sunset at Glen Helen, in far western Tjoritja.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEehKSIA_NiCytYtWboSpoiNzr5TdVZZkA4UFeOoHV1FB6tx0KAx-T6rIBHsj6P_ZBGCqpgdJEqZXU7v0FV-g17Yh5ZunA6QAYYdTXatOCPKRDsrwulbvP8UTphnVsq-psbePAf9CVp4ZtgYBFQMZseJNi_JCM7h3IqMdp5pDc6AJjK-DmR2DTdhmFgt4/s800/sunset2%20Jasper%20Gorge1%20Gregory%20NP%200916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEehKSIA_NiCytYtWboSpoiNzr5TdVZZkA4UFeOoHV1FB6tx0KAx-T6rIBHsj6P_ZBGCqpgdJEqZXU7v0FV-g17Yh5ZunA6QAYYdTXatOCPKRDsrwulbvP8UTphnVsq-psbePAf9CVp4ZtgYBFQMZseJNi_JCM7h3IqMdp5pDc6AJjK-DmR2DTdhmFgt4/w300-h400/sunset2%20Jasper%20Gorge1%20Gregory%20NP%200916.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset again, this time on the cliffs in Jasper Gorge, Gregory NP, north-western Northern Territory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HdBllyq3tof2jOafTw2d_Bi1phiEU0vBFBFHCVnHgVX9ctUJTKlJ3q4DXreaLkUeTo8fNcLJMxNfgLVkjm3PKfvnYbsVqu3UaAgMnzh4kF5NzrDRGBJRxW5U5xlrAa1AvqUfazpiwIOGI3LhNafrVcb0O0p6UIIHgKQF1QRNwjrAgyYG7VOAZxVMcas/s800/Sandstone%20Cliffs5%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HdBllyq3tof2jOafTw2d_Bi1phiEU0vBFBFHCVnHgVX9ctUJTKlJ3q4DXreaLkUeTo8fNcLJMxNfgLVkjm3PKfvnYbsVqu3UaAgMnzh4kF5NzrDRGBJRxW5U5xlrAa1AvqUfazpiwIOGI3LhNafrVcb0O0p6UIIHgKQF1QRNwjrAgyYG7VOAZxVMcas/w400-h300/Sandstone%20Cliffs5%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Softer' sandstone cliffs, Timmallallie NP, Pilliga forest, central western NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Such softer sandstone readily forms wind-blown caves and shelters, which have long been valued by wildlife and humans. Such formations often became art sites in pre-European Australia, and some are maintained to this day.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoA78eGUKnbnS2zxYMwTRPwa_QQFJMUN6UqUAwSZz1c7W0SR5FdFb3535mPEzdj5khAWV4YgWvOVaAcBJXapmyEft2rozDdPF47Qz1Owdsv4X4GKMjBEzn5eos8sytLaCnHogeZcYrR_P5cIyqZ93SJKQNNeUsFt2kS-Dg3diBTNbctPwPz0Jr7xu_hg/s800/Nature's%20Window%20Kalbarri%200808.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoA78eGUKnbnS2zxYMwTRPwa_QQFJMUN6UqUAwSZz1c7W0SR5FdFb3535mPEzdj5khAWV4YgWvOVaAcBJXapmyEft2rozDdPF47Qz1Owdsv4X4GKMjBEzn5eos8sytLaCnHogeZcYrR_P5cIyqZ93SJKQNNeUsFt2kS-Dg3diBTNbctPwPz0Jr7xu_hg/w400-h300/Nature's%20Window%20Kalbarri%200808.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Nature's Window', Kalbarri NP, Western Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfMazGTOkrPy8WD0s4XtQz6j4uMcUrY5yzXgL7rEcyJe4DstXTzpwZQiisQ4D6FMtqtL451uD4QKzRk31u8rQhha8OVsJn9PJM5ri0QacN6x7lahHTGBzRcvpEBlUkGeoWucqInEQJHiDNeU2OCjsXysXKuboFgcOalXoIkgnsaYtJUW5waKK9h1cyhE/s800/sandstone%20Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfMazGTOkrPy8WD0s4XtQz6j4uMcUrY5yzXgL7rEcyJe4DstXTzpwZQiisQ4D6FMtqtL451uD4QKzRk31u8rQhha8OVsJn9PJM5ri0QacN6x7lahHTGBzRcvpEBlUkGeoWucqInEQJHiDNeU2OCjsXysXKuboFgcOalXoIkgnsaYtJUW5waKK9h1cyhE/w400-h300/sandstone%20Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollow Mountain shelter and art site, Mount Zero, far northern<br />Gariwerd/Grampians NP, western Victoria.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVpCo90vVfCafiSyONOrtpfkLk4fK-zeO5FlqPYqm0mhMWoUo0p1G3i4HVGporN93rvKb7jlSpfhRzbFR2cOta-e_OQ9mGyIGymqjK14bvlECkJoRUIuxByb1mCJ1txLzdyMcHaGJsten9dOR7lxb7rJ8vL4twil1dKSNJrhYS-Oo41gKO2mWKifL1F8/s800/sandstone%20shelter%20Bomaderry%20Ck%200717.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVpCo90vVfCafiSyONOrtpfkLk4fK-zeO5FlqPYqm0mhMWoUo0p1G3i4HVGporN93rvKb7jlSpfhRzbFR2cOta-e_OQ9mGyIGymqjK14bvlECkJoRUIuxByb1mCJ1txLzdyMcHaGJsten9dOR7lxb7rJ8vL4twil1dKSNJrhYS-Oo41gKO2mWKifL1F8/w400-h300/sandstone%20shelter%20Bomaderry%20Ck%200717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extensive shelter in Bomaderry Creek Reserve, Nowra, south coast NSW<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It's not always obvious when a cliff becomes part of gorge, though it's reasonable to assume that a gorge will have a pair of facing cliffs - although even there the sweep of a stream may form a cliff on only one side at times. Streams wear away their beds, or penetrate and widen fault lines in them and with enough millions of years may form deep wide gorges. Such gorges are as intrinsic to the sandstone country as are cliff faces. Here are some that we've enjoyed. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some are large or well-known...</div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcj2VqsO-qOfNEIz_rTqCyjqrj2LdlTEZB7Zqv2g_tHEX4GR2gYC90RcVr0QLF8xX4dCgY_DYQJyFcUv3E5977hLW7EN7a0QIF_iaCwEpq2NpeQ-mN-RGb5l28ig_1YwgCQTMkvH6AvGVuRsgS8TaqeFHcxhemUBzR813eDCJOSuAPi4NPR4RVFgKv2g/s1000/sandstone%20gorges%20panorama%20Bundanoon%201008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcj2VqsO-qOfNEIz_rTqCyjqrj2LdlTEZB7Zqv2g_tHEX4GR2gYC90RcVr0QLF8xX4dCgY_DYQJyFcUv3E5977hLW7EN7a0QIF_iaCwEpq2NpeQ-mN-RGb5l28ig_1YwgCQTMkvH6AvGVuRsgS8TaqeFHcxhemUBzR813eDCJOSuAPi4NPR4RVFgKv2g/w640-h224/sandstone%20gorges%20panorama%20Bundanoon%201008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the gorges of Bundanoon Creek and its tributaries, Morton NP, NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6kgzzRHG0tvW-lX2H0fYE7AWHbNeiwEsuy0wps6qZ6STLJWOX8jEqv189YgI4-y9tXp7X0px0Xd7eCkMLHjxzZeyU_jLSCGYQX0pnY5TdXV_7mtDu-y5ExGEhQzvwhWQB8JEnOPqSr7elO73N1rp6odQQAtfgWuhYFOoXcQD2kkig3KR9TlC_sHq7ks/s800/gorge3%20Boodjamulla%20Lawn%20Hill%200816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6kgzzRHG0tvW-lX2H0fYE7AWHbNeiwEsuy0wps6qZ6STLJWOX8jEqv189YgI4-y9tXp7X0px0Xd7eCkMLHjxzZeyU_jLSCGYQX0pnY5TdXV_7mtDu-y5ExGEhQzvwhWQB8JEnOPqSr7elO73N1rp6odQQAtfgWuhYFOoXcQD2kkig3KR9TlC_sHq7ks/w400-h300/gorge3%20Boodjamulla%20Lawn%20Hill%200816.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawn Hill Gorge, Boodjamulla NP, north-west Queensland. An exquisite place.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhPIGW03j0toi-h6CUZNgntgVzGNp1plepWLV1w3IMF35xPT2cvZ54XK3nXUAJaB2n9U-LzIaGPoS6Z8yGQ4WlCsXOdhAROK7a7M3A-2UHTBuIPDrDCerfDpWEjyKoo0ptseL6kgjwHvL_lhrr_WVn5HKEm6U-Y-2MwQHzUSEMFJJ_RUsg0W9AcW0Qn4/s800/Murchison%20Gorge%20at%20Ross%20Graham%20LO%20Kalbarri%200808.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhPIGW03j0toi-h6CUZNgntgVzGNp1plepWLV1w3IMF35xPT2cvZ54XK3nXUAJaB2n9U-LzIaGPoS6Z8yGQ4WlCsXOdhAROK7a7M3A-2UHTBuIPDrDCerfDpWEjyKoo0ptseL6kgjwHvL_lhrr_WVn5HKEm6U-Y-2MwQHzUSEMFJJ_RUsg0W9AcW0Qn4/w400-h300/Murchison%20Gorge%20at%20Ross%20Graham%20LO%20Kalbarri%200808.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murchison Gorge from Ross Graham Lookout, Kalbarri NP, WA.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JfIPSUcyQn-wowg-6f4HQASPxMXBxt_cclu5qN2qDvBaMLLv5nk5oXM4ptE0XCPa_kee6c-TgceY_PSb3zsw3qUDbX0X4Kxtyy_gei4Rf3fXCCc403-1Rbp4s7u95CTRiYw0MYSwPaf1nSRM2YX4etc7yATmTgks4fic_Bsy-RmIb7K1T9vqP-rV5_w/s800/Ormiston%20Gorge%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JfIPSUcyQn-wowg-6f4HQASPxMXBxt_cclu5qN2qDvBaMLLv5nk5oXM4ptE0XCPa_kee6c-TgceY_PSb3zsw3qUDbX0X4Kxtyy_gei4Rf3fXCCc403-1Rbp4s7u95CTRiYw0MYSwPaf1nSRM2YX4etc7yATmTgks4fic_Bsy-RmIb7K1T9vqP-rV5_w/w400-h300/Ormiston%20Gorge%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ormiston Gorge, western Tjoritja, above and below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVASsPwL7pTOsy-u8Vj88rAJPsfHAuaayWLJ1gdn3B7I1XkQOVAK9qMorfH1-c6aFZBoxhocAznFwt-cDrzZ8FzzyVfM_4AED5U-jY1dIPPAnSlWMj_8j4963EuBgCCT1ElWhHwT337bRVTCPEChRUN-UKztQjjYb8BeLNJ2hmouLfHUtywvocCmd81k/s800/Ormiston%20Gorge3%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVASsPwL7pTOsy-u8Vj88rAJPsfHAuaayWLJ1gdn3B7I1XkQOVAK9qMorfH1-c6aFZBoxhocAznFwt-cDrzZ8FzzyVfM_4AED5U-jY1dIPPAnSlWMj_8j4963EuBgCCT1ElWhHwT337bRVTCPEChRUN-UKztQjjYb8BeLNJ2hmouLfHUtywvocCmd81k/w400-h300/Ormiston%20Gorge3%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk that crosses Ormiston Pound (see later) and passes through the gorge<br />here is one of our favourite walks in Australia (hence two photos!).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp2ZlnITOxNexLtgj_kGRyFjEIknc841r-NC-Z7vRK7_iIWuZQ5X7ZRJhaF72EjzjuDVEpl4jt5zFwXfBbtgG8l-R6c3GvP5KQ6S2sLcGXHmrSStCqLwzZGrtw2NfEYwhTS18EIp17FEmSl8ctthrkrgBkwFlxAqE9LNi7Zvl7b7paJvi8jFaBr2kJY0/s800/Standley%20Chasm%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp2ZlnITOxNexLtgj_kGRyFjEIknc841r-NC-Z7vRK7_iIWuZQ5X7ZRJhaF72EjzjuDVEpl4jt5zFwXfBbtgG8l-R6c3GvP5KQ6S2sLcGXHmrSStCqLwzZGrtw2NfEYwhTS18EIp17FEmSl8ctthrkrgBkwFlxAqE9LNi7Zvl7b7paJvi8jFaBr2kJY0/w300-h400/Standley%20Chasm%200513.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standley Chasm, Tjoritja. I find it hard to satisfactorily photograph this narrow slot,<br />but that's no reason to exclude it! Tjoritja seems to have more than its fair share of<br />gorges, but it's probably just that many of them are accessible (and as it's one of<br />our favourite parts of the world we've explored it pretty well).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Some are smaller or less well-known...<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkPRHmsoRjePedB4T5Ht3B4Rkn-uZVF04Nb5GOQef5u5XgurMPd8DGp6iMeAFNBOG5-NtbJ3wrp1tRHUmZaDqywV9cbCKtg3w2CZpvGgX65wdt7ZgkdYRHucp_xSmvHTscbq_WrW33HvUcSsP2UTGKGLsE-JbkbSuHtW6SLjiq4DJA5B0bNu_wmBy7pI/s800/Redbank%20Gorge1%20West%20MacDonnells%200513%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkPRHmsoRjePedB4T5Ht3B4Rkn-uZVF04Nb5GOQef5u5XgurMPd8DGp6iMeAFNBOG5-NtbJ3wrp1tRHUmZaDqywV9cbCKtg3w2CZpvGgX65wdt7ZgkdYRHucp_xSmvHTscbq_WrW33HvUcSsP2UTGKGLsE-JbkbSuHtW6SLjiq4DJA5B0bNu_wmBy7pI/w300-h400/Redbank%20Gorge1%20West%20MacDonnells%200513%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another from Tjoritja, this time Red Bank Gorge at the western end of the<br />national park. Good camping, a nice little walk and cooling off opportunities!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EHXeMusaSfPrN9E-zEhbu9P2hsK5dnxjDLcL9tzPNe7GAbc5MkpdJKAW07kugFd5hsoL4QkumWJ3C3yV-XZ3DCxTDN41pF3VI1kH6hzsPClQKno2GK8A5Utlta0MrhCRSbUpW6K8ife1YM5iyMRJE3mwvXjPthVhaXaC8wm3nkgWQ7UNvUdGTLEJH_A/s800/inside%20Cobbold%20Gorge3%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EHXeMusaSfPrN9E-zEhbu9P2hsK5dnxjDLcL9tzPNe7GAbc5MkpdJKAW07kugFd5hsoL4QkumWJ3C3yV-XZ3DCxTDN41pF3VI1kH6hzsPClQKno2GK8A5Utlta0MrhCRSbUpW6K8ife1YM5iyMRJE3mwvXjPthVhaXaC8wm3nkgWQ7UNvUdGTLEJH_A/w300-h400/inside%20Cobbold%20Gorge3%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobbold Gorge, on Robin Hood Station (!) in the gulf country of northern Queensland.<br />The station offers accommodation and guided tours, including electric boat trips in<br />the gorge, where this photo and the following one were taken.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-qdiWfD5tYeyoxKlg5C5XN-JqcEzmxO_tW38pzCKB1AFATYWSrco2bKQxzVSG7UrgXAKwokuWit6ux0r9WcjdDB2DZ6ceeKCYL_3vb-WXaD1JIPdwmn9QPhqBU2L0dy3W_N909BachsEUe9FcWvugbN8QhoP9Tpt3GazbZ7IH_i5juZkDuStZv5I7tM/s800/reflectionsinside%20Cobbold%20Gorge%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-qdiWfD5tYeyoxKlg5C5XN-JqcEzmxO_tW38pzCKB1AFATYWSrco2bKQxzVSG7UrgXAKwokuWit6ux0r9WcjdDB2DZ6ceeKCYL_3vb-WXaD1JIPdwmn9QPhqBU2L0dy3W_N909BachsEUe9FcWvugbN8QhoP9Tpt3GazbZ7IH_i5juZkDuStZv5I7tM/w400-h300/reflectionsinside%20Cobbold%20Gorge%200515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripple reflections on the wall of Cobbold Gorge. I don't do plugs <br />for private enterprises often or lightly, so when I do you can know I mean it.<br />Here is more about it in <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2016/06/cobbold-gorge-gulf-country-secret.html">an earlier post. <br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCmqgPoBVC77vVu-hR-ViW_CoPYK4P4J7aBcLjEFEvQruDia_VRuMjlG1LJgN3vvGPFjnmZCRch9eDEbll8SDSUg24OFy-RZagOsUEPJs9RSlYVrXZLEDsoFzRD_aQeHm-N1ITL-_2SKYVOLYY-OIPqeVek2o666kAb3voM2TAyMDZ5gJObj7ZqiMVXc/s800/Warrigal%20Waterhole2%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCmqgPoBVC77vVu-hR-ViW_CoPYK4P4J7aBcLjEFEvQruDia_VRuMjlG1LJgN3vvGPFjnmZCRch9eDEbll8SDSUg24OFy-RZagOsUEPJs9RSlYVrXZLEDsoFzRD_aQeHm-N1ITL-_2SKYVOLYY-OIPqeVek2o666kAb3voM2TAyMDZ5gJObj7ZqiMVXc/w300-h400/Warrigal%20Waterhole2%200514.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Further west in Queensland is Warrigal Waterhole near Mount Isa.<br />More on this delightful spot <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2014/06/an-hour-at-warrigal-waterhole.html">here</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4D1Tqf3I-1KCG7QTHNErKTGSmtk_Qcx9LKUKsbpUq6QOxkhRX0jkSY7JO7kbQCxCjSom29WY4yoH2nqv3M5JhBRsIgetE3u74WIfDuFT30d8NXM1fmLXJfwy5WsibipTa6hxu_nt-MYzOtwihwlR1wYNc7nY3K_KfinVEjRh3oNqnK1HbjaoQY1zUeE/s800/Nooldoonooldoona%20Waterhole%20Arkaroola%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4D1Tqf3I-1KCG7QTHNErKTGSmtk_Qcx9LKUKsbpUq6QOxkhRX0jkSY7JO7kbQCxCjSom29WY4yoH2nqv3M5JhBRsIgetE3u74WIfDuFT30d8NXM1fmLXJfwy5WsibipTa6hxu_nt-MYzOtwihwlR1wYNc7nY3K_KfinVEjRh3oNqnK1HbjaoQY1zUeE/w300-h400/Nooldoonooldoona%20Waterhole%20Arkaroola%200513.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nooldoonooldoona Waterhole at Arkaroola in the far north of the Flinders Ranges in <br />South Australia. I had to include it for the name alone! Try rolling it around your mouth.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And lastly a couple of small ones from inland NSW.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRYUZ20RIaJm0tKLn6PmncbXt0WqGsqIb3ooHCxFSUGVREmaCgjXFySLsDBXyrxiTr6f32pw_-dq4MRUKGSyLRSlr10u6YDrbjHkno9jvqSRM2d0N21CBxYeHp4VL3dBassHmu_vPWEjfkWlVkvat_8qStkAukOw9peAtIVqhVBijATSDGlP6AVB0GuI/s800/Mutawintji%20Gorge2%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRYUZ20RIaJm0tKLn6PmncbXt0WqGsqIb3ooHCxFSUGVREmaCgjXFySLsDBXyrxiTr6f32pw_-dq4MRUKGSyLRSlr10u6YDrbjHkno9jvqSRM2d0N21CBxYeHp4VL3dBassHmu_vPWEjfkWlVkvat_8qStkAukOw9peAtIVqhVBijATSDGlP6AVB0GuI/w400-h300/Mutawintji%20Gorge2%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mutawintji NP in the far west, near Broken Hill. Another special park, which I wrote about <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2020/10/mutawintji-national-park-dryland-beauty.html">here</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5R9dKcdRrIxeFZ7TG8TxlW8FRzabxzvBsluMy5otpkk8dohwMqbwTT8W10imfJYH3CrAJkifR1-a47IHNCiGSWRkk0kLMs6vswE-RvEx-J3vDlAp4wZiLZCKK9COdYlL2p_SPAWr7g-i9twH4VEjfGvO_6PujeDIIsJzkI28-TrWmHscMYtpHzpPcFI/s800/sandstone%20cliffs%20Danby%20Gorge%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5R9dKcdRrIxeFZ7TG8TxlW8FRzabxzvBsluMy5otpkk8dohwMqbwTT8W10imfJYH3CrAJkifR1-a47IHNCiGSWRkk0kLMs6vswE-RvEx-J3vDlAp4wZiLZCKK9COdYlL2p_SPAWr7g-i9twH4VEjfGvO_6PujeDIIsJzkI28-TrWmHscMYtpHzpPcFI/w400-h300/sandstone%20cliffs%20Danby%20Gorge%20Timallallie%20NP%20Pilliga%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dandry Creek Gorge, Timmallallie NP in the vast Pilliga forests, on the north-western slopes <br />of NSW. This is part of very nice and quite easy 4km circuit walk.<br />And I can't believe I haven't written a post about this wonderful park yet!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally (and you thought this would never end, didn't you?) one more interesting landscape structure which is probably not limited to sandstones, though I can't offhand think of other examples in Australia. A pound was originally an enclosure, usually of stone or brick, in which animals which had strayed or been seized were kept until an appropriate penalty was paid. It was then applied to natural landforms, on much vaster scales, which comprised a ring of mountains. These have formed by chance of circumstances; in the case of the most famous Australian example, Wilpena Pound (Ikara to the Adnyamathanha people), there are actually two ranges involved. The scale is such that it is almost impossible to illustrate from the ground; there are many aerial photos of it on line, which I'd recommend if you're interested.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagtESDHWATlh8DCdFH5eezgB1X8HPRD7SfBXh3XSyOv47lp1WLZWminhtGfqUd8WtRk4LWrTGgKKPdFBWDCBTsytK5gJk0Uz0e5D1MrzXkeIMA8webEYnALJHJe1xpQCtc29HAVu5cNZRCKJFnR-K0M-WWEhb4n4HDulAjpZ2AXlCQQX_FNCCv-9FReM/s1000/south%20to%20Pound%20from%20Bunyeroo%20Vly%20Flinders%20Ranges%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagtESDHWATlh8DCdFH5eezgB1X8HPRD7SfBXh3XSyOv47lp1WLZWminhtGfqUd8WtRk4LWrTGgKKPdFBWDCBTsytK5gJk0Uz0e5D1MrzXkeIMA8webEYnALJHJe1xpQCtc29HAVu5cNZRCKJFnR-K0M-WWEhb4n4HDulAjpZ2AXlCQQX_FNCCv-9FReM/w640-h224/south%20to%20Pound%20from%20Bunyeroo%20Vly%20Flinders%20Ranges%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The northern walls of the pound from outside, in the Bunyeroo Valley.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnMEAh0oXGlPKS31VLDfmS8BeBunI6gvbwY581tYkHN2Q2sBiQJKwiPnm-ZtNR88F_rmWekewiksSdzzjgyRIH2GsG1YsBboGqd75omKzVCwK9LEvTluiI8n5Jo8IxQP_iCQpSgcB1a8UURQGmLM4ikD0dBcDLPAI1_Q5hqTIOho2JkhXnnjQHdUvnlQ/s1000/pound%20walls%20from%20Wangarra%20LO4%20Wilpena%20Flinders%20Ranges%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnMEAh0oXGlPKS31VLDfmS8BeBunI6gvbwY581tYkHN2Q2sBiQJKwiPnm-ZtNR88F_rmWekewiksSdzzjgyRIH2GsG1YsBboGqd75omKzVCwK9LEvTluiI8n5Jo8IxQP_iCQpSgcB1a8UURQGmLM4ikD0dBcDLPAI1_Q5hqTIOho2JkhXnnjQHdUvnlQ/w640-h224/pound%20walls%20from%20Wangarra%20LO4%20Wilpena%20Flinders%20Ranges%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south across the floor of the pound from Wangarra Lookout. This is a panoramic shot<br />encompassing some of the ring of mountains, though the photograph of course flattens the sense <br />of being encircled.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXJCChITP8DAC3AHKDKECWzo_RJ_I9LUlktt1AkwxvJNSN4vXMempY9u1Xkr_WYJ6DfTJ3nTEytLe825a3FW1eVGih-xLKdHngyDoNoUrfUxPkCECGtPEdIYNTD3jAX36bhXbZnzgcS8EEbZS4QfEo8uRIaLKtqVRx1k0BE239lee472s0cNwBN9xoig/s800/Ormiston%20Pound%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXJCChITP8DAC3AHKDKECWzo_RJ_I9LUlktt1AkwxvJNSN4vXMempY9u1Xkr_WYJ6DfTJ3nTEytLe825a3FW1eVGih-xLKdHngyDoNoUrfUxPkCECGtPEdIYNTD3jAX36bhXbZnzgcS8EEbZS4QfEo8uRIaLKtqVRx1k0BE239lee472s0cNwBN9xoig/w400-h300/Ormiston%20Pound%200514.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ormiston Pound; from this lookout near the start of the walk the track descends into<br />and across the pound, to Ormiston Gorge.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX42G8sVikaSgMVhWkOcn887yd9vcnzZdzbxSBxrT1C6wg_umL2UDGFj-IbpzOm7AFYvCKHRmlYTQipb4MRy_GuW9JWYXJGfFytREaVc9lYBC2Cxfn_Mcmqs7ZQpUds_m21FQDHguD9hyphenhyphenXBnsNqft1JXtOKAKi-KuKTn7dgHacxMzmR2JULqt486QPNbo/s800/Welcome%20Pound%20Arkaroola%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX42G8sVikaSgMVhWkOcn887yd9vcnzZdzbxSBxrT1C6wg_umL2UDGFj-IbpzOm7AFYvCKHRmlYTQipb4MRy_GuW9JWYXJGfFytREaVc9lYBC2Cxfn_Mcmqs7ZQpUds_m21FQDHguD9hyphenhyphenXBnsNqft1JXtOKAKi-KuKTn7dgHacxMzmR2JULqt486QPNbo/w400-h300/Welcome%20Pound%20Arkaroola%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome Pound, Arkaroola in the northern Flinders Ranges.<br />This one at least gives us a sense of the 'pound' structure.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that is the end of a long and rocky, but hopefully enjoyable, journey through our sandstone landscapes. If you've made it this far, I thank you for persevering, it's been a long road to here. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As I warned at the start, it's been quite different from any other post I've ever done (and there have been 530 of them), in that plants and animals haven't rated a mention, though of course the sandstone lands are rich with them. In a future post I'll rectify that and celebrate some of the sandstone flora and fauna.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meantime I'll close this with a couple of images of one of my very favourite lumps of sandstone.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N7pM6gp9kqiPuOMAL7l1wdcMXywBXcorpuDcJXkDqOfiA-vhZwrlbDvpxT_8XJEnjmVyWwVSQTDc4hR9U-93CTouoOs3xF_ZK6-4fhjsLq9HHO2Z_UTrsi-ATgazfNvsqQugtEtv5QBppaIhWzY5dcGqEkkDmm16VlrTPxe_lIzH255iSFwrj70cRgc/s800/Mt%20Sonder%20Mereenie%20Loop%200514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N7pM6gp9kqiPuOMAL7l1wdcMXywBXcorpuDcJXkDqOfiA-vhZwrlbDvpxT_8XJEnjmVyWwVSQTDc4hR9U-93CTouoOs3xF_ZK6-4fhjsLq9HHO2Z_UTrsi-ATgazfNvsqQugtEtv5QBppaIhWzY5dcGqEkkDmm16VlrTPxe_lIzH255iSFwrj70cRgc/w400-h300/Mt%20Sonder%20Mereenie%20Loop%200514.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rwetyepme/Mount Sonder, western Tjoritja, above and below in very different moods.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJtP8Zrqq7bay9bKd3TXH503tJHLXsr_ypJrOQHGLcLoRd0GyuueUz3NvklgMaq-TaNIs5wA5v6o3Tb9euJyGzz4FzFoyt2cdP_4q2jNfmWIeHrQ2rqsKmzAaVUz972Yl2DypaX3dsfjpxGiHu3Y1fouMDKw4KDxonHMgabd2-kG8OJsdejKAqAGvAlU/s800/Mt%20Sonder%20in%20cloud2%200513.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJtP8Zrqq7bay9bKd3TXH503tJHLXsr_ypJrOQHGLcLoRd0GyuueUz3NvklgMaq-TaNIs5wA5v6o3Tb9euJyGzz4FzFoyt2cdP_4q2jNfmWIeHrQ2rqsKmzAaVUz972Yl2DypaX3dsfjpxGiHu3Y1fouMDKw4KDxonHMgabd2-kG8OJsdejKAqAGvAlU/w400-h300/Mt%20Sonder%20in%20cloud2%200513.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'll be back on New Year's Eve, as ever, with a round-up of the year via a photo per month. Thanks again, and see you then!<br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING SUNDAY 31 DECEMBER</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> <br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span>If you do leave a comment - and I love it when you do - please remember to click the<br />box below your comment that says 'Email follow-up comments to...[your address]' <br />so you'll know when I reply - and I always do!</span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #741b47; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></div></div></div></div></div></div><p></p></div><br />Ian Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-26071115786747689662023-11-23T08:00:00.696+11:002023-11-23T08:00:00.145+11:00Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park; a South Australian coastal glory<p style="text-align: justify;">It took decades, but this spring I finally got back to this park which was a favourite of mine while I lived in Adelaide. Lou had never seen it and, as a coastal aficionado, was instantly hooked!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaoefGHH4LT0_g1o_8jsHp4s93JIMZ-yMj371Q7qFXw3yShH7jjQDd3CCrtHLTMM6mysPWu_t8nO_MGDuKXJyGXOttsZqcGPtUNQNA8-Nc1m5IwYQKOccTOrmjmIvFAJShI8DaKAYBXcdDsnoT-XqDSKFUF-eqzeMR2J8X5sSAG3D8DXzZ1taqKhPYYA/s1000/Shell%20Beach%20at%20dawn%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaoefGHH4LT0_g1o_8jsHp4s93JIMZ-yMj371Q7qFXw3yShH7jjQDd3CCrtHLTMM6mysPWu_t8nO_MGDuKXJyGXOttsZqcGPtUNQNA8-Nc1m5IwYQKOccTOrmjmIvFAJShI8DaKAYBXcdDsnoT-XqDSKFUF-eqzeMR2J8X5sSAG3D8DXzZ1taqKhPYYA/w640-h224/Shell%20Beach%20at%20dawn%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn at Shell Beach, Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I spent time there in the 1970s (!), some of it while working part-time at the then Torrens Teachers College (now part of the University of South Australia). It had been declared Innes National Park shortly before that, in 1970, primarily to protect populations of endangered Malleefowl and Western Whipbirds. The change to the current name came fifty years later in 2020, when joint management with the Narungga traditional owners began, albeit somewhat belatedly.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is at the toe of the foot of Yorke Peninsula, the middle leg-like one of the three peninsulas that dominate the South Australian coastline.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d4-3Qr6PNvaCbZKF-CBqxgtdGZI9G4YSIhoW8cWIPuuxTgk3oKnCIuTxdDh3OqoG0mz5Pb_VCmEcRE86ibRYPkiK7dNuNHZuc-IPoOPPAJ5xlkXNkVLQFRadex6WUimCQFdffcgXq9FUsFXTVJ3VDkDrwFcnYaDTieRCU6pVnw5ELXoczWNJ1v6CEQo/s1103/Australia%20Innes%20NP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d4-3Qr6PNvaCbZKF-CBqxgtdGZI9G4YSIhoW8cWIPuuxTgk3oKnCIuTxdDh3OqoG0mz5Pb_VCmEcRE86ibRYPkiK7dNuNHZuc-IPoOPPAJ5xlkXNkVLQFRadex6WUimCQFdffcgXq9FUsFXTVJ3VDkDrwFcnYaDTieRCU6pVnw5ELXoczWNJ1v6CEQo/w400-h276/Australia%20Innes%20NP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park is at the end of the red arrow, though even after you<br />click on it to enlarge it, you'll find it obscured by the label for Adelaide! The next map,<br />via Google Earth, might be more useful.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz03Z4i_KssdvFaeKBlszk68B9GmrHB622Szwp9pOIDbovjCBJl371Tavmm8LYv9n2HZ2q8yDo_nA3bw_dV_59qhGQUjSbm-dwTdsY7py3qSrOXpqpbLfdDs8VvOpYSz6DUyVA_IBfC5k7GSxeYtHV6as604FuIh1mUBAlpKHKTbWVNuofG41M_oFB98/s1046/SA1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1046" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz03Z4i_KssdvFaeKBlszk68B9GmrHB622Szwp9pOIDbovjCBJl371Tavmm8LYv9n2HZ2q8yDo_nA3bw_dV_59qhGQUjSbm-dwTdsY7py3qSrOXpqpbLfdDs8VvOpYSz6DUyVA_IBfC5k7GSxeYtHV6as604FuIh1mUBAlpKHKTbWVNuofG41M_oFB98/w400-h340/SA1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only the dark green on the 'toe' at the end of the arrow is the park. It only covers<br />9000 hectares of land, but its significance is also made clear on this map, as it is<br />the only significant area of uncleared land on Yorke Peninsula. The rest has been turned<br />to wheat production and grazing land. It is worth noting that the larger<br />Eyre Peninsula to the west has quite a bit more original vegetation,<br />and a concomitant number of reserves. Map from Google Earth.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">This map of the park is taken from the <a href="https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/DG-INP-and-YP-Parks-Management-Plan-2023.pdf">2023 management pla</a>n, very recently adopted. (As is the preference now, it is a fairly slight document compared with its 2003 predecessor, setting out priorities and aims rather than prescriptions.)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyX-x209FuS2-i1bnAeDAzKifSEcAbIvCMsXC_yVS-hn3jjm4tXg3tsm6yYHxGeogsu-2hNuIy2gjU2bKyamCjafhgWNrtwLB6ThC_fqLM1jYo7gvnoGxsC_O-X1qdHowkMzvOGNUKi-dRmXcW1vGo8DKk_quhIa7Ef_EvmiXzHHX0lvDaDBbvjuIVsM/s818/DGINP.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="738" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyX-x209FuS2-i1bnAeDAzKifSEcAbIvCMsXC_yVS-hn3jjm4tXg3tsm6yYHxGeogsu-2hNuIy2gjU2bKyamCjafhgWNrtwLB6ThC_fqLM1jYo7gvnoGxsC_O-X1qdHowkMzvOGNUKi-dRmXcW1vGo8DKk_quhIa7Ef_EvmiXzHHX0lvDaDBbvjuIVsM/w361-h400/DGINP.JPG" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colours refer to the various management zones, which you can look at in the plan<br />via the link above, but are not very relevant to this post. It might be useful for locating<br />sites referred to in the following photos, otherwise just ignore it! For the record we<br />camped at Shell Beach, in the north of the park, the most remote campground we<br />could find. We would recommend it too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The current sea level was only reached some 7000 years ago, but immediately prior to that it was 120 metres lower than it currently is. The exposed sands and banks of sea shells were blown by the wind into a blanketing sheet of low dunes, which percolating water transformed over time into aeolianite (ie wind-deposited) limestone. There are still dunes, some loose but most anchored by vegetation, and the underlying limestone can be seen in the cliffs that line the coast, interspersed by sandy beaches.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbR0r2AuYSvxVW72b4RL-yoHkFFJv0Scr9GVN2Yo-HNvIo6ZgHc31HIta0-qpzXi0-ThaHGbllN28e9KuIGwlxh_0-qZI4MGvPdW2JvGhrV41sfuNtWTMLL5krTAo8Y8vEl3dfedCeBL0LZkEReRbjtxL6LUO9k355d1wVO8ZbUBvsyib05tv9ikCFyM/s800/Ethel%20Beach1%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbR0r2AuYSvxVW72b4RL-yoHkFFJv0Scr9GVN2Yo-HNvIo6ZgHc31HIta0-qpzXi0-ThaHGbllN28e9KuIGwlxh_0-qZI4MGvPdW2JvGhrV41sfuNtWTMLL5krTAo8Y8vEl3dfedCeBL0LZkEReRbjtxL6LUO9k355d1wVO8ZbUBvsyib05tv9ikCFyM/w400-h300/Ethel%20Beach1%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethel Beach (named for a ship that was wrecked there in 1904),<br />seen from the top of the cliffs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYVq1raTuiALygYSlbC2hf1AcxT64jTsmyMWzfx_F4Ws8enubEqPdpaHDQnnlS1oOV_EX6pUkWKuTsNSAuRUVDvDqBRXTUoxetQhiQg2j3I4af7t1Z2z31SrGHtRRkpKDQ7B3E3sHx30hGl20QZBqDxSS1gtzwQAw4mRW5kcFq_51af_Qgci-b6Xb-S4/s800/north%20from%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYVq1raTuiALygYSlbC2hf1AcxT64jTsmyMWzfx_F4Ws8enubEqPdpaHDQnnlS1oOV_EX6pUkWKuTsNSAuRUVDvDqBRXTUoxetQhiQg2j3I4af7t1Z2z31SrGHtRRkpKDQ7B3E3sHx30hGl20QZBqDxSS1gtzwQAw4mRW5kcFq_51af_Qgci-b6Xb-S4/w400-h300/north%20from%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south from Pondalowie Bay to West Cape with its lighthouse.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>An associated feature is the presence of the islets just offshore.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiLyltzaYsEVnY39zWPoqAO-V2ljbWjnJjtgXFCHYpCAKiAYj3iOnWxjwHTNdSKoq-z93o2DFiLdOJQQmwNazLIH8pp1kSK0uB5L0rO2DxfWe4TznPAeBS-9LSOtmgoGRFsVfKtCBe6VzzKeX9QJ7mTGHgFkN8EGMcZfc7ZYr9IjTdHUO6PN6uSMYX_Y/s1000/viewe%20north%20from%20West%20Cape%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiLyltzaYsEVnY39zWPoqAO-V2ljbWjnJjtgXFCHYpCAKiAYj3iOnWxjwHTNdSKoq-z93o2DFiLdOJQQmwNazLIH8pp1kSK0uB5L0rO2DxfWe4TznPAeBS-9LSOtmgoGRFsVfKtCBe6VzzKeX9QJ7mTGHgFkN8EGMcZfc7ZYr9IjTdHUO6PN6uSMYX_Y/w640-h224/viewe%20north%20from%20West%20Cape%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north from West Cape to Pondalowie Bay beyond the headland in the middle of the photo.<br />Just off the headland is South Islet, and above it is Middle Islet and North Islet (I have to say that<br />the naming of the coastal features has been less than imaginative, though Pondalowie is the<br />shining exception).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvojgaxMMvBOQa9cFq8CFOzduVjsa7E6DuyVh34XMBTd97ba43cdaoHqRi6Kj8mAZUVAjaiyCrpZ_3pH3eqJ4481FpkmGWwx7DZugxr-M8nMuW-G2h87y66B6sqhSTT40AsDpgoFpD3Pp346vABZCu3yA70RLHszhGx8YxmwKGbsw3R6uW8o13BzB1fks/s800/North%20Island%20from%20Royston%20Head%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvojgaxMMvBOQa9cFq8CFOzduVjsa7E6DuyVh34XMBTd97ba43cdaoHqRi6Kj8mAZUVAjaiyCrpZ_3pH3eqJ4481FpkmGWwx7DZugxr-M8nMuW-G2h87y66B6sqhSTT40AsDpgoFpD3Pp346vABZCu3yA70RLHszhGx8YxmwKGbsw3R6uW8o13BzB1fks/w400-h300/North%20Island%20from%20Royston%20Head%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Islet (also known as Royston Islet) from Royston Head. This is at the<br />end of a lovely little walk through the heathland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Thirty kilometres to the west - about halfway to the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula at the mouth of Spencer Gulf - is Wedge Island, which was farmed from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It is still in private ownership, but has an important conservation function as a predator-free haven. In particular it supports a translocated population of Critically Endangered Brush-tailed Bettongs (known as Woylies in Western Australia) <i>Bettongia penicillata,</i> from which a population has been recently reestablished in Dhilba Guuranda–Innes, along with Woylies from Western Australia. <br /></div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzMXgkbDke5YgCej3xUg8dKPV0BW3fQ0ZMDnNCiOpw-DRZeEpFLA8fLoDpObx9QnFWJm10Vg4cMdON55Elsdhkwa4L2xVO__N4CeKbmnaipxfAg41d5iF9HWVNi5NPwq9gaCU1m3ARRYXSmvkh-mwsmF6k5oeO6jEG5zVlohSqbLQoHGog96RE41bT8w/s800/Wedge%20Island%20from%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzMXgkbDke5YgCej3xUg8dKPV0BW3fQ0ZMDnNCiOpw-DRZeEpFLA8fLoDpObx9QnFWJm10Vg4cMdON55Elsdhkwa4L2xVO__N4CeKbmnaipxfAg41d5iF9HWVNi5NPwq9gaCU1m3ARRYXSmvkh-mwsmF6k5oeO6jEG5zVlohSqbLQoHGog96RE41bT8w/w400-h300/Wedge%20Island%20from%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedge Island, 30km away, from Pondalowie Bay. (On the Google Earth<br />map above it lies at the end of the upper 'prong' of the red arrow.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another result of the earlier inundation of the lowlands by the sea is the series of saline lakes behind the coastal dunes, clearly visible in the park map above. Four of these these lakes supported gypsum mining from 1889 to 1973, and the small town of Inneston from 1927. When the park was declared in 1973 the mined lakes were excluded for possible resumption of mining, and this was still the case by the time of the 2003 management plan. That has since apparently been rectified, but I can't find just when this occurred. </div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkmrniQV-v2AMrVbK7tlL9xlgB0bPBRzAp3_NmFNrYYuWiMDuaCnGl9MmsiMZQ1Tv1C_BZLbaGXTgyhtlpc11in44-KTYPoveKpUWWGUwwW-Mj-hibHmQAD2QT7TaS3ontbAsH-jRY5V2LMTsodUMn72JlNnc8gHOmaAOQpWkQEO7U1BUfSuFRv-oI7o/s800/Lake%20Brown4%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkmrniQV-v2AMrVbK7tlL9xlgB0bPBRzAp3_NmFNrYYuWiMDuaCnGl9MmsiMZQ1Tv1C_BZLbaGXTgyhtlpc11in44-KTYPoveKpUWWGUwwW-Mj-hibHmQAD2QT7TaS3ontbAsH-jRY5V2LMTsodUMn72JlNnc8gHOmaAOQpWkQEO7U1BUfSuFRv-oI7o/w400-h300/Lake%20Brown4%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Brown; it is not named on the map above, but it is almost adjacent to the <br />Shell Beach campground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGQaAO8tajI9QXwxcPcSA06SREKiqqF9L-L2TQUvtyaLU_qkrITFBwKSM3mYCKNOuQ8ji8B6Axayxs4bS7lhyE_sJkmYDWsrHKd0BIT6ito3wkXn-F4aqE7lq4wGOn5YxiH8kthBUEp3NHC4AsqHH6drPuCp9q8fTsChyphenhyphenp6oc4p6a6oJE_8QLhZuaT9Q/s800/samphire%20Lake%20Brown%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGQaAO8tajI9QXwxcPcSA06SREKiqqF9L-L2TQUvtyaLU_qkrITFBwKSM3mYCKNOuQ8ji8B6Axayxs4bS7lhyE_sJkmYDWsrHKd0BIT6ito3wkXn-F4aqE7lq4wGOn5YxiH8kthBUEp3NHC4AsqHH6drPuCp9q8fTsChyphenhyphenp6oc4p6a6oJE_8QLhZuaT9Q/w400-h300/samphire%20Lake%20Brown%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lakes have locally unique environments, including these samphire flats.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU80gjHZ18dWXVVLVIwgy8i0qFdYi4QtB_DAAIHY4Zf1CP9w-Exrf_2ZbR3ZG-HZofdzX8PMA_cTzdhsfwcx2OLhJoS5HtLfff8mvemgLhT6vB-JiqDfR8a0LumlHxxLr9uwRxaRlBnB8lEE-LKdCspDrv5cp_jZimY2QTbsI0PrXYmnMOTswJLVp6MBo/s800/samphire%20and%20melaleuca%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU80gjHZ18dWXVVLVIwgy8i0qFdYi4QtB_DAAIHY4Zf1CP9w-Exrf_2ZbR3ZG-HZofdzX8PMA_cTzdhsfwcx2OLhJoS5HtLfff8mvemgLhT6vB-JiqDfR8a0LumlHxxLr9uwRxaRlBnB8lEE-LKdCspDrv5cp_jZimY2QTbsI0PrXYmnMOTswJLVp6MBo/w400-h300/samphire%20and%20melaleuca%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are fringed with Swamp Paperbarks <i>Melaleuca halmaturorum</i> which,<br />like the samphire, are highly salt-tolerant.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Stabilised sand dunes are characteristic of the area behind the beaches.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-rYQrwLtNLbCvlDBvOxfUWVXjMMwNJY28F7IxmsagymBPD68P_JkyIGRbRvYapVAV0CQpxchTw-5bG8yelfrKzlCdyh1-gxYgGRMctQDXN4JmnQD3rJFvK39A9tMIPZwyPcil5h1Pao8UeAumdjPyZFshcbWmQzmEK9dujbvs8I6-liPi5IWTVooTBA/s800/dune%20vegetation%20behind%20camp%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-rYQrwLtNLbCvlDBvOxfUWVXjMMwNJY28F7IxmsagymBPD68P_JkyIGRbRvYapVAV0CQpxchTw-5bG8yelfrKzlCdyh1-gxYgGRMctQDXN4JmnQD3rJFvK39A9tMIPZwyPcil5h1Pao8UeAumdjPyZFshcbWmQzmEK9dujbvs8I6-liPi5IWTVooTBA/w400-h300/dune%20vegetation%20behind%20camp%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetated dune behind our campsite.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Above the cliffs however are open heathlands, rich in flowering plants.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeiK2dTT_ywEaf7ywsilKGBKLPstPST9jtwgWzupOiUjbVZ6LPMXMh2qBjDrRXS-qnoTfcDdeC2zSF1OTU21jUmegObADb-Ojh4uNMdK98ioDCqFFWzT3MEE-dpPY2B7aL4L3unX17hvkPdodgiFCJOfZ-3sdkUKI6POmehE0LHUeJVS7CZExIQSJnAk/s800/coastal%20heath%20with%20Senecio%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeiK2dTT_ywEaf7ywsilKGBKLPstPST9jtwgWzupOiUjbVZ6LPMXMh2qBjDrRXS-qnoTfcDdeC2zSF1OTU21jUmegObADb-Ojh4uNMdK98ioDCqFFWzT3MEE-dpPY2B7aL4L3unX17hvkPdodgiFCJOfZ-3sdkUKI6POmehE0LHUeJVS7CZExIQSJnAk/w400-h300/coastal%20heath%20with%20Senecio%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heathland splashed yellow with flowering Grounsel Daisy <i>Senecio</i> sp.<br />at Pondalowie Bay.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PeDEo6qIrGp50BxfUiwheJ_8Go4rJBcFscc5cGsZwLILjLxMqB5lNJ1RCayf9Em76cnvDluZ2Li1XKdtf00hw9qRZA-bUtZCKaC-2LOajCvfAypAuEhrNGIXJNsUYSvmKkWU915cQuk-acbqLEudv0tn_fhsPWEWusTCQpc8I6TH5Oclzy3qYoYnQfI/s800/Middle%20Island%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PeDEo6qIrGp50BxfUiwheJ_8Go4rJBcFscc5cGsZwLILjLxMqB5lNJ1RCayf9Em76cnvDluZ2Li1XKdtf00hw9qRZA-bUtZCKaC-2LOajCvfAypAuEhrNGIXJNsUYSvmKkWU915cQuk-acbqLEudv0tn_fhsPWEWusTCQpc8I6TH5Oclzy3qYoYnQfI/w400-h300/Middle%20Island%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle Islet in Pondalowie Bay, with flowering Coastal Beard-Heath <i>Leucopogon parviflorus<br /></i>in the foreground. This large shrub is an important component of the coastal heaths. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewk9VRkYJS6_DfWxdnVXi-Oo_FFSW-nRFnSLE-2_cfaiYgDSi0q1O87eoIMQm_b7yaBN5TTJfA08iKAWFtKC6cVJwvDsMMcdetXdj56nbuU1nW7Hsifqt6TaFHzBKpIyc8RHivg4rDQR1pMXxAeUDaXVQCYfifmsgwZLPlXbim-I-UVoCt_Jde0Yw93g/s800/coastal%20heath%20with%20Leucopogon%20parviflorus%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewk9VRkYJS6_DfWxdnVXi-Oo_FFSW-nRFnSLE-2_cfaiYgDSi0q1O87eoIMQm_b7yaBN5TTJfA08iKAWFtKC6cVJwvDsMMcdetXdj56nbuU1nW7Hsifqt6TaFHzBKpIyc8RHivg4rDQR1pMXxAeUDaXVQCYfifmsgwZLPlXbim-I-UVoCt_Jde0Yw93g/w400-h300/coastal%20heath%20with%20Leucopogon%20parviflorus%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Beard-Heath dominating the walk through the dunes from Shell Beach <br />campground to the beach.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The interior of the park, which is not readily accessible, is dominated by nine species of mallee eucalypt, some of which also come close to the sea.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUpGV_XlF79l9301-XWzNwGo0rq0j_6RwdLxaj9YA8_FCcSvnifiZw79Qn9R2QpKnw1b3KYU0mEqM8Pha0fqEAffor-LRPUGRJqjXt527vl1kd8cJbOlhcs3nXNoxPVQ6q-x1B757ZJOjEvP60LZd6Ch3wVdnR5ig6eoyhSZOQ61misq8DuwzmrhC9aM/s800/flowering%20mallee%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUpGV_XlF79l9301-XWzNwGo0rq0j_6RwdLxaj9YA8_FCcSvnifiZw79Qn9R2QpKnw1b3KYU0mEqM8Pha0fqEAffor-LRPUGRJqjXt527vl1kd8cJbOlhcs3nXNoxPVQ6q-x1B757ZJOjEvP60LZd6Ch3wVdnR5ig6eoyhSZOQ61misq8DuwzmrhC9aM/w400-h300/flowering%20mallee%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowering mallee near Shell Beach.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccxa14GhQOmWJFV8AZReS11QcX2Ro2E_FFnBQzEnvv1JM4Yyzikrv_hia9eQNOLSsm_Bk1X02G9C2YAN64iozsRxHaxbBm7aa2HuzE8HUlHfsXmWNobINkG9Nby6pNUNhvDGyaZscO4reHnviPRpzy0XGrStjNocTR5fRXPHeYd5M6BS4a42RL3y1IeQ/s800/E%20oleosa2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccxa14GhQOmWJFV8AZReS11QcX2Ro2E_FFnBQzEnvv1JM4Yyzikrv_hia9eQNOLSsm_Bk1X02G9C2YAN64iozsRxHaxbBm7aa2HuzE8HUlHfsXmWNobINkG9Nby6pNUNhvDGyaZscO4reHnviPRpzy0XGrStjNocTR5fRXPHeYd5M6BS4a42RL3y1IeQ/w400-h300/E%20oleosa2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Mallee <i>Eucalyptus oleosa</i> by the campground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At which point I might as well segue into introducing some other
flowering plants that we enjoyed, nearly all from different families, starting
with a closeup of the Coastal Beard-Heath we met earlier.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCR0EHN4rYsiHMcTH8eOJNMDbGNpsxVjAgRRfNNWx1k8K8Jds_RwkjRGBTWrPazFdLS4B_f_UtX5FmapAUSb6kUJZt18rAWdrDt11pZ_rbIn90m-zS0v_4WqY-NabUmQmcYbIigWxkQ0z7NgN0EkzpM3wEPXhxvc-qT_k1YGMhMSxfTyFdPEkRjP-nD4/s800/Leucopogon%20parviflorus2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCR0EHN4rYsiHMcTH8eOJNMDbGNpsxVjAgRRfNNWx1k8K8Jds_RwkjRGBTWrPazFdLS4B_f_UtX5FmapAUSb6kUJZt18rAWdrDt11pZ_rbIn90m-zS0v_4WqY-NabUmQmcYbIigWxkQ0z7NgN0EkzpM3wEPXhxvc-qT_k1YGMhMSxfTyFdPEkRjP-nD4/w400-h300/Leucopogon%20parviflorus2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most other beard-heaths that I know are small shrubs, so these huge bushes are most impressive.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> Here are some more conspicuous large shrubs from the heathlands and mallee of the park.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkfACjVwhDvBAqWmk6I0rW8cnm7sN4hyp10B75guZiXcNKSqkkoSYxFmXfIwFiBDwzRtD4sHlQ86ibiMH4WEL4nKqcEhDPIWWMy697GFfLwCzd_c9yx95puTDl2DreFJ7tWuWYp6P_rFMMngQrxWONLQi6yEDDZz0-phMdrXrJj2NDU9fvXjR5CbL7dk/s800/Alyxia%20buxifolia2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkfACjVwhDvBAqWmk6I0rW8cnm7sN4hyp10B75guZiXcNKSqkkoSYxFmXfIwFiBDwzRtD4sHlQ86ibiMH4WEL4nKqcEhDPIWWMy697GFfLwCzd_c9yx95puTDl2DreFJ7tWuWYp6P_rFMMngQrxWONLQi6yEDDZz0-phMdrXrJj2NDU9fvXjR5CbL7dk/w400-h300/Alyxia%20buxifolia2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Box <i>Alyxia buxifolia </i>Family Apocyanacae (a large, mostly tropical family with many<br />highly toxic species). Sea Box is another large shrub found widely in coastal southern Australia. <br />I love the odd little 'catherine wheel' flowers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaAxqIxnYTMJ9Urit7R03cg-DZE6TnHQzN1npXv8YQzoDiOElZ36ElUwrxoqjfu0CBRChPd1xaGkAqP5WAarLADHRLnT0tBLYmExhNIXX9LaPixWYKDwe1oQjg6u_sKXmWxx3avHzsgFej9ohROeOMENn_29iy-czduz9cMyhB0atrFfkOdMv-SWoM2U/s800/Calytrix%20tetrogona2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaAxqIxnYTMJ9Urit7R03cg-DZE6TnHQzN1npXv8YQzoDiOElZ36ElUwrxoqjfu0CBRChPd1xaGkAqP5WAarLADHRLnT0tBLYmExhNIXX9LaPixWYKDwe1oQjg6u_sKXmWxx3avHzsgFej9ohROeOMENn_29iy-czduz9cMyhB0atrFfkOdMv-SWoM2U/w400-h300/Calytrix%20tetrogona2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Fringe-myrtle <i>Calytrix tetragona</i>. This lovely shrub is found widely in southern<br />Australia (including our garden), but I never tire of it. Nor apparently do the <br />numerous insects which are attracted to the flowers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjia5BxRuXOgK4sup67hFMIJ_3fA1oA12XaJnMw0-NnQQ-wMbdzwyw73tskQmoDLy87iZmaG-EBFjw1vq3pFAMhbBgSR2E5bbQPjdWFJDg2Bssv0spLMQGSVW5viwp5DKRHUIVc4mRQ_SitcmipwTUvWGRjqMJSyk1v0bXTahns7jwLrsgJzGMtLRWX4E/s800/Lasiopetalum%20discolor2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjia5BxRuXOgK4sup67hFMIJ_3fA1oA12XaJnMw0-NnQQ-wMbdzwyw73tskQmoDLy87iZmaG-EBFjw1vq3pFAMhbBgSR2E5bbQPjdWFJDg2Bssv0spLMQGSVW5viwp5DKRHUIVc4mRQ_SitcmipwTUvWGRjqMJSyk1v0bXTahns7jwLrsgJzGMtLRWX4E/w400-h300/Lasiopetalum%20discolor2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Velvet-bush <i>Lasiopetalum discolor</i> Family Malvaceae (in its new vast sense; <i>Lasiopetalum<br /> </i>was formerly in Sterculiaceae). This attractive shrub, common in the park, has an interesting<br />distribution along the south coast of Western and South Australia, plus north-western Tasmania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Zt9uY8wpGsG6nPgPcjeJ-VELSnKKl_E0-1S9bEzW52xvgUfnTtlRH2PhAooQpqvOaM2kkJyJt0P52znQxfLXYZy-rEnN9XDjNbfJo9jEQUr0TrRpeMy19ElHMM4EwitX0XbXZWLTCqjphgdAmkMzC1TJWQopudTI8aoq58PLLrDY8X9fvEIKkIFoSg/s800/Templetonia%20retusa2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5Zt9uY8wpGsG6nPgPcjeJ-VELSnKKl_E0-1S9bEzW52xvgUfnTtlRH2PhAooQpqvOaM2kkJyJt0P52znQxfLXYZy-rEnN9XDjNbfJo9jEQUr0TrRpeMy19ElHMM4EwitX0XbXZWLTCqjphgdAmkMzC1TJWQopudTI8aoq58PLLrDY8X9fvEIKkIFoSg/w400-h300/Templetonia%20retusa2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocky's Tongue <i>Templetonia retusa, </i>always a favourite of mine with these large glowing<br />pea flowers, grows in heaths and mallee from south-western WA to as far east in <br />South Australia as about here and up to the Flinders Ranges.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The remaining plants I want to share with you are small shrubs or ground covers, and a climber. (What anyone who knows me would also expect are orchids - but sadly, none were to be found. We were there in the third week of September which should have been good, but at the Visitors' Centre we were told that they'd all flowered early and were done! I was looking forward to trying out the excellent-looking new <a href="https://nossa.org.au/about-us/native-orchids-of-south-australia-a-field-guide/">field guide to South Australian orchids</a>, but unfortunately not this time...)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2s9bl53xOmqKUjr1AL-6YStgoiJDlZIdpQhiI9DiG2GZqPCVfqLNSeD90DVMdO0v6TKdHBc09o7laXfSasKY5FDNwvQOpd8ILDuH0dVxovTz_TSub9htzNpm3OYQV6FvOcY1baTuUbzh2qrdn9S7NNXLhPc_sLVO3sqhH2hTG2Wr3EhaL7bIEKjEJO8/s1000/Carpobrotus%20brownii2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2s9bl53xOmqKUjr1AL-6YStgoiJDlZIdpQhiI9DiG2GZqPCVfqLNSeD90DVMdO0v6TKdHBc09o7laXfSasKY5FDNwvQOpd8ILDuH0dVxovTz_TSub9htzNpm3OYQV6FvOcY1baTuUbzh2qrdn9S7NNXLhPc_sLVO3sqhH2hTG2Wr3EhaL7bIEKjEJO8/w640-h224/Carpobrotus%20brownii2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigface <i>Carpobrotus rossii, </i>a familiar and tough beach dune sprawler found right along the <br />Australian south coast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1C9dGvxdO3Om8eSt5-oGJx4F1lpby3SJAbOuO-H224phLwqCV74-mzeoD84D0fDhL5wRTlaz_Z5IjuRAWS2VkabHoV3azbMpk8H7iTb_iS5_iHAcPGIDHQ6q3Z9SyxsJORZftcB7DEOLdb728kM_m3cXyovllyqdUcMxp0EIjEznppYWeHMvUUF4DCw/s800/Goodenia%20varia%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1C9dGvxdO3Om8eSt5-oGJx4F1lpby3SJAbOuO-H224phLwqCV74-mzeoD84D0fDhL5wRTlaz_Z5IjuRAWS2VkabHoV3azbMpk8H7iTb_iS5_iHAcPGIDHQ6q3Z9SyxsJORZftcB7DEOLdb728kM_m3cXyovllyqdUcMxp0EIjEznppYWeHMvUUF4DCw/w400-h300/Goodenia%20varia%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sticky Goodenia <i>Goodenia varia</i>; its leathery toothed leaves can be found in coastal<br />sands and inland mallee across southern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnwv17jMFuEigA5Kl27VO2K0TbgatJizwmgdo5aYQW2Dwz4rO7h72LQ3SvYajJu34g3pU1oY1Krc0Po49wvocQbmxTK4GiB1JgXMAEZZvfGKnabDCJdiHS9de2DSEUFYKvwtsRoq43B22a4GrcveCHTi3VJnqboSInZLjV2XZaY_yoMzW5rvVEM5qU34/s800/Scaevola%20linearis%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnwv17jMFuEigA5Kl27VO2K0TbgatJizwmgdo5aYQW2Dwz4rO7h72LQ3SvYajJu34g3pU1oY1Krc0Po49wvocQbmxTK4GiB1JgXMAEZZvfGKnabDCJdiHS9de2DSEUFYKvwtsRoq43B22a4GrcveCHTi3VJnqboSInZLjV2XZaY_yoMzW5rvVEM5qU34/w400-h300/Scaevola%20linearis%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Fanflower <i>Scaevola angustata, </i>also in the Family Goodeniaceae, like the goodenia<br />above. (I had this down as <i>S. linearis</i>, but that is apparently not in the park.) <br />This species is endemic to South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lVOF_cxCX0Kh5CG594NtEz1wVp2zFOAmypD1EdBm616lXCMZYFitFpx_MSc8Zo1dm4iYT1nR0xSWmlTcf3ja4GZKgQQQLO9LbO58daLLom6PrG4tk2zY4bbGPPEGGo-dEXO8CmdNrMxo5egzjRMKnYL1XH2dLZooT_N6i_7fDI0igZHfHpEYcwvDgTY/s800/Leucophyta%20brownii1%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lVOF_cxCX0Kh5CG594NtEz1wVp2zFOAmypD1EdBm616lXCMZYFitFpx_MSc8Zo1dm4iYT1nR0xSWmlTcf3ja4GZKgQQQLO9LbO58daLLom6PrG4tk2zY4bbGPPEGGo-dEXO8CmdNrMxo5egzjRMKnYL1XH2dLZooT_N6i_7fDI0igZHfHpEYcwvDgTY/w400-h300/Leucophyta%20brownii1%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Cushion Bush <i>Leucophyta brownii.</i> This daisy isn't in flower here (though the<br />Senecio behind it is), but it's a species I remember fondly from my days in this<br />part of the world. It is <i>so </i>tough, growing out of cracks in the limestone with<br />the salt spray blowing over it. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2XJmPxVsq-k298gMo74rPfc2hlT2fW6Ld6TBqAfJRRUNzqnY2neogKgeQVn6aLebkdsTaRGlVXOhJtsx0yU6n0s9Sy1k8Jv0U3ULhm7zNMeF3koYP5loMDc3lSzp8N3xwr_jP981VVxraZpm91CHXV8ffSIjBSSTOGH7luFzFZHRrO2YNOlkJYlNGAQ/s800/Clematis%20aristata%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2XJmPxVsq-k298gMo74rPfc2hlT2fW6Ld6TBqAfJRRUNzqnY2neogKgeQVn6aLebkdsTaRGlVXOhJtsx0yU6n0s9Sy1k8Jv0U3ULhm7zNMeF3koYP5loMDc3lSzp8N3xwr_jP981VVxraZpm91CHXV8ffSIjBSSTOGH7luFzFZHRrO2YNOlkJYlNGAQ/w400-h300/Clematis%20aristata%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Man's Beard <i>Clematis microphylla, </i>a familiar, common and widespread climber<br />in much of Australia, but not to be ignored because of that!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Of the non-feathered animals, the most obvious were the ubiquitous Western Grey Kangaroos <i>Macropus fuliginosus.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJSYNhA2gcvYcypD-fioIDssFJuqGTDtu2aV2rMWuv7iAKouH_-tJvWhlm1MMhmk69Ajn5VcopuBph-cvnVCJkOh_Hhl0ZFATDK3PLEMU5d7aRGJ0drzz7Dd4Dh2Y0WTHrJqJ_hdbPJJwEB2hsUhcc2c57AuYgaLIfNU5lK6T5XIQqrjyfFKPfo6bJ70/s800/Western%20Grey%20Kangaroo%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJSYNhA2gcvYcypD-fioIDssFJuqGTDtu2aV2rMWuv7iAKouH_-tJvWhlm1MMhmk69Ajn5VcopuBph-cvnVCJkOh_Hhl0ZFATDK3PLEMU5d7aRGJ0drzz7Dd4Dh2Y0WTHrJqJ_hdbPJJwEB2hsUhcc2c57AuYgaLIfNU5lK6T5XIQqrjyfFKPfo6bJ70/w400-h300/Western%20Grey%20Kangaroo%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are more brown than grey, despite the name. They are found right across southern<br />Australia from the coast to the semi-arid inland, westward from central NSW and Queensland.<br />In the east of their range they are seemingly being displaced by the rapidly spreading<br />Eastern Grey Kangaroos <i>M. robustus</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was too cold and windy much of the time for reptiles to be active, though the big skinks called Shinglebacks <i>Tiliqua rugosa</i> were starting to move around. We are very fond of these, and I confess that as a child I kept some as pets (in those days it was legal, with no permit required). At one stage in the park I even rescued one that had settled into the shade of someone's camper van, leaving them bemused as they wanted to be moving on. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWTcXwrf9_m2ujXLA-mh-eJ0RE9m-DeaWv6vMfgepIVORtNOPfuDdNAI1u2n6Nor6szksERmwIzCC0rY2ktjpEBDrN4CoeLEbkwl7akMYmDvHckmXfZ3ZmkE404zjuCxX4tDQ6EnRVOllQNKinKWMWU_1T5cV8E2teIGBDtYErfTqp4sRG_IOivE7J14/s800/Shingleback%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWTcXwrf9_m2ujXLA-mh-eJ0RE9m-DeaWv6vMfgepIVORtNOPfuDdNAI1u2n6Nor6szksERmwIzCC0rY2ktjpEBDrN4CoeLEbkwl7akMYmDvHckmXfZ3ZmkE404zjuCxX4tDQ6EnRVOllQNKinKWMWU_1T5cV8E2teIGBDtYErfTqp4sRG_IOivE7J14/w400-h300/Shingleback%20Pondalowie%20Bay%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are common and unmistakable with their short tail and diamond-shaped head.<br />They are long-lived and form lifelong pair bonds, most unusually for a reptile.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which leaves us with the birds, which were many but often a bit on the skulking side. Here are a few to enjoy. The first couple were just by the main road through the park.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S2ChDCOVCZKDEXA3tB4rwjWgmbtZZO_aCxwUc-8T4Y4Pj7YhhLkehySDL02i02tcfXvWDfHtVyi3Yr71yJUfhE6t5MC73zVfR3XieCotJVPG_UtvR13U-pEml1CflgMHUZdc8m9p9yWoBycm5fRoz9XALF6SDvfs2BIFjgvIcHjqAJojmyeh7UKpF6w/s800/Brush%20Bronzewing%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S2ChDCOVCZKDEXA3tB4rwjWgmbtZZO_aCxwUc-8T4Y4Pj7YhhLkehySDL02i02tcfXvWDfHtVyi3Yr71yJUfhE6t5MC73zVfR3XieCotJVPG_UtvR13U-pEml1CflgMHUZdc8m9p9yWoBycm5fRoz9XALF6SDvfs2BIFjgvIcHjqAJojmyeh7UKpF6w/w400-h300/Brush%20Bronzewing%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Brush Bronzewing <i>Phaps elegans</i> was the first bird we saw in the park, to my delight.<br />Not only is it an extremely attractive pigeon, but in my experience it is shy and hard to <br />approach. It is found both in dense coastal heaths and more inland forests and mallee across<br />southern Australia, and is always a pleasure to meet.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggx1wNEoOQK1MJPMyOQbfxLUVRXCFG6u902COdLUENnVg-XUjxmleTvUbd6Pyfrj-Em9sB8ZsDx68iCAyVR-OWdkn81zWiHE_VmlEViuGFTLTfDi5-oaOlu0-jOzaeIwJnOVFfRdBgqMqqo9hYe9l2R2CMmO5w1TtxIPDzXd-GhGnxiaDhjtO-nX37Mb0/s800/emus%20with%20two%20clutches%20of%20chicks%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggx1wNEoOQK1MJPMyOQbfxLUVRXCFG6u902COdLUENnVg-XUjxmleTvUbd6Pyfrj-Em9sB8ZsDx68iCAyVR-OWdkn81zWiHE_VmlEViuGFTLTfDi5-oaOlu0-jOzaeIwJnOVFfRdBgqMqqo9hYe9l2R2CMmO5w1TtxIPDzXd-GhGnxiaDhjtO-nX37Mb0/w400-h300/emus%20with%20two%20clutches%20of%20chicks%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emus <i>Dromaius novaehollandiae </i>can be encountered throughout the park, and<br />clutches of chicks were being tended by their fathers, necessitating even more<br />than usual care while driving the road. There are actually two clutches here,<br />and the other somewhat indifferent father (or so I assume) can be seen in the background.<br />I haven't knowingly seen 'shared parenting' among emus like this before and<br />a quick search doesn't give me any further information on this behaviour.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next four species were regulars around the campground.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIo7HGz1-0nJNxmGLsH1MZTxQAQh4QJsAOkaodTKeiKEC63stJMkQcmVc8JbFKQ2p_4YGS3Oy_edrB7QgOfUgPaNgmAmEPsSBADz9_W-4x8g5ccchOh_bQl5wuVj5v4H9k2JJix4XIyD4U9wvf7nQzPtnSlyTHOvWdFxoRteMwYrGInPjXm4lsfM32NQ/s800/Fan-tailed%20Cuckoo%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIo7HGz1-0nJNxmGLsH1MZTxQAQh4QJsAOkaodTKeiKEC63stJMkQcmVc8JbFKQ2p_4YGS3Oy_edrB7QgOfUgPaNgmAmEPsSBADz9_W-4x8g5ccchOh_bQl5wuVj5v4H9k2JJix4XIyD4U9wvf7nQzPtnSlyTHOvWdFxoRteMwYrGInPjXm4lsfM32NQ/w300-h400/Fan-tailed%20Cuckoo%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fan-tailed Cuckoos <i>Cacomantis flabelliformis</i> call incessantly in spring,<br />and things were no different in Dhilba Guuranda–Innes!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEAGbpBIv3h92eEemIw9EewfJI9YXr6bDDXW5xsjY8HY0LO8at_L85tSJBXQBzRye1Pn7_kwsdJFfkgD1hLHyjuc5mrSghKUIGSU6tPcZw0yaoWQocyTJmjtagTSXXLJCD-fy2xNVqM1_tPpzGM1X2CJCerjkd2aaYZ6FV0IKDXur-pOOoMXdHKbxQsY/s800/Grey%20Currawong%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEAGbpBIv3h92eEemIw9EewfJI9YXr6bDDXW5xsjY8HY0LO8at_L85tSJBXQBzRye1Pn7_kwsdJFfkgD1hLHyjuc5mrSghKUIGSU6tPcZw0yaoWQocyTJmjtagTSXXLJCD-fy2xNVqM1_tPpzGM1X2CJCerjkd2aaYZ6FV0IKDXur-pOOoMXdHKbxQsY/w400-h300/Grey%20Currawong%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Currawongs <i>Strepera versicolor</i> in eastern Australia are clearly ashy-grey.<br />In the mallee lands (from western Victoria to about Adelaide) they are black,<br />making identification difficult where they overlap with Pied Currawongs.<br />West of Adelaide this Yorke and Eyre Peninsula subspecies is grey-brown,<br />and are often called Brown Currawongs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i></i></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVSpZ_duB4IZau6YHjTO8tcx9LcwqeVCm7grQy2WiYCtJyODDPgy1_z25l8gGyjEj3tYfH1dM-5zgw_DkW4ayS5edjTx5zuWKsZplEtKV2MqeBHC0vl3Q5QwoAEEnZTdqyNC_b5WD5CQnGHbGO6uk-CTA0bkby3eXEd4qvzbfcy7YQBRi0r0l0KUMSW0/s800/Purple-backed%20Fairywren%20male2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVSpZ_duB4IZau6YHjTO8tcx9LcwqeVCm7grQy2WiYCtJyODDPgy1_z25l8gGyjEj3tYfH1dM-5zgw_DkW4ayS5edjTx5zuWKsZplEtKV2MqeBHC0vl3Q5QwoAEEnZTdqyNC_b5WD5CQnGHbGO6uk-CTA0bkby3eXEd4qvzbfcy7YQBRi0r0l0KUMSW0/w400-h300/Purple-backed%20Fairywren%20male2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Purple-backed Fairywren <i>Malurus assimilis, </i>a truly glorious bird.<br />It was long recognised as a separate species, then more recently lumped<br />with the Variegated Fairywren, but recent more detailed analysis<br />has returned the situation to where it was from the 19th century. <br />The Purple-backed is found across a huge area of the inland, while<br />Variegated is limited to the east coast. The blue-purple on the crown,<br />which continues onto the back, can be seen here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qn2ZRTHLEvUMGKseuNHjFmhAoFZFmqoDEoce5vmai7CDJ6Ukzqz4_cVCc_yQ-RrGbYFYkmv2S6pg-fWZSIhgesDSktw3p4gqmxWr0fXKZjd8iAg20y4um8g92vwoVL4FhVPnUdsyo02bKC65peL9RuSQuRvG4UpxwITmtUCIixs37U85a10JF7V1RH8/s800/Spiny-cheeked%20HE%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qn2ZRTHLEvUMGKseuNHjFmhAoFZFmqoDEoce5vmai7CDJ6Ukzqz4_cVCc_yQ-RrGbYFYkmv2S6pg-fWZSIhgesDSktw3p4gqmxWr0fXKZjd8iAg20y4um8g92vwoVL4FhVPnUdsyo02bKC65peL9RuSQuRvG4UpxwITmtUCIixs37U85a10JF7V1RH8/w400-h300/Spiny-cheeked%20HE%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters <i>Acanthagenys rufogularis</i> are found across most of<br />the inland of Australia, plus the south and west coasts. They are a big honeyeater<br />with a distinctive and evocative fluting call.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">There are three species of fieldwren, all in Australia<i>, </i>generally shy birds of low dense vegetation. Of these the Rufous Fieldwren <i>Calamanthus campestris</i> has by far the biggest range, from western Victoria to the middle western coast of Australia, and from the coast to the inland deserts. This was the first time however that I'd managed to lay camera on one, on the walking track to the West Cape lighthouse.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2e-NAzoz1UGgTPAvNVLkQhnT3qk61uMWdSJqoilLO0K5nE2o3p9qZzi9YQjH1JzXw52XAl4ur-SQJqQ_Yz3I9pzRiFqmLbthSVY5fgKaxK80OIMdTpg9q_CJwSXuhGIDXzxzMDVrwptvg_0IKNs6P0uKlxtus10SqwFP_y37bq5zfHD-5xKghpbraxA/s800/Rufous%20Fieldwren3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2e-NAzoz1UGgTPAvNVLkQhnT3qk61uMWdSJqoilLO0K5nE2o3p9qZzi9YQjH1JzXw52XAl4ur-SQJqQ_Yz3I9pzRiFqmLbthSVY5fgKaxK80OIMdTpg9q_CJwSXuhGIDXzxzMDVrwptvg_0IKNs6P0uKlxtus10SqwFP_y37bq5zfHD-5xKghpbraxA/w400-h300/Rufous%20Fieldwren3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous Fieldwren sitting up against the sun, checking on the intruders.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK7CDW6J898SzYfXINCZ9PBK3HAWlKxSVsg4iJvHZqxB077Go3yqTBVIlZ_acMHeBRAQurrgYWQ4hBVz4XTQ9hctL_WYMM72g3Zh2Y7KqRBhRHBaWky6z4o2EqpcFgAHe7h3CifTVBsK14n0VEq08Abj9wDe9_-xR7wMOD82u3edrUbuodfKfrJQ1dZU/s800/Rufous%20Fieldwren5%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK7CDW6J898SzYfXINCZ9PBK3HAWlKxSVsg4iJvHZqxB077Go3yqTBVIlZ_acMHeBRAQurrgYWQ4hBVz4XTQ9hctL_WYMM72g3Zh2Y7KqRBhRHBaWky6z4o2EqpcFgAHe7h3CifTVBsK14n0VEq08Abj9wDe9_-xR7wMOD82u3edrUbuodfKfrJQ1dZU/w400-h300/Rufous%20Fieldwren5%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one, with the sun behind me, shows the rufous nicely.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And of course there are seabirds and shorebirds; here are three that we enjoyed, all at Shell Beach, our 'local' while we were there, while we sat quietly either by the rocks at the end of the beach, or on the dunes above it.</div></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqQT9nOw68MPuRoD6UQmo2JknP5F1lyp0HwoRqh7vGPstrXqGBeYCeCn7fFhzGbCUNKKIlBcguDqsg7cruPRQc2egGiLXwzjArEDpkoFuqX25ZU2kXTWgqt6DRbWQpUSTJMinU8leojasJDhpPmhc9ioN_jwdaprJ8ChtPF5Iv1gP5FNq9uXwalFSf98/s800/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqQT9nOw68MPuRoD6UQmo2JknP5F1lyp0HwoRqh7vGPstrXqGBeYCeCn7fFhzGbCUNKKIlBcguDqsg7cruPRQc2egGiLXwzjArEDpkoFuqX25ZU2kXTWgqt6DRbWQpUSTJMinU8leojasJDhpPmhc9ioN_jwdaprJ8ChtPF5Iv1gP5FNq9uXwalFSf98/w400-h300/Hooded%20Dotterel3%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's always a particular pleasure to see Hooded Dotterels (or Plovers) <i>Thinornis cucullatus,<br /></i>not least because they are a species at risk, especially on the east coast, but also listed<br />as Vulnerable (ie to extinction) both nationally and here in South Australia.<br />This was was working Shell Beach early in the morning before visitors arrived.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLqNRpalUlkhJqZjdeHBYPVvuRiVDcTs7aBlK3HnPe-mC5jQk6Mjs60L8ZnmGYPZXXB4n93YnbhaEGjZR8aHDFGhtoKmi7sbGmm2qB1ZlG7lUPOiUmoYRzjFykyhpePtYnPrpAFzjNyEtynRnX1xQhe8eFFLfmy6eSnqgCQCI9nkpDBODkMAzoQRI6eM/w400-h300/Sooty%20Oystercatcher%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooty Oystercatchers <i>Haematopus fuliginosus</i> are also in trouble on the east coast, but<br />not so much elsewhere. They are supposed to favour rocky platforms, leaving the beaches<br />to Pied Oystercatchers, but it's surprising how often birds don't read the books!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pzrV_gQYZr9sL9gpZeAqztxpTk2R5J-wE6jmysnxGfqrDQKY66g7jl4Jil5wU5fwuglnXFHiI8lF3FhzYIlBkHv2caSWBBbS-e5fKAbZ21YzD71QeXRo8rqzVosVOu6Uqz5EXXzdW_951DU9sIOP054gcs-NoYGffXSa0UXVjwMRtE_CJIvIOVaIacs/s800/Pied%20Cormorants%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pzrV_gQYZr9sL9gpZeAqztxpTk2R5J-wE6jmysnxGfqrDQKY66g7jl4Jil5wU5fwuglnXFHiI8lF3FhzYIlBkHv2caSWBBbS-e5fKAbZ21YzD71QeXRo8rqzVosVOu6Uqz5EXXzdW_951DU9sIOP054gcs-NoYGffXSa0UXVjwMRtE_CJIvIOVaIacs/w400-h300/Pied%20Cormorants%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Cormorants <i>Phalacrocorax varius </i>aren't at all threatened, but I just like this picture.<br />Of the four inland Australian cormorants, this is the one most likely to be seen in the ocean.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I hope you now feel that this is a park worth visiting (and on the way there the small Yorke Peninsula towns nearly all have excellent bakeries!); just as further encouragement here are a couple more photos of the sublime beaches.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4mQNEP4GjplkBYLcDV7wEDuwssJQed4LF2Ur4dTeX5I5wCKYcyHgSrqNJE-dxyB1eJ-Mn79wv4xsHDpQ-XlZzYCUJISx66PXQYdyVCQzLP9TtGg39WWf6AA1xGcc6woACx5q4EHPysk7NKTzRs_iqS3F1NrHWrbBi-O652WD4sr38cmuI2dm_qDk1b8/s800/Browns%20Beach%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4mQNEP4GjplkBYLcDV7wEDuwssJQed4LF2Ur4dTeX5I5wCKYcyHgSrqNJE-dxyB1eJ-Mn79wv4xsHDpQ-XlZzYCUJISx66PXQYdyVCQzLP9TtGg39WWf6AA1xGcc6woACx5q4EHPysk7NKTzRs_iqS3F1NrHWrbBi-O652WD4sr38cmuI2dm_qDk1b8/w400-h300/Browns%20Beach%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Browns Beach at the northern end of the park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOH9acsGmXcccI0WHKH_LBkiCboI9B_BGpxAzYRaRSlzAH-bUbcKHGIpzqB-_CCd4L5NG6wzGQDj-tMYH8MMmfIA5pP75x2vccpfYvsWo0yv7kuZaoeRH-GKVP3MgHjtEdJHyd3MPjfkahW9nG9VKweKgEczMF188-eGXaCCmumgnblYh55KYUUQO4sM/s1000/south%20end%20Pondalowie%20Bay2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOH9acsGmXcccI0WHKH_LBkiCboI9B_BGpxAzYRaRSlzAH-bUbcKHGIpzqB-_CCd4L5NG6wzGQDj-tMYH8MMmfIA5pP75x2vccpfYvsWo0yv7kuZaoeRH-GKVP3MgHjtEdJHyd3MPjfkahW9nG9VKweKgEczMF188-eGXaCCmumgnblYh55KYUUQO4sM/w640-h224/south%20end%20Pondalowie%20Bay2%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pondalowie Bay again, the southern end.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLqNRpalUlkhJqZjdeHBYPVvuRiVDcTs7aBlK3HnPe-mC5jQk6Mjs60L8ZnmGYPZXXB4n93YnbhaEGjZR8aHDFGhtoKmi7sbGmm2qB1ZlG7lUPOiUmoYRzjFykyhpePtYnPrpAFzjNyEtynRnX1xQhe8eFFLfmy6eSnqgCQCI9nkpDBODkMAzoQRI6eM/s800/Sooty%20Oystercatcher%20DG%20Innes%20NP%200923.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>I hope to see you again in three weeks, when I might have something a bit different. Thanks for visiting.<br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> <br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Animals, the tinies and the hairies.<p style="text-align: justify;">This is the third of a four-part series on Costa Rica. As I explained <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/10/costa-rica-where-americas-meet-2.html">last time</a>, the planned post to incorporate all the animals except birds got too long, so here is the rest of that one, with the perhaps unlikely pairing of invertebrates (mostly insects) and mammals. If you missed the <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/08/costa-rica-where-americas-meet-1.html">first post</a> in the series, you may find it helpful with regard to the places mentioned in this post.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Invertebrates often miss out entirely and, while I won't be guilty of that, there's going to be less information here than for the other animal groups, simply because I don't have it, or because it doesn't even seem to exist anywhere accessible. Many I don't even have a name for but hopefully we can enjoy them without that. Here's a small sample of the many 'little animals' that we saw. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO-ZP9tlqZtsNvv_HgF7hLxH74P7MGYehSBU8C_gjreSLYnnlilz5EYnk652BsMUYTTxGuaq8ufv8sU1CJggiH2fuvesZ1vnWSrbAz2T3R238iXl6pipiY7Hp1mrazkqYbHM05Uf6ywBIYPvWmiA90G4RfGDkjp8IAnfneNZUPc9mik8UIpk7p0NjPMc/s800/Argiope%20submaronica%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO-ZP9tlqZtsNvv_HgF7hLxH74P7MGYehSBU8C_gjreSLYnnlilz5EYnk652BsMUYTTxGuaq8ufv8sU1CJggiH2fuvesZ1vnWSrbAz2T3R238iXl6pipiY7Hp1mrazkqYbHM05Uf6ywBIYPvWmiA90G4RfGDkjp8IAnfneNZUPc9mik8UIpk7p0NjPMc/w400-h300/Argiope%20submaronica%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An orbweb spider <i>Argiope submaronica, </i>at Tapirus Lodge. Although it's not very large, one<br />has been recorded at La Selva Research Station as capturing, wrapping and feeding on, <br />a Proboscis Bat (see below for some live and healthy ones).</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Grasshoppers and katydids are everywhere; here are a couple of unidentified ones we admired. </p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFwZvDxwg0G4GMjU9y8sRmgtsT_UQwTaDoryVqYYvJgM7oBR7f3nSEEeEaKx53Lz7ikhYsT-bjqPJQU-VNQI8JzsL4hr6IHH403fTjxrn7goRsfPIrZ3QOIwW-spj5AzDML5gyqJr7_G-yAi3Oh-KwRQbHk0UHkzrOQIqRnCzA_YrSf_8v-SiPDaDkyg/s800/grasshopper%20in%20rain%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFwZvDxwg0G4GMjU9y8sRmgtsT_UQwTaDoryVqYYvJgM7oBR7f3nSEEeEaKx53Lz7ikhYsT-bjqPJQU-VNQI8JzsL4hr6IHH403fTjxrn7goRsfPIrZ3QOIwW-spj5AzDML5gyqJr7_G-yAi3Oh-KwRQbHk0UHkzrOQIqRnCzA_YrSf_8v-SiPDaDkyg/w400-h300/grasshopper%20in%20rain%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the rain at Tapirus Lodge.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmm_2MXxVYKxB-oQ5JB_wTvdu2IuQqzTiaRTl349w9QYHvOXEZCH4lLxjHIK_QwUeg4qwTuaMjawwzAq57UbKHvpDVc87NttE1KcRZztgj4huk3IMWNuttE0vNEoVHj2YiIIHbmk0oIdISwoGE9d0Xfxy1vmwpEcURhmqWjomDsxBhS9Y2hGSiRJtGSs/s800/grasshopper2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmm_2MXxVYKxB-oQ5JB_wTvdu2IuQqzTiaRTl349w9QYHvOXEZCH4lLxjHIK_QwUeg4qwTuaMjawwzAq57UbKHvpDVc87NttE1KcRZztgj4huk3IMWNuttE0vNEoVHj2YiIIHbmk0oIdISwoGE9d0Xfxy1vmwpEcURhmqWjomDsxBhS9Y2hGSiRJtGSs/w400-h300/grasshopper2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large striking species that we saw on both visits, this one was in a large group<br />close to the sea at Tortuguera.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Beetles are a major part of any ecosystem, and here are three ranging from quite small to extremely large! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk_nwu0R4JT6oUXmLpP9zHm9MHx9ispkVEmX4jwBF4pYCXdCGbfvxX2GTuSBw9wV76CCZ83M-dYOkQNNSURT0HmkFfp4H6L0ThRrAfVk2ilUxUBf4Ja0eh7aAj0wP-QKDH1eB9SjpObAxPTQxtaN2cT_zQclG5vaR_SI2RzZ5PFJ9YbKkD626NZVlUN4/s800/chrysomelid%20on%20scope%20%20Bougainvillea%20Hotel%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk_nwu0R4JT6oUXmLpP9zHm9MHx9ispkVEmX4jwBF4pYCXdCGbfvxX2GTuSBw9wV76CCZ83M-dYOkQNNSURT0HmkFfp4H6L0ThRrAfVk2ilUxUBf4Ja0eh7aAj0wP-QKDH1eB9SjpObAxPTQxtaN2cT_zQclG5vaR_SI2RzZ5PFJ9YbKkD626NZVlUN4/w400-h300/chrysomelid%20on%20scope%20%20Bougainvillea%20Hotel%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautifully iridescent little chrysomelid (or leaf beetle) on a telescope at the Bougainvillea Hotel.<br />Perhaps it was trying to look bigger...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriuN33Gg8dr0O_HXx6p9bA1NfRmm3Id0wxQE82E_iKyZTdI0K1fEiEk7oMfEiytWQPR0407gl9GjdiDLUeZiREjpyYFHpLsOL2ar7k3B8p_Yvvo79W0stxnpBKp5f90cRnq1CMVTWBslSlV_Uc3y50kHyikk4Xz-CVNDe6W4GusMCa1xORjoDrdp0rcI/s800/Elephant%20Beetle%20Megasoma%20elephas2%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriuN33Gg8dr0O_HXx6p9bA1NfRmm3Id0wxQE82E_iKyZTdI0K1fEiEk7oMfEiytWQPR0407gl9GjdiDLUeZiREjpyYFHpLsOL2ar7k3B8p_Yvvo79W0stxnpBKp5f90cRnq1CMVTWBslSlV_Uc3y50kHyikk4Xz-CVNDe6W4GusMCa1xORjoDrdp0rcI/w400-h300/Elephant%20Beetle%20Megasoma%20elephas2%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Beetle <i>Megasoma elephas, </i>some 10cm long. Only the males have the extraordinary <br />'tusk', used for duelling with other males. This beauty and the next had been temporarily relocated <br />to the garden of the wildlife artist 'Cope' (see the previous <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/08/costa-rica-where-americas-meet-1.html">post</a>).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlS4mkqV05HRCKW1Sj8-v5wPToCYnbNe5eUrV9SU4VnZIWg17uSyxalo9hKwtsf0mDl_1JPO6bfj5j1PwIYNWKOYtq7cTL1LEtFVm3bSzKueY3J4bAf3-JrvZOq6S3a0diOuaa9uiTaubXZ7OjkqJn3AvOcwajCoyaleJb0epJC_59irXnQ7hr3Tm4t8/s800/Hercules%20Beetle%20Dynastes%20hercules%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlS4mkqV05HRCKW1Sj8-v5wPToCYnbNe5eUrV9SU4VnZIWg17uSyxalo9hKwtsf0mDl_1JPO6bfj5j1PwIYNWKOYtq7cTL1LEtFVm3bSzKueY3J4bAf3-JrvZOq6S3a0diOuaa9uiTaubXZ7OjkqJn3AvOcwajCoyaleJb0epJC_59irXnQ7hr3Tm4t8/w400-h300/Hercules%20Beetle%20Dynastes%20hercules%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hercules Beetle <i>Dynastes hercules</i>, an equally striking animal, one of the <br />rhinoceros beetles. A male can be up to 17cm long, though this one was a little less dramatic.<br />Another remarkable aspect of this beetle is that it can actually fly, one of the largest insects<br />to do so. Again only the males have the horn. The huge larvae play an important role<br />in breaking down fallen logs in the forest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7gIcPeKWCYw_yvsQRxv6xDlUqnes0sDs6zFasuZDQXkIjkful2E01EXdgq_PbqBXDPQHYdOji-zBUeEBV4aWBT59m8MWl9zKP5fXdiWP79D5DCyDeIjRZoXR0kDdxXPFqFUyEZCPAmpJj4tvXEsnHUzojaE63toIVNHSbYXtR97Kp90I7A9PbsHh1Gw/s800/Leafcutter%20Ants2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7gIcPeKWCYw_yvsQRxv6xDlUqnes0sDs6zFasuZDQXkIjkful2E01EXdgq_PbqBXDPQHYdOji-zBUeEBV4aWBT59m8MWl9zKP5fXdiWP79D5DCyDeIjRZoXR0kDdxXPFqFUyEZCPAmpJj4tvXEsnHUzojaE63toIVNHSbYXtR97Kp90I7A9PbsHh1Gw/w400-h300/Leafcutter%20Ants2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leafcutter ants are ubiquitous and fascinating (and hard to meaningfully photograph I've found).<br />This is part of a column, carrying leaves they've cut to the nest where they are used to <br />cultivate a fungus that the ants eat. Sometimes you can see ants hitching a ride on <br />the leaves - these are said to be guarding against parasitic wasps.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0BmyYxFZhR8G14IodycQIbOg6TqeIRskxjLmJSICD-NgYqJZSUwr-r5nS0clFgtySxpPkrkJ4MpPFkMuFP53vjjiJiXgHl5Vdw2p8kKxjVMTa8cpK23F89oE_llSrnOrL-Rnqm-lOeZ0ideLEA6e1JErqJaKKkqSYNdlxiSnvzzW2qnp9ObQg12wUj0/s800/leafcutter%20ant%20colony%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0BmyYxFZhR8G14IodycQIbOg6TqeIRskxjLmJSICD-NgYqJZSUwr-r5nS0clFgtySxpPkrkJ4MpPFkMuFP53vjjiJiXgHl5Vdw2p8kKxjVMTa8cpK23F89oE_llSrnOrL-Rnqm-lOeZ0ideLEA6e1JErqJaKKkqSYNdlxiSnvzzW2qnp9ObQg12wUj0/w400-h300/leafcutter%20ant%20colony%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the above-ground part of a leafcutter ant colony which may cover tens of square <br />metres which the ants keep clear of vegetation.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Tapirus Lodge maintains a large light trap - a large double-sided screen with lights to attract insects during the night. It's not clear if it's part of a study, or just to showcase the insects, many of which remain on the screen the next day; while there we daily examined this screen carefully, and found some great rewards. This cicada, and a couple of the moths below, are on this background.
<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO2iN7TBtEMzMkQqvUkgxIZvUc5ta2Nb4W7q_K1rhSrQh5xcORp7IGwF6wyfsjqoQ-m3tG5H31uAnO7KlImVTd_17HphLs0odGqN6JFykyWqg4ly_HqWG6-brT2lFp3Gk-aqwHdX8NQBr5gvQc51fbwCYPWEh_O5TddVpPecmvMlsBYcW167GB2MyYvg/s800/cicada%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxO2iN7TBtEMzMkQqvUkgxIZvUc5ta2Nb4W7q_K1rhSrQh5xcORp7IGwF6wyfsjqoQ-m3tG5H31uAnO7KlImVTd_17HphLs0odGqN6JFykyWqg4ly_HqWG6-brT2lFp3Gk-aqwHdX8NQBr5gvQc51fbwCYPWEh_O5TddVpPecmvMlsBYcW167GB2MyYvg/w400-h300/cicada%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't see this lovely cicada anywhere else, but they were probably high above our heads.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A couple of other invertebrates were quite unexpected.
<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyvzXX6EThux9cePtQoANgB_qTDjCYmX2e_nkL2MUTbHjLNDFD8GDzGYi9fQY9n05pka-NDQoKPxCv_ymMSOJAnIa3S6FgN3-buYhnfGF8ztIGqA2HTxkSGclqP2z7RA7hsux0_jz-H1ybzS6o_dUPds7pvF9uqx6zRLw03J3SyoHrcvSP98NYg1GNxw/s800/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion1%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyvzXX6EThux9cePtQoANgB_qTDjCYmX2e_nkL2MUTbHjLNDFD8GDzGYi9fQY9n05pka-NDQoKPxCv_ymMSOJAnIa3S6FgN3-buYhnfGF8ztIGqA2HTxkSGclqP2z7RA7hsux0_jz-H1ybzS6o_dUPds7pvF9uqx6zRLw03J3SyoHrcvSP98NYg1GNxw/w300-h400/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion1%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This amazing tailless whip-scorpion (Family Phrynidae) was in someone's room at Tortuguera. <br />She (the human occupant of the room) was admirably calm about it, and one of our number <br />was equally admirable in moving it to a tree trunk outside.They are arachnids but not scorpions <br />(or even true whip scorpions!). They have no sting or venom, but the jaws can puncture skin if <br />you do something silly (see next photo). They are nocturnal, hiding under bark or living in caves, <br />found throughout the world's tropics. This one was at least ten centimetres across. <br />They use the back six legs for walking, and the front two stretch forward as sensory organs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMlRt9vcxLmlHli0hkyvCSqIxByV-9mWQZy5n6W9onaizwdZRTpyDNDI3WB8LONrCeK2D0BNpU3Rnjk9uMfo3ANwLyDXgwRbUIe-iSURcTimKXpKyvWJyCK3tVKkvi28_CnsWiN90aTLTKJHn1oqVmIxzKIymQXg3H9NtNCJOLQVmkk96zXq4eFv2dvM/s800/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMlRt9vcxLmlHli0hkyvCSqIxByV-9mWQZy5n6W9onaizwdZRTpyDNDI3WB8LONrCeK2D0BNpU3Rnjk9uMfo3ANwLyDXgwRbUIe-iSURcTimKXpKyvWJyCK3tVKkvi28_CnsWiN90aTLTKJHn1oqVmIxzKIymQXg3H9NtNCJOLQVmkk96zXq4eFv2dvM/w400-h300/Tailless%20Whip%20Scorpion2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the scary jaws (or pedipalps).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmpXG1TjOX25fcP2SamhNZLpgnSrrFmPr_7BDwhUQGI423XBdolJFQhp9s5kkANl2axmjkGa6fIHegafutQOT5brYhRmP9NwY4STT5fYJqxoQWKpoJuoh8dGd8y0lumcFtyR3NE2d1D9u8Y7Uz5cHJ2J4AQ-DVdqTNpcgS5Gg9N6gtRtbrQnKcjtqBNI/s800/Land%20Crab1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmpXG1TjOX25fcP2SamhNZLpgnSrrFmPr_7BDwhUQGI423XBdolJFQhp9s5kkANl2axmjkGa6fIHegafutQOT5brYhRmP9NwY4STT5fYJqxoQWKpoJuoh8dGd8y0lumcFtyR3NE2d1D9u8Y7Uz5cHJ2J4AQ-DVdqTNpcgS5Gg9N6gtRtbrQnKcjtqBNI/w400-h300/Land%20Crab1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This land crab was encountered while walking on a forest track in the rain at Monteverde,<br />not what we expected a few hundred metres above sea level and far from the sea.<br />Unfortunately I can't find out anything about it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And I know that at least some of you have been waiting somewhat impatiently for the butterflies. Your wait is over. There were of course many, some of them even identifiable, in some cases with some help (thanks Steve!).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp4F92QTFlPLBBmr7CcKOz3gtn2Tv4iye14u5UyJEHDn0bI7D25sUvxq6Iyu_8oxyG5w-Wv7EzYozdeZsMCNfgwfxYjtHPFJXx3ym1K_isKqziQHIOIXFK70AttEbyCHk0okKk6xBmnWP_y_bKGzoauz2lh6ps-ebY7MVEiY_YJdnlhfWhkRV2oGWd1o/s800/Banded%20Peacocks%20conflict%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp4F92QTFlPLBBmr7CcKOz3gtn2Tv4iye14u5UyJEHDn0bI7D25sUvxq6Iyu_8oxyG5w-Wv7EzYozdeZsMCNfgwfxYjtHPFJXx3ym1K_isKqziQHIOIXFK70AttEbyCHk0okKk6xBmnWP_y_bKGzoauz2lh6ps-ebY7MVEiY_YJdnlhfWhkRV2oGWd1o/w400-h300/Banded%20Peacocks%20conflict%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banded Peacock <i>Anartia fatima</i> males duelling - or least the top one was, the bottom one<br />was just trying to mind his own business. The other was performing aerobatics to <br />intimidate - while it's not obvious, in the photo he was in the midst of a full reverse<br />loop in the air! I'm sure there is information on this behaviour available, but <br />I can't find it. (And it's possible the male was trying to impress a female,<br />but again I can't find any information to support this.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> And for the record, here's what the same Banded Peacock looks like from above. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINU5ffdWSDiVSAeJWTrT2jbQ3clGgYiy-beLkP8YQ4sK_I6DIU4x3WyUOl0-rShtGdLn4SZwMBnqUN3MKEMsNSfzWSwJvph9JiQgdtmioerAZZHrZ6SBmVIFrc4P124YyDx5QDHRB9cVDe6FX5EOnAg3f10rpzyuag5ogPLZfuC9xMBYtAp8o6YR_OlY/s800/Banded%20Peacock2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINU5ffdWSDiVSAeJWTrT2jbQ3clGgYiy-beLkP8YQ4sK_I6DIU4x3WyUOl0-rShtGdLn4SZwMBnqUN3MKEMsNSfzWSwJvph9JiQgdtmioerAZZHrZ6SBmVIFrc4P124YyDx5QDHRB9cVDe6FX5EOnAg3f10rpzyuag5ogPLZfuC9xMBYtAp8o6YR_OlY/w400-h300/Banded%20Peacock2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU2YXBL94K_FD9Uoxc1MlVbojUm4fS1PgvgLrWuKyNyY70K3xStyRDqrj0AlqMCWi2I_JMpzz-B-VovR0kWLuHGmXmZFcyKGGgwsjC8yU8QmBwz_mbVDKZ34wGCVQOUZcnkdQ4pooN5eeOuoDFrA4V_A_7Ha2-MJApYazqTVnxIwXmYeE49ptfuyPd9o/s800/White%20Peacock4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU2YXBL94K_FD9Uoxc1MlVbojUm4fS1PgvgLrWuKyNyY70K3xStyRDqrj0AlqMCWi2I_JMpzz-B-VovR0kWLuHGmXmZFcyKGGgwsjC8yU8QmBwz_mbVDKZ34wGCVQOUZcnkdQ4pooN5eeOuoDFrA4V_A_7Ha2-MJApYazqTVnxIwXmYeE49ptfuyPd9o/w400-h300/White%20Peacock4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Peacock <i>Anartia jatrophae </i>in the same garden at Turtle Lodge in Tortuguera<br />as the Banded Peacocks above.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz-zmyMTobNMCxgEFIwEfljqmtml0xArg6rGgpJNivB4cX0rLKIBV3UDsbZoLMqUtGKPkvfFiV_N4H0BwwsQBjjeNlhzgtFSTpfD8-zQHjjot1a6LvONEKX_1y6ukXptEcGuEMk4WNTxfeji-V7Lpu9fvd4yQ9mhEZMvHTT_321UH32Rrr2LObgKPeKQ/s800/Eueides%20isabella%20Cerro%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz-zmyMTobNMCxgEFIwEfljqmtml0xArg6rGgpJNivB4cX0rLKIBV3UDsbZoLMqUtGKPkvfFiV_N4H0BwwsQBjjeNlhzgtFSTpfD8-zQHjjot1a6LvONEKX_1y6ukXptEcGuEMk4WNTxfeji-V7Lpu9fvd4yQ9mhEZMvHTT_321UH32Rrr2LObgKPeKQ/w400-h300/Eueides%20isabella%20Cerro%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella's Longwing <i>Eueides isabella, </i>Cerro Lodge near the Pacific central coast.<br />It is found throughout Central America, tropical South America and the Caribbean.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94oJ-T8wf7mN_JiGu6Du6nUGiw_CB0OfqgXnP-khLEhZ93TMht9V88FFXplWAQKRl4pi6T415Yhoxx5RQHPT0nCnDAXnrahRjoFenwAlCPjQfsyFlZoQZwiuBCop6aiMXhlAl-VJUjz964WY7GexJx7J9dUpaJszR-sVQtBNTruymmx_GfxiucHO8kJg/s800/Crimson-patched%20Longwing%20Heliconius%20erato2%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94oJ-T8wf7mN_JiGu6Du6nUGiw_CB0OfqgXnP-khLEhZ93TMht9V88FFXplWAQKRl4pi6T415Yhoxx5RQHPT0nCnDAXnrahRjoFenwAlCPjQfsyFlZoQZwiuBCop6aiMXhlAl-VJUjz964WY7GexJx7J9dUpaJszR-sVQtBNTruymmx_GfxiucHO8kJg/w400-h300/Crimson-patched%20Longwing%20Heliconius%20erato2%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson-patched Longwing <i>Heliconius erato</i>, Caño Negro, far north.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPHWe-1z3m5nAMFea_HVHUYZuXvoX1jQeti62Is4BEpEoeQTiXR0TxqRdEZysxrxI5IERMBG_RMqGl-DEUdDeI0Oyqkv3nNl2QLsaxnJJ-Ft6VJI_-8_xph9PtRfRiV3ge5BsJKmg-WiA0xJES9LpKkk77ToOaidRV_rD7mMelW7YL8sbXMR3pr9TaB4/s800/owl%20butterfly%20Bogarin's%20Feeders%20La%20Fortuna%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPHWe-1z3m5nAMFea_HVHUYZuXvoX1jQeti62Is4BEpEoeQTiXR0TxqRdEZysxrxI5IERMBG_RMqGl-DEUdDeI0Oyqkv3nNl2QLsaxnJJ-Ft6VJI_-8_xph9PtRfRiV3ge5BsJKmg-WiA0xJES9LpKkk77ToOaidRV_rD7mMelW7YL8sbXMR3pr9TaB4/w400-h300/owl%20butterfly%20Bogarin's%20Feeders%20La%20Fortuna%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owl Butterfly <i>Caligo </i>sp., La Fortuna, one of a genus of large slow butterflies<br />found throughout the Neotropics. The 'eyes' are supposed to resemble those of owls.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The remaining four, all moths, were resting on or near the Tapirus Lodge light traps; I can only put a name on the first of them.
<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vi2SwBzvybfMPdlNnuwWkfZNdom986MEPetclH4w1merpujXP196b2MIJ7rh1QUCBiB8gxmz9513DR1j6_gjXZDfenyZgRSExTDIMuGAol5jtkXCyMcNIQn0qJ-cYVgbQxN74Z5Ob089FrvM9zaov_Sx4up3dLcXeqQqnc_H6vV30WyGQw7ORbo6FWg/s800/Rothschildia%20triloba2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vi2SwBzvybfMPdlNnuwWkfZNdom986MEPetclH4w1merpujXP196b2MIJ7rh1QUCBiB8gxmz9513DR1j6_gjXZDfenyZgRSExTDIMuGAol5jtkXCyMcNIQn0qJ-cYVgbQxN74Z5Ob089FrvM9zaov_Sx4up3dLcXeqQqnc_H6vV30WyGQw7ORbo6FWg/w400-h300/Rothschildia%20triloba2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orizaba Silkmoth <i>Rothschildia orizaba. </i>This magnificent moth is huge, up to 18cm<br />across. The four transparent 'window panes' in the wing give rise to its Spanish name, Cuatro Ventanas. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The remaining three must remain anonymous, unless you can help me. They were chosen from many I could have used from the photos I took at the light trap.
<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxRCwzYlZ6ZrpmZCI_7xEmoRz-Zk9CWctmgJ6K1gqDrrK1hjeK6EAaRbjT-sJlvgOou0SRCdeaJfLe5_yuTipOFCKM-6F5ArKTBy4nyX1P1nJVsuPwK9fL_dE766YCKZxtSLZccbn9MVaS6tHugVm9y9dFV99v1bmIKGUFwbC63-P2lhmAKufk_bkfBQ/s800/moth2%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxRCwzYlZ6ZrpmZCI_7xEmoRz-Zk9CWctmgJ6K1gqDrrK1hjeK6EAaRbjT-sJlvgOou0SRCdeaJfLe5_yuTipOFCKM-6F5ArKTBy4nyX1P1nJVsuPwK9fL_dE766YCKZxtSLZccbn9MVaS6tHugVm9y9dFV99v1bmIKGUFwbC63-P2lhmAKufk_bkfBQ/w400-h300/moth2%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qybT92JV2uCZNr4pqVFokismvqkEgv67AIA3__cW66ZpChjUo4BIIqRlzEhrSCo1OE9Tp0kDvxq_XeclaE2gHR3L5kamGmGN3Y77NGWPOYIXEAZkgE7uk4CwMiD6wU8bp8uGjZNLTyleQYPpvOBHekLZ6opIkTwHIEqPCvCt7DPWWP4yiGf6EAQb56E/s800/moth6%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qybT92JV2uCZNr4pqVFokismvqkEgv67AIA3__cW66ZpChjUo4BIIqRlzEhrSCo1OE9Tp0kDvxq_XeclaE2gHR3L5kamGmGN3Y77NGWPOYIXEAZkgE7uk4CwMiD6wU8bp8uGjZNLTyleQYPpvOBHekLZ6opIkTwHIEqPCvCt7DPWWP4yiGf6EAQb56E/w400-h300/moth6%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmC1jsekhLUMfWkcohrK22GBhFxotA-7fsJqNcSNFJly5z4RA2ifjtMZf2-zrmPGuUDzHOyG7pwZP4v6DU1cPoebsXY-M0VOQibWSWkhFkG0NknVE_0G6J4CTUGFUbloy9cOmMLKPePP4OhoN4FEtO-df1fjRr42qbvZK9jwI4BCpkBvcIcAFl5lapM0/s800/moth12%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmC1jsekhLUMfWkcohrK22GBhFxotA-7fsJqNcSNFJly5z4RA2ifjtMZf2-zrmPGuUDzHOyG7pwZP4v6DU1cPoebsXY-M0VOQibWSWkhFkG0NknVE_0G6J4CTUGFUbloy9cOmMLKPePP4OhoN4FEtO-df1fjRr42qbvZK9jwI4BCpkBvcIcAFl5lapM0/w400-h300/moth12%20on%20trap%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacock Moth <i>Automeris io, </i>which is found across much of North America.<br />(Thanks Fanny!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And, with something of a leap, that brings us to some mammals. Costa Rica has a rich mammal fauna - as with all animal groups there it seems - but of course most are nocturnal and many are hard to find, especially with a group. What follows however is a fairly good array of species, especially for a very small country.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sloths, along with armadillos and anteaters, are the only surviving old South Americans, whose ancestors long predated the coming of the invaders from the north which now dominate in South America. You can read more on this in the <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/08/costa-rica-where-americas-meet-1.html">first post </a>in this series, but it means that they get top billing here! Moreover Costa Rica sometimes seems awash with sloths - they are a major tourist attraction and there are some unsavoury stories of tourist facilities moving sloths to their property to attract customers. I have read too that there is said to be a greater biomass of three-toed sloths in Costa Rica than of any other (non-human) mammal. There are two species of sloth in Costa Rica, each belonging to an entirely different family - in fact their last common ancestor (a ground-dwelling animal) lived some 28 million years ago, so they are not closely related, despite looking very similar. Their lifestyle has led to an impressive example of parallel evolution.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHY3x-pt6CDezF9YQ9lT4qKZSA-nxFrRjCd7JnBDH8jLsLsZtPdVfxw0Huf2JCw0-H00v0yOE2V48EzVQPCSYewk276k6i0-y0qEDZQIhkVT57N1gbeun2pdiQdx9ysqg0U-SY5ZJVlg-_4NaAay5ra2fyD3CMtMcER9spmHsqcZxZstmwOs41H-iZeY/s800/Three-toed%20Sloth3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHY3x-pt6CDezF9YQ9lT4qKZSA-nxFrRjCd7JnBDH8jLsLsZtPdVfxw0Huf2JCw0-H00v0yOE2V48EzVQPCSYewk276k6i0-y0qEDZQIhkVT57N1gbeun2pdiQdx9ysqg0U-SY5ZJVlg-_4NaAay5ra2fyD3CMtMcER9spmHsqcZxZstmwOs41H-iZeY/w400-h300/Three-toed%20Sloth3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth <i>Bradypus variegatus, </i>at Tapirus Lodge. And they do seem<br />to spend a lot of time scratching! All sloths have three toes on their hind feet, and this family<br />is named for its front feet (look at its 'hand' on the branch). Famously they come down<br />to the foot of the tree to defecate about once a week - and I've still not read a <br />plausible explanation for this. However a <a href="https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/3438">recent publication</a>, which is also<br />unimpressed by all other explanations, suggests it is merely that this is what<br />their ground-living ancestors did, and there's not been enough selection pressure <br />(ie from predation during the process) to change the habit.. Hmm.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih42LWAHkt4RMEUE_cufHUfi9l6g4zZCJ0GPJXxNU8EtL3D_lJZMwdFHiQ7vh28qQ6e4FB_qtgDQp6tWy82_RZfEgQjIlLyrDnx7lwQ5nBduHlSWNez9t8635jbrg_D-bNs0pZNvbX_tfcaVLes6Om_mFgej9SjAxOxcgvEIvGHYmbjOvfPqPrOsBGqLY/s800/Two-toed%20Sloth1%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih42LWAHkt4RMEUE_cufHUfi9l6g4zZCJ0GPJXxNU8EtL3D_lJZMwdFHiQ7vh28qQ6e4FB_qtgDQp6tWy82_RZfEgQjIlLyrDnx7lwQ5nBduHlSWNez9t8635jbrg_D-bNs0pZNvbX_tfcaVLes6Om_mFgej9SjAxOxcgvEIvGHYmbjOvfPqPrOsBGqLY/w400-h300/Two-toed%20Sloth1%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth <i>Choloepus hoffmanni</i>, La Selva Research Station.<br />They are supposed to be fairly common but this is the only one we saw, <br />and at night. Not a great photo but I chose it because it shows the <br />two front claws quite clearly. It also has no tail, while the three-toeds<br />have a short one.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And in a somewhat bizarre aside, the mighty <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/science/genetics-dna-mammals.html">Zoonomia Project</a>, coordinated by university laboratories around the world, recently compared the complete genomes (an extraordinary concept) of 240 mammal species around the world. One aspect was comparing the number of olfactory receptor genes, a pretty good indicator of the sensitivity of a mammal's ability to smell. Not many people, I suspect, would have bet on Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth to come in third in this 'competition' (behind only the African Elephant and the Nine-banded Armadillo). Another Costa Rican came in fourth - read on!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tapirs evolved in North America, but became extinct there after spreading to South America and Asia. There are three species in the Americas, but only one in Central America. This is Baird's Tapir<i> Tapirus bairdii, </i>which is found throughout Central America and just enters South America in north-western Colombia. It is the biggest of the American tapirs and is found from mangroves to cloud forests. At Tapirus Lodge - appropriately - a family has become used to visiting the lodge for kitchen scraps, though they are totally wild animals and come and go unpredictably.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmPBsk_KYLD9sWb6qcSWSsKk0-dcGd0RqIr0CQKG3KAIQOBX-0OnW9F6uyBXdZ20biwesC0fmOccZ0o0sb3XijhTAk4YP_zN5YvArVMYd7085ci1eBOd5GTd2d2PhaORHZ3GkACKEumrtCnxkZwwcenIea-UqG4lfG_ro02auPYuydj2CVs6QbHISbeY/s800/Baird's%20Tapir4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmPBsk_KYLD9sWb6qcSWSsKk0-dcGd0RqIr0CQKG3KAIQOBX-0OnW9F6uyBXdZ20biwesC0fmOccZ0o0sb3XijhTAk4YP_zN5YvArVMYd7085ci1eBOd5GTd2d2PhaORHZ3GkACKEumrtCnxkZwwcenIea-UqG4lfG_ro02auPYuydj2CVs6QbHISbeY/w400-h300/Baird's%20Tapir4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird's Tapir on a walking track at Tapirus Lodge. The typical tapir proboscis,<br />a soft, flexible snout for grasping food and smelling the air, shows well here.<br />This is a big animal, weighing up to 300kg.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Everyone wants to see monkeys in the Neotropics of course and Costa Rica has plenty, though only four species. Three of these are fairly easy to see, but the Red-backed Squirrel Monkey occurs only in two national parks on the Pacific Coast, and unfortunately we didn't see them. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyjkzVrVrWKSbzugnEXU8b4NUGUtxB9qhfWTm5RZKeNxtqgct7eZaYN36wnnOruQBvCBv7SAG5Egakh0bc1_dh1cfUNIKfJgsYjT1YV3p3tp97hBIeoC0cBa1VtEurN8ww4QiF0oDxf6vnNiCThZJVaXcQjSGeptWfh0VQxeFEn3SC7CWlVF35el1hlA/s800/Central%20American%20Spider%20Monkey3%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyjkzVrVrWKSbzugnEXU8b4NUGUtxB9qhfWTm5RZKeNxtqgct7eZaYN36wnnOruQBvCBv7SAG5Egakh0bc1_dh1cfUNIKfJgsYjT1YV3p3tp97hBIeoC0cBa1VtEurN8ww4QiF0oDxf6vnNiCThZJVaXcQjSGeptWfh0VQxeFEn3SC7CWlVF35el1hlA/w300-h400/Central%20American%20Spider%20Monkey3%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central American (or Geoffroy's) Spider Monkey <i>Ateles geoffroyi </i>in the lodge garden<br />at Caño Negro in the far north, though we saw them in several places. Though spindly<br />with seemingly impossibly long slender limbs and tail, it is regarded as one of the<br />largest American monkeys, weighing up to 9kg (though this is a young one). Small <br />groups forage for fruit during the day, and come together for the night roost.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXTibeasJJWuaCZ72Kn8u6ZiNQ8XdToB1YWMW-54eNjhXPkdVZKmKAOQe0wbkYBUE2JcIPRG3hi5T_0u7exx4A8RNYsRE2MEsvqM0Tp9dz1WBWDtwerbWZaeC447m88_lRNwOV8w9q4WzvG90SY3j-BPffPAlXTQiOk4gB3ihWiPLY5uNWFYwwkS6kZ4/s800/Mantled%20Howler%20female%20and%20baby4%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXTibeasJJWuaCZ72Kn8u6ZiNQ8XdToB1YWMW-54eNjhXPkdVZKmKAOQe0wbkYBUE2JcIPRG3hi5T_0u7exx4A8RNYsRE2MEsvqM0Tp9dz1WBWDtwerbWZaeC447m88_lRNwOV8w9q4WzvG90SY3j-BPffPAlXTQiOk4gB3ihWiPLY5uNWFYwwkS6kZ4/w400-h300/Mantled%20Howler%20female%20and%20baby4%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This unusual photo of a mother and baby Mantled Howler Monkey <i>Alouatta palliata</i> was <br />made possible by the series of suspension bridges above deep rainforest gullies on the<br />walking tracks at Selvatura Park at Monteverde. This big monkey is found throughout<br />Central America and down the north-west coast of South America to Ecuador, living<br />in quite large groups and living primarily on leaves. These are a very low energy <br />food source, though of course there are plenty of them! To me the rushing roar of<br />the male howler monkey is one of <i>the </i>sounds of the tropical American forests,<br />and it can be heard kilometres away.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeFCOS9rSqrWj2JS1QT4mh44kOfwgGUchVTXjOoq3y-VhcV1G44xs2tiqB41OtIGPFB6YKriLXvFb7D8CzPoyOunyB0yE48wYC-I972FWt304lDuo3Duw3cXM8yY4wRHfLFGzQB2JXazvtCMkk_qH3Y5AghfgItHiXCGAize6mbWt8_R1VCrgaI_LENg/s800/White-faced%20Capuchin3%20Cerro%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeFCOS9rSqrWj2JS1QT4mh44kOfwgGUchVTXjOoq3y-VhcV1G44xs2tiqB41OtIGPFB6YKriLXvFb7D8CzPoyOunyB0yE48wYC-I972FWt304lDuo3Duw3cXM8yY4wRHfLFGzQB2JXazvtCMkk_qH3Y5AghfgItHiXCGAize6mbWt8_R1VCrgaI_LENg/w400-h300/White-faced%20Capuchin3%20Cerro%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-faced Capuchin <i>Cebus capucinus</i>, at Cerro Lodge on the middle Pacific Coast, though<br />it occurs throughout the country. A fairly small monkey, it travels in groups and eats almost<br />anything, from fruit and flowers to insects and small lizards. Local guides (especially bird guides)<br />are likely to describe them as 'bad monkeys' as they actively hunt bird nests, and many breeding <br />attempts fail due to them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Microbats (ie the small insect-hunters, not the big fruit bats) are rarely easy to see but two Costa Rican species often roost during the day in conspicuous sites, in groups of one male and a 'harem' of females, and in very distinctive postures. Both are less than 5cm long.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeqCEX9uelte6lInHMiz8Mrh0LtiwzvKWP07tTROMnn9rS0MzBZYrEfYyjWGRV9ZgwhbgpiOO4Fc3YUzmfFMsXUwwZil9QLy75EHzkWwjAi6kr-AfUNbrTHuK_ehNQaAFDYDjYosx1KtqEJn-Av2O7s4xaF0QPFDA4_ItOUHh4WqYRpV68JCD_JRZDT0/s800/Greater%20White-lined%20Bats1%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeqCEX9uelte6lInHMiz8Mrh0LtiwzvKWP07tTROMnn9rS0MzBZYrEfYyjWGRV9ZgwhbgpiOO4Fc3YUzmfFMsXUwwZil9QLy75EHzkWwjAi6kr-AfUNbrTHuK_ehNQaAFDYDjYosx1KtqEJn-Av2O7s4xaF0QPFDA4_ItOUHh4WqYRpV68JCD_JRZDT0/w400-h300/Greater%20White-lined%20Bats1%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater White-lined Bats <i>Saccopteryx bilineata</i> in an alcove behind the fridge in <br />the open-walled restaurant at Esquinas Lodge in the far south rainforests. Their<br />'normal' site would be a hollow tree or between tree buttresses. This is their <br />characteristic pose, upside down with raised head and propped on their forearms.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK9_rtF2rXkozcH7-6354C_W56TVfj9DaGSTszttpuRTtmLvIzTsxprxhlHMrSTAtcZn7f-3DT_bXpHOnun8EHOH8LISy-4Opje7zIb7NgW_Z5U3ciVY0FCoRnKOuGsMKqrFmaumD0aRaVW9GNubAiWaeiBLMXETIe1_4rRBoWeD8VGAeMhRToN0D0x8/s800/Proboscis%20Bats2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK9_rtF2rXkozcH7-6354C_W56TVfj9DaGSTszttpuRTtmLvIzTsxprxhlHMrSTAtcZn7f-3DT_bXpHOnun8EHOH8LISy-4Opje7zIb7NgW_Z5U3ciVY0FCoRnKOuGsMKqrFmaumD0aRaVW9GNubAiWaeiBLMXETIe1_4rRBoWeD8VGAeMhRToN0D0x8/w400-h300/Proboscis%20Bats2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proboscis Bats <i>Rhynchonycteris naso</i> along a coastal waterway at Tortuguero on the<br />Caribbean coast. This 'lined-up' roosting formation is characteristic. Their pointy noses<br />can also be seen here. They are always near water and usually roost on tree trunks<br />above it. Below is a (somewhat muddy) close-up of the same species.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkSf3IJCrVlTZy5dFTRh83oTdL8xpJSFH7LmSKCumULp0Up4PdPdyBE9TJRYU4fag0LlLErh7MyXN9359j_v9M1SZsXKaYyg_eL9c-5f83wOVuXJbkECKLlCHU6Eu_E_WbMGgbdFcwLhA5aI8-8fHA0gPOxaCx5Lbw_Nj9hTwVsSYF3U8fbKdSUfhw64/s800/Long-nosed%20Bats3%20Napo%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkSf3IJCrVlTZy5dFTRh83oTdL8xpJSFH7LmSKCumULp0Up4PdPdyBE9TJRYU4fag0LlLErh7MyXN9359j_v9M1SZsXKaYyg_eL9c-5f83wOVuXJbkECKLlCHU6Eu_E_WbMGgbdFcwLhA5aI8-8fHA0gPOxaCx5Lbw_Nj9hTwVsSYF3U8fbKdSUfhw64/w300-h400/Long-nosed%20Bats3%20Napo%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201113.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Carnivores aren't so easy to photograph in general, but you can get lucky. One usually fairly up-front carnivore is a coati - there are four species in the Neotropics, two of which are widespread and pretty conspicuous. They are in the same family as raccoons and some less familiar carnivores such as kinkajous. The South American Coati <i>Nasua nasua </i>is found throughout much of the continent and when fed can be a pest and a dangerous one; the ones at Iguazu Falls are notorious, though it's obviously not their fault. The White-nosed Coati <i>N. narica</i> takes its place in Central America; while I don't doubt that they could also be a bit of a problem around lodges and tourist attractions, we didn't see any evidence of it so presumably most tourists here are better educated and behaved. Unlike many carnivores they are diurnal, so we are more likely to encounter them.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzaiowBDBzpg2lo0tn50Zdcbi1nKrvbKXTCAjyXraR3FZ5llaIdLcvaO2XmCFq6Qo1Yj0oGr7JyRO0lpzxzzN9IDQr1p_FDxKkwQg7IcP8WplOsHrDtchqrHt7U4Ko-aanjCjlsX159tfC3JN_Xt50mZj9YDlpk5O3D0oxFh40sfrqFId1A23CuCGNtk/s800/White-nosed%20Coati%20baby%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzaiowBDBzpg2lo0tn50Zdcbi1nKrvbKXTCAjyXraR3FZ5llaIdLcvaO2XmCFq6Qo1Yj0oGr7JyRO0lpzxzzN9IDQr1p_FDxKkwQg7IcP8WplOsHrDtchqrHt7U4Ko-aanjCjlsX159tfC3JN_Xt50mZj9YDlpk5O3D0oxFh40sfrqFId1A23CuCGNtk/w400-h300/White-nosed%20Coati%20baby%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby White-nosed Coati, part of a big group at Tapirus Lodge. These groups comprise <br />females and youngsters. Though I've referred to them as carnivores and they certainly hunt, <br />both on the ground and in trees for pretty much anything they can catch, they are <br />really omnivores, with fruit also being an important part of the diet. <br />Their erect waving tails often give them away!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgfWpbSlqgbccrBV2kLKA38yWU8LdhMTgpB2MS1M6k0yqEXlQWUwLnpPeJnYukqK6TDR8Z5Z6rbEuNsuzaDeOm_wUS2BPjKWsq_HU5XrK8o45f9Exvk5alz-PDaP-An0G19uW8cpSKaogT3yKfa5hbc7bN2KX02UywceYV1UlzyPQFtAJ6h-FgdNsiVY/s800/White-nosed%20Coati1%20Volcan%20Arenal%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgfWpbSlqgbccrBV2kLKA38yWU8LdhMTgpB2MS1M6k0yqEXlQWUwLnpPeJnYukqK6TDR8Z5Z6rbEuNsuzaDeOm_wUS2BPjKWsq_HU5XrK8o45f9Exvk5alz-PDaP-An0G19uW8cpSKaogT3yKfa5hbc7bN2KX02UywceYV1UlzyPQFtAJ6h-FgdNsiVY/w400-h300/White-nosed%20Coati1%20Volcan%20Arenal%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Males on the other hand are solitary, except during courtship. This one was<br />typically on his own in the forest at Volcan Arenal.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next one on the other hand required a lot more luck. We were
returning by boat from Tortuguero (the only way to get there) and on
rounding a bend came on this lovely Neotropical River Otter which had
just emerged from the water with its catfish lunch. This otter has a huge range, from Mexico to Uruguay, but is threatened throughout that range, though for the most part there is insufficient knowledge about it to be sure just how much trouble it's in. It's certainly rare almost everywhere and we were very fortunate indeed. I've only seen three others, in Peru and Brazil, and they were quite fleeting and distant encounters.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv80-Y4QLlK66eM76Aq6uKjl3hCblmxr5oNQxph2qiZ_krHrI8TtN3ZD48oYiz49eJceYKAJBeoTm0S80m4FPw7iw5s3gSbgCP5Jyq4HMPbqsmd3K0h-Z8YACMrcGvxDlfx_jmE7kJvbysgAwHbc5h4abYv5HCAYEnrKtJyQX4vXLMLVluQyCsdRrVqCg/s1000/Neotropical%20River%20Otter4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv80-Y4QLlK66eM76Aq6uKjl3hCblmxr5oNQxph2qiZ_krHrI8TtN3ZD48oYiz49eJceYKAJBeoTm0S80m4FPw7iw5s3gSbgCP5Jyq4HMPbqsmd3K0h-Z8YACMrcGvxDlfx_jmE7kJvbysgAwHbc5h4abYv5HCAYEnrKtJyQX4vXLMLVluQyCsdRrVqCg/w640-h224/Neotropical%20River%20Otter4%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neotropical River Otter<i> Lontra longicaudis</i> on the Rio Suerte (ie 'Lucky River', and it was for us!)<br /> A rare and special viewing. They can sometimes be up to 1.5m long and weigh up to 15kg,<br /> though that's unusual; still, it's a big animal.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And finally rodents. The most commonly encountered in Costa Rica are agoutis and squirrels, but somehow I failed to get a decent picture of the big, busy Central American Agouti <i>Dasyprocta punctata</i>. However to give you an idea, I'm going to inflict a decidedly below-par photo of one on you,with apologies. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR1-SOyn8w3Tqd1krw2CbG3J54gz4fxqF_U-4MFreQ7hqE99D7GmNWEAr7IfAY9Txo87UJgpmoFOYvVVKDnPP5oZ4cho37HmwFawQ7BdEE9G_CrtY6tw0mChKJTvID-79I8cuUdjJLKHAeNMT2QeWI1XgShBeEP1BItCIzVkF26vAjRtoL3FtbSlMRow/s800/Central%20American%20Agouti%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR1-SOyn8w3Tqd1krw2CbG3J54gz4fxqF_U-4MFreQ7hqE99D7GmNWEAr7IfAY9Txo87UJgpmoFOYvVVKDnPP5oZ4cho37HmwFawQ7BdEE9G_CrtY6tw0mChKJTvID-79I8cuUdjJLKHAeNMT2QeWI1XgShBeEP1BItCIzVkF26vAjRtoL3FtbSlMRow/w400-h300/Central%20American%20Agouti%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central American Agouti foraging in the early morning at Esquinas Lodge.<br />They never seem to stand still! And it was this agouti which the Zoonomia project<br />ranked fourth in keenness of smell of the 240 mammals tested. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agoutis are old South Americans, though not one of the originals like the sloths. Their ancestors, like the monkeys, arrived by rafting across the Atlantic from Africa. In the case of the rodents this happened some 45 million years ago (the monkeys arrived about 10 million years later).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Squirrels, which arrived recently from North America, weren't so difficult to find, to say the least. We saw three species, but one predominated - and if you didn't do your homework you'd be likely to think you were seeing several species! It's called the Variegated Squirrel <i>Sciurus variegatoides</i> for good reason. The next four photos were of this lovely big squirrel, which occurs throughout the country.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVHNgYhyphenhyphensim9wBMDVugFqS0HKU218qE4LOB9_7MUHBvGLdZ100RZl-nJih679Vy5C0yVCNTWZInkwy4uID6BMnKP9E-_gSagbeTtsSZQ5jAsM1vJO-DyUwR1OQByZA4O816KukTB_jYgsoFsSgDdHoDDQo6pPvhL8EDkUi8utuzWwX8Nyop9wjVT6Jew/s800/Variegated%20Squirre4%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVHNgYhyphenhyphensim9wBMDVugFqS0HKU218qE4LOB9_7MUHBvGLdZ100RZl-nJih679Vy5C0yVCNTWZInkwy4uID6BMnKP9E-_gSagbeTtsSZQ5jAsM1vJO-DyUwR1OQByZA4O816KukTB_jYgsoFsSgDdHoDDQo6pPvhL8EDkUi8utuzWwX8Nyop9wjVT6Jew/w400-h300/Variegated%20Squirre4%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Rincon de la Vieja, in the dry forests of the far north-west.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbd5BI66zmpaHpgjUduAhM1x05bUZlbhuGJvLYiOz18fp_750lOtEJs1e6hiskPojO3XucVx9SyeET20wa7CMVP1F9HIlIYBCVY1BCPMnjJJsFEhCttHzjnC5tXDIADnv0aRl4Ktay0MxrEjpLvDqSNBV5mIH162-V5qSACrmhP6qQt3hc7f0dWrTYVvE/s800/Variegated%20Squirrel2%20Arenal%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbd5BI66zmpaHpgjUduAhM1x05bUZlbhuGJvLYiOz18fp_750lOtEJs1e6hiskPojO3XucVx9SyeET20wa7CMVP1F9HIlIYBCVY1BCPMnjJJsFEhCttHzjnC5tXDIADnv0aRl4Ktay0MxrEjpLvDqSNBV5mIH162-V5qSACrmhP6qQt3hc7f0dWrTYVvE/w300-h400/Variegated%20Squirrel2%20Arenal%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Arenal Lodge, in the ranges of the central north-west - it's all-black.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJN5alZVecbF1LdwolkQjkBi55oDkl1noXx3TYpquk7tTDgNtOzzCadbJrms0owMy96odrRo50Ke7cKnbllPWPFzGXh1xLKjxFh-3neHb4AKlfSfPmbH5_U6UnXQfXHykXFaBXGg9b7mY1KuyYPAewfUy6OcAcnrdhgDWmJYozPCHElfe3wBBDEin_o/s800/Variegated%20Squirrel4%20Arenal%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJN5alZVecbF1LdwolkQjkBi55oDkl1noXx3TYpquk7tTDgNtOzzCadbJrms0owMy96odrRo50Ke7cKnbllPWPFzGXh1xLKjxFh-3neHb4AKlfSfPmbH5_U6UnXQfXHykXFaBXGg9b7mY1KuyYPAewfUy6OcAcnrdhgDWmJYozPCHElfe3wBBDEin_o/w400-h300/Variegated%20Squirrel4%20Arenal%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also at Arenal Lodge; oddly I can find no mention of the races interbreeding<br />but, if they're coexisting as the same species, surely they must be.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQYWH1T_cGnAOmqU9MXX_HauPBEE8vLLIusDtAZIv12RSpMGByBb1Q58UzzcmWjhooTaGAgAEIG8KrKJJzEIju44GRxdQG-KaUKrQszz8Zsad8-R3YAhtdI_5CD27Lo9KFku9nWxOfHtwLbJtI4aIbecD7K94Ny_JHxJixtCqOg_qHKkfxdbUT_YJrO8/s800/Variegated%20Squirrel2%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQYWH1T_cGnAOmqU9MXX_HauPBEE8vLLIusDtAZIv12RSpMGByBb1Q58UzzcmWjhooTaGAgAEIG8KrKJJzEIju44GRxdQG-KaUKrQszz8Zsad8-R3YAhtdI_5CD27Lo9KFku9nWxOfHtwLbJtI4aIbecD7K94Ny_JHxJixtCqOg_qHKkfxdbUT_YJrO8/w400-h300/Variegated%20Squirrel2%20Cope's%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At artist Cope's garden in the central mountains.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, probably my mammal highlight of the trip (though the otter was a strong competitor!). In 16 visits to South and Central America, always with skilled naturalist guides, I'd never seen a porcupine. This finally changed, within a few metres of our lunch tables at Turtle Lodge by the Caribbean at Tortuguero. It wan't easy to see to start with, but after that there was no trouble relocating it - it seemingly never moved during the three days we were there, though it must have gone foraging at night. Though their ancestors came from Africa (probably the same ancestor as the agoutis'), it wasn't the same as the African porcupines' ancestor, and they are only distantly related.<br /></div></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDK6KQxTGX1HjKz9Ajm4bKevtf9NioJWcRH28YhSGAUAUWeJUgJS3JOJh1EVVlgK-yWUtyB-GiSTocVdKZZNb0h3SJJE65yVhwX1znPcWdAyO7r-poVEmisBAby_dKbPvaJBlrXIuNNT0a9Dc2eMuKjNDBvRigss37O6bA0mdSC0UMydVoCFuSlCAF8I/s800/Mexican%20Porcupine%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDK6KQxTGX1HjKz9Ajm4bKevtf9NioJWcRH28YhSGAUAUWeJUgJS3JOJh1EVVlgK-yWUtyB-GiSTocVdKZZNb0h3SJJE65yVhwX1znPcWdAyO7r-poVEmisBAby_dKbPvaJBlrXIuNNT0a9Dc2eMuKjNDBvRigss37O6bA0mdSC0UMydVoCFuSlCAF8I/w400-h300/Mexican%20Porcupine%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very contented-looking Mexican Porcupine <i>Coendou mexicanus</i> in its favourite<br />bed in a palm tree. Despite its name it occurs throughout Central America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So, that's it for a tour of some more of Costa Rica's animals. I enjoyed conducting the tour -both that one and this one - and I only hope you've enjoyed it too, otherwise there wouldn't be much point to it! Thanks for reading this far.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some time I'll conclude this series with a post on the wonderful birds of Costa Rica, but next time I'll be back in Australia to introduce a lovely coastal park in my 'state of origin'. 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Animals, frogs and scales.<p style="text-align: justify;">A little while ago, following a visit to this special country, I posted <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/08/costa-rica-where-americas-meet-1.html">here </a>an introduction to it. You might want to start with that post, though it isn't essential to reading this one; you will however find there more information on most of the localities mentioned here. My original intention was to put up two posts on animals of Costa Rica - one on the birds, the other (this one) on 'the rest'. However, when I was about three quarters of the way through this one I realised that it was just too long and unwieldy, even before I'd got to the mammals! So I've gone back and split this post in two, in the hope that some of you will find your way through both rather than giving up in exhaustion. (Though I confess that I did then take the opportunity too to slip a few more photos in...)<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here then is an introduction to some of the numerous and fascinating frogs and reptiles of the country; the tropics abound in these groups which are fascinating and often very photogenic. It's mostly a 'photo essay', with most of the information in the picture captions. For no good reason - other than 'why not?' - I'm going to start with some frogs, then go on to reptiles. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first five frog species belong to the very large and widespread tree frog family Hylidae.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VIOmVUdkQMZq1nJctWdFc8A7CzUkCcPjI-tAodnXzJL_KXCmjuiK4KPhi-82tYenq-L7vBO1-FvsdGpxxbKrs-BKHlCsnVUFlibSW_NT07hFvvXVuf6FF_t6tNGlMfG4Y68wNAUTsVbsr6hxiHa4uncoRs6WzCd7HB1qtAZxnG45OTNY0CsvZC9uxhc/s800/Crowned%20Tree%20Frog%20Anotheca%20spinosa2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VIOmVUdkQMZq1nJctWdFc8A7CzUkCcPjI-tAodnXzJL_KXCmjuiK4KPhi-82tYenq-L7vBO1-FvsdGpxxbKrs-BKHlCsnVUFlibSW_NT07hFvvXVuf6FF_t6tNGlMfG4Y68wNAUTsVbsr6hxiHa4uncoRs6WzCd7HB1qtAZxnG45OTNY0CsvZC9uxhc/w400-h300/Crowned%20Tree%20Frog%20Anotheca%20spinosa2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowned Tree Frog <i>Anotheca </i>(or <i>Triprion</i>) <i>spinosa</i>, Tapirus Lodge, central mountains.<br />A spectacular arboreal frog found in scattered locations in Central America, it breeds<br />in above-ground puddles in tree hollows or bromeliad leaves. The female <br />provides unfertilised eggs as food for the growing tadpoles!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmAvNA_KcLfOkd99Ifvj7_gxucT8s2n4ekejBhWSOyzT4cTIELog2-5ektyS3xduo0ixgyNTevWlm6rQwa9V5TMI5m1lisOkPCVQJs7Ys_mH58ZgYRN_0Eyf-4yAAD8EQ6z5U2gdI1oXOnttI9qlq-4JHsJT5vo6syGGgTDHiXzbMz9BvFiPW408-mEs/s800/Golden-eyed%20Tree%20Frog2%20Bougainvillea%20Hotel%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmAvNA_KcLfOkd99Ifvj7_gxucT8s2n4ekejBhWSOyzT4cTIELog2-5ektyS3xduo0ixgyNTevWlm6rQwa9V5TMI5m1lisOkPCVQJs7Ys_mH58ZgYRN_0Eyf-4yAAD8EQ6z5U2gdI1oXOnttI9qlq-4JHsJT5vo6syGGgTDHiXzbMz9BvFiPW408-mEs/w301-h400/Golden-eyed%20Tree%20Frog2%20Bougainvillea%20Hotel%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-eyed Tree Frog (it goes by several different names though) <i>Agalychnis annae,<br /></i>in the grounds of the Hotel Bougainvillea on the outskirts of the capital, San José.<br />It is a highly Endangered species, living only in the heavily populated and <br />cultivated central valley; this population in the hotel grounds is apparently<br />the only one in the vicinity.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganLj_pdxzCXT2vLBoN9Nqg4l-iu0etKhQ2ZEIfof3uyn3hD2KORT8-EBHZMdoGYc8Id1H356PY42qxv30jYzB2zSj2fYIoDCi8c0X44Djnz2swBy0I8-ne-XP3iwZMSGBD4R54vXNfAFOdJp6KYyPAau8vuh_-s7QeTT_I0UvZa4Rvc-21vF2sv6BkUk/s800/Red-eyed%20Tree%20Frogs%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganLj_pdxzCXT2vLBoN9Nqg4l-iu0etKhQ2ZEIfof3uyn3hD2KORT8-EBHZMdoGYc8Id1H356PY42qxv30jYzB2zSj2fYIoDCi8c0X44Djnz2swBy0I8-ne-XP3iwZMSGBD4R54vXNfAFOdJp6KYyPAau8vuh_-s7QeTT_I0UvZa4Rvc-21vF2sv6BkUk/w301-h400/Red-eyed%20Tree%20Frogs%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-eyed Tree Frogs <i>Agalychnis callidryas</i> on the other hand are very<br />common in Central American rainforests. The spotlight has messed with<br />its glorious colours, and the eyes in particular, which are really a glowing bright red.<br />We were there in the rainy season and, like these two, many frogs were engaged<br />in producing even more frogs!<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAVHApw4LFVL-PWuFegxI4j0X0IisNAmWk-hFHd9qIfc4XcBMFKa03qOYd7abY99ZPBTWNuiD7ZRWvs2b-1Sn-2pec6uIJ9gkVTFEY3RBPBfhCWiC6BDPg9eFZDqlq5kMkqdbqPCVnjgTqiCwweBgGY7z0KaVgPWr_o8JnyUOWHrDitBZaDGUhVHm4E8/s800/Hourglass%20Tree%20Frog2%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAVHApw4LFVL-PWuFegxI4j0X0IisNAmWk-hFHd9qIfc4XcBMFKa03qOYd7abY99ZPBTWNuiD7ZRWvs2b-1Sn-2pec6uIJ9gkVTFEY3RBPBfhCWiC6BDPg9eFZDqlq5kMkqdbqPCVnjgTqiCwweBgGY7z0KaVgPWr_o8JnyUOWHrDitBZaDGUhVHm4E8/w400-h300/Hourglass%20Tree%20Frog2%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hourglass Tree Frogs <i>Dendropsophus ebraccatus</i>. The smaller male in this case lacks the<br />hourglass shape on the back of most of the species; the top of it can be seen on the female's<br />head. They can be found throughout Central America and as far south as Ecuador.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvgvwhloVEY9vTTDxqwVsfBNq3BPXJdddV93hMvHLgl5rSvK_fHktT2_Xn4FA-8Ua5zKe9glLhKzuK_C7tTNfClOKtqeFddiixvjKQ6IliRNGwTi_J5-RxdgICbk0MjjKz_0amHoY_jPUly61061isqhc51wsMmL2r_sDqWT8YbrIKPkTS77qNRgENtk/s800/Masked%20Tree%20Frog%20Smilisca%20phaeota3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvgvwhloVEY9vTTDxqwVsfBNq3BPXJdddV93hMvHLgl5rSvK_fHktT2_Xn4FA-8Ua5zKe9glLhKzuK_C7tTNfClOKtqeFddiixvjKQ6IliRNGwTi_J5-RxdgICbk0MjjKz_0amHoY_jPUly61061isqhc51wsMmL2r_sDqWT8YbrIKPkTS77qNRgENtk/w400-h300/Masked%20Tree%20Frog%20Smilisca%20phaeota3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masked Tree Frog <i>Smilisca phaeota</i>, Tapirus Lodge. A common (and rather<br />winsome) tree frog found throughout the moist lowlands and lower mountains,<br />and from Honduras to Ecuador.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other well-known tropical American frog family is that of the poison dart frogs, Dendrobatidae, with some 170 species. These are diurnal frogs, often brilliantly coloured, a very few of which were used by Native Americans to extract poison for blowpipe darts. The alkaloid toxins (which are very potent) are produced by the frog from chemicals in their insect diet, and stored in skin glands for use in protection against enemies. Their striking visibility is a warning. Two species are common in Costa Rica, though not found everywhere there.<br /></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW50YdEmc2bdGn0wVQxjilbOWK34PTfLZ-0tZA9Lv9WkHX2SB7cGhtsK-d_UcJsrtZLs_hd9ZEKcLoCmY2hFrVjJaBcPTrrRzLAy-KPrUJh-g7E98ReakQ9w3POe2VVjd1R1cHegiSmIALiSFvcqtEy2Gd98swLGrpgGK5nTK0oYlyTrHfX4LR1oSkcE8/s800/Black%20and%20Green%20Poison%20Dart%20Frog%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW50YdEmc2bdGn0wVQxjilbOWK34PTfLZ-0tZA9Lv9WkHX2SB7cGhtsK-d_UcJsrtZLs_hd9ZEKcLoCmY2hFrVjJaBcPTrrRzLAy-KPrUJh-g7E98ReakQ9w3POe2VVjd1R1cHegiSmIALiSFvcqtEy2Gd98swLGrpgGK5nTK0oYlyTrHfX4LR1oSkcE8/w400-h300/Black%20and%20Green%20Poison%20Dart%20Frog%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog <i>Dendrobates auratus. </i>It is found in southern <br />Central America to Colombia, but in Costa Rica only on the southern Pacific coast.<br />This one was in rainforest in Carara National Park. It really looks like porcelain!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfMNc6QFGlQEXjK4GT1UNOq-5rg8EX2zCFLk_ualHHOFzBEFIr1lTfrkjCkfzHZDL_pjq2Jeq0WGc8affFUj7kuZ13hddOMov0przv44TR2iPPGkLpVyFIneVkCVM323xN2t0Z4Z0ZPGNxXrP_6mKV0dX_R-YFqG0aQjTmqEAYUBQT6pEC9Vod91MJIA/s800/Strawberry%20Poison%20Dart%20Frog%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfMNc6QFGlQEXjK4GT1UNOq-5rg8EX2zCFLk_ualHHOFzBEFIr1lTfrkjCkfzHZDL_pjq2Jeq0WGc8affFUj7kuZ13hddOMov0przv44TR2iPPGkLpVyFIneVkCVM323xN2t0Z4Z0ZPGNxXrP_6mKV0dX_R-YFqG0aQjTmqEAYUBQT6pEC9Vod91MJIA/w400-h300/Strawberry%20Poison%20Dart%20Frog%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (also known as Blue Jeans Frog!) <i>Oophaga pumilio,<br /></i>until recently included in the larger genus <i>Dendrobates</i>. This frog can be found<br />in almost any Costa Rican lowland forest or plantation. It has a range of colour<br />variants, some of which lack the blue legs, and others are not red at all.<br />Their range is centred on Costa Rica, and extends into Nicaragua and Panama. This one<br />was at the wonderful La Selva Research Station, in the Caribbean lowlands.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, before I get too carried away with these frogs, a nod to one of the many other families present.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdpjxbSo4fLdmWNIZBGFqciDXz3jNy5_Pjjl35BVCM28KNSqqFVGdDB55zsXTh3T0yi_WU4S1XvQRNlDTiFPa928Bz-FSV9oLZdE-5b7HFjcdv4oGdwGFmbUqE80hYIGQ4jVBb0BZKbn8GTKHTF-GvJQk333M6SQ2jWtyrBfYQeOco3pUdHh64-G-mTY/s800/Foam%20Frog%20Leptodactylus%20sp%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdpjxbSo4fLdmWNIZBGFqciDXz3jNy5_Pjjl35BVCM28KNSqqFVGdDB55zsXTh3T0yi_WU4S1XvQRNlDTiFPa928Bz-FSV9oLZdE-5b7HFjcdv4oGdwGFmbUqE80hYIGQ4jVBb0BZKbn8GTKHTF-GvJQk333M6SQ2jWtyrBfYQeOco3pUdHh64-G-mTY/w400-h300/Foam%20Frog%20Leptodactylus%20sp%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foam frog <i>Leptodactylus </i>sp. at Esquinas Lodge in the Piedras Blancas NP<br />in the far south near the Pacific coast. This is a substantial group of mostly large<br />frogs, and I'm not able to identify this one further, though would welcome<br />suggestions. Eggs are laid in a protective bed of foam on the water surface<br />and the tadpoles fall into the pond below when they hatch.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Reptiles are numerous and diverse throughout the tropics, and Costa Rica is no exception.<span> We encountered a good selection of both snakes and lizards, so let's meet some of them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Some of the snakes were non-venomous...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHsKtskd_hyh3Xc0r5lYXXMFbIOm6eS3hF_gipwDzCiimoKP_PCJIqPQyafjjsD3s90U4-yL6XPC1XDvJirGioK1x2lOzOBrw5kIayZ9mG2QHxllE3hsn5vazTz0tT1tfAgTkTe8LPzWBkM7svr1k_ZSWfx18QWlXTPN4S0muc31-KHc_ssf4Dl2cTMc/s800/Cat-eyed%20Snake3%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHsKtskd_hyh3Xc0r5lYXXMFbIOm6eS3hF_gipwDzCiimoKP_PCJIqPQyafjjsD3s90U4-yL6XPC1XDvJirGioK1x2lOzOBrw5kIayZ9mG2QHxllE3hsn5vazTz0tT1tfAgTkTe8LPzWBkM7svr1k_ZSWfx18QWlXTPN4S0muc31-KHc_ssf4Dl2cTMc/w300-h400/Cat-eyed%20Snake3%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Cat-eyed Snake <i>Leptodeira septentrionalis, </i>Esquinas Lodge.<br />This little snake (found from the far south of the US to Costa Rica) hangs around<br />ponds, hunting frogs and their egg masses.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6xTYwkEIK0u6u3kz9_sAvfHaykaztfWs9KbL1uLmdu_Sy_yvELJoL9VAyBvHP6ltrBlxqx1dMQ7xWymD2Qxm1RyKlRmfxK69tJMzFJ08fSWs1GrS7v5oWnhhF2IeilcotzBROQB4yNNpIltmmHqJPLoCJRsxYRgueD5Sj1hc3BNtpJlQWiaUPRI03eQ/s800/Common%20Snaileater2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6xTYwkEIK0u6u3kz9_sAvfHaykaztfWs9KbL1uLmdu_Sy_yvELJoL9VAyBvHP6ltrBlxqx1dMQ7xWymD2Qxm1RyKlRmfxK69tJMzFJ08fSWs1GrS7v5oWnhhF2IeilcotzBROQB4yNNpIltmmHqJPLoCJRsxYRgueD5Sj1hc3BNtpJlQWiaUPRI03eQ/w400-h300/Common%20Snaileater2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Snaileater <i>Sibon nebulatus,</i> Tapirus Lodge. Another small snake that<br />lives on slugs and snails, extracting these from the shell with specially adapted jaws.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>... others less so.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOldmhO2QFpEzaBclY6kAgj2tIDcIwAeDQKBldQttbb5ZEveI8yK8xI-tvODIQIildkF-92Gi9zA7VMOuxeDx_zq6qrLIYyhe2hUX7BcuSkjO1i3JtdfFjnrU1n4bm3CNuEoB-8jRSLHof-slcz2g4dUYQCym0Xp364l9kr99GrWD8WcwzyuIG6fMch_8/s800/Hog-nosed%20Viper2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOldmhO2QFpEzaBclY6kAgj2tIDcIwAeDQKBldQttbb5ZEveI8yK8xI-tvODIQIildkF-92Gi9zA7VMOuxeDx_zq6qrLIYyhe2hUX7BcuSkjO1i3JtdfFjnrU1n4bm3CNuEoB-8jRSLHof-slcz2g4dUYQCym0Xp364l9kr99GrWD8WcwzyuIG6fMch_8/w400-h300/Hog-nosed%20Viper2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hog-nosed Pitviper <i>Porthidium nasutum</i>, Tapirus Lodge. This venomous little snake was<br />on the concrete by the stopping platform at the top of the 'aerial tram' ride through the rainforest<br />canopy. The young fellow staffing the platform reckoned it was 'just there'. Well, maybe. <br />Normally they lie still in leaf litter awaiting a meal of a small mammal, frog or lizard.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJbdNy64aLVXNcs-j8O2bwBTYlPSPY3Mbsrb4QpGm7XFj70c-QBJr0TJ-8ag6QVICGjX-owsCn6gLIkyGbxOWd0vtZTxWRWKEwjjWsPVp3BtP1CWu1E50G6VCWkGQA3mRn9pmVXwuZoxqewJf0_PNuGTGTVvGZSb174A9aRl-ViRuO9C8US_G0466_7o/s800/Eyelash%20Pit%20Viper%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJbdNy64aLVXNcs-j8O2bwBTYlPSPY3Mbsrb4QpGm7XFj70c-QBJr0TJ-8ag6QVICGjX-owsCn6gLIkyGbxOWd0vtZTxWRWKEwjjWsPVp3BtP1CWu1E50G6VCWkGQA3mRn9pmVXwuZoxqewJf0_PNuGTGTVvGZSb174A9aRl-ViRuO9C8US_G0466_7o/w400-h300/Eyelash%20Pit%20Viper%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyelash Pitviper <i>Bothriechis schlegelii, </i>rainforest canopy walk, Monteverde. This is a surprisingly<br />common snake in Costa Rica, nearly always encountered on branches, which may be nearly<br />at ground level or high in the canopy (like this one, which is peeping out at us through the <br />coils). There is also a bright yellow version, which I've not seen. It waits patiently - for<br />weeks sometimes - for birds, small mammals or lizards. Young ones tend to be close to<br />the ground, and ascend the trees as they get older and switch prey from mostly frogs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is a closeup of the same species, close to the ground, displaying its 'eyelashes'.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oXsLbaZMzjYvjurLwSzOGlDw9zfUnqiwg_WfgnY-vlCMpHGNZF3j1NWjKC3HC169Icn_WCrAZoOzb6bPhbLireCQF5SbmEXYnSeg_QNc8lMK101U8ebFtKqtiWDcd-3kzdEq9H6o2rBm3JyOYLA0mhfOK7zntniSCYjZJ63zqGShJEfe5DjBFhVIWTI/s800/Eyelash%20Pit%20Viper2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oXsLbaZMzjYvjurLwSzOGlDw9zfUnqiwg_WfgnY-vlCMpHGNZF3j1NWjKC3HC169Icn_WCrAZoOzb6bPhbLireCQF5SbmEXYnSeg_QNc8lMK101U8ebFtKqtiWDcd-3kzdEq9H6o2rBm3JyOYLA0mhfOK7zntniSCYjZJ63zqGShJEfe5DjBFhVIWTI/w400-h300/Eyelash%20Pit%20Viper2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Eyelash Pitviper, Tapirus Lodge. The 'eyelashes' are of course no such thing, but<br />modified scales. Their purpose is unclear but it is suggested by those who've studied them<br />that they help to break up the outline of the distinctive head to better hide from potential prey.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOC7nLOdGF9nKcGhaVooNcm-ThpWF6dj49PwxTjd4FmIZLiHrhkhI-k9yU4aIqzjv1Zaqb_dlo4iHig7Q7-tJ_g0lyvsNVy9WyLQo_2SwJMPxxmOA50J3xXfXJ5IXIsmzkzs_BxnMZc5Mrb2L3vVcKWStiP5AIijhgvlmEqkpzFDbHhn3U70ClykuTQE/s800/Fer%20de%20Lance%20Bothrops%20asper%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOC7nLOdGF9nKcGhaVooNcm-ThpWF6dj49PwxTjd4FmIZLiHrhkhI-k9yU4aIqzjv1Zaqb_dlo4iHig7Q7-tJ_g0lyvsNVy9WyLQo_2SwJMPxxmOA50J3xXfXJ5IXIsmzkzs_BxnMZc5Mrb2L3vVcKWStiP5AIijhgvlmEqkpzFDbHhn3U70ClykuTQE/w400-h300/Fer%20de%20Lance%20Bothrops%20asper%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fer-de-Lance <i>Bothrops asper</i>, Carara NP. This can be a huge snake, up to 2.5 metres long, and<br />highly venomous. It was curled up in the dark under a park bench by a well-used walking track. <br />The park staff had simply put a ribbon barrier up for the duration of its stay to prevent us from <br />taking a rest there. (The vertical pupils distinguish it from the similar False Fer-de-Lance <br /><i>Xenodon rabdocephalus </i>which has round pupils.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Many of the lizards encountered - and they are abundant - belong to a cluster of families that include the iguanas and anoles (and the Australian dragons).<br /></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrmcBWyygL1yKlJ_eIKm5YEaoAG1NHVIsjHPTOeLpk6Yt7De7BiRd9wK1EcPd7rj20EvHLHsELqMSthyyA7gAOiM-Mv5PRgYnxq1tjhcqu6GnfbDuLPtkqNjmJiCY6S9uu-_ubRNkOmEI6b6JinkyYLc7HSfoKrGgxgYLM5inK7oFxama5NnPHKZEUKo/s800/Green%20Iguana%20San%20Isidro%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrmcBWyygL1yKlJ_eIKm5YEaoAG1NHVIsjHPTOeLpk6Yt7De7BiRd9wK1EcPd7rj20EvHLHsELqMSthyyA7gAOiM-Mv5PRgYnxq1tjhcqu6GnfbDuLPtkqNjmJiCY6S9uu-_ubRNkOmEI6b6JinkyYLc7HSfoKrGgxgYLM5inK7oFxama5NnPHKZEUKo/w300-h400/Green%20Iguana%20San%20Isidro%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Iguana<i> </i><span><i>Iguana iguana</i>, San Isidro. This is a common big lizard (to more than<br />1.5 metre long) found naturally from Mexico to southern Brazil. It comes in a range<br />of colours in addition to green, and is a adept at climbing, swimming and burrowing.<br />Fortunately for small animals it is mostly vegetarian.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhprUr2CaJz2C9ymPkl77SjrbR_oTVhnZbqqG0mADtnlsDJuseAQaFv0NI-IhR32koGQOY2gMOPRt6UeQwykoD0VjH-uxqlaZfVBlM5eMD9YaTFSBhvDR7seVtIgx8w6Vyo6UFKklR2eAYsvF6csO9OZOxPrhJoWViBL0NltB6JWRbQIx3WrNx_RR0PuU/s800/Spiny-tailed%20Iguana%20Ctenosaura%20similis1%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhprUr2CaJz2C9ymPkl77SjrbR_oTVhnZbqqG0mADtnlsDJuseAQaFv0NI-IhR32koGQOY2gMOPRt6UeQwykoD0VjH-uxqlaZfVBlM5eMD9YaTFSBhvDR7seVtIgx8w6Vyo6UFKklR2eAYsvF6csO9OZOxPrhJoWViBL0NltB6JWRbQIx3WrNx_RR0PuU/w400-h300/Spiny-tailed%20Iguana%20Ctenosaura%20similis1%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiny-tailed Iguana <i>Ctenosaura similis, </i>Carara NP - a group of these big iguanas<br />was running the carpark when we first visited. They also climb trees well, but have an<br />affinity for rocky areas... <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQtQhrkRHlsrTKZMs-4x7aIqJKTis7L2SunZ94Z572wL7b45mY-tSqhIeoRDdocZ0-RFOGQgF9C0ac7YfkA6Z-1K96R-JGBQ8rMj2P4KoeCOyaMKNmBCTP8-ryiurFkwMj68vaFLYg9qfuKceHIpMmRhpyHDkrqeK0y5rTg2SlTskoHKDzAlomFEPR5Y/s800/Spiny-tailed%20Iguana%20juv3%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQtQhrkRHlsrTKZMs-4x7aIqJKTis7L2SunZ94Z572wL7b45mY-tSqhIeoRDdocZ0-RFOGQgF9C0ac7YfkA6Z-1K96R-JGBQ8rMj2P4KoeCOyaMKNmBCTP8-ryiurFkwMj68vaFLYg9qfuKceHIpMmRhpyHDkrqeK0y5rTg2SlTskoHKDzAlomFEPR5Y/w400-h300/Spiny-tailed%20Iguana%20juv3%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... as evidenced by this young one in the north at Rincon de la Vieja, displaying<br />the bright green colouration typical of juveniles.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are three common species of the extraordinary basilisks in Costa Rica, and throughout most of Central America (plus another in north-western South America). The aspect of them which is most often remarked upon is their ability - especially of smaller individuals - to run several metres on the surface of water, flailing their hind legs very fast and spreading their long toes to distribute the weight.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQRBYX2_qUpSRN3irgY7lrePx4pp77OkAsqDlg51-r5Og3DkWdSIqdB8jdRUtzWeHMg0dh83tT8deRmlwCluWUMwXXsqH4_uj7M_ZRlLFS53JD8KsR61zMuC2LZU3F20QvM7cbMdni9OiYcokplKlO8C_hzD115CvYYm18pyo8AtVetJB6IZOZVQ5Ff0/s800/Green%20Basilisk%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQRBYX2_qUpSRN3irgY7lrePx4pp77OkAsqDlg51-r5Og3DkWdSIqdB8jdRUtzWeHMg0dh83tT8deRmlwCluWUMwXXsqH4_uj7M_ZRlLFS53JD8KsR61zMuC2LZU3F20QvM7cbMdni9OiYcokplKlO8C_hzD115CvYYm18pyo8AtVetJB6IZOZVQ5Ff0/w400-h300/Green%20Basilisk%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Basilisk <i>Basiliscus plumifrons, </i>Tortuguera on the Caribbean coast. This is a spectacular<br />animal and quite common, especially along waterways.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJJlz6Jok1BSuX9qHY6cwOoGncbYBJB-sO0kghrGJEZy-636bztUVXv0IGb8fwryacpapkQHn5Sqr8Wo0V06KQ7gpaCo4KxYXU2-5TaPF15r_WfZ9al4nZM3vPkXc4s8x8viUeBNY9UJmJVdRfA2weqFFQDvmN_P1TjvyHRajsARcdcy-SaazBV1tS3M/s800/Brown%20Basilisk%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJJlz6Jok1BSuX9qHY6cwOoGncbYBJB-sO0kghrGJEZy-636bztUVXv0IGb8fwryacpapkQHn5Sqr8Wo0V06KQ7gpaCo4KxYXU2-5TaPF15r_WfZ9al4nZM3vPkXc4s8x8viUeBNY9UJmJVdRfA2weqFFQDvmN_P1TjvyHRajsARcdcy-SaazBV1tS3M/w400-h300/Brown%20Basilisk%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Basilisk <i>Basiliscus vittatus </i>in the grounds of Esquinas Lodge.<br />This one is only found (but very commonly) on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezcHFoE-pKkp42VCqObwG6QZriu7aG8eqd_QebQwF2voSWUCrZd81Sf0d81jW4KmIe9WQKIn6OmXPIEXaL12MBYgf5lpkKiIY2q7fmPi9Zce9rIyBvDnpcC4Q6IgPqyd5VIIzf4Z3UOdca3yYP4QLVzA2_x3M9Djpa84FWri3hC5E8fAaONVu-xeb2NE/s800/Green%20Spiny%20Lizard%20Sceloporus%20malachiticus%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezcHFoE-pKkp42VCqObwG6QZriu7aG8eqd_QebQwF2voSWUCrZd81Sf0d81jW4KmIe9WQKIn6OmXPIEXaL12MBYgf5lpkKiIY2q7fmPi9Zce9rIyBvDnpcC4Q6IgPqyd5VIIzf4Z3UOdca3yYP4QLVzA2_x3M9Djpa84FWri3hC5E8fAaONVu-xeb2NE/w400-h300/Green%20Spiny%20Lizard%20Sceloporus%20malachiticus%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Spiny Lizard <i>Sceloporus malachiticus, </i>Savegre Valley on the Pacific slopes.<br />This a common lizard in the mountains; indeed we first saw it basking at some 3400 metres<br />above sea level, above the tree line in conditions that we reckoned were uncomfortably cold. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The anoles, in the same general grouping, are abudant, mostly small quick lizards found on tree trunks and branches.<br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwf-NL-ylUBQuHFu5_JFxbImN1rUtN8Ba-nVUuVFCtCcmn3i4jLCxQ0hHnLclCne5F8i5Yr1AsEKO7MgAehzPmYo2n2gW5j-ad0wvFNz1Ba18zHNLMS8c6fZvtqFZLjd_xEdPfkhveYvG_Sj4eDNNo90Ycvgm8UCwyCdlY5cJfoSSYFUmf84r_wfsaQk/s800/Anolis%20limifrons%20Slender%20Anole%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwf-NL-ylUBQuHFu5_JFxbImN1rUtN8Ba-nVUuVFCtCcmn3i4jLCxQ0hHnLclCne5F8i5Yr1AsEKO7MgAehzPmYo2n2gW5j-ad0wvFNz1Ba18zHNLMS8c6fZvtqFZLjd_xEdPfkhveYvG_Sj4eDNNo90Ycvgm8UCwyCdlY5cJfoSSYFUmf84r_wfsaQk/w400-h300/Anolis%20limifrons%20Slender%20Anole%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slender Anole <i>Anolis limifrons, </i>in the rain at Esquinas Lodge. This little fellow was<br />very agile, leaping between leaves. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjcAuvwU6wm1q_uvlD1WXZ7co3ed5M5tzsT0a4yBz8sD6AQ-L35a2kuXXXxOomNTDF2i9z2B4HjnqDgAUt4wuuSS-UdPdKxlm8ov996-oEHsSltlM6G7zTnZX2Da4Q0FBUTWqcNjMplOVsPQZhKSJ9Qv2w092dj-xP0trJZzmb2yVLxntvtYyYl6_hJw/s800/Anolis%20frenatus%20Bridled%20Anole%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjcAuvwU6wm1q_uvlD1WXZ7co3ed5M5tzsT0a4yBz8sD6AQ-L35a2kuXXXxOomNTDF2i9z2B4HjnqDgAUt4wuuSS-UdPdKxlm8ov996-oEHsSltlM6G7zTnZX2Da4Q0FBUTWqcNjMplOVsPQZhKSJ9Qv2w092dj-xP0trJZzmb2yVLxntvtYyYl6_hJw/w400-h300/Anolis%20frenatus%20Bridled%20Anole%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridled Anole <i>Anolis frenatus</i>, seen at night at Tapirus Lodge. My impression is that<br />most anoles are active in the daytime; this is also large for an anole, at around 15cm long.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Another commonly seen Costa Rican lizard group is the whiptails (or ameivas, from a former genus name), in the family Teidae. They are very common along forest tracks, on logs and in the litter. They are long-tailed and quick and some are brightly coloured. This one however was in our cabin, living on and in the totally superfluous bed doona that was on the floor.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ax9rYKwzGjpMCTKgll02sjrW-Uf555flJ6i2Kwxu1IuAScvY8S2ClS1HtAdH5IGYcvt-kIudOxHTB-ORDcH0bZPjs6ZJQ4wOG_BVB1JR1Gd2aV5Wd_WrBVTY9FrVwdD8uMhlj4CDsp7FB_jTYBquxUM7fa3zudrQq1sbAI4aE2LZ9zb7007CTwDt1o8/s800/Central%20American%20Whiptail%20Holcosus%20festivus3%20in%20room%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ax9rYKwzGjpMCTKgll02sjrW-Uf555flJ6i2Kwxu1IuAScvY8S2ClS1HtAdH5IGYcvt-kIudOxHTB-ORDcH0bZPjs6ZJQ4wOG_BVB1JR1Gd2aV5Wd_WrBVTY9FrVwdD8uMhlj4CDsp7FB_jTYBquxUM7fa3zudrQq1sbAI4aE2LZ9zb7007CTwDt1o8/w400-h300/Central%20American%20Whiptail%20Holcosus%20festivus3%20in%20room%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%20%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central American Whiptail <i>Holcosus festivus</i>, La Selva Research Station.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Geckoes were less obvious than I might have expected, but maybe that was just me. Here is a rather lovely daytime species which was dining out too, on one of the wooden supports of an outdoor restaurant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNw2BXNM2DzmziA50uGmTiEq5aVJS9gL1uWvZ8Pp9HoVpdx1yyvaMifALOploRNstUB9_pBKNK6rFfVrFF5v9Alky4ygpA7tPJfzKhfuNuVmURdAwb64sEWD9SP-EfIH5MA8blyN66EPWbPjUrDBp-aPT7iPTBmQy98axWeMfLdetHbtPP5N-5_ooDQow/s800/Yellow-headed%20Gecko%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNw2BXNM2DzmziA50uGmTiEq5aVJS9gL1uWvZ8Pp9HoVpdx1yyvaMifALOploRNstUB9_pBKNK6rFfVrFF5v9Alky4ygpA7tPJfzKhfuNuVmURdAwb64sEWD9SP-EfIH5MA8blyN66EPWbPjUrDBp-aPT7iPTBmQy98axWeMfLdetHbtPP5N-5_ooDQow/w300-h400/Yellow-headed%20Gecko%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-headed Gecko <i>Gonatodes albogularis, </i>a widespread species of drier<br />tropical forests, here at Caño Negro in the northeast.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I find it surprising that there are only four species of freshwater turtle in Costa Rica (though I have no real reason to be surprised, I must admit). This appears to be the commonest one, but is only found on the Caribbean side.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6bYi6BOQnZ1_UwtUM_Ifu_3oBBZEcoq2fJE6vMSkcaGJnPgw4ARG-Mwe79TA-YI7j4Hp8f9mO4OnFjZ8K6b3sewdY3QFW53rgFQV9bUTe38qVPAjBjglbpQVJMRF7-brlAOlbsUVsOQpMLoSAUsC9KY7YLMlmhVRtU15x90g-g-4wLkshWxo89qJppQ/s800/Black%20River%20Turtles%20Rhinoclemmys%20funerea%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6bYi6BOQnZ1_UwtUM_Ifu_3oBBZEcoq2fJE6vMSkcaGJnPgw4ARG-Mwe79TA-YI7j4Hp8f9mO4OnFjZ8K6b3sewdY3QFW53rgFQV9bUTe38qVPAjBjglbpQVJMRF7-brlAOlbsUVsOQpMLoSAUsC9KY7YLMlmhVRtU15x90g-g-4wLkshWxo89qJppQ/w400-h300/Black%20River%20Turtles%20Rhinoclemmys%20funerea%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black River Turtles <i>Rhinoclemmys funerea</i>, beneath the pedestrian bridge across the <br />Puerto Viejo River at La Selva Research Centre.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally there are two species of crocodilians, one quite common, the other definitely not.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGmFRzxjX2hbjhLpqRyympy9nHXXTuzfOPuxfg3L2KeVF5BvmuXanQaw_3s1nK1MIR9hAWcZ853UG-Qcz6tCnz9s451bC9Xbu1bE1mQhv5PoYblFCgGIttFAm6ZLVYh9XXxV3Q2jnpcH-Kpw6zeUa3zxDJfHVn77Ir53lUgNHZQMR-vXgij6r-L_ysm8/s800/Spectacled%20Caiman1%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGmFRzxjX2hbjhLpqRyympy9nHXXTuzfOPuxfg3L2KeVF5BvmuXanQaw_3s1nK1MIR9hAWcZ853UG-Qcz6tCnz9s451bC9Xbu1bE1mQhv5PoYblFCgGIttFAm6ZLVYh9XXxV3Q2jnpcH-Kpw6zeUa3zxDJfHVn77Ir53lUgNHZQMR-vXgij6r-L_ysm8/w400-h300/Spectacled%20Caiman1%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectacled Caiman <i>Caiman crocodilus, </i>in the wetlands of Caño Negro. <br />This smallish caiman (generally less that two metres long) is found thoughout Central<br />America and the north of South America. It keeps to itself in the rivers and <br />wetlands, mostly being active at night, and hunting fish.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBKvJT6a-1LVJ0MF0wUDzMHbwBThrtt3NoFX2jBWH35aThH92LlgrTWGH7F2cEcTyNqO-81i-Iw40b-J3fo0MdOC_u0lEgp7RvU9B-2S1tQMr5AhXsCV_rUUN9WhNgM8FBISHAaSWsFdfGnTRiRq4zekB81lDulVBtNtd35SS_-c2tgLUqj5IQ3Gnv5w/s1000/American%20Crocodile3%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBKvJT6a-1LVJ0MF0wUDzMHbwBThrtt3NoFX2jBWH35aThH92LlgrTWGH7F2cEcTyNqO-81i-Iw40b-J3fo0MdOC_u0lEgp7RvU9B-2S1tQMr5AhXsCV_rUUN9WhNgM8FBISHAaSWsFdfGnTRiRq4zekB81lDulVBtNtd35SS_-c2tgLUqj5IQ3Gnv5w/w640-h224/American%20Crocodile3%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Crocodile <i>Crocodylus acutus, </i>Tarcoles River on the central Pacific coast. This is about <br />the only place in Costa Rica that this magnificent animal - up to six metres long and weighing almost<br /> a tonne for very large males - is still relatively common. Here there is a thriving <br />business in running crocodile tours (very reminiscent of the Daintree River in Queensland). <br />There is also a constant stream of tourists disgorged at the end of the highway bridge over the river <br />to walk on the narrow footpath, with heavy traffic seemingly only centimetres away, <br />to gaze down at the crocodiles which are usually lying below, facing the current to harvest <br />unwary fish. Overall there are probably no more than 3000 in the wild, from Florida<br />to northern South America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr align="justify"><td>And you may well be relieved that that's all for today (though not too relieved I hope....). Back soon to complete this series with some invertebrates and mammals. The birds can then wait for a slightly later date, while I post on something a bit closer to home. Thanks for accompanying me!<br /></td></tr><tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER</b></i><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> <br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Most of us don't usually get a good look at these birds unless we happen upon them when they're trying to sleep in the daytime, while hoping to escape the notice of the noisy day birds which always want to move them on. Moreover, even if we do get a decent look, they still look rather owl-like - big eyes, soft plumage, delicately patterned plumage, often mottled or streaked for camouflage. These 'not owls' are the potoos of South and Central America, the Oilbird of northern South America, the nightjars and nighthawks, found across most of the world, the frogmouths of Australia and south-east Asia and the owlet-nightjars of New Guinea, plus a few nearby islands (including Australia). Each of these groups forms a Family, and until recently all were placed in the same Order, but in 2021 it was broadly agreed that each of these Families was better understood as a full Order in their own right (see <a href="https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/updates/taxonomy/">here</a> and find Version 11.2).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hopefully you've read this far! If so, please persevere - that's pretty much the end of the taxonomy lesson, and the rest is just about these very interesting groups of birds.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VynNBpec5o-aQobwrHQZaCIff5wRAqpgzqEybAk_0kqwCUgkJ9jpnoQ5xaW9dEFTU1w1YF-CAXJQYy8dboyUU9MA0wSywXbG-gV3qnYW-FwSzBERs81n5Y-dj1lOp-RszhcVQ2cUilgqtYsMRxUjn2GNFI8Y49_RJ_63kDSlI5H3PQNLA6m8nyxa2Iw/s800/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20male%20Tharwa%20Sandwash%200114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VynNBpec5o-aQobwrHQZaCIff5wRAqpgzqEybAk_0kqwCUgkJ9jpnoQ5xaW9dEFTU1w1YF-CAXJQYy8dboyUU9MA0wSywXbG-gV3qnYW-FwSzBERs81n5Y-dj1lOp-RszhcVQ2cUilgqtYsMRxUjn2GNFI8Y49_RJ_63kDSlI5H3PQNLA6m8nyxa2Iw/w300-h400/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20male%20Tharwa%20Sandwash%200114.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Frogmouth <i>Podargus strigoides</i> near Canberra; they typically spend<br />the day in the open, relying on their impressive camouflage for protection. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">While we're on frogmouths we might as well continue with them. There are 16 species, and through most of their extensive range, which stretches from Australia to India, they are rainforest dwellers, many of them very hard to find. However the Tawny Frogmouth is the exception, being a bird of drier forests and woodlands throughout Australia, including the arid inland, wherever there are trees and open ground for hunting. They are found in suburbia, including in all Australian capital cities, and I'm sure that they are the most familiar night birds to most Australians.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-bfzfWrtUtRGI5bx-WlDeb1D3cp2CFV4_2-iBc7e9zOANwWxkxRyE428r6zG7aOe5BLcvWujmI8Jezp0rL_NXnMb1xsiht_TCGMyH4SH4EVf9QDzI9VtOU3AbWp9SGuBpJvrhnl-yncb86HROnn9PywkDPOsvx4GGyyNMbU1sP9j9sPA-MqJSt_4NPU/s800/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20and%20chick1%20Duffy%20Oval%201222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-bfzfWrtUtRGI5bx-WlDeb1D3cp2CFV4_2-iBc7e9zOANwWxkxRyE428r6zG7aOe5BLcvWujmI8Jezp0rL_NXnMb1xsiht_TCGMyH4SH4EVf9QDzI9VtOU3AbWp9SGuBpJvrhnl-yncb86HROnn9PywkDPOsvx4GGyyNMbU1sP9j9sPA-MqJSt_4NPU/w400-h300/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20and%20chick1%20Duffy%20Oval%201222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Frogmouth and large chick, about to fledge (indeed it flew just a day after this),<br />in a park near our Canberra home. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite the apparent similarities with owls, there are significant differences. Whereas owls have forward-looking eyes (like us), frogmouths' eyes are more on the side of their head, like most other birds. They have broad shallow beaks for scooping up food (insects, plus some frogs and mice, taken mostly from the ground), whereas an owl's beak is sharp and narrow for tearing up prey. Owls hunt primarily with their feet, which are powerful and taloned like a hawk's; a frogmouth's feet are comparatively weak and are not used to seize food. Much the same comments could be made about the other 'not owls' we'll be meeting today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While these photos don't show it to best advantage (mostly because these birds didn't choose a well-matching branch to roost or nest on), the frogmouth's camouflage is remarkable. The streaks in the plumage can resemble cracks in bark to a remarkable degree. The head is held upright to reinforce the impression of a broken branch. The eyes are closed, though, if the bird is approached too closely, they will open to slits, and the head will turn ever so slowly to keep the intruder in sight.<span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>As the previous photo suggests, nests are very flimsy and placed on a horizontal branch or a flat fork.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIRqnnkGS8h___HOT1eWiaPx4lFaRto0JN5l8QUmole_qrhldhOz1rgS4J0RO2MvEL6dg98HkuN0FZfUOWq8GpualNeuE2HTplWDcdZzcS62fDktgX6ajtqk-cHC13yvf-_YEmqu0ZD3jLkJGn0DaWjUKYDepyapQc1Xgf8EAJ9BMflaLVVaJpA-Yvhk/s800/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20on%20nest2%20Narra%20Hill%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIRqnnkGS8h___HOT1eWiaPx4lFaRto0JN5l8QUmole_qrhldhOz1rgS4J0RO2MvEL6dg98HkuN0FZfUOWq8GpualNeuE2HTplWDcdZzcS62fDktgX6ajtqk-cHC13yvf-_YEmqu0ZD3jLkJGn0DaWjUKYDepyapQc1Xgf8EAJ9BMflaLVVaJpA-Yvhk/w400-h300/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20on%20nest2%20Narra%20Hill%201113.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult on nest, Narrabunda Hill, Canberra.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Sometimes old nests of other species are repurposed by frogmouths.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_TbvUGnr6pB3yEeM5ED0ZFYajlU_si4DYVCX72-OE7ecjYasdpiwhl2q96zXmqLu9LkIODNOWAXXe_WLRU9OxArJWZ7luPdVgVVLW1S3YS_WZYe_6RRuxOaLkTJnji-JB-8a9_Qx4WAC9CHx26ucRxxpPZ_z-OFxm6Ayh84RODIeiC5h05IExVYnsuo/s800/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20on%20chough%20nest%20MFNR%201108.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_TbvUGnr6pB3yEeM5ED0ZFYajlU_si4DYVCX72-OE7ecjYasdpiwhl2q96zXmqLu9LkIODNOWAXXe_WLRU9OxArJWZ7luPdVgVVLW1S3YS_WZYe_6RRuxOaLkTJnji-JB-8a9_Qx4WAC9CHx26ucRxxpPZ_z-OFxm6Ayh84RODIeiC5h05IExVYnsuo/w400-h300/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20on%20chough%20nest%20MFNR%201108.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Frogmouth on old White-winged Chough nest, Mulligans Flat NR, Canberra.<br />It may just have been perching, but it was in November when I'd expect them to be breeding.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The three Australian/New Guinea species are all in the genus <i>Podargus; </i>Marbled and Papuan Frogmouths are found in both islands, while Tawnies are only in Australia. I find this surprising though, given that they occur almost to the tip of Cape York, just across the narrow Torres Strait from New Guinea. Going further north-west, the 13 Asian species are only found on the other side of Wallace's Line; all are smaller and restricted to rainforest.<br /></span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgocQ5IXZE3rhsqKt_rYX0ledI8joH4JNDQZYAdcp_CYxV9obzKtnYerU6XPVnrIQckEI-oS66mBJm8Zokcnhj7vaVmvGV2a7WEGmnXB0A6TKoSWoeIZneNB_396musThYVDbnjynAoqArWJGAQjrZPiWrQJ9qVeaPFlbrZmCw2xouot7BE47abY3I1E/s800/Papuan%20Frogmouth2%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgocQ5IXZE3rhsqKt_rYX0ledI8joH4JNDQZYAdcp_CYxV9obzKtnYerU6XPVnrIQckEI-oS66mBJm8Zokcnhj7vaVmvGV2a7WEGmnXB0A6TKoSWoeIZneNB_396musThYVDbnjynAoqArWJGAQjrZPiWrQJ9qVeaPFlbrZmCw2xouot7BE47abY3I1E/w300-h400/Papuan%20Frogmouth2%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papuan Frogmouth <i>P. papuensis, </i>Centennial Lakes, Cairns, above and below. <br />This tropical species is found north from about Townsville to the tip of York Peninsula,<br />and throughout New Guinea. It is usually found along rainforest edges and in<br />drier rainforest, which is generally known as monsoon, or vine forest. This pair was <br />roosting in mangroves, where they were surprisingly hard to see.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jr-qW6cWe3owaMCeIjNYsSKqLEQsdQuNh12i1SznnE2iqJQkwNMT5EU0QKk_V_FzuZdatNfEq5rdmWZdU0jlZvgrq8WU6zbLzIPrxUI23tTsFlP6kKnTCvJvfPn8UkBrgXcSuK7Rjdrgdn7Vkpoue60NJsRMI0f6WuBri71l9WUTlCILVj6pEJFfVus/s800/Papuan%20Frogmouth3%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jr-qW6cWe3owaMCeIjNYsSKqLEQsdQuNh12i1SznnE2iqJQkwNMT5EU0QKk_V_FzuZdatNfEq5rdmWZdU0jlZvgrq8WU6zbLzIPrxUI23tTsFlP6kKnTCvJvfPn8UkBrgXcSuK7Rjdrgdn7Vkpoue60NJsRMI0f6WuBri71l9WUTlCILVj6pEJFfVus/w400-h300/Papuan%20Frogmouth3%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The third Australian species, the Marbled Frogmouth <i>P. </i><i>ocellatus</i>, is notoriously hard to find in its rainforest habitat. It has two very separate small Australian populations, on Cape York Peninsula, and in the border ranges of near-coastal NSW and Queensland, as well as throughout New Guinea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It seems logical to me to go from frogmouths to potoos, though the latter are in a different Order, as we have seen, and only found in the American Neotropics. Whenever I see them though I am struck by how much they resemble frogmouths, though that's entirely due to adaptations to similar lifestyles. Like frogmouths they hunt from a perch, but unlike them they take prey almost exclusively from the air, and never from the ground. Their camouflage is just as good but rather than perch on horizontal branches they use vertical stumps or broken branches, positioned upright so as to seem like an extension of the stump.<br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI8yJqwVWqdYSsCY0rdAW1Q3pCZTWTpgzdxOojKaWYVE4jx6IAwQKplRryL8kEg5r_haoFPtIjwseDP9DeBnWVzf2VQCMR5JC3Hi5ncw18FhKctcOC-oxAHWl_ADzraWcJ_vZC0tfrTk1fEeuZYlCJn3bAv_Ix98acHNpNIpEfOSz8Qqg8-OHQMfxRvY/s800/Great%20Potoo%20Pda%20Sta%20Teresa%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI8yJqwVWqdYSsCY0rdAW1Q3pCZTWTpgzdxOojKaWYVE4jx6IAwQKplRryL8kEg5r_haoFPtIjwseDP9DeBnWVzf2VQCMR5JC3Hi5ncw18FhKctcOC-oxAHWl_ADzraWcJ_vZC0tfrTk1fEeuZYlCJn3bAv_Ix98acHNpNIpEfOSz8Qqg8-OHQMfxRvY/w300-h400/Great%20Potoo%20Pda%20Sta%20Teresa%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Potoo <i>Nyctibius grandis, </i>Pantanal, south-western Brazil. This is the largest<br />potoo, up to 60cm long, and is found from south-eastern Brazil to southern Mexico.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The seven species are found between them in every Central and South American country, though they are most prevalent in the Amazon Basin.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcGoVgtYXjHi4H-GOMIHEzRho3MfyP34beZJ0KZJeyRwH1P18ZkkhaGP0F93mKkDPqh2yFkHaEq1G_r32wK2h6QsV_W860pIL5pyG754-meOZVKs41b0RsZ9SSgszYZckirZiSQ9SiNj5hW0rhvCRkKK_Pmyc9Yc_zsotFx8p0s0mPPuQwiH5i5-fJhA/s800/Long-tailed%20Potoo1%20Tambopata%20Res%20Ctr%20Peru%200915.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcGoVgtYXjHi4H-GOMIHEzRho3MfyP34beZJ0KZJeyRwH1P18ZkkhaGP0F93mKkDPqh2yFkHaEq1G_r32wK2h6QsV_W860pIL5pyG754-meOZVKs41b0RsZ9SSgszYZckirZiSQ9SiNj5hW0rhvCRkKK_Pmyc9Yc_zsotFx8p0s0mPPuQwiH5i5-fJhA/w400-h300/Long-tailed%20Potoo1%20Tambopata%20Res%20Ctr%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Long-tailed Potoo <i>Nyctibius aethereus</i>, here at Tambopata Reserve in the southern Peruvian<br /> Amazon, is found throughout the Amazon basin, and in the southern Brazilian Atlantic forests. <br />I love how the white wing patch resembles lichen on a tree trunk!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLcOVFomzZc163fiIidRua3-tCJHSmZEe3r0LFlphJ5d9MqPFsPp19zmK0aGcugICXb6aySFTx-6GT3Ugx0MyoKVEw6HJ_EjdujXhoKHpyGlXeBa2d7xFhmYEy6x0yzJs1rXsBgYqrkFX4BuBTp3vlLOAaFr6UEEtsyv0gmjPmA6G-2pVx8fgDKixAzY/s800/Common%20Potoo%20Muynuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLcOVFomzZc163fiIidRua3-tCJHSmZEe3r0LFlphJ5d9MqPFsPp19zmK0aGcugICXb6aySFTx-6GT3Ugx0MyoKVEw6HJ_EjdujXhoKHpyGlXeBa2d7xFhmYEy6x0yzJs1rXsBgYqrkFX4BuBTp3vlLOAaFr6UEEtsyv0gmjPmA6G-2pVx8fgDKixAzY/w300-h400/Common%20Potoo%20Muynuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Potoo <i>Nyctibius griseus,</i> Muyuna Lodge, northeastern Peru. It is found<br />almost throughout South America except for the far south and the higher Andes, <br />and in much of Central America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They don't build a nest, simply laying a single egg in a depression on a branch, or on top of a stump. The pale chicks have their own camouflage, resembling a lichen-covered branch.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgg_jgnbTvZzlM89-uocVXwv3pe_0-brS8SCinAY9N-4ASlRnVFQqO5doerJRdLL1-5oGPcDz1Rj1QF1xjldLBFIda6jCJnTL2nh8gqJHIcKBQn_2tVxgEUVBDR4k1R7nGZ19VVJUDQYjIDHtc2QJTuENE-wydz4rYiMNi9JUqmfjEEh7i26c6Mes9j0/s800/Common%20Potoo%20chick,%20Sacha%20Lodge,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgg_jgnbTvZzlM89-uocVXwv3pe_0-brS8SCinAY9N-4ASlRnVFQqO5doerJRdLL1-5oGPcDz1Rj1QF1xjldLBFIda6jCJnTL2nh8gqJHIcKBQn_2tVxgEUVBDR4k1R7nGZ19VVJUDQYjIDHtc2QJTuENE-wydz4rYiMNi9JUqmfjEEh7i26c6Mes9j0/w400-h300/Common%20Potoo%20chick,%20Sacha%20Lodge,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Potoo chick, Yasuní NP, Ecuadorian Amazon.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVch8d3WhzpPbHqzJSTOV6uZVVscPI7TXAPV2NhQiAaNXYbOF2tB_weeI094tgirtdGCEhotXHcKLo-ahvnpkC-sZlGxTiXz90gGtWBiOEUYUpjGH7Hh1ZkDEx7V4w9VQBhTz8FyCXd_ANEoOknfCmIYpDlks3th3g9HrVonH8CWbaRN0-MNp9smoaNvY/s800/Great%20Potoo%20chick%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVch8d3WhzpPbHqzJSTOV6uZVVscPI7TXAPV2NhQiAaNXYbOF2tB_weeI094tgirtdGCEhotXHcKLo-ahvnpkC-sZlGxTiXz90gGtWBiOEUYUpjGH7Hh1ZkDEx7V4w9VQBhTz8FyCXd_ANEoOknfCmIYpDlks3th3g9HrVonH8CWbaRN0-MNp9smoaNvY/w300-h400/Great%20Potoo%20chick%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Potoo chick, Muyuna Lodge, Peru.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Unsurprisingly, I am a big fan of potoos, not to mention the amazing guides who can reliably spot them!<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The smallest of these 'not owl' Orders is represented by just one species, the somewhat enigmatic Oilbird <i>Steatornis caripensis</i>, found along the slopes of the Andes and in the lowland forests of northern South America. While distantly related to the other Orders, it differs from those birds in almost every way except for being nocturnal.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdtnHB-ETr_KDQLu1yOJO931GKr1euHiqKp54bm-KszkyugIFOX1NLzBn6NdUaXivA6h1xOujVPtCcJHu5TgFYSa7SQIdYZIC5Ji0N86OdPLxbnni1Pe94lMlpUwjKUXVpX9c0WCHYjJoGHlpbuPOf1Syz1XztnYLWAhJqYAH0IrjoVY7hWsccrwNBfQ/s800/Oilbird,%20Sacha%20Lodge,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdtnHB-ETr_KDQLu1yOJO931GKr1euHiqKp54bm-KszkyugIFOX1NLzBn6NdUaXivA6h1xOujVPtCcJHu5TgFYSa7SQIdYZIC5Ji0N86OdPLxbnni1Pe94lMlpUwjKUXVpX9c0WCHYjJoGHlpbuPOf1Syz1XztnYLWAhJqYAH0IrjoVY7hWsccrwNBfQ/w400-h300/Oilbird,%20Sacha%20Lodge,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oilbird above a rainforest waterway in Yasuní NP, Ecuadorian Amazonia.<br />My friend and guide extraordinaire Juan Cardenas were in a canoe doing<br />reconnaissance for a tour when we saw what we thought was a nightjar above<br />our heads. When we arrived back at our lodge, we both realised what we'd<br />really seen, for the first time for both of us. <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">For a start, of all these 'non owls' only the Oilbird is fully vegetarian, living on fruits of palms and laurels. Along with the New Zealand Kakapo, a flightless parrot, it is the world's only nocturnal fruit-eating bird. It finds the fruit by night by smell, and can travel up to 120km from their roost to feed. Moreover it not only has the remarkable night-sight that we'd expect, but it also uses echo-location, like a microbat. This is because, like the bats, it breeds and largely roosts in caves, and needs the 'super power' to navigate in the total darkness. This is not unique among birds, but it is very rare - the only others that I am aware of using it are some swiftlets, which also nest in caves. If caves are not available, Oilbirds will also roost in deep rock crevices and ravines, and it has recently been discovered that they regularly roost in trees in the rainforest too.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim67CUZd-I8d1AxGM5typjUI77xwk_sPa7t2hNcf4XilGPtHWnViskHSGZSILXYGsTkSNDzfFOoI2M3HJTJwJftlHfvanQnKU7is4l2f81FkyKJhLgBls5HsEE2B_R2ojF0SNIqxb4HAgRJpb0nlNzyukhayvjlqinHOeppzb1dhqww6bVO4dYKgEw7OQ/s800/oilbird%20roost%20crevice%20Quiscarrumi%20Bridge%20Peru%201017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim67CUZd-I8d1AxGM5typjUI77xwk_sPa7t2hNcf4XilGPtHWnViskHSGZSILXYGsTkSNDzfFOoI2M3HJTJwJftlHfvanQnKU7is4l2f81FkyKJhLgBls5HsEE2B_R2ojF0SNIqxb4HAgRJpb0nlNzyukhayvjlqinHOeppzb1dhqww6bVO4dYKgEw7OQ/w300-h400/oilbird%20roost%20crevice%20Quiscarrumi%20Bridge%20Peru%201017.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oilbird roost in a deep slot canyon, at the Quiscarrumi Bridge near Moyobamba<br />in northern Peru. The birds look like brown rice grains on the ledge<br /> in shadow in the left foreground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmo43QNZrA1S9RXMMTZ59h8LN_TPVpv8FhU7s6m6DxkRKxGD5TMLbd4n_bmCMaOYiryaRja9mHSUF1AunheOthp794p2DvCBfIH-8b5aTyzXC9qy7gSC3qNIi-zTBVeFoma69PCtaphWt-Q1jxc50ivJX9ZEqRaup6gdyaADqSdXZKWulmpIqz7PhUg-g/s800/Oilbirds8%20Quiscarrumi%20Bridge%20Peru%201017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmo43QNZrA1S9RXMMTZ59h8LN_TPVpv8FhU7s6m6DxkRKxGD5TMLbd4n_bmCMaOYiryaRja9mHSUF1AunheOthp794p2DvCBfIH-8b5aTyzXC9qy7gSC3qNIi-zTBVeFoma69PCtaphWt-Q1jxc50ivJX9ZEqRaup6gdyaADqSdXZKWulmpIqz7PhUg-g/w400-h300/Oilbirds8%20Quiscarrumi%20Bridge%20Peru%201017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup, somewhat hazy, view of the roosting Quiscarrumi Bridge Oilbirds.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Of the five 'non owl' orders in the torch light today, the delightful little owlet-nightjars form something of an outlier - in fact their closest relatives (though still distant) are the swifts and hummingbirds! They are essentially a New Guinea group, where are seven species. One of these extends to and throughout Australia, and there is an endemic species in each of the Indonesian Moluccas and New Caledonia. (There was also a flightless New Zealand species which became extinct in about 1400 when rats arrived in New Zealand with humans.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The elegant little Australian Owlet-nightjar <i>Aegotheles cristatus</i> (also found in the savannas of southern New Guinea) is less than 25cm long and is found in open country throughout the continent. Its musical churring call is a familiar night sound, including in suburbia near bushland. It is the only open country member of the group, the rest being rainforest birds. It hunts insects like a flycatcher does, taking off from a perch to seize prey in the air or from a branch or the ground.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9TlIDwC6TZxYVnzyo5zwCmG4gLyNMRXudZv2xaHvYRZRrg5_g0lbT-eLzmkpeAV2Yy2usUhNfeOvk1nPS9nW4ocs0dmIxq86gTr2yeBoyG44j-uWwiic85EesOzuzF9CnzAgSQZvj-zCdgFAiFLsc1vY6a2XKZph8MGLqrLoQiNNz2B2jEpBAEig-08/s800/Owlet-nightjar%20NBG%201118.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9TlIDwC6TZxYVnzyo5zwCmG4gLyNMRXudZv2xaHvYRZRrg5_g0lbT-eLzmkpeAV2Yy2usUhNfeOvk1nPS9nW4ocs0dmIxq86gTr2yeBoyG44j-uWwiic85EesOzuzF9CnzAgSQZvj-zCdgFAiFLsc1vY6a2XKZph8MGLqrLoQiNNz2B2jEpBAEig-08/w400-h300/Owlet-nightjar%20NBG%201118.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Owlet-nightjar catching the sun in a eucalypt hollow in the<br />Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. This is typically how we<br />see them, though I've also seen them roosting on a branch. They rely heavily<br />on such tree hollows for both roosting and breeding.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally there is the biggest family of 'non owls', the nightjars (which includes the American nighthawks). There are 96 species found on every vegetated continent, quite a few being inter-continental migrants. They live in forest and deserts and big cities. All are superb aerialists, hunting insects by sight in apparent complete darkness, though many can also be seen hunting in the dusk, when their elegantly long wings and aerial virtuosity are there to be admired. I have enjoyed many an evening in camp watching a nightjar hunting, swooping past in the gathering twilight, working up and down the open area of the campground, or flashing repeatedly over a pool or river, intercepting the insects rising from it. And listening! Nightjars have the most amazing calls, wild rising, accelerating bursts of gobbling and bubbling. The Large-tailed Nightjar of northern Australia sounds like someone repeatedly hitting a hollow log with an axe.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS3fhq0nd6mv-Hh4d4I1Eyad4goA_xuueodrhtBFtFSzGIUBeojQNSf2fViOl0-miebfSq-6Lufnf6C338Xw4Dt3XclzAfNVKryrvujYKHAW8KzFYRnlVF_bffVDV8u-p8o2BSPLqkz2G3H90_QHjwTuTmyMMPqZOt9bK3sPzZGV7sIRLnK3ZltJawbw/s800/Blackish%20Nightjars%20San%20Isidro%20to%20Wild%20Sumaco%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS3fhq0nd6mv-Hh4d4I1Eyad4goA_xuueodrhtBFtFSzGIUBeojQNSf2fViOl0-miebfSq-6Lufnf6C338Xw4Dt3XclzAfNVKryrvujYKHAW8KzFYRnlVF_bffVDV8u-p8o2BSPLqkz2G3H90_QHjwTuTmyMMPqZOt9bK3sPzZGV7sIRLnK3ZltJawbw/w400-h300/Blackish%20Nightjars%20San%20Isidro%20to%20Wild%20Sumaco%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackish Nightjars <i>Nyctipolus nigrescens, </i>eastern foothills of the Andes in <br />northern Ecuador. Roosting on or near the ground is typical of nightjars,<br />and this one specialises in rocks or fallen tree trunks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And now for the very embarrassing and embarrassed confession. I have quite a few photos of nightjars, some of them reasonably acceptable (though you may judge that below), but, <i>but</i>... I have never managed to take one of any of the three Australian species, though I've seen them all. The one I've seen most often is the Spotted Nightjar which occurs across most of the inland of the mainland Australia, in dry open habitats. By day you typically you first see them when they flush from the ground. They spend the day roosting, often in the shade, among ground litter or rocks, where they effectively disappear, courtesy of their superbly camouflaged plumage. I have watched carefully to see where they've landed (they often don't go far) and cautiously approached to get a photo - and have failed to find them every single time! I know. As I said, embarrassing. Let's move along to some that I have managed to see (with help on each occasion I should add), in Africa and the Neotropics of America.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt7qtOHoebC5CZ3TZGFtQTDJxCHJLf59YwcTJE3n6zJ2c8NMD4Z0JYeYh5YeLnBRqOhc-YBkWqA4EYQ3N9tTCdkz63mRfVrIxG1UvSOtFl9SklKylvpsEj8RJlcQKqu-0D70rDbQcr_LAC4kM6xFZWwnE-xjMw_3V9-_5dnc8OsRLqKdXLgl2QRo_oBM/s800/Paruaque2%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt7qtOHoebC5CZ3TZGFtQTDJxCHJLf59YwcTJE3n6zJ2c8NMD4Z0JYeYh5YeLnBRqOhc-YBkWqA4EYQ3N9tTCdkz63mRfVrIxG1UvSOtFl9SklKylvpsEj8RJlcQKqu-0D70rDbQcr_LAC4kM6xFZWwnE-xjMw_3V9-_5dnc8OsRLqKdXLgl2QRo_oBM/w400-h300/Paruaque2%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Pauraque <i>Nyctidromus albicollis</i> (the origin of the common name seems to be <br />something of a mystery) is the commonest American nightjar pretty much throughout its range, <br />which includes most of Central and South America. The far-flung sites of<br />these two photos gives some indication of this. The one above was roosting near<br />our room at Muyuna Lodge on the edge of Amazonia in northern Peru...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiln7X9hp2EfI7dwog5jDMrLhQsmZP992DQr_IXU0w30pBrjmb3VCO5t7e8Dh4hh8e8iPQLD_-WFmXv9b1nRQ1PqRJdnDc7wea95INPMDuprCY3EZLeYi2Ua8zQScoGlvxAzVPlKEOzuJ3x1sr93EQ7_eiBIypb5syfDnQFjVxlYmnPgmT5vaYR6ZLEno/s800/Pauraque1%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiln7X9hp2EfI7dwog5jDMrLhQsmZP992DQr_IXU0w30pBrjmb3VCO5t7e8Dh4hh8e8iPQLD_-WFmXv9b1nRQ1PqRJdnDc7wea95INPMDuprCY3EZLeYi2Ua8zQScoGlvxAzVPlKEOzuJ3x1sr93EQ7_eiBIypb5syfDnQFjVxlYmnPgmT5vaYR6ZLEno/w300-h400/Pauraque1%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... while this one was by the track in the northern Panatanal, south-western Brazil.<br />They are often encountered on tracks or roads at night.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlACXP5oWLxKAjAZlcCwFaE-k4ymPLN8f2hPbch0R6pizLk072o5VjPsTkl4FDaQGimtFXo9H5VJfOOm9MBPjEhodcfaq-UhA8SSCYbE6LpaK-K8H8PZT8C0WoxzCFViJfj2q_Mg2HncRINh5TBUmq335ISB3U5Ipra9hYeNojDkhOAmToJuapD17fac/s800/Little%20Nightjar%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlACXP5oWLxKAjAZlcCwFaE-k4ymPLN8f2hPbch0R6pizLk072o5VjPsTkl4FDaQGimtFXo9H5VJfOOm9MBPjEhodcfaq-UhA8SSCYbE6LpaK-K8H8PZT8C0WoxzCFViJfj2q_Mg2HncRINh5TBUmq335ISB3U5Ipra9hYeNojDkhOAmToJuapD17fac/w400-h300/Little%20Nightjar%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also in the northern Pantanal is this one, which I am very cautiously suggesting<br />is a Rufous Nightjar <span><i>Antrostomus rufus</i>, but without much confidence.<br />At the time it was called as a Little Nightjar <i>Setopagis parvula, </i>but<br />that doesn't convince me either. Any suggestions welcomed.<br />(Frankly it doesn't much resemble anything in the Pantanal field guide!)<i><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I mentioned earlier that nightjars often hunt insects over water, so it's no surprise to see them along rivers, though the sheer numbers of these Sand-coloured Nighthawks <i>Chordeiles rupestris </i>along the Manu River in the southern Peruvian Amazon basin astonished me. (Nighthawk is a name used in the US for nightjars that are members of the genus <i>Chordeile</i>). <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEzuqfpEEipFT8dYb8rsgW-VBEA-itEjOF9kZwN_C2cHkvex7lm_30oNPkJbdqFHCuA7rmW_R-1KL1mRF4QqY3gPpFlIV-Uz2PNuxxFrArw2dD-P6iLU62knYcH4CTlK1kb1Ox50S4fuDScVZLyF-mII-n-8FuhrhdW2hO7JIz4Qhh4EA1vqvLr2GHL4/s1000/Sand-coloured%20Nighthawks%20on%20sand%20Manu%20River%201009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEzuqfpEEipFT8dYb8rsgW-VBEA-itEjOF9kZwN_C2cHkvex7lm_30oNPkJbdqFHCuA7rmW_R-1KL1mRF4QqY3gPpFlIV-Uz2PNuxxFrArw2dD-P6iLU62knYcH4CTlK1kb1Ox50S4fuDScVZLyF-mII-n-8FuhrhdW2hO7JIz4Qhh4EA1vqvLr2GHL4/w640-h224/Sand-coloured%20Nighthawks%20on%20sand%20Manu%20River%201009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was just a small part of a loose roosting flock.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPumk-WKUFYnKMUxBtjVjiLG4XcCWqlSo2zNyhvxcrQDoqfIrzT5GVFH9zT1aNdmcPWqy7YpZGy2pqTeSO9CEzCZHVF3tnhr2xJ0VQiGvTouoYK8BFJOglzRK7dwLNtgspGNOCkLZOV89c9w48i6fpDmxdwnOrtMQVf4LppGOlmRyELmp4ivPh72hung/s800/Sand-coloured%20Nighthawks%20on%20branch2%20Manu%20River%201009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPumk-WKUFYnKMUxBtjVjiLG4XcCWqlSo2zNyhvxcrQDoqfIrzT5GVFH9zT1aNdmcPWqy7YpZGy2pqTeSO9CEzCZHVF3tnhr2xJ0VQiGvTouoYK8BFJOglzRK7dwLNtgspGNOCkLZOV89c9w48i6fpDmxdwnOrtMQVf4LppGOlmRyELmp4ivPh72hung/w400-h300/Sand-coloured%20Nighthawks%20on%20branch2%20Manu%20River%201009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup of a couple of members of the same flock, roosting on flood debris.<br />It is found along river corridors in the western Amazon basin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">More surprising was seeing this Lesser Nighthawk <i>Chordeiles acutipennis </i>on the beach in Costa Rica, though apparently this is one of its normal habitats while overwintering there. It breeds in deserts in the south-western US and Mexico, and then flies south to Central and South America for the rest of the year, where it prefers watery habitats.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9uJsOP0YkYuDEajXxTfVgJeHfcKXTG9K0Zc1u4QD849YIt26g7bEMyVOw8Cpnp65iUJgbvLJyUBD6KR0Wq72KCVOPtvDdJLNYMlxoFnmaQ5G10W25WTjEWPDf6WmoISc8Tg0OECzcVFomeOKKrWd_OMWHl_erSQPogTNV_1JXOzYZhA10OAyY9JHn5U/s800/Lesser%20Nighthawk%20mouth%20of%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9uJsOP0YkYuDEajXxTfVgJeHfcKXTG9K0Zc1u4QD849YIt26g7bEMyVOw8Cpnp65iUJgbvLJyUBD6KR0Wq72KCVOPtvDdJLNYMlxoFnmaQ5G10W25WTjEWPDf6WmoISc8Tg0OECzcVFomeOKKrWd_OMWHl_erSQPogTNV_1JXOzYZhA10OAyY9JHn5U/w400-h300/Lesser%20Nighthawk%20mouth%20of%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesser Nighthawk roosting on driftwood at the mouth of the Tarcoles River,<br />eastern Costa Rica. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Some nightjar males have spectacularly long and elaborate tail feathers or flight feathers for display purposes; here are some, though the first couple are unfortunately for us not adult males.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBza3EKCpF3zENEkQR5MSzQda_n9uqxZevePpweUnBJzUfNVwbSCSdrAasVBhl4usdkYD6HGPDT_C69RlKHfesHmIAoaN5tIL1cP5etgTvb5ps4hgzbjcKg9QNqbCt1bq4XWJOHafYMZPiv6Z1YzAQOB0ong7fRpihfXrAztvDvtjG57SYvBJ7F685W28/s800/Ladder-tailed%20Nightjar%20Yasuni%20NP%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBza3EKCpF3zENEkQR5MSzQda_n9uqxZevePpweUnBJzUfNVwbSCSdrAasVBhl4usdkYD6HGPDT_C69RlKHfesHmIAoaN5tIL1cP5etgTvb5ps4hgzbjcKg9QNqbCt1bq4XWJOHafYMZPiv6Z1YzAQOB0ong7fRpihfXrAztvDvtjG57SYvBJ7F685W28/w400-h300/Ladder-tailed%20Nightjar%20Yasuni%20NP%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fledgling Ladder-tailed Nightjar <i>Hydropsalis climacocerca, </i>Yasuní NP, Ecuador. <br />It is found throughout the Amazon Basin. When older, especially if it's a male,<br />it will have a curious tail structure, with the longest feathers being the central and<br />outermost ones. I confess that this doesn't say 'ladder' to me, but that comes from the <br />translation of the Latin name (not that that helps us of course). More importantly, <br />males fan the tails while flying slowly low over water to attract a female's attention.<br />It evidently worked for this one's parents!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwStMx347NPp--kr-d5y0ST4LIq799RcVn30ybWUjJmKHs5ANnUuN4PKitV1psHHSHQtrwpVS-dMpYncuDJLOHxGfjpu-2NBOmW59BwIkVHAguKbthgjs9K0mnnpOBGebbAmCA5GyhBbMzFM52kRHqepW24nsLZ2V3A5QskVwiXWabSGedIUZzoHt-lwU/s800/Scissor-tailed%20NIghtjar%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwStMx347NPp--kr-d5y0ST4LIq799RcVn30ybWUjJmKHs5ANnUuN4PKitV1psHHSHQtrwpVS-dMpYncuDJLOHxGfjpu-2NBOmW59BwIkVHAguKbthgjs9K0mnnpOBGebbAmCA5GyhBbMzFM52kRHqepW24nsLZ2V3A5QskVwiXWabSGedIUZzoHt-lwU/w400-h300/Scissor-tailed%20NIghtjar%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scissor-tailed Nightjar <i>Hydropsalis torquata, </i>Peruibe, on the coast north of <br />Sao Paulo, Brazil. Adult males have a pair of long slender outer tail feathers<br />which often break, so this could be such an unfortunate male, or a female.<br />Oddly the tail doesn't seem to feature in courtship displays, which<br />take place on the ground in an open space, while he claps his wings overhead!<br />This one was roosting in coastal heath just above the ground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IYIZw1I40YpQpVppxb1yeQHKo5gc7Phu70HAjhdodzJfeCU4kjTZ2iBgtvMXyAaQZRqjvUZNfhksqGC49uiThSjsDagtFAz5t9PDBwu6XSeeVP7OuvLfU4rurXdIeo8bEApiLyOa2hCJsTLe04dpy3OyMhN4B6o_O0Jkwzvi_VDSNXHBfMnc8PTmR9A/s800/Pennant-winged%20Nightjar%20(injured)%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IYIZw1I40YpQpVppxb1yeQHKo5gc7Phu70HAjhdodzJfeCU4kjTZ2iBgtvMXyAaQZRqjvUZNfhksqGC49uiThSjsDagtFAz5t9PDBwu6XSeeVP7OuvLfU4rurXdIeo8bEApiLyOa2hCJsTLe04dpy3OyMhN4B6o_O0Jkwzvi_VDSNXHBfMnc8PTmR9A/w400-h300/Pennant-winged%20Nightjar%20(injured)%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennant-winged Nightjar <i>Caprimulgus vexillarius, </i>Murchison Falls NP, Uganda.<br />This bird seemed to be injured, perhaps by another car. The extraordinary<br />pennants are hugely extended second primary feathers (ie growing from<br />about the centre of the wing) which grow longer each year, being shed <br />with the annual moult after breeding. They are used in courtship displays both<br />in flight and while perched on a rock or termite mound, with his back to the female.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR2LcHIH5PQsFmITpT0xjT3GEwLpyYVp7D4p5R7A8NqGNzLRmMvD1fGb-M_N8Em4OlHl2MGp2vlEkv8t1ao43-upLtQZoTmfbVmh-fVsNPrAi_8kcAtsobhxQaqpEBc3Imf_HGtUwAQF8HSlT9mahWtRU0J3JS9HW9eNr3xlmDaWGOhjcs8X_QVZr4Nc/s800/Standard-winged%20Nightjar2%20Ngaoundaba%20Ranch%20Cameroon%200308.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="800" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR2LcHIH5PQsFmITpT0xjT3GEwLpyYVp7D4p5R7A8NqGNzLRmMvD1fGb-M_N8Em4OlHl2MGp2vlEkv8t1ao43-upLtQZoTmfbVmh-fVsNPrAi_8kcAtsobhxQaqpEBc3Imf_HGtUwAQF8HSlT9mahWtRU0J3JS9HW9eNr3xlmDaWGOhjcs8X_QVZr4Nc/w400-h301/Standard-winged%20Nightjar2%20Ngaoundaba%20Ranch%20Cameroon%200308.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standard-winged Nightjar <i>Caprimulgus longipennis,</i> Ngaoundaba Ranch, <br />central Cameroon. His camouflage is exquisite. He is facing right, with his<br />head just under the two green leaves at the centre right of the photo. His <br />ornamentation also features a greatly extended flight feather on each<br />wing, though in this case much of the length comprises a bare shaft,<br />with the two black 'standards' at the tip, and clearly visible here.<br />The standards trail behind him in normal flight but are held straight up<br />when displaying, which occurs in leks, with many males gathered to compete.<br />It must be a spectacular event!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_FWV05wXYe8N9oJrtCRloqKLH3FF9XJDCQxcf6snj4qkTeQ16JuARswx8Udok0UnTr4Up6J_QCPbDx3dtb9veB2XsBHkagOpeC2VG65jTELBlRHVrKHF-lw4ohrs2c1vEb5hU32fKYMTDZf17d7LhalL8MmDxVI1qQTH3Q9kehvcghtPWXovYYFdEWA/s1000/Lyre-tailed%20Nightjar,%20Mindo,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="351" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_FWV05wXYe8N9oJrtCRloqKLH3FF9XJDCQxcf6snj4qkTeQ16JuARswx8Udok0UnTr4Up6J_QCPbDx3dtb9veB2XsBHkagOpeC2VG65jTELBlRHVrKHF-lw4ohrs2c1vEb5hU32fKYMTDZf17d7LhalL8MmDxVI1qQTH3Q9kehvcghtPWXovYYFdEWA/w140-h400/Lyre-tailed%20Nightjar,%20Mindo,%20Ecuador%202011.JPG" width="140" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyre-tailed Nightjar <i>Uropsalis lyra, </i>Mindo Valley, north-western Ecuador.<br />This unlikely beauty is found along most of the Andes from Ecuador to northern<br />Argentina. Its behaviour doesn't seem to be well known, though males apparently<br />also form <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2013/12/lek-it-or-not-where-blokes-show-off.html">leks</a>, competing with females through their flight display. To this end the<br />males' tails are up to 60cm long.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And I think that's probably enough, but hopefully you've been able to find something of interest here. One day I'll do a post on birds that <i>are </i>owls, but the not-owls are, I think, also fascinating and diverse. Thanks for bearing with me, and them.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTfXea_wmBvLRU7dP4C1AwioXcn6VZtqmg4ft_TTBRItrccRnsuf7xuPsV31gumFFiiyHj1isbAHtVFCeU1DyJIY3Hd0XISR2QYqDIOUIi3ELqnRa9yH64omauIbgSiRVF8fn0cZmPIC2hD7tGDqpCmpPU8nBw67_I837_ycOVolYs_yTOCb0P9s2w3A/s800/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20pair%20Tharwa%20Sandwash%200114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTfXea_wmBvLRU7dP4C1AwioXcn6VZtqmg4ft_TTBRItrccRnsuf7xuPsV31gumFFiiyHj1isbAHtVFCeU1DyJIY3Hd0XISR2QYqDIOUIi3ELqnRa9yH64omauIbgSiRVF8fn0cZmPIC2hD7tGDqpCmpPU8nBw67_I837_ycOVolYs_yTOCb0P9s2w3A/w400-h300/Tawny%20Frogmouth%20pair%20Tharwa%20Sandwash%200114.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Frogmouths by the Murrumbidgee River south of Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 19 OCTOBER<br />for more on Costa Rica - some animals</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Well of course I can't meaningfully do so, so I'm going to break it into three posts, the second and third being on birds and other animals. This one will be something of a scene-setter, briefly introducing the origins, habitats and regions of this tiny land - well, tiny by Australian standards at least, only about 75% of the area of Tasmania, our smallest state. However it is bursting with diverse tropical life, especially in the rainforests which rise from sea level on both coasts high into the mountains.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Moreover it is fascinating too in other ways, even within the already fascinating context of Latin America. Since independence in the early 19th century there has been a strong narrative of social welfare and justice that put it ahead of much of its time, such as the introduction of eight-hour working days, tenancy protection laws and workplace safety laws in the 1920s. Famously Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949, and diverted a good part of the money saved into education and health, in both of which it is a leader. More recently it committed itself to 'decarbonising' the economy and achieving carbon neutrality, which it had virtually reached when we were first there in 2019. Unfortunately the current president has backed away from that, and weakened Costa Rica's previous excellent stance in responding to COVID, citing a need to 'reassure the private sector'. But in Costa Rica, presidents come and go and it's hard to see this country abandoning lofty social and environmental goals for long. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">That's not my area of competence though, so we'll return to the more natural aspects of the country.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmNN1aSZ8pytX1r4ePwXSDzsNy8XmGxQz6TNUPHsDtrvO-VNJhDIyjK7vcsDok3-Ek9xVtdvUyYp0RpK-n9to_-UPJS6QkyX-8iEffihXMxKVser8vgJEvSaRGBMG5hEOAOF4B-7t6R3apxNWCov4oYX_x6nwuW8oGwQC04SPIkBF3Es0HzeUCbqZ0sQ/s800/forest%20from%20canopy%20walk1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmNN1aSZ8pytX1r4ePwXSDzsNy8XmGxQz6TNUPHsDtrvO-VNJhDIyjK7vcsDok3-Ek9xVtdvUyYp0RpK-n9to_-UPJS6QkyX-8iEffihXMxKVser8vgJEvSaRGBMG5hEOAOF4B-7t6R3apxNWCov4oYX_x6nwuW8oGwQC04SPIkBF3Es0HzeUCbqZ0sQ/w400-h300/forest%20from%20canopy%20walk1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich cloud forest at 1400 metres above sea level at Monteverde, on the <br />northern central Pacific slopes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Central America is a somewhat amorphous concept - it is certainly not a continent, but the southern end of North America. The UN defines it as the area (including eight countries) between the top of Mexico and the top of Colombia; another definition excludes Mexico, leaving only, from north to south, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MczWc2xpBn0OmMzIQXzyGVXVVezIwweiAodcQxxg8uGFRG7ZSjeJMkVDjBtc0tbcTgBP5TvAP_qr3i3NQEoMcj2wH4qkuYVhQ4-8eVlKkO-cEXmuDpVVnQpK_bLkOoghnYmmcGDRlHfCvepmgQIlok8d_EAkgsDLgGiCRKF9H9_bNeJqV3tUYYu1yxM/s750/central-america-map.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="750" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MczWc2xpBn0OmMzIQXzyGVXVVezIwweiAodcQxxg8uGFRG7ZSjeJMkVDjBtc0tbcTgBP5TvAP_qr3i3NQEoMcj2wH4qkuYVhQ4-8eVlKkO-cEXmuDpVVnQpK_bLkOoghnYmmcGDRlHfCvepmgQIlok8d_EAkgsDLgGiCRKF9H9_bNeJqV3tUYYu1yxM/w640-h512/central-america-map.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The not-Mexico version (low resolution) of Central America, which is fine for our purposes.<br />Map courtesy of <a href="http://geology.com">geology.com</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Until recently - probably no more than 4.5 million years ago - as South America drifted west, North and South America were separated by the Central America Seaway, between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, in which were volcanic islands being pushed up from the sea floor by the movement of the Cocos Plate (west of South America) forcing itself beneath the Caribbean Plate. Sediments from both continents washed into the narrow sea, gradually filling the gaps between islands and forming a bridge between them. South America's ancient isolation had ended, and nothing would be the same again for its unique fauna. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GTR3aMznK4VX-yWYQ_lqpNqPaQzussCnuM_A5cCPTPFW19kAwg2aKYVFaum_KQx1bJSe2G6PAFPfBbE9Fqg4x8rIozyrRdDXKAlLJ76p48SijoWw2C66n88vVv-dOOaR8o-ad41k7e9FS1jIUWpi30W8RV0lJ4JrvFp1b43pSpdbxt0rRjCfApN1Oak/s800/Nine-banded%20Armadillo3%20Pda%20Aguape%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GTR3aMznK4VX-yWYQ_lqpNqPaQzussCnuM_A5cCPTPFW19kAwg2aKYVFaum_KQx1bJSe2G6PAFPfBbE9Fqg4x8rIozyrRdDXKAlLJ76p48SijoWw2C66n88vVv-dOOaR8o-ad41k7e9FS1jIUWpi30W8RV0lJ4JrvFp1b43pSpdbxt0rRjCfApN1Oak/w400-h300/Nine-banded%20Armadillo3%20Pda%20Aguape%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nine-banded Armadillo <span><i>Dasypus novemcinctus</i>, one of the very few ancient South American<br />larger mammals to not only survive the collision with North America, but to establish<br />itself in the north as well.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This fauna included a rich and varied mammal array, such as large marsupial carnivores like the doglike borhyaenids and <i>Thylacosmilus</i>, which looked surprisingly like a saber-toothed cat. There were giant sloths and hoofed mammals with passing resemblances to elephants, horses and tapirs, but entirely unrelated to those groups. Very few of these fabulous beasts survived the invasion of the tough North American invaders when the isthmus closed and formed a bridge; these invaders were very used to competing with invaders from Asia while the South Americans had long had the place to themselves. Among the large mammals only the giant sloths survived - at least until humans arrived. The northern birds on the other hand had much less success in establishing themselves in the south. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The movement was in both directions of course but, apart from the fierce competition, those rainforest dwellers who moved north had to contend with the deserts and a barrier range of high volcanoes across Mexico. More on this in the next couple of posts, with reference to specific groups, but it goes a long way to explaining why Central America, including of course Costa Rica, is so rich in wildlife, as animals (and plants) from both north and south mingle there. Many South Americans got this far north but not much further.<br /></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">There are is no single mountainous spine, such as the Andes provide in South America, but there are three actively volcanic main ranges being, from north to south (or more precisely north-west to south-east), the Cordilleras de Guanacaste, Central and de Talamanca. Within the central range is the big Central Valley, within which lies the capital San José and the other major cities and most of the population, and much of the important coffee crop. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpT07X6gdSAaRd24hif0cbQR2qTmWLpjUpm8L894y2YMMyE0eD3emZsGzH3UJvKzHDLVbWgOI7pn7TlR1BqK4MfJsQn-cQ0AxWYZ8H8UwWnBUyIJ60Hq4zKfcaM-YNLTTuUVRcii5sb_eWNul3eJOfRhF6DEb1RUV7hGo4QZasnv_FtnA6wvyKh2BCiA/s800/early%20morning%20Hotel%20de%20Montagne%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpT07X6gdSAaRd24hif0cbQR2qTmWLpjUpm8L894y2YMMyE0eD3emZsGzH3UJvKzHDLVbWgOI7pn7TlR1BqK4MfJsQn-cQ0AxWYZ8H8UwWnBUyIJ60Hq4zKfcaM-YNLTTuUVRcii5sb_eWNul3eJOfRhF6DEb1RUV7hGo4QZasnv_FtnA6wvyKh2BCiA/w400-h300/early%20morning%20Hotel%20de%20Montagne%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Cordillera Guanacaste, from Monteverde.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The country is entirely within the tropics, so it's warm and humid all year round, though of course cooler in the mountains. The Caribbean coast is very wet throughout the year (6000mm a year at Tortuguero for instance), while the Pacific coast is more seasonal, with rainfall decreasing to the north. <br /></div></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rainforest forms the predominant original vegetation, and the country has done a superb job in protecting what is left and also undertaking massive reforestation projects, beginning in the 1980s when forest cover had fallen to about 24%. The program was based in large part in rewarding farmers for foregoing clearing and replanting, at an agreed rate per hectare. Today the forest cover is up to 57%, which is apparently the maximum possible given both the land that was never forested, and land which is either urban or agriculturally productive (coffee, pineapples and bananas are important export earners). It is striking, when driving around the country, how much of the time is spent within forest. 25% of the country is protected in public conservation reserves, the highest proportion in the world and three times the developed world average, in addition to many private reserves.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lowland rainforests dominate up to about 500 metres above sea level (masl) all along the Caribbean coast, and the southern half of the Pacific coast.<br /></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcGpo3YmkCSCR3RHqdyaj96_CKMtm2biGHXfwhs1PtE6n_ZZRE4r0B9IqzcbV6Af9rPsqpysERLLVJ5cHqGBS9gE6GJpDiGTR0PVaQr1_0dgWydpEhcP7lcDXvtFIwKm_4P4h94rEzY6a29vibeDZBpvUJjZku4wMVMqVe9hLHgIdg8qzmYm4vqR1OaQ/s800/buttress%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcGpo3YmkCSCR3RHqdyaj96_CKMtm2biGHXfwhs1PtE6n_ZZRE4r0B9IqzcbV6Af9rPsqpysERLLVJ5cHqGBS9gE6GJpDiGTR0PVaQr1_0dgWydpEhcP7lcDXvtFIwKm_4P4h94rEzY6a29vibeDZBpvUJjZku4wMVMqVe9hLHgIdg8qzmYm4vqR1OaQ/w400-h300/buttress%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massive buttress in primary rainforest in Carara NP, on the mid Pacific Coast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_zY8q8d0OxUXL0c357PjoqiIViXQZ8UK8fxRsuj6M7RUl1PT88jCiUD4O1oVmDJF6q_Gju7WOq47mvqhOqbUvEA6BQtmiAidF6t3lMx9JuiX_M_o8NQA3h6jJWC4EKnT6SDoiIa2X8dbJW80v-7JMa9ss2BXBHxpmTlx_pKUDIYxaZakmcErC6XFe0k/s800/walking%20track%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_zY8q8d0OxUXL0c357PjoqiIViXQZ8UK8fxRsuj6M7RUl1PT88jCiUD4O1oVmDJF6q_Gju7WOq47mvqhOqbUvEA6BQtmiAidF6t3lMx9JuiX_M_o8NQA3h6jJWC4EKnT6SDoiIa2X8dbJW80v-7JMa9ss2BXBHxpmTlx_pKUDIYxaZakmcErC6XFe0k/w400-h300/walking%20track%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many walking tracks through Carara NP. Wildlife, from poison dart frogs<br />to big Spiny-tailed Iguanas and Fer-de-lances to antbirds and woodpeckers, is everywhere<br />in this forest, and in all the rainforests<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are some more low elevation rainforest photos from different parts of the country. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hIM1s7fN_hlF-aWjdHmH6HQvMbyAKMNgBJ3BwpLww9knrKK30q0POJ8ptMTDrPeIilKF_9OzV27fo6q78DlUYvr2rzJ6BnaHzO3efZDf4Rh84wZ2Hl25n6icKwKAoIVyKJ0EVIpOfjnev_nUbRn4cup3dj1YSf2xTRcvW22xAuw61bDVjpzW8ft9blY/s800/channel%20forest2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hIM1s7fN_hlF-aWjdHmH6HQvMbyAKMNgBJ3BwpLww9knrKK30q0POJ8ptMTDrPeIilKF_9OzV27fo6q78DlUYvr2rzJ6BnaHzO3efZDf4Rh84wZ2Hl25n6icKwKAoIVyKJ0EVIpOfjnev_nUbRn4cup3dj1YSf2xTRcvW22xAuw61bDVjpzW8ft9blY/w400-h300/channel%20forest2%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainforest crowding the banks of the canals in Tortuguero NP, which provide the only <br />access to the coast here. These canals were dug in the 1940s to connect natural <br />waterways, and Tortuguero to the towns to the north and south along the coast.<br />They were originally designed to move rainforest timber; this logging <br />industry ended in the 1970s and now tourists flock here, especially to see<br />the Green Turtles which lay eggs on the beaches at night.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Z6Z2YpfQeAwLU_fBCWqJKczuNJuMX9MXiQdUj-SVlXV9VL2R2qWWfXET4fcasVmt5G3lCiqQmQY8P7D3mPYotggbreT3JD6ikUcTbiJSZfCQI2D1MFyjtgVmdRFzi7VSiKyAwP_5RnK_QLLAdT4wmjZHKs4myL9yVsKo7wyiKliawhEEpiAgFbSxW0E/s800/pond%20in%20forest%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Z6Z2YpfQeAwLU_fBCWqJKczuNJuMX9MXiQdUj-SVlXV9VL2R2qWWfXET4fcasVmt5G3lCiqQmQY8P7D3mPYotggbreT3JD6ikUcTbiJSZfCQI2D1MFyjtgVmdRFzi7VSiKyAwP_5RnK_QLLAdT4wmjZHKs4myL9yVsKo7wyiKliawhEEpiAgFbSxW0E/w400-h300/pond%20in%20forest%20Esquinas%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small forest pool in rainforest at Esquinas Lodge in Piedras Blancas NP<br />in the far south near the Pacific coast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnvWnEHBMOapgO9v7etsG5jFgM4ye8wOgDaYNYcgngzKugXa9c2x2rvotis2i5kF3zMk1TiJlA4NMtipCz9RWCcyYRicqmQIIDpbofPfxrVkkL33Pi1leNZGUDKpdQ19MgMQ3rVDa25qasmwA0UAXbug-AtTu9n3uJmmirqniFTZQR2n8War65f5gSj8/s800/Rio%20Puerto%20Viejo%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnvWnEHBMOapgO9v7etsG5jFgM4ye8wOgDaYNYcgngzKugXa9c2x2rvotis2i5kF3zMk1TiJlA4NMtipCz9RWCcyYRicqmQIIDpbofPfxrVkkL33Pi1leNZGUDKpdQ19MgMQ3rVDa25qasmwA0UAXbug-AtTu9n3uJmmirqniFTZQR2n8War65f5gSj8/w400-h300/Rio%20Puerto%20Viejo%20La%20Selva%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainforest along the Puerto Viejo River, from the footbridge over it at La Selva<br />Biological Research Station, just 60masl, though it is 60km inland from Tortuguero.<br />This superb destination (which provides public accommodation) is run by the <br />Organisation for Tropical Studies, a consortium of over 50 universities in Costa Rica,<br />the US, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. Its 1600ha of largely primary rainforest adjoins<br />the northern edge of the 47,000ha Braulio Carrillo NP, and contains some 60km of <br />walking tracks. A must for anyone reading this blog when you visit Costa Rica!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNdhG2vUpTwgGx8Den9omAdrvx6IKHZKmtbbgfVnEdLTZbebgXOGiCIiy1DsVgOP--d4gjYfjojx1CgBRfuuV4fU3rq-hEAsMCMUcuzuU_jgq3btdpfb-TuGJyHVMCLuz5mFC4fmsS34G914tckvP9lf9OQS0VnNjr3Iz0jP8OUxA6NfQnxOFMxEc048/s800/Baird's%20Tapir1%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNdhG2vUpTwgGx8Den9omAdrvx6IKHZKmtbbgfVnEdLTZbebgXOGiCIiy1DsVgOP--d4gjYfjojx1CgBRfuuV4fU3rq-hEAsMCMUcuzuU_jgq3btdpfb-TuGJyHVMCLuz5mFC4fmsS34G914tckvP9lf9OQS0VnNjr3Iz0jP8OUxA6NfQnxOFMxEc048/w400-h300/Baird's%20Tapir1%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird's (or Central American) Tapir <span><i>Tapirus bairdii</i>, a widespread </span><span>though not usually <br />easy to see</span><span> inhabitant of the rainforests, though it can also be found<br />to above the tree line.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6NjjWRoTA2PiroJlguF7SLc_F9Hgogr_RKcIYhaeKepsFHAU8y2hpuixokX6ZdO9ccFxXkobGp04bu99rWhE7V6ul16dX0Jsj4s4fxoJk0Q4laib9sDUVCt_G-mGokD0RCDRzo40V9hw2Zd7HIgKhjEEVhhEuPRIFyRvrEZnf4fgU4dL7U3hKVy3-xs/s800/forest%20from%20cablecar4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6NjjWRoTA2PiroJlguF7SLc_F9Hgogr_RKcIYhaeKepsFHAU8y2hpuixokX6ZdO9ccFxXkobGp04bu99rWhE7V6ul16dX0Jsj4s4fxoJk0Q4laib9sDUVCt_G-mGokD0RCDRzo40V9hw2Zd7HIgKhjEEVhhEuPRIFyRvrEZnf4fgU4dL7U3hKVy3-xs/w400-h300/forest%20from%20cablecar4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainforest canopy at Tapirus Lodge, a private reserve to the south of La Selva, <br />still on the Caribbean slope and on the eastern boundary of Braulio Carrillo NP.<br />This was taken from the remarkable canopy-level cable car (or 'aerial tram')<br />which offers an hour return trip, with the option of disembarking at the top.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxewObXBCu1qod81ZHFSuzsMlcB8i4Nz4I2KTq0JZ2kOsE5N4ADIUq44EGc1AXFpU43cVIteApgU_7wm3rruOtf9HYbTD616bYqhjH0gVeBQAbj14_zMEDIZpUdNsA990C8xCktaWW13HKHKRoGwQg6KoQv6o6Z4h4etqKcja-ejupsAlyNBudNzcfy-s/s800/rainforest%20morning%20mist%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxewObXBCu1qod81ZHFSuzsMlcB8i4Nz4I2KTq0JZ2kOsE5N4ADIUq44EGc1AXFpU43cVIteApgU_7wm3rruOtf9HYbTD616bYqhjH0gVeBQAbj14_zMEDIZpUdNsA990C8xCktaWW13HKHKRoGwQg6KoQv6o6Z4h4etqKcja-ejupsAlyNBudNzcfy-s/w400-h300/rainforest%20morning%20mist%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning mist over the rainforest along the access road to Tapirus Lodge.<br />The lodge is at 500masl, so at about the elevation where lowland rainforest <br />gives way to highland cloud forest on the Caribbean slopes, though this<br />happens at somewhat higher elevations on the Pacific side.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Cloud forests cover some 16,000ha of mountainous Costa Rica, from the upper level of the lowland rainforests to the tree line at about 3000masl. In the north they are dominated by many species of laurel (family Lauraceae) while further south two species of oak provide up to 80% of the canopy cover. I find this particularly interesting, having never thought of oaks as being tropical, though I now belatedly know that there are species throughout south-east Asia as far as New Guinea.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRARV4ox540gSfdAJvO3MTTCHyLXsOmIJ9azg8W2Guq9UWpt5hpODvYjjXOzDd74nuD1dqtVHQZ2HxsuhnLOO6iiCAgvyDWq4xdpaLN-j9H3OOhHuQqwe3GaPmUElIgP5Latxt5LvvPEZyjn8iv7x86hPBUGrHtPGl0CYHLwVVJ1pq3s75BCiuRZik_Mw/s800/cloud%20forest1%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRARV4ox540gSfdAJvO3MTTCHyLXsOmIJ9azg8W2Guq9UWpt5hpODvYjjXOzDd74nuD1dqtVHQZ2HxsuhnLOO6iiCAgvyDWq4xdpaLN-j9H3OOhHuQqwe3GaPmUElIgP5Latxt5LvvPEZyjn8iv7x86hPBUGrHtPGl0CYHLwVVJ1pq3s75BCiuRZik_Mw/w300-h400/cloud%20forest1%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud forest living up to its name at 1800masl on the Pacific slope <br />of the Talamanca Mountains, above and below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9W98XIfjnJJ6DQcbbz4xZtWFQC3BijpSqSq4xhEXz7kWn1UcI7F8um9MbrWGYHWTUSnYNspYOilB0ufAXPDbQfA9fL6eANNOgd-_y566GhfJ7dEJ_vquxLgjJfJ2IHub82cYkTHAD7yFvFa1F398PlqluI3ITfyAvgdxfRzxMC_lih7z8pSfHrKDYjA/s800/cloud%20forest2%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9W98XIfjnJJ6DQcbbz4xZtWFQC3BijpSqSq4xhEXz7kWn1UcI7F8um9MbrWGYHWTUSnYNspYOilB0ufAXPDbQfA9fL6eANNOgd-_y566GhfJ7dEJ_vquxLgjJfJ2IHub82cYkTHAD7yFvFa1F398PlqluI3ITfyAvgdxfRzxMC_lih7z8pSfHrKDYjA/w400-h300/cloud%20forest2%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbers are characteristic here, as they are at lower elevations.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx8NQwBjHLyehgDC_oVgZIKh7oXEhN6rFO_h3n4ooI2JwD_l_CtcmGYNR05nU6b-2l36J_aQz9oIFW4AJt3WH6zka83IUJk2hBDAKSSbvYm0Oj-2-LOYJnOll8tKrpnfw_J1DuoIQUEtGdAW9XXjZizQOSlwxMF6_tCdMFNT5mJRyUbXUrCAUhWOkUs0/s800/bromeliads%20from%20deck2%20Paraiso%20dos%20Quetzales%20Costa%20Rica%200819%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx8NQwBjHLyehgDC_oVgZIKh7oXEhN6rFO_h3n4ooI2JwD_l_CtcmGYNR05nU6b-2l36J_aQz9oIFW4AJt3WH6zka83IUJk2hBDAKSSbvYm0Oj-2-LOYJnOll8tKrpnfw_J1DuoIQUEtGdAW9XXjZizQOSlwxMF6_tCdMFNT5mJRyUbXUrCAUhWOkUs0/w400-h300/bromeliads%20from%20deck2%20Paraiso%20dos%20Quetzales%20Costa%20Rica%200819%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also characteristic of cloud forests are epiphytes - both these and the climbers are using<br /> the structure of the trees to get up to the essential sunlight. This superb display of bromeliads<br />is seen from the deck at the excellent Paraiso Quetzal ('Quetzal Paradise') Lodge.<br />This wonderful lodge is perched on the mountainside at 2650masl at the head of the<br />Savegre Valley, south of San José on the Pacific slope of the Cordillera Central.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5dyX2I8r1mO-612Hbmni02onAtTAxb54YLa4drq1HmLhkmAYDIckZbcY9p7HjY1aqvdbqHJ7dWildYgbek53r1_Xuv2bxSbNHBzjBS-ScVRpzOdHZc5ms98JMutRvgxVaVK_p_BpVNpFMoJHc3cmTQvt3YAsTRiye-ncZ2cuFsaozHIzpZ4-4QOKh74/s800/epiphytes%20from%20cablecar4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5dyX2I8r1mO-612Hbmni02onAtTAxb54YLa4drq1HmLhkmAYDIckZbcY9p7HjY1aqvdbqHJ7dWildYgbek53r1_Xuv2bxSbNHBzjBS-ScVRpzOdHZc5ms98JMutRvgxVaVK_p_BpVNpFMoJHc3cmTQvt3YAsTRiye-ncZ2cuFsaozHIzpZ4-4QOKh74/w400-h300/epiphytes%20from%20cablecar4%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canopy epiphytes from the cable car at Tapirus Lodge - this really is an<br />excellent way to experience the canopy.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Another way is from the three kilometres of walking tracks at Selvatura Park in Monteverde, featuring eight suspension bridges over deep gullies, so that we're looking down on the canopy.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ70wtS-MD6kQZjR0PMqFMgZaNZOLlsv47MncdZt8jH9KzBERk6Wl1TIJCThVOZVsPIjkAMGT06Z_vt4V1rhHeONiSGU6PG883t0uHSYv7oEwWZowKWVAjxqGa8hImvdcKdqbEqeilyb4F0y7azkH8QbGbxqWMWgwyi-foBFQADqieDft71mP-XaoS6h8/s800/forest%20from%20canopy%20walk2%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ70wtS-MD6kQZjR0PMqFMgZaNZOLlsv47MncdZt8jH9KzBERk6Wl1TIJCThVOZVsPIjkAMGT06Z_vt4V1rhHeONiSGU6PG883t0uHSYv7oEwWZowKWVAjxqGa8hImvdcKdqbEqeilyb4F0y7azkH8QbGbxqWMWgwyi-foBFQADqieDft71mP-XaoS6h8/w300-h400/forest%20from%20canopy%20walk2%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud forest from above; Selvatura Park suspension bridges, Monteverde.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3SgQm2zTJaebyYS9DmrDzjtdJkXoJhDwAcfV5t9FRlG0ogaPMQAilh7aPGshU6pVEXSgL3d7kAKSBpp73QmG6ssIUGcd0F3oE7irEDEvwNmuvQrRVtN9WVRaBE8I7DpjYCQrfVCPychwzhqkNbCjlKiy0heeTcBKKLZZb-9eHi3Y0ZoBdGE21aJpCAY/s800/Mantled%20Howler%20female%20and%20baby2%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3SgQm2zTJaebyYS9DmrDzjtdJkXoJhDwAcfV5t9FRlG0ogaPMQAilh7aPGshU6pVEXSgL3d7kAKSBpp73QmG6ssIUGcd0F3oE7irEDEvwNmuvQrRVtN9WVRaBE8I7DpjYCQrfVCPychwzhqkNbCjlKiy0heeTcBKKLZZb-9eHi3Y0ZoBdGE21aJpCAY/w400-h300/Mantled%20Howler%20female%20and%20baby2%20canopy%20walk%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A remarkable perspective of a female Mantled Howler Monkey <span><i>Alouatta palliata</i><br />and baby from a Monteverde suspension bridge.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOHkxic_CvoVIjzMnZTsFhzcklJexDCIR8K927TRXeUKz_9ysV6N03TSqczaZuLGkUIfD-jOeEBxg1Dqz6S_46km38H2Pn_4MgyVJKSAOHQlxzjSyuz9zuJJydrt30s3hhEpnL_sEn5pDTJFO6Jju3lU7bcPopmK-vtjY6efiCkCSJ-4aScSwUfDQCXg/s800/walking%20track1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOHkxic_CvoVIjzMnZTsFhzcklJexDCIR8K927TRXeUKz_9ysV6N03TSqczaZuLGkUIfD-jOeEBxg1Dqz6S_46km38H2Pn_4MgyVJKSAOHQlxzjSyuz9zuJJydrt30s3hhEpnL_sEn5pDTJFO6Jju3lU7bcPopmK-vtjY6efiCkCSJ-4aScSwUfDQCXg/w400-h300/walking%20track1%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walking tracks between the bridges are also deep in rich cloud forest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The Savegre Valley, below Paraiso Quetzal, is a superb introduction to the southern oak cloud forests.<br /></div></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_OiDj3SrDmmwl4XsHY5VwAO7SBQmKYLtFMc4OR_Og56McmBNes96ExsiRTu9zvKlJ-4p23jkXleF1hjIF2Xz3D26CpK-ImLnjZqiwNa3j1mgeOh7o6v7S1Tuym7Brz0YdxZp5kf8ruYEM7DMHod6oCJaABPZgT25hSeMRLc-RU0IAkzAWlhaKE2qaHM/s800/oak%20forest%20and%20river3%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_OiDj3SrDmmwl4XsHY5VwAO7SBQmKYLtFMc4OR_Og56McmBNes96ExsiRTu9zvKlJ-4p23jkXleF1hjIF2Xz3D26CpK-ImLnjZqiwNa3j1mgeOh7o6v7S1Tuym7Brz0YdxZp5kf8ruYEM7DMHod6oCJaABPZgT25hSeMRLc-RU0IAkzAWlhaKE2qaHM/w300-h400/oak%20forest%20and%20river3%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking tracks through the oaks follow the Savegre river and its streams...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUUbZh6KBUgE3zDPUyrdeCaSGUaS_pASGAYScdQ7YEp_p706b0yK_CqTz0_RCSkyC8e-TO-vWSXZTdCxVoLKplmIh-ayaszed2BDReE9x7J6M5Tpae3-hKVxIlDrG-681wU2C_YhBnPCJ1XFz3jYLqSOFMBdzyev91QllK_HpoprXxdb2QGD5j3FKsZQ/s800/oak%20forest%20and%20cloud%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUUbZh6KBUgE3zDPUyrdeCaSGUaS_pASGAYScdQ7YEp_p706b0yK_CqTz0_RCSkyC8e-TO-vWSXZTdCxVoLKplmIh-ayaszed2BDReE9x7J6M5Tpae3-hKVxIlDrG-681wU2C_YhBnPCJ1XFz3jYLqSOFMBdzyev91QllK_HpoprXxdb2QGD5j3FKsZQ/w400-h300/oak%20forest%20and%20cloud%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... while vantage points enable us to admire the distinctive oak canopy.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The most famous of the cloud forest dwellers is undoubtedly the wonderfully-named Resplendent Quetzal <span><i>Pharomachrus mocinno</i>, a magnet for birders everywhere. It is the largest of the trogons, a family of colourful birds found throughout the tropical forests of the Americas, Asia and Africa.<br /></span></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrc0DPS5yoBX-YyZmIZJVNAcKNJilwfBqab-9jwyFa2So-cqHHzEP318QGR3FeaFUJYreRaB0cqwwDlfZpLS5-mlzkwwfGeUPwF-lvgeAFljcEOjf9g8yQKFZrXQHyZzEqXXcmhljbfY2H8vn_U1pk6VI1WTeIQAyMXEJHrcVb8zKHEFI4iIJIEvr9AlY/s800/Resplendent%20Quetzal%20male1%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrc0DPS5yoBX-YyZmIZJVNAcKNJilwfBqab-9jwyFa2So-cqHHzEP318QGR3FeaFUJYreRaB0cqwwDlfZpLS5-mlzkwwfGeUPwF-lvgeAFljcEOjf9g8yQKFZrXQHyZzEqXXcmhljbfY2H8vn_U1pk6VI1WTeIQAyMXEJHrcVb8zKHEFI4iIJIEvr9AlY/w299-h400/Resplendent%20Quetzal%20male1%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Resplendent Quetzal, Savegre Valley. This was from the balcony of a restaurant!<br />The iridescent feathers look blue in this dim under-canopy light, but bright green in the sun.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Above where the cloud forests end, at about 3000masl, is the páramo, a relatively small treeless region beginning with a zone of dwarf bamboo and low shrubs and grading into heathland and grassland.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnuoXkDZvf5soEysI8W1-J_LA6ALTbtMx0GIiO3tY0Emec4siNDZHX_HrbTXkre9Fz110V35nW0dKssJrA_zXyC5J7qbkv6u09vsubo4rw54yxgvvNv-GRQcH9bi5AaDlkb4MhuoA5V3qE6pm_KRwUoIimz80RGGy4D4xeiXZ2ELkvxsZSNLzoWa_ssk/s800/Chusquea%20bamboo%20Talamanca%20Range%203400m%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnuoXkDZvf5soEysI8W1-J_LA6ALTbtMx0GIiO3tY0Emec4siNDZHX_HrbTXkre9Fz110V35nW0dKssJrA_zXyC5J7qbkv6u09vsubo4rw54yxgvvNv-GRQcH9bi5AaDlkb4MhuoA5V3qE6pm_KRwUoIimz80RGGy4D4xeiXZ2ELkvxsZSNLzoWa_ssk/w400-h300/Chusquea%20bamboo%20Talamanca%20Range%203400m%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bamboos <i>Chusquea </i>spp. at the edge of the páramo at 3200masl in the Talamanca Range.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5ic0fkA8jBOfq1h9qDAAo_dfARdSCCJz4WzTGiogCJ1d7v7aqDefRK5cv6xM0D-xXaMSu-TIVUuB-I9nqCZFq4QPOkvgq__k3kSXNSb9F1uOZmcBZMVhae_DAJPzjkTR5xAwhM_ATx4YAGlrx6pKnDedEAvuThwc0CqtSrhLgc-sBWSK5yCg4icbAQ0/s800/vegetation1%203400masl%20Parramo%20Rd%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5ic0fkA8jBOfq1h9qDAAo_dfARdSCCJz4WzTGiogCJ1d7v7aqDefRK5cv6xM0D-xXaMSu-TIVUuB-I9nqCZFq4QPOkvgq__k3kSXNSb9F1uOZmcBZMVhae_DAJPzjkTR5xAwhM_ATx4YAGlrx6pKnDedEAvuThwc0CqtSrhLgc-sBWSK5yCg4icbAQ0/w400-h300/vegetation1%203400masl%20Parramo%20Rd%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heathland páramo at 3400masl.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fsbh_0j7xdxTGO5vd04djn8jv3jLf_mRz_CtWtXq1nx-06hyiRxoGhPLe249sFeYpmcgLpzPFXLwbTeZmvasQswHS2UkLuzWcWRQ_hu0DRqYV4p9oKTdUf2KTeSRR-pP_vCyYhDWyhXSMQ8AjR5wANkaU76CDewUuZnsEjtq_glIzO2GqUeA2ptcXtI/s800/Green%20Spiny%20Lizard%20Sceloporus%20malachiticus2%203400masl%20Parramo%20Rd%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fsbh_0j7xdxTGO5vd04djn8jv3jLf_mRz_CtWtXq1nx-06hyiRxoGhPLe249sFeYpmcgLpzPFXLwbTeZmvasQswHS2UkLuzWcWRQ_hu0DRqYV4p9oKTdUf2KTeSRR-pP_vCyYhDWyhXSMQ8AjR5wANkaU76CDewUuZnsEjtq_glIzO2GqUeA2ptcXtI/w400-h300/Green%20Spiny%20Lizard%20Sceloporus%20malachiticus2%203400masl%20Parramo%20Rd%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Spiny Lizard <i>Sceloporus malachiticus</i> at 3400masl (and it was bleak and<br />cold at the time!), one of the few reptiles that can survive at this altitude and<br />quite common in the highlands.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">At Carara National Park (see above) the southern lowland rainforests begin to give way to drier forests - there is still a high annual rainfall but there is also an extended dry season. In Australia we would call this more open dry rainforest 'monsoon forest', such as is common around Darwin. Much of it has been cleared for agriculture, but there are still significant areas of it protected in the north.</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b9DwTyG71y8Iz8CX2HsO1jgVaH5Y9khzKDSBHAlNAiOZOMsqsswGGi7wBg9sSZEMvnA_iNqCh3jVXb6_BtD8-pnSV9OFGbNIbV_WqYgDmaFIkCNlgaf7cV8oAevmGCNkIctl_72JJCpobWDoQvKqOFuiIxdl_MaNSF6Z2lPAHCvLuOyxa0qEJx-CGF4/s800/Dry%20forest%20remnants%20S%20of%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b9DwTyG71y8Iz8CX2HsO1jgVaH5Y9khzKDSBHAlNAiOZOMsqsswGGi7wBg9sSZEMvnA_iNqCh3jVXb6_BtD8-pnSV9OFGbNIbV_WqYgDmaFIkCNlgaf7cV8oAevmGCNkIctl_72JJCpobWDoQvKqOFuiIxdl_MaNSF6Z2lPAHCvLuOyxa0qEJx-CGF4/w400-h300/Dry%20forest%20remnants%20S%20of%20Monteverde%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partially cleared dry forest west of Monteverde.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQo9md-ERMSPjqLfGFHZm25Pj2O0hW-VbVc5ZBUEMk0rOLpz-Dqnn0_KS6EDoqxpCAc0vDqB6YIGUOReuBtweJj8ogIYXeWGn6Fsh26EMQI-NUKtAM04qXSPIrOoIoIeZ5aaIH7ia3RTKuanpsEGHfzJS54vlH2lif20KsUAQakFS-mdD5qKMXDJP0pY/s800/dry%20forest3%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQo9md-ERMSPjqLfGFHZm25Pj2O0hW-VbVc5ZBUEMk0rOLpz-Dqnn0_KS6EDoqxpCAc0vDqB6YIGUOReuBtweJj8ogIYXeWGn6Fsh26EMQI-NUKtAM04qXSPIrOoIoIeZ5aaIH7ia3RTKuanpsEGHfzJS54vlH2lif20KsUAQakFS-mdD5qKMXDJP0pY/w400-h300/dry%20forest3%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The understorey - here in Rincón de la Vieja NP in far north-western Costa Rica -<br />is more open than in rainforest, with often thorny small trees and shrubs.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EkyPUIAwjdop1bizFeAjlHNGjqg_CjwqbEIdT5I7XWLKDO9U8NUa_ATiefGCldcGliDIxyjR-l7gCyO6ExGtMyUHscyLbVP9kiD9oKbIXDBJWjdUbBb49QdEgUX4qJljBnN27NrvUxTWqCbprrTa7rJYjBHElySyVKAaX6UzBBXLHON0zmmsluIkJ54/s800/fig%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EkyPUIAwjdop1bizFeAjlHNGjqg_CjwqbEIdT5I7XWLKDO9U8NUa_ATiefGCldcGliDIxyjR-l7gCyO6ExGtMyUHscyLbVP9kiD9oKbIXDBJWjdUbBb49QdEgUX4qJljBnN27NrvUxTWqCbprrTa7rJYjBHElySyVKAaX6UzBBXLHON0zmmsluIkJ54/w300-h400/fig%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overstorey trees however can be 30 metres high, like this fig...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V0Cel5TiLLkRpmC-89C5OU4k27jtaqWwJpIrkKVzVBc35NiPmRkTVLJ-f9g-cghmEpGZkEiqNk9ABy7j03b0Vi3eFyBSB4QeU2fnbDeJqJvAWesRBS8UQmkdPup4eYF3zc8ArMmBskPH1yAKczjP545YeduXqYhJUxKlEUEfLhcCdSgP3zjTKhNxfIg/s800/pea%20flowers%20on%20forest%20floor2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V0Cel5TiLLkRpmC-89C5OU4k27jtaqWwJpIrkKVzVBc35NiPmRkTVLJ-f9g-cghmEpGZkEiqNk9ABy7j03b0Vi3eFyBSB4QeU2fnbDeJqJvAWesRBS8UQmkdPup4eYF3zc8ArMmBskPH1yAKczjP545YeduXqYhJUxKlEUEfLhcCdSgP3zjTKhNxfIg/w400-h300/pea%20flowers%20on%20forest%20floor2%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and many species of pea, such as have covered the forest floor with <br />flowers here (and below).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwdNBV-rBvERzXltJ-jFyOqaPUUAb8KOcGDxT5jwe50LMkFrpSVOyNkAgLhSqhohhI4CfdcKbPnPwiG3n3rqvQbN2jKBhxGLTqVo1qMPmHd0lpWUAyYhWfGifz-lZoi-7Zch3wB_YpwbBNVWCx3TwcIk9LyEDhy0YJ1HfbUkKarmsvhtjnWET8EEbYpc/s800/pea%20flowers%20on%20forest%20floor3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwdNBV-rBvERzXltJ-jFyOqaPUUAb8KOcGDxT5jwe50LMkFrpSVOyNkAgLhSqhohhI4CfdcKbPnPwiG3n3rqvQbN2jKBhxGLTqVo1qMPmHd0lpWUAyYhWfGifz-lZoi-7Zch3wB_YpwbBNVWCx3TwcIk9LyEDhy0YJ1HfbUkKarmsvhtjnWET8EEbYpc/w400-h300/pea%20flowers%20on%20forest%20floor3%20Tapirus%20Lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As we might expect, there are many animals in these north-western dry forests that are not found elsewhere, such as this beautiful motmot.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamBAB1kS6xgAoZFYcyJrBYCT_REzMtDNQve0BDndP66BPJJsIKKJQZdZVYJ658riDeZVe3Dl_cMZii0g2vbmPUKBC5tXG8EYciLurB47ms5xavbkRk1UR2jvK6eYuAKfPGbD29Pp0NG0xKSBkE2bBNcL-yiGSX9EW_KIsPXMMq4xGypr-jxfAIuck8eI/s800/Turquoise-browed%20Motmot2%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamBAB1kS6xgAoZFYcyJrBYCT_REzMtDNQve0BDndP66BPJJsIKKJQZdZVYJ658riDeZVe3Dl_cMZii0g2vbmPUKBC5tXG8EYciLurB47ms5xavbkRk1UR2jvK6eYuAKfPGbD29Pp0NG0xKSBkE2bBNcL-yiGSX9EW_KIsPXMMq4xGypr-jxfAIuck8eI/w300-h400/Turquoise-browed%20Motmot2%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turquoise-browed Motmot <i>Eumomota superciliosam</i>, Rincón de la Vieja NP;<br />this is the national bird of Nicaragua.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Rincón de la Vieja is also the name of an active volcano in the park - we were however not there in the dry season, and I didn't ever get a chance to take a photo of it without a total cloud shroud. However we walked on its lower flanks, and saw plenty of evidence of its activity.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDR8KcgaV8cw_FYTFK21vGU1LoPU-7sQEcvNb1klUmaXPRwCarEzU2Lp2Ey-Vgccd0DGwF3kRO2-bRVE_a-wAuxno2QDtoRn3aIC9XZmuLqUzRduBKIr_R2exZ2gs1PeboNhmy26w1YNa5IDXDKF9oir7cDJDW5NzZxNT2MJ2DxDz6Nd943GExisSLNA/s800/steam%20from%20fumarole1%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDR8KcgaV8cw_FYTFK21vGU1LoPU-7sQEcvNb1klUmaXPRwCarEzU2Lp2Ey-Vgccd0DGwF3kRO2-bRVE_a-wAuxno2QDtoRn3aIC9XZmuLqUzRduBKIr_R2exZ2gs1PeboNhmy26w1YNa5IDXDKF9oir7cDJDW5NzZxNT2MJ2DxDz6Nd943GExisSLNA/w400-h300/steam%20from%20fumarole1%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steam and gases being emitted from a fumarole on the hillside above a bubbling pool.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNjZa0YyDpcp2qxApWqIqsZWpYfHiiAzdAUGi9URw5ViH0ODAvvzps1K7RO6EsEIw_HxNEe86A8HFxc9Hd3g0z48hhuR_WbnzpVWiHWpY810zLg9-fPNJD4W8IG3RoleP3jmnYd8rtEfYgl-GnOsOsASspOoP7Y1_cK8SnB1oxI8A70HZhfTNSMPVDMw/w400-h300/bubbling%20mud%20pool5%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbling mud in a hot pool of it, above and below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNjZa0YyDpcp2qxApWqIqsZWpYfHiiAzdAUGi9URw5ViH0ODAvvzps1K7RO6EsEIw_HxNEe86A8HFxc9Hd3g0z48hhuR_WbnzpVWiHWpY810zLg9-fPNJD4W8IG3RoleP3jmnYd8rtEfYgl-GnOsOsASspOoP7Y1_cK8SnB1oxI8A70HZhfTNSMPVDMw/s800/bubbling%20mud%20pool5%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">+<img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuc5XcfJPaVaq4GonyhI3vbSh-7yXicarLGkJ7hz6BOGZzO8wxLaHy2inSf2acx5FPHSRY5Z4Io9UNrTAhZnNWKbyxvgsamcRV7wZY3RukoZ7fvHpSwn5hH_dt9J8qi-qUSPUJKfE0y3xkN6-gg_pmAByNt3rn180wgrJHHADJ42cMvDJpu_x4mEWFao/w400-h300/bubbling%20mud%20pool6%20Rincon%20de%20la%20Vieja%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Irazú Volcano, very close to San José, is Costa Rica's highest active volcano, at 3400masl. It has erupted more than 20 times in the past 300 years, most recently in 1994. Due to its proximity to the national capital, and its easy access, it is a popular destination. Technically you can see both coastlines from the top, but I suspect that doesn't happen very often, and certainly didn't while we were there. Everything you will read about it mentions the chemically-green lake in the crater, but in fact at the moment it is dry.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-koA3zumV4A9xpjWlD3AUd8iSh4jQpPiMOCiD0LW5gjihl5vl5Rq0nxdfq-kS6fxA4UnXOQkg5D3IeOz2Mj8w0Ash0D-ZQ3o2mJ5CbH_SHc_sUn2KcpCl13LktM5XGqA8mBbeyGesv30LZJ-1Cy326zVdGGIOOC3p7wO6YsiMfjtZ11QKuVos1VqkuU/s800/main%20crater%20Irazu%20Volcano%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-koA3zumV4A9xpjWlD3AUd8iSh4jQpPiMOCiD0LW5gjihl5vl5Rq0nxdfq-kS6fxA4UnXOQkg5D3IeOz2Mj8w0Ash0D-ZQ3o2mJ5CbH_SHc_sUn2KcpCl13LktM5XGqA8mBbeyGesv30LZJ-1Cy326zVdGGIOOC3p7wO6YsiMfjtZ11QKuVos1VqkuU/w400-h300/main%20crater%20Irazu%20Volcano%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This, the main crater, is 750m across and 270m deep, and currently the floor<br />is covered with volcanic sand and ash. The rim and surrounds are covered<br />with typical páramo vegetation.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Probably more famous however is the Arenal Volcano at the eastern end of the Guanacaste Range, in a 12,000ha national park. A classic volcanic cone, it is very much alive and in 1968 exploded spectacularly, killing 87 people in nearby villages. The Arenal Observatory Lodge, which is a very nice place to stay indeed, grew from a small accommodation centre provided on private property for scientists studying the aftermath of the explosion. The deck outside the restaurant looks down on a busy fruit feeder for birds, and up at the still largely bared slopes of the volcano.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfdf7SfA3vU1_Wcys1SOCXXOo6imUTvxdGbe2VeAMMA5YYOUU-8xnCbL9jlZ45OOgyH9UMSmUhKGNbIj6UDLz3K7557xwormBKUV7VI-Ke-qZ9D5K8_8jHank92P3Oz95CHvjcjv7yhCXbsQAXryjvMYoyu60RkXePMTdA7phyycof-Sd3dIfjO90OBI/s800/Vo%20Arenal%20from%20lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfdf7SfA3vU1_Wcys1SOCXXOo6imUTvxdGbe2VeAMMA5YYOUU-8xnCbL9jlZ45OOgyH9UMSmUhKGNbIj6UDLz3K7557xwormBKUV7VI-Ke-qZ9D5K8_8jHank92P3Oz95CHvjcjv7yhCXbsQAXryjvMYoyu60RkXePMTdA7phyycof-Sd3dIfjO90OBI/w400-h300/Vo%20Arenal%20from%20lodge%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arenal Volcano from the Observatory Lodge.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Much of the surrounding forest, with many excellent walking tracks, is secondary forest recovering from the 1968 eruption.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9kcuvUHPNRvCetIeTZ6TOCUnoBzSr_9DXdmRI-LSb5umndrUwKPJYIoBgz2dCcLj0mYw80upevAuVxkF3mqIWKhipUVDKIIiJ6NRVRUMLPA7To4oKI1_vWRNbCwKii0aCvu1_QDiDl08w-W0MEpJg7mgxeenS0CHtLYqoqpp4I0tXLj6R_CpKlehSqk/s800/regrowth%20from%201968%20eruption%20Volvan%20Arenal%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9kcuvUHPNRvCetIeTZ6TOCUnoBzSr_9DXdmRI-LSb5umndrUwKPJYIoBgz2dCcLj0mYw80upevAuVxkF3mqIWKhipUVDKIIiJ6NRVRUMLPA7To4oKI1_vWRNbCwKii0aCvu1_QDiDl08w-W0MEpJg7mgxeenS0CHtLYqoqpp4I0tXLj6R_CpKlehSqk/w400-h300/regrowth%20from%201968%20eruption%20Volvan%20Arenal%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-eruption regrowth forest on the lower slopes of Arenal Volcano.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">50km to the north, Arenal still dominates the southern horizon, from the open spaces of the lakes of Caño Negro which are the focal point of a Ramsar-listed wetlands site up near the Nicaraguan border. The Frio River feeds it, and flows on into mighty Lake Nicaragua, just across the border. In the wet season the river overflows the plains. This wonderful complex of swamplands, forests and grasslands is only accessible by boat.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-I-6qN4880-dl13-44jTCrGmZFxD9s6SR3NEx5dRW0hQtcSs_aZPnug7k1SCkJodqEDlKJbNAO9WyyyctZYjcbVCmjohjmQZ3j80fTA_nUyq1vC2uIkppCOPQrC1GnIySwXXfafGZswVdxQQxS4JQG8l17ArXHw1QaB2zPHj6BDr6-cx-wLQlZXsE9M/s800/Vo%20Arenal2%20from%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-I-6qN4880-dl13-44jTCrGmZFxD9s6SR3NEx5dRW0hQtcSs_aZPnug7k1SCkJodqEDlKJbNAO9WyyyctZYjcbVCmjohjmQZ3j80fTA_nUyq1vC2uIkppCOPQrC1GnIySwXXfafGZswVdxQQxS4JQG8l17ArXHw1QaB2zPHj6BDr6-cx-wLQlZXsE9M/w400-h300/Vo%20Arenal2%20from%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arenal Volcano, 50km away, seen from the lakes at Caño Negro.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6MSpC5-b3jW49I3xQa-JsGWdhtN95nM76Yy6eVRWeujWC-HtQwFrr3gVrhNiHjKAOICY-PCBSl9UECFR5Tweh5hjBNGZ0Ac7SglZTw0A54FTenwxxXr8LXZyWmqFEbrwvkq86OiGztRlweB7Ef8CNFh4rNKQNe8e1d6apireKDcjHxy2bqwQkIto-kw/s1000/lake1%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="1000" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6MSpC5-b3jW49I3xQa-JsGWdhtN95nM76Yy6eVRWeujWC-HtQwFrr3gVrhNiHjKAOICY-PCBSl9UECFR5Tweh5hjBNGZ0Ac7SglZTw0A54FTenwxxXr8LXZyWmqFEbrwvkq86OiGztRlweB7Ef8CNFh4rNKQNe8e1d6apireKDcjHxy2bqwQkIto-kw/w640-h230/lake1%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest-lined lake shore from a boat at Caño Negro.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUs5t47Jf3CdJyt-LeaDvdoOd0ywfXD4xUWZcBZ32NKKTIHW2nxRvcyAZLIKwR-cDUYTB7MOwC-1l4yg7_XoRg2Buw_BhwbTn0bGNR64rJW5SKigRvL3-_7WsIdmkseBUU_zwXQD3B5LSdDTZ2_h8pUsvFCix1r2L2ElXfnA2z_6iL-5y6sezW78qs_M/s800/scenery1%20Medio%20Queso%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUs5t47Jf3CdJyt-LeaDvdoOd0ywfXD4xUWZcBZ32NKKTIHW2nxRvcyAZLIKwR-cDUYTB7MOwC-1l4yg7_XoRg2Buw_BhwbTn0bGNR64rJW5SKigRvL3-_7WsIdmkseBUU_zwXQD3B5LSdDTZ2_h8pUsvFCix1r2L2ElXfnA2z_6iL-5y6sezW78qs_M/w400-h300/scenery1%20Medio%20Queso%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another wetland a little to the east, near the cryptically named town of <br />Medio Queso (ie middle cheese!).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr2Yr32KAwZCWNaFEwNqlJ4IrlX6LPbiE_HEbe4QvC5CSKIZDbUvBMifFzDoHaXFuZPK9Q25D9yb8hG7mRewpqBVgXaU3UrKpvechOLcrD5N1sG57vhXsObHIONfXoIKcH6aaGmcZBveTIYCZzapRndf-nnpVjyeBHWLFO-oiLwBARO-XZbhCSjNbpoI/s800/Least%20Bittern3%20Medio%20Queso%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr2Yr32KAwZCWNaFEwNqlJ4IrlX6LPbiE_HEbe4QvC5CSKIZDbUvBMifFzDoHaXFuZPK9Q25D9yb8hG7mRewpqBVgXaU3UrKpvechOLcrD5N1sG57vhXsObHIONfXoIKcH6aaGmcZBveTIYCZzapRndf-nnpVjyeBHWLFO-oiLwBARO-XZbhCSjNbpoI/w300-h400/Least%20Bittern3%20Medio%20Queso%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least Bittern <i>Ixobrychus exilis</i> from the boat in the Medio Queso channels;<br />this is not an easy bird to see normally. It is the smallest American heron,<br />and one of the world's smallest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So far when I've briefly mentioned rivers, it's been in the context of the forests surrounding them, but of course any river trip, of which there are some worthwhile ones in Costa Rica, has its own interest and habitats. One good one is the trip from La Pavona, which is literally the end of the road, via the Rio Suerte ('Lucky River') to the channels which eventually take us to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. Here was our highlight of that trip.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwgPl9bSydEUjkTzJ4xgX-W9L40wXd6T2nvoGTfhKzEyhR8FY2QPYFggtLlyiUxi7OsSD4A8MItiefByvyg8F7h3dpD-FOwyNg35Wj7HsUp66XC49Ph2KKudxI09D2QEP_7dOFSMZGtAzxdk0VNJh9we4_ZimczKeskZSsEW1Jfzsj8B9aVv5widVIiY/s1000/Neotropical%20River%20Otter5%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwgPl9bSydEUjkTzJ4xgX-W9L40wXd6T2nvoGTfhKzEyhR8FY2QPYFggtLlyiUxi7OsSD4A8MItiefByvyg8F7h3dpD-FOwyNg35Wj7HsUp66XC49Ph2KKudxI09D2QEP_7dOFSMZGtAzxdk0VNJh9we4_ZimczKeskZSsEW1Jfzsj8B9aVv5widVIiY/w640-h224/Neotropical%20River%20Otter5%20Tortuguera%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /> <br /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neotropical River Otter <span><i>Lontra longicaudis </i>focussed on a fishy snack by the Rio Suerte.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Another very worthwhile river trip is on the Tarcoles River. Your first sight of this river is likely to be where the highway crosses it near to Carara NP on the Pacific coast, and where every tour bus stops and disgorges its passengers to walk onto the bridge (just centimetres it seems from passing trucks) to admire the very rare American Crocodiles which loaf hopefully below. <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw1gxI99SZFmbT1FvZS_JNGKrVeKSjt-FmEVm2zbeBbaBy3UBupTyZ_I_ERSxEYgI_cFvE9abwLw-o-3V34PdL0VZtOttHP33w7wJ-GKb9Sh71QckrEU7WdEi8_uPRDkMuxzqS57IXzeaD42nF_8a3oHKzHaHeEdMTvV4NIyJrB8IcYVXrSZLquOctEs/s800/American%20Crocodile2%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw1gxI99SZFmbT1FvZS_JNGKrVeKSjt-FmEVm2zbeBbaBy3UBupTyZ_I_ERSxEYgI_cFvE9abwLw-o-3V34PdL0VZtOttHP33w7wJ-GKb9Sh71QckrEU7WdEi8_uPRDkMuxzqS57IXzeaD42nF_8a3oHKzHaHeEdMTvV4NIyJrB8IcYVXrSZLquOctEs/w300-h400/American%20Crocodile2%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Crocodile <span><i>Crocodylus acutus</i> below the Tarcoles River bridge.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">However a much more relaxing, rewarding and safe way to see the river is by tour boat, several of which leave from downstream and go through the forest to the river mouth.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IhRGFNS3c0pOsNyaY2u9eINEfh_U6aGZuTHZxcZIvjuktH5laaMOuxGrmFjtu3cn5daLtFqY0Esrp7Fl7nFuAxAIt2355aTFNohmvIBEOhsxVczQhEKIXkmYymjHYZKNTppw8FTkLlfqUHAg0tYSVoAVaESGMUaBVinZqhTkkR-K0cU0yWJR9pXGcFc/s800/mangrove%20roots%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IhRGFNS3c0pOsNyaY2u9eINEfh_U6aGZuTHZxcZIvjuktH5laaMOuxGrmFjtu3cn5daLtFqY0Esrp7Fl7nFuAxAIt2355aTFNohmvIBEOhsxVczQhEKIXkmYymjHYZKNTppw8FTkLlfqUHAg0tYSVoAVaESGMUaBVinZqhTkkR-K0cU0yWJR9pXGcFc/w400-h300/mangrove%20roots%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangroves with 'stilt roots' by the Tarcoles River.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvCwzJSuHyRZ1SVweQO4FI8nvs2LUpIDu_LK2YvqBEBMvmVYcfUxpuwe3FbvZhUdkF1uVjAHtcDrfdyO0nWkfWNvhZ__R2jv3pcQEWaygkcm6iZSXfSRJ09btciyk7chqWOA5F7eb73PJQs9g27jYZOh0y8B2UCjNGzhMHJT65_0rHZJb6sn6pL9qH-E/s800/Roseate%20Spoonbill%20preening1%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvCwzJSuHyRZ1SVweQO4FI8nvs2LUpIDu_LK2YvqBEBMvmVYcfUxpuwe3FbvZhUdkF1uVjAHtcDrfdyO0nWkfWNvhZ__R2jv3pcQEWaygkcm6iZSXfSRJ09btciyk7chqWOA5F7eb73PJQs9g27jYZOh0y8B2UCjNGzhMHJT65_0rHZJb6sn6pL9qH-E/w400-h300/Roseate%20Spoonbill%20preening1%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roseate Spoonbill <span><i>Platalea ajaja</i> - surely the world's most beautiful spoonbill - <br />preening by the Tarcoles River. (And the apparenly odd species name is based <br />on a Tupi name for the bird, from Brazil.)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLVkjr7jNlkYCCGLTW6ojfw0p9tFZ3Ho-hw6nsPvA3EeawYpyQp1LM2nZe4G3PqaHuJS4R0Nu4uVzTmwuHGUUU72sHhcAaC4gr6HsUA8fCNBmt5zamQ7CpVQyV4nKlbpQfbH_NpIOkbhzzLkOwTAQiEr8oAzNR1HPrNNnXFhM_8-WhhoO6K2WWF3UwnY/s1000/Brown%20Pelicans%20etc4%20mouth%20of%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLVkjr7jNlkYCCGLTW6ojfw0p9tFZ3Ho-hw6nsPvA3EeawYpyQp1LM2nZe4G3PqaHuJS4R0Nu4uVzTmwuHGUUU72sHhcAaC4gr6HsUA8fCNBmt5zamQ7CpVQyV4nKlbpQfbH_NpIOkbhzzLkOwTAQiEr8oAzNR1HPrNNnXFhM_8-WhhoO6K2WWF3UwnY/w640-h224/Brown%20Pelicans%20etc4%20mouth%20of%20Tarcoles%20River%20Costa%20Rica%200723.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Pelicans <span><i>Pelecanus occidentalis</i> at the mouth of the Tarcoles River, <br />with the Pacific Ocean behind.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Well that's a brief introduction to a fascinating - and to my mind entrancing - country. As I've already promised, there will be two more offerings to introduce some of its superb wildlife, but I'll probably come back to Australian topics before and between them. Meantime, if you have a world wish list and are as fascinated by the natural aspects of as much as I am, Costa Rica deserves a place on that list. </p><p></p><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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It's an unusual park by Australian standards in that it's best known for its cultural significance (which indeed is its reason for existence), though its natural values are very significant too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's substantial - over 110,000 hectares of diverse semi-arid shrubland and dry lake beds - and remote for the south-east of the continent. The nearest small town (Pooncarie on the Darling, to the north-west) is 95km away. If you're coming from the east, as we were, it's 155km from Balranald. While sealing of roads is progressing (I was surprised by how much in fact), there is still a substantial amount of dirt to traverse in all directions. This is no problem for two-wheel drives in reasonable condition, unless it rains. In that case however the roads are closed to everyone.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioARUVxxZ5B4jXtp0PW_jLgPkUPspweha0Ub5wnyxP3pBd-niKs5Z9TDVYydLRPA4H8xWMOCEahkFbnmum1c4IyARKTzucfBzYGoybrBXaw2uAjbJdGzujIKtLNg21Ao9x_ijPr6DJTUL1VkL5gaACyDHYv0VNVL5N4An8RfHxGLH_EZdPiKYNlZTqESA/s1000/distant%20lunettes%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioARUVxxZ5B4jXtp0PW_jLgPkUPspweha0Ub5wnyxP3pBd-niKs5Z9TDVYydLRPA4H8xWMOCEahkFbnmum1c4IyARKTzucfBzYGoybrBXaw2uAjbJdGzujIKtLNg21Ao9x_ijPr6DJTUL1VkL5gaACyDHYv0VNVL5N4An8RfHxGLH_EZdPiKYNlZTqESA/w640-h224/distant%20lunettes%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the distance-hazy bed of Lake Mungo to the distant sandhills (lunettes, for <br />their crescent shape), known somewhat bizarrely as the 'Walls of China', though it's <br />a term I won't be using again here.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmbYvZU356q4Q4jxQ-8y7mxgHK-MR_H3lJgn70w3N6cTFT7N1C8yUMkLggnY3llkqsaM4MY0srJFUpNts_BF0EgUJ-V-22o3NQhabvmo_bP3EF4Tny9lf53duBW4bRM9q-laqwB30ZidIbV7SU_-2b2eKcgc09cO3narYXBvLtvf56emm7g3L5DHKX5I/s1103/Australia%20Mungo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmbYvZU356q4Q4jxQ-8y7mxgHK-MR_H3lJgn70w3N6cTFT7N1C8yUMkLggnY3llkqsaM4MY0srJFUpNts_BF0EgUJ-V-22o3NQhabvmo_bP3EF4Tny9lf53duBW4bRM9q-laqwB30ZidIbV7SU_-2b2eKcgc09cO3narYXBvLtvf56emm7g3L5DHKX5I/w400-h276/Australia%20Mungo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mungo National Park is approximately at the end of the green arrow,<br />a drive of some two hours from the Sturt Highway at Balaranald. <br /><a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/mungo-national-park/visitor-info#Getting-there-and-parking">Here are</a> the directions for whichever way you're approaching.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Mungo is just one of a series of old lake beds which are remnants of the ancient Lachlan River system. They cover an area of some 600,000ha, running 150km north to south and 40km west to east. Of this, 240,000ha in the centre of the system was listed as being of World Heritage Significance in 1981, for both its cultural and physical values. Mungo National Park falls within this World Heritage Area. Today the average annual rainfall is only 250mm a year, but prior to the last glaciation (ie until 20,000 to 30,000 years ago) it was a vast wetland of some 17 major lakes, fed by four or five streams of the pre-Lachlan River. On the eastern shores of the lakes the lunettes grew with the prevailing westerlies as the lakes formed beach sand in wet periods, and the clay from the lake beds blew onto them in more recent dry times. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ywj0CE8HZ4RIFcaFwIIFOhQsZ9UGb-cBun087HUkDIaEe17O-n5Dz8-WknIT5AI3yH0Qt3ZA-fJ7C5W_OWpf0q1pgVig74Eu_RJGvxPbvatYhNevSsNJ4zscjIsCxfBCxPMvnkMY04_0J1t0dgXC1e9stU5Ah8nYakf-B3Qz1BIUAcl0sAOyx6V5x3M/s1000/walls2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ywj0CE8HZ4RIFcaFwIIFOhQsZ9UGb-cBun087HUkDIaEe17O-n5Dz8-WknIT5AI3yH0Qt3ZA-fJ7C5W_OWpf0q1pgVig74Eu_RJGvxPbvatYhNevSsNJ4zscjIsCxfBCxPMvnkMY04_0J1t0dgXC1e9stU5Ah8nYakf-B3Qz1BIUAcl0sAOyx6V5x3M/w640-h224/walls2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the viewing platform at the edge of the lake. As I understand it (and I <br />make no pretence to being a geologist!) the outcrops of red represent the old sediments of<br />some 100,000 years ago. The white sands are from former beaches.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6j1hZXSIFj4MtK2jQICTie54ooQSXIUJjqrsmMUa1Zy0ESBSXnzlUMlnGDK9fabDKbyogM_1kVq05zSLkmn5dhFRZZTEQF410tgPR2B_XXLb7lhRT5sMbJn6ylbbDxk-wWDmyi53nG7G0YM9XwJ1KG_F05kI5aNKCG5AcKghhbD2ysBt25PabwD7w4DY/s800/walls6%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6j1hZXSIFj4MtK2jQICTie54ooQSXIUJjqrsmMUa1Zy0ESBSXnzlUMlnGDK9fabDKbyogM_1kVq05zSLkmn5dhFRZZTEQF410tgPR2B_XXLb7lhRT5sMbJn6ylbbDxk-wWDmyi53nG7G0YM9XwJ1KG_F05kI5aNKCG5AcKghhbD2ysBt25PabwD7w4DY/w400-h300/walls6%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view looks back in the opposite direction across the lake (at a point where the circuit<br />drive crosses the dune). The more recent red upper layers here represent clay particles blown <br />from the lake bed. The strong erosion is evident in both these photos; while it seems<br />intuitive to me that it's associated with the pastoral phase, one of the interpretive signs <br />suggests - without explanation - that it began a thousand years ago. Actually I think <br />that some politics is involved here, as other sources are sure that it was sheep, <br />goats and rabbits that set the sands moving - and exposed the ancient burials.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdNQYmz-S97VAg2ayVrBPAuetlFlRhOabowqp-ENHQU63C2DnR00br67MB4AMJaheTQgzrdGUTO6aR8pOHhE7V7cIjahaBGSLZDHV5ZsvdE9jRjgewqZzHD5zkMPQHBvVL3b8BzogPOyg_ev1YsjUgWFKI7LcfQeJg2De9Cod8lLoHcdIuTE0iBBmwfE/s1000/walls3%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdNQYmz-S97VAg2ayVrBPAuetlFlRhOabowqp-ENHQU63C2DnR00br67MB4AMJaheTQgzrdGUTO6aR8pOHhE7V7cIjahaBGSLZDHV5ZsvdE9jRjgewqZzHD5zkMPQHBvVL3b8BzogPOyg_ev1YsjUgWFKI7LcfQeJg2De9Cod8lLoHcdIuTE0iBBmwfE/w640-h224/walls3%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view, from the same vantage point as the photo before last, but looking to the right, shows<br />a gently sloping, much less eroded landscape. It apparently resembles the pre-erosion situation,<br />but again I really want to know more! eg why did this not erode? <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And maybe that's enough about things I don't properly understand!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inevitably people settled in this rich area. Graziers arrived in the south-west in the 1850s and the land of present
Mungo was settled and grazed by 1864, eventually becoming an outstation
of the huge Gol Gol Station, with the surviving Parrintji people
forcibly removed to Balranald in the 1880s. The origin of the name is
uncertain, with sources claiming both Scottish (per Saint Mungo) and
Parrintji derivations. After WW1 Gol Gol was subdivided into 16,000
hectare soldier settlement blocks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Mungo lunettes came to fame in the 1960s and 70s when researchers from the ANU (notably Dr Jim Bowler) discovered very significant ancient burials. The dates of these have been debated, but it seems to be generally accepted that the oldest of them go back some 40,000 years, including what is apparently the world's oldest known ritual cremation. You can easily find lots of information on this; it's not my area of knowledge and I'm cautious about presuming to tell stories which are not mine. When you visit, in addition to the excellent information centre, you can learn a lot more by taking a walking tour of the lunettes with a guide from the local community. (You can only enter the dunes with such a guide.) The pastoral history is also well interpreted at one of the shearing sheds, accessed from the superb 70km road loop that runs around the lake.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following these ancient discoveries Mungo Station was purchased by the NSW Government and gazetted as national park; other stations were added over time. The park is managed jointly by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and elders from three local Indigenous groups, in a process formalised by a Memorandum of Understanding. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnpQ60dxbJVAacr7ooSy4z-RQyezKJ4WtcU7dm3bQ5PxSNMF18Ag1_vLKEgwbvGH6YXsQq-rxB2jvwi9UVbnESvhVQBempHqg2qiNGxVxyVMhHtJMw1lpFwhFLMrmBSxo-mZvGCR4gV_u3XpJ8gqU498iVVjwLueeD_LFv_1tL57crWRt6DplAUZpKyU/s800/lunettes%20from%20behind%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnpQ60dxbJVAacr7ooSy4z-RQyezKJ4WtcU7dm3bQ5PxSNMF18Ag1_vLKEgwbvGH6YXsQq-rxB2jvwi9UVbnESvhVQBempHqg2qiNGxVxyVMhHtJMw1lpFwhFLMrmBSxo-mZvGCR4gV_u3XpJ8gqU498iVVjwLueeD_LFv_1tL57crWRt6DplAUZpKyU/w400-h300/lunettes%20from%20behind%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vigars Well area, behind the dunes, reached from the scenic loop road.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are two campgrounds. Of these the smaller and more remote Belah Campground on the loop drive was the more attractive to us, but was closed when I booked. However while it had reopened when we visited, fires are not allowed there and nights were <i>cold</i>, so maybe we were lucky. The main campground is certainly busier (some 30 or so sites there) but it wasn't too bad - and we could sit by a small fire in the evening. (It is of course 'bring your own firewood'.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Outside the lakebeds the park plains and dunes are covered with diverse semi-arid woodlands and chenopod (saltbush) shrublands. I love these habitats and, in addition to the must-do loop drive already mentioned, there are two short walks that provide great introductions to the woodland habitats. The Grassland Nature Trail is a short loop out of the main campground, which I did several times. The other, the Foreshore Walk of 2.5km, starts and ends at the visitor centre and as well as traversing the edge of the lake, climbs into some lovely sand dune woodland. Here are some of the trees you will encounter; the first three were along the Grasslands Trail.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yMdwonQuyVzFANTuskFvFiXHG6mb4jcP0hvLVxJsS5qU7pCAaqweZwDNyfcuq5aoOOBJUjW9FvcZFUQjLFPPEFH0JKFuO5WECH1Hzp1CSogNWKT9s0XfRuKhIBZ0KVMeMesUrAfp6de8PlrSuNWCHzJd7RKBEh-3mxMMoVLlaMzJ2Rf_xCbP4iLpilc/s800/Allocasuarina%20cristata%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yMdwonQuyVzFANTuskFvFiXHG6mb4jcP0hvLVxJsS5qU7pCAaqweZwDNyfcuq5aoOOBJUjW9FvcZFUQjLFPPEFH0JKFuO5WECH1Hzp1CSogNWKT9s0XfRuKhIBZ0KVMeMesUrAfp6de8PlrSuNWCHzJd7RKBEh-3mxMMoVLlaMzJ2Rf_xCbP4iLpilc/w400-h300/Allocasuarina%20cristata%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belah, <i>Allocasuarina cristata. </i>This a widespread and often dominant<br />tree in drier inland south and south-eastern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKv9ZTfCGMos1gcpuqPKme-QsFG0GAsivF3xdHOJZfca4MAITkTLadl-a2-lA-vPAyc9pXH5oQufSQDIM3RU_YNkl8NgRMqh39V2nXTY_zLGyV46W04jQJSIJRpTMAd7q82nmYPTvebg3OC1KFPwQZnKETO6rkmnhm-ONpL9s5DPneHytahhKHscJiqKM/s800/Geijera%20parviflora%20Wilga%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKv9ZTfCGMos1gcpuqPKme-QsFG0GAsivF3xdHOJZfca4MAITkTLadl-a2-lA-vPAyc9pXH5oQufSQDIM3RU_YNkl8NgRMqh39V2nXTY_zLGyV46W04jQJSIJRpTMAd7q82nmYPTvebg3OC1KFPwQZnKETO6rkmnhm-ONpL9s5DPneHytahhKHscJiqKM/w300-h400/Geijera%20parviflora%20Wilga%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilga <i>Geijera parviflora, </i>Family Rutaceae, a very elegant weeping tree <br />with a similar distribution to Belah. <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIzU266399Fnml8goNbm9NrbLge6VcShgW9Ak8RfR7vurj1y7aOTeITAz4JWhBKGSD-ZCmhnypHy1ayl9nClmFUyq6gm_0rsglyB4E59nvSSeILwp0qi2dZqVGIhWQ5QLSyXcNR5k0nuLdnJ88xIs8wTiFpEzGVr1IG7oOD89o0JZt9YDgtnmxAMYGh0/s800/Geijera%20parviflora%20Wilga%20flowers%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIzU266399Fnml8goNbm9NrbLge6VcShgW9Ak8RfR7vurj1y7aOTeITAz4JWhBKGSD-ZCmhnypHy1ayl9nClmFUyq6gm_0rsglyB4E59nvSSeILwp0qi2dZqVGIhWQ5QLSyXcNR5k0nuLdnJ88xIs8wTiFpEzGVr1IG7oOD89o0JZt9YDgtnmxAMYGh0/w400-h300/Geijera%20parviflora%20Wilga%20flowers%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilga flowers, which are very attractive to insects. Among these are blowflies,<br />attracted to the sometimes rank small emitted by the flowers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClAAm2212JZsQ31_LUu9CCEdTc5GL_3T5ZS83kMdkPceuuMO6mlecMHm_-hnrdV599quJ7RdG6V1BK9UkEfw4YC74WsrVGjhAeGa3VQsy7DAz3c40qx5F5G9jToGwBbPZy3w8dBmFOI3FlYfDMHuRQO2eKRGGlI5B-W6QcPQnrhIluGhGr34rsvO4B0k/s800/Heterodendrum%20oleifolium1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClAAm2212JZsQ31_LUu9CCEdTc5GL_3T5ZS83kMdkPceuuMO6mlecMHm_-hnrdV599quJ7RdG6V1BK9UkEfw4YC74WsrVGjhAeGa3VQsy7DAz3c40qx5F5G9jToGwBbPZy3w8dBmFOI3FlYfDMHuRQO2eKRGGlI5B-W6QcPQnrhIluGhGr34rsvO4B0k/w400-h300/Heterodendrum%20oleifolium1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosewood or Bullock Bush <i>Alectryon </i>(formerly <i>Heterodendrum) oleifolium</i> grows<i><br /></i>across much of inland Australia. I find it interesting that most other members of the<br />genus are rainforest trees; this one's ancestors adapted to arid living as the land dried out<i>. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This also applies to another widespread inland tree known by a variety of names including Berrigan and Native Apricot. This wealth of names is unsurprising given its wide range across arid and semi-arid Australia.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAi4-3iZx1EzXoZzn5JZXEKUUH6PIH4cYfSgWmUAlBBKSL4dUkTosVK7p-9aDpe0eIE_mAIDS-JEk7V-s48nydiotBpPbXgUcVYOVgs5SDOJ9zrl9VtNvMHxTXOJ-hBjZh31v_SUWIytPaf9xkVNl85SKY0LVo_pLnEiSf0x5PJtEUwCrXUjeU3zMA20/s800/Pittosporum%20angustifolium%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAi4-3iZx1EzXoZzn5JZXEKUUH6PIH4cYfSgWmUAlBBKSL4dUkTosVK7p-9aDpe0eIE_mAIDS-JEk7V-s48nydiotBpPbXgUcVYOVgs5SDOJ9zrl9VtNvMHxTXOJ-hBjZh31v_SUWIytPaf9xkVNl85SKY0LVo_pLnEiSf0x5PJtEUwCrXUjeU3zMA20/w400-h300/Pittosporum%20angustifolium%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berrigan <i>Pittosporum angustifolium </i>growing in a dry creek bed in the bluebush plains at Mungo.<br /><i>Pittosporum</i> is a very familiar genus of rainforest edges and other wet forests of eastern Austraila,<br />but it is hardy enough to be widely planted in suburban settings, so was presumably<br />predisposed to survival in a drying landscape.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdZHNWYL-B3LYecASHkqRz-3zDmaC2D32LTttc8ofUjpXBUv3YPUfgSw-83U21YzKrhIIpUnFrIGborHhuQ-Fj_uCGqwUZXeI-WSee7Ln1YS96gjkhGm332BQPjoQqlfbPG4BwF-QjjyJhg223uZrjIU785z2qr0T4B_q1t_QwdwC2ltDNNm8aAG2Mww/s800/Pittosporum%20angustifolium%20fruit%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdZHNWYL-B3LYecASHkqRz-3zDmaC2D32LTttc8ofUjpXBUv3YPUfgSw-83U21YzKrhIIpUnFrIGborHhuQ-Fj_uCGqwUZXeI-WSee7Ln1YS96gjkhGm332BQPjoQqlfbPG4BwF-QjjyJhg223uZrjIU785z2qr0T4B_q1t_QwdwC2ltDNNm8aAG2Mww/w400-h300/Pittosporum%20angustifolium%20fruit%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berrigan fruit; the 'apricot' allusion in one of its names is obvious enough here, <br />but the attractive fruit is not edible.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqSmSUDPWVcaLC9XrE8WuxfPlVvLGK2c4MCgACLXTKH4DzcKRBVPbYkwk_E7d9cw5x2almwKUD6ziGA3rs6VQBof8zp6oI-KvMxItvhEDdKcVqXp2wTiwpkUXRFqzBqqG9THUZHkkIGwXJFxxCjOv-fe_B6wiAoritTxHV5QYayrRqP4mJjI4kGUBHu4/s800/Callitris%20columellaris%20and%20C%20preissi%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqSmSUDPWVcaLC9XrE8WuxfPlVvLGK2c4MCgACLXTKH4DzcKRBVPbYkwk_E7d9cw5x2almwKUD6ziGA3rs6VQBof8zp6oI-KvMxItvhEDdKcVqXp2wTiwpkUXRFqzBqqG9THUZHkkIGwXJFxxCjOv-fe_B6wiAoritTxHV5QYayrRqP4mJjI4kGUBHu4/w400-h300/Callitris%20columellaris%20and%20C%20preissi%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two species of cypress pine growing together on the dunes along the Foreshore Walk.<br />On the left is the distinctive bluish foliage of White or Murray Cypress Pine<br /><i>Callitris glaucophylla </i>(or <i>columellaris</i>), and on the right the dark green<br />of Slender (or, confusingly, also Murray) Cypress Pine <i>C. preissii.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are also some substantial stands of mallee along the loop
drive, and some remnant trees on the dunes of the Foreshore Walk.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8J2GibPt0P_ePtq9yYP_cffeHhXJc8bVuO1mkaxzEkdLNy6JJtxLhqKsoo6w7sMtDvFRvNLYdzr-xH44YqG9AKY6_krYozNK7M6tmm9mKuXq2YoWIaQyduPsOvJ4goRCRUbTavaBjTGk1ck621z1vY4iG3tqOXK0798M2xY1La7bDrzp-o4m0EYGYF0/s800/mallee1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8J2GibPt0P_ePtq9yYP_cffeHhXJc8bVuO1mkaxzEkdLNy6JJtxLhqKsoo6w7sMtDvFRvNLYdzr-xH44YqG9AKY6_krYozNK7M6tmm9mKuXq2YoWIaQyduPsOvJ4goRCRUbTavaBjTGk1ck621z1vY4iG3tqOXK0798M2xY1La7bDrzp-o4m0EYGYF0/w400-h300/mallee1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallee is a habitat named for the growth form of the eucalypt species which comprise it,<br />with multiple stems growing from an underground stem extension called a lignotuber<br />(though generally known more imprecisely as a mallee root). The form is triggered<br />by low soil nutrient levels, especially of phosphates. This is a favourite habitat of mine.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEx9oG2Xjtzc7WmxJrYluJZgmIEII6d21s1g_Kda5AOiAl6RE0lZqcNEcUGZSBdSgs5VUt7Xzq056SNx3qLL3uJKLU93hR-gTABG5c2XvtJhEiOCa3-7U8WRMWWbTr_UGQsUL1u8kf1EpN8FgBM4EIShjzGlmz4FvQ2cl-S3TS_IIi7lAmRNEWTxKLkI/s800/spinifex%20in%20mallee%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEx9oG2Xjtzc7WmxJrYluJZgmIEII6d21s1g_Kda5AOiAl6RE0lZqcNEcUGZSBdSgs5VUt7Xzq056SNx3qLL3uJKLU93hR-gTABG5c2XvtJhEiOCa3-7U8WRMWWbTr_UGQsUL1u8kf1EpN8FgBM4EIShjzGlmz4FvQ2cl-S3TS_IIi7lAmRNEWTxKLkI/w400-h300/spinifex%20in%20mallee%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinifex, or Porcupine Grass <i>Triodia </i>spp., grows as an understory to the mallee<br />in places where the sand is deep and the rainfall low. It dominates some <br />20% of the Australian landmass.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKOo2Y3aKUFv2K8jxQpfZRtyOmxs7xGBOlztotdct_UIm-Q8fY5Gt4qLBAhw3PaFjpbeJXieXOHYc8A2OeMkbXxl2T3zodcT7i2KjVC_mMjENA8Lumnzlin6nOklFVdncThySTEtUXiqqTfPBJBcsvThFC11Ng4js2nSqFNsKyuNweFYPEYpEOgvwT24/s800/Bluebush%20plain%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKOo2Y3aKUFv2K8jxQpfZRtyOmxs7xGBOlztotdct_UIm-Q8fY5Gt4qLBAhw3PaFjpbeJXieXOHYc8A2OeMkbXxl2T3zodcT7i2KjVC_mMjENA8Lumnzlin6nOklFVdncThySTEtUXiqqTfPBJBcsvThFC11Ng4js2nSqFNsKyuNweFYPEYpEOgvwT24/w400-h300/Bluebush%20plain%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various chenopods, including this Pearl Bluebush <i>Maireana sedifolia</i>, <br />dominate the clay soil plains (including the lake beds) of the park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">When we were there the country was drying out after a couple of wet
years triggered by La Niña, and there weren't many herbs still flowering
(though in places the ground was covered by drifts of burrs from recently flowering burr
daisies). We rapidly learnt not to let clothes touch the ground! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wG85n0OUHvVjLG8AC-Jg5DCQRbTvNbHe-R8ERbWRobVx1SDR_YkOqvpB5xn-sW0OytL_oe-CIGTptVFpNY5vMH39Or1wqfaKUv3PcJEzfyTA6FOGAB_92cH9JdrYZXt5o6_ivJsTcUtg4sTTvYVI91iwPMtwhI7KzJ7eUvEQuIMXDAUmM-Z_vWQx0Co/s800/Senecio%20gregorii%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wG85n0OUHvVjLG8AC-Jg5DCQRbTvNbHe-R8ERbWRobVx1SDR_YkOqvpB5xn-sW0OytL_oe-CIGTptVFpNY5vMH39Or1wqfaKUv3PcJEzfyTA6FOGAB_92cH9JdrYZXt5o6_ivJsTcUtg4sTTvYVI91iwPMtwhI7KzJ7eUvEQuIMXDAUmM-Z_vWQx0Co/w300-h400/Senecio%20gregorii%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Fleshy Groundsel <i>Senecio gregorii</i>, a widespread arid land daisy,<br />was one of the few herbs still flowering.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The most apparent non-bird animals were, unsurprisingly, kangaroos, and both Western Greys (<span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv wHYlTd z8gr9e"><i>Macropus fuliginosus</i>) </span></span>and Red Kangaroos (<i>Osphranter - </i>or<i> Macropus - rufus</i>) were widespread. The greys were usually present in the campground, but the Reds were a bit more reserved and kept to the plains, though they weren't concerned by cars or observers.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GwAm2Kp-b0c-UbNUHtgyc8qfAn9bqrNP7KNzdcrhRLPDCChNTeoX38RlvoJLn38XlBXSei3tmU8wf4eqcOLorD04EwM3aBslwdDVzOV1ypCaOEeufCnTjN9k00vBz1YPPeVIIsjpCcvZnaa870WpukffmXyhmIbs1Kj5JtfkkWbo2jCG4-ucA5igCFo/s800/Western%20Grey%20K%20and%20joey3%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GwAm2Kp-b0c-UbNUHtgyc8qfAn9bqrNP7KNzdcrhRLPDCChNTeoX38RlvoJLn38XlBXSei3tmU8wf4eqcOLorD04EwM3aBslwdDVzOV1ypCaOEeufCnTjN9k00vBz1YPPeVIIsjpCcvZnaa870WpukffmXyhmIbs1Kj5JtfkkWbo2jCG4-ucA5igCFo/w400-h300/Western%20Grey%20K%20and%20joey3%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This mother and baby Western Grey frequented the camp ground; on this occasion the<br />joey was distracted as mum moved away...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvc0da_XHCUW4TZNPkCrR8FBw2Sa7xyieisFC5mNTnNitZiXhdr1uNniDQ5ZfDXrI8rzzI4v3LP1FrVzwUnpMU9FHvA2BzyZGY9mmMJotK5dJ8TfCmDw_xSG0aRYWxHrPPwHyvIEx5-Mmf1GFSsNmXEk-yWEr_lnCQEaNOHJK5B2Oh_F47s5dWKEO9cc/s800/Western%20Grey%20K%20and%20joey4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvc0da_XHCUW4TZNPkCrR8FBw2Sa7xyieisFC5mNTnNitZiXhdr1uNniDQ5ZfDXrI8rzzI4v3LP1FrVzwUnpMU9FHvA2BzyZGY9mmMJotK5dJ8TfCmDw_xSG0aRYWxHrPPwHyvIEx5-Mmf1GFSsNmXEk-yWEr_lnCQEaNOHJK5B2Oh_F47s5dWKEO9cc/w400-h300/Western%20Grey%20K%20and%20joey4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... resulting in a frantic leap as her absence was noted!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoUqcuVu62IPYTZzXQfWNf_ykEYiq9O9q0CzSxtV91bVjigKAttwaKVudPLkZHmLIwg7Hg_Gl3iTOLrY0y4A0M08seby_7Wh13jTaHmb5PQQOE1rf3ziAgSji0DlufgIChNt1O_xp5V02Twuu9ybDhftZpXl214kusFjqWL-PSs_xYPblsciC1Lp-T5A/s800/Red%20Kangaroo1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoUqcuVu62IPYTZzXQfWNf_ykEYiq9O9q0CzSxtV91bVjigKAttwaKVudPLkZHmLIwg7Hg_Gl3iTOLrY0y4A0M08seby_7Wh13jTaHmb5PQQOE1rf3ziAgSji0DlufgIChNt1O_xp5V02Twuu9ybDhftZpXl214kusFjqWL-PSs_xYPblsciC1Lp-T5A/w300-h400/Red%20Kangaroo1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A magnificent big male Red Kangaroo on the plain...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPkjqEGLN2G2mob5IiyS9_X3M6quteoLc4xEBywcFaHwqLmCGZyAufiPUdbbUgquAkz-jr6ZkHWJZORLjC75_vA86AGvo-VRWLcLzujA62HzjfBhWNBvqVP8TD63EZbgHq5VbD93VyoiJaumozZuMJc2J0sOWMK9-3oP7UXEOALSQYLPkZgunny8X9nc/s800/Red%20and%20Western%20Grey%20Kangaroos2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPkjqEGLN2G2mob5IiyS9_X3M6quteoLc4xEBywcFaHwqLmCGZyAufiPUdbbUgquAkz-jr6ZkHWJZORLjC75_vA86AGvo-VRWLcLzujA62HzjfBhWNBvqVP8TD63EZbgHq5VbD93VyoiJaumozZuMJc2J0sOWMK9-3oP7UXEOALSQYLPkZgunny8X9nc/w300-h400/Red%20and%20Western%20Grey%20Kangaroos2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and both species feeding together by the road.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhljjXcbsYvTlWA-X4qd6VdN0F9uSyxe8smciD2J-ZIKV8NlmiG37gZPwQLd1yiSo6zOPef0caxZdqOg7ZF7JEKGbJa7MfskrtAR9mEflgcKOuRQOEnecF1hnyZ4rkvMXENqdKcc3Ppr2hg7gvJgrpMX9yMunZgoVkAo9F2ptrhYayj1zJiV5xzJFgkaw/s800/Abantiades%20sp%20ghost%20moth%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhljjXcbsYvTlWA-X4qd6VdN0F9uSyxe8smciD2J-ZIKV8NlmiG37gZPwQLd1yiSo6zOPef0caxZdqOg7ZF7JEKGbJa7MfskrtAR9mEflgcKOuRQOEnecF1hnyZ4rkvMXENqdKcc3Ppr2hg7gvJgrpMX9yMunZgoVkAo9F2ptrhYayj1zJiV5xzJFgkaw/w400-h300/Abantiades%20sp%20ghost%20moth%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ghost moth <i>Abantiades </i>sp. (I think!) which visited camp one night, after some rain.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWfhPuxF1earEtW7chwXFs3uyXXNy0odZ28tdnep15PUDHCHw01akLmfDukXrdgrO3gyAnDeGgqN1m1iuxH5JYhdRr1SNYo2p3GQoCagQ5RnVDhMWU-uY8LNQWf12HRyHakPwI1M5NnLIabB6gAf7kLQFcZacwpBHqheYtD1UJiNDVYS4coPo15hie8s/s800/Abantiades%20sp%20ghost%20moth%20pupal%20case%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWfhPuxF1earEtW7chwXFs3uyXXNy0odZ28tdnep15PUDHCHw01akLmfDukXrdgrO3gyAnDeGgqN1m1iuxH5JYhdRr1SNYo2p3GQoCagQ5RnVDhMWU-uY8LNQWf12HRyHakPwI1M5NnLIabB6gAf7kLQFcZacwpBHqheYtD1UJiNDVYS4coPo15hie8s/w400-h300/Abantiades%20sp%20ghost%20moth%20pupal%20case%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I reckon it emerged from this burrow and pupal case (or at least ones very similar!).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjP2G4yyi4vkC8GaxrngPhfmjUeAQi5-b4M5acXD9gdv2cC-QMhnys0H6tvHt__uX9P1jn2wK-MyghocZgC1C05gcu9lNisJ4FYuq5HX0X5oTiA1lKSg4XhEnoZg-uFFsPSc-M_7OzclReyJmUMf66QruL08ptFS0MYndHsksoxofsnLLk00MyZgkWCw/s800/cockroach%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjP2G4yyi4vkC8GaxrngPhfmjUeAQi5-b4M5acXD9gdv2cC-QMhnys0H6tvHt__uX9P1jn2wK-MyghocZgC1C05gcu9lNisJ4FYuq5HX0X5oTiA1lKSg4XhEnoZg-uFFsPSc-M_7OzclReyJmUMf66QruL08ptFS0MYndHsksoxofsnLLk00MyZgkWCw/w400-h300/cockroach%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These cockroaches were common in the dunes along the Foreshore Walk. The colour pattern<br />along the sides of the body segments seems to be to best match <i>Macropanesthia kraussiana,<br /></i>and this species is <a href="https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/7b5d9369-638e-4f2f-a5a7-b971f808f0c9">recorded at Mungo</a>, so that's my bet!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>No reptiles I'm afraid - it was pretty cold and windy most of the time. <br /></p><p>And that leaves the birds, which were a highlight of our trip. The main campground was busy with birds (though not so much with smaller ones), and especially parrots. Here are some of them.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wBd6U_Xlm8WtPRyeOZtwFPRidsJPSzM03lDvQLcOkd7Z8gDEQ8DBmIS23kWhdkAMq2w9qNw39ELNvDZKO22Fxrxmc37FtDYvNKh4F7NcgkzfXFTJyWidqC5YKoMCEI4xLzl5GP8YNq2vxzHfWZUltRHBDywSUS0Qcr0_xUF8NIvMQ_zVFeq1YXqfhr4/s800/Ringneck%20on%20ground%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wBd6U_Xlm8WtPRyeOZtwFPRidsJPSzM03lDvQLcOkd7Z8gDEQ8DBmIS23kWhdkAMq2w9qNw39ELNvDZKO22Fxrxmc37FtDYvNKh4F7NcgkzfXFTJyWidqC5YKoMCEI4xLzl5GP8YNq2vxzHfWZUltRHBDywSUS0Qcr0_xUF8NIvMQ_zVFeq1YXqfhr4/w400-h300/Ringneck%20on%20ground%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ringnecks <i>Barnardius zonarius</i> are common inland parrots (they seem to replace rosellas as <br />medium-large woodland parrots), but were particularly prevalent in the main campground, <br />whether foraging nearby on the ground...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9ilNkhZ4QJpD7dSGlILl1Z9FPcveu3_3rg6wdaHaYGPs1IJICnvJbp9lVXGVApKmLNAKNe_0_6GiY_ap4e13fLDgB8tkW5sTRvXfaLBh95m_fDcxjyoQuON-_-PzbRgpBIvzaClzjypTxx5pn_cPV-RbdK9mfY3IvDTzA5y1U-nQf-fXDPlfK8XsHjA/s800/Ringneck%20preening%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9ilNkhZ4QJpD7dSGlILl1Z9FPcveu3_3rg6wdaHaYGPs1IJICnvJbp9lVXGVApKmLNAKNe_0_6GiY_ap4e13fLDgB8tkW5sTRvXfaLBh95m_fDcxjyoQuON-_-PzbRgpBIvzaClzjypTxx5pn_cPV-RbdK9mfY3IvDTzA5y1U-nQf-fXDPlfK8XsHjA/w400-h300/Ringneck%20preening%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... or quietly preening overhead.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W3NpFAkpVBXsEhlhK6Jw4mownQoHbsKpfUrmPBiaZULPrajNqawxdU6EUlXQsjg6M4RFJvb_wz7NlQpABj3-_JAd_9HFydr_7umqb3q-TBPY6eOWUhoc8l0ZFLO9HPo-OAWRkGtHOg6ZzvtoOgZStTzHEphAERlP2OyVbrOikj1qa7DyU2P_OUhaeUA/s800/Bluebonnet1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W3NpFAkpVBXsEhlhK6Jw4mownQoHbsKpfUrmPBiaZULPrajNqawxdU6EUlXQsjg6M4RFJvb_wz7NlQpABj3-_JAd_9HFydr_7umqb3q-TBPY6eOWUhoc8l0ZFLO9HPo-OAWRkGtHOg6ZzvtoOgZStTzHEphAERlP2OyVbrOikj1qa7DyU2P_OUhaeUA/w300-h400/Bluebonnet1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Bluebonnets <i>Northiella haematogaster </i>however, while also pretty common<br />in the drier country, are never as obliging as the Ringnecks when it comes<br />to approaching and photographing them. Not at Mungo however!<i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>And any campground which features Pink Cockatoos <i>Cacatua leadbeateri</i> is a good one in my opinion.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf600wqjFqReidUjLBojqNPo5OQFpsOyCkSU-mdPXp9C4ROtILxjI6va2YAThGytEePvdZTiyqgflf1mdznrRTB_utEZSwnUJ1UlWGVVMlbgEff5ve7GNkZBSEmoP90hoEH47_C25i7RA9TDuwAe6ohtLC_G6YNRd9keCnNWgWJGXdXfk3yFZGQjjBVXs/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20feeding%20on%20Callitris2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf600wqjFqReidUjLBojqNPo5OQFpsOyCkSU-mdPXp9C4ROtILxjI6va2YAThGytEePvdZTiyqgflf1mdznrRTB_utEZSwnUJ1UlWGVVMlbgEff5ve7GNkZBSEmoP90hoEH47_C25i7RA9TDuwAe6ohtLC_G6YNRd9keCnNWgWJGXdXfk3yFZGQjjBVXs/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20feeding%20on%20Callitris2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spent quite some time one afternoon enjoying them around our camp, whether feeding<br />on the cones in the surrounding callitris pines (and threatening with great show)...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4T6DTGGrkOwGkoMYtEWr3AcacxT-e26v8lPUyFe09hFKq1Ut_2QfwHePsbWxWpY2DF_5k5u4xSaPkkWORKDfQP4xUhZTNNmtSWC_qyi4N1N-gWcAqmY9nR5RDiCcfKfwJpOOoDyhIr6-4cVV3cBm0-0uZXMp4y6cWH5xW_8VHqr5Y8gQV_MviBwZAzY/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20pair%20allopreening9%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4T6DTGGrkOwGkoMYtEWr3AcacxT-e26v8lPUyFe09hFKq1Ut_2QfwHePsbWxWpY2DF_5k5u4xSaPkkWORKDfQP4xUhZTNNmtSWC_qyi4N1N-gWcAqmY9nR5RDiCcfKfwJpOOoDyhIr6-4cVV3cBm0-0uZXMp4y6cWH5xW_8VHqr5Y8gQV_MviBwZAzY/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20pair%20allopreening9%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... or quietly renewing pair bonds for a long time in a bare tree which enabled great views.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We didn't see Mulga Parrots <i>Psephotellus varius</i> in camp, but they were nearby on the Foreshore Walk, feeding on seeds in the trackside shrubs.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aqv4DVa7gzIEgXSNeVuVzwKf_tomoEpHZHqKq7sGI_97NIT_tKOd6I3iwLPRr3AB_MUFBRLhX-mQPlNgrp_u0EeafWF-XNghLqefAKC08IvrQTzzaYNirYWVLfR-PvEofMwSv0N4k6oKbsGfH2l8zSwX2wv3LHX0HmzvSmdVW8QXG6WW2JKphM3lHcQ/s800/Mulga%20Parrot%20male%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aqv4DVa7gzIEgXSNeVuVzwKf_tomoEpHZHqKq7sGI_97NIT_tKOd6I3iwLPRr3AB_MUFBRLhX-mQPlNgrp_u0EeafWF-XNghLqefAKC08IvrQTzzaYNirYWVLfR-PvEofMwSv0N4k6oKbsGfH2l8zSwX2wv3LHX0HmzvSmdVW8QXG6WW2JKphM3lHcQ/w400-h300/Mulga%20Parrot%20male%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The male Mulga Parrot in particular is an exquisite little bird.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSuPNPid3alQjA3Ri5UPaBI5WCpeiHQ7Kja_6vLmkjJb2iWt4x0_Rhbh-FIT7BAd-M_L3Bp4dZiK62aIcxp8ahGodEZou9pgA49sNE2aO5xzjiTYicuw9fgskfuK6Dr4bFX_xQznJED8XAEk601-xWIO_-r4is2j_lcypx6ktLZUDmT1ENx8tim1lqDg/s800/Mulga%20Parrot%20female%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSuPNPid3alQjA3Ri5UPaBI5WCpeiHQ7Kja_6vLmkjJb2iWt4x0_Rhbh-FIT7BAd-M_L3Bp4dZiK62aIcxp8ahGodEZou9pgA49sNE2aO5xzjiTYicuw9fgskfuK6Dr4bFX_xQznJED8XAEk601-xWIO_-r4is2j_lcypx6ktLZUDmT1ENx8tim1lqDg/w400-h300/Mulga%20Parrot%20female%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">However I find the more muted colours of the female also delightful.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There were two species of butcherbirds present around the camp, but
while the glorious calls of the Pied Butcherbird could be heard
regularly, they didn't approach closely. Grey Butcherbirds <i>Cracticus torquatus </i>however came and went all the time.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1RF8fxlkQ925Qh0MYGrCXFzMx4e6gyS5ztN-GLdqg9V05n-iuGoGIhvcs5LrdWRw-nvCaZ4HCaxlVxzetitLqpwtWuH10S39XtXEqOsXZf5bEuMM5-DWTeqNuXyhXrrc6HrIdzApo2PFiASO6cIJGrvLcQnyEqKQ08QSNj5lxNczclPovUn8RR61w8w/s800/Grey%20Butcherbird%20Mungo%20NP%200523-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1RF8fxlkQ925Qh0MYGrCXFzMx4e6gyS5ztN-GLdqg9V05n-iuGoGIhvcs5LrdWRw-nvCaZ4HCaxlVxzetitLqpwtWuH10S39XtXEqOsXZf5bEuMM5-DWTeqNuXyhXrrc6HrIdzApo2PFiASO6cIJGrvLcQnyEqKQ08QSNj5lxNczclPovUn8RR61w8w/w400-h300/Grey%20Butcherbird%20Mungo%20NP%200523-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Butcherbird in the campground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Emus <i>Dromaius novaehollandiae</i> also passed through from time to time. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg7tAzScDqOttiKPJLT6x9M6vAjOYC3O0NweK48gwJUwC5fNt1ErI3_U1T5OsjvPihzFG7gyTAtG6mF4LPKPOdypfutMoer3SHlQU3la8XBjjuWnoZx5XRFNzExP_wUtzq7Iw74I-b44TF-wQwvxe3GSyXFrjLLYpanyYl-0dUVe21We8sB53o9o0--8/s800/emus1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg7tAzScDqOttiKPJLT6x9M6vAjOYC3O0NweK48gwJUwC5fNt1ErI3_U1T5OsjvPihzFG7gyTAtG6mF4LPKPOdypfutMoer3SHlQU3la8XBjjuWnoZx5XRFNzExP_wUtzq7Iw74I-b44TF-wQwvxe3GSyXFrjLLYpanyYl-0dUVe21We8sB53o9o0--8/w300-h400/emus1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two were out on the plains.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_gmDw1JPQ3vcK-xMcnEalg_9yyripFNnaeX1G_Fi7XevqrQqUyRxn3ltSxRdCowqumIh4MImxckfwvsxizjUc6O_uyKj74ekv8mVWPpVCe4SeDrPIZAACWl1TLMWIBA5bzm0qPx-YUD5CyBZFKcaoygBSwJ-VcKmk0oDc0eIRHBP9453t8cOrCT4xmY/s800/Emus%20drinking%20on%20road4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_gmDw1JPQ3vcK-xMcnEalg_9yyripFNnaeX1G_Fi7XevqrQqUyRxn3ltSxRdCowqumIh4MImxckfwvsxizjUc6O_uyKj74ekv8mVWPpVCe4SeDrPIZAACWl1TLMWIBA5bzm0qPx-YUD5CyBZFKcaoygBSwJ-VcKmk0oDc0eIRHBP9453t8cOrCT4xmY/w400-h300/Emus%20drinking%20on%20road4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These however were part of a family group taking advantage of the rain puddles<br />on the road just outside the campground. I say 'these' but I must admit<br />that it does strangely resemble a single four-legged Emu!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3CJPLEbHivHapTk781uVoAHkvmWCSUv1-zzctMkGAAs9jRHqb3aswYDxPZNq9XVn-MsAb4RcWHBVAyV4wflADSYTWwdz_LdJaa9ISTchQasx1np_4NisiZfnJZU6Y94dWeI9TOuLEig0wmJrRu4kAfMDqKCCwHcenOrmEeUp2iL5Oorl7ohJmeccofY/s800/Crested%20Bellbird%20female2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3CJPLEbHivHapTk781uVoAHkvmWCSUv1-zzctMkGAAs9jRHqb3aswYDxPZNq9XVn-MsAb4RcWHBVAyV4wflADSYTWwdz_LdJaa9ISTchQasx1np_4NisiZfnJZU6Y94dWeI9TOuLEig0wmJrRu4kAfMDqKCCwHcenOrmEeUp2iL5Oorl7ohJmeccofY/w400-h300/Crested%20Bellbird%20female2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Crested Bellbird <i>Oreoica gutturalis</i> in the mallee. To many of us, the<br />call of this bird is <i>the </i>sound of the inland. Haunting and hollow, the call is well captured<br />in the name panpanpalala, as used by the <span>Pitjantjatjara people of Central Australia.<br />Other Indigenous languages across the country reflect the call in various ways.<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii59E5vKOF9ya11tojlY2dC1Hd0c4wa7-OyzjHCVs8GTyCGOxYGWp0n_QJlFWO8av25NsGr7UukxTSPKi8llfmmf8JCcX4syZZIX-8-eIkxkSYlxtjRC3Wf5lP7_bwrLuTOdBudSeTt2YDMWUzbVxwNjbdZFVppTHI-kBH0duTWyCKPxrCOx4FL4eW7N4/w400-h300/Chestnut-rumped%20Thornbill1%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chesnut-rumped Thornbill <i>Acanthiza uropygialis </i>along the Grasslands Track.<br />Normally this is not an easy bird find sitting still, or to get close enough to photograph <br />(at least in my experience, though others obviously manage perfectly well!). <br />However this was one of a pair which completely froze when a Grey Butcherbird <br />started calling nearby. For this time they reckoned me a minor threat indeed. <br />Eventually they deemed it safe enough to suddenly launch into a low, fast silent <br />flight into a larger clump of trees, and were gone. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDa3Sr9k55JkZaVsAi7eVhUt-cLYMDvuwGla-mq4PM7KeI2RIbraBnoB6TdHfOPSxrRJgd9Kpp9Lv5yM6UDn7fxp_DYlWpP4uwF3xGjSwWJFnebkhLvhlI3rdTo2QjQmpQ34ZxLsj_U1knOfmWgv9-cDAf77l2FeQ7zoEOcZ5g59POx4si4gkJQfLPJ8/s800/Hobby%20with%20bird6%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDa3Sr9k55JkZaVsAi7eVhUt-cLYMDvuwGla-mq4PM7KeI2RIbraBnoB6TdHfOPSxrRJgd9Kpp9Lv5yM6UDn7fxp_DYlWpP4uwF3xGjSwWJFnebkhLvhlI3rdTo2QjQmpQ34ZxLsj_U1knOfmWgv9-cDAf77l2FeQ7zoEOcZ5g59POx4si4gkJQfLPJ8/w400-h300/Hobby%20with%20bird6%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also distracted enough for me to get close to one morning along the same track<br />was this Australian Hobby <i>Falco longipennis</i> apparently enjoying breakfast. <br />This fast and fierce little falcon is a dedicated bird hunter. I can't quite make<br />out the unfortunate meal, but I think it's a Yellow-throated Miner, which<br />are abundant in the area.</td></tr></tbody></table>And I think that's enough for you to go on with - and hopefully more than enough to encourage you to make your own way out there, whether for the first time or for a return visit. You could never be disappointed there.<br /></div><div><p>Here are some closing photos taken from our camp at the beginning and end of some special days.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXwCvzO8kIf2V2HgqypGlIMxXKz9azUEUtCA-YluNHP5gFBQUSPVkB5wmFF1ZJfJG_tPBaB_wBozAE3Lu-r3G_NYeYvYgAPjfnk57lcuoHWL9tSDZxMzXQj6kJRhMyncImU0DcusCT7L7uta58dnJazpBtLUJYH5VtvYW0R4RuiAnBR4ujjdePaIrJ10/s800/sunrise4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXwCvzO8kIf2V2HgqypGlIMxXKz9azUEUtCA-YluNHP5gFBQUSPVkB5wmFF1ZJfJG_tPBaB_wBozAE3Lu-r3G_NYeYvYgAPjfnk57lcuoHWL9tSDZxMzXQj6kJRhMyncImU0DcusCT7L7uta58dnJazpBtLUJYH5VtvYW0R4RuiAnBR4ujjdePaIrJ10/w400-h300/sunrise4%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BB5ekr52j7OGgPJcowgXIELk25XC7n9C0rMMJtgBqMvfn8XG_RX6qZNLv6rv5NXRbQSpo9q79DFRXAPWyY8RCGD3r0WC8K4SFHBbPWouv8m02v03gnNT4Ae8BcrsmiZuucexdL763X7j9ao5ZLbh40KZ5IX6QK__wx1CLkKCWpwJmmytX3ea18Is8LM/s800/sunset2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BB5ekr52j7OGgPJcowgXIELk25XC7n9C0rMMJtgBqMvfn8XG_RX6qZNLv6rv5NXRbQSpo9q79DFRXAPWyY8RCGD3r0WC8K4SFHBbPWouv8m02v03gnNT4Ae8BcrsmiZuucexdL763X7j9ao5ZLbh40KZ5IX6QK__wx1CLkKCWpwJmmytX3ea18Is8LM/w400-h300/sunset2%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the setting sun just still touching the tips of the callitris.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusZUt9s39meCZV6ebJn8CIf_iplebD4Fg3xGK8EB481-0jYP11TLw2T01LQFWkWc5LUYEh0Aqh817t5zpjdWW4XCiYdUDAapuok0DR9O8Cdpegnh-9-dp8piBcDy91oAi54xHWU2ZPFktrikjrWkzjY9F-QYmMl0acrC7TsrgTKmqxwvaOABha-Qv4k0/s800/sunset5%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusZUt9s39meCZV6ebJn8CIf_iplebD4Fg3xGK8EB481-0jYP11TLw2T01LQFWkWc5LUYEh0Aqh817t5zpjdWW4XCiYdUDAapuok0DR9O8Cdpegnh-9-dp8piBcDy91oAi54xHWU2ZPFktrikjrWkzjY9F-QYmMl0acrC7TsrgTKmqxwvaOABha-Qv4k0/w400-h300/sunset5%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another sunset, with the rain coming.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rZmFi3HFG1-WsV3nQEoJGXwIB97TabZOP-92NcnNsCz4LsYbdmcHjE3Bwy5DSJ1e3rq1cmR7QwXnJcrfB1BEoJRAQq4JqPYIKYOLgW65nQq7GvJ1E209aWvrKO3l802qbY_DdIwNNhBazVf7tCHzU73sd45OxR2D_dvrSdMZDZgxk_mkynQJvFsmOfs/s800/moon%20over%20Callitris%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rZmFi3HFG1-WsV3nQEoJGXwIB97TabZOP-92NcnNsCz4LsYbdmcHjE3Bwy5DSJ1e3rq1cmR7QwXnJcrfB1BEoJRAQq4JqPYIKYOLgW65nQq7GvJ1E209aWvrKO3l802qbY_DdIwNNhBazVf7tCHzU73sd45OxR2D_dvrSdMZDZgxk_mkynQJvFsmOfs/w300-h400/moon%20over%20Callitris%20Mungo%20NP%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moon over the callitris as the glow of sunset fades.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 31 AUGUST</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Unsurprisingly to many of my readers we'll be heading back to the Neotropics, and specifically to Costa Rica to run a tour that we had to cancel - and didn't we all have to cancel?! - three years ago. Accordingly my mind is on the Neotropics now, so this post will take us back there, which I know won't please everyone, but who can? ☺ Needless to say I'm pretty distracted at present, so this might be shortish, or at least somewhat spare on detail. Hopefully you can enjoy the scenery and birds anyway.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJPVM42Kd6VmR7EwNwAWo6YbR83v0xYoBi2A7NkNXPePkXWPrvHfHjYPF-7dL134lrP6HKCMXxLeH4xZaD_IAqVDN5t63aqqdIR1mGCv9A_gLAIl4aKuSXLbN8lA4WUgt9VjtPEkeoOYuHX-9UmWbJLJFEWIJnGYiuqC25TXif8l20PSUspYO3gAA/s800/sandstone2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJPVM42Kd6VmR7EwNwAWo6YbR83v0xYoBi2A7NkNXPePkXWPrvHfHjYPF-7dL134lrP6HKCMXxLeH4xZaD_IAqVDN5t63aqqdIR1mGCv9A_gLAIl4aKuSXLbN8lA4WUgt9VjtPEkeoOYuHX-9UmWbJLJFEWIJnGYiuqC25TXif8l20PSUspYO3gAA/w400-h300/sandstone2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandstone outcrops, which are typical of the Chapada dos Guimarães landscape.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Most natural history people who visit Brazil (and it's a fabulous destination, especially now that some of the worst of the ugliness of the past few years has been swept away) are likely to head for the Amazon, <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2018/01/brazils-amazing-pantanal-introduction.html">Pantanal </a>and Iguazú Falls, and quite rightly. However if you're going to the Pantanal - and you really should! - please build in a couple of days to take in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, just to the north. You're likely to fly into Cuiabá, a surprising high-rise city of over a million people in the plains, and Chapada dos Guimarães is not too far away - in fact they are visible from each other, though about 60km apart.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqapTYKK3Gu5Pn7L3yAR5APaLxiYrrfy6Han-qRUywq_IzKKRqTq-LL2pVsDAqFzT_Ms76RMFhkMR54yc0NWrG2PoizfAJEPriJS_Jc45oom4H4OKsIfl-RclyX3rDDWFqmpRwahMXHtbKB1hYLu4krdvoHDZ_gcbTleQahLvJ2pFrY-d-bVtukCP/s800/Cuiaba%20from%20%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqapTYKK3Gu5Pn7L3yAR5APaLxiYrrfy6Han-qRUywq_IzKKRqTq-LL2pVsDAqFzT_Ms76RMFhkMR54yc0NWrG2PoizfAJEPriJS_Jc45oom4H4OKsIfl-RclyX3rDDWFqmpRwahMXHtbKB1hYLu4krdvoHDZ_gcbTleQahLvJ2pFrY-d-bVtukCP/w400-h300/Cuiaba%20from%20%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso state, bigger than NSW,<br /> in the hazy distance from Chapada dos Guimarães NP.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The nearby pleasant small town of Chapada dos Guimarães is a good base from which to explore both the park and as a jump-off point for the vast wetlands of the Pantanal. The park itself is valuable as one of the very few in the Cerrado, a vast area of moist savanna woodland and grassland in central Brazil, covering more than 20% of the country. It has been vastly undervalued by governments and most of it has been cleared for agriculture, despite its enormous biodiversity values as one of the richest tropical savannas in the world. Doubtless the rugged rocky nature of Chapada dos Guimarães is the major reason for it being spared.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJrT1p56d7XCXUUq62CV6duj9XdtZ1h10vQPByc4ardjftkrDWFRjFM4xXplS2m9we0q38YmchsB2iv6VkSfz3yKc6-apmNVAUCaoRRlfo2nIO7ID4NZn7H7Jt46jB_-7vQ2lNY9uzg-w9S4YP3EWWDUyP-hFnP4TfFXGxPEROF-lA7Nd7pjt-lif/s749/cerrado.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="749" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJrT1p56d7XCXUUq62CV6duj9XdtZ1h10vQPByc4ardjftkrDWFRjFM4xXplS2m9we0q38YmchsB2iv6VkSfz3yKc6-apmNVAUCaoRRlfo2nIO7ID4NZn7H7Jt46jB_-7vQ2lNY9uzg-w9S4YP3EWWDUyP-hFnP4TfFXGxPEROF-lA7Nd7pjt-lif/w400-h318/cerrado.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The extent of the Cerrado, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The green<br />cross marks the Pantanal, and Chapada dos Guimarães is just to the north of it,<br />in the purple. Bolivia is immediately to the west, and Paraguay to the south.<br />The Cerrado just extends into both.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">My first impression of the rocky wildness of Chapada dos Guimarães reminded me of the Blue Mountains, but on reflection the red sandstone and the tropical climate is more redolent of the Top End and Kakadu sandstones in the Northern Territory. Here are some more sandstone vistas and features.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tm_dZi6nAKsf5oPllIzYV2frI7Ik-o65-BvnyYLq1nJPLddwCVAUJOXRGrhyMKc2-2gUZnG-cxRh55u_dCl4T1dJ76SzsF30S5PHUEL9jSABYNpVOnT3CGiVxgxOTS1SXInxhDeFHiUMOLyyxYhpDOigoQMbJoIsYBgGi4pphoWreOvPlH_1qiS2/s800/landscape%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tm_dZi6nAKsf5oPllIzYV2frI7Ik-o65-BvnyYLq1nJPLddwCVAUJOXRGrhyMKc2-2gUZnG-cxRh55u_dCl4T1dJ76SzsF30S5PHUEL9jSABYNpVOnT3CGiVxgxOTS1SXInxhDeFHiUMOLyyxYhpDOigoQMbJoIsYBgGi4pphoWreOvPlH_1qiS2/w400-h300/landscape%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though there are other explanations for the name to be found on the internet (most of them<br />simply copying each other) <i>chapada </i>in Portuguese means a high plain, or plateau,<br />according to my dictionary. Guimarães is a historic city in Portugal, perhaps the<br />home town of the person who named the landscape here; I can find no <br />reference to this. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAukqWX3rU-Y-cRvSfUf-RzRzWI9atDV2qNo5SEPDyJif9MHL-UIkx7s2kPLNkmnD4nT85bd7mL6sePkEvBYI6kHGpw-XSCpfyh5hi740AL90ZgPHGFTPT0fug_xcqcygHsTVmMg1Y1Wr7kjERosapRpZdtrnfY9_mQI5dlfo85Ke2gJ9W8bknM1l/s800/sandstone1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAukqWX3rU-Y-cRvSfUf-RzRzWI9atDV2qNo5SEPDyJif9MHL-UIkx7s2kPLNkmnD4nT85bd7mL6sePkEvBYI6kHGpw-XSCpfyh5hi740AL90ZgPHGFTPT0fug_xcqcygHsTVmMg1Y1Wr7kjERosapRpZdtrnfY9_mQI5dlfo85Ke2gJ9W8bknM1l/w400-h300/sandstone1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLU8I4xZRHFBJBS5wmEC-jBm_QptG0x2asSzpaRb7R19IddhmOTzZ6TZAi2DR3cPkFO-y3o5pNcdEBHtfKPiXAh3yrN_uT3z1p-3_aoSbmoUghyBo3vORTFH-Zi-xiuETISvJk76xynDt-_SHpbV2FtNzLxc0oV5sgvwUGvdyr8Ulk746SLQLzLSL/s800/sandstone3%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLU8I4xZRHFBJBS5wmEC-jBm_QptG0x2asSzpaRb7R19IddhmOTzZ6TZAi2DR3cPkFO-y3o5pNcdEBHtfKPiXAh3yrN_uT3z1p-3_aoSbmoUghyBo3vORTFH-Zi-xiuETISvJk76xynDt-_SHpbV2FtNzLxc0oV5sgvwUGvdyr8Ulk746SLQLzLSL/w400-h300/sandstone3%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGRRb2ngi_Hc4-CieKhrSNPas8R6KRjIamoJEGxCTKzvooIQGGiZxIHlCu7SsdmZx7XXvtnP6LBXdEY6imfKFk6EeGLgvWNnPz0Jx0dknqYptg4Gb7geu-BB0-ucrRqeEXYG-XeOAlqtZvzdXMxptLZ0WqhfOciR_xoAiadLHMYKNwZLjLdSnU4fR/s800/sandstone4%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGRRb2ngi_Hc4-CieKhrSNPas8R6KRjIamoJEGxCTKzvooIQGGiZxIHlCu7SsdmZx7XXvtnP6LBXdEY6imfKFk6EeGLgvWNnPz0Jx0dknqYptg4Gb7geu-BB0-ucrRqeEXYG-XeOAlqtZvzdXMxptLZ0WqhfOciR_xoAiadLHMYKNwZLjLdSnU4fR/w400-h300/sandstone4%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And with plateaux like this there are bound to be waterfalls. Here is the most famous and most visited of them. <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BLpR8_MSc4pPgwXesSRaHefaGTmmUTm0LQD61rhiKC9HS1kErAiBLXf-j68LQKRQnpML42vs8fZxOHjqAE3KxAHEMDTj0P1GWWAlADXPlsqDqEtA-xwyFdQQC2F9gkD5m7oECszbUCLx8-XItA6-8GDpXKn-QJdyBRoADTesBL7n-03gPDvT9Lj-/s800/V%C3%A9u%20de%20Noiva%20Falls1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BLpR8_MSc4pPgwXesSRaHefaGTmmUTm0LQD61rhiKC9HS1kErAiBLXf-j68LQKRQnpML42vs8fZxOHjqAE3KxAHEMDTj0P1GWWAlADXPlsqDqEtA-xwyFdQQC2F9gkD5m7oECszbUCLx8-XItA6-8GDpXKn-QJdyBRoADTesBL7n-03gPDvT9Lj-/w400-h300/V%C3%A9u%20de%20Noiva%20Falls1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Véu de Noiva (ie Bridal Veil) Falls, above and below. I'd love to know how many of these<br />there are in various languages around the world. In Australia I can think of five Bridal Falls<br />(two in NSW, and one each in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania) and I'm sure there'll be more.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8oB1GlxlUP157qGFEnR0zeYUpcme5Inb3fkdUadHnuGDDbBrzT0r62roMdwTTxwv3z9pEmmrXMhmMcyUVS5QpQBVL3SWpbejiv8skQuYoVaf0hu58ettTAZSTNM8Ru4xRPhdEAflex9AhHNoWMrbu5JGneDvqHgwUsn9ilNUWTvnDNVQvhTdDpS-/s800/V%C3%A9u%20de%20Noiva%20Falls2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8oB1GlxlUP157qGFEnR0zeYUpcme5Inb3fkdUadHnuGDDbBrzT0r62roMdwTTxwv3z9pEmmrXMhmMcyUVS5QpQBVL3SWpbejiv8skQuYoVaf0hu58ettTAZSTNM8Ru4xRPhdEAflex9AhHNoWMrbu5JGneDvqHgwUsn9ilNUWTvnDNVQvhTdDpS-/w300-h400/V%C3%A9u%20de%20Noiva%20Falls2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Cerrado vegetation is by and large tough and scrubby, though in some sheltered situations there are pockets of moister forest. Here are some roadside examples in the park.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9imA6Ba0JIuB1yAXglUDw4eSSUmFjCC_EJ3dz5wrPd0Ie6pIBsOUCPJYzwfYHdHFxecF1w4ONjM9L7kmfG-VLXiCNYUdER0bk7FHnHq8KSb1s0ZOgDI82hhywLEQagGAjxz4PuGvW0k5DFDXUBtRP_xKEvdF0RoOeeOr05WQSIMS-fR02ODjoIxy2/s1000/roadside%20cerrado%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9imA6Ba0JIuB1yAXglUDw4eSSUmFjCC_EJ3dz5wrPd0Ie6pIBsOUCPJYzwfYHdHFxecF1w4ONjM9L7kmfG-VLXiCNYUdER0bk7FHnHq8KSb1s0ZOgDI82hhywLEQagGAjxz4PuGvW0k5DFDXUBtRP_xKEvdF0RoOeeOr05WQSIMS-fR02ODjoIxy2/w640-h224/roadside%20cerrado%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The structural resemblances to Australian tropical savannahs are obvious, though the plants are<br />very different.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86y7Txn0AAzO9M85y697zUGK_p-WUjgh_NMV5nMJRkHa_7jHFAPOqjmOn4-HnRRq3eVOAV-U6Pr2kpqXcRNwHavrnbYuKgRNkAc35nAot01x8ejdXZrdcSYvsW7JyyRIe1S4ccqXYxQi6qImF0URy1vGn0mMP6M67hXmmkuF4fg4JATqoB1UqW6dH/s800/cerrado%20vegetation%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86y7Txn0AAzO9M85y697zUGK_p-WUjgh_NMV5nMJRkHa_7jHFAPOqjmOn4-HnRRq3eVOAV-U6Pr2kpqXcRNwHavrnbYuKgRNkAc35nAot01x8ejdXZrdcSYvsW7JyyRIe1S4ccqXYxQi6qImF0URy1vGn0mMP6M67hXmmkuF4fg4JATqoB1UqW6dH/w400-h300/cerrado%20vegetation%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xSiNKoJ8CR82mEtJo0FMukEhWuR9P7ybNks7oYJReZzslRSVXkbXZHnAE-mnUazrRBTnwU9Ah3ZtTPEsoB_X6aI0Y34qu6LlOYEvkBfeD4Rg8NpHYBN5GsezRdS-nDgpQCgBJko_Q5zMAVgkpaAxYUuEv78K8YRnCa5kwlTnVAxJGRSJIsy30YbT/s800/heathland%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xSiNKoJ8CR82mEtJo0FMukEhWuR9P7ybNks7oYJReZzslRSVXkbXZHnAE-mnUazrRBTnwU9Ah3ZtTPEsoB_X6aI0Y34qu6LlOYEvkBfeD4Rg8NpHYBN5GsezRdS-nDgpQCgBJko_Q5zMAVgkpaAxYUuEv78K8YRnCa5kwlTnVAxJGRSJIsy30YbT/w400-h300/heathland%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Here are few specific plants in flower, some of which I'm reasonably sure I know and a couple that I don't, but which I float here in the hope that someone like you might be able and willing to help me!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHVR9n_ovkUoCa0NatsnS4958eURh4Va8Rr5Keq9mU1vdZhOnC9I6EZWsqN7BRoM8bYWX1hcaxwrsXjGBZXck_Ed7jfY-XZFOQCh-Q_8aHpGen8g6OPD0auhJaQqenGvpxwO-wDLtfzx3bljoPW_pnAUVO1UcGbEb8fwSiztMb_pHKJtxxZEQallH/s800/Acacia%20plumosa%20query%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHVR9n_ovkUoCa0NatsnS4958eURh4Va8Rr5Keq9mU1vdZhOnC9I6EZWsqN7BRoM8bYWX1hcaxwrsXjGBZXck_Ed7jfY-XZFOQCh-Q_8aHpGen8g6OPD0auhJaQqenGvpxwO-wDLtfzx3bljoPW_pnAUVO1UcGbEb8fwSiztMb_pHKJtxxZEQallH/w400-h300/Acacia%20plumosa%20query%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feathery Acacia <i>Senegalia lowei </i>(formerly <i>Acacia plumosa</i>), one of several South American acacias.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EtktmoJCRa00dMATBXBd3LhSOCM7CnfJ-KWnShnEKmQ8qI0_C3JkLbpj3I9l3H0EmI62_J3k2VAy5Wtn_2TBeZmxJ6V76w4-ULmR_62CX3GT0fAbBOguISzSpaFidFPy1QylBOBFnI8YJ14SUGxH8k4F4TpvpueaL_4DL9zNa39JaLRN4DpXOFyV/s800/Byrsonima%20crassifolia%20Fam%20Malpighiaceae%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="800" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EtktmoJCRa00dMATBXBd3LhSOCM7CnfJ-KWnShnEKmQ8qI0_C3JkLbpj3I9l3H0EmI62_J3k2VAy5Wtn_2TBeZmxJ6V76w4-ULmR_62CX3GT0fAbBOguISzSpaFidFPy1QylBOBFnI8YJ14SUGxH8k4F4TpvpueaL_4DL9zNa39JaLRN4DpXOFyV/w400-h283/Byrsonima%20crassifolia%20Fam%20Malpighiaceae%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Byrsonima crassifolia, </i>Family Malpighiaceae. The small fruits which will form from these<br />flowers are valued by humans, and doubtless other animals.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWj4nHl2JfPHzvjYCkq-LUs3msOs66skRsEXC5cC1L4FjebsRlMTi2ozeujNq6GrHK_eLKoXhNRWs1vbcaHNnFN_kpS3xDM3SLmbGV7oW2-OzxHRgwcuhsGASpzFP-QjkkWk8Ti1cjyWrGStpDtAv252qJpboX3z3sGIvPstdUARkxmWnCvxctuZ_/s800/Jacaranda%20decurrens%20Fam%20Bignon%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWj4nHl2JfPHzvjYCkq-LUs3msOs66skRsEXC5cC1L4FjebsRlMTi2ozeujNq6GrHK_eLKoXhNRWs1vbcaHNnFN_kpS3xDM3SLmbGV7oW2-OzxHRgwcuhsGASpzFP-QjkkWk8Ti1cjyWrGStpDtAv252qJpboX3z3sGIvPstdUARkxmWnCvxctuZ_/w400-h300/Jacaranda%20decurrens%20Fam%20Bignon%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jacaranda decurrens. </i>We were very surprised to see a jacaranda growing as a small shrub. <br />In Australia we are familiar with the widely-planted tree <i>J. mimosifolia </i>and it didn't occur <br />to us that there might be other species with other forms. There are in fact 49 species, <br />all belonging to the tropics and subtropics of America. <i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMczOp1X8NkRSc44t0Y1Qqs--U6kpvsnTYBom8SqQ5-U8tcN7KvcxDU-oFYAVP14zlWJp1MvMOCdA1VGuQkZdER1XyNf9P22Qq6Qbpzi2aO7RdXM-AaUYq9jgYgZCCoW9svS5oOLTDZVQ_g_JnlIKzGU3EcV5JsdfBgy4lA42_dRRgrXEgdKiHfij/s800/unidentified%20plant2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMczOp1X8NkRSc44t0Y1Qqs--U6kpvsnTYBom8SqQ5-U8tcN7KvcxDU-oFYAVP14zlWJp1MvMOCdA1VGuQkZdER1XyNf9P22Qq6Qbpzi2aO7RdXM-AaUYq9jgYgZCCoW9svS5oOLTDZVQ_g_JnlIKzGU3EcV5JsdfBgy4lA42_dRRgrXEgdKiHfij/w400-h300/unidentified%20plant2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This species and the next I'd love your help with, if you're able.<br />The families look frustratingly familiar, but I can't be sure of that.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO9_PrYc5eP8cwKUN7qcaWfLkGzqd-ELYStK4CKx1t4-PGntDs3xxCQG-CE5vFvXcTHlYA_TqezHsP41VB8KA6NEyMfbmhQ1G2q43oibMDdvZdAkFLWfq6bg9WbcsO5sjvNZLMDxockJa71Hek4DRr5SuG3uLSSlDime238_tGCbcM7y64dgjHF7e/s800/unidentified%20plant3%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO9_PrYc5eP8cwKUN7qcaWfLkGzqd-ELYStK4CKx1t4-PGntDs3xxCQG-CE5vFvXcTHlYA_TqezHsP41VB8KA6NEyMfbmhQ1G2q43oibMDdvZdAkFLWfq6bg9WbcsO5sjvNZLMDxockJa71Hek4DRr5SuG3uLSSlDime238_tGCbcM7y64dgjHF7e/w300-h400/unidentified%20plant3%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rest of the post consists of a series of birds (and one reptile), with brief comments on each for those who want them. The first two were taken along the road from the Cuiabá airport to our very nice little lodge in Chapada dos Guimarães. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRW2kE8vTdv948oydHn1qoCADLL7hfj2X0rodDsFP9V1xY_rBqCM0eGhrqmspm0rBM-9GEhibk0uvMvD8Vfr4o2u0aeLBWrAtmXiOgqZ4o4uXMCieI3nukEyJacGP-cS6-R86bTOGtEOVCt9PMR9eMMaGEQ6XoMEgsPLQKXkBUSxPYKvqKE0iJ2j5/s800/Black-throated%20Saltator3%20road%20Cuiab%C3%A1%20to%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRW2kE8vTdv948oydHn1qoCADLL7hfj2X0rodDsFP9V1xY_rBqCM0eGhrqmspm0rBM-9GEhibk0uvMvD8Vfr4o2u0aeLBWrAtmXiOgqZ4o4uXMCieI3nukEyJacGP-cS6-R86bTOGtEOVCt9PMR9eMMaGEQ6XoMEgsPLQKXkBUSxPYKvqKE0iJ2j5/w400-h300/Black-throated%20Saltator3%20road%20Cuiab%C3%A1%20to%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Saltator <i>Saltatricula atricollis. </i>This is actually a tanager but until recently <br />they were included with the cardinal family. There's a lot of that sort of thing in the Neotropics, <br />as taxonomies are sorted out. This one is virtually a Cerrado endemic.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKa-YtKhAtM3KrJ0WfxgffzDyjZiIR9fUo3Gvpf4_ifgttgAgpT-R-ZxmyXoDSkEWW_hXG8tZCfje6XNXF59J3BDF-ZmDhwm6aG6QsgmWsLC5F-oO5EIc0uKQvJeFhG-D1gT89o5_Bc81vgkeFUpu0LNQJuku3VWE64z0_FzdENAmg6rC3ls9Hq1p/s800/Narrow-billed%20Woodcreeper1%20road%20Cuiab%C3%A1%20to%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKa-YtKhAtM3KrJ0WfxgffzDyjZiIR9fUo3Gvpf4_ifgttgAgpT-R-ZxmyXoDSkEWW_hXG8tZCfje6XNXF59J3BDF-ZmDhwm6aG6QsgmWsLC5F-oO5EIc0uKQvJeFhG-D1gT89o5_Bc81vgkeFUpu0LNQJuku3VWE64z0_FzdENAmg6rC3ls9Hq1p/w300-h400/Narrow-billed%20Woodcreeper1%20road%20Cuiab%C3%A1%20to%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrow-billed Woodcreeper<i> Lepidocolaptes angustirostris. </i>Widespread in drier habitats<br />of eastern South America, probing bark crevices for insects.<i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The next few were in the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, mostly either in the grounds of our lodge or on the wires in the street outside. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcXTUyOFehi3xYL806-y6OhSXqs2YvCCRfyCawVr6bzZLgtzD1OFcM4j9ONNv7vOkbbpQrjEpkqDOgwZwDbzBbkdSr2dq5BU04qZAt9pEnq_6PL4DM5gZKv5pCAvSP6MWzdJudiwYBEMlRpjS6BZ8BeDzmayje1V9T4vaUrxzlnMGX96v54XvC_2f/s800/Barred%20Antshrike2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcXTUyOFehi3xYL806-y6OhSXqs2YvCCRfyCawVr6bzZLgtzD1OFcM4j9ONNv7vOkbbpQrjEpkqDOgwZwDbzBbkdSr2dq5BU04qZAt9pEnq_6PL4DM5gZKv5pCAvSP6MWzdJudiwYBEMlRpjS6BZ8BeDzmayje1V9T4vaUrxzlnMGX96v54XvC_2f/w400-h300/Barred%20Antshrike2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barred Antshrike <i>Thamnophilus doliatus</i> on the garden wall. Anything beginning with 'ant' in<br />South America is likely to be extremely skulking and frustating - but not this one!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpIwIwDD0qp7JrWtlQRihzPDhPk7LpXPIzwneuFwJlWQKffg6jnPiRjE_og0gwBJFZDrjrubJfbLoDRuN3NqegWVwZ2-UVy2jiiVXeBVlojAWJ1NCryd_U_W0Yh1EUDlHU9xTxJ3ByDg1nD2ifDwdxv4nLS4Ai5QUXuoVau2KGBFkyrSS9IqY7St4/s800/Double-collared%20Seedeater%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpIwIwDD0qp7JrWtlQRihzPDhPk7LpXPIzwneuFwJlWQKffg6jnPiRjE_og0gwBJFZDrjrubJfbLoDRuN3NqegWVwZ2-UVy2jiiVXeBVlojAWJ1NCryd_U_W0Yh1EUDlHU9xTxJ3ByDg1nD2ifDwdxv4nLS4Ai5QUXuoVau2KGBFkyrSS9IqY7St4/w400-h300/Double-collared%20Seedeater%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double-collared Seedeaters <i>Sporophila caerulescens </i>(yet another tanager-called-something-else)<br />and Ruddy Ground Dove <i>Columbina talpacoti</i> on the lodge feeder.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEr0aU9vrtzzWHE1wNj2k0raa2xUWfMhiETPf504LZxLuBd11Ct89uP6zXJjY_XI8a1rv_n-WqJ6cHAYhD7d8O_dggZlnOE7qqNkQZGY5SLDWpyqti7s8i9_6Bz-sCo-RnvRU_Po_3JjHIR6w7bPg9iqosZe3A-fMmYyBPuIVCDwAV1dJ1Pk7AvQd/s800/Rufous-bellied%20Thrush1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEr0aU9vrtzzWHE1wNj2k0raa2xUWfMhiETPf504LZxLuBd11Ct89uP6zXJjY_XI8a1rv_n-WqJ6cHAYhD7d8O_dggZlnOE7qqNkQZGY5SLDWpyqti7s8i9_6Bz-sCo-RnvRU_Po_3JjHIR6w7bPg9iqosZe3A-fMmYyBPuIVCDwAV1dJ1Pk7AvQd/w400-h300/Rufous-bellied%20Thrush1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous-bellied Thrush <i>Turdus rufiventris. </i>This is a common and much-loved bird<br />(mostly for its song) which has been declared the national bird of Brazil.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RUPP_WMcQUuegtQFoQpsQ-4-vCIZUG51mrvug9DL_L1zYKFfGtxRSjYWsb51r-cb0Gphk2gHt87jnD8mWG6HwJACuKx8JJJdW_h8nM0Q9QKih5prXSJ8Oe6sjTQl7-SnIYkYnvQ2dPLMMG8D-FztxmTk70iTqANtIyfiPY25yCPg1tLC2LrO4QOg/s800/Pale-vented%20Pigeon%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RUPP_WMcQUuegtQFoQpsQ-4-vCIZUG51mrvug9DL_L1zYKFfGtxRSjYWsb51r-cb0Gphk2gHt87jnD8mWG6HwJACuKx8JJJdW_h8nM0Q9QKih5prXSJ8Oe6sjTQl7-SnIYkYnvQ2dPLMMG8D-FztxmTk70iTqANtIyfiPY25yCPg1tLC2LrO4QOg/w400-h300/Pale-vented%20Pigeon%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20town%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale-vented Pigeon <i>Patagioenas cayennensis</i>, another familiar and widespread species,<br />including in suburbia as long as there are trees remaining.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q-7lWrvKoDBSIxYSLqpTyWk0TAcN_N38LJ2veVf1N88EPantu2C1O7VDJH96hlHmCFS1zeawbUMJGckZbN1i2aGDs5nejWAGwTou-4dqqcSUUjynAr1_u3odhRf39l4FzovsG6QExTp2Y9vMmhoFDukNwalBRHS9K8Uzf3WoluRBEp9YQNmMjGOP/s800/Masked%20Tityra2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q-7lWrvKoDBSIxYSLqpTyWk0TAcN_N38LJ2veVf1N88EPantu2C1O7VDJH96hlHmCFS1zeawbUMJGckZbN1i2aGDs5nejWAGwTou-4dqqcSUUjynAr1_u3odhRf39l4FzovsG6QExTp2Y9vMmhoFDukNwalBRHS9K8Uzf3WoluRBEp9YQNmMjGOP/w400-h300/Masked%20Tityra2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masked Tityra <i>Tityra semifasciata</i>, a member of a small family (45 species) of South<br />and Central America species, including quite a few formerly regarded as - and still known as -<br />flycatchers. This one is very widespread.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And the rest of these birds were all in the national park; we didn't spend a lot of time there (much of it is inaccessible, especially to vehicles such as our little bus) but it was time very well spent. These are roughly in taxonomic order.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FQExBdbJBfvOLRB8tUsg0Js-K8Ib9YkIFTwjWkVf87OTSXEKH2SOKz3sF2vPwJnTYzs__9NdKJqTbQ2IRNI8kKmJU7wJnarsj1U51tmjQBn8wiLl6uDAfyUf8LNP8z9dYEHXetsfkzHAA-uGkuWI2TOEaRPra8U5yQ2p0oV_dkFJDlXum513gKFc/s800/1%20White-rumped%20Hawk1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FQExBdbJBfvOLRB8tUsg0Js-K8Ib9YkIFTwjWkVf87OTSXEKH2SOKz3sF2vPwJnTYzs__9NdKJqTbQ2IRNI8kKmJU7wJnarsj1U51tmjQBn8wiLl6uDAfyUf8LNP8z9dYEHXetsfkzHAA-uGkuWI2TOEaRPra8U5yQ2p0oV_dkFJDlXum513gKFc/w400-h300/1%20White-rumped%20Hawk1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-tailed Hawk <i>Geranoaetus albicaudatus. </i>This large and very handsome hawk is found <br />throughout much of eastern South America and scattered in central America. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0OF9_Yn5o4ph5RH4B8j3hSrJibu5FFkUua32oEehHrD1Kb_U_rchoB640jI9lZK6BFNtmAmRd_tNilOvhcmiXtYTOUbCa8sxaibuTcQSoihwBvlpPTN-XBAicpelaw7IzO1OChAn8oSk0IfFJbmCDgi81pzi3dY27ynVHLDc4lJUaA4PCxWqiM12/s800/2%20Burrowing%20Owl1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0OF9_Yn5o4ph5RH4B8j3hSrJibu5FFkUua32oEehHrD1Kb_U_rchoB640jI9lZK6BFNtmAmRd_tNilOvhcmiXtYTOUbCa8sxaibuTcQSoihwBvlpPTN-XBAicpelaw7IzO1OChAn8oSk0IfFJbmCDgi81pzi3dY27ynVHLDc4lJUaA4PCxWqiM12/w300-h400/2%20Burrowing%20Owl1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Owls <i>Athene cunicularia</i>, found in open land in every South American country <br />and a fair bit of North America, always delight me. I still can't get used to seeing owls <br />standing sternly at the mouth of a burrow, and in the daytime!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGIBy77Oqq_WmlEGOUONscN2Ay9n6QEjPz2LbuaoCD7ON6vEO_6TBsz9cM_gLQDX5tU9YcWYQdwXye8bF4sLYX6GidGEjCdGyH0VEyhwcH0hPy0yKMubBHVfROaHYZxkqRWRW1p-2xLLMmAtGp8fT6PsTRhFZG1wPYDWdkfVEVrZmfM9iyhJS8FQO/w400-h300/4%20Ferruginous%20Pygmy%20Owl2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferruginous Pygmy Owl <i>Glaucidium brasilianum</i>, a mini-owl only 15cm high, found from the<br />far south of the US south to most of South America east of the Andes. A fierce little hunter,<br />it operates by day (taking insects, scorpions, lizards and birds as large as thrushes and doves)<br />as well in the dusk and dawn.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjd6AOT7OBsOGt-2kBn705DFOyHBvg2zifxrZMK1REDyecIw_FLu284O4wowjehP-pQyCzECCC3kJwN4NiHx9AYceBnf_HyyxpKn1VMK4i4UeXLKdK1nI_2SSjvrajgxfvBVV5Lr35aHu2cjJzn0DkT9wYOvLw52_JSBD3SP6bKymZt8_Gm0a68RX5/s800/3%20Ferruginous%20Pygmy%20Owl1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PBWgGf_O1vSOauH_ytINtcAtQNn2bptCcrAb4KPGLwhOa6ZNoDCewWrwn_lWZhSwJYKOkuexbgGrDQfn0lRcuCcvEH7X7ksTOGZJlUf69OVczpx2WiGTtMRQ46m8lyHceOjS4I79Vdhdb2LoLTv4tuCg74Ekl8idoXEAeeKNmQf8fsQJbLxBSzj6/s800/Ferruginous%20Pygmy%20Owl1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PBWgGf_O1vSOauH_ytINtcAtQNn2bptCcrAb4KPGLwhOa6ZNoDCewWrwn_lWZhSwJYKOkuexbgGrDQfn0lRcuCcvEH7X7ksTOGZJlUf69OVczpx2WiGTtMRQ46m8lyHceOjS4I79Vdhdb2LoLTv4tuCg74Ekl8idoXEAeeKNmQf8fsQJbLxBSzj6/w400-h300/Ferruginous%20Pygmy%20Owl1%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love it that it apparently has eyes in the back of its head, presumably to deter<br />its own predators, and perhaps the many other birds that regularly mob it.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhMF8WKBSLCOX-WdQiYA69UOhealGI3IrQkLisKJjXOQwie-Cqi9FjX_TL1f4EEqXLM-5Txfnt63b1UNBzoOtalHsDLPnH7DbX_9iufPxgc88VCw1ywA9CPwGqfWpXOhyr_FGYiLZrZ7A-a_DOpae3YVmbGiwdv13c6W1tiI5Ckefw49-Iy1Cx3sv/s800/5%20Peach-fronted%20Parakeets2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhMF8WKBSLCOX-WdQiYA69UOhealGI3IrQkLisKJjXOQwie-Cqi9FjX_TL1f4EEqXLM-5Txfnt63b1UNBzoOtalHsDLPnH7DbX_9iufPxgc88VCw1ywA9CPwGqfWpXOhyr_FGYiLZrZ7A-a_DOpae3YVmbGiwdv13c6W1tiI5Ckefw49-Iy1Cx3sv/w400-h300/5%20Peach-fronted%20Parakeets2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach-fronted Parakeets <i>Eupsittula aurea</i> roosting and quietly preening in the heat of the day. <br />A lovely little parrot found in open country throughout north-eastern South America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_A_hWO9ugojWeOzIAW2r7XsZcXSA32LGDYzjccmtzWVnmsTIIhriAMGVc61iKpLVQLJRHnmyXdwiRUjBBtSwyb5qWLX0YWzAsaBaA6fKnReDxPAVkZIbRyob2O1gG3FcamVV7ceOxmtTIKpO9rpp9wMmJJTKRi0dq-b8idp7xi_8fNOXpH2rM44H/s800/6%20White-eared%20Puffbird%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_A_hWO9ugojWeOzIAW2r7XsZcXSA32LGDYzjccmtzWVnmsTIIhriAMGVc61iKpLVQLJRHnmyXdwiRUjBBtSwyb5qWLX0YWzAsaBaA6fKnReDxPAVkZIbRyob2O1gG3FcamVV7ceOxmtTIKpO9rpp9wMmJJTKRi0dq-b8idp7xi_8fNOXpH2rM44H/w400-h300/6%20White-eared%20Puffbird%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-eared Puffbird <i>Nystalus chacuru, </i>one of 37 species found throughout South and <br />Central America. They are perch-and-pounce predators with big heads and bills, mostly<br />patterned in browns or greys or blacks, some with fluffy plumage (hence the group name).<br />This one is found in the dry forests of the Cerrado, and a little beyond.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd0nXwUkGSmvTEzHUx18SlIQd9RVpuKEWRXj-Sy2whiutld0heJlFX3R4TY543xpwWeg35va9Ey95OpqQE-HTvcW1LpfAzrrxtuMLzpjoV21s4vRAtJHjErne4f25b9uNr1aEQBkhO0KlSx6gOa7Hx6y7sH3dxlCZZik9MWnOgob1UbNdRX7lrHhQ/s800/8%20Large-billed%20Antwren%20female%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd0nXwUkGSmvTEzHUx18SlIQd9RVpuKEWRXj-Sy2whiutld0heJlFX3R4TY543xpwWeg35va9Ey95OpqQE-HTvcW1LpfAzrrxtuMLzpjoV21s4vRAtJHjErne4f25b9uNr1aEQBkhO0KlSx6gOa7Hx6y7sH3dxlCZZik9MWnOgob1UbNdRX7lrHhQ/w400-h300/8%20Large-billed%20Antwren%20female%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As mentioned earlier the antbirds and their kin - ancient South Americans, found<br />nowhere else (save for some that have spread into Central America) - tend to be<br />shy and often notoriously hard to see. Fortunately some can be tempted into <br />the open, such as this female Large-billed Antwren <i>Herpsilochmus longirostris</i>.<br />A Brazilian endemic, it is largely restricted to the Cerrado.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR72309idCN-SNM3XRFxKn0xVO33ON7TeF0RoAyEhz4UsCjoxVBsA55DmgMiv5Wm_y1jyktbMVVl5Z7WuPyHowJrOmfPs5y1djPJvwPokLIQysb936aPEgKv2jDdqm19LDs-w0g6u6ECWoSGczDpxfkj8u9-QHV9rV8mi5BGLG00-IR2PYyCyCbiIx/s800/7%20Rusty-backed%20Antwren2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR72309idCN-SNM3XRFxKn0xVO33ON7TeF0RoAyEhz4UsCjoxVBsA55DmgMiv5Wm_y1jyktbMVVl5Z7WuPyHowJrOmfPs5y1djPJvwPokLIQysb936aPEgKv2jDdqm19LDs-w0g6u6ECWoSGczDpxfkj8u9-QHV9rV8mi5BGLG00-IR2PYyCyCbiIx/w400-h300/7%20Rusty-backed%20Antwren2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Rusty-backed Antwren <i>Formicivora rufa, </i>a very handsome little bird when seen<br />up close. Similarly found across the Cerrado, it also crosses the borders of some <br />neighbouring countries.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDKD5CwaVlppL2nPubq669IzRju7AlJ6LxPVGIs0r-DEPMl3LJd65N6EDo4JseYixdL32z7eUHaR-UFicEqt5r1IWtNTZmaiYBnmWpGSVWJaZHJcfFeX3QmF1UptfdUL_egMgkfQ97Os3j1IkoWZqfKC3N6k2R-0WzU8wt7sgVsi8v3qxYQ-VBXsC/s800/9%20Chapada%20Flycatcher%20Emas%20NP%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDKD5CwaVlppL2nPubq669IzRju7AlJ6LxPVGIs0r-DEPMl3LJd65N6EDo4JseYixdL32z7eUHaR-UFicEqt5r1IWtNTZmaiYBnmWpGSVWJaZHJcfFeX3QmF1UptfdUL_egMgkfQ97Os3j1IkoWZqfKC3N6k2R-0WzU8wt7sgVsi8v3qxYQ-VBXsC/w400-h300/9%20Chapada%20Flycatcher%20Emas%20NP%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suiriri Flycatcher <i>Suiriri suiriri</i> (though some recognise this subspecies as a separate species,<br />Chapada Flycatcher). This is a member of the 'other' great group of old South American<br />passerines, the tyrant flycatchers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA1-s_l1j9ITykAHZHB1QAdqXF-PZl6p8vO3t4heBxCE57kpgVj6MM7Zn5vrjnj2qVm5f5Bgleh0mAZnMykZKdJlHu8m_hXKbbDYshNzvtrTiPC_P5VVWw1uxFXIRkISO65ly6C22GIVinhj8afvCF4J3G6Q1GQz8RQz_kvsoEKRA6G0noIK6De3i/s800/10%20Helmeted%20Manikin%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA1-s_l1j9ITykAHZHB1QAdqXF-PZl6p8vO3t4heBxCE57kpgVj6MM7Zn5vrjnj2qVm5f5Bgleh0mAZnMykZKdJlHu8m_hXKbbDYshNzvtrTiPC_P5VVWw1uxFXIRkISO65ly6C22GIVinhj8afvCF4J3G6Q1GQz8RQz_kvsoEKRA6G0noIK6De3i/w400-h300/10%20Helmeted%20Manikin%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helmeted Manakin <i>Antilophia galeata.</i> I love manakins, mostly brilliantly coloured<br />(the males anyway) little Neotropical birds which display in dark forests. This one deserved <br />a better portrait than this, but this was the best I could do in the conditions. Another Cerrado<br />endemic, and almost restricted to Brazil. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And the remaining five species I have for you are all tanagers - or in one case, a 'tanager'. And a couple of the real tanagers are actually called 'finches' (based on past misunderstandings). This is my favourite Neotropical bird family, after the hummingbirds, a whirlwind of colour and activity, which readily come to fruit feeders at many lodges. All these however were very much 'in the wild'. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlpIsO3Sl0qaFwWoZbrE9OfbYkYT1bzMgqTEpqdBXmCiCfMI_eNLk1LWXY1CWduCR-IgdYx-m-wc6JAYlEbvLiUZgPKcRzItb9lJrCwOqtFRP-yU-3latB89Anv7WUVsGd03ZFUvNnx57xVYbSYq3htG7HIkQCl1vqrXG5p0qJ0WqNXL_NU3m-smx/s800/White-rumped%20Tanager%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlpIsO3Sl0qaFwWoZbrE9OfbYkYT1bzMgqTEpqdBXmCiCfMI_eNLk1LWXY1CWduCR-IgdYx-m-wc6JAYlEbvLiUZgPKcRzItb9lJrCwOqtFRP-yU-3latB89Anv7WUVsGd03ZFUvNnx57xVYbSYq3htG7HIkQCl1vqrXG5p0qJ0WqNXL_NU3m-smx/w400-h300/White-rumped%20Tanager%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-rumped Tanagers <i>Cypsnagra hirundinacea</i> prefer grassy areas with few trees,<br />unlike most of their relatives. Limited to the Cerrado.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_O33syVoYNScMtKv57CCdlMRP9Q1W3oWRNaym2PspDaRF5uZo9RAIxetmBJsMJeBOBrSY2_juj7mfriYBA3Xfe-T6dsdZTWK7kB-LxYX2tGlxF92P1aox9pN8EWUnzkUAjUJSuXAKMI4q7FMzqQrk9rYJGYSgFH1BN-W3zvTSie1aD4ZjZBkX7r2/s800/Swallow%20Tanager%20male%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_O33syVoYNScMtKv57CCdlMRP9Q1W3oWRNaym2PspDaRF5uZo9RAIxetmBJsMJeBOBrSY2_juj7mfriYBA3Xfe-T6dsdZTWK7kB-LxYX2tGlxF92P1aox9pN8EWUnzkUAjUJSuXAKMI4q7FMzqQrk9rYJGYSgFH1BN-W3zvTSie1aD4ZjZBkX7r2/w400-h300/Swallow%20Tanager%20male%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallow Tanagers <i>Tersina viridis </i>on the other hand are found throughout much of<br />northern South America - and what stunners they are (shining even through this<br />dull day)! Tanagers never fail to surprise, and this one, as well as eating fruit like most tanagers,<br />also catches insects on the wing, hence the name.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP94nk_hYXu5jU93ZI1cAYguDt0c4SDuuBxgXIZe_lbwKfoK1Dc2nkTa1rB9kuRRCPlejt8-B-tLHW3kKEEhyvNzXXLPp3ZhEAT1j0DN6yQ0dw0w_LmFZosmR7H3ljxmHt31LvNRXh7Wy5cDJnH2uSuv0pD9L0D5Jp2UD8zS-o1TFg4ZA-f_XSgRI/s800/12%20Red%20Pileated%20Finch2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP94nk_hYXu5jU93ZI1cAYguDt0c4SDuuBxgXIZe_lbwKfoK1Dc2nkTa1rB9kuRRCPlejt8-B-tLHW3kKEEhyvNzXXLPp3ZhEAT1j0DN6yQ0dw0w_LmFZosmR7H3ljxmHt31LvNRXh7Wy5cDJnH2uSuv0pD9L0D5Jp2UD8zS-o1TFg4ZA-f_XSgRI/w400-h300/12%20Red%20Pileated%20Finch2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The attractive Red Pileated Finch <i>Coryphospingus cucullatus</i> is really a tanager (ie a member<br />of the Family Thraupidae). It's another bird of the dry forests and shrublands, but ranges<br />well south of the Cerrado, deep into Argentina. There are also some far-flung outlying <br />populations, including around Cusco in the Andes of southern Peru!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkS8hYHj73PpnZnIM3QEa501NRNv5hERjUG-Q1VmKSEIBAgCEBE0pPwddMKEuKw2z-hVL_oyrMkKiA94PxF66xNJRlJRCh1PEM_YImnTIsnVg-08TceGVfpDTzFcaV55qxZFQl61fd7FJKIARfVmTIEfzCBwCLNwv-UyP5pbDsZSMIUHS_BrrE1De/s800/11%20Coal-crested%20Finch5%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkS8hYHj73PpnZnIM3QEa501NRNv5hERjUG-Q1VmKSEIBAgCEBE0pPwddMKEuKw2z-hVL_oyrMkKiA94PxF66xNJRlJRCh1PEM_YImnTIsnVg-08TceGVfpDTzFcaV55qxZFQl61fd7FJKIARfVmTIEfzCBwCLNwv-UyP5pbDsZSMIUHS_BrrE1De/w400-h300/11%20Coal-crested%20Finch5%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal-crested Finch <i>Charitospiza eucosma, </i>another 'finch' that's really a tanager!<br />This handsome bird is limited to the Cerrado and I was very happy to see it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And finally, the 'tanager' which is actually a cardinal. The misunderstandings surrounding tanagers and related families is finally being resolved with the use of more and more sophisticated biochemical tools, but the past confusion leaves a legacy of a web of muddled common names which could hurt your head if you let them. They're all lovely birds though which ultimately is what matters.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ohpcJlYRScwT81keNfdUPeL4KgXmGD1hPKGuI8CAnOyr0yuBAFONgFJCKbmHH8f6Jois4hui9Rwq3BDQ-qgd6NEtx5h0YErPXS2g7TyuKbXhrwoCAgOQXMW0VYlFoBDaF6OT_rRFcLBgv0qQrrNUV04_3mGBzm_PPSJxkqUPGdhBfSralG46S7iQ/s800/Lowland%20Hepatic%20Tanager%20pair2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ohpcJlYRScwT81keNfdUPeL4KgXmGD1hPKGuI8CAnOyr0yuBAFONgFJCKbmHH8f6Jois4hui9Rwq3BDQ-qgd6NEtx5h0YErPXS2g7TyuKbXhrwoCAgOQXMW0VYlFoBDaF6OT_rRFcLBgv0qQrrNUV04_3mGBzm_PPSJxkqUPGdhBfSralG46S7iQ/w400-h300/Lowland%20Hepatic%20Tanager%20pair2%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pair of Red Tanagers <i>Piranga flava</i> (male on the right). <i>Flava </i>means yellow, but a glance at<br />female explains this one at least. (Yet further confusion results from the inclusion of the <br />species by some people in the very widespread Hepatic Tanager <br />- another hangover from the past.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And to wrap up this not-so-brief-after-all introduction to the wild places of Chapada dos Guimarães, a token reptile - not its fault, or even mine, but it was the only one I recall seeing there.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmAWUil2G-77AbQHbVFiBdiY7SQGG_spcGr6BrFLGWqeCoRRrZEOyLU3Af3drdq1geI7elL1tpRMr50WfH9q8MgkV6IDC3INakazP5LASa1dFIjnV5YcLb1Uo3zC_yZU9qY5lD3Sah3BzmsVaCqJFvl51D0eFBOV-5dLh1rmm-x5aZ6TuGxXEVpa8/s1000/Spiny%20Lizard2%20Tropuridae%20sp%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="350" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmAWUil2G-77AbQHbVFiBdiY7SQGG_spcGr6BrFLGWqeCoRRrZEOyLU3Af3drdq1geI7elL1tpRMr50WfH9q8MgkV6IDC3INakazP5LASa1dFIjnV5YcLb1Uo3zC_yZU9qY5lD3Sah3BzmsVaCqJFvl51D0eFBOV-5dLh1rmm-x5aZ6TuGxXEVpa8/w224-h640/Spiny%20Lizard2%20Tropuridae%20sp%20Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="224" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaco Spiny Lizard <i>Tropidurus lagunablanca;</i> I'm almost sure this is right, and if<br />you could either correct me or reassure me, I'd be grateful. Very handsome in any case!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">If you get to Brazil - and it's worth it - try and fit in a couple of days at least in Chapada dos Guimarães, you won't regret it. Meantime, thanks for helping me indulge in some nice memories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll be back here in August, with material for another exotic posting or two!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 10 AUGUST</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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As promised, after a brief hiatus I'm completing the series by looking at birds which highlight their redness - already pretty striking - by contrasting it with black. We should of course never presume that animals such as birds which do see colour, unlike most mammals, see the same palette as we do. In fact we know that they don't. We (and birds) see colour with the cone cells in the retina - that's very simplistic, but it'll do for now. However where we have three colour pigments in the cone cells, birds have four and in some cases five - and moreover they are all different from ours! Obviously we can't know just what a bird sees when it looks at the same subject as us, but it can't be the same. However we must assume that the black and red combination (like black and white, and black and yellow, both popular combinations in nature as well) is striking for them too, given how prevalent it is.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih428WAhniRVM1okuHgEXQRbnnNIMgbuFVzozU72I8a0XjgLoOY1zRTmS0rtl_PC8-uqffuny8nb-Hxj2FhWgKFHb9lUVIw4r133mxTzAqwWuVwASy1DQxynnWyeGFmFcp1vnU_rrnDcWJumkjrg2qeRVvwa_NYMROYIotzlDJUlQCc0rd9Ma-17gq/s800/Crimson-breasted%20Shrike%20Witsand%20NR%20South%20Africa%200619.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih428WAhniRVM1okuHgEXQRbnnNIMgbuFVzozU72I8a0XjgLoOY1zRTmS0rtl_PC8-uqffuny8nb-Hxj2FhWgKFHb9lUVIw4r133mxTzAqwWuVwASy1DQxynnWyeGFmFcp1vnU_rrnDcWJumkjrg2qeRVvwa_NYMROYIotzlDJUlQCc0rd9Ma-17gq/w400-h300/Crimson-breasted%20Shrike%20Witsand%20NR%20South%20Africa%200619.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson-breasted Shrike (or Gonolek, or Boubou) <i>Laniarius atrococcineus, </i>Witsand NR,<br />northern South Africa. A truly stunning bird indeed, seen behind the park visitor centre <br />as we were about to leave and I blame it for the fact that I left my field guide on the roof<br />of the car, an oversight that I didn't recognise until it was far too late to remedy it!<br />It's the national bird of Namibia (though I've also read that it's been demoted because<br />its appointment was on the basis of the association with the flag colours of Germany,<br />the former colonial ruler, but I'm finding conflicting information).<br /> </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not sure if this combination of colours is used because it really is even more striking than red alone would be, or if it's because such profligacy - expending the energy to extract enough carotenoids from its food to dye all its feathers, and storing them in the liver it until the next moult when they're needed again - would put too much strain on the bird. Melanins on the other hand, which produce black, can be manufactured by the bird relatively cheaply and easily.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've noticed in selecting the photos that in each case the black comes from feathers, while the red can be on various body parts, as illustrated in the previous posts. I'm not sure if this is significant. There are photos in the previous posts that I could have also used in this one - I haven't duplicated, so if you'd like to see more that's another reason to go back to the first two in the series. <span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Most of the rest of the post will be a sort of photo essay, just admiring some lovely and sometimes dramatic birds. I'll start with those which juxtapose red feathers (as opposed to other body parts) with their black ones, which are the majority of those featured, and set the scene with some Australian examples.Unsurprisingly many of the examples feature male birds only - in fact of the eight Australian species which follow only the females of the pitta, and to some extent the black-cockatoo, exhibit the red and black pattern.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKoIvEI0ECAG6G-MmBBgO_zF6ftbnpqCWlgCI_H1qEMq86X8gfzP9KR9GH6VqSNx12BqNjRDLINq-AP0K6MDY_f-3wf3RsGvPXHszHFAyPkBbyyTF3OL43RftlPUlhr4DTU_zVKOJ89MwOc8RqHuJDMY3w7cFUeULGaMcbM1RMjpuX6dLiJ6s4NPR/s800/Mistletoebird%20male%20with%20berry2%20Bundjalung%20NP%200518.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKoIvEI0ECAG6G-MmBBgO_zF6ftbnpqCWlgCI_H1qEMq86X8gfzP9KR9GH6VqSNx12BqNjRDLINq-AP0K6MDY_f-3wf3RsGvPXHszHFAyPkBbyyTF3OL43RftlPUlhr4DTU_zVKOJ89MwOc8RqHuJDMY3w7cFUeULGaMcbM1RMjpuX6dLiJ6s4NPR/w400-h300/Mistletoebird%20male%20with%20berry2%20Bundjalung%20NP%200518.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Mistletoebird <i>Dicaeum hirundinaceum, </i>Bundjalung NP, north coast NSW.<br />The black contrasts with the red breast from both below and above.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvkxIC2-X1JQFR7FV0_wVoTL12qcYo3EmOT0kZzIpsmllfD8aEVtQQxBvRyy_fLa3Ixyn-NF5tcUi91vuTC0klum6yw2vkbaVanLuaZlLSsAqxcLw20tr3sPKbGHEpaHYdWiI3J8ja1byH7BFwB6sVSOLVHjl4iOgot2QzKwPDOHE5khLFnpRFGoO/s800/Rainbow%20Pitta4%20monsoon%20forest%20East%20Pt%20Darwin%20NT%200115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvkxIC2-X1JQFR7FV0_wVoTL12qcYo3EmOT0kZzIpsmllfD8aEVtQQxBvRyy_fLa3Ixyn-NF5tcUi91vuTC0klum6yw2vkbaVanLuaZlLSsAqxcLw20tr3sPKbGHEpaHYdWiI3J8ja1byH7BFwB6sVSOLVHjl4iOgot2QzKwPDOHE5khLFnpRFGoO/w400-h300/Rainbow%20Pitta4%20monsoon%20forest%20East%20Pt%20Darwin%20NT%200115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Pitta <i>Pitta iris, </i>Darwin. It seems a somewhat unlikely place for a colour<br />combination which is surely intended to be seen, but I've <a href="https://afo.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/viewFile/308/297">read that </a>when displaying<br />the bird stands erect, either on the ground at the territory boundary (when it bows down<br /> then stretches up again) or on a branch with outspread wings, <br />which would show the red/black off nicely.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47Z4FZHiMVcqXVVOIwZv02v8_nlwepQraen8NXyR0Fgwx9S_-1z0Bduce_UviIk1LL7A4lzrbTVXc76PMEg_L-gYmjHIp-hUso7j0gn40uogjqDYpckqI1jcZC72Oygxdd8kL_W44owEZj1_ErMrMhf2UqdgH8FrDn0hX5XVyLBIUvz2KrR2MKn79/s800/Red-backed%20Fairywren%20male3%20Julatten%200119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47Z4FZHiMVcqXVVOIwZv02v8_nlwepQraen8NXyR0Fgwx9S_-1z0Bduce_UviIk1LL7A4lzrbTVXc76PMEg_L-gYmjHIp-hUso7j0gn40uogjqDYpckqI1jcZC72Oygxdd8kL_W44owEZj1_ErMrMhf2UqdgH8FrDn0hX5XVyLBIUvz2KrR2MKn79/w400-h300/Red-backed%20Fairywren%20male3%20Julatten%200119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-backed Fairywren <i>Malurus melanocephalus, </i>Julatten, north Queensland.<br />Perhaps the most spectacular of all fairywrens, this little chap really glows even in dim<br />light. Like other fairywrens most males only retain their bright plumage during<br />the breeding season, so moult twice a year.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjykHl3aoJYFiT3M4Esy4YKSRgUkgMoa7ru4gnB7BwidmlLw-D--vVE8xrfiUDdpudZ6tldsHXD0NfbJpSJUTyKoEoESRcovZewcZo58SyL3CnSzg6BM6EOx-vqcfb8guHciAyT1WoCu5hENMUWL2K7kcEGlNK6LARNozMMbcoOH4DZTFnJG_Xh6E/s800/Red-winged%20Parrot%20pair%20Cobbold%20Gorge%20Stn%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjykHl3aoJYFiT3M4Esy4YKSRgUkgMoa7ru4gnB7BwidmlLw-D--vVE8xrfiUDdpudZ6tldsHXD0NfbJpSJUTyKoEoESRcovZewcZo58SyL3CnSzg6BM6EOx-vqcfb8guHciAyT1WoCu5hENMUWL2K7kcEGlNK6LARNozMMbcoOH4DZTFnJG_Xh6E/w400-h300/Red-winged%20Parrot%20pair%20Cobbold%20Gorge%20Stn%200515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-winged Parrots <i>Aprosmictus erythropterus, </i>Gulf Country, north Queensland.<br />He's the one who needs to catch her attention, so only he wears the full outfit.<br />Another very impressive bird.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELZ4ySdokJWZiak5jiSMOCNdU6XBnJ7jWAFZmdpCyjI7o9ZB3j3jFKaW1-CXwpswRbvV6SkdoNiFzm3lEZItcNzGAC-eS3FR_b7Qj3KvhT9fhBn8Gx6QG1dsOfXNpSgopD1MTeAbA6DBderXDLCnrsH_jEmf0c8wqJ0cDNlA_wag-HKJzERvwkM9R/s800/Scarlet%20HE5%20NBG%200421.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELZ4ySdokJWZiak5jiSMOCNdU6XBnJ7jWAFZmdpCyjI7o9ZB3j3jFKaW1-CXwpswRbvV6SkdoNiFzm3lEZItcNzGAC-eS3FR_b7Qj3KvhT9fhBn8Gx6QG1dsOfXNpSgopD1MTeAbA6DBderXDLCnrsH_jEmf0c8wqJ0cDNlA_wag-HKJzERvwkM9R/w400-h300/Scarlet%20HE5%20NBG%200421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet Honeyeater <i>Myzomela sanguinolentam,</i> National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.<br />More usually seen at the coast, but a few come inland to here fairly regularly.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6sfPSqGG2RVO4KGb9MzNlf0zuqKotWwvPwRVRd_pzoFA5Bb_WsKWjGcMMMd8zk_3aSh1Pu1h7sey-ofXiG0WDQJXYEWFF3Dw1sp5wV15N8OOx6dsSwh13PhAiaGlREv9l4_T-dzkh9vgT8B0EvFUJcM02abMauMmwLznIhSwA7TPIvfDZtXWRP6I/s800/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Bourke%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6sfPSqGG2RVO4KGb9MzNlf0zuqKotWwvPwRVRd_pzoFA5Bb_WsKWjGcMMMd8zk_3aSh1Pu1h7sey-ofXiG0WDQJXYEWFF3Dw1sp5wV15N8OOx6dsSwh13PhAiaGlREv9l4_T-dzkh9vgT8B0EvFUJcM02abMauMmwLznIhSwA7TPIvfDZtXWRP6I/w400-h300/Red-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo1%20Bourke%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo <i>Calyptorhynchus banksii, </i>Bourke, northern NSW.<br />The female's tail panels are orange rather than red..</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next two are more ashy grey than black, especially the Gang-gang, but it's just a question of degree and the principle's the same.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa5oxAR0rGwPyPdBwkaTyZuj4AvEYcnH6QKVRCGtmqbLaqj8QB10JRAd8qPhCt3FomeG8_MaIeoixEh2pMgygs4aeLasLlEf88DpHAMk5dILUSMGesCOdty2oal-EXJDRW3lUzLZM2dsiYx6bg_8aZiWlwpFyo1G7o6tdyflMSB-SnNhuC0_iPWVX/s800/Flame%20Robin%20Mt%20Ginini%20NNP%201216.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa5oxAR0rGwPyPdBwkaTyZuj4AvEYcnH6QKVRCGtmqbLaqj8QB10JRAd8qPhCt3FomeG8_MaIeoixEh2pMgygs4aeLasLlEf88DpHAMk5dILUSMGesCOdty2oal-EXJDRW3lUzLZM2dsiYx6bg_8aZiWlwpFyo1G7o6tdyflMSB-SnNhuC0_iPWVX/w300-h400/Flame%20Robin%20Mt%20Ginini%20NNP%201216.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flame Robin <i>Petroica phoenicea,</i> high in Namadgi NP, above Canberra.<br />He too glows, in the misty mountains in summer, and in open <br />country around Canberra in winter.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePNxmjTwJ-miOoaTO7U5_BEOPK1hQijLbmERETdra9sVTSFSZUkhA9IDbW9Dv_AnLhcNmKPv-_fsm9dLf577zbh0crPiZYskKBOlhEHXXzicdVUerEfqH09Gte5AC2hGm2RJUy5evampLe6wXswNENDFNRBNRkESU-7Lxeq0P5G4B1aCSSIP1wPW1/s800/Gang-gang%20male%20Narrabundah%20Hill%200121.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePNxmjTwJ-miOoaTO7U5_BEOPK1hQijLbmERETdra9sVTSFSZUkhA9IDbW9Dv_AnLhcNmKPv-_fsm9dLf577zbh0crPiZYskKBOlhEHXXzicdVUerEfqH09Gte5AC2hGm2RJUy5evampLe6wXswNENDFNRBNRkESU-7Lxeq0P5G4B1aCSSIP1wPW1/w400-h299/Gang-gang%20male%20Narrabundah%20Hill%200121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Gang-gang Cockatoo <i>Callocephalon fimbriatum</i>, National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.<br />This delightful small cockatoo, with its distinctive creaky call and bouncy flight,<br />is the official bird emblem of the Australian Capital Territory.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And here are some overseas - mostly South American - examples of red/black contrasting feathers, from a range of different families, starting, as many things birdy do in the Neotropics, with some tanagers.<br /></div></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3rCrJ2VELAtda5uGbu8pY87A5FmDVZc1M5v4bybLOhsM-_nOXMp5MPC0xM3tv1eGFVdihUHbYi2VCZfBoGe0W_A-cQaujDuxyNBj2N6OfuHbMFqYnI9EtwkiJBu4TrfeyVC0dycu0DB8HJvwkE8vkeCP882usZ0iOreHfT2uLE9H7crOXbC_JjdI/s800/Brazilian%20Tanager3%20Pda%20Mochilera%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3rCrJ2VELAtda5uGbu8pY87A5FmDVZc1M5v4bybLOhsM-_nOXMp5MPC0xM3tv1eGFVdihUHbYi2VCZfBoGe0W_A-cQaujDuxyNBj2N6OfuHbMFqYnI9EtwkiJBu4TrfeyVC0dycu0DB8HJvwkE8vkeCP882usZ0iOreHfT2uLE9H7crOXbC_JjdI/w400-h300/Brazilian%20Tanager3%20Pda%20Mochilera%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazilian Tanager <i>Ramphocelus bresilius, </i>Peruibe, south of Sao Paulo, Brazil</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQA1SD8PgvOdwLq0LqdbFWJThXof_FsvEVh7svME-HHf19IuORCCZnkFLSL-AjQ5I6VVh4__tzcQ8fQB_DAGKCtCoRsmpFA6YA18Mb5-f3Gr3YcySuI3Gz2TWa_ytaJdvqORg7EI9zLHB7vn2elxdI00mDcV9bE5olsQuRkXh6uLmSR2awJvAl-kS/s800/Crimson-collared%20Tanager2%20Mariposaria%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQA1SD8PgvOdwLq0LqdbFWJThXof_FsvEVh7svME-HHf19IuORCCZnkFLSL-AjQ5I6VVh4__tzcQ8fQB_DAGKCtCoRsmpFA6YA18Mb5-f3Gr3YcySuI3Gz2TWa_ytaJdvqORg7EI9zLHB7vn2elxdI00mDcV9bE5olsQuRkXh6uLmSR2awJvAl-kS/w400-h300/Crimson-collared%20Tanager2%20Mariposaria%20Garden%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson-collared Tanager <i>Ramphocelus sanguinolentus, </i>central Costa Rica;<br />found throughout Central America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtT7OwZD3D3O_mlHAfHtDWgvP2la-lJ-vyfux6T4k_zBvP4Rk-j9ejJziNRn-5k19Ri2FJvXZTEYxHiWZ0vz2ffCPFEw-GTeeA9xA3yD6Rp1Wzg4BGEEl3gQTwQ1wlyd1k4h3cHTAw-ObBzYJeqXUXv0mJLd7XoPYJaN_pSKnD7jbsYdSTv7iISI-/s800/Masked%20CrimsonTanager2%20Napo%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtT7OwZD3D3O_mlHAfHtDWgvP2la-lJ-vyfux6T4k_zBvP4Rk-j9ejJziNRn-5k19Ri2FJvXZTEYxHiWZ0vz2ffCPFEw-GTeeA9xA3yD6Rp1Wzg4BGEEl3gQTwQ1wlyd1k4h3cHTAw-ObBzYJeqXUXv0mJLd7XoPYJaN_pSKnD7jbsYdSTv7iISI-/w300-h400/Masked%20CrimsonTanager2%20Napo%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masked Crimson Tanager <i>Ramphocelus nigrogularis</i>, Ecuadorian Amazonia.<br />This one, closely related to the previous species, is common throughout the Amazon basin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEohPJgFe4NTZIs1qlv-SBE5miRaBlQbVYNspvrply2n-Kr9BJXq6u8RDaAwv0NWJ5442r9LsPWJI78JmhecxlC7QRKzJ2TxJjAPQWn-CxTgAh435E5TJzyk4eNjUJPLG-0HY4tuv6ojKEaviQ1UsljdfhZTCKZ4i7d8FYWyUdzvy6WM0-FuWnYLT8/s800/Yellow-billed%20Cardinal2%20Pousada%20Arara%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEohPJgFe4NTZIs1qlv-SBE5miRaBlQbVYNspvrply2n-Kr9BJXq6u8RDaAwv0NWJ5442r9LsPWJI78JmhecxlC7QRKzJ2TxJjAPQWn-CxTgAh435E5TJzyk4eNjUJPLG-0HY4tuv6ojKEaviQ1UsljdfhZTCKZ4i7d8FYWyUdzvy6WM0-FuWnYLT8/w400-h300/Yellow-billed%20Cardinal2%20Pousada%20Arara%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-billed Cardinal <i>Paroaria capitata</i>, Pantanal, south-western Brazil.<br />Despite the name, these 'cardinals' are actually tanagers too! <br />There's a lot of that sort of thing in the Neotropics...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The manakins form another spectacular family of Neotropical birds, though aren't nearly as easy to see as the tanagers. If you can find a male display post in the darkness of the forest though, you're having a very good day indeed!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfkkIWLFCfiq_2frClKP0F5VCMEA-zj7NxLoYuliiWvh63WPds6b11uIsWQ1bqn35UhBqPHHwCslr1-KKqApEBpsC-rN91kYxQ9kJcC5H2BKIblk9GmN6xNIZ19NUecxRnDAEggPVbSVyKZ6x-dSxU3GroLm8mkYQOFV-_9c3K5kGsjKAJNPxlyvD/s800/Blue%20Manakin2%20NW%20of%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfkkIWLFCfiq_2frClKP0F5VCMEA-zj7NxLoYuliiWvh63WPds6b11uIsWQ1bqn35UhBqPHHwCslr1-KKqApEBpsC-rN91kYxQ9kJcC5H2BKIblk9GmN6xNIZ19NUecxRnDAEggPVbSVyKZ6x-dSxU3GroLm8mkYQOFV-_9c3K5kGsjKAJNPxlyvD/w400-h300/Blue%20Manakin2%20NW%20of%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Manakin <i>Chiroxiphia caudata, </i>near Peruibe, south-eastern Brazil.<br />One of many species restricted to the highly threatened Atlantic forests <br />of this part of Brazil and neighbouring Paraguay and Argentina.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjZMneoBrHF9yUXSrBevyakxyzrMNNO1HdX9KGN9cAmz2c-kdgco-wxg8-41mvGSViVEgTEpeGLH-fe6lQ6bZYDEUIs5iMvDQQmWchE2xochYRmcjqrrRoO936SHTgr53-Zg8SXdDeILbyY_tqiyHfsg6Lx4jZUbVh3w5026GeSQ9Y_qgQFYUFW1F/s800/Wire-tailed%20Manakin3%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjZMneoBrHF9yUXSrBevyakxyzrMNNO1HdX9KGN9cAmz2c-kdgco-wxg8-41mvGSViVEgTEpeGLH-fe6lQ6bZYDEUIs5iMvDQQmWchE2xochYRmcjqrrRoO936SHTgr53-Zg8SXdDeILbyY_tqiyHfsg6Lx4jZUbVh3w5026GeSQ9Y_qgQFYUFW1F/w400-h300/Wire-tailed%20Manakin3%20Muyuna%20Lodge%20Peru%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wire-tailed Manakin <i>Pipra filicauda, </i>Amazon rainforest, north-east Peru.<br />His courtship dance, where he competes with other males in a <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2013/12/lek-it-or-not-where-blokes-show-off.html">lek</a> in lowland<br />tropical rainforest, is simply amazing. Have a look <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcbZvnqKb7Y">here</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Another, better-known, Neotropical bird, also competes in leks for the attention of females.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5jNwcj8q1o2DpfezNxMTPfPWZ03sOloYaBus0O_iE-Y5B4Z067VU1B7b67rjpWeBaKMxrIxUz3Fh4esrIId8950gEbWCJCPO_t2mX0GRJCP44guXt4zZSb9oPUxOhCfSimatw33o0dDchsdJ9QcPvru9giwOsSvjkvSepqZlhJ8dxjHl0jP2vw08/s800/Andean%20Cock%20of%20the%20Rock%20males3%20San%20Pedro%200910.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5jNwcj8q1o2DpfezNxMTPfPWZ03sOloYaBus0O_iE-Y5B4Z067VU1B7b67rjpWeBaKMxrIxUz3Fh4esrIId8950gEbWCJCPO_t2mX0GRJCP44guXt4zZSb9oPUxOhCfSimatw33o0dDchsdJ9QcPvru9giwOsSvjkvSepqZlhJ8dxjHl0jP2vw08/w400-h300/Andean%20Cock%20of%20the%20Rock%20males3%20San%20Pedro%200910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two males Andean Cocks-of-the-rock <i>Rupicola peruvianus,</i> Manu NP, Peru.<br />These extraordinary birds compete in leks of 15 or so males, in Andean forests.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last four examples of black/red-feathered birds are all from different families. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvnXX5Y0CvYiuUZEI2GLOGzzlq5CeJKbc1heOqIFo-0_VxDzhUBIj5HjX9Nk3K8T22OVEcbUJkoS5uj6ZbRENf2NiDac21ee4mQIeOVPpxRcs4Ejm8nAj9WloQosC8iFY2ahmVzpWwgQ6IzaUXlISBIKicvWrCcBgOap0QB5iFgEgYfFIzF91O3fO/s800/Long-tailed%20Meadowlark2%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="800" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvnXX5Y0CvYiuUZEI2GLOGzzlq5CeJKbc1heOqIFo-0_VxDzhUBIj5HjX9Nk3K8T22OVEcbUJkoS5uj6ZbRENf2NiDac21ee4mQIeOVPpxRcs4Ejm8nAj9WloQosC8iFY2ahmVzpWwgQ6IzaUXlISBIKicvWrCcBgOap0QB5iFgEgYfFIzF91O3fO/w400-h301/Long-tailed%20Meadowlark2%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Meadowlark <i>Leistes loyca, </i>Torres del Paine NP, Chilean Patagonia.<br />Windblown, as everything is in Patagonia, this male's brown back is edged<br />with black to provide a contrast with the gorgeous red underside and brows.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g32_VF5J9Io2ThrFCJ9pvFkfpTvt2E4jEvHaI-cfo38ctfhReT2JLW_wLKho2tsd_f7AFyDQLv7J1-OIGcO4IbRQBa3c7yy6lUQGLNbOeIjF9XOz2SgNXTEEteXnl354Kwg5KRGoQJcp5NxSMlky1tVZHiKN_PmdYh0CYIhdbfNyfpYe65ZpmJYd/s800/Nthn%20Red%20Bishop%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g32_VF5J9Io2ThrFCJ9pvFkfpTvt2E4jEvHaI-cfo38ctfhReT2JLW_wLKho2tsd_f7AFyDQLv7J1-OIGcO4IbRQBa3c7yy6lUQGLNbOeIjF9XOz2SgNXTEEteXnl354Kwg5KRGoQJcp5NxSMlky1tVZHiKN_PmdYh0CYIhdbfNyfpYe65ZpmJYd/w400-h299/Nthn%20Red%20Bishop%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Red Bishop <i>Euplectes franciscanus, </i>Murchison Falls NP, Uganda.<br />One of the many species in the mainly African weaver family, the gorgeous males perform a<br />display flight to attract females, and build elaborate woven nests to impress her. Once it's<br />worked though he loses interest in her and his eggs and chicks, and leaves<br />the rest up to her.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtSG1L2GlS5S7a0MwwdMrMlt2FfEGGaGmS3DcS_J_7vBODBLdQxSMuX99v4CZ88Q-mG7T9i0LQIJg9y4ufvBCFMtT8XdV1w2_4KbztMN4oRSOdPPUvGKPFt0MuWqzNSUd21jcunOSwo301pFPDODBR57Pv2Y7F-vx8Lk6mEwKgAD3DXpm3yfePWKU/s800/Pale-billed%20Woodpecker1%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtSG1L2GlS5S7a0MwwdMrMlt2FfEGGaGmS3DcS_J_7vBODBLdQxSMuX99v4CZ88Q-mG7T9i0LQIJg9y4ufvBCFMtT8XdV1w2_4KbztMN4oRSOdPPUvGKPFt0MuWqzNSUd21jcunOSwo301pFPDODBR57Pv2Y7F-vx8Lk6mEwKgAD3DXpm3yfePWKU/w300-h400/Pale-billed%20Woodpecker1%20Carara%20NP%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale-billed Woodpecker <i>Campephilus guatemalensis</i>, Carara NP, Costa Rica.<br />Found throughout most of Central America, this is one of a genus of 11 large<br />New World woodpeckers with red heads contrasting with a black-and-white body.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjYlBAYO-WOLrQHc4MdCSSCfK-c_kBtQN9Sk_XKkNI41btvFrcvTQmsmMQu_i3oeWGBDorZo8z091YyV2bzvYqOiXBOB1IgpyER15q2Wq5oNMIOh6VAQuB_gB_siXUtCXbUsTCguE7yNVkIfTLvvB9K78mY99lTMa15xB4W-QhOJ7I_XdZTS3Wdrj/s800/Galapagos%20Vermilion%20Flycatcher2%20Santa%20Cruz%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjYlBAYO-WOLrQHc4MdCSSCfK-c_kBtQN9Sk_XKkNI41btvFrcvTQmsmMQu_i3oeWGBDorZo8z091YyV2bzvYqOiXBOB1IgpyER15q2Wq5oNMIOh6VAQuB_gB_siXUtCXbUsTCguE7yNVkIfTLvvB9K78mY99lTMa15xB4W-QhOJ7I_XdZTS3Wdrj/w301-h400/Galapagos%20Vermilion%20Flycatcher2%20Santa%20Cruz%201113.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darwin's Flycatcher <i>Pyrocephalus nanus, </i>Santa Cruz, Galápagos.<br />Now recognised as a Galápagos endemic, this was formerly included<br />in the widespread mainland American Vermilion Flycatcher <i>P. obscurus.<br /></i>Not many of the New World flycatchers are colourful, and these two <br />species really stand out from them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Another seemingly popular option for birds who want to emphasise a red feature against black feathers (the anthropomorphism is ironic by the way!) is to have a red bill, though there is nothing about a red bill which makes it more efficient at its primary purpose. Here are some impressive examples, a couple of which also flaunt red legs. This selection is split evenly between waterbirds and land birds, and ranges across 8 families. I've tried to choose as diverse a range as possible, though in the end I've included two oystercatchers because I wanted an Australian example in this section, and couldn't leave out the other beautiful example.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVU8W9ijOs9Jb5XvpCgNbugpw1UUZ0eX1ANiXLGzq6DNC0mbIxwnSYi2wrAKZUTkgtrYCh4m737-B8jZCj3glnEwPmGGHRivBYqIy_RYKdPWAR0RIMHCJ89ullbAmK1Rz4FqpmTn-C3GuSlzAfw5JmF4e1kfBs7gmD8_c_pg1FIIDUHwL2HGR1WlE/s800/Blackish%20Oystercatcher2%20Pisagua%20Chile%200815.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVU8W9ijOs9Jb5XvpCgNbugpw1UUZ0eX1ANiXLGzq6DNC0mbIxwnSYi2wrAKZUTkgtrYCh4m737-B8jZCj3glnEwPmGGHRivBYqIy_RYKdPWAR0RIMHCJ89ullbAmK1Rz4FqpmTn-C3GuSlzAfw5JmF4e1kfBs7gmD8_c_pg1FIIDUHwL2HGR1WlE/w400-h300/Blackish%20Oystercatcher2%20Pisagua%20Chile%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackish Oystercatcher <i>Haematopus ater, </i>Pisagua, northern Chile. Note also<br />the stand-out red eyes, and those lovely pale pink legs. It is found along much<br />of the west coast of South America and the far south-east coast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2KMczfmwcn8_9_y2arOT_HY92od-UQUGpP4DdWkRZI4Emg8KrrT2gzstB9SpPf00ZGXPrWZBgjU7gRe3tJisyuI0OWGj3W2MiB1GN_MB0cBi3h8zJNVh6niLcuAWcNoOpNkYhxK-PmDCVnEoiErwirrv0R3B_UllRDMyK82bN_jU6ycoGYjSTqMD/s1000/Sooty%20Oystercatchers1%20Gooloowah%20NP%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2KMczfmwcn8_9_y2arOT_HY92od-UQUGpP4DdWkRZI4Emg8KrrT2gzstB9SpPf00ZGXPrWZBgjU7gRe3tJisyuI0OWGj3W2MiB1GN_MB0cBi3h8zJNVh6niLcuAWcNoOpNkYhxK-PmDCVnEoiErwirrv0R3B_UllRDMyK82bN_jU6ycoGYjSTqMD/w640-h224/Sooty%20Oystercatchers1%20Gooloowah%20NP%200820.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooty Oystercatchers <i>Haematopus fuliginosus, </i>Gooloowah NP, northern NSW.<br />This is a seriously black oystercatcher, an Australian endemic, which shares the previous<br />species' bright red bill and eyes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg--5lzij1XlT_Qa1eP3zPl6L9ThD6L3X9xofHp86kF-O0YGljzQPRzh9lyfQEh4Tfgr_7ntsg9v5gJ_OCLFoF25zDUwAQJG0_Q6NauQ4dAsucn6UnPNAQZTZBB3z37QAmEJkp1z6OuHfODm2UgyCD5SeqZH1KTshJGT3tBTyyHhEcxPO4ufs1SPoV4/s800/Black%20Skimmer%20Cuiaba%20River%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg--5lzij1XlT_Qa1eP3zPl6L9ThD6L3X9xofHp86kF-O0YGljzQPRzh9lyfQEh4Tfgr_7ntsg9v5gJ_OCLFoF25zDUwAQJG0_Q6NauQ4dAsucn6UnPNAQZTZBB3z37QAmEJkp1z6OuHfODm2UgyCD5SeqZH1KTshJGT3tBTyyHhEcxPO4ufs1SPoV4/w400-h300/Black%20Skimmer%20Cuiaba%20River%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Skimmer <i>Rynchops niger,</i> Pantanal, south-west Brazil. One of three skimmer species<br />(the other two being in Africa and Asia), members of the gull and tern family. They use<br />their remarkable bill (which itself is black-and-red) to trail the lower mandible in the water <br />as they fly just above it. It snaps shut when it contacts small prey animals, especially fish.<br />They can be found throughout South America, either coastally or following inland rivers<br />(as here) except for the Andes and the far south.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-ytmpJOfhSxzefY6HxTxWn4Ihr2EE8MxkzLlQEdQRURxww9wIP2RTb7CEugGgi4DufGWBLJOuBD3DZJhd7t8QmTlhrSZLE3XZHgG0NiOFN7HwQncrEEdu9gK8IUzYrKZJ9t_ppcgR9NWw3RSYH2YpvahKrHBwkm2-gXY7sk-Gke8LVOStSUvUpOU/s800/Inca%20Tern7%20Pucusana%20Peru%201017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-ytmpJOfhSxzefY6HxTxWn4Ihr2EE8MxkzLlQEdQRURxww9wIP2RTb7CEugGgi4DufGWBLJOuBD3DZJhd7t8QmTlhrSZLE3XZHgG0NiOFN7HwQncrEEdu9gK8IUzYrKZJ9t_ppcgR9NWw3RSYH2YpvahKrHBwkm2-gXY7sk-Gke8LVOStSUvUpOU/w400-h300/Inca%20Tern7%20Pucusana%20Peru%201017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inca Tern <i>Larosterna inca</i>, surely the world's most beautiful terns, here at Pucusana,<br />south of Lima, Peru. They are found along much of the continent's west coast,<br />and I am utterly delighted by them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuYD37DxCsMCpNy_1XZuS7QTGzV_KUwm8f1Yw0_R36bLltTWFpE4sYA03vMhO5S2RmxDjXv5whYs6aPRJ1zBkPIZwO3p1zi_eBO484wk9kKh30DtMczqCvxZUEcyBwP_szpjhR5opjFc2pxHE3nIkq-DDCJeegCo0nUpgSlEuKShZjejrBla07-gz/s800/Saddle-billed%20Stork%20Amboseli%20NP%20Kenya%200519-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuYD37DxCsMCpNy_1XZuS7QTGzV_KUwm8f1Yw0_R36bLltTWFpE4sYA03vMhO5S2RmxDjXv5whYs6aPRJ1zBkPIZwO3p1zi_eBO484wk9kKh30DtMczqCvxZUEcyBwP_szpjhR5opjFc2pxHE3nIkq-DDCJeegCo0nUpgSlEuKShZjejrBla07-gz/w300-h400/Saddle-billed%20Stork%20Amboseli%20NP%20Kenya%200519-001.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saddle-billed Stork <i>Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, </i>Amboseli NP, Kenya.<br />At 1.5 metres, this is one of the tallest storks in the world. I just love the great<br />red-black-red beak against the inky black head and neck, and the yellow <br />saddle on the bill. And the delicate pink knees! <br />This is a female, with yellow eyes (the male's are black).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The other five red bills featured today are of land birds, each from a different family.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpByHVm-ajN44vthAUxTfJmCkhJOVDg0fhFl6HpIXCn7YE9nsgFj9Osz8y9Nub0_9MFWxGi-kcU_t0MFQVnR2OE_M6jx0Tf_BdKPUlZ5rsj1ZyLb7YxYrc3nIBlVVJDxBzaE87SwS8EGaaHkutnKzAh5yy2vgUDr_HGEIQSbjPSzL44w2Cbnp7w7ft/s800/Bateleur%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpByHVm-ajN44vthAUxTfJmCkhJOVDg0fhFl6HpIXCn7YE9nsgFj9Osz8y9Nub0_9MFWxGi-kcU_t0MFQVnR2OE_M6jx0Tf_BdKPUlZ5rsj1ZyLb7YxYrc3nIBlVVJDxBzaE87SwS8EGaaHkutnKzAh5yy2vgUDr_HGEIQSbjPSzL44w2Cbnp7w7ft/w400-h299/Bateleur%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bateleur (sometimes with 'Eagle' appended, though it's not really) <i>Terathopius ecaudatus</i>,<br />Serengeti NP, Tanzania. This is another 'beak and legs' (and face) example.<br />Highly distinctive, 'bateleur' is French for a tumbler or acrobat, which is supposedly<br />to reflect its slow, rocking hunting flight, though I don't really understand that.<br />In fact it is often claimed to also mean a tightrope walker, which would<br />make better sense - except that as far as I'm aware, this is not the French word for that!<br />This bird is carrying a prey item, but I can't identify it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIzY7Z41Q6dFWWuVRY6tw_z2sG2MuigDwT3-MxWFz0yjITV0buGIh9Am1iJ6QzimZRhXUfrWY_hpVMMocBMO2w1phCueKH7LW2vbT-9B-HWbX-zy5MOnLQuHxVArWOZ5jBqa87bSOd7oTGn6oRMUDDMtHKiSAD3c49nP_rjDcH-Fb0fgTXWlGMTRZ/s800/Black-throated%20Grosbeak2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIzY7Z41Q6dFWWuVRY6tw_z2sG2MuigDwT3-MxWFz0yjITV0buGIh9Am1iJ6QzimZRhXUfrWY_hpVMMocBMO2w1phCueKH7LW2vbT-9B-HWbX-zy5MOnLQuHxVArWOZ5jBqa87bSOd7oTGn6oRMUDDMtHKiSAD3c49nP_rjDcH-Fb0fgTXWlGMTRZ/w400-h300/Black-throated%20Grosbeak2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Grosbeak <i>Saltator fuliginosus </i>in the Atlantic Forests near Sao Paulo,<br />Brazil. Another tanager which is called something else! Little is known of its<br />feeding habits in the canopy, though this bill is surely that of a seedeater.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgBmp3f3_WS2cSDJNFsP-DzXYIWO3qf8wzmS202rKNsOsVneXO5W3LE5IVD6rWrtjUb1cDp4BkHHKLhzv7zj_AwFfwhUx29Bre_Yo7N_k6vJ9G7O0T9UAzjJ3eDntB0XPCqdFZG0n3q0m2RfCmfPeRuvKBAIFp-nLMk05zaAIRLMCgGEnamy4ltZG/s800/Green%20Wood-hoopoe1%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgBmp3f3_WS2cSDJNFsP-DzXYIWO3qf8wzmS202rKNsOsVneXO5W3LE5IVD6rWrtjUb1cDp4BkHHKLhzv7zj_AwFfwhUx29Bre_Yo7N_k6vJ9G7O0T9UAzjJ3eDntB0XPCqdFZG0n3q0m2RfCmfPeRuvKBAIFp-nLMk05zaAIRLMCgGEnamy4ltZG/w400-h300/Green%20Wood-hoopoe1%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Wood Hoopoe <i>Phoeniculus purpureus</i>, Lake Nakuru NP, Kenya.<br />Not hoopoes, but they are in a related family; there are 9 species of<br />wood hoopoes and scimitarbills in the family, all African.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVKnOAfnacIHMbRPBm61UpNVaywAuWqdHVLCeDKh9JRZnR5kQlN8ZgjR4-ArexiG0sSlQMUICFqgiUsaqZDCT2h6rJAf2NfsLZUZzdLmylM4sqWINXo4ZZWiNUfGEJGa4WMdM8YC6wb61nJgo-VmORcwdH5-TOOtbs98U86wGApuuhwCa9NKumT2B/s800/Rhinoceros%20Hornbill%20preening%20Sepilok%20Hotel%20Sabah%20Borneo%200615.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVKnOAfnacIHMbRPBm61UpNVaywAuWqdHVLCeDKh9JRZnR5kQlN8ZgjR4-ArexiG0sSlQMUICFqgiUsaqZDCT2h6rJAf2NfsLZUZzdLmylM4sqWINXo4ZZWiNUfGEJGa4WMdM8YC6wb61nJgo-VmORcwdH5-TOOtbs98U86wGApuuhwCa9NKumT2B/w300-h400/Rhinoceros%20Hornbill%20preening%20Sepilok%20Hotel%20Sabah%20Borneo%200615.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinoceros Hornbill <i>Buceros rhinoceros, </i>Sepilok, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.<br />What an extraordinary bird, nearly a metre long, and unsurprisingly the national bird of Malaysia.<br />Juxtaposing red and yellow is effective too, as evidenced by this and the next species, and <br />the stork earlier.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPZtETIDFphIBLauW9ayPehYpwDVLhG2kID9I32uWnleUNPhXmiMB6UK8smBo3KU90nf92m-eSXovFQBDNVyEP2LYTM7OsaAbzCBtrTGYJ-lnJJSDJHDMCwS_lOmBqrqimVhjDSDOlJlvue6mc2vgcVReLU8j72y38PjKHfRh6Zda3VEy8DeFnOn2/s800/Toco%20Toucan4%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPZtETIDFphIBLauW9ayPehYpwDVLhG2kID9I32uWnleUNPhXmiMB6UK8smBo3KU90nf92m-eSXovFQBDNVyEP2LYTM7OsaAbzCBtrTGYJ-lnJJSDJHDMCwS_lOmBqrqimVhjDSDOlJlvue6mc2vgcVReLU8j72y38PjKHfRh6Zda3VEy8DeFnOn2/w400-h300/Toco%20Toucan4%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And speaking of extraordinary birds... Toco Toucan <i>Ramphastos toco, </i>Pantanal, Brazil<br />The largest toucan, the bill alone is nearly 25cm long. Note too the bright red vent.<br />It is notable also in being the only toucan found in open country.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">We talked about birds with red skin last time too, and here are some where this skin is directly contrasted with the black plumage.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWh44guQL4ouRgxdSmkkLvQwQx97Q2kJp3EVeMOTyf3LpL9lPUtI_ZoFZ8Q5s9M-_ecc75-YRK89gORTVB-jM9LQSZRm5xKm8PXf5k1XAml_t7wsNoNq8Ww_WacJtUhVZ_G-sHKBhR7RH1jit7we8EvSAoIP3mIJdMmA83l_U0ym-_970E7lny2wZ/s800/Brush%20Turkey%20Cairns%20BG%200119%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWh44guQL4ouRgxdSmkkLvQwQx97Q2kJp3EVeMOTyf3LpL9lPUtI_ZoFZ8Q5s9M-_ecc75-YRK89gORTVB-jM9LQSZRm5xKm8PXf5k1XAml_t7wsNoNq8Ww_WacJtUhVZ_G-sHKBhR7RH1jit7we8EvSAoIP3mIJdMmA83l_U0ym-_970E7lny2wZ/w400-h300/Brush%20Turkey%20Cairns%20BG%200119%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brush Turkey <i>Alectura lathami, </i>Cairns, north Queensland.<br />And yes, the red skin of the bare neck and head is actually narrowly separated from the <br />black body by the yellow wattle, but the effect is the same, or even enhanced.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzepmZEldAQdx4AjUMGRwvq4PBa0QtTH8gSxB4iMnTCas0s-rGVe5-Q1yMbpPxzsUv0i5pasgU-w0UfoostVkBECnHNEZSZLg23QMUM-69a1q3c_cEDzsfUEl8mLuY3OYuO5TG8s_VWT8sabYSeI5Sq5XyMAKyulFaY4DCALU-M65smO9in5jzgWx/s800/Guanay%20Cormorant4%20Pucusana%20Peru%201017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzepmZEldAQdx4AjUMGRwvq4PBa0QtTH8gSxB4iMnTCas0s-rGVe5-Q1yMbpPxzsUv0i5pasgU-w0UfoostVkBECnHNEZSZLg23QMUM-69a1q3c_cEDzsfUEl8mLuY3OYuO5TG8s_VWT8sabYSeI5Sq5XyMAKyulFaY4DCALU-M65smO9in5jzgWx/w301-h400/Guanay%20Cormorant4%20Pucusana%20Peru%201017.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanay Cormorant <i>Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum, </i>Pucusana, south of Lima, Peru.<br />Just a ring of red skin around the eye, as we saw in some examples last time, <br />but this is perhaps rendered even more effective by being alongside black feathers. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tsiyc56_Ob1EE7_PrxJY_bmmLMTxclkVsDj7jSGS9Rm6ThII85C-YbsQg8AP6DETRy1TXUp4OfaD_rmoUsDs8obDqaBqnBEnNDWwPBgOxlq0mTvylb5L5x4b2lW5rO4DiDJjJ8cJJuFUp_bdX8LsJwolA-jQjQaCj6x035VH7RD-ClQJ0GWATSDA/s800/Swallow-tailed%20Gulls2%20South%20Plaza%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tsiyc56_Ob1EE7_PrxJY_bmmLMTxclkVsDj7jSGS9Rm6ThII85C-YbsQg8AP6DETRy1TXUp4OfaD_rmoUsDs8obDqaBqnBEnNDWwPBgOxlq0mTvylb5L5x4b2lW5rO4DiDJjJ8cJJuFUp_bdX8LsJwolA-jQjQaCj6x035VH7RD-ClQJ0GWATSDA/w400-h300/Swallow-tailed%20Gulls2%20South%20Plaza%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallow-tailed Gulls <i>Creagrus furcatus, </i>South Plaza, Galápagos.<br />The world's only nocturnal gull (and indeed only nocturnal seabird as far as I know),<br />this delightful little gull breeds almost exclusively in the Galápagos.<br />I well remember my first sight of them when I went up on deck in the night,<br />and saw one flying alongside, in the glow of the boat's lights.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWviGZ9cp_laA09vSFbuMfJKu5ysX8scmrveD1bPR1Lc0Xol3wWKgdBelKZ0GLDei4L8J2Yqvd4MQMAKtdWlFfEn8FnNnCL0iK3BxrxpMHlR1pFvxPlOVeFjGFGwIuffndovinU4vMn-WVB1CpFdVHVyAy6oWK51syk_pgpqJtWgPVm0yo5Unupht/s800/Wattled%20Jacana3%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWviGZ9cp_laA09vSFbuMfJKu5ysX8scmrveD1bPR1Lc0Xol3wWKgdBelKZ0GLDei4L8J2Yqvd4MQMAKtdWlFfEn8FnNnCL0iK3BxrxpMHlR1pFvxPlOVeFjGFGwIuffndovinU4vMn-WVB1CpFdVHVyAy6oWK51syk_pgpqJtWgPVm0yo5Unupht/w400-h300/Wattled%20Jacana3%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wattled Jacana <i>Jacana jacana</i>, Pantanal, Brazil. Here the red skin is in the <br />form of wattles on the face, which show up well against the sooty head and breast.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxntazkjaSvX9JJqRAe7fEoqpxPkQmTLBPZQ1XLG1YVsFYde8RWrlgAMjZuF_tOklueUZ7a3rY9vdr2WMxOvUw3ew56EqVPe5texw5ZkRmn1_qZWXD9qnhNWY_CZ49wd7PBX29U2fBGJgncWHAT5eTaH6IzAHlToS1vTyxxjxXTB26RXbtScN0Y2U/s800/Mag%20Frigatebird%20male%20displaying%20with%20sac2%20N%20Seymour%20Galapagos%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxntazkjaSvX9JJqRAe7fEoqpxPkQmTLBPZQ1XLG1YVsFYde8RWrlgAMjZuF_tOklueUZ7a3rY9vdr2WMxOvUw3ew56EqVPe5texw5ZkRmn1_qZWXD9qnhNWY_CZ49wd7PBX29U2fBGJgncWHAT5eTaH6IzAHlToS1vTyxxjxXTB26RXbtScN0Y2U/w400-h300/Mag%20Frigatebird%20male%20displaying%20with%20sac2%20N%20Seymour%20Galapagos%201014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Magnificent Frigatebird <i>Fregata magnificens, </i>North Seymour, Galápagos.<br />The amazing inflatable red throat pouch is an adapted air sac, part of a bird's <br />incredible respiratory system, just under the skin. He inflates it to display to <br />females flying over, and surely it must work!<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And finally, a very handsome pair of red legs to set off a black (or at least blackish) ensemble.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kahmw5ZYXGG-yqogJibtzOArRb9pCa6VNB4XFxygJFQyUdOS_slc_14FHuKEw98mk-RMOxuB8OYNBNPILzZsmi1d3tikW-yHiXvUAeBGlanB3Zf-AB_o2tJBjHtfyC3l_Ve2s-3RHAKrfqy8HpZ7z-fyyVsL_skZEggkiY2LuAxqE4nFr6lS1qd0/s800/Blackish%20Rail2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kahmw5ZYXGG-yqogJibtzOArRb9pCa6VNB4XFxygJFQyUdOS_slc_14FHuKEw98mk-RMOxuB8OYNBNPILzZsmi1d3tikW-yHiXvUAeBGlanB3Zf-AB_o2tJBjHtfyC3l_Ve2s-3RHAKrfqy8HpZ7z-fyyVsL_skZEggkiY2LuAxqE4nFr6lS1qd0/w301-h400/Blackish%20Rail2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackish Rail <i>Pardirallus nigricans, </i>Atlantic Forests near Sao Paulo, Brazil.<br />Like most rails a shy bird, not easy to get a good look at.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Well I've had fun putting together this three-part series, though it's probably not caught as many people's attention as I might have hoped. However, you're reading it and that makes it all worth while! Thank you.<br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 29 JUNE</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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I'm sure the fact that it already exists is the only reason I haven't come across it in the 'outback noir' genre of Australian crime novels that are currently so popular here, and which I read enthusiastically. It's the name of one of my favourite wetlands, and the one (outside of Canberra) which I've visited most often over the years. It sits just outside the very agreeable mid-sized town of Forbes (mid-sized by Australian standards anyway, home to some 8000 people), nearly 300km north-north-west of Canberra on the banks of the Lachlan River. It is in the Central West Region of NSW, close to the edge of the great western plains. Flooding is a surprisingly regular fact of life in Forbes - it has <a href="https://flooddata.ses.nsw.gov.au/organization/about/forbes-shire-council">officially had a flood</a> every seven years since 1887, though not since 1952 had it suffered from one as severe as that just last year, in November 2022. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxYB4ZkRvP2NZGez_yvatNIxdhQndu1_tcx_gnSXfpV_evt_zxDefsKbd73hMykMFuiiIGYDrWGC8nhp2dKoqgy8A2eBualDSuGXDCTTQI9k7Kt9pI9Sp9hhS1rV6-JHNV-7MDIqJdJjYWfXztwdHA33QITnVgsPZgKEWlbrG5CDbjxZzXMDjb2P_/s800/dead%20trees2%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxYB4ZkRvP2NZGez_yvatNIxdhQndu1_tcx_gnSXfpV_evt_zxDefsKbd73hMykMFuiiIGYDrWGC8nhp2dKoqgy8A2eBualDSuGXDCTTQI9k7Kt9pI9Sp9hhS1rV6-JHNV-7MDIqJdJjYWfXztwdHA33QITnVgsPZgKEWlbrG5CDbjxZzXMDjb2P_/w400-h300/dead%20trees2%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of Gum Swamp as it looked earlier this month.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gum Swamp is just outside the town limits to the south-west on the Newell Highway, and the turnoff along Warrull Road on the right is well-marked on the highway. (You can also access it from Greens Road, a few hundred metres further along the highway.) It is not a declared nature reserve but is managed, as far as I can tell, by the local council.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrXoCdtT447HH6qLFNc2VMqyvnJmK41saaxqdIpAhptvF-fa_cy7XOCwbW5vuGTS9LX6f0dBqtTOsY2KDj3Ma4lJSUVRqmctASdx99FzqOvE2AEmPdCkZxKKHrScv0g_NNyfn3wkPSSxUeuH-dZL6hGzb4UHB_Q_m71StK04Hr0UGavThx5LKi0XO/s1103/Australia%20Forbes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrXoCdtT447HH6qLFNc2VMqyvnJmK41saaxqdIpAhptvF-fa_cy7XOCwbW5vuGTS9LX6f0dBqtTOsY2KDj3Ma4lJSUVRqmctASdx99FzqOvE2AEmPdCkZxKKHrScv0g_NNyfn3wkPSSxUeuH-dZL6hGzb4UHB_Q_m71StK04Hr0UGavThx5LKi0XO/w400-h276/Australia%20Forbes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The approximate position of Forbes is marked by the end of the red arrow.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was originally an ephemeral wetland, flooding when the Lachlan was high, drying out at other times. From the 1920s however it became permanent, with treated water from the adjacent sewage treatment plant flowing into it. In 2005 the plant was upgraded so that all outflow from it is now to 'sensitive waters standard'. 2.8 megalitres a day of this water now flows through the swamp daily, keeping it clean and full in all seasons and conditions. This means of course that it is now longer a 'real' south-east Australian wetland, which is ephemeral by definition, but it makes it a valuable drought refuge.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've been going there for at least 30 years now, though until very recently the access was limited to a stretch of woodland and shoreline to the west and north of the Newell Highway, accessed by a dry-weather-only track and serviced only by an old concrete block bird hide. If that sounds disparaging, it isn't meant to - and I kept going back for (nearly) all those years!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF08NkmX1O8Su0877qsOy0pgjcanc3BaJH0-VBW22gVc3QNfDxelW3pInmqXo64lXJUnlwmGIsQsD4phj8dblyiESuy2QBWH_fdheBSj_-bPVmqSx1p-QD-L3LsDBeBpAAqMuToHAJUgJ2yAWcGw1henHWFzpAxXRaQsu1jVNRpuqpITR7JnduufYQ/s640/ET%20Gum%20Swamp%201105%20R.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF08NkmX1O8Su0877qsOy0pgjcanc3BaJH0-VBW22gVc3QNfDxelW3pInmqXo64lXJUnlwmGIsQsD4phj8dblyiESuy2QBWH_fdheBSj_-bPVmqSx1p-QD-L3LsDBeBpAAqMuToHAJUgJ2yAWcGw1henHWFzpAxXRaQsu1jVNRpuqpITR7JnduufYQ/w400-h300/ET%20Gum%20Swamp%201105%20R.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hide (and a birding group eschewing it!) in 2005. It was built in 1992 with<br />the support of the local National Parks Association, Shire Council and <br />National Geographic, among others. It doesn't seem very different now,<br />other than being painted grey.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">However in the last decade or so I found myself visiting less frequently. The hide was becoming less salubrious (I don't demand much from a bird hide, but it was seemingly used for other pursuits as well) and there seemed to be fewer birds than in the past. The latter was probably due to the intense Millennial Drought, then the recent La Niña wet years when water across the landscape scattered the waterbirds. In May of last year (2022) we popped in on our way north to the Warrumbungles - and everything had miraculously changed! There was a totally new access which meant not having to dodge the speeding highway traffic, including semi-trailers, and good off-road all-weather parking. More importantly there were three splendid new two-storey hides and an excellent hard track system joining them. And there was some very impressive sculpture to complement it all. We were delighted, despite the cold rainy day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's the setup.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY22ZKIGOE8gaIcJJD8UK11zMjXd9vR2RSGJ63SAses3PofIxkJiWJom4O7l095jp7S3K1IClRNxBshcGWMFxHMFMYGAs7VmHYuRiM8x50Z7acdzAUy7aFvSkxWuOmgTMa9mXLuf7656RR-3UcbwegG9CSxRBsttYvFvAAJVokZCOYfQIxXHDS5oF/s915/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="915" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY22ZKIGOE8gaIcJJD8UK11zMjXd9vR2RSGJ63SAses3PofIxkJiWJom4O7l095jp7S3K1IClRNxBshcGWMFxHMFMYGAs7VmHYuRiM8x50Z7acdzAUy7aFvSkxWuOmgTMa9mXLuf7656RR-3UcbwegG9CSxRBsttYvFvAAJVokZCOYfQIxXHDS5oF/w400-h318/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might have to click on this map to enlarge it to see it properly. The old hide is<br />now called Sea Eagle, and the access was the track that leads to it from the highway.<br />The other three hides are new. Forbes is just off the map to the north-east.<br /> <a href="https://mapcarta.com/W1037063802/Map">Map courtesy Mapcarta</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The information signage is informative and attractive.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMl4PK04wpu9UB0i7v3vxBVXTAe3bij3PZ3UEa_QfwYRcrvd4fKHlPPjUfskDxXZuUZ3wPd-r3Q2XBIH6ta120eNRo8TA9rYZbKONtWgx-qbOaaTRhn2XvZLDTbvgs8NYrM1eo4q71GKrnAiNOaSve7nl19h_-Atu8C6J-z7kReGPg866SMUwjAN9/s800/sign2%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMl4PK04wpu9UB0i7v3vxBVXTAe3bij3PZ3UEa_QfwYRcrvd4fKHlPPjUfskDxXZuUZ3wPd-r3Q2XBIH6ta120eNRo8TA9rYZbKONtWgx-qbOaaTRhn2XvZLDTbvgs8NYrM1eo4q71GKrnAiNOaSve7nl19h_-Atu8C6J-z7kReGPg866SMUwjAN9/w300-h400/sign2%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might have to go there to read this one though!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The new hides were built in 2021 by a coalition of government, community and business groups. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PCubPiJdKtdsggzkN3NJmTReC5bO0Ocdv0cchHxNq4wb-UdxU-MygBj95KixPcW6w2sC5lLf4_QlB36zBsjXQtHsAsJquzMkXPySgO0tOgrJjOWkgo5QcdCGnZxHq9K64192sD_gNCXWYeYaG0LyKjUeUmYdE-usZKEZ5bH1btPgTfR8U8e6PBDa/s800/hide%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PCubPiJdKtdsggzkN3NJmTReC5bO0Ocdv0cchHxNq4wb-UdxU-MygBj95KixPcW6w2sC5lLf4_QlB36zBsjXQtHsAsJquzMkXPySgO0tOgrJjOWkgo5QcdCGnZxHq9K64192sD_gNCXWYeYaG0LyKjUeUmYdE-usZKEZ5bH1btPgTfR8U8e6PBDa/w400-h300/hide%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocet and Stilt Hide (the others are of the same design). Its back is to the main swamp<br />(to the right of the photo) and it is facing a large shallow and presumably ephemeral wetland. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWow46o8D6wF67junk8FhG-viVTsiKPBiA2TeyVJkPxT25VuSwGrhtdcGjeVsK2j2BgruJ4C4qScdsqenuwm5hOphYEhxz9G2yEeXuhmYT_KC-3FiPTh7QImrtbIadwi_1H8BCMuGNcEWaJBqjZALrDx9pfCkv79RnQPVyktRcLK5fS8NbyfL2MYb/s800/Gum%20Swamp%20from%20Stilt%20Hide%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWow46o8D6wF67junk8FhG-viVTsiKPBiA2TeyVJkPxT25VuSwGrhtdcGjeVsK2j2BgruJ4C4qScdsqenuwm5hOphYEhxz9G2yEeXuhmYT_KC-3FiPTh7QImrtbIadwi_1H8BCMuGNcEWaJBqjZALrDx9pfCkv79RnQPVyktRcLK5fS8NbyfL2MYb/w400-h300/Gum%20Swamp%20from%20Stilt%20Hide%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from upstairs in the Avocet and Stilt Hide on a very grey morning.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUFwDv0qkOVqjqTE8m49mFfgWjfNSsjl70df2IdHVJWBHVRlj1ERwCpi5M_qjZ5fbNygSXM-WgsKoUyD3eAbTVDnjuY6P_6aCIBJYkpLCyIuFyvZVIJBfN4PZMJhbpPlzp8mDszZSDP_cFsnWpjY0jv8N3JfwWV6zbFe-g3mOpDJo7Gl0ol1jFOw6/s800/Duck%20Hide%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUFwDv0qkOVqjqTE8m49mFfgWjfNSsjl70df2IdHVJWBHVRlj1ERwCpi5M_qjZ5fbNygSXM-WgsKoUyD3eAbTVDnjuY6P_6aCIBJYkpLCyIuFyvZVIJBfN4PZMJhbpPlzp8mDszZSDP_cFsnWpjY0jv8N3JfwWV6zbFe-g3mOpDJo7Gl0ol1jFOw6/w400-h300/Duck%20Hide%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Wood Duck Hide's upper level on a much nicer day.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Each hide is accompanied by an appropriate and delightful sculpture. That for Avocet and Stilt hide follows, then the others which I'll leave you to match to the hide names on the map above...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgll1JlRXZDnEHJalc6M22WHIPrJ25wfStPzjPauLmKzHTiGX-OSVdwGk9-KGDR_PCmYquhRfVeeW4N37yeBvZyua1kvqdr-h0Kh4eIIKmCTSGErTkB_s2geBLuyV2Fs0a3SNiDL-aZJUtWRly4JdLPbcc0S7ZtUhQ89K033MpzwkaBtTbH5-Z0OZ2f/s800/artwork%20avocet%20and%20stilt%20Gum%20Swamp%200522.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgll1JlRXZDnEHJalc6M22WHIPrJ25wfStPzjPauLmKzHTiGX-OSVdwGk9-KGDR_PCmYquhRfVeeW4N37yeBvZyua1kvqdr-h0Kh4eIIKmCTSGErTkB_s2geBLuyV2Fs0a3SNiDL-aZJUtWRly4JdLPbcc0S7ZtUhQ89K033MpzwkaBtTbH5-Z0OZ2f/w300-h400/artwork%20avocet%20and%20stilt%20Gum%20Swamp%200522.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dxY0pMuCvbycmXDAst4HHQG-qrFH2IdT7wQv1u4J4t9VKZBlSuhSBLquvWPurNiOcLaGTqwyA_9NKd4CpigJnke1xxlAsL8YuNFV3lyd1UgZUJLXYFXID4rUAWf5D2GjVHJsX2toSbigkSVFM8OnR2cENUoTJNAXmH0t8MmaML0tMx2Ddt2ZcUVD/s800/spoonbill%20sculpture%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dxY0pMuCvbycmXDAst4HHQG-qrFH2IdT7wQv1u4J4t9VKZBlSuhSBLquvWPurNiOcLaGTqwyA_9NKd4CpigJnke1xxlAsL8YuNFV3lyd1UgZUJLXYFXID4rUAWf5D2GjVHJsX2toSbigkSVFM8OnR2cENUoTJNAXmH0t8MmaML0tMx2Ddt2ZcUVD/w400-h300/spoonbill%20sculpture%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAUfbCpWyoQ5_LeDaud2mP_CaRakVIvNlPrx7kd6mJ0edx7hbx2oVHb8JlkUzU6VRHBBO0aSgIEDVGgPgGL7fdn8MKRdyrnvkl1ZpnoicbD2IWj_-VDkZx4n-vhtOaHy3xE5NiPXv3tFjkLm5E9ST7FHoVKg5XrY8xnghKMcEsbCzdfhP1LLnBABb/s800/Sea%20eagle%20sculpture%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAUfbCpWyoQ5_LeDaud2mP_CaRakVIvNlPrx7kd6mJ0edx7hbx2oVHb8JlkUzU6VRHBBO0aSgIEDVGgPgGL7fdn8MKRdyrnvkl1ZpnoicbD2IWj_-VDkZx4n-vhtOaHy3xE5NiPXv3tFjkLm5E9ST7FHoVKg5XrY8xnghKMcEsbCzdfhP1LLnBABb/w400-h300/Sea%20eagle%20sculpture%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW6r5Id9FPcLRQO4bgyS1NcMuSSKVFdAHPIUv7p4RlMMyCFhkD-riTs6uqr-jPXnIqNYDVFHuQeHfGOGZIJIzy4tAOIshz9m5cf4xU0vk-T5FC4DUDcGdtJdQpul0HIIbNEOcQRYMvND-mLOWV9NEErwpm3obIZcvTSCOJarnnNDLCo3C_zlszfOV/s800/artwork%20wood%20ducks%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW6r5Id9FPcLRQO4bgyS1NcMuSSKVFdAHPIUv7p4RlMMyCFhkD-riTs6uqr-jPXnIqNYDVFHuQeHfGOGZIJIzy4tAOIshz9m5cf4xU0vk-T5FC4DUDcGdtJdQpul0HIIbNEOcQRYMvND-mLOWV9NEErwpm3obIZcvTSCOJarnnNDLCo3C_zlszfOV/w400-h300/artwork%20wood%20ducks%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The artist is Brett 'Mon' Garling, who lives in the village of Mongarbon,<br />east of Dubbo. He has outdoor sculptures scattered across NSW, including the <br />Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney. You can see more of his work <a href="https://www.garlinggallery.com.au/">here</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However - and I am getting to the birds! - there is other art here as well. One is this impressive bird of prey, entitled <i>The Hunter</i> by Melbourne artist Damian Vick.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJxbjDCwXjA7yXEdYvZOBiNW4ytXhWZMjyUUTtt0guHZFh_6_ryjPpLLtf0wfjxVaXo4gXXT_LOpARq_lwZ6HqcKMXJOD1Wj47va23kwAT_1dqyqcqTuJntV2DvBgP_17Kz8NtTXzZX2S-n2OrAKe6qtaDfFkwbYWRf3dtlpQKxz9T_3VN7o8f8-h/s800/artwork%20eagle%20Gum%20Swamp%200522.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJxbjDCwXjA7yXEdYvZOBiNW4ytXhWZMjyUUTtt0guHZFh_6_ryjPpLLtf0wfjxVaXo4gXXT_LOpARq_lwZ6HqcKMXJOD1Wj47va23kwAT_1dqyqcqTuJntV2DvBgP_17Kz8NtTXzZX2S-n2OrAKe6qtaDfFkwbYWRf3dtlpQKxz9T_3VN7o8f8-h/w300-h400/artwork%20eagle%20Gum%20Swamp%200522.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made of steel with a 'rust and oil' finish, this powerful piece previously<br />stood in Forbes for a while. (Sorry about the rain drops on the lens,<br />which I'm sure you've noticed on previous pics too!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">But the dominating piece here is an extraordinary huge goanna called <i>Varanus </i>(which is the goanna genus name), 20 metres long and complete with hanging forked tongue.</div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q-aw4MlWZKP1A7EU8ZkT9hKtiJVfHwACtaDnwy2_fD82fIXTmboHWuNGRjkLUTlXGnYVWLO_R2nUU8s7JIzhwR5ZJW2tFgu4fsXrzHfQrY0G_GF7quTgG1d_6vOUqvHCsIOy726jCZAT9aI_uoBW2GfmjdK9uDRxNSffjlRWrQjt61icfnoeTnNI/s800/artwork%20goanna%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q-aw4MlWZKP1A7EU8ZkT9hKtiJVfHwACtaDnwy2_fD82fIXTmboHWuNGRjkLUTlXGnYVWLO_R2nUU8s7JIzhwR5ZJW2tFgu4fsXrzHfQrY0G_GF7quTgG1d_6vOUqvHCsIOy726jCZAT9aI_uoBW2GfmjdK9uDRxNSffjlRWrQjt61icfnoeTnNI/w400-h300/artwork%20goanna%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magnificent steel creation is the work of sculptor Glen Star.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">However, appropriate as this artwork is in the setting (and I don't necessary think that a nature reserve for instance is the right place), ultimately Gum Swamp is about the real wildlife, notably of course the birds. And here I must confess to a certain frustration as to a relatively limited selection of photos to offer you. Partly this is because some of the more interesting things I've seen there were before I had a digital camera (slides of a male Musk Duck hunting Grey Teal chicks, and a female Musk Duck carrying her babies on her back, did not scan acceptably). I've also mentioned the relative paucity of birds over the past decade or so. On our previous visit in 2022 there was a good number of birds present but we were on our way to somewhere else and the weather was truly vile (I've alluded to the rain on the lens but you can't see the vicious wind which accompanied it). To make up for that I very recently spent three nights in Forbes with a major aim of correcting this photo shortage for a blog post, but was unsuccessful; there were quite a few species present, but most were very distant near the far shore. I think I can explain this with the following photo from April 2023.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO0K0-Y4Qutzbwcj3Qgir6QmjWT7Me_E3RIL4k7jDnknlfoGYXdlmcATs4UEEtP3K9LcZzJ5C8hcWYywQPN0wpMeRoBqtQRDxAxKcYsZ447AoBZX3-8E5Itw2QKXgo-LWidTra4xsJoYH8WMY4AAooQVu_EJQ4Gth57zOehmtBxI9vSijwdlflQss/s800/dead%20trees%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO0K0-Y4Qutzbwcj3Qgir6QmjWT7Me_E3RIL4k7jDnknlfoGYXdlmcATs4UEEtP3K9LcZzJ5C8hcWYywQPN0wpMeRoBqtQRDxAxKcYsZ447AoBZX3-8E5Itw2QKXgo-LWidTra4xsJoYH8WMY4AAooQVu_EJQ4Gth57zOehmtBxI9vSijwdlflQss/w400-h300/dead%20trees%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stalks protruding from the water are of cumbungi, or bulrushes, <i>Typha </i>species.<br />There were no live cumbungi plants to be seen across the swamp, which previously<br />had supported good stands of this important habitat plant.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Compare that with this photo from last year, taken from Wood Duck hide. Compare too this photo with the view above from the same hide taken this year.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-G7GfvY8Hs_1X-z27jOsp9TbOQRewdjrxV4QKaCI13pLCOUuc5Kf5WolFcMgAdnMyJyweOHK67RMnk2HpI0kpucFoL9Gje2XAmt9KuKtcWU0x7LbL8gSNO2zKgE24kbmgAHTezPeKUltRScEeYZYTbwJSZkSBtbaAy2lVG6MsBWUemViElkR1Fdo/s800/Magpie%20Geese%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-G7GfvY8Hs_1X-z27jOsp9TbOQRewdjrxV4QKaCI13pLCOUuc5Kf5WolFcMgAdnMyJyweOHK67RMnk2HpI0kpucFoL9Gje2XAmt9KuKtcWU0x7LbL8gSNO2zKgE24kbmgAHTezPeKUltRScEeYZYTbwJSZkSBtbaAy2lVG6MsBWUemViElkR1Fdo/w400-h300/Magpie%20Geese%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magpie Geese <i>Anseranas semipalmata </i>and Grey Teal <i>Anas gracilis</i> in a sheltered<br />clearing in the cumbungi where they were protected from the unpleasant wind<br />whipping across the swamp. Dense stands of the cumbungi were present across the<br />swamp and were providing important shelter and habitat. <br />(More on the Magpie Geese later in this post.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">When Forbes (and many other places in the west of NSW and elsewhere) flooded in late 2022 I imagine that Gum Swamp was inundated at some depth for quite some time, apparently enough to kill, at least temporarily, the cumbungi. I am of course speculating and if you have other information I'd be glad if you could let me know, either via a message below or my email, also at the end of the post. Whatever the cause I'm assuming it will grow back eventually and I look forward to that. Now it's time finally for some birds without too many more words from me!<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuQq9KxZQ0L_LliM2MOriUCwWExecyEfig9NSdUBiEFHqi7hBb1slNhswGdHiWO29TqFtuBUscfXpkDkHIM-uZYTqXUodyJ32fpOfSYZ06flSmcUduWuG-E0B4CllVwI4R86WB-BDOCaJy9gU1CTByWlnElEUO4Ddp5mrjSLlaHIfICnHNj4z20D0/s1000/Hardheads%20Gum%20Swamp%20panorama%200909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuQq9KxZQ0L_LliM2MOriUCwWExecyEfig9NSdUBiEFHqi7hBb1slNhswGdHiWO29TqFtuBUscfXpkDkHIM-uZYTqXUodyJ32fpOfSYZ06flSmcUduWuG-E0B4CllVwI4R86WB-BDOCaJy9gU1CTByWlnElEUO4Ddp5mrjSLlaHIfICnHNj4z20D0/w640-h224/Hardheads%20Gum%20Swamp%20panorama%200909.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardheads <i>Aythya australis.</i> (This is an old shooters' name and hardly seems useful or appropriate now.<br />I think the alternative name of White-eyed Duck is more helpful, though admittedly it only applies<br />to the male.) It is the only Australian representative of a nearly world-wide group of diving ducks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FTTsvxW5WRnh7XKww697GvDkFyCQlQv6cb4Hxx0EPCKqk9lQIvQtD-2HqlIqAayNIE3ryRz4Ur2l6xtCML46APhVGfjGyqHzlJdnr1lqA4CA8Cl4vCTEJHkNfOB_4ueFsA65StHQ_MGPsHV6htF4gNEqaToUq4hHNhVkhyPj6SqoLMNWyHsgZ4ia/s800/L%20Pied%20Cormorant%20and%20PE%20Ducks%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FTTsvxW5WRnh7XKww697GvDkFyCQlQv6cb4Hxx0EPCKqk9lQIvQtD-2HqlIqAayNIE3ryRz4Ur2l6xtCML46APhVGfjGyqHzlJdnr1lqA4CA8Cl4vCTEJHkNfOB_4ueFsA65StHQ_MGPsHV6htF4gNEqaToUq4hHNhVkhyPj6SqoLMNWyHsgZ4ia/w400-h300/L%20Pied%20Cormorant%20and%20PE%20Ducks%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Pied Cormorant <i>Microcarbo melanoleucos</i> and Pink-eared Ducks <i>Malacorhynchus membranaceus. </i><br />These first four photos show the importance of the fallen red gum logs as habitat. <br />This timber is essentially waterproof and doesn't rot.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-B9UcN6UGOspsI_ZK7FdDwI8PriuUomfFhOPzs9ROW1z-FIQzbKLDveHPaTqI5o5XPKD2-o7GgKHQbdE-aXH_pUx-Ozja7EjzqpojLy-dz9UnzjICA-odwDN9VJoEVGhir4QgrRW2QTjEsn8QKJAhZp3PZssbWAjfIRKPG26wsYX2yRpowZ8TVWQ/s1000/Pink-eared%20Ducks%20and%20Grey%20Teal%20Gum%20Swamp%20panorama%200909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-B9UcN6UGOspsI_ZK7FdDwI8PriuUomfFhOPzs9ROW1z-FIQzbKLDveHPaTqI5o5XPKD2-o7GgKHQbdE-aXH_pUx-Ozja7EjzqpojLy-dz9UnzjICA-odwDN9VJoEVGhir4QgrRW2QTjEsn8QKJAhZp3PZssbWAjfIRKPG26wsYX2yRpowZ8TVWQ/w640-h224/Pink-eared%20Ducks%20and%20Grey%20Teal%20Gum%20Swamp%20panorama%200909.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink-eared Ducks and Grey Teal. The very attractive and distinctive Pink-ears comprise a <br />single-species genus which evolved on the inland waterways as the continent dried out.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexmHQ0mcGCuV7OHQnkQPbJEeNeeDp5r6bQe7WH-1GjYzE8MaJyOIZkJ3oFmPbvGS2bb2f4A332xYE-E1nRnJyLAbWG5qNE-_xVFq4vGH9hZoZzDZneTchiKn1tAA4MYmMfY6z0Oui_SzyICy-Mh5I9mzHkpSPbUwZYAyJlJU-Q4HyZGZdMAqqmewL/s800/Shovellers%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexmHQ0mcGCuV7OHQnkQPbJEeNeeDp5r6bQe7WH-1GjYzE8MaJyOIZkJ3oFmPbvGS2bb2f4A332xYE-E1nRnJyLAbWG5qNE-_xVFq4vGH9hZoZzDZneTchiKn1tAA4MYmMfY6z0Oui_SzyICy-Mh5I9mzHkpSPbUwZYAyJlJU-Q4HyZGZdMAqqmewL/w400-h300/Shovellers%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Shovellers <i>Spatula rhynchotis</i>. Like the Pink-ears they have unusually large<br />bills for filtering small animals and vegetation from water and mud.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-6Ap-KhCd2GQNgoYRAa5npqL1nC0YCoDCjv5M4MovqozOQGG5fxpICmoO9lDR-a-5YBhEmfsymmCObFHg0KHKA2A0hAX6LNkj1-jKdRRw17iQLv1dzPdvgMR5BM9zQskYZgmoUxl6Ra-ooHqJQOI3mczd5xIhE29A-ethatIIZuhKUGmC2sMyHA_/s800/Great%20Egret%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-6Ap-KhCd2GQNgoYRAa5npqL1nC0YCoDCjv5M4MovqozOQGG5fxpICmoO9lDR-a-5YBhEmfsymmCObFHg0KHKA2A0hAX6LNkj1-jKdRRw17iQLv1dzPdvgMR5BM9zQskYZgmoUxl6Ra-ooHqJQOI3mczd5xIhE29A-ethatIIZuhKUGmC2sMyHA_/w400-h300/Great%20Egret%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Egret <i>Ardea alba;</i> a familiar species across much of the world, but always<br />a strikingly beautiful bird. This one is showcasing the very cricked neck, courtesy of an<br />elongated sixth vertebra, which enables it to hurl its bill forward like a harpoon.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOy3UVdKr1rAil4t2g4NMgsHRdqPfVCEgHLFJulhCE-xnoRRGbklgBmQfeJydbHLt_XCTAp3wMb1gwk0NLbIx6ZKZTk2GfUo5bBBJ8RZMi89CdUcNTTUyi3ujmPO7F4sSqswLpKnAkcQvFDGD8lV8WfN9gjfHLRoqmM7YHsN92uHc1BFcIjXyK38K/s800/Black-fronted%20Dotterel%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOy3UVdKr1rAil4t2g4NMgsHRdqPfVCEgHLFJulhCE-xnoRRGbklgBmQfeJydbHLt_XCTAp3wMb1gwk0NLbIx6ZKZTk2GfUo5bBBJ8RZMi89CdUcNTTUyi3ujmPO7F4sSqswLpKnAkcQvFDGD8lV8WfN9gjfHLRoqmM7YHsN92uHc1BFcIjXyK38K/w400-h300/Black-fronted%20Dotterel%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-fronted Dotterel <i>Elseyornis melanops</i>, a common member of an essentially coastal<br />family, which adapted to the inland waters of a drying Australia and evolved there into a <br />distinctive single-species genus. This one's shoulder patch seems especially richly rufous.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The woodlands support a good number of species too, depending on the season and the flowering. Here are a couple of pretty ordinary photos.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCzpvYWLWVFii5QaD5PPiL2zb6t1AnG8tPv-KNY7PUp8ucMQHxgr8cw4vcC2sAZYlRqNxvUrOWsTjpIRcote8GNMputlTOBPJClkxeu0F0TESmPreicuiC6wNFLPf_kRAMiAlPVwzI8bfyqG2Akb4wqycnRY8xebGR75yIZXCfytLeQiDJrGwLv5R/s800/Rufous%20Songlark%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCzpvYWLWVFii5QaD5PPiL2zb6t1AnG8tPv-KNY7PUp8ucMQHxgr8cw4vcC2sAZYlRqNxvUrOWsTjpIRcote8GNMputlTOBPJClkxeu0F0TESmPreicuiC6wNFLPf_kRAMiAlPVwzI8bfyqG2Akb4wqycnRY8xebGR75yIZXCfytLeQiDJrGwLv5R/w400-h300/Rufous%20Songlark%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous Songlark <i>Cincloramphus mathewsi</i>, a woodland migrant which breeds in the south.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gMBujRyQWdRKUVxqIH1rOzdZvdY2cmby8YCgt6QNlSmUSAoUmsnHKQ3I1Rvspm1gfwokEBMiSL8ZAEZFH0qi-KfZzOrWV6xwIGuN4viWDBjtHRlEFVrF5TKTGzOAQrkwN6cnpNkan5vo1zkvEv0xO9Q-lfZnD6-66drNyeC6OIAWVjEYD64NQ_R7/s800/WW%20Choughs%20with%20chick%20on%20nest%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gMBujRyQWdRKUVxqIH1rOzdZvdY2cmby8YCgt6QNlSmUSAoUmsnHKQ3I1Rvspm1gfwokEBMiSL8ZAEZFH0qi-KfZzOrWV6xwIGuN4viWDBjtHRlEFVrF5TKTGzOAQrkwN6cnpNkan5vo1zkvEv0xO9Q-lfZnD6-66drNyeC6OIAWVjEYD64NQ_R7/w400-h300/WW%20Choughs%20with%20chick%20on%20nest%20Gum%20Swamp%200909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Choughs <i>Corcorax melanorhamphos</i> attending to chicks in the big <br />mud nest which the group has built cooperatively, which defines just about all other<br />aspects of their lives.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Last, and probably least in terms of interest, but not in numbers, is the huge population of Feral Pigeons (or Rock Doves if you prefer, though I think this is best saved for their wild ancestors) which inhabit the swamp, roosting on the numerous drowned River Red Gum skeletons, and breeding in the hollows.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDMjNOqYTo7xAxlO6vxeSq4MGVNvMmLgxOFvt_tC4C-7IpsDy0FSy7GhTLqpjepmfD0nzoXFD_ziGSY17UjEhNFyYmFwX0E6wUVPoaViGRYWKwoDXTMsdsdlT1jL_klsr2oZamRoFSRKZG3v6Hc4BL4m9IjmDRB4oBOtoeGSmUPmaHCWWvd411n6b/s800/Feral%20Pigeons%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDMjNOqYTo7xAxlO6vxeSq4MGVNvMmLgxOFvt_tC4C-7IpsDy0FSy7GhTLqpjepmfD0nzoXFD_ziGSY17UjEhNFyYmFwX0E6wUVPoaViGRYWKwoDXTMsdsdlT1jL_klsr2oZamRoFSRKZG3v6Hc4BL4m9IjmDRB4oBOtoeGSmUPmaHCWWvd411n6b/w400-h300/Feral%20Pigeons%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least they attract, and help support, predators such as the Peregrine <br />and Black Falcons which drop in from time to time.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTFYuHbBHkIjTFuSPqFjKBLqEE7ajKwm9aZhRM3u_q3f3BuWmQwtJkPDqOiELDN6GZ2c25CXfaQ0F9d9MsanVnnvDBwJlvrW9RywOzsFMhmKowAhY4duUwJnrOlwEU5-xcedy5GUu_HA0-KERp1bErfgRkf9ZX92Zvfh9kCHaWX4EgxCq5-HNK3Bi/s800/Feral%20Pigeon%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTFYuHbBHkIjTFuSPqFjKBLqEE7ajKwm9aZhRM3u_q3f3BuWmQwtJkPDqOiELDN6GZ2c25CXfaQ0F9d9MsanVnnvDBwJlvrW9RywOzsFMhmKowAhY4duUwJnrOlwEU5-xcedy5GUu_HA0-KERp1bErfgRkf9ZX92Zvfh9kCHaWX4EgxCq5-HNK3Bi/w400-h300/Feral%20Pigeon%20Gum%20Swamp%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before I end this too-brief an introduction to Gum Swamp, I must mention what I am sure is, in practice, for many of the waterbirds an extension of the swamp, the tranquil Lake Forbes which is central to Forbes and is just 3km from the swamp. Originally a billabong (or anabranch) of the Lachlan, it is now managed to provide a permanent lake. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which brings us back to the Magpie Geese, and time for a bit of background. The Magpie Goose is the only member of an ancient family of waterbirds - not true geese at all - which are common in the Australian tropics and adjacent New Guinea, but until recently extremely scarce in the south. In the nineteenth century they were common in the Lachlan catchment area but by the mid-20th century they were very rare indeed in NSW, due to heavy hunting and draining of wetlands. But by the end of that century they were starting to make a comeback. I almost doubted my eyes when, in 1996, a small flock flew over Gum Swamp while I was there; they were the first I'd ever seen in NSW. Over the next couple of decades I saw a few more in scattered places including Kyogle, Narrabri and Narranderra and it felt as though they were making a slow return.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, in the last five months I've seen them, including some large flocks, in Leeton, <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2023/03/lake-cargelligo-la-nina-winding-down.html">Lake Cargelligo</a> and Gum Swamp - and Forbes. To me this is good news indeed.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j03fpDl3FPRTHbWDKlLD4DnDTV4nTkdPfVEVpw6bpzl7aQhPWdnPeXE37eYjHNIJmsODSUMCJLAfG0t9wW3ttvHwXFRBztaT8JsJN2foS6YIUnwTozpvnYCS3GytLoXH7zLw3YtSnptG0tqQkzHU6vXiRTOttUtjade-EauEMoXJKO9z-J0w7tuF/s1000/Magpie%20Geese2%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-j03fpDl3FPRTHbWDKlLD4DnDTV4nTkdPfVEVpw6bpzl7aQhPWdnPeXE37eYjHNIJmsODSUMCJLAfG0t9wW3ttvHwXFRBztaT8JsJN2foS6YIUnwTozpvnYCS3GytLoXH7zLw3YtSnptG0tqQkzHU6vXiRTOttUtjade-EauEMoXJKO9z-J0w7tuF/w640-h224/Magpie%20Geese2%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of a flock of at least 35 Magpie Geese at the north end of Lake Forbes in April 2023, in the <br />middle of town. I'm sure that it's no coincidence that these were sheltering in and by reedbeds <br />(not cumbungi this time but a grass, Common Reed <i>Phragmites australis</i>, which provides the<br />same sort of habitat as the cumbungi). I'd be very surprised if these weren't the birds I'd seen<br />last year at Gum Swamp, displaced by the loss of the cumbungi there. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">While we're on Lake Forbes, at this same north end along a walking track is some excellent information, presented with and by the local Wiradjuri community, about pre-European cultural life. It also involves some more lovely sculptures, such as these.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqrZSNw-6oHQ0C-DHLLAdj3tdg3BZe7ODh3__-odIi9Lo_KidKJgvuXm1QcHlI_ucEH9eRpkobyk8bgnRQ7Sgt_uAue2aE5Txv0CpD97c2Vqkx9ZNZzJ3C5NGjiDEniUI-N3WALSHEqsF8ExN7NHVBUdoMmxz5uBqNuHEteEPE-5IWZFq1pu-jwJ8/s1000/goann%20sculpture%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqrZSNw-6oHQ0C-DHLLAdj3tdg3BZe7ODh3__-odIi9Lo_KidKJgvuXm1QcHlI_ucEH9eRpkobyk8bgnRQ7Sgt_uAue2aE5Txv0CpD97c2Vqkx9ZNZzJ3C5NGjiDEniUI-N3WALSHEqsF8ExN7NHVBUdoMmxz5uBqNuHEteEPE-5IWZFq1pu-jwJ8/w140-h400/goann%20sculpture%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" width="140" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goanna.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCmFNg0nVo3meVthQWBS604yMQmZw_525GjFSopA_N7UqPFzyPXaz3DefyAODAEZajVnd1S0J7HsfQQuJFUnV-T8iC1BeNKkj3g8jbx2FDJTKLZk8NN-gJ9NS_GYmm_Qn1en0PtVigR_V24gWWIfNw2CPKp9H0srcJZgyx0r1lijX-ouAy10yI3Ac/s800/platypus%20sculpture%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCmFNg0nVo3meVthQWBS604yMQmZw_525GjFSopA_N7UqPFzyPXaz3DefyAODAEZajVnd1S0J7HsfQQuJFUnV-T8iC1BeNKkj3g8jbx2FDJTKLZk8NN-gJ9NS_GYmm_Qn1en0PtVigR_V24gWWIfNw2CPKp9H0srcJZgyx0r1lijX-ouAy10yI3Ac/w300-h400/platypus%20sculpture%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playtpuses (it was getting late on an overcast day by now).<br />And my apologies for not recording the name of the artist - <i>mea culpa</i>!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And to end this post here's another water animal which is certainly present in Gum Swamp, where I've seen it but not photographed it. This one swam up to us as we stood on a little bridge over Lake Forbes, and beneath us.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoyn4vEYhSuW0jpqHu5cBLwlCrEL0L-uJeyODExQF2ddrgky1e17pUM3XLM8n3GHpi_dRA2SihLLPcv_v3bpOApPX3v0wvUMLSB6nlLmyVGElahiZAXXhlH-Dna7jFls6W8RXPK7KaIoHor6reaFIrmLz2eb-kXGVo_V3rF7gHc4GKbkKOph6wced/s800/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoyn4vEYhSuW0jpqHu5cBLwlCrEL0L-uJeyODExQF2ddrgky1e17pUM3XLM8n3GHpi_dRA2SihLLPcv_v3bpOApPX3v0wvUMLSB6nlLmyVGElahiZAXXhlH-Dna7jFls6W8RXPK7KaIoHor6reaFIrmLz2eb-kXGVo_V3rF7gHc4GKbkKOph6wced/w400-h300/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Forbes%200523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Water Rat <i>Hydromys chrysogaster</i>, or Rakali as it's becoming increasingly known.<br />This is an Indigenous name, though not one from around here. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">If you love pottering around wetlands as much as I do, you must make your way out to Gum Swamp some time, and take in some of Forbes, especially Lake Forbes, while you're about it. You may well find that it's a place you'll feel you need to come back to. I do.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 8 JUNE</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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The same carotenoids have been harnessed to make other body parts, especially skin, also glow to create a striking effect with the same message - "I am so fit that I have lots of spare energy to spend in making these luxury pigments, with the sole purpose of impressing you".</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbMVURwM_m1J2yYLih3uOxt_p8I0TROxbyLMa6-7F3-FyOFNFHWyxLejLBg4a95Qzs6J4Tbhk-y-G-mFygy2JZPTiZnJpsM2p3JymbKOsrBvGAARUvnV6tju1Qf-VRweqaAKxOLr5yOlun4KefoSmv2BUU6xiJ2JBxW9-XN6tRxVLrJcPjhaf-er6/s800/Rainbow%20Lorikeet%20Emerald%20Botanic%20Gardens%200415.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbMVURwM_m1J2yYLih3uOxt_p8I0TROxbyLMa6-7F3-FyOFNFHWyxLejLBg4a95Qzs6J4Tbhk-y-G-mFygy2JZPTiZnJpsM2p3JymbKOsrBvGAARUvnV6tju1Qf-VRweqaAKxOLr5yOlun4KefoSmv2BUU6xiJ2JBxW9-XN6tRxVLrJcPjhaf-er6/w400-h300/Rainbow%20Lorikeet%20Emerald%20Botanic%20Gardens%200415.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Lorikeet <i>Trichoglossus moluccanus, </i>Emerald Botanic Gardens, central Queensland.<br />Not only does this spectacular though common (and rapidly spreading) parrot have gorgeous<br />red-orange breast feathers, but a lovely red bill as well. The bill structure is made of bone - it is derived <br />from reptile jaws after all - but the covering is not skin (which is made of collagen) but a tough <br />layer of keratin, like scales and feathers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are some more birds with carotenoid-enhanced bills. It was a revelation to me to find that in almost every case (across ten Orders of birds), both bill and legs/feet were enhanced in the same way. While the skin itself is formed of collagen, the scales that cover the legs and feet are of keratin, like the bill sheath. (Though as we'll see later in this post, collagen can also be bright red.) I've also just noticed that all of these example are non-passerines; I'm not sure what, if anything, I should make of that. We saw in the last post that passerines have no trouble in producing red feathers.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69yqHAxoXs4XKhUB0jq3w2igEWGxPtzu3BMbXO9JydAVSuYbL3IH23DAtlvZB5wQXxiN0JGxlCFMbrQoTvge5WT524Jzkkb9hfuH3k9rlLOip9IK6BTyD3MpZ2xvS-tem9u9PbNYP3yAVHhlPGqNVkpKnmFv3GbJYYTzjznuDXbvnumnEHIh5Tgth/s800/Dolphin%20Gull3%20Ushuaia%20Argentina%201214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69yqHAxoXs4XKhUB0jq3w2igEWGxPtzu3BMbXO9JydAVSuYbL3IH23DAtlvZB5wQXxiN0JGxlCFMbrQoTvge5WT524Jzkkb9hfuH3k9rlLOip9IK6BTyD3MpZ2xvS-tem9u9PbNYP3yAVHhlPGqNVkpKnmFv3GbJYYTzjznuDXbvnumnEHIh5Tgth/w300-h400/Dolphin%20Gull3%20Ushuaia%20Argentina%201214.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphin Gull <i>Leucophaeus scoresbii</i>, Ushuaia, Argentinian Tierra del Fuego, a beautiful <br />gull from the shores of the far southern cone of South America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNsa9Mc64IfDKbMPgJaZoXOq7CRVdOCagH2dtZAYeJxZ4NFajVs5maYaWhQYSLMYHFzDMMLRH1ruZ-tOJBhmhzlH25iyGIXTzp8-_Q2B29ih_jTDHqIqVYrEq3BWuNcEfQs5XWmW7ocrqXNmoQkksDu30o1QyGULKHyxefv5YXgILdWS7DBjDOTDc/s800/Silver%20Gull%20one%20leg2%20Currarong%200216.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNsa9Mc64IfDKbMPgJaZoXOq7CRVdOCagH2dtZAYeJxZ4NFajVs5maYaWhQYSLMYHFzDMMLRH1ruZ-tOJBhmhzlH25iyGIXTzp8-_Q2B29ih_jTDHqIqVYrEq3BWuNcEfQs5XWmW7ocrqXNmoQkksDu30o1QyGULKHyxefv5YXgILdWS7DBjDOTDc/w300-h400/Silver%20Gull%20one%20leg2%20Currarong%200216.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Gull <i>Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae, </i>an abundant gull around the coast<br />and in any suitable inland habitats of Australia. The missing leg is not unusual, and<br />could be the result of predation (including large carnivorous fish) or fishing lines.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDRrbNZANeifv2Z8GbNtK-CMF9rQ0upnObYjIs31N_OVKtVRpYETpD_cTc6GwGACrF-k4vztDdFMEzYinbDYC8Z-L0YT20oYIdDiMjDIyf_dJ3YTbswZisCqe8cZSx_N4EF3RYJznPDKPOXRcbfyD6Qw160jb2qbp0xyCo_xBWl05_7QfsaCUoKwD/s800/Crowned%20Lapwing%20Buffalo%20Springs%20NR%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDRrbNZANeifv2Z8GbNtK-CMF9rQ0upnObYjIs31N_OVKtVRpYETpD_cTc6GwGACrF-k4vztDdFMEzYinbDYC8Z-L0YT20oYIdDiMjDIyf_dJ3YTbswZisCqe8cZSx_N4EF3RYJznPDKPOXRcbfyD6Qw160jb2qbp0xyCo_xBWl05_7QfsaCUoKwD/w400-h300/Crowned%20Lapwing%20Buffalo%20Springs%20NR%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowned Lapwing <i>Vanellus coronatus, </i>Buffalo Springs NR, central Kenya<i>, </i>common <br />across southern and eastern Africa. This bird had made her nest right by the road <br />and was threatening us for daring to drive near them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglldRuGZnJvfEXbCMLKd9DKhd62iEiojVm-WjdmtiBYJto9PEq1_utPZKuxBq32ujmrjXubK5u2415ySSStroFO-RJeH-kybctL6Zhs8FwUIxZ3R-0gupiFie9S4b5_B9iauvHi3pnbnKwjzk76NyJqFJPiZeOChcVu6bvxoMFIi6DjDUREmm2z_dq/s801/Coscoroba%20Swan%20Puerto%20Natales%201206.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglldRuGZnJvfEXbCMLKd9DKhd62iEiojVm-WjdmtiBYJto9PEq1_utPZKuxBq32ujmrjXubK5u2415ySSStroFO-RJeH-kybctL6Zhs8FwUIxZ3R-0gupiFie9S4b5_B9iauvHi3pnbnKwjzk76NyJqFJPiZeOChcVu6bvxoMFIi6DjDUREmm2z_dq/w300-h400/Coscoroba%20Swan%20Puerto%20Natales%201206.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coscoroba Swan <i>Coscoroba coscoroba</i>, Puerto Natales, Chilean Patagonia.<br />This is the only swan in the world that is not in the genus <i>Cygnus</i> and it is smaller than all <br />the others<i>.</i> There seems to be no agreed understanding of where it fits into the bigger picture, <br />but its beauty could hardly be challenged. It is found in the lower third of South America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgKnhfZfp1CSAEAzAfrcMzgjfM-e89rdDNxTp4S_AcB6kyM2wBCvMSpduUetAHvmy6tbblbRXkwWGkOUrYIDepwQKnm3EgiMQaPIcLtMk8uxaHHwAUFx9lz5IYgaKYCOMafSB1mTLorH63KXLkUN09drjsrk8zW5YnyYXaSOj6LxdnboU33ZJKgQ4/s800/Buff-breasted%20Paradise%20Kingfisher6%20Kingfisher%20Park%200119%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgKnhfZfp1CSAEAzAfrcMzgjfM-e89rdDNxTp4S_AcB6kyM2wBCvMSpduUetAHvmy6tbblbRXkwWGkOUrYIDepwQKnm3EgiMQaPIcLtMk8uxaHHwAUFx9lz5IYgaKYCOMafSB1mTLorH63KXLkUN09drjsrk8zW5YnyYXaSOj6LxdnboU33ZJKgQ4/w400-h300/Buff-breasted%20Paradise%20Kingfisher6%20Kingfisher%20Park%200119%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher <i>Tanysiptera sylvia</i>, Julatten, north Queensland.<br />This beauty (what is it about red beaks and legs??) winters in New Guinea but<br />flies south across the Torres Strait to breed in very similar habitat, for no evident reason.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGr0L-cP9ltFVh4621ikwl6dENLFrfhWhCxXnBPWgTlNbFrW97BQDz7kQKWAk1f--QH7Fg3eKrIDZm0apiTfN0kWx1eaBLRwY6yu6d7X51jrhr77rKGNAsWMM5XDG1Fgt1t2LC-5QhfM9rr0nOMpAV8ZX1sbZDpawXPYTkbni32KP-Cfcj-KgMEJg/s800/Stork-billed%20Kingfisher1%20hotel%20Sepilok%20Sabah%20Borneo%200516.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGr0L-cP9ltFVh4621ikwl6dENLFrfhWhCxXnBPWgTlNbFrW97BQDz7kQKWAk1f--QH7Fg3eKrIDZm0apiTfN0kWx1eaBLRwY6yu6d7X51jrhr77rKGNAsWMM5XDG1Fgt1t2LC-5QhfM9rr0nOMpAV8ZX1sbZDpawXPYTkbni32KP-Cfcj-KgMEJg/w300-h400/Stork-billed%20Kingfisher1%20hotel%20Sepilok%20Sabah%20Borneo%200516.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps imposing rather than elegant, this Stork-billed Kingfisher <i>Pelargopsis capensis<br /></i> is equally impressive. This one was in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, but it is also found <br />across southern and south-eastern Asia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoULu0dmqn1Vd6Bu9hzdW4eJW1dnZlKjP1bDWrH1RIBaT5Xr6P8jJECDUOrMBE2tAQoSWlzDDB-MiP_YezsyWVSx4AAkCpja4Xciu-Y173v_cgkeRycW0l_LHYCIEDVstpjZCF4ZO6mK2K9jO7JNwE88iV12axMYuICGAkZyleSScjI4vuvWoMG1g/s800/Red-billed%20Tropicbird%20in%20crevice6%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoULu0dmqn1Vd6Bu9hzdW4eJW1dnZlKjP1bDWrH1RIBaT5Xr6P8jJECDUOrMBE2tAQoSWlzDDB-MiP_YezsyWVSx4AAkCpja4Xciu-Y173v_cgkeRycW0l_LHYCIEDVstpjZCF4ZO6mK2K9jO7JNwE88iV12axMYuICGAkZyleSScjI4vuvWoMG1g/w400-h300/Red-billed%20Tropicbird%20in%20crevice6%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-billed Tropicbird<i> Phaethon aethereus</i>, Genovesa, Galápagos. The three tropicbird<br />species occur in tropical oceans, this one being found around the Americas, across the<br />Atlantic and around the Red Sea. Its feet are yellow-orange rather than red, but <br />carotenoids are still involved.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqDOUAI_nvyOasSTVP-dHolS3QNcDYpk9uHnFvuuZgmEnEjb87TMToI6TJ6FOx9EYX7dfGvxhU_lpU8XW6KU0GIHcUsQtNtwIQIAr-1qKzBvtpxriqysIF9VH9kq_qvfQey-cMT-lXd2DGFdlOVTRQlL0ZMKp-gEMgpjhaGADJNfC7_C8216jwJ9H/s800/Eastern%20Swamphen%20Norgrove%20Park%200209.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqDOUAI_nvyOasSTVP-dHolS3QNcDYpk9uHnFvuuZgmEnEjb87TMToI6TJ6FOx9EYX7dfGvxhU_lpU8XW6KU0GIHcUsQtNtwIQIAr-1qKzBvtpxriqysIF9VH9kq_qvfQey-cMT-lXd2DGFdlOVTRQlL0ZMKp-gEMgpjhaGADJNfC7_C8216jwJ9H/w400-h300/Eastern%20Swamphen%20Norgrove%20Park%200209.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australasian Swamphen <i>Porphyrio melanotus, </i>Canberra. Very common and familiar<br />here, where it often crashes urban picnics. Part of a species complex that covers <br />much of the world. </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe5r1sRZ-uy9s5yJ0wASviKd7BsQ8zKNr265lDed_zdbkd26B9hgF6v6vOvBZLIQYA7oWMFjalJoOhkl2iNrP2t-nv17T-UTLpvfjcgFywVVCUFAq5m1mzHyz88vUafDqaXeu8oO1icKsxDInP2axplva6GxM01oJmrbv0QKXd2xxgzUSCiVAjHAv/s800/Red-legged%20Cormorants%20Arica%20Chile%200815.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXe5r1sRZ-uy9s5yJ0wASviKd7BsQ8zKNr265lDed_zdbkd26B9hgF6v6vOvBZLIQYA7oWMFjalJoOhkl2iNrP2t-nv17T-UTLpvfjcgFywVVCUFAq5m1mzHyz88vUafDqaXeu8oO1icKsxDInP2axplva6GxM01oJmrbv0QKXd2xxgzUSCiVAjHAv/w400-h300/Red-legged%20Cormorants%20Arica%20Chile%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-legged Cormorants <i>Poikilocarbo gaimardi, </i>Arica, northern Chile.<br />I think this is close to the most attractive cormorant I've seen - all those red highlights again!<br />It is found along most of the west coast and the far southern tip of the east coast of South America.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2-5qrBgzPZy5m271MqBsVzxL8vMsIuevLNc-3jz4ceXmdvVVnPxhj4mvB5pZB-qN5ZPLLC3Fa0wHz_s1E8nMzUPaA6jkvs3IsMHAO0PDDKuqH-3niu39wSzD-Woxj5uu6t3zSYys1XbGruA-sP1oSCpFkibhEBLpYvRa2Aw6e0fLR3RwS9znCLvJ/s800/White%20Stork%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2-5qrBgzPZy5m271MqBsVzxL8vMsIuevLNc-3jz4ceXmdvVVnPxhj4mvB5pZB-qN5ZPLLC3Fa0wHz_s1E8nMzUPaA6jkvs3IsMHAO0PDDKuqH-3niu39wSzD-Woxj5uu6t3zSYys1XbGruA-sP1oSCpFkibhEBLpYvRa2Aw6e0fLR3RwS9znCLvJ/w300-h400/White%20Stork%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Stork <i>Ciconia ciconia</i> Serengeti NP, Tanazania, one of the numerous<br />species which breed in Europe and western Asia and winter in Africa. This<br />one is of course also taking a break from delivering babies.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkfLuR6tsklRhcKM8lq25eP8Xx2Z0JNA3PZEvJ2dItDEpmUaVe96-INw8VNLK5W9RxEylUgW2lTAiNH7dcTaPGQVqcYzEnNFSRWMAXtlWZg75wiG6_wxtrqrHmKxn-EMJ9NVVtw0ucdr_cpxEliq0Qo7pOvqCSBPv1uV6wGEykpcDm4Ueebti6vBK/s800/Red-legged%20Seriema2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkfLuR6tsklRhcKM8lq25eP8Xx2Z0JNA3PZEvJ2dItDEpmUaVe96-INw8VNLK5W9RxEylUgW2lTAiNH7dcTaPGQVqcYzEnNFSRWMAXtlWZg75wiG6_wxtrqrHmKxn-EMJ9NVVtw0ucdr_cpxEliq0Qo7pOvqCSBPv1uV6wGEykpcDm4Ueebti6vBK/w300-h400/Red-legged%20Seriema2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-legged Seriema <i>Cariama cristata, </i>southern Pantanal, Brazil.This and the <br />less ornate Black-legged Seriema are the only living members of an entire Order of birds.<br />It is a ground-hunting predator of the great grassland plains.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quite a few pigeons have opted for the 'red front and back' option too. Here are a couple of Australian representatives.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkDFNpL9F6TEbIgVcbP52izDTDRCoGZbLieUvSaPDTbKISqipe9MoQU2TLkiZ4PxkMggfJ5edoFcTZBlRv_T4hmDqFZQHojTatDP_iwvoAedXnp24OcXBVO54WcAhe830wbZ3L_FkGar_7Q6XyR6pm96R9SVxIwUzMKfn_IrSh5E63HoxELEnrJX9/s800/White-headed%20Pigeon%20front%20Nowra%201008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkDFNpL9F6TEbIgVcbP52izDTDRCoGZbLieUvSaPDTbKISqipe9MoQU2TLkiZ4PxkMggfJ5edoFcTZBlRv_T4hmDqFZQHojTatDP_iwvoAedXnp24OcXBVO54WcAhe830wbZ3L_FkGar_7Q6XyR6pm96R9SVxIwUzMKfn_IrSh5E63HoxELEnrJX9/w300-h400/White-headed%20Pigeon%20front%20Nowra%201008.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-headed Pigeon <i>Columba leucomela</i>, Nowra, south coast NSW.<br />In addition to the legs and bills, this very pretty pigeon has a ring of red skin<br />around the eyes - more of these coming up.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSaebQMntCH105_0TP8b-ZwcvuyUbgFlK4sJlpUEKq3AHUKF5ybw0qw8sE1Op1mgmjtT5g_0rujHgTtUPPxeqcQ_CH-vdvmOdOaWPz8gaMrlMKu-s3khBIfF5W3w7RX-SK6f62PvX4YEo1e5-5on5xjWV5vAz0f5P4xz0LAfFeBw9VinfZpZp0imZ/s800/Wonga%20Pigeon%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSaebQMntCH105_0TP8b-ZwcvuyUbgFlK4sJlpUEKq3AHUKF5ybw0qw8sE1Op1mgmjtT5g_0rujHgTtUPPxeqcQ_CH-vdvmOdOaWPz8gaMrlMKu-s3khBIfF5W3w7RX-SK6f62PvX4YEo1e5-5on5xjWV5vAz0f5P4xz0LAfFeBw9VinfZpZp0imZ/w400-h300/Wonga%20Pigeon%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonga Pigeon <i>Leucosarcia melanoleuca, </i>Beowa NP, far south coast NSW.<br />A mostly ground-dwelling forest pigeon of the east coast forests, and <br />the only one of its genus.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span> </span>And finally a couple of birds which are fairly unusual in having red legs and feet but not red bills.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZYSU2uC8AvS0n0i8WBGk1b372i-9hiUjH8SvyAsTCQ42uiitnLfFwdJ30FsW8sKvRB6d_uUACjbeziYCnCUudsG0VE8_1HWw8pJPK_nas6nvAg6v5b1Y9F7qTUagde6zEzduIQG4BC9OoS21jb0_DoMMHfKl8jcVlLndPtEG7R_mcuBh17LT0f75/s800/White-headed%20Stilt4%20Pt%20Fairy%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZYSU2uC8AvS0n0i8WBGk1b372i-9hiUjH8SvyAsTCQ42uiitnLfFwdJ30FsW8sKvRB6d_uUACjbeziYCnCUudsG0VE8_1HWw8pJPK_nas6nvAg6v5b1Y9F7qTUagde6zEzduIQG4BC9OoS21jb0_DoMMHfKl8jcVlLndPtEG7R_mcuBh17LT0f75/w300-h400/White-headed%20Stilt4%20Pt%20Fairy%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Stilt <i>Himantopus leucocephalus, </i>Port Fairy, Victoria. This pattern (red legs, black bill)<br /> is actually true of all four currently recognised stilt species around the world. When you've<br />got the longest legs for your size of any wading bird, you may as well highlight them!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoLcqj0ren_Ca4EK5tJIX1yi9aPFAP24DUTLQaAPHzwghbibZHAMqkw4rafFKCGJQyb2VLO2JwQB5m67YbQ5MbVXPcub8Gh7XPUK5OZd8yV02lIHI_QTaLQgkLEQFUoeSTX-_nvq2db5t7shDDATN6QFZ-na0XWs6J3RN0ZXKW013GwnOhe-eF2q4/s800/Red-footed%20Booby%20white%20morph%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoLcqj0ren_Ca4EK5tJIX1yi9aPFAP24DUTLQaAPHzwghbibZHAMqkw4rafFKCGJQyb2VLO2JwQB5m67YbQ5MbVXPcub8Gh7XPUK5OZd8yV02lIHI_QTaLQgkLEQFUoeSTX-_nvq2db5t7shDDATN6QFZ-na0XWs6J3RN0ZXKW013GwnOhe-eF2q4/w300-h400/Red-footed%20Booby%20white%20morph%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-footed Booby <i>Sula sula</i>, Genovesa, Galápagos, above and below.<br />This, the smallest species of gannet and booby, has very impressively red feet, but <br />a pale blue bill. Body feathers can be either white or brown but the feet, <br />which play in important role in courtship, don't change.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMaIH790dnOYefsPclIDKXI8GHnngtfckqfqW6YUmsJe4k8Fq4s8ZuVCdk4wXVCt112cC7ksyKF5XzQZ_bE-p9FICA8wHFgha5EyKahV7InHmosUVDEBJwU7Pu_Ysc6Bb73LTD6ZguaGI0tesE7A-zljfmb0JtUCcb5d6QuWbt-8e0JphdIqYU0XY/s800/Red-footed%20Booby%20feet%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMaIH790dnOYefsPclIDKXI8GHnngtfckqfqW6YUmsJe4k8Fq4s8ZuVCdk4wXVCt112cC7ksyKF5XzQZ_bE-p9FICA8wHFgha5EyKahV7InHmosUVDEBJwU7Pu_Ysc6Bb73LTD6ZguaGI0tesE7A-zljfmb0JtUCcb5d6QuWbt-8e0JphdIqYU0XY/w400-h300/Red-footed%20Booby%20feet%20Genovesa%20Galapagos%201113.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As mentioned at the start, all of these red features (I think!) utilise the protein keratin, but many other non-feathery red bits of birds use skin, ie collagen. One unusual such feature (or usually a pair of features) is a wattle (or caruncle) which is a fleshy structure, often dangly, hanging from a bird's face or neck. Here are some red wattles hanging from the throat or neck, all purely decorative. Most bearers of them are large birds, perhaps because wattles on a small bird would not be usefully visible. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylNPDLeEqll38-KIupvVodkWnb-P6UWFUvap_CyNSRwgzGGDUbG7ZJ8L4pUi0cSSKI13FHBPeAyrPxhJ90OjnNbqWLNrGlXPGoaITPtNdfvqQ_N4q8SmnNVirQsBEBpbaGQsbqpARwChLfyDmWNOA2fsP8-0H9siwIsOuuPlAVkVDJC2R81CNFuwb/s800/Red%20Wattlebird%20NBG%200117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylNPDLeEqll38-KIupvVodkWnb-P6UWFUvap_CyNSRwgzGGDUbG7ZJ8L4pUi0cSSKI13FHBPeAyrPxhJ90OjnNbqWLNrGlXPGoaITPtNdfvqQ_N4q8SmnNVirQsBEBpbaGQsbqpARwChLfyDmWNOA2fsP8-0H9siwIsOuuPlAVkVDJC2R81CNFuwb/w300-h400/Red%20Wattlebird%20NBG%200117.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Wattlebird <span><i>Anthochaera carunculata</i>, Canberra. Abundant across southern Australia,<br />it is also close to being the largest honeyeater. The fact that it is not red and has<br />no significant association with wattle trees confuses newcomers to Australian birding!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEZWBWOtmpy3voQmo3KwzRVB5Kz98TjDURmp1YOaTAsaKGI00mY7sMK_caCKQSlS7NTCXXzGkr55Ug0shO7Vjf6KVrRmNaziKXwGRaZ8BRWZJDvo3lAoyAvj1abHb-DEjyxUXYLBqtUep6VG3jLS9SX2pe2bRt2JRoa0I2qVxL35l5XyTg628PfHP/s800/Dusky-legged%20Guan2%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEZWBWOtmpy3voQmo3KwzRVB5Kz98TjDURmp1YOaTAsaKGI00mY7sMK_caCKQSlS7NTCXXzGkr55Ug0shO7Vjf6KVrRmNaziKXwGRaZ8BRWZJDvo3lAoyAvj1abHb-DEjyxUXYLBqtUep6VG3jLS9SX2pe2bRt2JRoa0I2qVxL35l5XyTg628PfHP/w400-h300/Dusky-legged%20Guan2%20Buenaventura%20Peruibe%20Brazil%200719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dusky-legged Guan <i>Penelope obscura, </i>Peruibe, south coastal Brazil.<br />Other guans - in the Neotropical family Cracidae - also have wattles.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQw9dubCuy4MM3HJz_g41i1jjenUG5KO4Rz2thnlCEzwwBwK9fx8bwTW1A6EKnHbmzFb4WXI3C4HoNubqllv16GaNubRBasPhgBKDAOCAHUX5pfFGxpe9Skv_B3A6-orXPRe_4LweTDWNxFVfmhTZ2KdrTXIXJfAhd4xovwdjdAW5tkq8ndwmFJiu/s800/Grey%20Crowned%20Crane1%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQw9dubCuy4MM3HJz_g41i1jjenUG5KO4Rz2thnlCEzwwBwK9fx8bwTW1A6EKnHbmzFb4WXI3C4HoNubqllv16GaNubRBasPhgBKDAOCAHUX5pfFGxpe9Skv_B3A6-orXPRe_4LweTDWNxFVfmhTZ2KdrTXIXJfAhd4xovwdjdAW5tkq8ndwmFJiu/w301-h400/Grey%20Crowned%20Crane1%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Crowned Crane <i>Balearica regulorum, </i>Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.<br />A spectacular crane found across much of eastern Africa, it is also the national<br />bird of Uganda.The wattles are inflatable sacs which feature in display dances. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwcl5xDHbZWs06qJAAqXiuylUC8y1EB5dHW9YQFyiUzWy3ZUOwh53Phx99QZkNljgmyhUy7rffJVuVeZtOVXgSKoQ54FVf0paLdppAdla-wQqLKVPwrW2aix0eOEXkrFCJoQOgl-IVec3IPdkdDi24WPJlZm8G93M_IO7eMihGQCvonhyrLSobcug/s800/Southern%20Cassowary6%20Mt%20Hypipamee%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwcl5xDHbZWs06qJAAqXiuylUC8y1EB5dHW9YQFyiUzWy3ZUOwh53Phx99QZkNljgmyhUy7rffJVuVeZtOVXgSKoQ54FVf0paLdppAdla-wQqLKVPwrW2aix0eOEXkrFCJoQOgl-IVec3IPdkdDi24WPJlZm8G93M_IO7eMihGQCvonhyrLSobcug/w300-h400/Southern%20Cassowary6%20Mt%20Hypipamee%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Cassowary <i>Casuarius casuarius</i>, Mount Hypipamee NP, Atherton Tablelands,<br />tropical Queensland. The bright colours and long wattles (which can be up to 18cm long)<br />suggest that this is a female, which is also a lot bigger than the male.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And here are some wattles growing by the eyes.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlD9K0lnPaTM0dPCcj0T-R2roX0VXCheiz1OYRnEN5BOkjFugILcjPGWpOwMVQQS6s34w-c01k_LAQWId9h1CDyEvrrhaUCbi1z8PBIB2uZYxL1p-i-fWtsDhKz467-7DC5qwzOE6iw6pwjceEC9K39vXx49cwPZFS155Q9G1s15nRxZ3_I7VGit6/s800/Wattled%20Jacana1%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlD9K0lnPaTM0dPCcj0T-R2roX0VXCheiz1OYRnEN5BOkjFugILcjPGWpOwMVQQS6s34w-c01k_LAQWId9h1CDyEvrrhaUCbi1z8PBIB2uZYxL1p-i-fWtsDhKz467-7DC5qwzOE6iw6pwjceEC9K39vXx49cwPZFS155Q9G1s15nRxZ3_I7VGit6/w400-h300/Wattled%20Jacana1%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wattled Jacana <i>Jacana jacana,</i> northern Pantanal, Brazil. They also sport an associated<br />big red frontal plate above the bill. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nOhIaMtK8nczvtNZ0MQTMtCspuLsECirM_ED1CpM50Uzz1my1c1NOXuesHIMh89YERCAEG9SJnYAdLyV7PBATOfI6vOXsFJNZQJW2sDTSPgLMHwhYiGvIHlu_wLU6XfY00MZw1NWd5KK6uE3XUGK9f22rhWEXCzeM4sf4mr4Gs26L32d4E7vbCbP/s800/Muscovy%20Duck%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nOhIaMtK8nczvtNZ0MQTMtCspuLsECirM_ED1CpM50Uzz1my1c1NOXuesHIMh89YERCAEG9SJnYAdLyV7PBATOfI6vOXsFJNZQJW2sDTSPgLMHwhYiGvIHlu_wLU6XfY00MZw1NWd5KK6uE3XUGK9f22rhWEXCzeM4sf4mr4Gs26L32d4E7vbCbP/w400-h299/Muscovy%20Duck%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild male Muscovy Duck <i>Cairina moschata</i>, also in the Pantanal. This duck is found<br /> throughout much of South and Central America, though not commonly now, <br />as it is heavily hunted and thus very wary. The caruncles on the face vary<br />but this pattern of beading around the eyes is typical. Females have feathered<br />faces, few if any caruncles and lack the prominent crest. Domesticated birds<br />vary in plumage, many being white.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, a most unusual wattle, which is stiffly erect rather than dangling or warty.<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOIlOJCxE-mho-78k6Qo9zA_eSLAaTMqLF4ao1-wPKFmpBpLsKctCC7-LTF9Z_0yY8ELKtQRt8lnWLLAYdBjByI_q9vthVScAFNLGmMv6hsVueQrrmRPqdsTYVxTB7Atq__fvmgJPE0GhCujx7SXm8rDunTepSOIfPu5BwDQXAkoQYaE1YQo5xqFN/s800/Comb-crested%20Jacana5%20Cooinda%20Kakadu%20NP%20NT%200115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOIlOJCxE-mho-78k6Qo9zA_eSLAaTMqLF4ao1-wPKFmpBpLsKctCC7-LTF9Z_0yY8ELKtQRt8lnWLLAYdBjByI_q9vthVScAFNLGmMv6hsVueQrrmRPqdsTYVxTB7Atq__fvmgJPE0GhCujx7SXm8rDunTepSOIfPu5BwDQXAkoQYaE1YQo5xqFN/w300-h400/Comb-crested%20Jacana5%20Cooinda%20Kakadu%20NP%20NT%200115.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comb-crested Jacana <i>Irediparra gallinacea, </i>Kakadu NP, Northern Territory.<br />Some other birds, including domestic fowls, have such a comb, but theirs is<br />soft and floppy. (While not the subject of today's post, it would be remiss<br />of me not to point out the jacana's amazing toes that spread their weight so it can<br />be borne by the lily pads.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">A lot of birds have an area of bare skin around their eyes, often coloured red, which probably gives information about the fitness of the wearer. We begin with a couple of pigeons.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlxLz-X50JC2WkKODggtd8Zj0jv5ePQx5C4ERd5tyOuqasdrjYsTB_63PMVz6RHGzGJRBTIL2Oz0HCowB148cYUPb8qFMkFtzovBZ52u6byskjhw8qJPEm39N1oa2dmjfPYQrE2CqPFBm1IGI1SZdE3B_uoVy0kM5MNlmv2Sbrr6XA7H_7iGhMsQb/s800/Bare-faced%20Ground-Dove1%20Socoroma%20Chile%200815.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlxLz-X50JC2WkKODggtd8Zj0jv5ePQx5C4ERd5tyOuqasdrjYsTB_63PMVz6RHGzGJRBTIL2Oz0HCowB148cYUPb8qFMkFtzovBZ52u6byskjhw8qJPEm39N1oa2dmjfPYQrE2CqPFBm1IGI1SZdE3B_uoVy0kM5MNlmv2Sbrr6XA7H_7iGhMsQb/w400-h300/Bare-faced%20Ground-Dove1%20Socoroma%20Chile%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bare-faced Ground Dove <i>Metriopelia ceciliae, </i>northern Chile.<br />This is mostly a bird of arid mountains. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGZtSMfFSL5Sw8Rs6sjwrg41x0g3om_iTfQpLJJDXlfm_k-R-x_Jrw0skydsPNrOGrFaj8Z2Co2qEfKZqEeMH2VOlyuVvuzfMTsm4MlAsx49qU-g1iUTfhCrLhVkn0mvf5eO1RVN_jXAuwL2o1-egR1JPyXVNfIrsnkKb99qBDWn-GIVGGXnZRTS/s800/Speckled%20Pigeon%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGZtSMfFSL5Sw8Rs6sjwrg41x0g3om_iTfQpLJJDXlfm_k-R-x_Jrw0skydsPNrOGrFaj8Z2Co2qEfKZqEeMH2VOlyuVvuzfMTsm4MlAsx49qU-g1iUTfhCrLhVkn0mvf5eO1RVN_jXAuwL2o1-egR1JPyXVNfIrsnkKb99qBDWn-GIVGGXnZRTS/w400-h300/Speckled%20Pigeon%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speckled Pigeon <i>Columba guinea</i>, Tarangire NP, Tanzania.<br />A familiar and striking bird throughout much of Africa below the Sahara.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqE93TC-R7s8x2drvO3js98FbMh7KLw_yFmtxmq6P0A7zB1aq6xsDYjSR8OHt1_-9uEWYuEhjnQRU2HJh1v5d5fFIof78yg1lQ3tXbdZaXjjJndsA8gysr5ndg7LqncYUzqLOPJVOpPMdFpKegCYpvPw_Xqg1bkHw7KGLVd_6fJohsaZ2lh6TnN2W/s800/Yellow-necked%20Spurfowl%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqE93TC-R7s8x2drvO3js98FbMh7KLw_yFmtxmq6P0A7zB1aq6xsDYjSR8OHt1_-9uEWYuEhjnQRU2HJh1v5d5fFIof78yg1lQ3tXbdZaXjjJndsA8gysr5ndg7LqncYUzqLOPJVOpPMdFpKegCYpvPw_Xqg1bkHw7KGLVd_6fJohsaZ2lh6TnN2W/w400-h300/Yellow-necked%20Spurfowl%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-throated Spurfowl <i>Pternistis leucoscepus</i>, Tarangire NP again. The spurfowls are<br />a group of francolins, which in turn are close to the partridges. This one is from the<br />day north-east of Africa. The red face skin contrasts with the bare yellow throat patch.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBKAxIFgbjLByhMLYP5h1sZZfrZvVIsG7rztskcdWF5twcO2TDktKaWV8RH-92Ea4eKYbd-g6u_FW7NZumrJVN2smiCjib04O3oOrRHW8k9ALohngN1iDPvCvM7z6UnPIUUcjOdjv9pSTWT8LI_mQSy5JKOoZX94d5are9Sfa3FHcvcwthi8VJ44G/s800/Blue-naped%20Mousebirds1%20Buffalo%20Springs%20NR%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBKAxIFgbjLByhMLYP5h1sZZfrZvVIsG7rztskcdWF5twcO2TDktKaWV8RH-92Ea4eKYbd-g6u_FW7NZumrJVN2smiCjib04O3oOrRHW8k9ALohngN1iDPvCvM7z6UnPIUUcjOdjv9pSTWT8LI_mQSy5JKOoZX94d5are9Sfa3FHcvcwthi8VJ44G/w400-h300/Blue-naped%20Mousebirds1%20Buffalo%20Springs%20NR%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-naped Mousebirds <i>Urocolius macrourus, </i>Buffalo Springs NR, Kenya.<br />There are six species of mousebirds, the only members of their entire Order. <br />This one is found in north-eastern Africa and across the arid Sahel to the Atlantic.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb4DD7fzCv_VPwXz_kYdZ5JOxgdCOR1A3z1DJl7ZX_X6rXjUxYGnlcAKaxye7X3TvRTgsmMKzCa1MnnaBdg_B0xO2s0KL-Syp--ssB3OsZBiQC0mWxRlxk_7PpIbfOTYY1Y3vetxDeiSy1PbDfwWo216bquTHHXStgXYqCOwnwMnXFN23Iv4fHWZj/s800/Banded%20Lapwing%20front-on%20W%20of%20Windorah%200510.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb4DD7fzCv_VPwXz_kYdZ5JOxgdCOR1A3z1DJl7ZX_X6rXjUxYGnlcAKaxye7X3TvRTgsmMKzCa1MnnaBdg_B0xO2s0KL-Syp--ssB3OsZBiQC0mWxRlxk_7PpIbfOTYY1Y3vetxDeiSy1PbDfwWo216bquTHHXStgXYqCOwnwMnXFN23Iv4fHWZj/w300-h400/Banded%20Lapwing%20front-on%20W%20of%20Windorah%200510.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banded Lapwing <i>Vanellus tricolor, </i>south-west Queensland. This small mostly dry country<br />lapwing looks very imposing, even a bit intimidating, when viewed head-on like this.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The other red-faced species I want to feature here are all large birds, three of which contrast their red faces with white feathers.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq_cVv3zoq9bSy7QUpeOr6OGz_tf4tShSS2-0Sqb2_Uw-OpVxYfd6xLdnFyRuUsdPgW4NPQ03NJSRs07eSNYkTSTVo-rMDWmZ2s1LFT1Tt5KS0Ln54qhX7KJNwEMOzhsrP_ZAhPJIxFoc9QlY2kxksMZ4KD2xlXeMVzd618SInV26I7NZ2NZR-XGm/s800/African%20Spoonbill2%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq_cVv3zoq9bSy7QUpeOr6OGz_tf4tShSS2-0Sqb2_Uw-OpVxYfd6xLdnFyRuUsdPgW4NPQ03NJSRs07eSNYkTSTVo-rMDWmZ2s1LFT1Tt5KS0Ln54qhX7KJNwEMOzhsrP_ZAhPJIxFoc9QlY2kxksMZ4KD2xlXeMVzd618SInV26I7NZ2NZR-XGm/w400-h300/African%20Spoonbill2%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Spoonbill <i>Platalea alba</i>, Lake Nakuru NP, Kenya.<br />This is the only African spoonbill (apart from Eurasian Spoonbills on the Red Sea coast)<br />and is found across most of the continent.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnfBtnHjLGj6ww3lLvP66Q0UNfbzuhCX9KSTtJ3ZsASAGl7prVn4JHruiPXiDRqwcvIWIf61tgA7dp4NXNGwJC8HdgWVXpMgntciZUiIX-pCSpW2W6zhkWNxrh73zRJCcGWnHKLmIPCiGhM9sjUP9YTnBOlQQ2zqhksHpsyhNZY4hy2DM0Ecpv27D/s800/American%20White%20Ibis2%20Chome%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnfBtnHjLGj6ww3lLvP66Q0UNfbzuhCX9KSTtJ3ZsASAGl7prVn4JHruiPXiDRqwcvIWIf61tgA7dp4NXNGwJC8HdgWVXpMgntciZUiIX-pCSpW2W6zhkWNxrh73zRJCcGWnHKLmIPCiGhM9sjUP9YTnBOlQQ2zqhksHpsyhNZY4hy2DM0Ecpv27D/w400-h300/American%20White%20Ibis2%20Chome%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American White Ibis <i>Eudocimus albus</i> has a similar colour pattern to the previous spoonbill;<br />this one was in Costa Rica.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A couple of storks follow.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquvhvcaAo7KssQzI-CZGv-iTW1RjEq7yXiSq2pw_ZengzIxlaUv6lxVx82idzoFcS-4ChfrRxqk2OtgSYh-oDNVqtOqBSKyVbkvPklbVAqvukn2YGBkz_lFSi_YaVSO0NAi7NqivItydzF6LuhHC6tLvPMgl_YtAEOlKABsJVtc1yc9PQDOcdQOZ2/s800/Brolgas1%20Winton%20to%20Boulia%200413.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquvhvcaAo7KssQzI-CZGv-iTW1RjEq7yXiSq2pw_ZengzIxlaUv6lxVx82idzoFcS-4ChfrRxqk2OtgSYh-oDNVqtOqBSKyVbkvPklbVAqvukn2YGBkz_lFSi_YaVSO0NAi7NqivItydzF6LuhHC6tLvPMgl_YtAEOlKABsJVtc1yc9PQDOcdQOZ2/w400-h300/Brolgas1%20Winton%20to%20Boulia%200413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brolgas <i>Antigone rubicunda, </i>central Queensland. Their red face includes a throat pouch which,<br />like that of the crowned crane earlier, is used in the ritual courtship dance.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t_GRlNa9XCRcZ57xpVcFtiA_YOPLetvN_9-b0MBnC_RwSVOi449Wy4-UqETdDne_q9YLo4_3wEX3vgYTlDsiySRHGkVYXTZr02fdofVmjGBe6S-PV8Af5OPJKqpELKpRjD5B4HKkeIwbswdlq4zDA0MBtGKxJxdjG35_zVdX2yyZwkUbwwWMJIK8/s800/Maguari%20Stork1%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t_GRlNa9XCRcZ57xpVcFtiA_YOPLetvN_9-b0MBnC_RwSVOi449Wy4-UqETdDne_q9YLo4_3wEX3vgYTlDsiySRHGkVYXTZr02fdofVmjGBe6S-PV8Af5OPJKqpELKpRjD5B4HKkeIwbswdlq4zDA0MBtGKxJxdjG35_zVdX2yyZwkUbwwWMJIK8/w400-h300/Maguari%20Stork1%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maguari Stork <i>Ciconia maguari,</i> Pantanal, Brazil.<br />A big stork of eastern South America, though not in the Amazon, whose red face <br />intensifies in colour while breeding.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp26u4mSkvZ_igkYdiJ_UT3IlBUh2t5dWHiuffberC2OtUUCyPkUYSZixdr16dpe8cLScflmIuN2GE5X1MvNiFHd_Dtfw7sYvTCSa0sNnr1SCbIY86r2-tyehD-59VSMz6aG7FPcKeUrQmtdXtGs-eIU4gQzy-UlXp64zrBv7XGq6hhBaKQCTcFi4H/s800/Secretary%20Bird3%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp26u4mSkvZ_igkYdiJ_UT3IlBUh2t5dWHiuffberC2OtUUCyPkUYSZixdr16dpe8cLScflmIuN2GE5X1MvNiFHd_Dtfw7sYvTCSa0sNnr1SCbIY86r2-tyehD-59VSMz6aG7FPcKeUrQmtdXtGs-eIU4gQzy-UlXp64zrBv7XGq6hhBaKQCTcFi4H/w400-h300/Secretary%20Bird3%20Tarangire%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally in this section, one of the world's most unusual and dramatic birds of prey.<br />The Secretary Bird (for the quills like an old-time scribe's behind the ears) <br /><i>Sagittarius serpentarius, </i>stalks the grasslands of most of Africa, hunting insects and<br />reptiles in particular, but also any birds and mammals they can catch.<br />I assume that the distinctive face patch has a role in courtship<br />but I can't find any information on that.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Which brings us to the last red topic for this post; that of eyes. By this we usually mean the iris, though sometimes it is used loosely to describe the skin around that eyes that we've just looked at. When I was first doing some reading for this post I found an assertion that the carotenoids which produce red colours in birds' feathers and skin are not found in the eyes, but that red eyes are the result of pteridines. I should have been more suspicious of such a simple and blanketing assertion regarding nature and in fact both assertions are incorrect. There is a lot we don't know about red-eyed birds, but a good start is in this very recent paper, available on line (<a href="file:///C:/Users/caloc/Downloads/eye_color_review_corbett_etal_preprint_v1.pdf">Corbett et al 2022</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are a couple of examples that have been examined (as per Corbett et al) as examples of the complexities involved. (There is more information in Supplemental Appendix 3 of the Corbett paper but I can't find it anywhere; any help in doing so would be very gratefully received.)<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZBWJzEA2VlS-r35-iz-4gKvSf0Mu0IpO3VCWouKw0GUaIS3ZqRa4xl_2OwDtntC4ntCGHBtN3e0Q_JMxwozZ6-jpkVj1S4MMJXjVw2Z81IWcu-0CZNj6CNK5kgXZ9xy-6qvt6iblUdAEvZlbwE6OA1iGaPGHPk8IoyxwfosANm2ekGMeMU4NK3pk/s800/Black%20Swan%20head%200914.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZBWJzEA2VlS-r35-iz-4gKvSf0Mu0IpO3VCWouKw0GUaIS3ZqRa4xl_2OwDtntC4ntCGHBtN3e0Q_JMxwozZ6-jpkVj1S4MMJXjVw2Z81IWcu-0CZNj6CNK5kgXZ9xy-6qvt6iblUdAEvZlbwE6OA1iGaPGHPk8IoyxwfosANm2ekGMeMU4NK3pk/w300-h400/Black%20Swan%20head%200914.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Black Swan's red eyes (<span><i>Cygnus atratus</i>, here in Canberra) are due to a combination<br />of blood vessels, melanins and a reflecting crystalline structure composed of cholesterol.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigY6EtI45BY1_Q0ZEevmiPXB-YKEwgB8iXwhHVn7NHxoF7fOCKo9Z_TeaYH3-S8hi3knhRwsKZauqTWEr4W8xVqOUL3tx5qGJhNx-but_nUUWScoir7w-d9fgnDv3_4Haeuy1A15lHYl0XcJ70-h3LitQ8OPM28LFyHJ5bFkf5Y2XWRF5dUxMP2tQt/s800/Zebra%20Finches4%20Murrawa%20Bore%20Great%20Sandy%20Desert%200716.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigY6EtI45BY1_Q0ZEevmiPXB-YKEwgB8iXwhHVn7NHxoF7fOCKo9Z_TeaYH3-S8hi3knhRwsKZauqTWEr4W8xVqOUL3tx5qGJhNx-but_nUUWScoir7w-d9fgnDv3_4Haeuy1A15lHYl0XcJ70-h3LitQ8OPM28LFyHJ5bFkf5Y2XWRF5dUxMP2tQt/w400-h300/Zebra%20Finches4%20Murrawa%20Bore%20Great%20Sandy%20Desert%200716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red eyes of Zebra Finches (this one the Australian species <i>Taeniopygia castanotis,<br /></i>in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia) have nothing in common with those<br />of the swan. They do however have pteridines, which here form a crystalline reflective <br />surface; however, other pteridines can form non-crystalline pigments!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And that's probably enough complexity for today, especially as we still don't know so much. Let's conclude the post (which is already very long, I freely admit) by just admiring a few more very attractive red eyes.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd4JTehRMgv3kUtsrR0Z_fb9gNBqujan76aKt14D79zOn8lXyXpo3dfoswDMT0p33nCYcYHjjJ4hQbBy2HLlkbt_oQZiILQbB7YqBuSahvQV_6ijUKyG8DdnSTzHkcXIt4FcX5zr8jbKfHjO-6XvDToJwyscuFUvna5iW4rOqjWFKFU4182dLEskV/s800/Fire-eyed%20Diucon%20with%20grub%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd4JTehRMgv3kUtsrR0Z_fb9gNBqujan76aKt14D79zOn8lXyXpo3dfoswDMT0p33nCYcYHjjJ4hQbBy2HLlkbt_oQZiILQbB7YqBuSahvQV_6ijUKyG8DdnSTzHkcXIt4FcX5zr8jbKfHjO-6XvDToJwyscuFUvna5iW4rOqjWFKFU4182dLEskV/w400-h300/Fire-eyed%20Diucon%20with%20grub%20TdeP%20NP%201110.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire-eyed Diucon <i>Pyrope pyrope</i> Torres del Paine NP, Chilean Patagonia.<br />These irises are <i>really </i>red (like the other species here!). This is a fairly common<br />New World flycatcher of cold southern Chile and adjacent Argentina.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp0VmKrIMUzH4-EKw1Q6rKZiq2hMkLPvG1i5h26txribB2pj7JhYmOkQyMbkWyXtrVKUu6czaJQIyPVDfZSp0ovNLiAA40wlAxbVDETUQizTLNhqZBitU0WQLObGs03XTMKJhe6QVatO9zG_nCgxcc13_7iFOu1VJwzobKBaJWkAtQm1u0jSSgkiN/s800/Metallic%20Starling2%20Crystal%20Cascades%20CP%20Cairns%200119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp0VmKrIMUzH4-EKw1Q6rKZiq2hMkLPvG1i5h26txribB2pj7JhYmOkQyMbkWyXtrVKUu6czaJQIyPVDfZSp0ovNLiAA40wlAxbVDETUQizTLNhqZBitU0WQLObGs03XTMKJhe6QVatO9zG_nCgxcc13_7iFOu1VJwzobKBaJWkAtQm1u0jSSgkiN/w400-h299/Metallic%20Starling2%20Crystal%20Cascades%20CP%20Cairns%200119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metallic Starling <i>Aplonis metallica, </i>Cairns, north Queensland.<br />Quite a few starlings have such near-manic red eyes. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcY_ADDrXikNbLebULPAPRmVjBQWaUOTkRchDwzPbCrqWA3Vhrx0SbNeEqB7FoScKkOleW0J8j3radYCi5kLIVFR3ItUY8T8u9wwYWy7uJLhnDLMCQ8-oG09VWy3Z7Flt_-VgBOivBjXruUUsb6mtXFAelqaPcuSTsDE-BUzDtWKuLaNPRdXld3Wp/s800/Red-%20and%20Yellow-billed%20Oxpeckers%20on%20giraffe%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcY_ADDrXikNbLebULPAPRmVjBQWaUOTkRchDwzPbCrqWA3Vhrx0SbNeEqB7FoScKkOleW0J8j3radYCi5kLIVFR3ItUY8T8u9wwYWy7uJLhnDLMCQ8-oG09VWy3Z7Flt_-VgBOivBjXruUUsb6mtXFAelqaPcuSTsDE-BUzDtWKuLaNPRdXld3Wp/w400-h300/Red-%20and%20Yellow-billed%20Oxpeckers%20on%20giraffe%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-billed Oxpecker <i>Buphagus erythrorynchus</i> (left) and Yellow-billed <i>B.africanus<br /></i>searching a giraffe for ticks, Serengeti NP, Tanzania. I find it interesting that both their<br />bills contrast with their eyes (though the yellow bill of the red-eyed Yellow-billed Oxpecker<br />also has a red tip). These are the only two members of their family, which is related to starlings.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pRJnr6S1VFlwMaB5yHwjjaLcs5M8P34y4GtpKWAaZzw6-cVCPLCjgy-m9l1qPKZ5wrQs7_1ksQl0EwVzS3XX0WEsmDveum3fYt_fhfVeozyTguyv6RLfToy0mZxF8bLzyXWQwiRQb2ydfPwavh6NhJuQyTnA78UcXn5vLc9g2bL1czxL30ZSiGoc/s800/Tas%20Native%20Hen2%20Copping%20Tas%200214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pRJnr6S1VFlwMaB5yHwjjaLcs5M8P34y4GtpKWAaZzw6-cVCPLCjgy-m9l1qPKZ5wrQs7_1ksQl0EwVzS3XX0WEsmDveum3fYt_fhfVeozyTguyv6RLfToy0mZxF8bLzyXWQwiRQb2ydfPwavh6NhJuQyTnA78UcXn5vLc9g2bL1czxL30ZSiGoc/w300-h400/Tas%20Native%20Hen2%20Copping%20Tas%200214.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmanian Native Hen <i>Tribonyx mortierii</i>, near Hobart. This large flightless rail<br />survived in Tasmania in the absence of Dingoes (and later of foxes). <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGb480bwOd79NGPGF9joJZEot9LVy80AdtYBmpEAbRgDpYKmXmcXs9nikbbVfe5jU1hoJ3qr5SoI7QDMJVt5UMglYXFYYJTlt2lncNMnCd-b7eLMadoR-9AOlrW2R3ziGcHNHJ1t6Y6EFJdIURerUJnok9wMe6FJ-aQK5YucohRb4I9hPs5dOIzdB/s800/White-winged%20Choughs3%20Narr%20Hill%200420.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGb480bwOd79NGPGF9joJZEot9LVy80AdtYBmpEAbRgDpYKmXmcXs9nikbbVfe5jU1hoJ3qr5SoI7QDMJVt5UMglYXFYYJTlt2lncNMnCd-b7eLMadoR-9AOlrW2R3ziGcHNHJ1t6Y6EFJdIURerUJnok9wMe6FJ-aQK5YucohRb4I9hPs5dOIzdB/w400-h300/White-winged%20Choughs3%20Narr%20Hill%200420.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Choughs <i>Corcorax melanorhamphos, </i>Canberra. These highly communal<br />mud-nest builders are one of only two members of their Family (with the Apostlebird, <br />another old Australian). Their staring red eyes bulge - I assume with blood - when <br />they are presenting their threat display to an intruder (me, in this case). <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And that will do for today I think! I hope you're still reading (or at least looking at the pictures...). I'll leave the red theme next time but will return to it soon - possibly the one after next - to finish with the promised red-and-black post. The choughs give a good example of the effectiveness of that juxtaposition. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meantime, keep your eyes out for further examples of how birds wear red in your part of the world. I'm happy to hear from you any time.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 18 MAY</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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I doubt that many people reading this were also reading back then, and I'm very sure that no-one remembers it! However I have no interest in just recycling old posts, but a lot of interest in revisiting interesting topics with the benefit of the intervening years, and a lot more photos. So here is a glowing new post on red in nature - specifically birds' feathers for now at least. It will be the first in a short series.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGzzooCCvJWBGsNJiCtAy35AP4pg1exJtWEXn2ui2Ef9VT6ocCH2w3Gw8k7BkfIMHlYnKA7DUkiHl5Lx5bRh9EnQj651kl0TowroS7KkBRI9r3420CeNjkZys0ed0S0LDXtZgOaK-dLQsM15SssyQVfax7IXcRh7VAe0Rrp-UJ-5Hz5jU77fPMsSm/s800/Crimson%20Chat%20male%20with%20grasshopper5%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20WA%200716.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGzzooCCvJWBGsNJiCtAy35AP4pg1exJtWEXn2ui2Ef9VT6ocCH2w3Gw8k7BkfIMHlYnKA7DUkiHl5Lx5bRh9EnQj651kl0TowroS7KkBRI9r3420CeNjkZys0ed0S0LDXtZgOaK-dLQsM15SssyQVfax7IXcRh7VAe0Rrp-UJ-5Hz5jU77fPMsSm/w400-h299/Crimson%20Chat%20male%20with%20grasshopper5%20Gary%20Junction%20Road%20WA%200716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Crimson Chat <span><i>Epthianura tricolor</i>, central Australia, <br />carrying a grasshopper to feed chicks. This bird glows red!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The chat, like almost all other birds, can't manufacture the carotenoid pigments which give it the exquisite colouring, but must extract them from its food and store them in its liver until the new feathers are produced at the next moult, when the pigment is incorporated. This is an energy-intensive process, to the extent that hardly any birds are all-red. Nor is the chat getting its red glory from the grasshopper - the carotenoids (and there are many different ones) are produced by plants, which the bird acquires especially from berries, flowers and seeds. In the chat's case, it is probably mostly from seeds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is relevant too that only the male chat is red; she is plain brown with a pinkish wash. As I said, it costs a lot to produce the colour, and she doesn't have to impress anyone - he must make a statement about his fitness, and all she does is assess his application. Her criterion is the intensity of his colour, which is effectively a measurement of his health and vitality; "I'm so fit that I can afford to spend a lot of spare energy simply in order to look as gorgeous as possible". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few waterbirds do get their carotenoid dose from animals (especially brine shrimps) but these in turn get them from algae.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj3-UF4mdqOYLIZl6NZ1oWGU7s5ive3eCL2ExddZB2yYR7xn3c6r4AB2dR1_UKzi883POy9FzLWH3yoxAjw6LP2ugtDM5rB684_c8CzqpgJGe_3GzcfPfQ9oSTcNLsyETdKmu_O9Rv_TmlcnqfUQt9BvN61Dj6LYPqCWfu9N_tgigfRV7i_81gU-p/s800/American%20Flamingo%20Cerro%20Dragon%20Santa%20Cruz%20Galapagos%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj3-UF4mdqOYLIZl6NZ1oWGU7s5ive3eCL2ExddZB2yYR7xn3c6r4AB2dR1_UKzi883POy9FzLWH3yoxAjw6LP2ugtDM5rB684_c8CzqpgJGe_3GzcfPfQ9oSTcNLsyETdKmu_O9Rv_TmlcnqfUQt9BvN61Dj6LYPqCWfu9N_tgigfRV7i_81gU-p/w300-h400/American%20Flamingo%20Cerro%20Dragon%20Santa%20Cruz%20Galapagos%201014.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Flamingo <i>Phoenicopterus ruber</i>, Santa Cruz, Galápagos.<br />The specific carotenoid in this case is Astaxanthin, which is widely (and often illegally)<br />used in tanning salons to turn humans reddish (or orange in some well-publicised cases).<br /> </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Flamingo chicks hatch a dirty white colour and only turn pink/red after being fed shrimps, and after their first moult. Captive flamingoes must be fed Astaxanthin as a food supplement, or they will fade after their next moult. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(I have so many examples to choose from for this series that I'm going to concentrate on birds that are really red - or at least partly so - rather than pink or orange; I reckon that this flamingo has enough real red to qualify. The story that comes with it helps it to qualify too.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAneJ_yZXKmmbnpFtH7x7JhP4838BSUu1agS4QRgm9NBtGSJC2KonoA9LN00u9sXFCxoAtniBddZOm-cIiU-7rudU4Erd5ihwKba5ia5_maH8V_24bpXXUsZN5aVKnmKv379-o8I7vmdJbruvtUACBooMqAVx4oWOqW9s6euYVvJH9DX4stSUc5mY/s800/Scarlet-backed%20Woodpecker1%20Sipan%20Peru%201017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAneJ_yZXKmmbnpFtH7x7JhP4838BSUu1agS4QRgm9NBtGSJC2KonoA9LN00u9sXFCxoAtniBddZOm-cIiU-7rudU4Erd5ihwKba5ia5_maH8V_24bpXXUsZN5aVKnmKv379-o8I7vmdJbruvtUACBooMqAVx4oWOqW9s6euYVvJH9DX4stSUc5mY/w400-h300/Scarlet-backed%20Woodpecker1%20Sipan%20Peru%201017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet-backed Woodpecker <i>Veniliornis callonotus, </i>Sipan, northern Peru.<br />This is a bird of the dry woodlands of the Pacific coast of southern Colombia,<br />Ecuador and northern Peru.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Since hardly any birds can be all red, they must use other colours as contrast; somewhat unusually, this woodpecker has 'chosen' white. Green is a popular option, but the most striking and widely used versions contrast red with black, which is based on melanins that the bird can readily manufacture. The woodpecker above has a fringe of black along the wing edge, and a black tail; the female also has a black cap. So prevalent is this contrast that I am going to feature black-and-red birds in their own forthcoming post.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not quite all birds however are reliant on diet-based carotenoids for red colouring. Parrots alone can synthesise a quite different group of pigments called psittacofulvins <span></span>or, more simply, psittacins, to produce reds, oranges and yellows. It's curious in that parrots have carotenoids in their blood, but don't use them as other birds do. It seems that their ancestors hadn't learnt that trick, and the parrots came up with the psittacofulvin idea after they were isolated from other bird groups. Psittacofulvins produce brighter reds than carotenoids, and give greater protection against feather-damaging bacteria. Because these psittacofulvins are apparently cheaper to produce, parrots can afford to be more profligate with them, but of course they can't afford to look too much like everyone else so don't simply daub themselves all in red.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqVu565qFq7YyV2s6N73KgFbHFhsHK5V8R55TnQB7dmECFn5UDd2PJ9Bp78MlRFkWcMsvaiBj5tbJZI-S_kY5L6XnU9EYJxYgKoHihNMUN99PhWgwtxySLqMMiETWI8ZOQXLmwCpXGOpn8t2j9xIQmtIlGthMyCECunFra2bIkNlGmqb4fQwaDq0X/s800/C%20Rosella1%20ANU%200606.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="589" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqVu565qFq7YyV2s6N73KgFbHFhsHK5V8R55TnQB7dmECFn5UDd2PJ9Bp78MlRFkWcMsvaiBj5tbJZI-S_kY5L6XnU9EYJxYgKoHihNMUN99PhWgwtxySLqMMiETWI8ZOQXLmwCpXGOpn8t2j9xIQmtIlGthMyCECunFra2bIkNlGmqb4fQwaDq0X/w295-h400/C%20Rosella1%20ANU%200606.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson Rosella <i>Platycercus elegans</i> above, and Australian King Parrot <i><br />Alisterus scapularis</i> below, both in Canberra (the King Parrot was taken through my <br />study window, hence the slight murkiness of the photo) and flaunting their psittacofulvin finery.<br />The rosella in particular is close to having all its body feathers red which as we'll see is quite unusual.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXE71HJco_L5oyN0gE2czGb3F26HUXfo6FUyuLScE2OLBmq7rdmDP93uvWcC561lRHeVJhzVLfYVdWel29gl43XroT7VXQsRL99aGYMNkyW7Ru3vDFQX8rPGazwmib9YDS6e9500WHe0vV3s_PvVlAKR_11dJlXsCT0kY5KpQVrCKFadTIwbtu_Ig/s800/King%20Parrot%20male2%20Duffy%200520.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXE71HJco_L5oyN0gE2czGb3F26HUXfo6FUyuLScE2OLBmq7rdmDP93uvWcC561lRHeVJhzVLfYVdWel29gl43XroT7VXQsRL99aGYMNkyW7Ru3vDFQX8rPGazwmib9YDS6e9500WHe0vV3s_PvVlAKR_11dJlXsCT0kY5KpQVrCKFadTIwbtu_Ig/s320/King%20Parrot%20male2%20Duffy%200520.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, if being all-red is just too extravagant to be a viable option, where do birds wear their show-off red feathers? Since there's no single simple answer to this, I tried putting the pictures I'd chosen into categories. One obvious place to bring your very-redness to others' attentions in an unmissable way is on the head, and several of my subjects do just this in examples from three continents.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUh6J61TeMB81Ju6p7-H_BfOjQFbq1mEed9D17neP-YZ7ucD4GdcwFEgzi19mbo0ZYcOhKMZz8j4y5dhNPa4tbRhQf5_ugmVjE3QdgQiQcX5tE_Dl51zkrv0uR7qgEpxJeEmoCoSUNbOO0GA6JwrGeAkNJ0Woz67ZHylthisVCVZSD2cB_A9kLcxvU/s800/Eastern%20Rosella%20eating%20seed3%20Narrabundah%20Hill%200215.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUh6J61TeMB81Ju6p7-H_BfOjQFbq1mEed9D17neP-YZ7ucD4GdcwFEgzi19mbo0ZYcOhKMZz8j4y5dhNPa4tbRhQf5_ugmVjE3QdgQiQcX5tE_Dl51zkrv0uR7qgEpxJeEmoCoSUNbOO0GA6JwrGeAkNJ0Woz67ZHylthisVCVZSD2cB_A9kLcxvU/w300-h400/Eastern%20Rosella%20eating%20seed3%20Narrabundah%20Hill%200215.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Rosella <i>Platycercus eximius, </i>Canberra; it may be coincidence, though I<br />don't think so, that the only two of this (small) sample with red extending from the<br />head down breast and/or back are parrots, whose psittacofulvins can be spent<br />with more largesse than other birds with their expensive carotenoids.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE-HhGMasUNg_1YfZrHEbAl76bJppuQlUO3V3X6U2KrSeRJ7nfMr4kotNEKh6fIkcAPlb71H0GKw1KcVYObuBjgDu6iD_6mgwYAz8oMTtxnW0yAfQxnC4pw-lwMAIxErFcy6L7AzAUTok1iZHm1wXguvxNZhHz0HSesHuctk5KvoQT42aQSiWb7YW/s800/Red%20and%20Green%20Macaws%20on%20wall2%20Blanquillo%20clay%20lick%201009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE-HhGMasUNg_1YfZrHEbAl76bJppuQlUO3V3X6U2KrSeRJ7nfMr4kotNEKh6fIkcAPlb71H0GKw1KcVYObuBjgDu6iD_6mgwYAz8oMTtxnW0yAfQxnC4pw-lwMAIxErFcy6L7AzAUTok1iZHm1wXguvxNZhHz0HSesHuctk5KvoQT42aQSiWb7YW/w300-h400/Red%20and%20Green%20Macaws%20on%20wall2%20Blanquillo%20clay%20lick%201009.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-and-green Macaws <i>Ara chloropterus, </i>Blanquillo Clay Lick, Peruvian Amazonia.<br />In these spectacular big parrots the red covers most of the front of the body too.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table>Some other red-headed parrots are more sparing with their redness. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72Lert7TguqifOMYfnEXptndTNxvTA9dZxuiodTAk3wRF2TV-m5nOXRcyQG44CH14be6RejiZUISTmpwGekJU9zpYVZFAA-N3J93uWo5xsU2dUMtUwc4SJ_7A0MPUiiQICZGTFJEJO9yxSGjvCgSZkRDjckk-CH3T2gMF92YAfBgVaW8B2BO8pOS7/s800/Red-capped%20Parrot7%20Albany%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72Lert7TguqifOMYfnEXptndTNxvTA9dZxuiodTAk3wRF2TV-m5nOXRcyQG44CH14be6RejiZUISTmpwGekJU9zpYVZFAA-N3J93uWo5xsU2dUMtUwc4SJ_7A0MPUiiQICZGTFJEJO9yxSGjvCgSZkRDjckk-CH3T2gMF92YAfBgVaW8B2BO8pOS7/w300-h400/Red-capped%20Parrot7%20Albany%200913.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-capped Parrot <i>Purpureicephalus spurius, </i>Albany, Western Australia. This glorious<br />Western Australian endemic specialises in extracting tiny seeds from the huge and <br />formidably hard seed cases of Marri <i>Corymbia </i>(or <i>Eucalyptus</i>) <i>calophylla. </i>It is the<br />only species in its genus.<br />Of course not all these birds are going to fit into my categories as to where they wear<br />their red; the Red-capped also has that elegant little patch on the thigh.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYdQ9dNHZppHV71z5l3apORvrsMWufu5TvVBdKNeadwKMriEwxvhYkWdECtaqVW5XhjLWyeszCkpYACQOoOmW9QC_7m_zOfY9iD3ETf5H4-h-Ui4oSQI319uP-QnOMG634_1BZ5hmaYJIybrD-OgGIratJw2LO8m1Pb11KRfn6nmiBdG6l-bHBs_g/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris6%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYdQ9dNHZppHV71z5l3apORvrsMWufu5TvVBdKNeadwKMriEwxvhYkWdECtaqVW5XhjLWyeszCkpYACQOoOmW9QC_7m_zOfY9iD3ETf5H4-h-Ui4oSQI319uP-QnOMG634_1BZ5hmaYJIybrD-OgGIratJw2LO8m1Pb11KRfn6nmiBdG6l-bHBs_g/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris6%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exquisite Pink Cockatoo <i>Lophochroa leadbeateri</i> of inland woodlands is arguably <br />the most beautiful of all cockatoos, though of course that is totally subjective and human-centric. <br />It doesn't really have a red head of course; that is the same dilute pink as the rest of it body. <br />The gorgeous red and yellow crest is only visible when it is raised in display or warning, <br />though the red line just above the bill is always visible.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are a couple of barbets, from Africa in the Old World family Lybiidae and one from the New World family Capitonidae, showing very different degrees of red-headedness. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOW23k6aoKh6Ie2TtfDn24o0tDoyXx3G3bE_zV-oGvbVMKUXE5Euzgd3-m4HNQbEJcqdXUjTvMehklztL8Z5LXZyjFXb51kJeaexnqSKnshivZP3eIgUytIpzDufpKMHS-OHdK_OAhdx3PQxB95Gkolo0bdHJ9-m-GtPXhcOjiVAogZYevqKQgJl5p/s800/Red%20and%20Yellow%20Barbet3%20Amboseli%20NP%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOW23k6aoKh6Ie2TtfDn24o0tDoyXx3G3bE_zV-oGvbVMKUXE5Euzgd3-m4HNQbEJcqdXUjTvMehklztL8Z5LXZyjFXb51kJeaexnqSKnshivZP3eIgUytIpzDufpKMHS-OHdK_OAhdx3PQxB95Gkolo0bdHJ9-m-GtPXhcOjiVAogZYevqKQgJl5p/w400-h300/Red%20and%20Yellow%20Barbet3%20Amboseli%20NP%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-and-yellow Barbet <i>Trachyphonus erythrocephalus, </i>Amboseli NP, Kenya.<br />There's no doubting the redness of the cheeks, but the crown is black and white.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOeaM4CvRXRUI0qWx7DJZ88_9RcIDsUCzs5GoQQZjKEESTzA5Noq31_-kjgH7sXvmNS3jsO2YHcvLektPqkLuOG28d5_EW9PlRTV5XhHDT8KLzdEQfGFa1AUsUrjMwBqa4_BKD8uUIL17J_B-ddoGuDgnonOd4eWdkLq2oMbervXd_OIpoVfRAzNl/s800/Red-headed%20Barbet3%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOeaM4CvRXRUI0qWx7DJZ88_9RcIDsUCzs5GoQQZjKEESTzA5Noq31_-kjgH7sXvmNS3jsO2YHcvLektPqkLuOG28d5_EW9PlRTV5XhHDT8KLzdEQfGFa1AUsUrjMwBqa4_BKD8uUIL17J_B-ddoGuDgnonOd4eWdkLq2oMbervXd_OIpoVfRAzNl/w400-h300/Red-headed%20Barbet3%20Bosque%20de%20Tolomuco%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Red-headed Barbet <i>Eubucco bourcierii</i>, Bosque de Tolomuco in the central mountains<br />of Costa Rica. She has a more affordable yellow head with blue cheeks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKPWDs7Z9EUnvm_9LuCIHHwIwesjWxS73jr1rY9vJHZcF8s7IhnCeFKuKqsF6hPJrPxG4OVE41Wqr7oo7_uWmJLToQIkbcg7UQBy4waIq0vl-MxsZtdcoWIgHpMxBR1c1wCAy5z_ExaDFd4pIP3oF50Z_vyZFEK1eYzbYm1fNjR2wYBP1FEdeoHfK/s800/Red-crested%20Cardinal%20Aguape%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKPWDs7Z9EUnvm_9LuCIHHwIwesjWxS73jr1rY9vJHZcF8s7IhnCeFKuKqsF6hPJrPxG4OVE41Wqr7oo7_uWmJLToQIkbcg7UQBy4waIq0vl-MxsZtdcoWIgHpMxBR1c1wCAy5z_ExaDFd4pIP3oF50Z_vyZFEK1eYzbYm1fNjR2wYBP1FEdeoHfK/w400-h300/Red-crested%20Cardinal%20Aguape%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-crested Cardinal <i>Paroaria coronata</i>, southern Pantanal, Brazil.<br />This cardinal is actually a tanager, but when you've been around tanagers<br />for a while this sort of thing starts to seem normal! There's no doubting its<br />"admire my red head" message though. Like the Scarlet-backed Woodpecker<br />earlier it uses a white body to frame its redness.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wmi72hpSnCI4CpLT0cRvAdQuaKq3e4myok8qCnY8494EOl6BECdDm-JqHfkB4e2BptcSTrPRbg1rfAB_WlZWY3Jx4v67wQfuuclKjfQwXGuct9FizCyZ7vku4pqeEJLXEGvOhD6q0YQgZhRu6LvA82AJ-jW3V9abSBrrY-iZX-8tOAAOx1qmcRfr/s800/Nubian%20Woodpecker1%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wmi72hpSnCI4CpLT0cRvAdQuaKq3e4myok8qCnY8494EOl6BECdDm-JqHfkB4e2BptcSTrPRbg1rfAB_WlZWY3Jx4v67wQfuuclKjfQwXGuct9FizCyZ7vku4pqeEJLXEGvOhD6q0YQgZhRu6LvA82AJ-jW3V9abSBrrY-iZX-8tOAAOx1qmcRfr/w400-h300/Nubian%20Woodpecker1%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another woodpecker, this one from Africa. Male Nubian Woodpecker <i>Campethera nubica<br /></i>Serengeti NP, Tanzania (actually taken from our lodge balcony). Just a crown-and-nape<br />for him, while she has only the nape red.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On scrutinising my photos I realised that quite a few birds have their red on their undersides. This seemsed a bit surprising initially, then I realised that if you're standing up facing the one you're trying to impress (be it potential mate or rival) this is actually a pretty good strategy. Some have substantial red on their breasts and bellies. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVCZdPZTv1F5LH4Yi1oY-tCwoyY9TY3IR2Dzz-R0EBE-AmBhvOL3-YftpSNbsdfyhoQApbJs3GaYYyWQNYLuLAGqWRbN8BN2eVbvTZ6r7YfOSwoB7SzHfAmhg9ZLMdtUm0eksfkOstba3_vEOjONpc-uIXh8IvBvFzMJFVC5nj-47RfU0F6CjAuQh/s800/Rainbow%20Lorikeet2%20Emerald%20Botanic%20Gardens%200415.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVCZdPZTv1F5LH4Yi1oY-tCwoyY9TY3IR2Dzz-R0EBE-AmBhvOL3-YftpSNbsdfyhoQApbJs3GaYYyWQNYLuLAGqWRbN8BN2eVbvTZ6r7YfOSwoB7SzHfAmhg9ZLMdtUm0eksfkOstba3_vEOjONpc-uIXh8IvBvFzMJFVC5nj-47RfU0F6CjAuQh/w400-h300/Rainbow%20Lorikeet2%20Emerald%20Botanic%20Gardens%200415.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Lorikeet <i>Trichoglossus moluccanus</i>, Emerald Botanic Gardens, Queensland.<br />A very familiar bird which is rapidly extending its range inland in south-eastern Australia,<br />but still breathtakingly colourful. In addition to its red (and orange) breast, it also has red<br />eyes and bill, both of which we'll look at next timel <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dEQ1bzpfeRWwmlrLEdv09z8E0-7hUsDTaSLv1G21QK3K2Iul1gGL1azyO6biARBWK_KLW_F2pYoPq139ckVdhk85bcIYc_Pm7lvRrB-pZ_ZI6TW2WldhNxntEZbcsv-6dGDQlXCqs7owLBohPWquc0UDEOhBY4_HoqgZq-ag2IeMqajoFRihsUuT/s800/Resplendent%20Quetzal%20male2%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dEQ1bzpfeRWwmlrLEdv09z8E0-7hUsDTaSLv1G21QK3K2Iul1gGL1azyO6biARBWK_KLW_F2pYoPq139ckVdhk85bcIYc_Pm7lvRrB-pZ_ZI6TW2WldhNxntEZbcsv-6dGDQlXCqs7owLBohPWquc0UDEOhBY4_HoqgZq-ag2IeMqajoFRihsUuT/w400-h300/Resplendent%20Quetzal%20male2%20Savegre%20Valley%20Costa%20Rica%200819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truly an 'oh-my-goodness' bird, the male Resplendent Quetzal <i>Pharomachrus mocinno</i><br />(here in the Savegre Valley of central Costa Rica) is one of the most stunning<br />birds I've ever experienced. The iridescent green shimmers and changes colour<br />according to the light, and the red glows in the cloud forest. (The extended <br />tail feathers can be almost a metre long, though are generally about half that.)<br />It is the national bird of Guatemala.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0gdIrheXAfzO3cGLARGeJ1fwVZ-OXNfBa0LDwKu5cw2K8iXAD3ZY5GzUuJMaF9DCgYbn3L01zMwPHH_F8d-Q82mmFUvSfNVcVeJ1pqOIKTQAGAxKeeDlCr-0R3M80tKidivKzCSSe2h9MAeTzkXQkdMDYXxfzYwNMT4pcNtPpsV64HXjdPD_9s99/s800/Golden-headed%20Quetzal%20Paz%20de%20las%20Aves%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0gdIrheXAfzO3cGLARGeJ1fwVZ-OXNfBa0LDwKu5cw2K8iXAD3ZY5GzUuJMaF9DCgYbn3L01zMwPHH_F8d-Q82mmFUvSfNVcVeJ1pqOIKTQAGAxKeeDlCr-0R3M80tKidivKzCSSe2h9MAeTzkXQkdMDYXxfzYwNMT4pcNtPpsV64HXjdPD_9s99/w301-h400/Golden-headed%20Quetzal%20Paz%20de%20las%20Aves%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Other quetzals tend to get overlooked by comparison, but this Golden-headed Quetzal <i><br />Pharomachrus auriceps</i> in the Mindo Valley of northern Ecuador is far from shabby too. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir53liBhz34kem3-K69VQMbXG8RMcHE32bgT5Tn5zAqsWIXQWsxWuNN-9IW_4ml0HXYsXFSmQ-avn9CTYYhSbrZS0ALP1aKOt2-p97GfM2wQ3q934fQTLXjCnzqONDVeelb57rKTgtC-vwkgQX-tlf3nKlbTliz7E4PDzyc9v870usLhYqGrJQoktx/s800/Toucan%20Barbet5%20Pacha%20Quinde%20Ecuador%201014%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir53liBhz34kem3-K69VQMbXG8RMcHE32bgT5Tn5zAqsWIXQWsxWuNN-9IW_4ml0HXYsXFSmQ-avn9CTYYhSbrZS0ALP1aKOt2-p97GfM2wQ3q934fQTLXjCnzqONDVeelb57rKTgtC-vwkgQX-tlf3nKlbTliz7E4PDzyc9v870usLhYqGrJQoktx/w400-h300/Toucan%20Barbet5%20Pacha%20Quinde%20Ecuador%201014%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toucan Barbet <i>Semnornis ramphastinus, </i>also in the Mindo Valley. (This is one of <br />two members of the third barbet family Semnornithidae. I'd love to do a post on <br />barbets some day, but I'm not sure how much interest there would be; maybe I should just indulge myself anyway!) I'm sure it's no coincidence that a lot of red turns up in fruit-eating families<br />like trogons (ie quetzals) and barbets. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KfIDYOY9O3aWE0kpQc_ub-lChaJEHnyFOw4z5e8yS1H4-RcBXYNjjYG4Mg0IxRd5ndRZvTNk5ECRxIIGdE03ZS0zNXheYWXQXIpxI6U8WoOXIN5Obx41DLF-rxL6xcYBmYEjX-3LeNe6U41k1SKg1YkL4V_AM0a03HbxO4Eaetns2jIBV49XmjRM/s800/Scarlet-chested%20Sunbird%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KfIDYOY9O3aWE0kpQc_ub-lChaJEHnyFOw4z5e8yS1H4-RcBXYNjjYG4Mg0IxRd5ndRZvTNk5ECRxIIGdE03ZS0zNXheYWXQXIpxI6U8WoOXIN5Obx41DLF-rxL6xcYBmYEjX-3LeNe6U41k1SKg1YkL4V_AM0a03HbxO4Eaetns2jIBV49XmjRM/w400-h300/Scarlet-chested%20Sunbird%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet-chested Sunbird <i>Chalcomitra senegalensis</i>, Serengeti NP, Tanzania.<br />This is an immature male, with riveting red chest, but I wish I could show<br />you an adult male, which is almost black all over with an iridescent greeen crown.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other birds have red underneath which is much more obscure, being low on the belly or just comprising a bar or patch. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_66CnJyiKwieR89ZxcuUj9H5nr0pPIalrQWrKUk2FwCw_RvZl7ma7_ZdgThxC4hQQMcgTS2h-O-C5N3Suk2mzhB1UI-GYrxJv8izcaNRW2e55Qou3T8a5z9SkE6lKDWlWkBXKdjcofo3RMc49WbSEgbgnCqyEbI_3qcLahCtbLT44fEgW821hbyf/s800/E%20Double-collared%20Sunbird1%20W%20of%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_66CnJyiKwieR89ZxcuUj9H5nr0pPIalrQWrKUk2FwCw_RvZl7ma7_ZdgThxC4hQQMcgTS2h-O-C5N3Suk2mzhB1UI-GYrxJv8izcaNRW2e55Qou3T8a5z9SkE6lKDWlWkBXKdjcofo3RMc49WbSEgbgnCqyEbI_3qcLahCtbLT44fEgW821hbyf/w400-h300/E%20Double-collared%20Sunbird1%20W%20of%20Lake%20Nakuru%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Double-collared Sunbird <i>Cinnyris mediocris</i>, cental Kenya.<br />Another bird with just a narrow red breastband; again contrasted with green.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIXKTH3Z3bypknpuag1HSSmFE7Us0Lu2WU_fnh-mqdbqxIAdNoGu5W95TmcRgu6ljXktd9oZ0ZmPRPjNKe_Vz7NC2sPFheTb84gVbn2rE65WBfwdeOa_GJiR4U6kp_twtLT0kn4VGQypk_mhD47oFIX6F8t9vzdwJ2CKie7fX4FeVOJ9s0Qomqi48/s800/Bluebonnet%20in%20Belah%20Theldarpa%20Stn%200411.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIXKTH3Z3bypknpuag1HSSmFE7Us0Lu2WU_fnh-mqdbqxIAdNoGu5W95TmcRgu6ljXktd9oZ0ZmPRPjNKe_Vz7NC2sPFheTb84gVbn2rE65WBfwdeOa_GJiR4U6kp_twtLT0kn4VGQypk_mhD47oFIX6F8t9vzdwJ2CKie7fX4FeVOJ9s0Qomqi48/w300-h400/Bluebonnet%20in%20Belah%20Theldarpa%20Stn%200411.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eastern Blubonnet <i>Northiella haematogaster</i> is a widespread parrot of inland Australia,<br />which is actually quite plain (brownish with dull blue wings and face) except for <br />the red belly on a yellow background. They often feed on the ground or in foliage<br />so the red is only evident when they fly, when it is an excellent field characteristic. <br />Perhaps it is a signal to other members of the flock whilst in flight.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are two more Australian parrots with red just on the belly or vent, so mostly only visible from below.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zhOgTlwQyUeoSKw1i4RT7dtewW4tLVwDhF7o4gfGo9z7J2SdLMTcHRaqeVQ9vm1Fqvg0uJWBrgwvOI_BahPjOgnccXPtx_nAlsB53louwkAGPLC_MivaPBQu4wFVMOSu3SQw_QZ_0RzXzKc_7Upxyym8jC_gzcPC-qQhpglByYH7z2SqLh6pum9z/s800/Mulga%20Parrot%20Mutawintji%200820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zhOgTlwQyUeoSKw1i4RT7dtewW4tLVwDhF7o4gfGo9z7J2SdLMTcHRaqeVQ9vm1Fqvg0uJWBrgwvOI_BahPjOgnccXPtx_nAlsB53louwkAGPLC_MivaPBQu4wFVMOSu3SQw_QZ_0RzXzKc_7Upxyym8jC_gzcPC-qQhpglByYH7z2SqLh6pum9z/w400-h300/Mulga%20Parrot%20Mutawintji%200820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Mulga Parrot <i>Psephotellus varius</i>, Mutawintji NP, western NSW.<br />A delightful little ground-feeding parrot of the dry inland, with red on the belly and thighs only.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH7MaLs6mOahiVutHDKjTWwtVhn5PB_yAZvMdPDH5GM-10FMa7b4u87_cGy4Ht60U6r0KI5sJKgGF4llfXdSKe_raeu3FeZBn-GFWUNwqn6Waxac4YeJURRzrxGxYD7RlH1u_sUbO0b9LHvUdrL8b5M6mOxwkJKoXMIla7ArCWuDTDmfQk_YGmoC6/s800/Northern%20Rosella%20(front)%20Darwin%201208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH7MaLs6mOahiVutHDKjTWwtVhn5PB_yAZvMdPDH5GM-10FMa7b4u87_cGy4Ht60U6r0KI5sJKgGF4llfXdSKe_raeu3FeZBn-GFWUNwqn6Waxac4YeJURRzrxGxYD7RlH1u_sUbO0b9LHvUdrL8b5M6mOxwkJKoXMIla7ArCWuDTDmfQk_YGmoC6/w300-h400/Northern%20Rosella%20(front)%20Darwin%201208.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Rosella <i>Platycercus venustus</i>, an uncommon and unusual rosella<br />of the Top End of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley district of northern<br />Western Australia. It is mostly mottled black above and scalloped pale yellow below, <br />with that striking red belly and vent - but only striking if you're underneath it.<br />This one was above our camp in Nitmiluk NP, south of Darwin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwvAlXxdz_k2Kg-4dwSuAIu34liAEsuIy9V1TPpsHz5LApApwyA0Bjx5gKsWLRJyXxvfeaoSTew0iV1k-WRzOfhyDtnzBmue1gkilR3rWK00zY7u8VGi1SUIpjbZnJcuJS_AO1L7Bhq4wW9YBOBw3jrrMxvS2b3uZ4ijh8yIhJqo84I_4hocTvD64/s800/Chestnut-eared%20Aracari4%20Pousada%20Arara%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201117.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwvAlXxdz_k2Kg-4dwSuAIu34liAEsuIy9V1TPpsHz5LApApwyA0Bjx5gKsWLRJyXxvfeaoSTew0iV1k-WRzOfhyDtnzBmue1gkilR3rWK00zY7u8VGi1SUIpjbZnJcuJS_AO1L7Bhq4wW9YBOBw3jrrMxvS2b3uZ4ijh8yIhJqo84I_4hocTvD64/w400-h300/Chestnut-eared%20Aracari4%20Pousada%20Arara%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-eared Aracari <i>Pteroglossus castanoti, </i>Pousada Arara, northern Pantanal, Brazil.<br />The aracaris are a group of small toucans; here the only red is the red belly bar, again against yellow,<br />and a red rump.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is another toucan, one of the big ones this time, with similar red pattern - belly (though all of it in this case) and rump.</div><div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V3t0WWJLWjIXoRFfkdRJdZkFPrLQLVYjfJM4ETKxWpysHuJfDs77ETpVhXMi8fnTTKXFlm_rvTEE8BDi3PhawmktjL2seLCityu2JOfRuk-R2Z1WIO6egoIetihAcfXPuEYajJtfK18wheGiQQWDKkASr9oAcsK_zEAto1uzkU_iARLYZCYpyvFb/s800/Green-billed%20Toucan1%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5V3t0WWJLWjIXoRFfkdRJdZkFPrLQLVYjfJM4ETKxWpysHuJfDs77ETpVhXMi8fnTTKXFlm_rvTEE8BDi3PhawmktjL2seLCityu2JOfRuk-R2Z1WIO6egoIetihAcfXPuEYajJtfK18wheGiQQWDKkASr9oAcsK_zEAto1uzkU_iARLYZCYpyvFb/w300-h400/Green-billed%20Toucan1%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green-billed Toucan <i>Ramphastos dicolorus, </i>Trilha dos Tucanons, near Sao Paulo,<br />Brazil. Above and below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0nmqVn_EovCJp9TJUg_VZU-7eQXOS4nEDWOq203JgGOso8LQeCJe1p2jXW324E_Doc0D0Tt_lEFYk2BiwLMnNgwvNt-nsEpDFNi6ksHp0HmM_A5QWc42YgwCft09NYQY8L3DeGEKbCS_Xep1ImnFE0h1T437AdwUk6RNGFhUXA0G1-SFnLmxDpw0/s800/Green-billed%20Toucan2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0nmqVn_EovCJp9TJUg_VZU-7eQXOS4nEDWOq203JgGOso8LQeCJe1p2jXW324E_Doc0D0Tt_lEFYk2BiwLMnNgwvNt-nsEpDFNi6ksHp0HmM_A5QWc42YgwCft09NYQY8L3DeGEKbCS_Xep1ImnFE0h1T437AdwUk6RNGFhUXA0G1-SFnLmxDpw0/w300-h400/Green-billed%20Toucan2%20Trilha%20dos%20Tucanos%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This flash of red rump allows me to introduce what I'm describing as the fourth type of use of red (after most of the body, featuring the head and featuring the breast). This involves a small highlight, perhaps a spot or a small blaze or flash of red. Not too much energy is involved in producing those relatively few red feathers but its effect is undoubted; that highlight stands out disproportionately to its size. Well it does to me anyway; perhaps it doesn't to you, and who knows how it appears to the birds, the only ones who really matter here? However there must be a purpose to it and we do know that birds see red well. And quite subjectively I do like the understatedness of some of these 'flashes'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>Here are a few more red rumps on display.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVLGgEc14WDjQ46Hx3iDFAc0pLkPup9CuBvANq6I4i36PMEA74f-j1SIswFOxjk0pHOTZT-i07rNaUx1VskouKalYUEJG7nLytS-V9aU-MAOYNSdN4wQ1v6DBz-0zdwVyx5WmOZvPZHxpE4PCDi8LSueGOm0WbhhuTyEtL9eYsCAgwc_Sn6ECmbWq/s800/Spotted%20Pardalote%20male2%20Duffy%20yard%200618%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVLGgEc14WDjQ46Hx3iDFAc0pLkPup9CuBvANq6I4i36PMEA74f-j1SIswFOxjk0pHOTZT-i07rNaUx1VskouKalYUEJG7nLytS-V9aU-MAOYNSdN4wQ1v6DBz-0zdwVyx5WmOZvPZHxpE4PCDi8LSueGOm0WbhhuTyEtL9eYsCAgwc_Sn6ECmbWq/w400-h300/Spotted%20Pardalote%20male2%20Duffy%20yard%200618%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Spotted Pardalote <i>Pardalotus punctatus</i>, through my study window - he was attacking<br />spiders in their webs in the corners of the sliding doors. Just a hint of red rump here,<br />merging into orange.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">But there are no rules to say that a red rump precludes another red spot or so elsewhere. Here are a couple of Australian grass finches (Family Estrildidae) to model this option.</div></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYNSoihq3uiS286tyJXps6_YvOPnJIqmfteKgBmiGxUrx1qyxprA6dPl6RZXYwEo3MAsPEkAWY3dGbahti3dRE3SPIeX_bZMitbHB2U2KZF6pZm_8E82BxLYMBtnh9PSSYaJX7uC8hfBVBS3uQFOE-a_N4HYhunNS7DXaIS58FJqgCVu5xATR1qE-/s800/Red-browed%20Finches%20Mt%20Lewis%200119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYNSoihq3uiS286tyJXps6_YvOPnJIqmfteKgBmiGxUrx1qyxprA6dPl6RZXYwEo3MAsPEkAWY3dGbahti3dRE3SPIeX_bZMitbHB2U2KZF6pZm_8E82BxLYMBtnh9PSSYaJX7uC8hfBVBS3uQFOE-a_N4HYhunNS7DXaIS58FJqgCVu5xATR1qE-/w400-h300/Red-browed%20Finches%20Mt%20Lewis%200119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-browed Finches <i>Neochmia temporalis </i>on wet rainforested Mount Lewis, tropical <br />Queensland. Someone - not me! - had put out seed in this remote site, almost certainly<br />to attract the Blue-faced Parrot-finches which this place is nenowned for. It's one of the very<br />few reliable sites for them in Australia, and I imagine one of the local bird guides was trying<br />to improve the chances for their clients. However these Red-brows are common throughout<br />eastern Australia.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXAcQOuEQVoQfHiZfZGLYvL20fgfVtC7htdfdXFnMuOR3LDQVK-0QN06k4zRQNR52r9r3XWLJ_8flVPUQmXIZQftLNmgQmNrLVU1nGiLgWjbkauv1CiBMED-fYiroGxHY7ZrUnnOHlyU8deDOBTC3q7jHYi-9eGzTf5eCaBUrinXq6P3XWmejNf79/s800/Red-eared%20Firetail%20Emu%20Point%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXAcQOuEQVoQfHiZfZGLYvL20fgfVtC7htdfdXFnMuOR3LDQVK-0QN06k4zRQNR52r9r3XWLJ_8flVPUQmXIZQftLNmgQmNrLVU1nGiLgWjbkauv1CiBMED-fYiroGxHY7ZrUnnOHlyU8deDOBTC3q7jHYi-9eGzTf5eCaBUrinXq6P3XWmejNf79/w400-h300/Red-eared%20Firetail%20Emu%20Point%200913.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-eared Firetail <i>Stagonopleura oculata</i>, Albany, Western Australia, where it is endemic.<br />Just a touch of red on the cheek this time, along with the fiery rump. Not an easy one<br />to get a good look at, in my experience.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The little red cheek spot appears in other birds too, including this African grass finch.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6X9ermXV9J-lfnSjtWaSjJCkAxlmx0_NTiANmyJA18XUL_hgVX_wS45CYSynyDmRHATYfhN9uvxG29jcw3Wu7_gr3Q20Q-RDkUVwpLba4ATcG8YWo885GystKxjyy8fbKTlGm4an0PoXOy8bWLfC3LJRx50UzBBRl9isDfp8dHXix7bDC1NrjFqt/s800/Red-cheeked%20Cordon-bleus1%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6X9ermXV9J-lfnSjtWaSjJCkAxlmx0_NTiANmyJA18XUL_hgVX_wS45CYSynyDmRHATYfhN9uvxG29jcw3Wu7_gr3Q20Q-RDkUVwpLba4ATcG8YWo885GystKxjyy8fbKTlGm4an0PoXOy8bWLfC3LJRx50UzBBRl9isDfp8dHXix7bDC1NrjFqt/w400-h300/Red-cheeked%20Cordon-bleus1%20Serengeti%20NP%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus <i>Uraeginthus bengalus, </i>Serengeti NP, Tanzania.<br />Only the male has the spot. This little finch is found in a broad band right<br />across sub-Saharan Africa. This little puddle in the road behind the visitor <br />centre was a magnet for an amazing array of birds.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxt-G-WDYe4ibX6R5CmPif91Tf8ul5wP4mm42i0JrhrHFqsWnUNHKe-4pbJcRqBts3kfqnMWWQuHtttZjGTAMS36_8PK7a_yXl0uj5hvfOzolPCe_BkLBm3ZtIvK6ozzAMCHiKv1pEt2ogGJ0dQz4_SlnUNHQpuyNR7IGLI3SFVaNnvIEhSHVuDx4/s800/Cockatiel%20male%20S%20of%20Mt%20Magnet%200908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxt-G-WDYe4ibX6R5CmPif91Tf8ul5wP4mm42i0JrhrHFqsWnUNHKe-4pbJcRqBts3kfqnMWWQuHtttZjGTAMS36_8PK7a_yXl0uj5hvfOzolPCe_BkLBm3ZtIvK6ozzAMCHiKv1pEt2ogGJ0dQz4_SlnUNHQpuyNR7IGLI3SFVaNnvIEhSHVuDx4/w300-h400/Cockatiel%20male%20S%20of%20Mt%20Magnet%200908.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Cockatiel <i>Nymphicus hollandicus</i>, Mount Magnet, inland Western Australia.<br />This, the smallest of all cockatoos, is found throughout dry inland Australia. <br />In their case both males and females flaunt the cheek spot.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIhWLOcxIYad4MHwil4EaLRCbl-nkdWE6UhKiXxNPw71KnuhPgrXBhWx89m1RzdHPAE7lNX524-_7lxKAevToNP4AuhRAurWJB39iRIWi4OsUNrwZ7_sA54spSRfIwxEobaiMCriNQdgRmhnCTmCsGcHKRmKaCXrPEKYTqSgEaMS7XJRFmqFdDWCY/s800/Double-eyed%20Fig%20Parrot5%20Cairns%20Esplanade%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIhWLOcxIYad4MHwil4EaLRCbl-nkdWE6UhKiXxNPw71KnuhPgrXBhWx89m1RzdHPAE7lNX524-_7lxKAevToNP4AuhRAurWJB39iRIWi4OsUNrwZ7_sA54spSRfIwxEobaiMCriNQdgRmhnCTmCsGcHKRmKaCXrPEKYTqSgEaMS7XJRFmqFdDWCY/w300-h400/Double-eyed%20Fig%20Parrot5%20Cairns%20Esplanade%200515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double-eyed Fig-Parrot <i>Cyclopsitta diophthalma</i>, Cairns, tropical Queensland.<br />These tiny parrots are indeed fig specialists; in addition to the splash of red across<br />the cheek he has a tiny red spot on the forehead and the tiniest splash of red on <br />the tip of his secondary wing feathers. These last two adornments are very subtle indeed.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Even more subtle is this South American parrot from a small area of south-western Brazil and adjacent Paraguay<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnkoswty-SBMg_BqAprxvC2O5WRjH-QWsHwRCLaeHLgvoCONKG5FoUCrwkJ8TbPWt4Y5YMe2JaQAKvHHYcGWNcTb7G9oNYtAi0HXQUltC1LvRcDEwKniRsoLABcSEXRs66VPDevUGPd8dYIUdBYGpKF1o3o0ONGbtiRCTGExMGzuKA5AwN2rs-JM4/s800/Blaze-winged%20Parakeet2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnkoswty-SBMg_BqAprxvC2O5WRjH-QWsHwRCLaeHLgvoCONKG5FoUCrwkJ8TbPWt4Y5YMe2JaQAKvHHYcGWNcTb7G9oNYtAi0HXQUltC1LvRcDEwKniRsoLABcSEXRs66VPDevUGPd8dYIUdBYGpKF1o3o0ONGbtiRCTGExMGzuKA5AwN2rs-JM4/w300-h400/Blaze-winged%20Parakeet2%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blaze-winged Parakeet <i>Pyrrhura devillei</i>, southern Pantanal, Brazil.<br />In addition to the tiny shoulder spot of red, they have red underwings too. <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzn-cXGf3Mjq2fPkFuCx7_Nf5IozPcSSrCXNJvjvKhsDnkvPs1qyZiB_5iDTw4y8AyULuPb_F8eTkD1Ej7Pc_nomVWRE0WXEMYjDjl1PXSWETp3OsNscDwEtgrLTITovYi0HQ3gPTpELiUNxNJzoNX7QDfbEQeK68tGnX16qwe9gop2FDO_vb4S7ba/s800/Hartlaub's%20Turaco3%20Mt%20Kenya%20Kenya%200519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzn-cXGf3Mjq2fPkFuCx7_Nf5IozPcSSrCXNJvjvKhsDnkvPs1qyZiB_5iDTw4y8AyULuPb_F8eTkD1Ej7Pc_nomVWRE0WXEMYjDjl1PXSWETp3OsNscDwEtgrLTITovYi0HQ3gPTpELiUNxNJzoNX7QDfbEQeK68tGnX16qwe9gop2FDO_vb4S7ba/w400-h300/Hartlaub's%20Turaco3%20Mt%20Kenya%20Kenya%200519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hartlaub's Turaco <i>Tauraco hartlaubi</i>, Mount Kenya. In its case (this could be a male or female)<br />most of the flight feathers are actually in red but this shows only in flight. While at rest<br />they are nearly hidden by the wing covert feathers. There is also a red skin patch around<br />the eye; we'll see more of these next time.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vvYF2kWmoImSvaPRWDewv30_y3seJwTDqqx39kAygCQocC9dkaT5ISLI-WslS6kik2koMa7UGyCCVXVceaD9duKDyXaTGqPM-lr0GYzwJiOY19uHtGpBd3FMe-tpYAojhrJDSW3vGNyJ0pizWLj0kNAwqDprwJZUb76B-z-nZJj45DIPngn4w5XW/s800/Swift%20Parrot%20adult2%20Mt%20Majura%200508.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vvYF2kWmoImSvaPRWDewv30_y3seJwTDqqx39kAygCQocC9dkaT5ISLI-WslS6kik2koMa7UGyCCVXVceaD9duKDyXaTGqPM-lr0GYzwJiOY19uHtGpBd3FMe-tpYAojhrJDSW3vGNyJ0pizWLj0kNAwqDprwJZUb76B-z-nZJj45DIPngn4w5XW/w300-h400/Swift%20Parrot%20adult2%20Mt%20Majura%200508.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swift Parrot <i>Lathamus discolor</i> Canberra. This rare and Critically Endangered little parrot<br /><div style="text-align: center;">has a strikingly red forehead and chin, plus the pencil-thin tail. It breeds in the Blue Gum<br /></div>forests of Tasmania - which are still being logged - and flies across the Bass Strait to winter<br />in the highly degraded woodlands of the south-east mainland.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFcqgwVdTSAoBbp9nSErLpWPHFVkC1EltQPSX7aCxGkOiBbminmwsO_gYDYyophMROaSu_E9G2diPvF1VgiBXsgKU5WmGpSPSziTTAbBwtbJTWr2O2ROGfyj7_E_tH6OwGPxwIfsW4Nevs9VkswAA8tNi5SbE0AwfXbZFjY7BeX3TAc6jIbyvpeD3/s800/Rosy-throated%20Longclaw2%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFcqgwVdTSAoBbp9nSErLpWPHFVkC1EltQPSX7aCxGkOiBbminmwsO_gYDYyophMROaSu_E9G2diPvF1VgiBXsgKU5WmGpSPSziTTAbBwtbJTWr2O2ROGfyj7_E_tH6OwGPxwIfsW4Nevs9VkswAA8tNi5SbE0AwfXbZFjY7BeX3TAc6jIbyvpeD3/s320/Rosy-throated%20Longclaw2%20Ngorogoro%20Crater%20Tanzania%200519.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lovely pipit is a Rosy-throated Longclaw <i>Macronyx ameliae</i>, here in the grasslands<br />of Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. The red (or pink or orange) little throat patch really stands out.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally for today the Neotropical tanagers are one of the most colourful groups of birds in the world, but red doesn't feature heavily - except when paired with black, which is where we'll meet some more in a future post. Here's a beauty from Brazil which favours an obvious red neck.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwRCVyQAjg8Pcn-gtWjUW2Nmzqv4NbrAGqsdLSY5MNgXAVYi2i0UuN50rXNbLRVIm6-ZEWfThjO-N8-8fZ3J57GD0A9qnyoNriU3kHL0c1L9N_OzTUfTkT9Bwthzn8IK7G4f0Nr9A6cbnG5ur82zTkgMrXAorS1wytYb23kYyabnC9OzxcP0jkV6D/s800/Red-necked%20Tanager1%20Espinheiro%20Negro%20Brazil%200719.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwRCVyQAjg8Pcn-gtWjUW2Nmzqv4NbrAGqsdLSY5MNgXAVYi2i0UuN50rXNbLRVIm6-ZEWfThjO-N8-8fZ3J57GD0A9qnyoNriU3kHL0c1L9N_OzTUfTkT9Bwthzn8IK7G4f0Nr9A6cbnG5ur82zTkgMrXAorS1wytYb23kYyabnC9OzxcP0jkV6D/w400-h299/Red-necked%20Tanager1%20Espinheiro%20Negro%20Brazil%200719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-necked Tanager <i>Tangara cyanocephala</i> at Espinheiro Negro, south of Sao Paulo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">That's probably enough red for now, but there's plenty more to come! Next time I want to explore how birds use red pigments that aren't in feathers - in skin, legs, beaks and eyes. Hope you'll be back for that!<br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 4 MAY</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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We've been visiting her on and off for years in Lake Cargelligo - which for the record I am assured is properly pronounced k'JELL-igo - but our recent trip there was perhaps the most memorable in terms of the countryside. This was in the aftermath of the vast floods caused by the three-year La Niña event which is now seemingly running out of steam, with the waters receding and the country starting to dry out.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dQFxGe0bJASODhE5qD-Xh_IYO_t3TOLPrr4kKRokyVhJWoiY9dE_oTzA0dl6C9e3766EueTuSFAhaAblCnXSLtJV19_PS5H_w7Z0VQUfUS6J1y_o379XtEPbFKV7RyX59Ei4zmb0zXTYl6JgQ4ZShW5x5V-V-ahDlBqiLNNBPSlI-JKb2BAHCppx/s1000/ephemeral%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dQFxGe0bJASODhE5qD-Xh_IYO_t3TOLPrr4kKRokyVhJWoiY9dE_oTzA0dl6C9e3766EueTuSFAhaAblCnXSLtJV19_PS5H_w7Z0VQUfUS6J1y_o379XtEPbFKV7RyX59Ei4zmb0zXTYl6JgQ4ZShW5x5V-V-ahDlBqiLNNBPSlI-JKb2BAHCppx/w640-h224/ephemeral%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ephemeral wetland on the outskirts of Lake Cargelligo. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It's seemed somewhat counter-intuitive that during the very wet last three years, waterbirds haven't been so easy to find, but this is because they have the choice of millions of flooded hectares to choose from and so are scattered over much of the continent. As the rains ease and the surface waters shrink however the birds are having to start to retreat to refuges, though these are still pretty easy for them to find. I'm seeing it in Canberra where the suburban and peri-urban wetlands have been a bit light-on for birding opportunities for quite some time, but are now starting to get busy again.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And millions of birds are certainly seeing Lake Cargelligo as a refuge; I can't recall seeing so many waterbirds concentrated into roadside pools and flooded paddocks for some time. It was astonishingly rich and even put me in mind of the great Kakadu wetlands in the Top End of the Northern Territory. But let me locate it for you.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAqy-3Z2jNzGr_mOvdDw_c5tFRqDyaEyEZgH1RdXuaX9K7e5_eyoigpCaq5Ijwnca1WOn4ldDo_XeVFbCN7PxP_YaipkH-ZMTANp4cW94-7ErvO3k-iPpQfVlKn1snUTh55bUnjROhEr5EY8eEONqRksZO2akvzEGEwJFVJPdKfasJF89eQv5Qghv/s1103/Australia%20Lake%20Cargelligo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAqy-3Z2jNzGr_mOvdDw_c5tFRqDyaEyEZgH1RdXuaX9K7e5_eyoigpCaq5Ijwnca1WOn4ldDo_XeVFbCN7PxP_YaipkH-ZMTANp4cW94-7ErvO3k-iPpQfVlKn1snUTh55bUnjROhEr5EY8eEONqRksZO2akvzEGEwJFVJPdKfasJF89eQv5Qghv/w400-h276/Australia%20Lake%20Cargelligo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The arrow marks the approximate position of Lake Cargelligo on the Lachlan River.<br />West Wyalong is to the south-east, Condobolin to the east and Hillston to the west.<br />Both the last two towns are also on the Lachlan.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The country is flat, though there are outcrops, ridges and low ranges rising surprisingly regularly from the plains. Much of the original vegetation has been cleared for agriculture and grazing, which is why I don't have many 'scenery' shots, except for the lake and wetlands. The woodlands were remarkably rich in tree and shrub species, and some remain along the roadsides.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6h3imaE7tVziQu2hcvWdcX2pVsjSnfJowfRkaUXNtCqexIui49bbuVhoZ_2FpXwSzOvYT6Nkmaoktsoe6CUEh7PYeURxq2SV4mcD4-12CT4xC_grNWOVMPsSU5xDdYAnIm5ZOVz3kyt9hzdglftXnB01Dc1JFsCJLipO9Egt3sxZwUdi_Q81DUTUP/s1000/Acacia%20pendula%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6h3imaE7tVziQu2hcvWdcX2pVsjSnfJowfRkaUXNtCqexIui49bbuVhoZ_2FpXwSzOvYT6Nkmaoktsoe6CUEh7PYeURxq2SV4mcD4-12CT4xC_grNWOVMPsSU5xDdYAnIm5ZOVz3kyt9hzdglftXnB01Dc1JFsCJLipO9Egt3sxZwUdi_Q81DUTUP/w640-h224/Acacia%20pendula%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weeping Myall <i>Acacia pendula</i> always delights me, in stands of grey drooping foliage.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf6qi-VdRm6Q8RmB6nYigf9-KitI3HO7KgmwleQcthFV9eJsrQSoXpqe7hQQ82CErlvFKUP1RTsnb96nZ9GffEzXDQG3jd68IO1DNv-hy7CK5Ix8hv0QS5VI6M50cyIJqoblpbq5vXUU1VwHRHhPt3hFnYAmwNcpjlRAz9TlH1tNVS658cIM-37sX/s800/E%20populneus%20foliage%20near%20Cobar%200907.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf6qi-VdRm6Q8RmB6nYigf9-KitI3HO7KgmwleQcthFV9eJsrQSoXpqe7hQQ82CErlvFKUP1RTsnb96nZ9GffEzXDQG3jd68IO1DNv-hy7CK5Ix8hv0QS5VI6M50cyIJqoblpbq5vXUU1VwHRHhPt3hFnYAmwNcpjlRAz9TlH1tNVS658cIM-37sX/w400-h300/E%20populneus%20foliage%20near%20Cobar%200907.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poplar Box <i>Eucalyptus populneus</i> is another that I look forward to renewing acquaintance with <br />when I head west, though I could wish it wasn't defined by an exotic tree which, to my aesthetic<br />senses, can't begin to compare with it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">There are also areas of mallee, including very substantial reserves (Round Hill and Nombinnie) to the west and some roadside remnants near to Lake Cargelligo. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it is The Lake which defines the town, which is right on its shores. It was a natural ephemeral lake, filled by the Lachlan in wet years, but drying in drought times. The ever gloomy and very British Surveyor-General John Oxley called it Regent's Lake in 1817 (yes, I'm wincing too) but in 1836 his successor in the position, the now notorious Thomas Mitchell, had the good sense to reestablish the local name for it (or a version of it) calling it Cudgallagong. He did have a reputation for using existing names where available and it has gone through a few variations since then. (Later in this journey, Mitchell was responsible, by his own reporting, for a bloody massacre of Indigenous people on what is now the Murray near Swan Hill.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirACcD3vIKnUQU2b9xhry9hT5Q105hGSKqDWGlr6zHtfiP5PtfjtAOb8gNpEU2u7J3GerMBSAkN8w47vzsWsN1SEHo-xWMZKC08fywWcsRHKWUO6KQSpVmR5vmxrsSLadrrQaQxRcfJnM9EIwsmMWvVe0AB86DgxmNQzMIVmAv_JmmYWE6HNPTRPOb/s1000/last%20light,%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirACcD3vIKnUQU2b9xhry9hT5Q105hGSKqDWGlr6zHtfiP5PtfjtAOb8gNpEU2u7J3GerMBSAkN8w47vzsWsN1SEHo-xWMZKC08fywWcsRHKWUO6KQSpVmR5vmxrsSLadrrQaQxRcfJnM9EIwsmMWvVe0AB86DgxmNQzMIVmAv_JmmYWE6HNPTRPOb/w640-h224/last%20light,%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200912.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last light on the lake, from the town shore.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Pastoralists arrived in 1840 and the village was founded in 1850, though mostly only on paper at that stage. In 1879 gold was discovered, which hastened the growth of European population, and a government village was surveyed, which the current town largely reflects. In the first years of the 20th century the ephemeral lake was made largely permanent, by deepening it and adding levee banks in order to regulate flows for downstream irrigation. Today there are some 1500 inhabitants of 'Lake' as it is usually referred to by locals, including a significant Indigenous community.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">And I should say that there is a very pleasant, well-run, treed and birdy little caravan park right by the lake, where we stayed this time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx_Cj0lczHE6_yqZUzWmB_u2VelExvUNOE8wu8p7ok5ja0ZZ9RD2ufEVRGXeK-EcTF4eo_XR-lAuOkki408FqiqV4uzTJmD3kzWa_UUPJguByCd-z8yiaD1drNKsUHZbDZSj4ITtrXY5uf8a4VfzL5GiKgQYyFTagfGTUQKdMYqii94Sw6AusNCOz/s800/Lake%20Cargelligo%20cabins%20at%20sunset%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx_Cj0lczHE6_yqZUzWmB_u2VelExvUNOE8wu8p7ok5ja0ZZ9RD2ufEVRGXeK-EcTF4eo_XR-lAuOkki408FqiqV4uzTJmD3kzWa_UUPJguByCd-z8yiaD1drNKsUHZbDZSj4ITtrXY5uf8a4VfzL5GiKgQYyFTagfGTUQKdMYqii94Sw6AusNCOz/w400-h300/Lake%20Cargelligo%20cabins%20at%20sunset%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset view from our cabin.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But back to the lake; here it is at first light in a couple of different moods.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvQxDy_OZqmNH29MIVS1vrElQdIKfZjagVS7i69wHSnKwOMcT2zS95gl0gDLa4XKM3mOrEhFPGjub7_ox3DkENZjdgwbeyRFLXiy5EqvcxDc_fD8R_T1ubkhic8VgiU3f7y2n7d2iNxo0JN4K57I58j0Nlx3TxGlYXnPCqq1F6ujTAibPjBZUStoL/s800/Lake%20Cargellico%20foggy%20sunrise%20with%20Black%20Kite%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvQxDy_OZqmNH29MIVS1vrElQdIKfZjagVS7i69wHSnKwOMcT2zS95gl0gDLa4XKM3mOrEhFPGjub7_ox3DkENZjdgwbeyRFLXiy5EqvcxDc_fD8R_T1ubkhic8VgiU3f7y2n7d2iNxo0JN4K57I58j0Nlx3TxGlYXnPCqq1F6ujTAibPjBZUStoL/w400-h300/Lake%20Cargellico%20foggy%20sunrise%20with%20Black%20Kite%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A foggy sunrise with a Black Kite drifting through; this from a previous visit.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRLAhr6JHs6PfmkXChGjAPzWtWIH5fE0xeIv0zoUEh-LLIvOlI8MlM8_PmEitmtcpl6ADMB4r16bfuZ8xjYyIiMtM-TUH2EjqOZkRpMJ_hQMW-OYHcSFfvYY_fa5-xDwFJv2hs9_6vmV41PFKhmDR5tdXH77iB2EkkfjQY47s3zcyImFzf3hXpG56/s800/sunrise%20with%20swans%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRLAhr6JHs6PfmkXChGjAPzWtWIH5fE0xeIv0zoUEh-LLIvOlI8MlM8_PmEitmtcpl6ADMB4r16bfuZ8xjYyIiMtM-TUH2EjqOZkRpMJ_hQMW-OYHcSFfvYY_fa5-xDwFJv2hs9_6vmV41PFKhmDR5tdXH77iB2EkkfjQY47s3zcyImFzf3hXpG56/w400-h300/sunrise%20with%20swans%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another, more recent, sunrise over a shallow section, with a family of Black Swans.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The lake is overflowing, and channels and backwaters associated with it and with the Lachlan are full. One indicator is the number of trees, especially River Red Gums, which are inundated.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZGdgm7aXZOBKrJk0EKCKlk6baeDzkn9DiQbDYA0lP7j-h4dVA_RJIHH_3ZceBseSQqwRtN1RyS3DQueEDCLCO-fRZF05DbTcv-pQhrW6SMcAd55uXPJ0NOQko63vy6ZufSCoImNt4o1SP07T5208kSA05Vpgf9UwZe1YqB1eCKdp9lpUtjlvHTlX/s800/Red%20Gum%20inundated%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZGdgm7aXZOBKrJk0EKCKlk6baeDzkn9DiQbDYA0lP7j-h4dVA_RJIHH_3ZceBseSQqwRtN1RyS3DQueEDCLCO-fRZF05DbTcv-pQhrW6SMcAd55uXPJ0NOQko63vy6ZufSCoImNt4o1SP07T5208kSA05Vpgf9UwZe1YqB1eCKdp9lpUtjlvHTlX/w400-h300/Red%20Gum%20inundated%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Red Gums <i>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</i> are trees of the inland waterways throughout<br />most of the continent. They not only tolerate flooding, but need it from time to time to <br />refresh the water tables and to disperse seeds. However they can't tolerate being inundated<br />for more than a couple of years, so they are a good indicator of abnormal water levels.<br />This is an area where the lake has overflowed.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyZvCz6ySh6CNg6Z-nW-Y7m-qBoCzA6QW1QjfrsBIuP8lC1Ku1FOhMJC3bNnPyRxaDfsYIoDp-RIumnNLBLw1hH6T_P1fExTb1rZbfT39-qMN0QKs5mB9x5IVcUteT68_FWMP27wHtD6Tu2uld9oIhm-IWSFsr_lah7fV8hrGuoUwupyDc_SBOOXP/s800/Red%20Gums%20inundated%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyZvCz6ySh6CNg6Z-nW-Y7m-qBoCzA6QW1QjfrsBIuP8lC1Ku1FOhMJC3bNnPyRxaDfsYIoDp-RIumnNLBLw1hH6T_P1fExTb1rZbfT39-qMN0QKs5mB9x5IVcUteT68_FWMP27wHtD6Tu2uld9oIhm-IWSFsr_lah7fV8hrGuoUwupyDc_SBOOXP/w400-h300/Red%20Gums%20inundated%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These River Red Gum saplings were carried as seeds to the limit of a previous flood where they<br />germinated. The current level of the Lachlan River is way above that but when the <br />waters recede again and the river is confined within its banks, these young trees will<br />get a strong growth spurt from the water and the rich sediment that it will deposit.<br />Moreover there will be another line of seedlings to mark the limits of the new floodwaters.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And everywhere paddocks normally supporting crops and livestock were slowly emerging from weeks of being submerged. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc8IHtfy1SgAejo8xr1ckGBkQL_th5kswukaDohqo5oIVMuYh_yOn7jRoFlqQaCiQ5FKIl0GNJfLh_TcegvKUwS0C23eBbPq9F2vJN90rQZ3Ym_BD2dIp4wUL4KMkXyJbzMaVB0sij6_x8uhbFzgJy0ZviX2QMRu_wLxcLp60Qla-oCvqwgX9vV4g/s1000/flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc8IHtfy1SgAejo8xr1ckGBkQL_th5kswukaDohqo5oIVMuYh_yOn7jRoFlqQaCiQ5FKIl0GNJfLh_TcegvKUwS0C23eBbPq9F2vJN90rQZ3Ym_BD2dIp4wUL4KMkXyJbzMaVB0sij6_x8uhbFzgJy0ZviX2QMRu_wLxcLp60Qla-oCvqwgX9vV4g/w640-h224/flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This paddock out towards Hillston was typical...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8O2fcHEbldm80zDK1g9X67CYW9M7EuDwWC9lHLgON7VokI3gz1ivlPrgITSMrjn2ExT-5XBCis3RDrXMmnwOtJUFe8nzFTf8UeaVaLS1JVO4EM689lXrz-v6M6u2iZcWHzY9wf1tbO4FKRTYiIVaHgSM-nWs8F-Jv2rNvZpshaJuTkdJSqKCm9yxH/s1000/stilts%20and%20teal%20drying%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8O2fcHEbldm80zDK1g9X67CYW9M7EuDwWC9lHLgON7VokI3gz1ivlPrgITSMrjn2ExT-5XBCis3RDrXMmnwOtJUFe8nzFTf8UeaVaLS1JVO4EM689lXrz-v6M6u2iZcWHzY9wf1tbO4FKRTYiIVaHgSM-nWs8F-Jv2rNvZpshaJuTkdJSqKCm9yxH/w640-h224/stilts%20and%20teal%20drying%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... as was this rapidly receding pool in grazing land near to Lake. Its nutrients are still<br />attractive to these Grey Teals <i>Anas gracilis</i> and Pied Stilts <i>Himantopus leucocephalus</i>, which<br />are eating water plants and small animals respectively. And the thing was, that every<br />pool, from lake to puddle, was worth a look for what it was attracting.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It's the birds I want to focus on for most of the rest of this post, but I also want to end with them, so first a few other animals we've encountered in the area.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA32mb4B-sOk2lSBDraGo8lmp4BvGJ_OsiuYrvBKyVABSMDmMus1NKjFkBs9359oiI-Mpx1PSQVecT9kKMPc9qt1ayaCV-lxFc3GU3ZQ3pXNGSnUOnrq9t_2AENnd-keipJR1ndTVl-3Jt27wq19VRCI3Gh-9Qjg5_GFJdTFrzEILVeS4WqNJ28Q/s800/Lace%20Monitor%20Round%20Hill%20NR%200320.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA32mb4B-sOk2lSBDraGo8lmp4BvGJ_OsiuYrvBKyVABSMDmMus1NKjFkBs9359oiI-Mpx1PSQVecT9kKMPc9qt1ayaCV-lxFc3GU3ZQ3pXNGSnUOnrq9t_2AENnd-keipJR1ndTVl-3Jt27wq19VRCI3Gh-9Qjg5_GFJdTFrzEILVeS4WqNJ28Q/w300-h400/Lace%20Monitor%20Round%20Hill%20NR%200320.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lace Monitor <i>Varanus varius</i> on a eucalypt trunk west of Lake Cargelligo. This big lizard -<br />up to two metres long - is found across most of the state, though is most familiar <br />from coastal forests.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTweofX74jarurLVoVu-p9ukv4yF7sm93Nu9emA5Q6SAmNDOSddaJd8vFXKTS_GQ2JC0mFTXPzGhSpA68HAC0kE2a3iHOgpWLinfobAYNxVseF7hGeiA-LMU5EuOkdWNgSSGgnKpOSQTzkUmPV0s8sU6c1ONGJCDNq2Tz9wskbasjpF6cDaigSeRX/s800/Crocothemis%20nigrifrons%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTweofX74jarurLVoVu-p9ukv4yF7sm93Nu9emA5Q6SAmNDOSddaJd8vFXKTS_GQ2JC0mFTXPzGhSpA68HAC0kE2a3iHOgpWLinfobAYNxVseF7hGeiA-LMU5EuOkdWNgSSGgnKpOSQTzkUmPV0s8sU6c1ONGJCDNq2Tz9wskbasjpF6cDaigSeRX/w400-h300/Crocothemis%20nigrifrons%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Skimmer <i>Crocothemis nigrifrons</i>, a familiar dragonfly across most<br />of Australia and beyond.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAmNQcJn_VmY1k9MyzVx1-McNOdHDBobEYJUnk36KNiSaQkMhVunBf0qrE2XTmSlI4In1i5YiEkvONgBy4kDKlKnkFlleTRTIaggI07hgVonYtZ5Zoe4WloowFHIZzErMI7PA6N4gusK8Qg3HawfyDqfANEXos1VjgFLkbg8gd6A3gKLbMrIhF1Yc/s800/Golden%20Orb%20Spider%20and%20food%20parcels%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAmNQcJn_VmY1k9MyzVx1-McNOdHDBobEYJUnk36KNiSaQkMhVunBf0qrE2XTmSlI4In1i5YiEkvONgBy4kDKlKnkFlleTRTIaggI07hgVonYtZ5Zoe4WloowFHIZzErMI7PA6N4gusK8Qg3HawfyDqfANEXos1VjgFLkbg8gd6A3gKLbMrIhF1Yc/w400-h300/Golden%20Orb%20Spider%20and%20food%20parcels%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Orb Spider <i>Nephila </i>sp., with handy food parcels.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedtEM9S9OZ2GWYOJxAAqWv82Ddxl-IQxL8b6hDH9YOlJzSGKFNJqbC_yhFkoCw0xLnHUTY8mWiieLg_rAHFrsMExIgYWsCreh0tKQxs0X2tdNVhZRx-N-05YysYwMowqHgs3tFk11IarsDMBPaPp5tCEHicbQDYjdO2h9bkdBGYOhwouSmalgaRnw/s800/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedtEM9S9OZ2GWYOJxAAqWv82Ddxl-IQxL8b6hDH9YOlJzSGKFNJqbC_yhFkoCw0xLnHUTY8mWiieLg_rAHFrsMExIgYWsCreh0tKQxs0X2tdNVhZRx-N-05YysYwMowqHgs3tFk11IarsDMBPaPp5tCEHicbQDYjdO2h9bkdBGYOhwouSmalgaRnw/w400-h300/Water%20Rat%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Water Rat or Rakali <i>Hydromys chrysogaster.</i> This is an old Australian rodent,<br />highly specialised to aquatic life. Some time ago there was a push by the federal <br />environment department to improve the image of Australian rodents by not <br />calling them 'rats', so Indigenous names were applied. I of course agree in principle, <br />but perhaps we could also try to educate people that there are rats and rats, so to speak.<br />Also, the name apparently comes from a Murray-Darling language, and there are many<br />other names in other languages throughout the country. However I don't have <br />an ideal solution either!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So, the birds. As I've flagged, the waterbirds were the real stars this time, so I'll leave them until last, and start with some land birds, from this and previous trips. Most of these are quite common, but they help build a picture of the area.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jHuAZ81bYqFwUcfAjs4cH7ubyRvgAWbjymEQSXKxzc_zY_c5t1SjADzCjSbcmLOjovZJq7xQDx2H6Qz28_NCoAhljzZ44h7Ci5-JheSYrqZK_sD_pV1oUeIhqnOHhh2YdNRdW-mGBFjsuxZb1F98n7SYFVQ8KyuC7Z-cdxO2FS7_b_goejkGRwFI/s800/Grey-crowned%20Babbler%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jHuAZ81bYqFwUcfAjs4cH7ubyRvgAWbjymEQSXKxzc_zY_c5t1SjADzCjSbcmLOjovZJq7xQDx2H6Qz28_NCoAhljzZ44h7Ci5-JheSYrqZK_sD_pV1oUeIhqnOHhh2YdNRdW-mGBFjsuxZb1F98n7SYFVQ8KyuC7Z-cdxO2FS7_b_goejkGRwFI/w400-h300/Grey-crowned%20Babbler%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-crowned Babbler <span><i>Pomatostomus temporalis</i>. This noisy gregarious bird is declining with <br />the woodlands, but on this occasion I saw and heard them in the town.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLARlLw_EdIP2owH-ik17_btp_3shamU5Xn0BHF0MVsXNIQjI_KDJRkLAa9NMlZm7X2XDTv2DYADgp7sSh39Vb7bCs4DckEji0XBkaB23FXI6cznGtMdH9gdjlGPSvGcWbqXTOpepvSroeiOZbr3IyB7TJa--LnwTSCWhSuqhWgLoPpckFcVQ4bvE/s800/Black-shouldered%20Kite%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLARlLw_EdIP2owH-ik17_btp_3shamU5Xn0BHF0MVsXNIQjI_KDJRkLAa9NMlZm7X2XDTv2DYADgp7sSh39Vb7bCs4DckEji0XBkaB23FXI6cznGtMdH9gdjlGPSvGcWbqXTOpepvSroeiOZbr3IyB7TJa--LnwTSCWhSuqhWgLoPpckFcVQ4bvE/w400-h300/Black-shouldered%20Kite%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-shouldered Kite <i>Elanus axillaris </i>watching for unwary early morning mice.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWebXQxZacaXBwqJ8hqm3sLx-W3QMx8343XbnljVtea-w39AUWo2dbagrA5SKwz_KCTTTuFckGuVH0JGcZNrPGHEFRyTTZq4ZzsX8g6x-EZNxNB-Wwc18ijDrPcUYt-fFVP2oHgkhO7FKXltwzyKT7lAYELZxuMRTk2-XokVWDql8J2gyrEhjN9-d/s800/Blue%20Bonnet2%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWebXQxZacaXBwqJ8hqm3sLx-W3QMx8343XbnljVtea-w39AUWo2dbagrA5SKwz_KCTTTuFckGuVH0JGcZNrPGHEFRyTTZq4ZzsX8g6x-EZNxNB-Wwc18ijDrPcUYt-fFVP2oHgkhO7FKXltwzyKT7lAYELZxuMRTk2-XokVWDql8J2gyrEhjN9-d/w400-h300/Blue%20Bonnet2%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebonnets <i>Northiella haematogaster </i>are parrots of the semi-arid inland. <br />They're quite common but are often hard to approach, so I was grateful to this one.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTji1VGyH_3YbtVmslB68up6JkJYnd9enSh_E9pYvdmYZs1ST_e9satacymX1fT6F_Vt8hIBmLj5l8wmbiv4b9EDIuR02G86ZKji6sbgSfJ40Q3lf-jYIGrER6OQfueVdl5m7QIE4LOxS82_dhnlvJoPuQl2yOR_HBiT87itm58HmTkNrUuMnaoE9/s1000/Fairy%20Martins%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTji1VGyH_3YbtVmslB68up6JkJYnd9enSh_E9pYvdmYZs1ST_e9satacymX1fT6F_Vt8hIBmLj5l8wmbiv4b9EDIuR02G86ZKji6sbgSfJ40Q3lf-jYIGrER6OQfueVdl5m7QIE4LOxS82_dhnlvJoPuQl2yOR_HBiT87itm58HmTkNrUuMnaoE9/w640-h224/Fairy%20Martins%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairy Martins <i>Petrochelidon ariel.</i> It's quite a while since I took this photo and I can't remember what<br />they were doing on the ground - they normally catch their food on the wing and only come to ground<br />to collect mud for their nests, but this doesn't seem to be the case here. Presumably a gathering of<br />insects had attracted them. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIjN62biFRSZ_auM07A02bJGYAs20XR2KbsFaMps48x5RpIuFpF322dgxk5hv3iqDfFJnOPh6MdqLGDqEKn8L1IsOtpy7BSECwNQN0zRkhFqG9OMCRakYMuEf8hTBI9bEu2PCKZ4Z2DGOdiGwvLC7ihPAR2AW2YyeOj-ucFb9RwQ9WtTlfK15Hk-B/s800/Blue-faced%20HE%20chicks%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIjN62biFRSZ_auM07A02bJGYAs20XR2KbsFaMps48x5RpIuFpF322dgxk5hv3iqDfFJnOPh6MdqLGDqEKn8L1IsOtpy7BSECwNQN0zRkhFqG9OMCRakYMuEf8hTBI9bEu2PCKZ4Z2DGOdiGwvLC7ihPAR2AW2YyeOj-ucFb9RwQ9WtTlfK15Hk-B/w400-h300/Blue-faced%20HE%20chicks%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was hot while we were there last time and the campground attracted many birds to<br />its shade and the irrigated grassy area. These Blue-faced Honeyeaters <i>Entomyzon cyanotis -<br /></i>dependent fledglings on the table, and an adult on the bench - were appreciating the cool<br />of the concrete structures in a shelter.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX7dj1e9ACMDU6bYqXgakqy5FdabPlMazanw2So1JiBuoBCpjccl95cZT8Uf4PfaiVlxMgDEYEwYMGtLxjyO_z3m8YkKYZ78qifY4gHd7G0oTo-GU2GVIn7g5diDbXUAjf8VramPnIh42ocNs1ycUB-u0SlEi7pxi7W37VRZE_9MTxZOjZzq_26_8/s800/Red-rumped%20Parrot%20pair2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX7dj1e9ACMDU6bYqXgakqy5FdabPlMazanw2So1JiBuoBCpjccl95cZT8Uf4PfaiVlxMgDEYEwYMGtLxjyO_z3m8YkKYZ78qifY4gHd7G0oTo-GU2GVIn7g5diDbXUAjf8VramPnIh42ocNs1ycUB-u0SlEi7pxi7W37VRZE_9MTxZOjZzq_26_8/w400-h300/Red-rumped%20Parrot%20pair2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still in the campground these little Red-rumped Parrots <i>Psephotus haematonotus</i> were<br />enjoying the seeds produced by the lawn grasses, very close to our verandah. They are<br />common but nonetheless lovely little birds of the south-east inland open country.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_jJXq3hYkHS2VcMmmAtjfH26NYYMh_MPsCXUQxZcTa2mpz1AsWE3_f7PV25ovX9hOmZxA0M4f9I4EElwRXS26P9oXzNw1z6-3VyC4-kOgNw-aF5N8wbn4e6q9p8vXL73abc6-iuNLhhT1tVmzTgQmV3vmrdkThBmxw1QxvcFVYLDvWZwb7bFuERq/s800/Red-rumped%20Parrots%20bathing2%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_jJXq3hYkHS2VcMmmAtjfH26NYYMh_MPsCXUQxZcTa2mpz1AsWE3_f7PV25ovX9hOmZxA0M4f9I4EElwRXS26P9oXzNw1z6-3VyC4-kOgNw-aF5N8wbn4e6q9p8vXL73abc6-iuNLhhT1tVmzTgQmV3vmrdkThBmxw1QxvcFVYLDvWZwb7bFuERq/w400-h300/Red-rumped%20Parrots%20bathing2%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the edge of the lake this pair (only the male is brightly coloured) took a vigorous bath</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It was another species of parrot/cockatoo however which were the stars away from the water. Pink Cockatoos <i>Lophochroa leadbeateri </i>must surely be among the most glorious of all Australian birds, with soft salmony pink body and glowing yellow and vermilion crest. It has widely been known as Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, as his rhapsodising over it brought it to public attention, but with his discrediting for the massacre alluded to earlier here, that name is being increasingly avoided.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They are not rare, but neither are they abundant, and a sighting in their semi-arid environment is always a cause of excitement. However during our stay in Lake Cargelligo they flew over the campground every day, and on our first evening there I watched them feeding on exotic pine cones at the end of the road. However my most memorable encounter with them was when a small flock of them flew into a roadside stand of callitris pines by the roadside as I drove speculatively one early morning. As I watched more and more sreamed in, perhaps drawn by the calls of those already there. Certainly there were dozens eventually, straggled along the road. The photos that follow are all from that delightful roadside rendezvous.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjTA-oGtUepCSacvh1ovTrh54-j1QypIK_9YZS0syv-taq6y_ewJk-IR8BWIikVMtX6uQqtzqjpRqTA_rrWSyZisjWDyO9MlRWyUiUa2Wz-cC-G2VDHnwt7tqD26BmJJnzwj6rvmtCytof9aMMiRjnACeq_21rIlxMjgNToSfvV7C-jUTM3z1L1EN/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris6%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjTA-oGtUepCSacvh1ovTrh54-j1QypIK_9YZS0syv-taq6y_ewJk-IR8BWIikVMtX6uQqtzqjpRqTA_rrWSyZisjWDyO9MlRWyUiUa2Wz-cC-G2VDHnwt7tqD26BmJJnzwj6rvmtCytof9aMMiRjnACeq_21rIlxMjgNToSfvV7C-jUTM3z1L1EN/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris6%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A truly gorgeous bird and an inland treat. Like other cockies that powerful bill can<br />also be used with great delicacy to extract small seeds from very hard cones. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTIaM2v1JknuPcv6a5kuuQTSfENGqs7FqxFPD2S3ZpGtU1rHWAGqV3RLTyT1NSGxtD_XJaSgxrEIGgyKSabfQ6d-P3-licRAPU7cQngViZiHSV0gNbPLLrQRrWriroTA_gCjE9FsUqRpibB_iE_XoR_xUaOH1msfUMk9acnrS_4bvE-KfS67NUxMi/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20callitris%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTIaM2v1JknuPcv6a5kuuQTSfENGqs7FqxFPD2S3ZpGtU1rHWAGqV3RLTyT1NSGxtD_XJaSgxrEIGgyKSabfQ6d-P3-licRAPU7cQngViZiHSV0gNbPLLrQRrWriroTA_gCjE9FsUqRpibB_iE_XoR_xUaOH1msfUMk9acnrS_4bvE-KfS67NUxMi/w300-h400/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20callitris%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cone is nipped off and held, usually in the left claw, which rotates the <br />cone to allow access to all the seeds. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Gorgeous as they are, they are still cockies so also inclined to be quarrelsome.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45pVtOzSpEAjN_x6fcVzdJutsGuL7tWSV0smTiswZGLNSrYPrWN0EGXrL5l1qOi-IXOLpXJSUtJQv9h4rAP_n5daJ6ieU0fX-wyIdiZn8YUnYieEiS3uJkrhqQ72wODOkeHTVAdvVwJ-323GQ9bhy2jOAHmWHnXstVVmGBvnQUIWNQdXrsWMCFEtM/s800/Pink%20Cockatoos%20squabbling2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45pVtOzSpEAjN_x6fcVzdJutsGuL7tWSV0smTiswZGLNSrYPrWN0EGXrL5l1qOi-IXOLpXJSUtJQv9h4rAP_n5daJ6ieU0fX-wyIdiZn8YUnYieEiS3uJkrhqQ72wODOkeHTVAdvVwJ-323GQ9bhy2jOAHmWHnXstVVmGBvnQUIWNQdXrsWMCFEtM/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoos%20squabbling2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upper bird took exception to the proximity of the lower one, and shrieked <br />and threatened until the other was hanging upside down, flapping and shrieking in return.<br />The others took no notice at all. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb0Zpdw5xCb9T-aaw5rp73k4-5GKVz1qhodh3FRFMldGsxLSBotbbNpMCiKjioXa4yHK1753a6bbQ6hQ8Z-K3PaCPerWhD4xllzyy5LOm3F0lQ4lPD0aWAFfDaGEQDphSSvUTdXpju8FQWIYaTo1I7C8E6swt9uDmTSBrWjIrlz7xQeSGOlhiFmBO/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris4%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb0Zpdw5xCb9T-aaw5rp73k4-5GKVz1qhodh3FRFMldGsxLSBotbbNpMCiKjioXa4yHK1753a6bbQ6hQ8Z-K3PaCPerWhD4xllzyy5LOm3F0lQ4lPD0aWAFfDaGEQDphSSvUTdXpju8FQWIYaTo1I7C8E6swt9uDmTSBrWjIrlz7xQeSGOlhiFmBO/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20on%20Callitris4%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It can be hard not to be anthropomorphic about cockies, but I got<br />the impression that in the end the upside down bird was quite enjoying<br />the novel view of the world and was in no hurry to right itself.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And it's good to see the town appreciating these glorious neightbours, via this lovely artwork on a grain silo near the edge of town. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20vSN_EWWt5BJvy7Zb05eh8YZ-0mv9X7Uy45ZmadZppYQPER3UkjCATjDkGD3ay-nyQPBy9-YPQFwZVTJN1BAa8hn-dv6e9ZwXgg-TI5yHCYj2oO8dOlO83-iwKN8vc6U5NuuUg1zg9Slt-uOFObD2pl6z125OB2LN-0pUrv7eEvP0w8CtD1emDXW/s800/Pink%20Cockatoo%20silo%20art%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20vSN_EWWt5BJvy7Zb05eh8YZ-0mv9X7Uy45ZmadZppYQPER3UkjCATjDkGD3ay-nyQPBy9-YPQFwZVTJN1BAa8hn-dv6e9ZwXgg-TI5yHCYj2oO8dOlO83-iwKN8vc6U5NuuUg1zg9Slt-uOFObD2pl6z125OB2LN-0pUrv7eEvP0w8CtD1emDXW/w400-h300/Pink%20Cockatoo%20silo%20art%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silo art is a rapidly expanding phenomenon in Australia, and <br />many of the huge results are simply amazing.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, finally, to the waterbirds. They are of course always present around the lake, even in dry times.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MuiFz9kCywIk2_CtVMkiEnrGL8AGyprQDnQsyvNmQDWcBEoo7Jawb1MqML4R7Byou3neygR7E7JDuCC6LDNRD_srGiwu-1y71-_DHMMDd8TwJWZuJwf2geiXnhus13-pFYTt_ISeP_ZPxh0JDyYEyaAdded_sG-nWronW7lYb5gammIL_M4T0UTN/s800/Darter%20females%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MuiFz9kCywIk2_CtVMkiEnrGL8AGyprQDnQsyvNmQDWcBEoo7Jawb1MqML4R7Byou3neygR7E7JDuCC6LDNRD_srGiwu-1y71-_DHMMDd8TwJWZuJwf2geiXnhus13-pFYTt_ISeP_ZPxh0JDyYEyaAdded_sG-nWronW7lYb5gammIL_M4T0UTN/w300-h400/Darter%20females%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Australasian Darters <i>Anhinga novaehollandiae</i> on a rockface by the lake.<br />Like cormorants, which also dive for food, their feathers are not waterproofed with oils <br />(this would make it too hard to stay under the water) so they must hang their wings out to dry.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhlHFUyhdJPlwE6_Fk9V7zl7LUaTM_FFen9ZeP9zbhpAdCCMpWIep_YzCpvL0-Co8RDNs_UwLteSaYVVnsHrOzqCWfLvZSd8_Wua4XeRhoFJT28_Or7jQVYw5X1-aic1HcijLCmyD-EBGkPhGqf82XAk2Hc2eKnQZ8P-N5fm46vUBFefOwD2s1Ot/s800/waterbirds%20in%20dead%20tree%20%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UhlHFUyhdJPlwE6_Fk9V7zl7LUaTM_FFen9ZeP9zbhpAdCCMpWIep_YzCpvL0-Co8RDNs_UwLteSaYVVnsHrOzqCWfLvZSd8_Wua4XeRhoFJT28_Or7jQVYw5X1-aic1HcijLCmyD-EBGkPhGqf82XAk2Hc2eKnQZ8P-N5fm46vUBFefOwD2s1Ot/w400-h300/waterbirds%20in%20dead%20tree%20%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A collection of waterbirds (White-necked Herons, darters, Little Black Cormorants<br />and White Ibis) enjoying the late morning sun after a morning's fishing.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnL9-QYvZGk7Xo7rRjbrT5HKLeZoXpGZyT7yrvQbSw_puAH38wCBaB_Kafi-yyo0zDuZSRcpyhNEBroBCiVVCKHmef2h0rCc0O7-_n6P77ZNqGy-Lx4B1Jkzprg2yxXN3DXR7v-HIL1JRab5rdc2-kCwGzChcwvvm5H8kmZwMlZfA1pQAyc_84WOb/s1000/Pied%20Cormorant%20swimming%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnL9-QYvZGk7Xo7rRjbrT5HKLeZoXpGZyT7yrvQbSw_puAH38wCBaB_Kafi-yyo0zDuZSRcpyhNEBroBCiVVCKHmef2h0rCc0O7-_n6P77ZNqGy-Lx4B1Jkzprg2yxXN3DXR7v-HIL1JRab5rdc2-kCwGzChcwvvm5H8kmZwMlZfA1pQAyc_84WOb/w640-h224/Pied%20Cormorant%20swimming%20panorama%20Lake%20Cargellico%200912.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Cormorant <i>Phalacrocorax varius. </i>This large cormorant is found in New Zealand and Australia, both coastally and inland, though not always common. Around Canberra for instance it is quite<br />scarce. However it can often be seen, though usually in small numbers, on inland waters. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiREDkGQk1voVzbAstLf7aguI34puy6AZTEW1M3BZ4yu-c4HR3n-qLZX7ShgLEueLK0CnCAoWRfpM5CKcLnKz7nM8zrEFeCoDJTQMcrdiwXoJ6fyC2hl05tGquDMi3InvA6E9fRIvRq2nG3-mmNI362nPt7f8THTkJ-RrvBC4sPkNFKohUlGrwxgj/s1000/Great%20Crested%20Grebe%20flock1%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiREDkGQk1voVzbAstLf7aguI34puy6AZTEW1M3BZ4yu-c4HR3n-qLZX7ShgLEueLK0CnCAoWRfpM5CKcLnKz7nM8zrEFeCoDJTQMcrdiwXoJ6fyC2hl05tGquDMi3InvA6E9fRIvRq2nG3-mmNI362nPt7f8THTkJ-RrvBC4sPkNFKohUlGrwxgj/w640-h224/Great%20Crested%20Grebe%20flock1%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of a remarkable flock of at least 30 Great Crested Grebes <i>Podiceps cristatus</i> from our recent trip.<br />The flock included many immature birds; the breeding opportunity offered by the floods was<br />certainly not wasted! Bad light I'm afraid, they were between me and the rising sun.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>But on our most recent visit the body of lake itself wasn't the main focus of activity, which was out in the flooded paddocks and along the ephemeral waterways. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvy7JaG2pLjoqO4w2AkLkhd78QENQE2yURfuD-EexsDNtWVbY-a4tZOfVfwE9H7l_Y4vL7jzW3N5-f5-gPgHFvDTWKNCwsD9p70v3EB1FsWrNI5VrDNpNOD4YG5CPzJdvIWJ_c4YE4I2aN24UjRKa7NGkmZ4fB5r5T-g4LoEGYH0abvusYS7ZSpS75/s1000/Little%20Black%20Cormorants%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvy7JaG2pLjoqO4w2AkLkhd78QENQE2yURfuD-EexsDNtWVbY-a4tZOfVfwE9H7l_Y4vL7jzW3N5-f5-gPgHFvDTWKNCwsD9p70v3EB1FsWrNI5VrDNpNOD4YG5CPzJdvIWJ_c4YE4I2aN24UjRKa7NGkmZ4fB5r5T-g4LoEGYH0abvusYS7ZSpS75/w640-h224/Little%20Black%20Cormorants%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Black Cormorants <i>Phalacrocorax sulcirostris</i>, part of a large loose flock of hundreds, <br />fishing vigorously in a series of flooded billabongs on an anabranch of the Lachlan.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNLECfJBM6f6r8NYBSagct6XHSJ3rcFEEuHitmtSjWuFV0yve-g_B2gGAtwFaGoIFWkdQMKJziRfc3lGdjgqSbHe2sb-AGGri67IpTHk3_Ue7P6t8zX43z4qQHhKywvuCTeh5_g4h37mtwo5b-Srg7AoGZcOK7s5ifWy-d8gJWOZh7JFsTwCV4tiD/s800/Nankeen%20Night%20Heron%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNLECfJBM6f6r8NYBSagct6XHSJ3rcFEEuHitmtSjWuFV0yve-g_B2gGAtwFaGoIFWkdQMKJziRfc3lGdjgqSbHe2sb-AGGri67IpTHk3_Ue7P6t8zX43z4qQHhKywvuCTeh5_g4h37mtwo5b-Srg7AoGZcOK7s5ifWy-d8gJWOZh7JFsTwCV4tiD/w400-h300/Nankeen%20Night%20Heron%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nankeen Night Herons <span><i>Nycticorax caledonicus </i></span>were disturbed by us at various locations along <br />the waterways, roosting in the River Red Gums.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I spent quite some time slowly driving along the roads (not all of which are yet open to traffic) and examining the temporary wetlands - very satisfying indeed. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCIUnC_rqecVX8FrItYZQi83kIFNjMMb7CPModYHrfMvNsZw2shUn3RTs2qVaPhiSYx_7_SsDInKuYrjyXsBleb9WowK32balnaBZ7-_ntNFYGC0WGjjcRKqRRNP-dZanEvuu5vlLx2o6A1ORxxhVmIHQLQ0NjBLnXB_F_k-LIho1VFb-43-HRUyp/s1000/teal%20and%20stilts%20drying%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCIUnC_rqecVX8FrItYZQi83kIFNjMMb7CPModYHrfMvNsZw2shUn3RTs2qVaPhiSYx_7_SsDInKuYrjyXsBleb9WowK32balnaBZ7-_ntNFYGC0WGjjcRKqRRNP-dZanEvuu5vlLx2o6A1ORxxhVmIHQLQ0NjBLnXB_F_k-LIho1VFb-43-HRUyp/w640-h224/teal%20and%20stilts%20drying%20wetland%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the bare surrounds I suspect that this paddock was under water for some time,<br />though now drying. Here Grey Teal and Pied Stilts are making the most of what is left.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">One bird that I didn't expect to see was the Magpie Goose <span><i>Anseranas semipalmata</i>, the only member of its family of primitive duck-relations. They are abundant in the tropics but were almost exterminated in the south, though my impression is that they are making a come-back. I've recently seen them both at Forbes and Leeton, so I shouldn't have been too surprised to see flocks alighting just outside of Lake Cargelligo.</span><br /><span></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7HN5KAFbAwb0KtslXUIoDlBh1m0q-wrXC55KswjC65tLXtcJiVUhUzO6gfvQtwBrQh5kuId7vqSJncAmXypNBO4p-vxwQQzmsfPf8uvObeeFyCXVfUCMNcu6UuaPZWYiKObS_D5HE3rsEKkPGs8l7qzbIVu-bFNWUNfjp6dwZbZrhHwU8ZjRIrCG/s800/Magpie%20Geese%20dawn2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7HN5KAFbAwb0KtslXUIoDlBh1m0q-wrXC55KswjC65tLXtcJiVUhUzO6gfvQtwBrQh5kuId7vqSJncAmXypNBO4p-vxwQQzmsfPf8uvObeeFyCXVfUCMNcu6UuaPZWYiKObS_D5HE3rsEKkPGs8l7qzbIVu-bFNWUNfjp6dwZbZrhHwU8ZjRIrCG/w400-h300/Magpie%20Geese%20dawn2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dawn scene that could have been from Kakadu!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZQzgdeIUIqh4O9cwI5aAmNHi4YgklYmLWTU4D3LXS3c9ULkBRMiYUKWXAWRqcmfTxIJimOVAqetFofNY8vuUQj2uyPgWcenJEJXmNIkr6Qa4yR8KHSecj4fXvb-uvemAcautnxZHaQY-XaLRe3Mg7teJPo7E7bnPa2Sl3UgGvQZ6ZLwbSy0qSztL/s800/Magpie%20Goose%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZQzgdeIUIqh4O9cwI5aAmNHi4YgklYmLWTU4D3LXS3c9ULkBRMiYUKWXAWRqcmfTxIJimOVAqetFofNY8vuUQj2uyPgWcenJEJXmNIkr6Qa4yR8KHSecj4fXvb-uvemAcautnxZHaQY-XaLRe3Mg7teJPo7E7bnPa2Sl3UgGvQZ6ZLwbSy0qSztL/w400-h300/Magpie%20Goose%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can you <i>not </i>love a bird that seems to have inspired Daffy Duck?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">One of my favourite destinations in our recent visit was the wetland, just outside of town and by the roadside, that features in the first photo of this post. There was always something to see there; here are some representatives of them.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCDqx5X0xszwfLzHuDm26gkJr707EFXvMIWR3o42V5UHVsOQVOogKor5XI8f5f5ewBh2M1zg7bLh3xf51dVowPqC_w38KEcwdFsACbuNqD70CnKRtgH00SbaZ5ks77Q5jjPXDy1xTrQwqfQLtUGaVKTQQ0mqiT52op5RCBJU5PgvMsc61t55ingHa/s800/Pied%20Stilt%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCDqx5X0xszwfLzHuDm26gkJr707EFXvMIWR3o42V5UHVsOQVOogKor5XI8f5f5ewBh2M1zg7bLh3xf51dVowPqC_w38KEcwdFsACbuNqD70CnKRtgH00SbaZ5ks77Q5jjPXDy1xTrQwqfQLtUGaVKTQQ0mqiT52op5RCBJU5PgvMsc61t55ingHa/w400-h300/Pied%20Stilt%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Stilts were breeding there, but the chicks were staying low and away from the road.<br />I have a special affection for these birds, as one of my first birdwatching memories as a child<br />was a family holiday to Milang, a little town with lots of holiday shacks by Lake Alexandrina<br />near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia. I was delighted by the stilt colony<br />nearby, loud with their yapping like little dogs, and swirling as they took to the air trailing<br />impossibly long red legs - indeed the longest proportionally of any water bird.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6TnpOQvc1ppXaIfvNqZKlbG5xal2kcpN4iDiXeFwzeS5id1t8qLnL7GkiNfI4BnT71MzyL-VWLvrUKX9hKb8oGlrDk31iZvocRFvEAhgjW-rAMMwAI7nj3DPeOz-pGTlvM1LCgAekWBx-C_AK9KjkEwbZ-a2pwZAK3h1-8YYQaaT61Nsa1RgH_DU/s800/Spotted%20Crake2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6TnpOQvc1ppXaIfvNqZKlbG5xal2kcpN4iDiXeFwzeS5id1t8qLnL7GkiNfI4BnT71MzyL-VWLvrUKX9hKb8oGlrDk31iZvocRFvEAhgjW-rAMMwAI7nj3DPeOz-pGTlvM1LCgAekWBx-C_AK9KjkEwbZ-a2pwZAK3h1-8YYQaaT61Nsa1RgH_DU/w400-h300/Spotted%20Crake2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crakes are always a challenge and might or might not appear, but on our last<br />morning we found a spot where there always a few pottering about on the mud.<br />There were three species present but the Spotless Crake only appeared briefly.<br />There were several Australian Spotted Crakes <i>Porzana fluminea </i>however, <br />mostly tolerating but also sometimes harassing...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TDdXrb689g5yKc-oeaKkl4p98PXrzRLHEj6BGEoLaumge-edpDSkwd9Vv47BcZdTUAHTHOnHRwIRs89AJTb2T9tpb-SVCbR9Wrc-Xy5Y13O2kDqaUFxw_YEOZc1ATaMf4rkELwj55Bk2F79yoIDyKJrmpZr9tA6EPNp2xmPtDy1VqbLPhJkzX-OS/s800/Baillons%20Crake2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TDdXrb689g5yKc-oeaKkl4p98PXrzRLHEj6BGEoLaumge-edpDSkwd9Vv47BcZdTUAHTHOnHRwIRs89AJTb2T9tpb-SVCbR9Wrc-Xy5Y13O2kDqaUFxw_YEOZc1ATaMf4rkELwj55Bk2F79yoIDyKJrmpZr9tA6EPNp2xmPtDy1VqbLPhJkzX-OS/w400-h300/Baillons%20Crake2%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... the even smaller Baillon's Crakes <span><i>Zapornia pusilla</i>. This one was actually across<br />the road, atypically running along a fallen eucalypt sapling in the water, presmably<br />because there was no exposed mud here.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The most impressive collection of large waders however was in a flooded paddock on the road to Hillston. The attraction was a major kill of young carp, probably due to a 'hypoxic blackwater' incident, in which the organic matter on the surface of the land covered by floodwater oxidises and breaks down removing crucial oxygen from the water.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGvTClWVhhpbNXvlfOo6IeYODlSbNOG9lEQ73GZO58zuqO8BINsi6aVCFZq-uNK6mBZ96FCN0rWT_nhDqBDFfOmz_PIxHVnFZWBvj3TEBvgZNwb31J7FjyoCOkjMMXIo9A8hTrq0zdjM4sa4_G_IsCxLC0TXOEjcfsWapDJ1QoLJ-rLXVW9f24MGm/s800/dead%20carp%20in%20drying%20wetland%20near%20Hillston1%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGvTClWVhhpbNXvlfOo6IeYODlSbNOG9lEQ73GZO58zuqO8BINsi6aVCFZq-uNK6mBZ96FCN0rWT_nhDqBDFfOmz_PIxHVnFZWBvj3TEBvgZNwb31J7FjyoCOkjMMXIo9A8hTrq0zdjM4sa4_G_IsCxLC0TXOEjcfsWapDJ1QoLJ-rLXVW9f24MGm/w400-h300/dead%20carp%20in%20drying%20wetland%20near%20Hillston1%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead and dying carp rimmed the shoreline for hundreds of metres; doubtless there were still<br />numerous live ones remaining too, for a while at least. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And herons, especially White-necked Herons <i>Ardea pacifica</i> and Great Egrets <i>Ardea alba,</i> were there in their hundreds, creating a truly splendid spectacle.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZzxxOzJ4KNNTt6kLWviNL0fNnzagLYXQe6iv6aahc2UaKGhLcDOsExuu0Q6cCXXovjj3iu8zU6L6V-cFDTER_GydtIgrcq9vYu_WUEbOGlE_ENCky83G9FGirf5T_xLLTX43MXpFQ711kH7mraZxLfjoiajnF92E1Ne3yR1HP0WIv0MTk5a4J2OP/s1000/herons%20in%20flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston5%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZzxxOzJ4KNNTt6kLWviNL0fNnzagLYXQe6iv6aahc2UaKGhLcDOsExuu0Q6cCXXovjj3iu8zU6L6V-cFDTER_GydtIgrcq9vYu_WUEbOGlE_ENCky83G9FGirf5T_xLLTX43MXpFQ711kH7mraZxLfjoiajnF92E1Ne3yR1HP0WIv0MTk5a4J2OP/w640-h224/herons%20in%20flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston5%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was only a small part of the vast mixed flock of big herons, with birds constantly coming and <br />going, and some near the road taking to the wing when trucks roared by.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjk6gbo3i-W7Y6EylQdz47Etyf8UQG95YkGsILUr3ci8Wx2cXQIrHS29tVG4Gz1YL1hFRZ_9tcysaKRLLPRAkZdAbLmwoTD_lUBof2NRSUgbvzky_vUa4DmaZJXVjGfA6v9ZqHzcR6uGq4WiiwmsAy18My7YtfcS9q1MYN2JAVfhaNdYmKvcbwY04/s800/herons%20in%20flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston6%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjk6gbo3i-W7Y6EylQdz47Etyf8UQG95YkGsILUr3ci8Wx2cXQIrHS29tVG4Gz1YL1hFRZ_9tcysaKRLLPRAkZdAbLmwoTD_lUBof2NRSUgbvzky_vUa4DmaZJXVjGfA6v9ZqHzcR6uGq4WiiwmsAy18My7YtfcS9q1MYN2JAVfhaNdYmKvcbwY04/w400-h300/herons%20in%20flooded%20paddock%20near%20Hillston6%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both these species, though far from uncommon, are generally fairly solitary birds<br />and I found this agglomeration mesmerising. I wish I could better convey to you <br />the sheer grandeur of the numbers!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>More, I hope I've been able to excite you with what is going on out on the plains. The birds will start to scatter soon as the water recedes further and I hope some of them come your way. Meantime, if you can still get out to where the floodwaters still lie, I'm sure it will enthral you as much it did us. And if you're in the area, you could do a lot worse than visit Lake Cargelligo.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7-Yd6rgC_b44ux5nN0MF32LY9_KTwwE-L8eU4d7VWWSWYddY33wGf_teltFbatgbDiOG3F50bDPFh5YG-FeGqBDdcG6ZZbOUChhdMMVO_hZKMSOyGUTTSMJfLvfZtoG6JNZyCkML5WMtUPyx33vWUtTgFVJ9VcpTr-XTVxTTL9fu0JTPF-07eCxx/s1000/sunrise%20over%20wetland3%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="1000" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7-Yd6rgC_b44ux5nN0MF32LY9_KTwwE-L8eU4d7VWWSWYddY33wGf_teltFbatgbDiOG3F50bDPFh5YG-FeGqBDdcG6ZZbOUChhdMMVO_hZKMSOyGUTTSMJfLvfZtoG6JNZyCkML5WMtUPyx33vWUtTgFVJ9VcpTr-XTVxTTL9fu0JTPF-07eCxx/w640-h237/sunrise%20over%20wetland3%20Lake%20Cargelligo%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Lake Cargelligo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 13 APRIL</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Today, as promised, I'll conclude the short series with some of the animals of the park that we have encountered there, though of course there were many others that I didn't manage to photograph. Birds are usually the most obvious animals in any area, so I'll start with them. Curiously I've found the campground itself, though within forest and encompassing many original trees, to be generally pretty bereft of birds for no obvious reason. There is one rather entertaining exception however.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xBEc6rj4iR38fq7GEQ2QEHiNFWqPpMrKcHok7DfAAW2bpeo9jpLwhNv_lv2m1Br0WBwVRrxoniUmgglcd9Vv9C2wzewTT2GVagS6w_u8bG7gdfudcTDfu20X0EC3NFxz4ZGuq_E4jN1uHdr3_fnX0Vj9-i8Kr4ZdfSoVsW921yLt2mBaOPHx4bcr/s800/Wonga%20Pigeon%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xBEc6rj4iR38fq7GEQ2QEHiNFWqPpMrKcHok7DfAAW2bpeo9jpLwhNv_lv2m1Br0WBwVRrxoniUmgglcd9Vv9C2wzewTT2GVagS6w_u8bG7gdfudcTDfu20X0EC3NFxz4ZGuq_E4jN1uHdr3_fnX0Vj9-i8Kr4ZdfSoVsW921yLt2mBaOPHx4bcr/w400-h300/Wonga%20Pigeon%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is definitely a Pigeon With a Purpose! Wonga Pigeons <i>Leucosarcia melanoleuca</i> are big<br />ground-feeding pigeons, usually of wetter forests, along the east coast and ranges of<br />Australia. They feed on the ground, on fallen fruit and seeds, following a regular route to <br />and through feeding areas.They're often shy, but not this one! It behaves like a 'normal' Wonga<br />in following a path at regular intervals, alongside and through the campground, including<br />camp sites though without seemingly looking for food scraps.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">In the heath is another often elusive pigeon - at least there were quite a few in 2022, but I couldn't find a single one on this occasion, an anomaly which I'm unable to explain. Brush Bronzewings <i>Phaps elegans</i> are a little smaller than the more familar Common Bronzewing <i>C. chalcoptera</i>, and more brightly coloured. They occupy a range of habitats in coastal and hinterlands in the south-east and and south-west of the country, but I associate them particularly with coastal heaths.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgYfLOXi406pF3GZWyuMETFhnuzZTCqRLRRmr6d6R2qLlj-a2b6N2TJVAXGbsm9Sl4e3NX_SA-QeUKFD2gTEM71F4bdPRfc279arHDbWr0P5x3b8f1hqEL7DbV0Sbgijo5BB1waqtpHuhSBja9LoByFqTEmYSaUJjkLwozi_tYt1P9vWYy-ssIKRW/s800/Brush%20Bronzewing6%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgYfLOXi406pF3GZWyuMETFhnuzZTCqRLRRmr6d6R2qLlj-a2b6N2TJVAXGbsm9Sl4e3NX_SA-QeUKFD2gTEM71F4bdPRfc279arHDbWr0P5x3b8f1hqEL7DbV0Sbgijo5BB1waqtpHuhSBja9LoByFqTEmYSaUJjkLwozi_tYt1P9vWYy-ssIKRW/w400-h300/Brush%20Bronzewing6%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brush Bronzewing perched unusually in the open, on a dull early morning.<br />They really are a lovely bird, even in this dull light.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bittangabee Bay area (where the campground is) is noted for its population of human-tolerant Superb Lyrebirds, though we'd managed to miss them last year. This time however we were well aware of them, and in particular one afternoon we were treated to a wonderful lyrebird 'private time'. The male was perched in the shade at about eye level, preening as all birds must do daily, but also seemingly absent-mindedly quietly running through his repertoire of bird-song mimicry. It was a bit like peeping at him through a window, except that he knew full well we were there. I guess he was just rehearsing the words in preparation for his season of display performances in autumn-winter. Obviously it wasn't for our benefit, but we were entranced.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUIKeH8J7XkxIDCHBHhagT5fdidgpVRbNnH6pJhwoRsUQlny_kYj9pxrLsAfMy74LZ5kOPYNTlo61SnYWebnKi0flHWXKglYOLFGg3zgOUDtpKQtc51QJ7yxfW4OXjkXfqe_eZ9K07qty78JF6UIIiiFCFKm4msOs28j_dXxpLb70dqhCK9LXxNKc/s800/Superb%20Lyrebird7%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUIKeH8J7XkxIDCHBHhagT5fdidgpVRbNnH6pJhwoRsUQlny_kYj9pxrLsAfMy74LZ5kOPYNTlo61SnYWebnKi0flHWXKglYOLFGg3zgOUDtpKQtc51QJ7yxfW4OXjkXfqe_eZ9K07qty78JF6UIIiiFCFKm4msOs28j_dXxpLb70dqhCK9LXxNKc/w300-h400/Superb%20Lyrebird7%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Superb Lyrebird <i>Menura</i> <i>novaehollandiae, </i>rehearsing his repertoire of <br />other birds' songs, while preening.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscy8QgDvpa9nY0Umh2zeERMiWwjvFPP4-Ak5w5MsbHg4Mz6XMN8oyi88FHJpzhzI9v32XqGmfRMmtfUtXApybZ1fSPJpTKPU950eQepldJd-CqFeQyAIoBdZHePYorMgoPM3yxdzYK4nfiYYLIjFoyfRhcsULkBI9WrtkMI_EhZH5FbqdLMlbuahE/s800/Superb%20Lyrebird2%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscy8QgDvpa9nY0Umh2zeERMiWwjvFPP4-Ak5w5MsbHg4Mz6XMN8oyi88FHJpzhzI9v32XqGmfRMmtfUtXApybZ1fSPJpTKPU950eQepldJd-CqFeQyAIoBdZHePYorMgoPM3yxdzYK4nfiYYLIjFoyfRhcsULkBI9WrtkMI_EhZH5FbqdLMlbuahE/w300-h400/Superb%20Lyrebird2%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a front view, especially of the wonderful tail. It does sort of look like<br />an upside-down lyre, but he never carries it upright like one - the bird was named<br />from stuffed specimens.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0rqroNTiUuGtUcpXOmayIfmXy96H9qGvNf4ySx8rEDvaXh-DvGLkr1AIZ_lqA2_01aVvzUA9W8N-NYCcGGJtA3nR1-fnppDk42-7a3Cem-7MU4Jb_J6UuF-VsTYA0Solfyl1LxBAoyBKZ4uzjXl6DQiFcBMdd670xTMAVFVGY1pd6e-fDGC-Yad0/s800/Superb%20Lyrebird8%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0rqroNTiUuGtUcpXOmayIfmXy96H9qGvNf4ySx8rEDvaXh-DvGLkr1AIZ_lqA2_01aVvzUA9W8N-NYCcGGJtA3nR1-fnppDk42-7a3Cem-7MU4Jb_J6UuF-VsTYA0Solfyl1LxBAoyBKZ4uzjXl6DQiFcBMdd670xTMAVFVGY1pd6e-fDGC-Yad0/w400-h300/Superb%20Lyrebird8%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually, with a showy flounce of wings and tail (which I didn't quite catch)<br />he hopped down and resumed his business of foraging for small animals in the litter.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">More familiar birds were in the forest around the camp; both of these I could see from time to time at home, but it's different when they're in another setting.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmqCXAPerG9nahq_V5cJSq8IPbCkeVreSMZaeZtW4s3BM_6tglzQXehx1WadsxLMiq1zY9dBvPW_S5XQC2Fn8fyAOT36mOParlIbr_HSfF6tNq4zuzPM6CSkKem2B004n3azlR6HPHPv3oVNTzJUAcODV99LBx42L8WiCh4wJBlC6YR-mb6SAp0Vl/s800/Grey%20Butcherbird%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmqCXAPerG9nahq_V5cJSq8IPbCkeVreSMZaeZtW4s3BM_6tglzQXehx1WadsxLMiq1zY9dBvPW_S5XQC2Fn8fyAOT36mOParlIbr_HSfF6tNq4zuzPM6CSkKem2B004n3azlR6HPHPv3oVNTzJUAcODV99LBx42L8WiCh4wJBlC6YR-mb6SAp0Vl/w400-h300/Grey%20Butcherbird%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Butcherbird <i>Cracticus torquatus</i> taking a brief break from proclaiming his<br />territory on the edge of the campground. (This, the day we left, was the only <br />really sunny one we had.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NOF4Yv5iP8Dbrly7sn465nVZJZ6NOfdKA-j_68vfIiCJg9QaC81_4kuUmRxWuwRvpWlx18Uiv3Tg4WybMMJ3G6amJjs1z4Iv4sw6rMBhS-XusE5YQWqq2kGkLh_frzsapW-9tSb8dC3iTPZ9Bl3r7zDKmIfaEElbHedkNpUvHdd45Lhb0zJBcVR4/s800/Yello-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NOF4Yv5iP8Dbrly7sn465nVZJZ6NOfdKA-j_68vfIiCJg9QaC81_4kuUmRxWuwRvpWlx18Uiv3Tg4WybMMJ3G6amJjs1z4Iv4sw6rMBhS-XusE5YQWqq2kGkLh_frzsapW-9tSb8dC3iTPZ9Bl3r7zDKmIfaEElbHedkNpUvHdd45Lhb0zJBcVR4/w400-h300/Yello-tailed%20Black-Cockatoo%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo <i>Zanda funerea</i>, on a much more typically dull morning.<br />They were foraging on banksia cones in the burnt area just down the entrance road.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">At the Green Cape Lighthouse lookout were some seabirds, but not many species at the time. In fact here (where I went early each morning) I saw only three species utilising the sea. One is widespread in Australia, the other two not so much.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjihv1mSlD9Bb1jf1V7YwBkUMlOvHuieHDAjqF4LQwejM29QjoZNCL6_dvvrK7agvOWFIBofsjutniuRk17rzEdhtj6PMqDzU8fRFsuMixSjh15N5SZOEfw62KHAOBvJGzN1J4S6C2FmZ4jPnXwyTQKaNjTaELcGmJoUlJeVzvna8rVSHJE3t9iHwn/s1000/Great%20Cormorants%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjihv1mSlD9Bb1jf1V7YwBkUMlOvHuieHDAjqF4LQwejM29QjoZNCL6_dvvrK7agvOWFIBofsjutniuRk17rzEdhtj6PMqDzU8fRFsuMixSjh15N5SZOEfw62KHAOBvJGzN1J4S6C2FmZ4jPnXwyTQKaNjTaELcGmJoUlJeVzvna8rVSHJE3t9iHwn/w640-h224/Great%20Cormorants%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Cormorants <i>Phalacrocorax carbo </i>on a little rocky island off the cape; they can be found on <br />any water throughout Australia, as well as around the coast.<i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uMiMFnBmdFn0_CPBZIsbq8RCHqm0ZfDfZGnOaqPJKcvbHtVMEdmgss19Q3Cg6ovas207DDa5PwCDV2P6L60MpBCGvL_w9ZyJpArmuA8RkOftaFgoS_hSf3lbRac1ktw0zXN7M7VNhloYJFsGbqfI4h1hvT1b-rycPflhL7wOR7P1nexW45t3ktN6/s800/White-bellied%20Sea-eagle%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uMiMFnBmdFn0_CPBZIsbq8RCHqm0ZfDfZGnOaqPJKcvbHtVMEdmgss19Q3Cg6ovas207DDa5PwCDV2P6L60MpBCGvL_w9ZyJpArmuA8RkOftaFgoS_hSf3lbRac1ktw0zXN7M7VNhloYJFsGbqfI4h1hvT1b-rycPflhL7wOR7P1nexW45t3ktN6/w400-h300/White-bellied%20Sea-eagle%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-bellied Sea-eagle <i>Haliaeetus leucogaster</i>; it's not often I get to see these <br />magnificent birds from above.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The other ocean birds present were by far the most abundant, but too far off shore to photograph.There were probably two species of shearwaters present (Wedge-tailed Shearwaters <i>Ardenna pacifica</i> and Short-tailed <i>Ardenna tenuirostris</i>) but most were beyond the range of my binoculars (or skills!).<i> </i>Some on-site information makes mention of watching them migrating daily, but I think that's a bit of a furphy - they can hardly be migrating past for the six months they are here, many of them breeding. Rather they forage daily flying back and forth offshore, and far out to sea. (Short-taileds spend the southern winter in the Arctic North Pacific, but Wedge-taileds go only to the tropics north of Australia.)<br /></div></div><div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">The artificially grassy areas where heathland has been cleared around the lighthouse has attracted some common open country species including Australian Pipits <i>Anthus australis.</i><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlAGSPnNaOQnJx_mNT3upih856hp4cJVWuz2aC1w6POHyCpqUzNScV1wwJ0aHtxWN0zjoqTit_qski9TacnQ173DGDrVgZRMzHNcYW6C0LgpXPCfI2vF-Lo7YrytKaxkXTz4hj8ym4xyImderP-i_0Z_4ygb0mi8sj1j3q1zJrA7WslYqfvtOyewW/s800/Aust%20Pipit%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlAGSPnNaOQnJx_mNT3upih856hp4cJVWuz2aC1w6POHyCpqUzNScV1wwJ0aHtxWN0zjoqTit_qski9TacnQ173DGDrVgZRMzHNcYW6C0LgpXPCfI2vF-Lo7YrytKaxkXTz4hj8ym4xyImderP-i_0Z_4ygb0mi8sj1j3q1zJrA7WslYqfvtOyewW/w400-h300/Aust%20Pipit%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Pipit on the raised boardwalk to the lighthouse lookout.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">But it's heathland where I spent most of my time. Here are three more heath specialists (along with the Brush Bronzewing) which caught my attention.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnF53e7wOgqqYSMOAKRpcYhsvofzBrro-StGVJSpOr9Hak2VovJ5D_6GTYL__9ceq56gcc-B2RNY0tuAaPpd_Sw6vnklmJwX8qofA20kGIpUERtA9wBQINLddBPnUP5qH0906fZw7l9OZXvzlILInoQTjOeuADRVVafughf7pe_FgwJSIDByiCux6C/s800/Tawny-crowned%20HE1%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnF53e7wOgqqYSMOAKRpcYhsvofzBrro-StGVJSpOr9Hak2VovJ5D_6GTYL__9ceq56gcc-B2RNY0tuAaPpd_Sw6vnklmJwX8qofA20kGIpUERtA9wBQINLddBPnUP5qH0906fZw7l9OZXvzlILInoQTjOeuADRVVafughf7pe_FgwJSIDByiCux6C/w400-h300/Tawny-crowned%20HE1%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters <i>Gliciphila melanops</i> have always been a favourite of mine,<br />very distinctive (in fact the only member of their genus), and with a lovely and unusual fluting call. They are found in coastal heaths from northern NSW to south-west WA, with a break across the Nullarbor. (Curiously the estimable CSIRO's <i>Australian Bird Guide</i> excludes the WA population from its distribution map, at least in the first edition.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">But my main focus this time was on finding and even (for the first time) photographing Southern Emu-wrens, which are common enough in these heaths, but very skulky and, to my ageing ears, inaudible! I failed last time here, but this time went out early each morning walking on likely tracks. (I would also have liked to stumble on a Ground Parrot, but no point in over-optimism!) On the third morning of this I'd pretty much given up but decided before knocking off to drive slowly along a track I'd already walked, just in case. A Striated Fieldwren (another I'd have loved a photo of) flew across and perched briefly on a dead banksia, then dropped into the undergrowth. I thought I might as well have a try, and got out and 'swished' to attract its attention. It dutifully popped back up and perched again - and as I watched through the binoculars it was joined briefly by an emuwren! I was delighted; my shot of the two of them was blurry (probably hands shaking!) but I got just one of the wren on its own, in poor light, but a lot better than nothing. <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnOhgefUodalINW8LlFgXoCCHyAa4fwe8_b9QDfQoIgPC_8U_MsM7M-4UNaKIk9aLeE3UDiap801EuBJF7hGvH-J43B1zSRMOWBhGVANwHpFVEj2qeT17a8zqnECeei1YM69iVgGadRvV6aQWx90XAvWx9Bworg4WzUkPwGqAD2Yz9brmUomIMZ0H/s800/Southern%20Emuwren%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnOhgefUodalINW8LlFgXoCCHyAa4fwe8_b9QDfQoIgPC_8U_MsM7M-4UNaKIk9aLeE3UDiap801EuBJF7hGvH-J43B1zSRMOWBhGVANwHpFVEj2qeT17a8zqnECeei1YM69iVgGadRvV6aQWx90XAvWx9Bworg4WzUkPwGqAD2Yz9brmUomIMZ0H/w400-h299/Southern%20Emuwren%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Southern Emuwren <i>Stipiturus malachurus </i>(she doesn't have a blue throat) showing<br />off the wispy tail which gives him the 'emu' part of the name.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA3Ow5GE3kDwOTZ1kMMfhGt8PlWvJaTlAcupyGuYyJJ5EjVH4GpVhtczJCfloIUBVEdvs1GkjLBT4GMU8hMGR-Cu6dza323HYMxowXWyisevQV3di6zWN_05tOkNhNOlWhNcy1Z3QN1OX-KuuBucqV8wfSiiYcgh2rIqN-ar8ZaD_TMQYfj26Xp0d/s800/Striated%20Fieldwren%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA3Ow5GE3kDwOTZ1kMMfhGt8PlWvJaTlAcupyGuYyJJ5EjVH4GpVhtczJCfloIUBVEdvs1GkjLBT4GMU8hMGR-Cu6dza323HYMxowXWyisevQV3di6zWN_05tOkNhNOlWhNcy1Z3QN1OX-KuuBucqV8wfSiiYcgh2rIqN-ar8ZaD_TMQYfj26Xp0d/w400-h300/Striated%20Fieldwren%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And as a bonus, the Striated Fieldwren <i>Calamanthus fuliginosus </i>proceeded to behave<br />very amenably for me. Found in coastal heaths of south-eastern Australia from Sydney <br />to South Australia, and throughout Tasmania, it is regarded as threatened due to habitat loss. <i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Invertebrates are of course always evident, though not always photographable or, in my case, identifiable. Here are some which did stay still for long enough and, in all but one case, were recognisable even by me (or by someone I know!).</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhWhqpa9udPAE24Gg0T3IAatwMnbU6vFNO-coWBVR5QEXXEsTMj7vpliPj2SGlZaSoboyy8y_uVI9pzJ5sE5Ohwg8oAyJK3WmvEt5vABnLfHrw10XoNTx2SO2e8OJzimgFrxZPwjHzsPdxank7XO-RLGjf9dRb6m9c5PzBIaxlvgZirlrmvgjoPYT/s800/Austroargiolestes%20icteromelas%20male%20Common%20Flatwing%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhWhqpa9udPAE24Gg0T3IAatwMnbU6vFNO-coWBVR5QEXXEsTMj7vpliPj2SGlZaSoboyy8y_uVI9pzJ5sE5Ohwg8oAyJK3WmvEt5vABnLfHrw10XoNTx2SO2e8OJzimgFrxZPwjHzsPdxank7XO-RLGjf9dRb6m9c5PzBIaxlvgZirlrmvgjoPYT/w400-h300/Austroargiolestes%20icteromelas%20male%20Common%20Flatwing%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Common Flatwing <i>Austroargiolestes icteromelas;</i> thanks Harvey!<br />This is a common eastern Australian damselfly.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb47Euwsjoi2Y83STg9lkNBnqtmojUYEj7KPZMPUPl7AgppmLf0EXovEFr3L_b5q85B1IuuPSyjjQHMtSP5d5gkve1ZBZA7HnWLF2ylC28fdodkRSgyk1_0DuASIk6tuRkjjeP0mhy_cCTcERYklTPU5zgnozC4EJGlWsOs81pGfI0l1Ai087-iu6/s800/scarab%20beetle%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb47Euwsjoi2Y83STg9lkNBnqtmojUYEj7KPZMPUPl7AgppmLf0EXovEFr3L_b5q85B1IuuPSyjjQHMtSP5d5gkve1ZBZA7HnWLF2ylC28fdodkRSgyk1_0DuASIk6tuRkjjeP0mhy_cCTcERYklTPU5zgnozC4EJGlWsOs81pGfI0l1Ai087-iu6/w400-h300/scarab%20beetle%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scarab beetle, but that's as far as I'm prepared to go! Too attractive to ignore though.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And of course in summer there will be butterflies; here are just three.<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINBY-o8A3n7qoNhxAnuV6HCSduhqHnDkSaUQ_P-nsrebjeiBzNYXlEiOxrE9f1ic9nmczMSsPtcaT_q9JtCVeexcyjseRuW-VvhmIi1jzkhDNH0u0Ik2B1ql6zIaqaX4MBAUHObCG84ms9GKVcoK268jMZt6txCsg7jeh1Tu35CWgSfcD8sCgbW7h/s800/Hypocista%20metirius%20Brown%20Ringlet2%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINBY-o8A3n7qoNhxAnuV6HCSduhqHnDkSaUQ_P-nsrebjeiBzNYXlEiOxrE9f1ic9nmczMSsPtcaT_q9JtCVeexcyjseRuW-VvhmIi1jzkhDNH0u0Ik2B1ql6zIaqaX4MBAUHObCG84ms9GKVcoK268jMZt6txCsg7jeh1Tu35CWgSfcD8sCgbW7h/w400-h300/Hypocista%20metirius%20Brown%20Ringlet2%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Ringlet <i>Hypocista metirius</i>, a common little butterfly of the east coast; Family Nymphalidae.<br />Fortunately for me they tend to keep near the ground and rest regularly!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO2KcuOe9GD3SfTumACkdpSvfBdb0tamVOn_669qsNu2oxrseJGsRY28clgSHg7dsw1dr4NdurxBtlbs52BuPDsLwdejzk4U-gJGJzjxQNFDn4kXDk0u9Wn2gwMlovqnuTHxMVNfhjKzzT5tg8CB1WHJjKxGazH6HnpbW_MBEyySuEMBYfeqUyJ4x/s800/Trapezites%20symmomus%20Splendid%20Ochre%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO2KcuOe9GD3SfTumACkdpSvfBdb0tamVOn_669qsNu2oxrseJGsRY28clgSHg7dsw1dr4NdurxBtlbs52BuPDsLwdejzk4U-gJGJzjxQNFDn4kXDk0u9Wn2gwMlovqnuTHxMVNfhjKzzT5tg8CB1WHJjKxGazH6HnpbW_MBEyySuEMBYfeqUyJ4x/w400-h300/Trapezites%20symmomus%20Splendid%20Ochre%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splendid Ochre <i>Trapezites symmomus</i>, a very handsome butterfly indeed; Family Hesperiidae.<br />The larvae feed on matrushes, <i>Lomandra </i>spp.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YAdj2pakQRxDnt98C4FVS6Y0-lDG8ZDoXOlT53Z90SDoC_HsvpQNJsoso_CBIlD1PX8pnTfNIoAeF8eG3SSbLItmDA01yfNdkPt4RE8aiOfjNJWLY9ml4jBXjrUqStcAPKClRAzJaQ7YksXmcKvcZvdsSrerrQ5cpqbNyEij0hPSUJawZZc1aW8H/s800/Varied%20Swordgrass%20Brown%20Tisiphone%20abeona%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YAdj2pakQRxDnt98C4FVS6Y0-lDG8ZDoXOlT53Z90SDoC_HsvpQNJsoso_CBIlD1PX8pnTfNIoAeF8eG3SSbLItmDA01yfNdkPt4RE8aiOfjNJWLY9ml4jBXjrUqStcAPKClRAzJaQ7YksXmcKvcZvdsSrerrQ5cpqbNyEij0hPSUJawZZc1aW8H/w400-h300/Varied%20Swordgrass%20Brown%20Tisiphone%20abeona%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Varied Swordgrass Brown <i>Tisiphone abeona</i>, another nymph.<br />This one specialises in saw-sedges, <i>Gahnia </i>spp., like the one it's resting on.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Mammals are always present, though not necessarily obvious in the daytime. Here are three exceptions to the last comment, but first some observations on one nocturnal visitor to our camp which I didn't photograph but can't ignore! I've lived alongside Brushtailed Possums <i>Trichosurus vulpeculus</i> for much of my life, but never met one as contemptuously disrespectful of humans as this one. One night it scrambled onto the little shelf on the side of the camper van and knocked various condiment bottles to the ground, miraculously failing to break any. On another it knocked down a large bottle of cooking oil, this time dislodging the lid. When I approached it, it continued lapping up the oil and refused to even acknowledge me until I took its booty away. After that everything was locked away at night but on the last night it somehow forced its way under the zip of the van door and, without us hearing, found and devoured a banana near our feet, peel and all, and left half a sweet potato for me to find in the morning before forcing its way out again. And I refuse to feel guilty for 'feeding the wildlife' on this occasion!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A more demure neighbour was this Black-tailed (or Swamp) Wallaby <i>Wallabia bicolor</i>, which brought its pouch joey while it browsed on Pittosporum foliage by the camp but didn't even ask for, let alone steal, our food. <br /></div></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tk-Cb1n6cZc3rQS-2Ys7YJ3zgwUoDWvR3HKYLYJVsPV5z58S95YBlzwSXO4Gof800wqqQuIUKartjvnIObg8IcYVJIS0aQcnB3JmNpmS4XZrwZ6cwp0UC-5sr1Jzks3S4G-TnXkedm8OARRKdlTTV9K_BjDglv_EXQl9gqSw9sLVRJkvW42ZOpNH/s800/Swamp%20Wallaby2%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tk-Cb1n6cZc3rQS-2Ys7YJ3zgwUoDWvR3HKYLYJVsPV5z58S95YBlzwSXO4Gof800wqqQuIUKartjvnIObg8IcYVJIS0aQcnB3JmNpmS4XZrwZ6cwp0UC-5sr1Jzks3S4G-TnXkedm8OARRKdlTTV9K_BjDglv_EXQl9gqSw9sLVRJkvW42ZOpNH/w400-h300/Swamp%20Wallaby2%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-tailed Wallabies are interesting in having no close relatives among the kangaroos.<br />They tend to be browsers (ie on leaves of bushes and trees) rather than grazers (on grass leaves).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>One morning early I was walking to the lighthouse when I nearly collided with another stroller who suddenly emerged from a tunnel in the heath, which doubtless led to a burrow, without paying due attention to oncoming traffic.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqnjI_rkoACdKXCQyFZ1nCaJsIvsM-kPD_tqzbnq-9ESAb9TEVcT36GxOqFBIiJK0z_r3n_UrTOuS8c8AFxsOPYKJgvu-VgDErRmAf9Bl1AdWpGZpawtUcgfDXjKzQpGEENZlxXva1id1xoNX6vjG1rkjpJLyjv_yJ6Tk_ZmkentY_7A4CPBFBYwX/s800/Common%20Wombat%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqnjI_rkoACdKXCQyFZ1nCaJsIvsM-kPD_tqzbnq-9ESAb9TEVcT36GxOqFBIiJK0z_r3n_UrTOuS8c8AFxsOPYKJgvu-VgDErRmAf9Bl1AdWpGZpawtUcgfDXjKzQpGEENZlxXva1id1xoNX6vjG1rkjpJLyjv_yJ6Tk_ZmkentY_7A4CPBFBYwX/w400-h300/Common%20Wombat%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Wombats <i>Vombatus ursinus </i>are indeed common around here where the sandy soils<br />are ideal for burrow construction, but aren't often encountered during the day.<i><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Off the shore to the left of the headland lookout beyond the lighthouse a regular feature is a gathering of Australian Fur Seals <i>Arctocephalus pusillus,<b> </b></i>said to be young males, just lolling in the swell. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2kPLN961EUr7zS0AOhdD7BYajDP5zz-cQyFlluyokELrv9oShqvaGK9-wk6tRaI9t-jertGn4eNkjg6i-stAoSpzEA4_Kp7sDIo6E_L41Qun5nuEHNtZpAAVFm-rOlodAWPrmxRsTclLOFBXEzzdUcN3wuVOlKnQyc3kuuBQfcF-9-AvilzByZgg/s800/Fur%20Seals%20flippering%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2kPLN961EUr7zS0AOhdD7BYajDP5zz-cQyFlluyokELrv9oShqvaGK9-wk6tRaI9t-jertGn4eNkjg6i-stAoSpzEA4_Kp7sDIo6E_L41Qun5nuEHNtZpAAVFm-rOlodAWPrmxRsTclLOFBXEzzdUcN3wuVOlKnQyc3kuuBQfcF-9-AvilzByZgg/w400-h300/Fur%20Seals%20flippering%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The extended flippers are apparently acting as heat dispersers. This may seem odd in <br />these cold waters, but it seems that after vigorous pursuits of fish underwater the body<br />can overheat due to the thick layer of insulating fat.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">After the last post, one anonymous reader predicted that I would discuss both shearwater and Humpback Whale migrations here. See above re the shearwaters, but I'll leave the whales for now. All along the east coast they move north to the tropics in winter to breed, then return towards the Antarctic in spring. The lighthouse area is a good place to watch them go by, though I've not been there at the right time to see them here. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This time the honour of closing out the post goes to the reptiles! Inevitably in summer they were prominent, but a couple really stood out for me. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5i0EmS43-VQxEfTr30nGB4Ps3MW7IVmq9U_WaYbFomWVoRllAzzmkFoJq9mxyn7FGTtVOi0i2yrQAfWR5eOMoCFft6CmelNmxkvf7BUMG2k28EZRU7YNggwivl1Lob9yVEgPRbW3ytGz-hjaLG_v9c8azgJ0APJllU3xJ5FstMoZvs30V-htKWgE/s800/Amphibolurus%20muricatus1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5i0EmS43-VQxEfTr30nGB4Ps3MW7IVmq9U_WaYbFomWVoRllAzzmkFoJq9mxyn7FGTtVOi0i2yrQAfWR5eOMoCFft6CmelNmxkvf7BUMG2k28EZRU7YNggwivl1Lob9yVEgPRbW3ytGz-hjaLG_v9c8azgJ0APJllU3xJ5FstMoZvs30V-htKWgE/w400-h300/Amphibolurus%20muricatus1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacky Dragons <i>Amphibolurus muricatus</i> were seemingly everywhere, especially in the heath.<br />They are common along the south-east coast and in the highlands, and were one of the<br />first Australian reptiles to be formally named in English, from the Sydney colony in 1790.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Of more interest though - in that I'd not seen it before - was this large legless lizard (about half a metre long), the Common Scalyfoot <i>Pygopus lepidopodus, </i>which I initially mistook for a snake.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYuwgPdQDWXYibWK1rrTy7fvUxvb81tBXV_lXLtrJZX3lxb5xk2t9l1uaPyw3PdeGYW_wPqmHuIvfkUpCUxKbNOlDyNAbjj8i34_opN5O0VtzhhUoX8LMJUjoulBFQPA6UFGpsu1--dnRoqoMp6lFChsMCHfG5bcdNeG8EYb1V0fhrIXgTxRfiEp/s800/Pygopus%20lepidopodus2%20Common%20Scalyfoot%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYuwgPdQDWXYibWK1rrTy7fvUxvb81tBXV_lXLtrJZX3lxb5xk2t9l1uaPyw3PdeGYW_wPqmHuIvfkUpCUxKbNOlDyNAbjj8i34_opN5O0VtzhhUoX8LMJUjoulBFQPA6UFGpsu1--dnRoqoMp6lFChsMCHfG5bcdNeG8EYb1V0fhrIXgTxRfiEp/w400-h300/Pygopus%20lepidopodus2%20Common%20Scalyfoot%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're normally active early or late in the day, not mid-afternoon.<br />The grey-rusty-grey colour scheme (ie for head-body-tail) is typical.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9BNiXw_5AaiHYUO3BHbERsyCzWqrr0q-S6wYyXC4drwsfycjfoMbPmAhfGcQs9ZZ3ACPE71_C9QrRb97Pqddx9TCY1-WogAhkPCpBocgNPa-mrkkVf4N2oPgMznbl7Qk27yw7dOCHUhpn6eG-wk3HrCkZ81C-eoEp26mfPNjhY5xd3vQDkiBvx3g/s800/Pygopus%20lepidopodus1%20Common%20Scalyfoot%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9BNiXw_5AaiHYUO3BHbERsyCzWqrr0q-S6wYyXC4drwsfycjfoMbPmAhfGcQs9ZZ3ACPE71_C9QrRb97Pqddx9TCY1-WogAhkPCpBocgNPa-mrkkVf4N2oPgMznbl7Qk27yw7dOCHUhpn6eG-wk3HrCkZ81C-eoEp26mfPNjhY5xd3vQDkiBvx3g/w400-h300/Pygopus%20lepidopodus1%20Common%20Scalyfoot%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even in close-up I'm having trouble seeing the ear opening which immediately distinguishes <br />it from a snake. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Goannas, in the form of Lace Monitors <i>Varanus varius</i> are common in the coastal forests and were often seen sauntering around the camp ground, though they didn't seem to be too obviously cadging for food. We watched one wandering right across the beach on a cool afternoon at the bay, then return to flop on the sand in the sun, presumably to get any warmth which was still available. <br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvHDbx4C-fes9P7LNPjwttApf86u9ozGHAwNYZFoHwvMqdN9hIGYL2mGGvGW-ungx8BbNoCWJUMqJGY1chB-LWfh4TxO_gG3sz7Fml9W30jVFLxcj8d_UnDS-cg3qJ_hfiAwaB6FSCPTGEnOSr7N_Lr3fMCE87vPveBOBBvcjgSnfDJTX1GogeJIZ/s1000/Lace%20Monitor%20basking%20on%20beach%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvHDbx4C-fes9P7LNPjwttApf86u9ozGHAwNYZFoHwvMqdN9hIGYL2mGGvGW-ungx8BbNoCWJUMqJGY1chB-LWfh4TxO_gG3sz7Fml9W30jVFLxcj8d_UnDS-cg3qJ_hfiAwaB6FSCPTGEnOSr7N_Lr3fMCE87vPveBOBBvcjgSnfDJTX1GogeJIZ/w640-h224/Lace%20Monitor%20basking%20on%20beach%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">However one of the highlights of our stay, which involved two big male goannas, actually took place when we did a drive down the highway into Victoria, through the coastal town of Mallacoota and into the adjacent Croajingalong NP. We were investigating the Shipwreck Creek campground for a future stay, and were enthralled by the sight of these magnificent animals straining and wrestling for dominance. It is a struggle for territory, and ultimately mating rights within the territory. It is known in many goanna/monitor species from around the world, and is probably practised by most if not all species. However it's the first time I've witnessed it, and we watched for quite some time, though eventually left them to it.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJU8-56V5Z-3-LHPy6qj15GvrfOKmqbQ2Q8cYMleC-t25hHNDnEjW2S62WDhop4F9vx_zG9PVhmzmrlsJclW5ElskjtWb5Z_oti-9XcFkHsd5KtcTT8Lcj17eTpGBLQKgNC_Dz4um_71olJhxGEXMlSHJ8YWh7akNK0TFYncg2vboPlwq769XjBTn/s800/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling5%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJU8-56V5Z-3-LHPy6qj15GvrfOKmqbQ2Q8cYMleC-t25hHNDnEjW2S62WDhop4F9vx_zG9PVhmzmrlsJclW5ElskjtWb5Z_oti-9XcFkHsd5KtcTT8Lcj17eTpGBLQKgNC_Dz4um_71olJhxGEXMlSHJ8YWh7akNK0TFYncg2vboPlwq769XjBTn/w300-h400/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling5%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The erect 'sumo' stance seemed to be the preferred approach, though they regularly <br />toppled and continued to push from a lower stance.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKQ8B0686-r0Z2tatIQxMEbGDUPvMoOHDxKhWLrBKCFNG7q4oblScBS-2uwBoR-cv_tRdaACvzDNbWpaOkDQ-6cu-FVgCapMl9QBEjOed2EOKqAB-9UyWYnJoym8ab-QHwnwIail1oDJkjU-CM-bmVxR2kN0jsw0x0T-xMxv3bAKCFrGgRM5n5enG/s800/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling8%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKQ8B0686-r0Z2tatIQxMEbGDUPvMoOHDxKhWLrBKCFNG7q4oblScBS-2uwBoR-cv_tRdaACvzDNbWpaOkDQ-6cu-FVgCapMl9QBEjOed2EOKqAB-9UyWYnJoym8ab-QHwnwIail1oDJkjU-CM-bmVxR2kN0jsw0x0T-xMxv3bAKCFrGgRM5n5enG/w400-h300/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling8%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like male snakes which have the same ritual, there is no intent to injure - among other<br />things claws and teeth are valuable and potentially breakable. It continues until one <br />of the contestants acknowledges defeat and retreats.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt8ijhdqvmEf1Kwbsw3TXw9YOYVmDF2c4YblokEvQ66oFnM9rSD5eDq7vnqXrciCFy1BLw31rHh1w7aLsLUjSCyb6Emo_Fk71okr8XrgobSY2PKczDhq-hssTvWfu84umrtE56oJtiJq0asVnRDz8_vgEavmVJOQh9ak1ATtOcmk9rC6lsczABzhw/s1000/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling10%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt8ijhdqvmEf1Kwbsw3TXw9YOYVmDF2c4YblokEvQ66oFnM9rSD5eDq7vnqXrciCFy1BLw31rHh1w7aLsLUjSCyb6Emo_Fk71okr8XrgobSY2PKczDhq-hssTvWfu84umrtE56oJtiJq0asVnRDz8_vgEavmVJOQh9ak1ATtOcmk9rC6lsczABzhw/w640-h224/Lace%20Monitors%20wrestling10%20Croajingalong%20NP%200223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was an extraordinary glimpse at a special and dramatic aspect of the lives of these<br />impressive animals, and we felt privileged to have been in the right place at the right time.<br />(And yes, it may be cheating to include this in a post about a different park, but I really couldn't <br />keep this secret from you and I'm sure it was also taking place somewhere in Beowa!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the first post of this series, a couple of people contacted me to say they were planning to visit Beowa - I hope that this one entices a few more to do so. You, perhaps?<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 23 MARCH</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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It's on the far south coast of New South Wales, straddling Twofold Bay and the port of Eden, with sections north and south of them. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiqhVVITLg-S6QNhnxPvPMg81sBYi6YBT7qPNCfrjyeefjQrz73q8Ult0YiFp_0Fj8a5yCW_T3G1Rj9vz2xX-ylvczuwnGKe77GDssp0W-hsTo7SC07v3zAZ_g7y7ArbcXfHVCBPRjaeXbkbvpPQ7Lbn2cbPBjQyuWC4QzkYFDPmVIMicVKRehMiq/s800/Bittangabee%20Bay1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiqhVVITLg-S6QNhnxPvPMg81sBYi6YBT7qPNCfrjyeefjQrz73q8Ult0YiFp_0Fj8a5yCW_T3G1Rj9vz2xX-ylvczuwnGKe77GDssp0W-hsTo7SC07v3zAZ_g7y7ArbcXfHVCBPRjaeXbkbvpPQ7Lbn2cbPBjQyuWC4QzkYFDPmVIMicVKRehMiq/w400-h300/Bittangabee%20Bay1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bittangabee Bay, by Bittangabee Campground (our temporary home), Beowa NP.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_ls9fzYfiDwV-T2uQvtqOeUmhhHbscrPWYsHfl6LAkdmtyFtvxJ1R_pSkRaahN8m5MhHABbEArifYI1IWziLnMiOoXxfLJ-l0VzrbRXPA5cdjPQonszin_iaI4bk6Kb33VIkicg7O_B-jFgZORYUnwQ3XfO2YRowJn2XxG8oam-6y7UlHimLk8mf/s1103/Australia%20Beowa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_ls9fzYfiDwV-T2uQvtqOeUmhhHbscrPWYsHfl6LAkdmtyFtvxJ1R_pSkRaahN8m5MhHABbEArifYI1IWziLnMiOoXxfLJ-l0VzrbRXPA5cdjPQonszin_iaI4bk6Kb33VIkicg7O_B-jFgZORYUnwQ3XfO2YRowJn2XxG8oam-6y7UlHimLk8mf/w400-h276/Australia%20Beowa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The arrow marks the location of Beowa, very near the Victorian border<br />with New South Wales.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">You may know it better as Ben Boyd National Park, as it was officially called from its gazettal in 1971 until September 2022, so let's get that out of the way first. Benjamin Boyd was a ruthless but apparently charismatic wheeler and dealer of the first half of the nineteenth century, a Scot who came to New South Wales in 1842 and became involved, with varying degrees of dodginess, in grazing, shipping, whaling, banking and politics. However the relevant activity in this context was his invention of the extraordinary, and deplorable, practice of 'blackbirding'. This was the effective kidnapping of South Pacific people (mostly young men) and forcing them to sign an agreement which they couldn't read to work for very little remuneration for a period of about three years. His motivation was cheap labour for his various ventures in the vicinity of what is now Beowa NP. It ultimately failed because the authorities refused to ratify the agreements and many of the unwilling workers just ran away. Many died. (Later it was revived, though not by Boyd, on a much larger scale in the Queensland sugar fields.) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 2020, in the context of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement, there was increasing pressure to remove the association with such an inappropriate individual and, after extensive consultation with local Indigenous and Pacific communities, the name Beowa (meaning Orca) was settled on. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So back to the park. Our interest is mainly in the larger southern section, know as Green Cape for a feature near the Bittangabee campground. The cape is a good place to start meeting the park if you're new to it; the road to the 19th century lighthouse gives easy access. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gz1vQyultN282PAtvoboFVfJN-qWKV4QaKE1ulwlodUSsbwSQ2iCsTQ1MryEHkklcZEDWum4OD_mSisTAXEG3nmlRwxnb_0_9Bu-zA7GJB-ITImv0yovFhUuzqj_VCx9iCR2uwtLLfYErhpdrTsKdgqgLjtlvMDdYxEs4yDzwtob9NQLbJhJAcxf/s800/Green%20Cape%20Lighthouse%20in%20early%20haze%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gz1vQyultN282PAtvoboFVfJN-qWKV4QaKE1ulwlodUSsbwSQ2iCsTQ1MryEHkklcZEDWum4OD_mSisTAXEG3nmlRwxnb_0_9Bu-zA7GJB-ITImv0yovFhUuzqj_VCx9iCR2uwtLLfYErhpdrTsKdgqgLjtlvMDdYxEs4yDzwtob9NQLbJhJAcxf/w400-h300/Green%20Cape%20Lighthouse%20in%20early%20haze%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Cape Lighthouse in early morning haze.<br />Built in the 1880s it still operates, though no longer burning oil!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are two moods of the coast looking north from the cape.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8hXMcdDHt-eUpQByiKvfRKU65b0kIg0mMiqfrS8cNSzbsCGXFPEjmdQ1IoKavhuOqB0ytLv98JKxJA6tbz5LNGJWZwbpTjujF67jq5bwboCm4Cvf4AnvMuB_HJ8uUmzPA9l2opQiwLyLWpGEu9xBuDizbZO7ArXtXxY0eDx32gy2b7wdtJ7XZWw0/s800/coastline%20N%20from%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8hXMcdDHt-eUpQByiKvfRKU65b0kIg0mMiqfrS8cNSzbsCGXFPEjmdQ1IoKavhuOqB0ytLv98JKxJA6tbz5LNGJWZwbpTjujF67jq5bwboCm4Cvf4AnvMuB_HJ8uUmzPA9l2opQiwLyLWpGEu9xBuDizbZO7ArXtXxY0eDx32gy2b7wdtJ7XZWw0/w400-h300/coastline%20N%20from%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both shots were taken in February, but twelve months apart. The rocks are some 350 million<br />years old, a mix of sedimentaries such as ironstone (hence the red tinge that is prevalent)<br />and metamporphics such as quartzites which derived from them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATVBT7K8dm7Gf5qndaXJSvHlB30KVP7Yh0vzr5AS-PY4b5GveaeUGcpZzz5_GwlUf0TxH8nrbaoO9IMKwokLpcL8gOl_XJUmqyy5MejTp5aKkyY-VOxT7-HsguoVa7igdp28Zavx63sGfQ0b7ozBb50pzEnutosbT8LByaFmk6UDGrzatxXP3VSLj/s800/view%20north%20from%20Green%20Cape%20in%20early%20haze%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATVBT7K8dm7Gf5qndaXJSvHlB30KVP7Yh0vzr5AS-PY4b5GveaeUGcpZzz5_GwlUf0TxH8nrbaoO9IMKwokLpcL8gOl_XJUmqyy5MejTp5aKkyY-VOxT7-HsguoVa7igdp28Zavx63sGfQ0b7ozBb50pzEnutosbT8LByaFmk6UDGrzatxXP3VSLj/w400-h300/view%20north%20from%20Green%20Cape%20in%20early%20haze%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAnGFy-DuWTNBGwgrLNNVmZbInRY9DhSj2m7GzVAlj4JPFkV2RBB3TzWk_XbbfoowakTilz9VOgbK7KcUJ_EmV2KJL6UGGRFOpCE-PuH5u1q3UmSm-DL6aYg5ufPoe8Azzf-bKtM5_KOU2P4yhW4ojW4h0ZUEscOZucLDTkbpKzdK2OR0USV2ZfAn/s800/City%20Rocks1%20metamorphics%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAnGFy-DuWTNBGwgrLNNVmZbInRY9DhSj2m7GzVAlj4JPFkV2RBB3TzWk_XbbfoowakTilz9VOgbK7KcUJ_EmV2KJL6UGGRFOpCE-PuH5u1q3UmSm-DL6aYg5ufPoe8Azzf-bKtM5_KOU2P4yhW4ojW4h0ZUEscOZucLDTkbpKzdK2OR0USV2ZfAn/w400-h300/City%20Rocks1%20metamorphics%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironstone at nearby City Rock, looking south.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And here are some more coastal scenes, as that's what many people go to the park for. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCrFKVLiTrdOc0dwwobknPjztT5ALtVJKHH_g_3eebOEc9cSoEIYVVDFLIEjWZpsCm01eZytNacGoasHxTd7AL6qy-OxJGU7hQGni_k3fudWZUnDBasp6kDypmfw6rE1h8YOSmWFyc634RW0VXrh0iSH78UH5S353Tj9DvmMV09I-ozZlFEg6EmMD/s800/Bittangabee%20Bay%20arm1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCrFKVLiTrdOc0dwwobknPjztT5ALtVJKHH_g_3eebOEc9cSoEIYVVDFLIEjWZpsCm01eZytNacGoasHxTd7AL6qy-OxJGU7hQGni_k3fudWZUnDBasp6kDypmfw6rE1h8YOSmWFyc634RW0VXrh0iSH78UH5S353Tj9DvmMV09I-ozZlFEg6EmMD/w400-h300/Bittangabee%20Bay%20arm1%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An arm of Bittangabee Bay, extending inland; walking the perimeter is very pleasant indeed.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUj19Y5Xpl-nInBTjEWQ8xRuKoR4aynpYnxC4mR9ro1T5E5zw_M9w8NMl7O6kfpBwVFsQ09o_Ow1PAff835RES8vHFLUtvJns4FYPRSkS4YDli7At7SQzXPJXJxEKlwXGLx1nWDvzZv3GScanuuH1I8L5zE6wTymSoAKm18u52-NmK9Ok87U-o2ee/s800/coastline%20nr%20Pulpit%20Rock%20in%20morning%20mist%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUj19Y5Xpl-nInBTjEWQ8xRuKoR4aynpYnxC4mR9ro1T5E5zw_M9w8NMl7O6kfpBwVFsQ09o_Ow1PAff835RES8vHFLUtvJns4FYPRSkS4YDli7At7SQzXPJXJxEKlwXGLx1nWDvzZv3GScanuuH1I8L5zE6wTymSoAKm18u52-NmK9Ok87U-o2ee/w400-h300/coastline%20nr%20Pulpit%20Rock%20in%20morning%20mist%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning haze from Pulpit Rock, near Green Cape.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglEINXd8RrY4XB-v9MPC19TW2RBDK-Q5QjLlB03QrQgPsjTJro_vOzCjWpJi6fF2zyddsm_u3SeBg8Q0xPQbLGsHI3qm73-vtyNAz5uZ83cGYsGFNDkMLgnzzm63b70Blf6A8Gl2rAAemJMApNj90XoZx1tS50ZXuKs3nXeDdTuuQ6K0w1mpc_JeN/s800/Disaster%20Bay%20and%20Nadgee%20NR%20from%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglEINXd8RrY4XB-v9MPC19TW2RBDK-Q5QjLlB03QrQgPsjTJro_vOzCjWpJi6fF2zyddsm_u3SeBg8Q0xPQbLGsHI3qm73-vtyNAz5uZ83cGYsGFNDkMLgnzzm63b70Blf6A8Gl2rAAemJMApNj90XoZx1tS50ZXuKs3nXeDdTuuQ6K0w1mpc_JeN/w400-h300/Disaster%20Bay%20and%20Nadgee%20NR%20from%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south from the Disaster Bay Lookout across the bay, where in 1802 Matthew Flinders<br />stopped on his circumnavigation of the continent in the <i>Investigator. </i>He sent a party of eight<br />sailors ashore to replenish the ship's water supply, but none returned, hence his name for the bay.<br />(Other sources simply attribute it to the many shipwrecks in the bay, but Flinders' journal is<br />cited as a source, though I haven't seen a copy of it.) He had already named Green Cape in 1798<br />on his way to sail around Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in the <i>Norfolk.</i><br />To the right is Lake Wonboyne and beyond is wild Nadgee Nature Reserve and ultimately Victoria. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">In places the coastal heathland extends up to a kilometre inland - the peninsula that culminates in Green Cape is entirely dominated by it - though more typically it's restricted to the headlands. It's a habitat that I spend a lot of time in when I'm there. It is dominated by heaths (ie family Epacridaceae/Ericaceae, 'heath' having a double meaning here), banksias, hakeas, casuarinas, wattles, westringias, sedges etc and is often very dense. Birds and other animals abound here, but we'll get to them. Here are some scene-setters of the heathlands.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVb0uzdVZ8e-u-y76Qvw6S51ef6BGQOpVsecR7OFQJBrnBZrqNXsW6yDuOlGTSmaJAOBGMMvQDH6jjXV8p0VfkzbcAfxCQGw8PF9B71ovOOzqBqM3Fo5lMCeVOlB-5XJj7ntEOBeX8HbMeOwgu2qA1TImS6SaZJa9Liem0wDjf1EFF76Jy_BtfiZW/s800/heathland2%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVb0uzdVZ8e-u-y76Qvw6S51ef6BGQOpVsecR7OFQJBrnBZrqNXsW6yDuOlGTSmaJAOBGMMvQDH6jjXV8p0VfkzbcAfxCQGw8PF9B71ovOOzqBqM3Fo5lMCeVOlB-5XJj7ntEOBeX8HbMeOwgu2qA1TImS6SaZJa9Liem0wDjf1EFF76Jy_BtfiZW/w400-h300/heathland2%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like much of the park the heaths are recovering from the vast fires of January 2020; the<br />heaths respond more rapidly than do the forests.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lwSMJUiXgUTH37TkTXIfkZpRbCCEa6uVLrHUWQxHrTBYOYYYkVpy3tRFR4ZtcY1yabfPxyU3-rj6QSd_5GIpYuH_0dBl-qryxsIuEBiUQ1MQ4cI2fqYHkOnwuKndQaJeOgJLjLJofx78nXG2H16Vn9Ok4YkFd-TtlCQdqzxizQU3O7EHvycAwdkI/s800/heathland4%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lwSMJUiXgUTH37TkTXIfkZpRbCCEa6uVLrHUWQxHrTBYOYYYkVpy3tRFR4ZtcY1yabfPxyU3-rj6QSd_5GIpYuH_0dBl-qryxsIuEBiUQ1MQ4cI2fqYHkOnwuKndQaJeOgJLjLJofx78nXG2H16Vn9Ok4YkFd-TtlCQdqzxizQU3O7EHvycAwdkI/w400-h300/heathland4%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the 30km Light to Light walk along the coast from Green Cape to Boyd's Tower<br />at the northern end of the southern section of the park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_atAbl1J4pLVjQ9wKy-PrOX2VCjwVFysPHFsknk0HHjl88-GbIGvsejYWiFlb1PrGVxTDfPFIkLdyFEmQo9Yb4UkruE3C0E0FnvRcIBfZrGrX6P-itwNf5G3s7vWn6V1lrBmjq8p-OAIF5_6svsGJPsg6Ui62NN2U6phW-zJhbZQ0oxiDFeTLEdTm/s800/heathland5%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_atAbl1J4pLVjQ9wKy-PrOX2VCjwVFysPHFsknk0HHjl88-GbIGvsejYWiFlb1PrGVxTDfPFIkLdyFEmQo9Yb4UkruE3C0E0FnvRcIBfZrGrX6P-itwNf5G3s7vWn6V1lrBmjq8p-OAIF5_6svsGJPsg6Ui62NN2U6phW-zJhbZQ0oxiDFeTLEdTm/w400-h300/heathland5%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north from the track, near Green Cape, with regenerating Saw Banksia<br /><i>B. serrata</i> in the foreground. I think we're looking at Haycock Hill, the highest point<br />in the park at 250 metres above sea level.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AS8a4NfEUJLLXX3mY7LZCmGMSqDkocHsXwSsKaBCbaITAeYJp1Pv62482NcG3p_PKd5N2ZPxiYiSkK4ZH167_njVtHE-n2x2eaEFGmFzof_pPA9tDUuHS2F-pQUwLdsLRVBvOC0QFKmyfYS4vEBSw-zpO6IFsZcUGCnsOP65zdd3-kRaS0Ui8XE4/s800/heathland%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AS8a4NfEUJLLXX3mY7LZCmGMSqDkocHsXwSsKaBCbaITAeYJp1Pv62482NcG3p_PKd5N2ZPxiYiSkK4ZH167_njVtHE-n2x2eaEFGmFzof_pPA9tDUuHS2F-pQUwLdsLRVBvOC0QFKmyfYS4vEBSw-zpO6IFsZcUGCnsOP65zdd3-kRaS0Ui8XE4/w400-h300/heathland%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently unburnt heath with red Common Heath <i>Epacris impressa</i> and spiky Silky Hakea<br /><i>H. sericea</i> in the foreground, and flowering Saw Banksia behind.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBtbWoaa5CsxGuooRO8DaXGf_K3cB3uKzOoVALF0lZw9L-XNgCoXlillthL5VD7dSuI_GT5NoT088A9sj55sq_8Fpjiz5jQmlzgyuGwJVA4tzDkvgPToLnzzTFPGy506JT1mZrMh9CkgPhNQnDK22q8oD1-p_-nj0HC6Chr1GWV_4STzLAOh1ghBd/s800/heathland%20near%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBtbWoaa5CsxGuooRO8DaXGf_K3cB3uKzOoVALF0lZw9L-XNgCoXlillthL5VD7dSuI_GT5NoT088A9sj55sq_8Fpjiz5jQmlzgyuGwJVA4tzDkvgPToLnzzTFPGy506JT1mZrMh9CkgPhNQnDK22q8oD1-p_-nj0HC6Chr1GWV_4STzLAOh1ghBd/w400-h300/heathland%20near%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the heathland with prominent sedges to Disaster Bay.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX9FslZ5CzCL-2lZIm1_A5ZBOUnVbN5Rbg8BKnrHlSSfTHVUM4BhkZFGIUWVKvyxEqPoEp3tbxhlcSTCAs1e0xtxsBoUfPzUxyhmCA_oWaH1gs_f1PtZxVuuTg_ca8GyEqvGLMmCLijyR3jPOpRzjoSIRaSBihBWhmvEwSUhDH3WcAoyL4qy7y-vO/s800/heathland%20with%20Allocasuarina%20paludosa%20near%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX9FslZ5CzCL-2lZIm1_A5ZBOUnVbN5Rbg8BKnrHlSSfTHVUM4BhkZFGIUWVKvyxEqPoEp3tbxhlcSTCAs1e0xtxsBoUfPzUxyhmCA_oWaH1gs_f1PtZxVuuTg_ca8GyEqvGLMmCLijyR3jPOpRzjoSIRaSBihBWhmvEwSUhDH3WcAoyL4qy7y-vO/w400-h300/heathland%20with%20Allocasuarina%20paludosa%20near%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heath with Scrub, Dwarf or Swamp Sheoak <i>Allocasuarina paludosa</i> in the foreground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">As mentioned, both our stays there have been in summer so flowering was
nowhere near its peak, but there was enough to keep us satisfied. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQupOUzj7Y8REKqO5B2aInOhaZt8XZGTotM1W-TzX6ymxXGtIbJV-8K7D-vaeO9AS7uD_FCCWkAaP2CmlvjEHGYPBmUcA38tjJadJTTd-an-VYABSyii8nlZtjvqlD8gmnJky0td7XFvbjVMlf-QALCkNjV8MUZ7lUGLLKe9b0_bRZffGWK1gD3W7-/s800/Scaevola%20query%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQupOUzj7Y8REKqO5B2aInOhaZt8XZGTotM1W-TzX6ymxXGtIbJV-8K7D-vaeO9AS7uD_FCCWkAaP2CmlvjEHGYPBmUcA38tjJadJTTd-an-VYABSyii8nlZtjvqlD8gmnJky0td7XFvbjVMlf-QALCkNjV8MUZ7lUGLLKe9b0_bRZffGWK1gD3W7-/w400-h300/Scaevola%20query%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hairy Fanflower <i>Scaevola ramosissima.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDk8n_sk1UODjA_R0Dpa0EdspRoktdKsepsxnxh6CvhZfxISq9By1CJDyB4_VQ8THPHU6buY-riLBEgSwbIJ20hQcwr1IU5S23iPAfMXUjiuJyCtK8WDPqchKGLEIPiAjRmNYeREsznhBwxJzH9i1wonfFvsQcOKnTom78y5Wtr-TbBL9U_8_mdeCq/s800/Ricinocarpus%20pinifolius%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDk8n_sk1UODjA_R0Dpa0EdspRoktdKsepsxnxh6CvhZfxISq9By1CJDyB4_VQ8THPHU6buY-riLBEgSwbIJ20hQcwr1IU5S23iPAfMXUjiuJyCtK8WDPqchKGLEIPiAjRmNYeREsznhBwxJzH9i1wonfFvsQcOKnTom78y5Wtr-TbBL9U_8_mdeCq/w400-h300/Ricinocarpus%20pinifolius%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding Bush <i>Ricinocarpus pinifolius. </i>This is a male flower; they tend to open after the<br />female flowers to avoid self-fertilisation. Moreover while there are usually five petals, quite<br />a few have six, like this one. This variability is often regarded as a primitive characteristic and<br />most plants have flowers which do not vary in petal number.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMFjnUMI_rmJFwXwbjexlmGggs0yV8ZLnXjkCcTPcFZV-C3yliX_GnwFQ8EOtzDZJhD_34SdaQvB0BvlqM24IFtHjfM06eI3wNILxT4PlnOOKpsb7s9_OmhIDZo7EpkxlEC0gHr54hZBJcpnMNIbniBqyRJ8Zx-UpchHXkIbvCgF_ryUBFDXJeBVp/s800/Epacris%20impressa%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMFjnUMI_rmJFwXwbjexlmGggs0yV8ZLnXjkCcTPcFZV-C3yliX_GnwFQ8EOtzDZJhD_34SdaQvB0BvlqM24IFtHjfM06eI3wNILxT4PlnOOKpsb7s9_OmhIDZo7EpkxlEC0gHr54hZBJcpnMNIbniBqyRJ8Zx-UpchHXkIbvCgF_ryUBFDXJeBVp/w400-h300/Epacris%20impressa%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Heath <i>Epacris impressa</i>; flowers can also be pink or white. It is the floral emblem<br />of Victoria but is also found from Adelaide to the Budawang Ranges in NSW, and in Tasmania.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MF6mFRrzmCnWZ1kbbZP_czBfny3RuTw5DXVfRGjJXKrlmlqCuycbPzbmGSxfw4v4wKDlpwb8RV6VapPxPU3hdXmwchcSpEiJQJ2lAZJdK3lYPNMdlt8mTn8lOhS9bYJoWgsNkauK7ZpekHkOQ95JMxuUup_tsRf852hZO6TtVqxaU5Gqnjus_qdK/s800/Crowea%20exalata%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MF6mFRrzmCnWZ1kbbZP_czBfny3RuTw5DXVfRGjJXKrlmlqCuycbPzbmGSxfw4v4wKDlpwb8RV6VapPxPU3hdXmwchcSpEiJQJ2lAZJdK3lYPNMdlt8mTn8lOhS9bYJoWgsNkauK7ZpekHkOQ95JMxuUup_tsRf852hZO6TtVqxaU5Gqnjus_qdK/w400-h300/Crowea%20exalata%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Crowea <i>C. exalata</i>, in the family Rutaceae, like boronias, correas and citrus fruit.<br />Nestled in the middle, the little four-petalled white flower is Hairy Mitrewort <i>Mitrasacme pilosa.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLfnpMbK2l2WSxKe3iIu-yEcceay7rD_Fcdbv6lwpyJBjjwmxw5qgU6jC3ZMficjFwSfE5_MxhNG3fDg5LgVeYpA_BBfAQxop9ar9ujpy3E4hcyQAP8FYUs-m0X3T47JBu1R1O3N4gI5D1nkKcuW5D0gvKEnFEC-kYnHt-N4FlBDAPVppolGtPsvZ/s800/Banksia%20serrata%20postfire%20regrowth%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLfnpMbK2l2WSxKe3iIu-yEcceay7rD_Fcdbv6lwpyJBjjwmxw5qgU6jC3ZMficjFwSfE5_MxhNG3fDg5LgVeYpA_BBfAQxop9ar9ujpy3E4hcyQAP8FYUs-m0X3T47JBu1R1O3N4gI5D1nkKcuW5D0gvKEnFEC-kYnHt-N4FlBDAPVppolGtPsvZ/w400-h300/Banksia%20serrata%20postfire%20regrowth%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saw Banksia, which if long-unburnt can grow to ten metres tall or twist into <br />magnificent distortions in windy situations (below).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDtUrdaXag23xxiFU4Z-6hWR4jANE5jpS66Nyzhai3MaGWbJw4pM9fYnlrXkt9YlvO7PVEb585h4cUPTrw7qclwyA-A4g6BmoDKkzavPwucWuslvdizdJxwef4Q7kpahK-ZrkX71QyOKFZ6_EMh9rHe93Ecf24WR4YM8nVlQg9SIV6TgUyCgaMLxN/s800/Banksia%20serrata%20old%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDtUrdaXag23xxiFU4Z-6hWR4jANE5jpS66Nyzhai3MaGWbJw4pM9fYnlrXkt9YlvO7PVEb585h4cUPTrw7qclwyA-A4g6BmoDKkzavPwucWuslvdizdJxwef4Q7kpahK-ZrkX71QyOKFZ6_EMh9rHe93Ecf24WR4YM8nVlQg9SIV6TgUyCgaMLxN/w400-h300/Banksia%20serrata%20old%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the headlands are often dense stands of big Bracelet or Giant Honey-myrtle, or Coastal Teatree <i>Melaleuca armillaris. </i>In such situations not much grows beneath them as the fallen leaves form a smothering carpet. <br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDnZZYaMBBLUB3I_532WMluvvqv_ExbwuABgLmZ3vYjbGiyDbQty1tnNNNg0X1iFaJ3Ez8IU6dwpSpSwxHeDUSpeSYn_5T9eiQyO6hWf3L-I8nj7tyDex09JG7az9OexsEWHw4thwGpDikCUr_uiib5zGSWZZLx29J6Abik2GoRVjFfSYrjYAa6uC/s800/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20thicket%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDnZZYaMBBLUB3I_532WMluvvqv_ExbwuABgLmZ3vYjbGiyDbQty1tnNNNg0X1iFaJ3Ez8IU6dwpSpSwxHeDUSpeSYn_5T9eiQyO6hWf3L-I8nj7tyDex09JG7az9OexsEWHw4thwGpDikCUr_uiib5zGSWZZLx29J6Abik2GoRVjFfSYrjYAa6uC/w400-h300/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20thicket%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypSCpMQPndzyKHBS3uEQ19PUlqZyHUa1somC8mJPu13IILXKo2eQT7J6vSJfMmMej_X9JOllshzU2omQ5d0oju8vu3_l5DxklWM9RWDJ9QIAYpnzA8eZM1_WzuP7WdveNDAVjYUmyQwA0_SLS3oIuhyhce_s8dXfUoe_ImQh0kvStLZYcwE2tuoiN/s800/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypSCpMQPndzyKHBS3uEQ19PUlqZyHUa1somC8mJPu13IILXKo2eQT7J6vSJfMmMej_X9JOllshzU2omQ5d0oju8vu3_l5DxklWM9RWDJ9QIAYpnzA8eZM1_WzuP7WdveNDAVjYUmyQwA0_SLS3oIuhyhce_s8dXfUoe_ImQh0kvStLZYcwE2tuoiN/w400-h300/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20Green%20Cape%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Teatree along the Light to Light Track.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>However the only orchid we found was growing under the teatrees by the campground. <br /></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MyaioP1fKxfIdu79osJs7aM33VyBPtBmawXCXfgYZTRtGzxYDxxGhr348NU7_BGU6YyCOFLpSfCIgnDsem3OUMIv55SzBv6Isfx9QPu1jgKwmwzdNjTIHr91ax9qcD_4ffT_HZZ5NZjSukv-D-WmTmME2udS3LWqKusb_z8pH8-k7ydlHn3E_hEj/s800/Dipodium%20variegatum1%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MyaioP1fKxfIdu79osJs7aM33VyBPtBmawXCXfgYZTRtGzxYDxxGhr348NU7_BGU6YyCOFLpSfCIgnDsem3OUMIv55SzBv6Isfx9QPu1jgKwmwzdNjTIHr91ax9qcD_4ffT_HZZ5NZjSukv-D-WmTmME2udS3LWqKusb_z8pH8-k7ydlHn3E_hEj/w300-h400/Dipodium%20variegatum1%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blotched Hyacinth Orchid <i>Dipodium punctatum, </i>a leafless saprophyte (ie it invariably grows <br />in association with a fungus which provides it with soil nutrients). I don't regard it as<br />particularly common in this part of the world, where it is mostly coastal.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Coastal Teatrees can also grow in the harshest and most unlikely of situations on the rocky headlands in almost no soil and in the full blast of the salty wind.<br /></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYJnOf2yOTaz7rH0rL9drY_qfjgB1DPZ7lIzdrUWfSOTf9pUQ4ssjWiezesgqOTbWIxdbwwJ-ccoap_AI9GdP-Ojx2hT2Z0Ia_ZtvCNjTmZDSVwFI45CF2sZbuFctbM3H1fmSvesk9EdR-ga9gw4tUn50TSv3tLrpxg0GfNXOxhOXEUktqru6z91H/s800/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20on%20clifftop%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYJnOf2yOTaz7rH0rL9drY_qfjgB1DPZ7lIzdrUWfSOTf9pUQ4ssjWiezesgqOTbWIxdbwwJ-ccoap_AI9GdP-Ojx2hT2Z0Ia_ZtvCNjTmZDSVwFI45CF2sZbuFctbM3H1fmSvesk9EdR-ga9gw4tUn50TSv3tLrpxg0GfNXOxhOXEUktqru6z91H/w400-h300/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20on%20clifftop%20Beowa%20NP%200223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Pulpit Rock this hardy stand of Coastal Teatree is holding together the ground <br />beneath them as it erodes away around them.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkScjGxMKtlFT5dO4Y5hx9lTi2PuJFXKtuQpXU_0ZUz9SnxTIznkWkXFO9Ixj_FZcxjiyHdwu6UwDtUbAylsf85Q2VjFikATTMLSWvbvzATx7ZHByE9tC8hxhpwLZBeUiisEecv2t6N6gzXL1ZR-sqnHuTBqFIHIsr8W-hEbnEbWKkoBczYix-3km/s800/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20prostrate%20on%20cliffs%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkScjGxMKtlFT5dO4Y5hx9lTi2PuJFXKtuQpXU_0ZUz9SnxTIznkWkXFO9Ixj_FZcxjiyHdwu6UwDtUbAylsf85Q2VjFikATTMLSWvbvzATx7ZHByE9tC8hxhpwLZBeUiisEecv2t6N6gzXL1ZR-sqnHuTBqFIHIsr8W-hEbnEbWKkoBczYix-3km/w300-h400/Melaleuca%20armillaris%20prostrate%20on%20cliffs%20Beowa%20NP%200123.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old survivor germinated among the rocks above the sea, but the constant winds<br />have forced it to grow flat on the ground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Generally nature doesn't obey our rules of sharp cutoffs between habitat types, with gradual changes being the norm, but that's not always the case with the heathland-forest interface.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2O5uov9j8PAeELVcnMI9PwtMTV-OD43_DhUXi-PE1jmc8puPkztKFTyUn8pIIoeKV6Th4EQR8X3WMzgHiOZSdiEO66ZBq0jQWLisXFZg7hBd2B0hQ_mhej7VIylDuPbIvpmgFBiR6AnQdRDGbRazjw-U8LC0Ktb2rExm_XhBDVSKZVc5iEp0M_So/s800/forest%20heath%20interface%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2O5uov9j8PAeELVcnMI9PwtMTV-OD43_DhUXi-PE1jmc8puPkztKFTyUn8pIIoeKV6Th4EQR8X3WMzgHiOZSdiEO66ZBq0jQWLisXFZg7hBd2B0hQ_mhej7VIylDuPbIvpmgFBiR6AnQdRDGbRazjw-U8LC0Ktb2rExm_XhBDVSKZVc5iEp0M_So/w400-h300/forest%20heath%20interface%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this to be especially striking when driving back from Green Cape to <br />Bittangabee Bay. I assume the sharp change is associated with a change of soil<br />type from sand to clay and gravel (though of course this raises other questions).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Silvertop Ash <i>Eucalyptus sieberi</i> and Red Bloodwood <i>E. gummifera </i>are probably the most widespread forest species in the park, but there are many others present.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6764I_Q9haq6z-jQYMBYbzd8aJgKHtabFAdBWcrYSnEEgWsFjQ7U5vpO39C0AgM1wT6W0ppdb6Z-_m8lE2YHjEYvxm4pyJ_RFxdtAWnBghnU0VCPrZBlop0mGYsuz9c5uL1fFBIlOLunQDdJ8J_2dzH8iSe0WCgoXsHciYCUN9_CbjsMTPgqG8vUX/s800/E%20longifolia%20forest%20Bittangabee%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6764I_Q9haq6z-jQYMBYbzd8aJgKHtabFAdBWcrYSnEEgWsFjQ7U5vpO39C0AgM1wT6W0ppdb6Z-_m8lE2YHjEYvxm4pyJ_RFxdtAWnBghnU0VCPrZBlop0mGYsuz9c5uL1fFBIlOLunQDdJ8J_2dzH8iSe0WCgoXsHciYCUN9_CbjsMTPgqG8vUX/w300-h400/E%20longifolia%20forest%20Bittangabee%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woollybutt forest <i>Eucalyptus longifolia</i>, Bittangabee Bay.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Wetter patches occur in sheltered situations, and the inland fringe of Bittangabee campground is dominated by a dense strip of Sweet Pittosporum <i>P. undulatum.</i><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1mbOhenJbRL5ifSAD2VjtlEjkhfgexLndMDYLdPezg7lzt5CBlvP0rWW4dn_EEzAjeybY-fXuA553AuYW4rZRXdSDuu8l2lYcjBSVDk_k8q3-7XA5-LSHvqcY32JjSWvGN2WZb_1dZigRW31WSqeN_AFeyUAuBu0DOorRRL78v8_znjIYJd9c4B4/s800/Pittasporum%20grove%20Bittangabee%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1mbOhenJbRL5ifSAD2VjtlEjkhfgexLndMDYLdPezg7lzt5CBlvP0rWW4dn_EEzAjeybY-fXuA553AuYW4rZRXdSDuu8l2lYcjBSVDk_k8q3-7XA5-LSHvqcY32JjSWvGN2WZb_1dZigRW31WSqeN_AFeyUAuBu0DOorRRL78v8_znjIYJd9c4B4/w400-h300/Pittasporum%20grove%20Bittangabee%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>And as already mentioned, the impacts of the 2020 fires are still very evident almost everywhere, and are likely to remain so for years to come.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRVj2pvo2ylMYBMgkLxo-9udvpgjTk_xzky1if-mFyydHBgJK_MrZ_Wp6A-HNSf5aqhgREf52uUBZsFPnYt0WBGsxklurvRCmmDlCKWC-UBtNbtxnVNsUBtHDheLT82mDxwrbwYq3ZhhWysbjos2m5-1b7MWIq94ABtaqQGzY1PDLzxKp_4vmTP6J/s800/forest%20burnt%20in%20January%202020%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRVj2pvo2ylMYBMgkLxo-9udvpgjTk_xzky1if-mFyydHBgJK_MrZ_Wp6A-HNSf5aqhgREf52uUBZsFPnYt0WBGsxklurvRCmmDlCKWC-UBtNbtxnVNsUBtHDheLT82mDxwrbwYq3ZhhWysbjos2m5-1b7MWIq94ABtaqQGzY1PDLzxKp_4vmTP6J/w400-h300/forest%20burnt%20in%20January%202020%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And while I was intending to conclude with a selection of animals of the park, that would double the length of this post, which I think is already long enough for a single sitting and I will post separately on them. However I won't impose the usual three week gap between posts, and will put that one up in a fortnight. Thanks for reading and see you then. Meantime if you're in the region you just might want to pop along and enjoy Beowa for yourself!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY</b></i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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I know a couple of readers who'll roll their eyes at <i>another </i>non-Australian post, but the truth is that it's more than six months since the <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2022/07/buffalo-springs-national-reserve-superb.html">last one</a>, and that was from Africa. With one thing and another it's been a long time since we felt able to go overseas and I'm feeling nostalgic so, dear reader, you can either bear with me or come back next time, when I'll welcome you just as warmly!<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However 'warmly' is not a word I'd apply to the fabulously wild and rugged Andean highlands of far south-eastern Peru, where Peru and Bolivia meet in the middle of famed Lake Titicaca. 'Lake Titicaca'.... one of those near-fabled places that I'd always wanted to see. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs_89FbZaB808PwwhmjMxxCyGkpRtL3EZcBStSe_OWH1i1xXVJrf4ep1Cc7QAb5j2efOH7DzbtJAi8xWDFECfHNYSyqlo0fuNmOsr9prEm5f1q6vVyTgg-_JnZczNqF0UjTfbxGfAGxmcVcgmJy99YFhHwdQhurF88axFN8m66fk1qUCejACaFUBT/s800/Peru%20Lake%20Titicaca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs_89FbZaB808PwwhmjMxxCyGkpRtL3EZcBStSe_OWH1i1xXVJrf4ep1Cc7QAb5j2efOH7DzbtJAi8xWDFECfHNYSyqlo0fuNmOsr9prEm5f1q6vVyTgg-_JnZczNqF0UjTfbxGfAGxmcVcgmJy99YFhHwdQhurF88axFN8m66fk1qUCejACaFUBT/w324-h400/Peru%20Lake%20Titicaca.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red arrow indicates Lake Titicaca; even at this scale the size of it is evident.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJd0nCSFkOKVxD6KP3ztOBfInnJvW7M8UwySV5z1AqLRWeHWMyct8uFxINFOsRhGWKMDjSQ4oah5M3kluZ4xMLgG5SqLAG8hTj3od5stnp9yhf3FYhbbg2pR3lYNhRcYfF_dT-k40reW2gp-zFU3waVbNmI2B-ZWfNGc8fewHpecvP3tVk6MSyWVw_/s1042/Peru%20Arequipa-Puno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1042" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJd0nCSFkOKVxD6KP3ztOBfInnJvW7M8UwySV5z1AqLRWeHWMyct8uFxINFOsRhGWKMDjSQ4oah5M3kluZ4xMLgG5SqLAG8hTj3od5stnp9yhf3FYhbbg2pR3lYNhRcYfF_dT-k40reW2gp-zFU3waVbNmI2B-ZWfNGc8fewHpecvP3tVk6MSyWVw_/w400-h231/Peru%20Arequipa-Puno.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our route began at Arequipa, bottom left of the map, passed through the mighty Salinas and <br />Aguada Blanca National Reserve and took us to Chivay, the detour to the north-west.<br />Thence east on the approximate route shown to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Arequipa is Peru's second-largest city, but with a million people is a village alongside Lima's 11 million plus. At 2300 metres above sea level it is equivalent to the highest point of Australia, but of foothill status compared with the elevations we were going to - and indeed to the volcanoes which provide its setting. Its city centre, a blend of colonial and indigenous architectural styles, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l_zxxJBodEzKMAFWqci_yw0wJR1ruIdmpFFWPb9X3dYujbIc0Bhf7ikc2H_DAqj1bfq5b7NawKizfHirBLS6Gvtxp5vzyGJ7Fi4WBVRYSvUoRVoQUP0S13BzIZgxa2JpcVsnUhMvqxurPeuaqqoquGmzW03oHOwPqa5vvF9H7_gAas7CdKGJo8xi/s1000/Vo%20Chachani%20from%20Arequipa%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l_zxxJBodEzKMAFWqci_yw0wJR1ruIdmpFFWPb9X3dYujbIc0Bhf7ikc2H_DAqj1bfq5b7NawKizfHirBLS6Gvtxp5vzyGJ7Fi4WBVRYSvUoRVoQUP0S13BzIZgxa2JpcVsnUhMvqxurPeuaqqoquGmzW03oHOwPqa5vvF9H7_gAas7CdKGJo8xi/w640-h224/Vo%20Chachani%20from%20Arequipa%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcano Chachani from Arequipa; more than 20km away, it is over 6000 metres high.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">From here we drove through the superb Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, which includes Chachani. This is an enormous reserve of nearly 370,000 hectares, protecting puna or altiplano landscapes on a dry cold high plateau between two branches of the Andes, in northern Chile and Argentina, and in Peru. The area is sparsely inhabited by traditional communities who herd alpacas and llamas. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRBZTsE5G2HOTRrL1YsAqQPMkxpKwzv7Bi5_OWVI777wMtaD7Rn7ETS5YMzyDNk20aIIIKQEElXoFmPKdqvlcX2DLM4KQD1Snwbcrx0szIWcvut21k1FuCKd9hnTdzNJhzEN4kHyP7D4d6kWnIZWrcxMOQx4aCSrQdCp6HCh4D-7t5cT1shnEZVxl/s800/Alpacas%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRBZTsE5G2HOTRrL1YsAqQPMkxpKwzv7Bi5_OWVI777wMtaD7Rn7ETS5YMzyDNk20aIIIKQEElXoFmPKdqvlcX2DLM4KQD1Snwbcrx0szIWcvut21k1FuCKd9hnTdzNJhzEN4kHyP7D4d6kWnIZWrcxMOQx4aCSrQdCp6HCh4D-7t5cT1shnEZVxl/w400-h300/Alpacas%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpacas in a typical Aguada Blanca landscape.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-WUmDkCK_amCb0det60-FkwtiA1Iz5X_yJM2gEWaJzDY0EVSJuUN2HXIkav87I6bk3zYlxV0c-TxADGJ0AAurtlInd1SwUtqwLKR5IVJ5fHcHi1an5HkO6khOyB2s4hOWOXghIL8Lkw8Sxxq0RXv3rm9pg3y-mNm47UMoBqfL4iBdEMWciI0goqs/s800/hillslopes%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-WUmDkCK_amCb0det60-FkwtiA1Iz5X_yJM2gEWaJzDY0EVSJuUN2HXIkav87I6bk3zYlxV0c-TxADGJ0AAurtlInd1SwUtqwLKR5IVJ5fHcHi1an5HkO6khOyB2s4hOWOXghIL8Lkw8Sxxq0RXv3rm9pg3y-mNm47UMoBqfL4iBdEMWciI0goqs/w400-h300/hillslopes%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Largely barren hillslopes in the national reserve. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p>There are virtually no trees and the plants that do occur here must be really tough, like the harsh grasses that the Alpacas rely on, and these cacti.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekmmA8W4wVB8PbuMO_MhvZloSILwLwL7sUeYlzAGoNxnG4sEm_R9oVkRf2oV3B-Hy54m1rpH_HfYWS4AMp1eokKNqoUJzbcVAgPL73Mg8K1IiYwuOG7aGSTnYbAXVFF0MSQOzUuO40fi_HgQTSZz8SqFYHi384iKRljW8LZ9lGBXJNZgd1FJfU_3F/s800/cactus%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekmmA8W4wVB8PbuMO_MhvZloSILwLwL7sUeYlzAGoNxnG4sEm_R9oVkRf2oV3B-Hy54m1rpH_HfYWS4AMp1eokKNqoUJzbcVAgPL73Mg8K1IiYwuOG7aGSTnYbAXVFF0MSQOzUuO40fi_HgQTSZz8SqFYHi384iKRljW8LZ9lGBXJNZgd1FJfU_3F/w400-h300/cactus%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvNS0DC26kFgXoOTLYyBu5DUupGYNib5Vk_gIR3oz3b85K4a18FZihXcmWlq_iRGdqRk90lxga5AZZ4aBgNuMlw8vf9BTHohhXNWucs0auDZWK3AnhQidhkt4nhzo3KalRbA0h1M7uQjKqZG4H54HK8GX5voodO8QEjeg-Sm4S8q430Rll-QSHQAn/s800/cactus%20flower%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvNS0DC26kFgXoOTLYyBu5DUupGYNib5Vk_gIR3oz3b85K4a18FZihXcmWlq_iRGdqRk90lxga5AZZ4aBgNuMlw8vf9BTHohhXNWucs0auDZWK3AnhQidhkt4nhzo3KalRbA0h1M7uQjKqZG4H54HK8GX5voodO8QEjeg-Sm4S8q430Rll-QSHQAn/w400-h300/cactus%20flower%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But even here there is animal life too, and among the things I'd most wanted to see were wild Vicuñas, the apparent wild ancestors of the Alpacas, not easy to see in the wild, though numbers have rebounded reassuringly from the 1970s when indiscriminate hunting brought numbers down to about 6000 in all of South America. They are slender, weighing less than half as much as the lower elevation Guanaco (ancestor of the Llama). Their fine wool is highly prized; when the Incas ruled, only royalty was permitted to wear garments made from it. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3S34qw60gHAnJNAoGcms5mxwijWTf3zKJpJ3cmCOOvx22vXWdTtm6LoyECOdfj0WLsz2VfP0ZNvZYtCmRor7JDp04gIsx_XRt_IEvNIT-2bkvAqr7wIki8t79DN1O3-l5V-FTucV66vbvAb-nppSruKr_V40L_7bGiSKd4INqJGJqt6QAYOtlKhL/s800/Vicuna2%20east%20of%20Chivay%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3S34qw60gHAnJNAoGcms5mxwijWTf3zKJpJ3cmCOOvx22vXWdTtm6LoyECOdfj0WLsz2VfP0ZNvZYtCmRor7JDp04gIsx_XRt_IEvNIT-2bkvAqr7wIki8t79DN1O3-l5V-FTucV66vbvAb-nppSruKr_V40L_7bGiSKd4INqJGJqt6QAYOtlKhL/w400-h300/Vicuna2%20east%20of%20Chivay%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Vicuñas <i>Lama vicugna</i> in Salinas and Aguada Blanca, above and below.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKeyD2j1Z1ZXwwzlvK5CALQNV7EbZPzj8zvebuQ7vp8zYEfMNjqKqP-JoLUAqycw3V_b5TLq9Yx2RO2dN8ZN5InhGSapEY4eyvgWDMlLGZyh5grS3SybYyDQvc5GIfBl4Hkd_6nq-Iks0e93viYGESj2g__-72cEIoWPZufYVsehIIijC1OWbkTVe/s1000/Vicunas4%20Res%20Nac%20Aguada%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKeyD2j1Z1ZXwwzlvK5CALQNV7EbZPzj8zvebuQ7vp8zYEfMNjqKqP-JoLUAqycw3V_b5TLq9Yx2RO2dN8ZN5InhGSapEY4eyvgWDMlLGZyh5grS3SybYyDQvc5GIfBl4Hkd_6nq-Iks0e93viYGESj2g__-72cEIoWPZufYVsehIIijC1OWbkTVe/w640-h224/Vicunas4%20Res%20Nac%20Aguada%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once a year the herds are captured and shorn by the communities, then released; in times past <br />they would simply have killed them and taken the wool.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReWCKODYqAjZIN9YGugte6i4spCEwZ3Qqr41sgeOTWTEB2B6HCRAS5sZJ-047kTP__F9tGyaib6Unq2wco5-IzU4seDlIDPmn_dmZI0P2_ZfmfVbA47wRiILR0vyDJCaL9AEc_IJfWaq8ARgJGRMFOmKvPqmF22RpexI1LVVppnPqrUsS14PLBnAF/s800/Variable%20Hawk3%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReWCKODYqAjZIN9YGugte6i4spCEwZ3Qqr41sgeOTWTEB2B6HCRAS5sZJ-047kTP__F9tGyaib6Unq2wco5-IzU4seDlIDPmn_dmZI0P2_ZfmfVbA47wRiILR0vyDJCaL9AEc_IJfWaq8ARgJGRMFOmKvPqmF22RpexI1LVVppnPqrUsS14PLBnAF/w400-h300/Variable%20Hawk3%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Variable Hawk <i>Geranoaetus polyosoma</i> on the roof of a roadside service centre in <br />the midst of the puna. This species is widespread along the Andes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Most of the obvious life here though is associated with the <i>bofedales</i>, the high swamplands. Here are a few roadside examples.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAczdYF9dhJ12KyqcFimIXdkJU1aJPt6kL4ok9M70Adt7DuwLTR0Pk2mgbz9yAS53Pbj944vQ1szQ2OKa_7C04A9f3vI-EPlVLpJ4Gea7qrYu_1YL7-OlGdiOWFf8W70eqhVLyTolWRfB3EhFVrDZuooBEfLnLzNgQMIvT0xgjkm9rcB51QEiZ3K1X/s800/Andean%20Lapwing%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAczdYF9dhJ12KyqcFimIXdkJU1aJPt6kL4ok9M70Adt7DuwLTR0Pk2mgbz9yAS53Pbj944vQ1szQ2OKa_7C04A9f3vI-EPlVLpJ4Gea7qrYu_1YL7-OlGdiOWFf8W70eqhVLyTolWRfB3EhFVrDZuooBEfLnLzNgQMIvT0xgjkm9rcB51QEiZ3K1X/w400-h300/Andean%20Lapwing%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andean Lapwing <i>Vanellus resplendens, </i>a high altitude plover found along the Andean<br />chain as far south as northern Argentina. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoft97QS-0wrydqFTjIAQhW79u07hIeWw8Kh3yL-lfb8gZUudRIAKWGI73eFmRZ10AWGn8LxJgFsqZOmLy663S6zacg3RapIagWaauOmIiZs4DppD78ggb-yzf7zNVuNXRvQrwhwOhuWdOq1M1qlZu_2SMeXPuBn97-JVSz414-9PY7z0r0X9tTul/s800/Andean%20Geese1%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoft97QS-0wrydqFTjIAQhW79u07hIeWw8Kh3yL-lfb8gZUudRIAKWGI73eFmRZ10AWGn8LxJgFsqZOmLy663S6zacg3RapIagWaauOmIiZs4DppD78ggb-yzf7zNVuNXRvQrwhwOhuWdOq1M1qlZu_2SMeXPuBn97-JVSz414-9PY7z0r0X9tTul/w400-h300/Andean%20Geese1%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andean Geese <i>Chloephaga melanoptera,</i>which are found only in the southern Andes<br />above 3000 metres. For more on the South American 'geese' see <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2015/11/those-south-american-geese.html">here</a>. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIsP7FRdTYT4UtiQMqVN5_FiNyo2qQ5ZVwM-dMWMOK5tdvAyelDeSwuU4knan9WAmEkLW4LZ-XL_gFmZrdk9h4SdmKPq2xTk3hfYo4tFSZTjPg6hYN1IMGIttTtUrQXYlg2XoXAmwdQ6MbmAQoITn07j9bap-sq1w_r8ktYgdAthjLSY2VqiTag2n/s800/Giant%20Coot%20nest%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIsP7FRdTYT4UtiQMqVN5_FiNyo2qQ5ZVwM-dMWMOK5tdvAyelDeSwuU4knan9WAmEkLW4LZ-XL_gFmZrdk9h4SdmKPq2xTk3hfYo4tFSZTjPg6hYN1IMGIttTtUrQXYlg2XoXAmwdQ6MbmAQoITn07j9bap-sq1w_r8ktYgdAthjLSY2VqiTag2n/w400-h300/Giant%20Coot%20nest%20Res%20Nac%20Aguadas%20Blanca%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Giant Coot <i>Fulica gigantea</i> on its huge nest, which comprises vegetation piled<br />up until it is resting on the bottom in up to a metre of water. The bird itself is also<br />huge (at least for a coot), weighing up to 2.5k. They are found at high altitudes (nearly always <br />above 3500 metres, but up to 6500) primarily in southern Peru and Bolivia. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">From here we continued north-west to Chivay and the amazing Colca
Canyon, but I've already featured that before; you can read about it
<a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2016/04/heights-and-depths-perus-colca-valley.html">here</a>, where you'll find lots more photos and information about the puna
habitat and many more of its birds and plants.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However I am going to mention again the extraordinary Abra Patapampa (<i>abra</i> is a pass), reputedly the highest pass in all of South America that is accessed by a sealed road. At 4900 metres above sea level it is way above the tree line, and the scenery is like nothing I've seen, vast and unimaginably bleak and rugged. I'm fortunate enough not to be unduly troubled by altitude, but this is the highest I've ever been with my feet on the ground. The short walk to the lookout platform (Mirador de los Andes, or Mirador de los Volcanoes - <i>mirador</i> is a lookout) was enough to wear me out! I wouldn't have missed it though, gazing over an apocalyptic landscape to distant volcanoes. Needless to say, the women selling home-made souvenirs were untroubled by the thin air, and of course they had walked to get here.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoquoEwydaeSQMznytSryO7aa1ouYzEpCxke5kEERmjPoh39eBvMJgL3FsoD3M0P0ObNyKLDV-KJBwz0UWWalnduXUpIISCqs-HZQTUFPl3_z8riPLOLD6cHK_z57W3bu11xtA8IaJ5pF9NtB1tM119RMHuy8KE87ZD_HTRYAsueeWA1NF6G9S5gX/s800/Vo%20Chucure%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoquoEwydaeSQMznytSryO7aa1ouYzEpCxke5kEERmjPoh39eBvMJgL3FsoD3M0P0ObNyKLDV-KJBwz0UWWalnduXUpIISCqs-HZQTUFPl3_z8riPLOLD6cHK_z57W3bu11xtA8IaJ5pF9NtB1tM119RMHuy8KE87ZD_HTRYAsueeWA1NF6G9S5gX/w400-h300/Vo%20Chucure%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back to the south across the rock and sand landscape to Volcano Chucure.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOE-Roy2ikkGBNjvxNClNZm65vLqCT1hqk-WVdhD6B4XdOI2BMHpy6boncIKBH6P6yqrbhTL2-dYAuEZMqsAa8D38vAhUL94bkY1jUSsSwDUOSAztIq-sgOmMbwaSKVKrg-K2OLqbQqU2CGyfz_QVeCSya0V_ks274bjjVhvwKw5NQ9PAO4uDO-bL/s1000/Vos%20Ampato%20(6300m),%20Sabancayo%20(6000m),%20Hualca%20Hualca%20(6000m)%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOE-Roy2ikkGBNjvxNClNZm65vLqCT1hqk-WVdhD6B4XdOI2BMHpy6boncIKBH6P6yqrbhTL2-dYAuEZMqsAa8D38vAhUL94bkY1jUSsSwDUOSAztIq-sgOmMbwaSKVKrg-K2OLqbQqU2CGyfz_QVeCSya0V_ks274bjjVhvwKw5NQ9PAO4uDO-bL/w640-h224/Vos%20Ampato%20(6300m),%20Sabancayo%20(6000m),%20Hualca%20Hualca%20(6000m)%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out to the west, we were gazing at (from the left) Volcanoes Ampato (6300m), <br />Sabancayo (6000m) and Hualca Hualca (6000m).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHESmxjg5vaBko2Xxj7Om89MM3bgX-0CtDxJZ8WpGKbyDUFz2DVTLd1ABXES_uA3OObYBQzwQz5iIaTBV69caL0VgICb_lp8n1wvrLPsglntpQwTgVxhqMT4dT_uegWb6syt-MxCzJqHHY7qHGPaKvTJVPNZrQ8QOiY0qADnvmu-v2uRcdPWE0okgk/s800/Vo%20Sabancayo%20(6000m)%20with%20plume2%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHESmxjg5vaBko2Xxj7Om89MM3bgX-0CtDxJZ8WpGKbyDUFz2DVTLd1ABXES_uA3OObYBQzwQz5iIaTBV69caL0VgICb_lp8n1wvrLPsglntpQwTgVxhqMT4dT_uegWb6syt-MxCzJqHHY7qHGPaKvTJVPNZrQ8QOiY0qADnvmu-v2uRcdPWE0okgk/w300-h400/Vo%20Sabancayo%20(6000m)%20with%20plume2%20from%20Patapampa%20Pass%204900m%20Peru%200815.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nor is all the vapour in the air just cloud; here is a plume of volcanic smoke arising<br />above the cloud from the active vent of Sabancayo.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">From here the road descends in all directions; ours is to the east. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjVuYRMmSJETafmwmT14e9t-LidsyYi0ArWJylSN3mpbITJaoA2VXanM5N7JIfUN9e49U3U6hkAGbEUZZmm_SiurqxOUpR1h11VFC3gi9zGjKxNwmh7oIxsQEI31H3wzdTL9B3YVRef_x4RYDuq0Fhy2p5UuPjPIpv72QtJ_3gVcZD7ennv9nmmWi/s800/Mountain%20Caracara2%20north%20of%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjVuYRMmSJETafmwmT14e9t-LidsyYi0ArWJylSN3mpbITJaoA2VXanM5N7JIfUN9e49U3U6hkAGbEUZZmm_SiurqxOUpR1h11VFC3gi9zGjKxNwmh7oIxsQEI31H3wzdTL9B3YVRef_x4RYDuq0Fhy2p5UuPjPIpv72QtJ_3gVcZD7ennv9nmmWi/w300-h400/Mountain%20Caracara2%20north%20of%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Caracara <i>Phalcoboenus megalopterus </i>by the roadside approaching Lake Titicaca.<br />Caracaras are atypical scavenging falcons; this one is found along the Andes south <br />from the top of Peru.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">You may be getting impatient to actually get to Lake Titicaca by now, but there was just one more exciting roadside sighting before we arrived at Puno. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WxD-YZVUR2_6o5jDE6ETwbqDfVEimhN-D_U_AM2KXJQ4YbtVuKax4MVy01oY-f4BEFIg6xri68cpoyYzQCqqDy1Wo-drFCZKVFOrbChk1_VAr_wkFxX9u--SjmupoURv3dXiqUcW5NnyJH4a8EQsLfbJh0-R9CZCsjSoYyVpqt37ivQnPBECIiDb/s800/Short-eared%20Owl3%20near%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WxD-YZVUR2_6o5jDE6ETwbqDfVEimhN-D_U_AM2KXJQ4YbtVuKax4MVy01oY-f4BEFIg6xri68cpoyYzQCqqDy1Wo-drFCZKVFOrbChk1_VAr_wkFxX9u--SjmupoURv3dXiqUcW5NnyJH4a8EQsLfbJh0-R9CZCsjSoYyVpqt37ivQnPBECIiDb/w300-h400/Short-eared%20Owl3%20near%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-eared Owl <i>Asio flammeus</i> watching us from a fence post. This is not of itself<br />particularly unusual - it is found across most of the northern hemisphere and southern<br />South America, and is sometimes cited as the having the widest range of any bird species on earh.<br />However our very experienced local guides had never seen one in this<br />part of the world. In Peru it is found mostly (but still rarely) on the north coast.<br />I gather it caused quite a stir when our guides reported it. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And so to Puno, a city of 150,000 people on the shores of Lake Titicaca, crowded into a narrow plain and now sprawling up the mountainsides. This is a hard cold landscape</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mXf7Xc-yfBPrYDcnRdAd3RKAwwZGG1vMCjpvB_v2wGVKMWsRw5w213yAn-RWSoSfSDF_YKSPfwvDXrmMH-KBKIoo9UGxKVI93EUxOrKH7UnQjcTacS93e8JyzsQiUTKW5Qw8_WVbj0vgDLUCLmyHlYsl0b7HfYP26xjC4YorDwsQl45qG0RnIoC8/s800/icy%20landscape%20near%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mXf7Xc-yfBPrYDcnRdAd3RKAwwZGG1vMCjpvB_v2wGVKMWsRw5w213yAn-RWSoSfSDF_YKSPfwvDXrmMH-KBKIoo9UGxKVI93EUxOrKH7UnQjcTacS93e8JyzsQiUTKW5Qw8_WVbj0vgDLUCLmyHlYsl0b7HfYP26xjC4YorDwsQl45qG0RnIoC8/w400-h300/icy%20landscape%20near%20Puno%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flat icy land outside of Puno, photographed from the bus on the morning<br />of our departure.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Puno and the nearby city of Juliaca are notoriously restive and, while we were there, agitated demonstrations were taking place all around our hotel, apparently relating to some unionists who'd been arrested and were being held nearby. We kept as clear as we could and didn't feel threatened. On a darker note we heard some grim stories about organised crime violence based on smuggling across the lake from Bolivia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I write this the area is the subject of a declared state if emergency following riots connected with the ousting of President Castillo; last week at least 17 people were killed in Juliaca in clashes between demonstrators and police. This is not the place to argue the rights and wrongs, and I'm not the person to do it, though it is topical to this posting. <br /></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America by volume, and disputedly by area (I must say that Lake Maraicabo in Venezuela does seem to have a stronger claim there). It is 177km long with an average width of 56km. The main western basin has an average depth of 135 metres, fed by five major river systems and many smaller one. It contains 41 islands. In Bolivia the Rio Desaguardero flows out of it and feeds other lakes. With large waterbird populations, many endemic fish species, the famous flightless Titicaca Grebe and the huge Titicaca Water Frog (up to 50cm long and weighing a kilogram) it has been a Ramsar site of international wetland significance since 1998. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolhm7oLwfwcLsmVLWPstUOTJNCHMYOKTVOsc4m-QFJiQ2EEAG_t8vvLPb5JnnUSYDBUVIcUAMyRef7y_HgkT_4or3lcRUbEMf0noCXNW5lbKDGI8ujilr_g4PZPke2HiH3hKAzXKnWaoSUdjEekIW40Pb-KkTAFglGctAAsUch3SFYSVdkmU38S1B/s800/lake%20from%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolhm7oLwfwcLsmVLWPstUOTJNCHMYOKTVOsc4m-QFJiQ2EEAG_t8vvLPb5JnnUSYDBUVIcUAMyRef7y_HgkT_4or3lcRUbEMf0noCXNW5lbKDGI8ujilr_g4PZPke2HiH3hKAzXKnWaoSUdjEekIW40Pb-KkTAFglGctAAsUch3SFYSVdkmU38S1B/w400-h300/lake%20from%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I find that, like the ocean, a large lake is hard to meaningfully photograph!<br />These attempts were from a hill on Taquile Island.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_cso-D58DNxhXy0kj7nMW2QEAY2LWpf8sTT026baS-GCdWCouQI3LqeAlNe1tfBTzj-lYXTYK3IKEUADXBurVETY0IF5BxflM9N7phyWaHOD_xigTzr_Xq1J0QWJ80zLMIxzZo75cVWBTA4aHTz8Zjr97Lnf9zp6ImhAG8emhqlKeTCM-JhbTfdx/s1000/lake%20panorama%20from%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_cso-D58DNxhXy0kj7nMW2QEAY2LWpf8sTT026baS-GCdWCouQI3LqeAlNe1tfBTzj-lYXTYK3IKEUADXBurVETY0IF5BxflM9N7phyWaHOD_xigTzr_Xq1J0QWJ80zLMIxzZo75cVWBTA4aHTz8Zjr97Lnf9zp6ImhAG8emhqlKeTCM-JhbTfdx/w640-h224/lake%20panorama%20from%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Uros or Uru people originated in Bolivia, where many still live on the lake shore. Many of them now live on floating 'islands' of bundles of giant sedges near Puno, where they rely heavily on visiting tourists. The sedges are also used to make boats. <br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREvEKxHcHlRwhx7K8UKnOi0ei5E0I1BNhE48oN0Mzu7rNhjw-r9LL5xktILgkk-_45CMeYN0PLZ6dxVzzpKGPd7izU1FZt7KpUbwaUcGDOG45uNlGU_Ozg3zw1Gi5Kn73oYB4Z4kSTPQnaVy3_Bx85N0J7Wozh2ohDCmk4QXJJ6wVfodTjRch0OyJ/s1000/floating%20island2%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREvEKxHcHlRwhx7K8UKnOi0ei5E0I1BNhE48oN0Mzu7rNhjw-r9LL5xktILgkk-_45CMeYN0PLZ6dxVzzpKGPd7izU1FZt7KpUbwaUcGDOG45uNlGU_Ozg3zw1Gi5Kn73oYB4Z4kSTPQnaVy3_Bx85N0J7Wozh2ohDCmk4QXJJ6wVfodTjRch0OyJ/w640-h224/floating%20island2%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floating island that we visited, above and below, during our lake excursion,<br />which is pretty much mandatory! They are anchored to the lake bed with eucalyptus poles.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9s9GXXY4KUl2gqwEvSMp2Cyr8MUCygXr8jjRS1ata7-H_zEM6pwEScNQgT97c0PkxjQYWEBwqovnSJ-FJO2yia86rBXUEN9NdQKourGccKqHOHex5xhjnlWNdKaDJOPQlm42MykV31cV1kho5VzzU18MPx-x91wDYWavH6d1n59YP_LLAAMe6eQlr/s1000/floating%20island1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="1000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9s9GXXY4KUl2gqwEvSMp2Cyr8MUCygXr8jjRS1ata7-H_zEM6pwEScNQgT97c0PkxjQYWEBwqovnSJ-FJO2yia86rBXUEN9NdQKourGccKqHOHex5xhjnlWNdKaDJOPQlm42MykV31cV1kho5VzzU18MPx-x91wDYWavH6d1n59YP_LLAAMe6eQlr/w640-h226/floating%20island1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tkeuTbwPhDx46oPAffvUcSTPobjXF_WnIsMU4uarUbTbLC4RrQf1Qb_Sd6Bng1kj8E5OgQ4nEFh4bKfKrf6pTT2D4_S2s-QQDkUTFAjOXmWzGIRgfCiDhPS7nL7cyJmAnxPivTI87qo0K1yDo9BcgcmjlyOf0wQXopHLHJpwQx7DItl3e328drfg/s800/reed%20boat%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tkeuTbwPhDx46oPAffvUcSTPobjXF_WnIsMU4uarUbTbLC4RrQf1Qb_Sd6Bng1kj8E5OgQ4nEFh4bKfKrf6pTT2D4_S2s-QQDkUTFAjOXmWzGIRgfCiDhPS7nL7cyJmAnxPivTI87qo0K1yDo9BcgcmjlyOf0wQXopHLHJpwQx7DItl3e328drfg/w400-h300/reed%20boat%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reed boat, made of bundles of the giant sedge <i>Schoenoplectus californicus.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, this is a natural history blog, so I'll end with a few of the
animals - mostly birds - that we encountered on and by the lake,
starting with the one I was most looking forward to seeing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7Bmr9vqgtxunfehpRrFO51Z3PbGcOQUSgZmFjH7dFm3Ne9OxAeiHmqnFnbtgft0ji64OE6qntAKOrAyy5AKwtwcSbr-U3tE00Ki-6xCF55DmXwov5sOkfcu5VTX7PYWIT45NZx-Gxaqgo-gRtXQBmWPQAZS4iDLqaPwxLTByEhDJASfMXQKsiIKn/s800/Titicaca%20Flightless%20Grebe1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7Bmr9vqgtxunfehpRrFO51Z3PbGcOQUSgZmFjH7dFm3Ne9OxAeiHmqnFnbtgft0ji64OE6qntAKOrAyy5AKwtwcSbr-U3tE00Ki-6xCF55DmXwov5sOkfcu5VTX7PYWIT45NZx-Gxaqgo-gRtXQBmWPQAZS4iDLqaPwxLTByEhDJASfMXQKsiIKn/w400-h300/Titicaca%20Flightless%20Grebe1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Titicaca Grebe <i>Rollandia microptera, </i>whose stubby little wings (even by grebe standards)<br />render it completely flightless. While Lake Titicaca is the core of its range,<br />it is also found on some other nearby high altitude lakes. It is sadly Endangered,<br />and numbers are dropping steadily and worryingly, now down to only about 2000<br />birds. The widespread use of fixed fishing nets seems to be the main problem.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The two ducks that follow are much more widespread.<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5M5TdJEwmCkhh8LSuBQTu9eOwJ_17vAucWIRJ0ygwRYJmZWG9ckScxGUO899qWL7LDVivtm07bO4ukmUxDpwijyBiyoPTywcv3-NgmqrQLS-huOwFtSd8lD6UX8kdGFFWwud4oqXUAPFrHyvYTDXkFYmUFTuQrXFD2uPHcLL_ABlw45QlO7QqR7s/s800/Andean%20Ruddy%20Duck%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5M5TdJEwmCkhh8LSuBQTu9eOwJ_17vAucWIRJ0ygwRYJmZWG9ckScxGUO899qWL7LDVivtm07bO4ukmUxDpwijyBiyoPTywcv3-NgmqrQLS-huOwFtSd8lD6UX8kdGFFWwud4oqXUAPFrHyvYTDXkFYmUFTuQrXFD2uPHcLL_ABlw45QlO7QqR7s/w400-h300/Andean%20Ruddy%20Duck%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Andean Duck <i>Oxyura ferruginea </i>is found along almost the entire<br />length of the Andes from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego (with an odd <br />gap in northern Peru). A diving duck, it is closely related to, and very similar to, <br />the Australian Blue-billed Duck <i>O. australis.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXiTdFyokHslfJhtsMt8Gv41djqAUwoqN1NWIkiY01sMPcM4s-X1vxcCsyizhJdWdN3FIpxGixnvkIG-llbQwJleYM6jwoOrfS_EDV4_h3eyyhndq6CHwdvthsPfEer_hFuxyHEjPbdQRPTI3kIH-bx0RKobCFQo-sHY5ae8aDA7GZkH-RHDUM7oN/s800/Cinnamon%20Teal%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXiTdFyokHslfJhtsMt8Gv41djqAUwoqN1NWIkiY01sMPcM4s-X1vxcCsyizhJdWdN3FIpxGixnvkIG-llbQwJleYM6jwoOrfS_EDV4_h3eyyhndq6CHwdvthsPfEer_hFuxyHEjPbdQRPTI3kIH-bx0RKobCFQo-sHY5ae8aDA7GZkH-RHDUM7oN/w400-h300/Cinnamon%20Teal%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The attractive Cinnamon Teal <i>Spatula cyanoptera</i> has an even wider range,<br />through large parts of the Americas. They dabble rather than dive for their dinner.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrBQ1PsC0AIzIndFQvtHFf5jSmTwDkB3W_SlBt99RPLRzwxtJ8F1nDlqcd4LC02sINPnsMv2TVvlabnHouJWEMMHR5EeyiVjMF5MkAQJYCMxLkGqjqTu6iB2bbVAcliMUB_y8K1XWG1opWsGy_ZCUyT4v5VwWSlSJ7OeNeOjreRfW9NJIWyEcDEav/s800/Wilsons%20Phalarope1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrBQ1PsC0AIzIndFQvtHFf5jSmTwDkB3W_SlBt99RPLRzwxtJ8F1nDlqcd4LC02sINPnsMv2TVvlabnHouJWEMMHR5EeyiVjMF5MkAQJYCMxLkGqjqTu6iB2bbVAcliMUB_y8K1XWG1opWsGy_ZCUyT4v5VwWSlSJ7OeNeOjreRfW9NJIWyEcDEav/w400-h300/Wilsons%20Phalarope1%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson's Phalarope <i>Spatula cyanoptera</i>. Despite them being waders, I generally think of <br />phalaropes as seabirds (though I've hardly ever seen them) but this is a <br />Southern Hemisphere perspective. They are very odd among waders in spending the<br />non-breeding season at sea, and that is when see them (or not) in Australia.<br />In the breeding season they frequent lakes and marshlands.<br />They spin in the water to create an eddy, and capture small prey drawn into it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once out in the deep water there were virtually no birds to be seen.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntymfGZvuBDFxBWuzYvjQdHReGURPjGolFMHA5Vf4H_9bYoXUTyAT6CQKe9aTYYdXk1hCZPdtJEpWyaxv2bmjHPIrZbsJuiSXuWVu6_3rTHR90rO6ELhvMWxAK1CWGxlsCCqmtvVD6zK4jMK3iyaNIF2EACY0FlRFXlN1ylR8Oza4gZar6YbiFY0Y/s800/American%20Kestrel%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntymfGZvuBDFxBWuzYvjQdHReGURPjGolFMHA5Vf4H_9bYoXUTyAT6CQKe9aTYYdXk1hCZPdtJEpWyaxv2bmjHPIrZbsJuiSXuWVu6_3rTHR90rO6ELhvMWxAK1CWGxlsCCqmtvVD6zK4jMK3iyaNIF2EACY0FlRFXlN1ylR8Oza4gZar6YbiFY0Y/w400-h300/American%20Kestrel%20Taquile%20Island%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Kestrel <i>Falco sparverius</i> over Taquile Island.<br />This little falcon has a huge range over the entire Americas, <br />except for the rainforests and the frozen far north.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Before embarking on our boat trip on the lake we spent some productive time by the reed beds at the edge, where we saw a couple of reed specialists that I'd previously enjoyed elsewhere but never managed to lay lens on. They both have convoluted English names and between them represent the two huge primitive families of passerines that dominate South America (but nowhere else in the world).<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiPqbhw1dJW_qcImwwGbYc5CjnRVFadrmkkDdlDHQMzOlo-9WgRtJ8auTwzbd8hvc92busWyI17DdHPtiGtKLv0ho3NZrexfFb_wZ2DCeBhoHNUDrN2bBrlpd4cDI4jEtju0lkTIYYF4oswbY5M6qQnBaKZ-NusE_Yna4Rrm9ccKbNXOqO2BrWvni/s800/Wren-like%20Rushbird%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiPqbhw1dJW_qcImwwGbYc5CjnRVFadrmkkDdlDHQMzOlo-9WgRtJ8auTwzbd8hvc92busWyI17DdHPtiGtKLv0ho3NZrexfFb_wZ2DCeBhoHNUDrN2bBrlpd4cDI4jEtju0lkTIYYF4oswbY5M6qQnBaKZ-NusE_Yna4Rrm9ccKbNXOqO2BrWvni/w300-h400/Wren-like%20Rushbird%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wren-like Rushbird <i>Phleocryptes melanops</i> is found in western Peru, and <br />throughout the southern cone of the continent wherever there are rushes and<br />reedbeds in marshes and on lake shores. This is one of the ovenbirds, or funariids. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXq85fN6NBn5LGBmfpIeDtt8FI9dCQDZikpwRitJY8WjvsgzxoVoJWJeKYuohPE_SP1KHxsEoSWA6_qF21rTl-pJsvzLN33CPXH0bZlwXmzNUxjwZXzeItPTVj6JdF4CmbHFJief5VvinHLq6eg7FIkDsYRnKwZHd9XA9s8OQrBP6FyfPWuUcAXWJ/s800/Many-coloured%20Rush-tyrant4%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXq85fN6NBn5LGBmfpIeDtt8FI9dCQDZikpwRitJY8WjvsgzxoVoJWJeKYuohPE_SP1KHxsEoSWA6_qF21rTl-pJsvzLN33CPXH0bZlwXmzNUxjwZXzeItPTVj6JdF4CmbHFJief5VvinHLq6eg7FIkDsYRnKwZHd9XA9s8OQrBP6FyfPWuUcAXWJ/w400-h299/Many-coloured%20Rush-tyrant4%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many-coloured Rush-tyrant <i>Tachuris rubrigastra</i> has a similar distribution<br />and habitat to the rushbird. This is one of the numerous South American <br />tyrant flycatchers. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>And while we watched the reedbeds, we were delighted when these little characters emerged to graze, though they were shy and wouldn't let us approach.</span><br /><span></span></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlYQxw7od4OLGjLyIHTrkbp06h5-5lJhuH_bUdP5trlEVhE6cnJhuj6426Vcr00XSijAv6_I4SUI9El28HKNfXeSKVSIG0Is1r3awM3-WtACojHKNOo3NUYrFJihWLaCODcpF_wAyOjP4lHpIBroEK1vGbigOoPVKU4Lk3WjUOM3jk_J0oUw0cyiq/s800/Common%20Yellow-toothed%20Cavies%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlYQxw7od4OLGjLyIHTrkbp06h5-5lJhuH_bUdP5trlEVhE6cnJhuj6426Vcr00XSijAv6_I4SUI9El28HKNfXeSKVSIG0Is1r3awM3-WtACojHKNOo3NUYrFJihWLaCODcpF_wAyOjP4lHpIBroEK1vGbigOoPVKU4Lk3WjUOM3jk_J0oUw0cyiq/w300-h400/Common%20Yellow-toothed%20Cavies%20Lake%20Titicaca%20Peru%200915.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Yellow-toothed Cavies <i>Galea musteloides.<br /></i>They are fairly closely related to Guinea Pigs, though belong to another genus,<br />and probably didn't contribute genes to the modern pets (and, in the Andes, food animals).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>So perhaps a fairly random posting, but aren't they all? I hope you found something of interest here, but if you're just hanging out for more Australian subject matter, please come back next time.</div><div> </div><div>I hope that 2023 is being kind to you so far, and naturally wonderful! </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
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ever I don't make any pretence to photographic excellence; I have no training and my pics are definitely records rather than art. This collection was chosen for their associations rather than any perceived excellence. Ideally there'd be a random scatter of subjects, rather than starting with three invertebrates, having a couple of orchids in spring and ending with a couple of birds. But, that's how it was!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>JANUARY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5L9jzciBI0dRvQkTTDHNUbw7Ds48zYvqO89FxPqMzZHjXV6kbITnRxsjY3Kd02nLSiPS3MJWZxYruF-734YcP7NW4Cl-JfDAq2-pHhhFAS4-Q7bMxhXCaNTSrS3lQn2M_ZFx1FoBcasmp3LMr-kb9QBCXfhJ0UaKDdJQbsIcxkYDYTTbMsoHgB_w/s800/Blepharotes%20coriarius%20Robber%20Fly%20Asilidae%20Cocoparra%20NP%200122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5L9jzciBI0dRvQkTTDHNUbw7Ds48zYvqO89FxPqMzZHjXV6kbITnRxsjY3Kd02nLSiPS3MJWZxYruF-734YcP7NW4Cl-JfDAq2-pHhhFAS4-Q7bMxhXCaNTSrS3lQn2M_ZFx1FoBcasmp3LMr-kb9QBCXfhJ0UaKDdJQbsIcxkYDYTTbMsoHgB_w/w400-h300/Blepharotes%20coriarius%20Robber%20Fly%20Asilidae%20Cocoparra%20NP%200122.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day after we collected our camper trailer, we headed west with it to Cocoparra NP<br />in the Riverina, a favourite of ours. La Niña helped us here, as though it was pretty<br />warm it was nowhere near as hot as it can be out there in summer. This beauty, at<br />least four centimetres long, is a Giant Yellow Robber Fly <i>Blepharotes coriarius</i>, <br />Family Asilidae. (The yellow abdomen of its name is only visible when it's flying.)<br />It entertained us as we sat quietly in the shade one afternoon and the birds had settled down too. <br />A fierce predator, it is waiting for an insect to fly by. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>FEBRUARY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUmNsYIfDv9l7omtyXcx3MCv5zRdfxG5t9pErEgQ4x8Zpv7951OVKFHtoW0u_ie0SWfdHdyAv25Jz1XUuutgiVQ30fWvlyHVKZq6A6dm5c4COkqaheOEf3wvMO7yVwJuhEkfx5szKgpnAUvgO2Gt24p26_Fj7r-mITDYanMlTfTVPeDbevrA1Y2wL/s800/Trapezites%20symmomus%20Splendid%20Ochre%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUmNsYIfDv9l7omtyXcx3MCv5zRdfxG5t9pErEgQ4x8Zpv7951OVKFHtoW0u_ie0SWfdHdyAv25Jz1XUuutgiVQ30fWvlyHVKZq6A6dm5c4COkqaheOEf3wvMO7yVwJuhEkfx5szKgpnAUvgO2Gt24p26_Fj7r-mITDYanMlTfTVPeDbevrA1Y2wL/w400-h300/Trapezites%20symmomus%20Splendid%20Ochre%20Ben%20Boyd%20NP%200222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost as soon as the summer school holidays ended we went camping again, this<br />time to the coast, south almost to the Victorian border at Beowa (then still known as<br />Ben Boyd) National Park. Four nights of coastal forest and sweeping heathlands, sandy beaches<br />and rugged rocky coastlines. It might seem odd to select a fairly modest-looking little<br />butterfly to represent this wonderful park - but I have! I love the warm colours,<br />delicate wing spots and very pointy antennae of this Splendid Ochre <i>Trapezites symmomus. </i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>MARCH</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ja7og1P1T0UBPenorGR0T20cTTXNwbKmsAcZfLc7b4-hoSQTf3xE11XR1Pvyj1aimq2By7bTIqaR4-hqrGTf3f2JT4AoZ2WtbQMYwxsS7ojsPj3gXMKRonAct3hpu19aDNKyoOlFPtT630QRFk-Z5y7FOyUOb7-YZ9yiOC621--gwo9jeK9AbQMb/s800/Sceliphron%20laetum%20Sphecidae%20Slender%20Mud-dauber%20with%20orbweb%20spider4%20Weddin%20Mtns%20NP%200322.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ja7og1P1T0UBPenorGR0T20cTTXNwbKmsAcZfLc7b4-hoSQTf3xE11XR1Pvyj1aimq2By7bTIqaR4-hqrGTf3f2JT4AoZ2WtbQMYwxsS7ojsPj3gXMKRonAct3hpu19aDNKyoOlFPtT630QRFk-Z5y7FOyUOb7-YZ9yiOC621--gwo9jeK9AbQMb/w400-h300/Sceliphron%20laetum%20Sphecidae%20Slender%20Mud-dauber%20with%20orbweb%20spider4%20Weddin%20Mtns%20NP%200322.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In late March we headed off north-west for three nights to another favourite park, <br />Weddin Mountains, a couple of hundred kilometres away on the western slopes.<br />This small-scale drama couldn't help but enthrall us, as it played out on the campground<br />picnic table while we were sitting there! This Slender Mud-dauber wasp <i>Sceliphron laetum, <br /></i>Family Sphecidae, had paralysed an orbweb spider and was looking for somewhere to<br />stash it. The odd thing was that she would normally have made a mud cell first, to receive <br />the paralysed spider. She may have been young and inexperienced, perhaps forgetting where<br />the cell was. Once she'd remembered and stored the spider she would have laid an egg on it <br />so it acts as a living larder for her offspring, then sealed the cell with mud.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><b>APRIL</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIy_fEsbgeGafj_KtHTuKCc-8ENJ6TC3lLn9kEbOiKQh8FZExUZLX1QFMRQ0GJaLkAoj6OjvJOJOMRLQAPSXeLo4lDktNkgbPVZumVulbEfWf-AcU2kclo1j9DJPuvQUZ4BVaF4S1n8911Z2B7z1ECpR5qpkYxEzqUf3JHXKHfYAhR8TZbI3eKrgT/s800/Hardhead%20taking%20off%20Jerra%200122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIy_fEsbgeGafj_KtHTuKCc-8ENJ6TC3lLn9kEbOiKQh8FZExUZLX1QFMRQ0GJaLkAoj6OjvJOJOMRLQAPSXeLo4lDktNkgbPVZumVulbEfWf-AcU2kclo1j9DJPuvQUZ4BVaF4S1n8911Z2B7z1ECpR5qpkYxEzqUf3JHXKHfYAhR8TZbI3eKrgT/w400-h300/Hardhead%20taking%20off%20Jerra%200122.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>We were home now for a couple of months and inevitably I visited the Jerrabomberra<br />Wetlands on the eastern edge of Canberra. This Hardhead <span><i>Aythya australis</i> was uneasy<br />about me being in the hide nearby and was here in the act of taking off from the water.<br />I was happy to have, by chance, caught it as it rose into the air; you can see the water<br />roiling around its legs as it paddles furiously to push off. <br />('Hardhead' is an old shooters' name, as the bird is reputedly difficult to kill, though there<br />is no evidence that this is to do with its skull. I think that the older name of White-eyed<br />Duck is less loaded and more useful as the eyes are a good field mark - though <br />admittedly only in the males.)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><b>MAY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIfkLLg_Mwfee8oe7IkdG2Z7vHcpxTqWbXOeI_OfLM0Uj3EGvp4Ew7rUR_HZJ2Kf9dM7_U71OTDeWZcA_yflL-0SxO_q9mKohb15EkxU4AEIs_xVdzDS61rGTatwJlwDc9cLogFv9tofdK8Ryh19t5O3df-a8XyLnyBinbdBmijZAFbgb1v-Ytnl8/s800/sunset%20on%20Belougery%20Split%20Rock4A%20from%20camp%20Warrumbungles%20NP%200522.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIfkLLg_Mwfee8oe7IkdG2Z7vHcpxTqWbXOeI_OfLM0Uj3EGvp4Ew7rUR_HZJ2Kf9dM7_U71OTDeWZcA_yflL-0SxO_q9mKohb15EkxU4AEIs_xVdzDS61rGTatwJlwDc9cLogFv9tofdK8Ryh19t5O3df-a8XyLnyBinbdBmijZAFbgb1v-Ytnl8/w400-h300/sunset%20on%20Belougery%20Split%20Rock4A%20from%20camp%20Warrumbungles%20NP%200522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the end of May we headed off for a week to the Warrumbungles NP, a magnificent<br />volcanic range some 550km to the north of here. We'd planned a couple of nights camping<br />en route but torrential rain and heavy winds thwarted us. Once we got to the park<br />the temperature didn't ever get to 10 degrees! Nonetheless we enjoyed the park and <br />made the most of the conditions. Belougery Split Rock, a massive volcanic plug,<br />loomed over the campground and on two consecutive evenings the setting sun <br />pierced the clouds on the horizon, and cheered us with this warm rich glow.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>JUNE</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxx-xkVG23zOcG72d9pG5kZbHdUERCpGKqvxG197YQs21b7YyvUwW-PV2718NUkCOz7UWRkLfTDjsBl6uamsZIRt2DzYh_Up9_T8JsajCxZaEfEzVoEKT7PoIP6wW0-LmhdrfHeODFMLOy3-zUf06jCBqF_E0HQ_bqa190Lf7Prr1pUJkzLo6_fmN/s800/Turquoise%20Parrot%20male1%20Warrumbungles%20NP%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxx-xkVG23zOcG72d9pG5kZbHdUERCpGKqvxG197YQs21b7YyvUwW-PV2718NUkCOz7UWRkLfTDjsBl6uamsZIRt2DzYh_Up9_T8JsajCxZaEfEzVoEKT7PoIP6wW0-LmhdrfHeODFMLOy3-zUf06jCBqF_E0HQ_bqa190Lf7Prr1pUJkzLo6_fmN/w400-h300/Turquoise%20Parrot%20male1%20Warrumbungles%20NP%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were still in the Warrumbungles for the start of June, and this was probably our<br />bird highlight of the year. It's one that Lou had always wanted to see, and I'd never<br />successfully laid lens on one. Turquoise Parrots <i>Neophema pulchella</i> are mostly restricted<br />to New South Wales (going a little way into north-east Victoria and south-east Queensland)<br />and are found mostly in woodlands, especially in the vicinity of ranges. There was a scattered <br />little flock here, feeding on grass seeds and going down to drink at the creek.<br />This male is typically exquisite, and <i>tiny</i>! At only 20cm long and weighing just 40 grams<br />they are scarcely bigger than a Budgie; the little Red-rumped Parrots that were also <br />present looked quite hulking by comparison. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>JULY</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy1WovR9zCsX_vc0x1YYuBJJe4LANDEdZBdou_f0sQ2w1KXqK_wMqckZlKLDtMQm5SxRzGJwznQYfb_L5LUow8fuT00XnBv1xaEarsMX30gKqcQYjjVknOaYnkV_K5QQcy7uVqVEcAp0gn7tPL69O44VBgj6S3FLmcWuoN0OaGQZSR-onA1xB_nR4/s800/artwork%20goanna%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy1WovR9zCsX_vc0x1YYuBJJe4LANDEdZBdou_f0sQ2w1KXqK_wMqckZlKLDtMQm5SxRzGJwznQYfb_L5LUow8fuT00XnBv1xaEarsMX30gKqcQYjjVknOaYnkV_K5QQcy7uVqVEcAp0gn7tPL69O44VBgj6S3FLmcWuoN0OaGQZSR-onA1xB_nR4/w400-h300/artwork%20goanna%20Gum%20Swamp%200622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this cheating? I don't mind if you think so. It really is one of the most impressive<br />pieces of public natural history art that I've ever seen. Called Varanus (the goanna genus<br />name), by sculptor Glen Star, it is 20 metres long and lurks in woodland at Gum Swamp,<br />itself one of our favourite wetlands, on the outskirts of Forbes, some 300km NNW of here. <br />In recent times the wetlands area has been looking tired, and not very accessible. <br />All that has now changed, with new access, excellent new walking tracks and magnificent <br />new two-storey hides. And of course some very good outdoor art work.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>AUGUST</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKADVVjA2IFNUo6ctElLlmRbsnX7d0SFngtrSNyGFkhmcleuE1RwfnzRF50BsJIGS7-9GyE3WE41aSWYMnxjSmd9hk7VdQ0VePVfTp3Cq_0HAxyFztHRmnpU17DYLVN22jtz1Kr3hpW4uE4VbQzzsVwO4pn2zknBP4ph4cmZLo6Xr_A18OjkrGIn/s800/Diuris%20goonooensis2%20Weddin%20Mtns%200922.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="603" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKADVVjA2IFNUo6ctElLlmRbsnX7d0SFngtrSNyGFkhmcleuE1RwfnzRF50BsJIGS7-9GyE3WE41aSWYMnxjSmd9hk7VdQ0VePVfTp3Cq_0HAxyFztHRmnpU17DYLVN22jtz1Kr3hpW4uE4VbQzzsVwO4pn2zknBP4ph4cmZLo6Xr_A18OjkrGIn/w301-h400/Diuris%20goonooensis2%20Weddin%20Mtns%200922.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made a special effort this spring to chase wildflowers (and especially orchids, <br />of course), starting at the end of August back at the Weddin Mountains. Now I really don't have <br />many photos for August, but I'm quite happy to offer this one as I'm always a big fan of <br />donkey orchids and this is almost certainly the first orchid we saw for this spring. This one is<br />Goonoo Donkey Orchid <i>Diuris goonooensis</i>; Goonoo is an extensive forest area near Dubbo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>SEPTEMBER</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjwIjnT9mqRJri34ty3Bw2KgyDDue3E3MvhUCF1iKL2jYob7c65q3MgpJCtcCx_XtHenkfDc2eibWBh0RW3EKtwv5NrmiQbchsZTblnjizIC7HUUiBo6nFteW9BQQPLO0mMAnyarIHxSoIDLYBeQrVRJuxR2pDm9gIO6Gdc6OT5pSI1qpXDBpZHAA/s1000/fungi2%20Coachwood%20Glen%20Blue%20Mtns%200922.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjwIjnT9mqRJri34ty3Bw2KgyDDue3E3MvhUCF1iKL2jYob7c65q3MgpJCtcCx_XtHenkfDc2eibWBh0RW3EKtwv5NrmiQbchsZTblnjizIC7HUUiBo6nFteW9BQQPLO0mMAnyarIHxSoIDLYBeQrVRJuxR2pDm9gIO6Gdc6OT5pSI1qpXDBpZHAA/w640-h224/fungi2%20Coachwood%20Glen%20Blue%20Mtns%200922.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were in the Blue Mountains for a few nights in September, when it was pretty cold and <br />wet, and we were probably too early for most of the flowers in the high mountains. One walk we<br />usually do there is the Coachwood Glen rainforest walk at the head of the Megalong Valley<br />below Medlow Bath. It's always cool and green and refreshing, and usually very reliable <br />for a range of fungi. I'm not very good at fungi, to my chagrin, but I think these <br />delicate brackets are fresh young <i>Microporus affinis.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>OCTOBER</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIQKkF-7ZGUtXlW21HHflGIwuP38H9SgESfmhAND3ApquvxtbSp938NPKjRhQjYj0p_kIsPPB7tJY-fAHuEpWYeYHCXFx9J6nlp_w95wXXAjHEZwWBykkgX_0KL36rjB9MrQ1u9jDjoTkO37QQr8VRpFVg8vW6HHHqzrTk0TjQ5Wu20AKQwyX-Aid/s800/Caladenia%20ampla3%20Deep%20Lead%20CR%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIQKkF-7ZGUtXlW21HHflGIwuP38H9SgESfmhAND3ApquvxtbSp938NPKjRhQjYj0p_kIsPPB7tJY-fAHuEpWYeYHCXFx9J6nlp_w95wXXAjHEZwWBykkgX_0KL36rjB9MrQ1u9jDjoTkO37QQr8VRpFVg8vW6HHHqzrTk0TjQ5Wu20AKQwyX-Aid/w301-h400/Caladenia%20ampla3%20Deep%20Lead%20CR%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a special one, Dainty or Hard Hills Spider Orchid <i>Caladenia ampla, </i>found only<br />in western Victoria and adjacent South Australia and listed as Critically Endangered. <br />This was in the Deep Lead Conservation Park near Stawell (a known site, I'm not giving<br /> away any secrets with that). We spent nearly a week in nearby Gariwerd (also known as <br />Grampians) National Park, where it rained a lot, as this photo can attest, but we had <br />an excellent time. Many flowers, many orchids, but none more exciting than this. <br />(Hard Hills is the name of the reserve from where it was initially described.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>NOVEMBER</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8qU0Z3zVzJjW7bvj4mhvs9i3-LuwC68amE8kKb0iJWcJqXu4FYwStTa-P1eGY37VDAEJUYUpAG7uwRpAjTiym0bavK1E83lFMOg3DoOcnpK7vCSmOD4Y9AcMn4bqrd-vlRYjEjaeALCpu0Rye-CmdKF4stSzwURUn5bm8JKCtSTyxNEfiiOdgfAN/s800/Superb%20Parrot%20imm%20male%20Isabella%20Ponds%201122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8qU0Z3zVzJjW7bvj4mhvs9i3-LuwC68amE8kKb0iJWcJqXu4FYwStTa-P1eGY37VDAEJUYUpAG7uwRpAjTiym0bavK1E83lFMOg3DoOcnpK7vCSmOD4Y9AcMn4bqrd-vlRYjEjaeALCpu0Rye-CmdKF4stSzwURUn5bm8JKCtSTyxNEfiiOdgfAN/w400-h300/Superb%20Parrot%20imm%20male%20Isabella%20Ponds%201122.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By now I was teaching my <i>Understanding Birds </i>night course for adults at<br />the ANU, for the first time in three years, so travel was off again for a while.<br />At Isabella Ponds in southern Canberra I was just wandering around one day when this <br />young male Superb Parrot flew down almost at my feet, and proceeded to search the<br />path for seeds. It's a nationally threatened species, which in the past bred in the <br />woodlands to the north of Canberra. Since the Millenial Drought however they have <br />become widespread in Canberra suburbs, but they're still quite novel this far south.<br />It was a lovely moment. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>DECEMBER</b><br /></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQlXG6tXmIZqW2yZZm0x6sDbqxe8XAvKeJbxUqx7ee2fvatTeXMQNNOTKm1InaBksnTvQcvfpJ2YDfntwVMYeXwkaI2f92AswXkiWAZ1o-BIz3e9bf17Z6sRu77zlcymY8L64xyGOG_vNY7PUhzlPqSWYpsWvb4qB4DhjQs5OGqKv3BSUbuBMg5gY/s800/Red%20Wattlebird%20sunning%20Duffy%201222.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQlXG6tXmIZqW2yZZm0x6sDbqxe8XAvKeJbxUqx7ee2fvatTeXMQNNOTKm1InaBksnTvQcvfpJ2YDfntwVMYeXwkaI2f92AswXkiWAZ1o-BIz3e9bf17Z6sRu77zlcymY8L64xyGOG_vNY7PUhzlPqSWYpsWvb4qB4DhjQs5OGqKv3BSUbuBMg5gY/w400-h300/Red%20Wattlebird%20sunning%20Duffy%201222.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo, taken just a couple of weeks ago through my study window, is not nearly as<br />grim as it might look! Far from being on the point of expiring on the balcony rail, <br />this Red Wattlebird was taking advantage of a rare sunny day (things have improved since<br />then) to stretch out and open its feathers to the sunshine to discomfit parasites such as feather lice.<br />I am constantly reminded how fortunate we are with our heavily planted small yard, which attracts<br />a good range of native birds, invertebrates and small lizards.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So this was my year, or at least a version of it; this year however there probably weren't many other versions I could have offered. Of course I have no idea what 2023 might bring, though the plan is to take a group overseas, to Costa Rica, for the first time in four years. Thanks for reading along with me, both today and through the past year. That means a lot to me. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Whatever is coming we can be sure that nature is always there to inspire us and keep us in perspective, and I have every intention of continuing to share it with you through these posts. May your 2023 start peacefully and naturally.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">
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There wasn't room in one post to do it justice, so I left most of the flower photos to this second instalment. Accordingly this is simply a celebration of some of the wildflowers we enjoyed there in a couple of spring visits - one in the dry September of 2019, just before La Niña began to drench Australia and COVID changed everything, and the other only a few weeks ago in the very wet October of 2022. It's really just an annotated photo gallery. For the most part you'll be able to tell which photos were from which trip - the most recent ones tend to be in very dull light and often with raindrops still on the flowers!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the last post I introduced some plants that are endemic to Gariwerd, but many of those that follow are quite widespread. However the ranges are particularly rich in spring flowers and worth celebrating for that, so quite of lot of flowers follow! There are also some species here that are only found in western Victoria. There's no particular rationale for the order in which the photos appear, though I have kept members of the same plant families together. Let's start with some wattles, and why not?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX894bALRuYeZyQO85rgZZm2oNRo_3O8gMWTyJtDGdjU50Eg-9VZ_F_OPyXMU-TFN1NkRe1UGSw7DL6Z-LniQh66C_bJHeNETy8eIwjWnffVhIuomrXUYnfXuBv3g0pDLhiXoFq4xOqZAG04E9VQ0vk-V2p5wUPb35ULO8JXhYCQ9UrgfjlnPiQLh/s800/Acacia%20verticillata%20and%20rocks%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX894bALRuYeZyQO85rgZZm2oNRo_3O8gMWTyJtDGdjU50Eg-9VZ_F_OPyXMU-TFN1NkRe1UGSw7DL6Z-LniQh66C_bJHeNETy8eIwjWnffVhIuomrXUYnfXuBv3g0pDLhiXoFq4xOqZAG04E9VQ0vk-V2p5wUPb35ULO8JXhYCQ9UrgfjlnPiQLh/w400-h300/Acacia%20verticillata%20and%20rocks%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spike Wattle <i>Acacia oxycedrus </i>growing among the rocks near Boroka Lookout,<br />above and below. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGw6NMUkxgQgghLCjJp3P-Ow8MPHP0G0kyPetMjGgmv7QZBDHSKIvvwIRvb5rzyLHY-sewcGzt7-KiGC_CXMCEspoU_BfG-pfFvbVIlSDayFoYVh3kpQfZVMXyVg46-o7LiWhw0oO5T9yRjMmtdMswmzz9fDdDqtJ3218i5s4rUweDgfQqHK0Szug/s800/Acacia%20verticillata%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGw6NMUkxgQgghLCjJp3P-Ow8MPHP0G0kyPetMjGgmv7QZBDHSKIvvwIRvb5rzyLHY-sewcGzt7-KiGC_CXMCEspoU_BfG-pfFvbVIlSDayFoYVh3kpQfZVMXyVg46-o7LiWhw0oO5T9yRjMmtdMswmzz9fDdDqtJ3218i5s4rUweDgfQqHK0Szug/w400-h300/Acacia%20verticillata%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wicked thorns and flowers in (much more benign) spikes make this wattle<br />very distinctive. It grows in heathy dry forest along the coast and hinterlands<br />of south-eastern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXoE3-lAy10X_30EhaTSWfdV661SXodVkvU_kk7bgwnKypfOh5bzIoZ_YHNWyNMK7LZt4bb_62794yt8kbmN9pfEiCUtl1MMgu3BRTwitvXO4VFHF1ZfWD-Xyc8WzNz_uRzwZ6LNRm7F-QgSP2JBc15Scosf3fW7rP649ECc5LA2gFOh4NW4jwatI/s800/Acacia%20myrtifolia1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXoE3-lAy10X_30EhaTSWfdV661SXodVkvU_kk7bgwnKypfOh5bzIoZ_YHNWyNMK7LZt4bb_62794yt8kbmN9pfEiCUtl1MMgu3BRTwitvXO4VFHF1ZfWD-Xyc8WzNz_uRzwZ6LNRm7F-QgSP2JBc15Scosf3fW7rP649ECc5LA2gFOh4NW4jwatI/w400-h300/Acacia%20myrtifolia1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myrtle Wattle <i>A. myrtifolia</i> grows in near-coastal areas (at its closest point Gariwerd is<br />only 85k from the sea) from south-western Australia all the way to south-east Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJDi5bQw82JcjSwMerJaIeHztLjIOvX-q3CrW7obrjknUWCWSWaCfzJ2RIPDS4jEwMchQkVZf04U21ZBlvS-uRKTux-ehqDpFcqAmXjyIKlLeM2y6G4DWFl9TEKU-3OcymfGjcI08S5xY0-txfdu1RjWFsRyYOZ5p-l8hILeE-k21_newSGbwia9S/s800/Acacia%20pycnantha%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJDi5bQw82JcjSwMerJaIeHztLjIOvX-q3CrW7obrjknUWCWSWaCfzJ2RIPDS4jEwMchQkVZf04U21ZBlvS-uRKTux-ehqDpFcqAmXjyIKlLeM2y6G4DWFl9TEKU-3OcymfGjcI08S5xY0-txfdu1RjWFsRyYOZ5p-l8hILeE-k21_newSGbwia9S/w400-h300/Acacia%20pycnantha%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Wattle <i>A. pycnantha</i> which, as I'm sure you're aware (if you're Australian at least),<br />is our national floral emblem. It does occur in six of the eight states and territories, <br />being only absent from Queensland and the Northern Territory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxBdbaX-o7T9U6K5n8cuteS5bZm_zg9Fo1gaBFcSdZuuxWVzp3Jgyl35zfqxtQTROioRz6bFWwGSQpPkB8oS_vo1hNslHSMZ3M1nqruKkkN2BJzxa06yfLP612EM6Yp7m2FNo9oKl-4IWgULJk1ggUbtXtQpC-4IX_VxkRMu5HvJUCWjAaZDxQqn1/s800/Acacia%20retinodes%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxBdbaX-o7T9U6K5n8cuteS5bZm_zg9Fo1gaBFcSdZuuxWVzp3Jgyl35zfqxtQTROioRz6bFWwGSQpPkB8oS_vo1hNslHSMZ3M1nqruKkkN2BJzxa06yfLP612EM6Yp7m2FNo9oKl-4IWgULJk1ggUbtXtQpC-4IX_VxkRMu5HvJUCWjAaZDxQqn1/w400-h300/Acacia%20retinodes%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wirilda <i>Acacia retinodes</i>, which can produce the very pale flowers at almost any<br />time of year (here in September) but peaks in summer. The long slender single-veined<br />phyllodes have a distinctive bluish tinge.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The heaths are prominent (as they are in the understorey of many south-eastern drier forests and coastal heathlands). I've just used 'heath' in two different senses in that sentence. The Australian plants related to the northern hemisphere family Ericaceae were long put into their own family Epacridaceae, but as is the wont of modern botanical taxonomy it has been subsumed into a huge and somewhat amorphous enlarged Ericaceae. (I've quietly lamented the loss of nuance in this trend, and won't do so again here.) The other use of 'heath' is as a habitat descriptor, referring to an understorey or near-treeless expanse of hard-leaved shrubs growing in low-nutrient wet or dry sandy soils. (Members of the heath family are often prominent in such habitats.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are three heath species which are commonly found in Gariwerd, the first of which is the Victorian floral emblem (though it also grows in South Australia, south-eastern NSW and throughout Tasmania).<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6vO1LCOWHuuCrRHbNcYUD7q-xK1zbE-KSkZjxhLyLfpUTtmi8xCVSWBdjq7VHuL8istFo2CnTI_B5xc7gvLgVq0wNAcZcvpEIGzpkSM1xzZp-_ubjSeWiFyiYrsHGWiAhu4pK-ccoXKMPIco6ojVQaT-DQySZqHpB7PXMwAu6RfiFpqz0sUC4XW4/s800/Epacris%20impressa2%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6vO1LCOWHuuCrRHbNcYUD7q-xK1zbE-KSkZjxhLyLfpUTtmi8xCVSWBdjq7VHuL8istFo2CnTI_B5xc7gvLgVq0wNAcZcvpEIGzpkSM1xzZp-_ubjSeWiFyiYrsHGWiAhu4pK-ccoXKMPIco6ojVQaT-DQySZqHpB7PXMwAu6RfiFpqz0sUC4XW4/w400-h299/Epacris%20impressa2%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Heath <i>Epacris impressa</i> (above and below) ranges in colour from<br />deep red to pale pink to white. Here are a couple of variants. It is very (and<br />pleasingly) common throughout Gariwerd and well beyond.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9gmIir8oJqRmNWO5-yRTZ5eOtBZ-tH-tRlttmpnbrL6wcqlQb1f6HXr2S7zgQZxA_uI9FK4W3qRZr4-Dpmi_77uh9w34MakAfLbT9hzse6pmoXwLESEEIDf4qdI690Yrjz8XrDxvg9xRSmBNrmWr_ZgUeRXx0Uaez7N1Zi60p-1QcYv2zp03aUdG/s800/Epacris%20impressa%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9gmIir8oJqRmNWO5-yRTZ5eOtBZ-tH-tRlttmpnbrL6wcqlQb1f6HXr2S7zgQZxA_uI9FK4W3qRZr4-Dpmi_77uh9w34MakAfLbT9hzse6pmoXwLESEEIDf4qdI690Yrjz8XrDxvg9xRSmBNrmWr_ZgUeRXx0Uaez7N1Zi60p-1QcYv2zp03aUdG/w400-h300/Epacris%20impressa%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7zY4IGkg8HozlSpwepbZh6AaWq_GaGS2lLmroquTG-YMkgB-lG2h7AFI59gJKEWHWPMdAUB6ZMPlZwTXQTnzNSk06zr96ZJokJf_a5_-OpYtz4LflD20TinbJU5KZZSME6uxMjRLcF2mZI7oeWXwXiCTgQ6zLp4v1Ac5n5oHFZ5Afb7LbxtzePRB/s800/Astroloma%20pinifolium%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7zY4IGkg8HozlSpwepbZh6AaWq_GaGS2lLmroquTG-YMkgB-lG2h7AFI59gJKEWHWPMdAUB6ZMPlZwTXQTnzNSk06zr96ZJokJf_a5_-OpYtz4LflD20TinbJU5KZZSME6uxMjRLcF2mZI7oeWXwXiCTgQ6zLp4v1Ac5n5oHFZ5Afb7LbxtzePRB/w400-h300/Astroloma%20pinifolium%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Heath <i>Astroloma pinifolium</i> really does have very pine-like foliage, as well as<br />unusual green-tipped yellow flowers. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcMUSjIS3GA8NoZ2cSEfSeLpBCyNQ96173Wk0ZFWQpAWpoVVTTDYo6mvKU6vUGG4NqLme182b7uy_trx5fF_G5waHTTvQNj5AYSooMwoXoNNwlsuC1Z84WvuXoLRE1UDSFI22gQ_4Eh9pKy9zEqXSAs6rWuxz64n3yswBwEodB9TgxUzRYbq9JkDK/s800/Styphelia%20adscendens%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcMUSjIS3GA8NoZ2cSEfSeLpBCyNQ96173Wk0ZFWQpAWpoVVTTDYo6mvKU6vUGG4NqLme182b7uy_trx5fF_G5waHTTvQNj5AYSooMwoXoNNwlsuC1Z84WvuXoLRE1UDSFI22gQ_4Eh9pKy9zEqXSAs6rWuxz64n3yswBwEodB9TgxUzRYbq9JkDK/w300-h400/Styphelia%20adscendens%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Heath <i>Styphelia adscendens</i> is another striking heath species, with long <br />stamens and furry rolled-back petals. Like many other species featured here<br />it is also found well beyond the ranges of Gariwerd. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Members of the Proteaceae family are prominent here, as pretty much everywhere in Australia. <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2022/10/gariwerdgrampians-national-park-one-of.html">Last time</a> we met the lovely Flame Grevillea, which is restricted to Gariwerd, and the Rock Banksia, which is found only here and on Mornington Peninsula. Here are a couple of other family members. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k_jdUDKHRFexnxKyAAExdWE4QXzf1W9QdqMqFtBR6t369YeV0KmMwxGiHOnHEzdMXVHfftUScZgio465kn6Ypf355Sx9wUXvBZHv2BeS-kXPzwzVy72M8MKj6pPByg-ERv2aHuz1i2to40HfVOLs62G_CVvMhl69QGgLBDVq3g1gJ3Sq_OdH4DER/s800/Grevillea%20alpina%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k_jdUDKHRFexnxKyAAExdWE4QXzf1W9QdqMqFtBR6t369YeV0KmMwxGiHOnHEzdMXVHfftUScZgio465kn6Ypf355Sx9wUXvBZHv2BeS-kXPzwzVy72M8MKj6pPByg-ERv2aHuz1i2to40HfVOLs62G_CVvMhl69QGgLBDVq3g1gJ3Sq_OdH4DER/w400-h299/Grevillea%20alpina%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Grevillea <i>G. alpina, </i>a very attractive, widespread and variable species found in drier<br />forests of Victoria and south-eastern NSW (including the ACT). At times it's been suggested <br />that more than one species is involved, which seems intuitively plausible, <br />but it seems the genetics doesn't support the idea.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXaobJqMWr1CQdsmGMssKAZOH9J1mMh_1juHtS6pTmmKutOWM91bUz0AFZAszOiiN1o-63hPqO3-4oBSzrpBXGdq90sAHgCy2FqIBnxARtOJRt5e9k-8hebOG-Ni5tBcdiWXgCMynq_Gb-C29A9Zr_Cd9d4mUIzTzSqQiHF0_awg3J-6WH1Cl6Nkp/s1000/Grevillea%20aquifolium3%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXaobJqMWr1CQdsmGMssKAZOH9J1mMh_1juHtS6pTmmKutOWM91bUz0AFZAszOiiN1o-63hPqO3-4oBSzrpBXGdq90sAHgCy2FqIBnxARtOJRt5e9k-8hebOG-Ni5tBcdiWXgCMynq_Gb-C29A9Zr_Cd9d4mUIzTzSqQiHF0_awg3J-6WH1Cl6Nkp/w640-h224/Grevillea%20aquifolium3%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holly Grevillea <i>G. aquifolium, </i>a striking species found mostly in western Victoria, and <br />to a lesser extent in south-eastern South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-G1_qWrB-jgBzcZ-CWitJze0AyaSOIfsFe0zl8JV92eHrqW3PlS4KKTDRqI1MJhsjAjsPYkIzzifPx1rqauaX4RSDAi8VRP3C8pRmZyXvO-qUFSiW1S28pAXkceQE2nM0VPwTkZ-dX-oQ8QNh2T_soB0pZHZEV-j9BKCMPU6DMdFJMJgB6BHihuU/s800/Hakea%20rostrata2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-G1_qWrB-jgBzcZ-CWitJze0AyaSOIfsFe0zl8JV92eHrqW3PlS4KKTDRqI1MJhsjAjsPYkIzzifPx1rqauaX4RSDAi8VRP3C8pRmZyXvO-qUFSiW1S28pAXkceQE2nM0VPwTkZ-dX-oQ8QNh2T_soB0pZHZEV-j9BKCMPU6DMdFJMJgB6BHihuU/w400-h300/Hakea%20rostrata2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaked Hakea (or Turkey-gobbler) <i>H. rostrata </i>(all three names come from the <br />distinctively shaped large woody fruit). Found from central Victoria <br />to well into South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LNAOrWnPewUXV7DVQaMkDeBpF5EkaAnzeqtqWtB3xsxsidmmcJFx08Z94JT7AdMUoL4B135We7ESezaNSrxexoOn70qx9JSZaeOvy6OosVfmTfw468S_VzGKhR1j8-IKBin4zGBAeihHdcUAQlikyV-GdK1GtsXWH44OsBFfkSeFvi_Xps1NtwOX/s800/Conospermum%20mitchellii1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LNAOrWnPewUXV7DVQaMkDeBpF5EkaAnzeqtqWtB3xsxsidmmcJFx08Z94JT7AdMUoL4B135We7ESezaNSrxexoOn70qx9JSZaeOvy6OosVfmTfw468S_VzGKhR1j8-IKBin4zGBAeihHdcUAQlikyV-GdK1GtsXWH44OsBFfkSeFvi_Xps1NtwOX/w300-h400/Conospermum%20mitchellii1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victorian Smokebush <i>Conospermum mitchellii</i>. Of 52 named species of smokebush,<br />only eight are found outside of WA; this one is limited to western Victoria, especially <br />Gariwerd. Many of the WA species have blue-grey flowers which, en masse, look <br />like smoke haze from a distance, but this one is gleaming white.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Pea plants are of course everywhere, and last time I featured the Gariwerd endemic Grampians Parrot-Pea. Here are three other, more widespread peas of Gariwerd.<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHzNvtmElHz_hUCb7XRc1qrktMSXxYuO5MiKyyvJviVFaTeIiULFtoSPTb06LcePW1XA5vXe34hsHLrOz3L5zA_Wk8mEh0OErpl--fgO9FR2iYJCtovXt8pGzdDjAwCYh5ECnUqzME_aXyuxi2FYzlTtg6eyT9NM1f0JUlE1a27E5uCddyf_sCfFE/s800/Dillwynia%20sericea%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHzNvtmElHz_hUCb7XRc1qrktMSXxYuO5MiKyyvJviVFaTeIiULFtoSPTb06LcePW1XA5vXe34hsHLrOz3L5zA_Wk8mEh0OErpl--fgO9FR2iYJCtovXt8pGzdDjAwCYh5ECnUqzME_aXyuxi2FYzlTtg6eyT9NM1f0JUlE1a27E5uCddyf_sCfFE/w400-h300/Dillwynia%20sericea%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showy Parrot-Pea <i>Dillwynia sericea</i>, found from Kangaroo Island to the far<br />north of NSW. I don't get bored with it though...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTztEDzyG4xjfWbjK90V8Ao-WxKjT4Hvnyr0yfgH19XbDlQu4dGx5ugT3MK1IVNnWDQmkMFJoudfA3hkm4zD7eHPYkf6NaTrglokRVpuAwNVzldrKVHL9w4CtZSeJdl-lzHB8DYe9DnTbxV6gzchT6KkBuS9P4A8gwdKiebtZygJWVEHvz0Q-H33_Y/s800/Eutaxia%20microphylla%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTztEDzyG4xjfWbjK90V8Ao-WxKjT4Hvnyr0yfgH19XbDlQu4dGx5ugT3MK1IVNnWDQmkMFJoudfA3hkm4zD7eHPYkf6NaTrglokRVpuAwNVzldrKVHL9w4CtZSeJdl-lzHB8DYe9DnTbxV6gzchT6KkBuS9P4A8gwdKiebtZygJWVEHvz0Q-H33_Y/w400-h300/Eutaxia%20microphylla%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough Bush-Pea <i>Pultenea scabra</i>, a familiar pea on the south-eastern mainland, <br />with very distinctive leaves.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb5PEjsV-4-TH9jZWOPQ8jwZ4FS-Ta1uZt6yjCrtvnzEfGJM0FgskX8v_llbGw1_rd4aVOSs7nnIqZNG5P8FbFl0yLHnXDPYpGirOA-AwcY9yHmns0LXJtMWGdgF8jhCKx55o-0W1OvnjiWrJdPlqXNB9w0EPEshq18R9DvlhplQFmEW63ehURZEI/s800/Eutaxia%20microphylla%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb5PEjsV-4-TH9jZWOPQ8jwZ4FS-Ta1uZt6yjCrtvnzEfGJM0FgskX8v_llbGw1_rd4aVOSs7nnIqZNG5P8FbFl0yLHnXDPYpGirOA-AwcY9yHmns0LXJtMWGdgF8jhCKx55o-0W1OvnjiWrJdPlqXNB9w0EPEshq18R9DvlhplQFmEW63ehURZEI/w400-h300/Eutaxia%20microphylla%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spreading Eutaxia <i>E. microphylla</i>, also found far beyond Gariwerd.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nggjIbaDKwZdiA4O3rVfxKkTTG6-PZ5OCAJYShWQTZduaVBm_T8USc7yWAkS3XiHQaqPjU1ZkafUND_bXCNx4Y3YfKCPL_QYAiHf7JfBjlb4Ern9Wmsu6gmXrqLLhWP11EI8ZeyxOZxLCMaDWtI51zuS-02MBVXIHAc76SEmzrdkdenabrsLN2xM/s800/Kennedia%20prostrata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nggjIbaDKwZdiA4O3rVfxKkTTG6-PZ5OCAJYShWQTZduaVBm_T8USc7yWAkS3XiHQaqPjU1ZkafUND_bXCNx4Y3YfKCPL_QYAiHf7JfBjlb4Ern9Wmsu6gmXrqLLhWP11EI8ZeyxOZxLCMaDWtI51zuS-02MBVXIHAc76SEmzrdkdenabrsLN2xM/w400-h300/Kennedia%20prostrata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running Postman <i>Kennedia prostrata</i>, always a pleasure to encounter, which can<br />be done virtually right across southern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">In a prolonged wet period like this one sundews are found almost everywhere, but in other times they are restricted to perennially damp situations, where they trap and digest insects with their sticky-haired leaves baited with sugary droplets, to compensate for low nutrient soils. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtjIzD40KKbO7uynoQQm_Xz6tqlV9r4IHrSGzXPmeJEnNh0hGbvdq5YWFPUh-BLZ7mWB1OvLVxzGdVnhiAE8sicG5QRKCeN6n3pvVA0x5cMtUHPmYiUbRv833UxW_fH0nxmFVBpPeIzNstDKA2kue3l7FgwVmO-tz7DkhAmjFbvMWjJJl_wCF92MM/s800/Drosera%20auriculata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtjIzD40KKbO7uynoQQm_Xz6tqlV9r4IHrSGzXPmeJEnNh0hGbvdq5YWFPUh-BLZ7mWB1OvLVxzGdVnhiAE8sicG5QRKCeN6n3pvVA0x5cMtUHPmYiUbRv833UxW_fH0nxmFVBpPeIzNstDKA2kue3l7FgwVmO-tz7DkhAmjFbvMWjJJl_wCF92MM/w300-h400/Drosera%20auriculata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tall Sundew <i>Drosera auriculata; </i>its long-haired leaves can be seen at the bottom<br />of the picture. The flower is held high above above them to prevent accidental<br />digestion of the pollinators!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeEBpkA2L2XuDgbj0ATbyiqK7-7H0caY24SxjOUECA2Fewg5VlZJBTNMFJAHnGACr-iiNqmNrQv1FSZhmDDSZ3Doca0x1fm-0ZW_1OTx-8Qy0a_8ljGAugTXuxtWxCz98zQD14M9D061LRJtwDK3VfneMUmGsDCE5im5ZJOwnAAzWxLMsGM0gHVUU/s800/Drosera%20whittakeri2%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeEBpkA2L2XuDgbj0ATbyiqK7-7H0caY24SxjOUECA2Fewg5VlZJBTNMFJAHnGACr-iiNqmNrQv1FSZhmDDSZ3Doca0x1fm-0ZW_1OTx-8Qy0a_8ljGAugTXuxtWxCz98zQD14M9D061LRJtwDK3VfneMUmGsDCE5im5ZJOwnAAzWxLMsGM0gHVUU/w400-h300/Drosera%20whittakeri2%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scented Sundew <i>Drosera whittakeri, </i>whose deathtrap leaves are all lying<br />on the ground. No flowers in this photo, but the leaves are beautiful in themselves.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From here until the last bundle of offerings, each family is represented by just one species. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAslYJ1LGJvbPqSFPV9VKhdmYwD24iVsG_miLUZMgBRcVMI74BVWr3RW8xRagCzRz1vzE684cHOsBGnZoD1y8PNcsSNThUZ7y_TaEDIVIe1X0CYQxZjMt4bwa9xHfQeXPAWB6BdnPhvnwi_dGWW4GJU5h9Nw4Ad0rL1AaqR34D5DMeUsmvA_525Nc/s800/Astrotriche%20asperifolia1%20Gulgurn%20Manja%20track%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAslYJ1LGJvbPqSFPV9VKhdmYwD24iVsG_miLUZMgBRcVMI74BVWr3RW8xRagCzRz1vzE684cHOsBGnZoD1y8PNcsSNThUZ7y_TaEDIVIe1X0CYQxZjMt4bwa9xHfQeXPAWB6BdnPhvnwi_dGWW4GJU5h9Nw4Ad0rL1AaqR34D5DMeUsmvA_525Nc/w400-h300/Astrotriche%20asperifolia1%20Gulgurn%20Manja%20track%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough Star-hair <i>Astrotricha ledifolia</i> (Family Araliaceae), a widespread family which<br />includes ivy and ginseng. A very distinctive shrub with hairy flower stems, found in <br />scattered locations across Victoria.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0bXuvS9Uk-0Zbl9GpthdrbF8KrUQo8gSyN_ElWZTwXNm6LelZwIjMW7JxdgF-GvxLK6Sr8l6l-WZiv2ksqg54UYE46lTTxySJ6rMRkA-a6udVYP8Oz8ldyM6HrwavCyz1JTC-cjS2-Ib93qUHNDxXDy1kEEEsmhnkJUHf8d56EJ3X2XRvcAZUhYw/s800/Caesia%20parvifolia%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0bXuvS9Uk-0Zbl9GpthdrbF8KrUQo8gSyN_ElWZTwXNm6LelZwIjMW7JxdgF-GvxLK6Sr8l6l-WZiv2ksqg54UYE46lTTxySJ6rMRkA-a6udVYP8Oz8ldyM6HrwavCyz1JTC-cjS2-Ib93qUHNDxXDy1kEEEsmhnkJUHf8d56EJ3X2XRvcAZUhYw/w400-h300/Caesia%20parvifolia%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pale Grass-Lily <i>Caesia parviflora</i>, a widespread and attractive little lily.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvJ9mpjWqGT9Wfu_28kfGxcKV8Mkh5qXhl-WsxDQmb1lvPv2dmSd5bu7-c_Mzau9kBSm8JQGgsoP5mPYWCk2WVA0zTOMfqBLBIDwitu08VTZnsWsfMhEX68ipcgN1T27mJ7tbHtGte7QqatHcj_Zx3lnlfEJJatrcmjYv1SRmKNxAwX4VWHwvdNNH/s800/Calectasia%20intermedia2%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvJ9mpjWqGT9Wfu_28kfGxcKV8Mkh5qXhl-WsxDQmb1lvPv2dmSd5bu7-c_Mzau9kBSm8JQGgsoP5mPYWCk2WVA0zTOMfqBLBIDwitu08VTZnsWsfMhEX68ipcgN1T27mJ7tbHtGte7QqatHcj_Zx3lnlfEJJatrcmjYv1SRmKNxAwX4VWHwvdNNH/w400-h300/Calectasia%20intermedia2%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By contrast with some previous widespread species, this glorious Blue Tinsel-Lily <i><br />Calectasia intermedia </i>is found only from Gariwerd west to the SA border, and in adjacent <br />areas of that state. Moroever it is the only <i>Calectasia - </i>and indeed the only member of the family<br />Dasypogonaceae - found outside of Western Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdY8PSp6O1cnz2mDC0YOQM87Pv65eqDphG3Y_24lPXHp3yBsfug2dkQJTKqeRlciMh70QLbpub_oU5M0h0BDoj-S-by6kKa3SQxzho5qH6h9fNjvinyN78_vI-2sULTqa4tXj30EKY-9AnSmRO9D3TFNagWXP2urSGG7bxI7LH4w_wxJfX3_mc44-/s800/Calytrix%20alpestris%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdY8PSp6O1cnz2mDC0YOQM87Pv65eqDphG3Y_24lPXHp3yBsfug2dkQJTKqeRlciMh70QLbpub_oU5M0h0BDoj-S-by6kKa3SQxzho5qH6h9fNjvinyN78_vI-2sULTqa4tXj30EKY-9AnSmRO9D3TFNagWXP2urSGG7bxI7LH4w_wxJfX3_mc44-/w400-h300/Calytrix%20alpestris%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow Myrtle <i>Calytrix alpestris</i>, another lovely plant, especially in flower, has a <br />similar (though slightly wider) distribution to the <i>Calectasia</i>, in heathlands of<br />western Victoria and adjacent South Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOVq7rU8mFNuPDPgzz_jNkuDEp0pvctjATsIvpM9a2WObEHD0SAaH-XHrpKxlHlHueUV-hSCK8m-YaZQuI3VGfxagemqMxlnMPsHStr7ksBoXVfwdfms_TK0yvH9rVe1V8wjMjewp_GOaupF9oSiDcJpuVeDKuqi3o3hBTlfa_qIWF3rDJOlR34jn/s800/Hibbertia%20stricta%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOVq7rU8mFNuPDPgzz_jNkuDEp0pvctjATsIvpM9a2WObEHD0SAaH-XHrpKxlHlHueUV-hSCK8m-YaZQuI3VGfxagemqMxlnMPsHStr7ksBoXVfwdfms_TK0yvH9rVe1V8wjMjewp_GOaupF9oSiDcJpuVeDKuqi3o3hBTlfa_qIWF3rDJOlR34jn/w300-h400/Hibbertia%20stricta%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bundled Guinea Flower <i>Hibbertia fasciculata</i> is probably the most conspicuous<br />of the several species of guinea flower in Gariwerd, with dense furry cylindrical <br />leaves up the often erect stem. Family Dillenaceae.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_4olnh7n343AT4EXDyMivSX-RgTxjhmN1MPv4tS40eFoyTgPv-9UxbSDxsMi_WmpP9pHC8Yt3A1C436TiYcFunETsDPqAGBiy8B3-NxiMFAPBozFCoqMH1ZIpPtyd3uJ9StxEbxRSdZOwvyrJo2eqVz4crISiI76qH7nWSMtZW8uT1oV5T5pw6Gs/s800/Dodonea%20cuneata%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_4olnh7n343AT4EXDyMivSX-RgTxjhmN1MPv4tS40eFoyTgPv-9UxbSDxsMi_WmpP9pHC8Yt3A1C436TiYcFunETsDPqAGBiy8B3-NxiMFAPBozFCoqMH1ZIpPtyd3uJ9StxEbxRSdZOwvyrJo2eqVz4crISiI76qH7nWSMtZW8uT1oV5T5pw6Gs/w400-h300/Dodonea%20cuneata%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedge-leaf Hop Bush <i>Dodonea cuneata </i>has very inconspicuous little<br />green flowers but beautiful big glossy red winged fruits. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwueJBfk2aMjf4-625vG3u6aZco7afN1g15wwI7KVorw4DZLWmK2awstJ5GJdkr5wCVlSKC7I68o1jWWauUVe1sMuBI-K40j4wb0WhkPcp1H3uRFdg9vWEqQpqaLaG-UUjQ9zN6i1TyYK3mpQonFWkrssAB9lsTTmeCPtrgVl0_z5TRG1qvyr0Edw/s800/Cyphanthera%20anthocercidea%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwueJBfk2aMjf4-625vG3u6aZco7afN1g15wwI7KVorw4DZLWmK2awstJ5GJdkr5wCVlSKC7I68o1jWWauUVe1sMuBI-K40j4wb0WhkPcp1H3uRFdg9vWEqQpqaLaG-UUjQ9zN6i1TyYK3mpQonFWkrssAB9lsTTmeCPtrgVl0_z5TRG1qvyr0Edw/w400-h300/Cyphanthera%20anthocercidea%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large-leaf Ray Flower <i>Cyphanthera anthocercidea</i> is a rare and Endangered species, found<br />only in Gariwerd and nearby Mount Arapiles, and on the other side of the state in a few <br />localities in Gippsland. It is in the Solanaceae family, with tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco, <br />plus quite a few Australian species.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxJvjI3gegWsvfYqkAppt36BfxwyGCvmNuAcqzZzSk-b2plaWKZTGIKMvc-WFuz9Ddh9r5e5h7ZpCytZWPxbfMxpmRdybydfF7RdRKysImtAwvYTOxXHKcah1mikDRKNSyt1A2Wi1_9FpzlmPaeiDrmHUs-UEcumhHu2HQCgyWEeT-AmFx3Hg1TwC/s800/Comesperma%20volubile%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxJvjI3gegWsvfYqkAppt36BfxwyGCvmNuAcqzZzSk-b2plaWKZTGIKMvc-WFuz9Ddh9r5e5h7ZpCytZWPxbfMxpmRdybydfF7RdRKysImtAwvYTOxXHKcah1mikDRKNSyt1A2Wi1_9FpzlmPaeiDrmHUs-UEcumhHu2HQCgyWEeT-AmFx3Hg1TwC/w400-h300/Comesperma%20volubile%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Creeper <i>Comesperma volubile, </i>a very pretty climber in the family Polygalaceae.<br />Unlike the previous species this one has a huge range across near-coastal southern <br />Australia from Brisbane to Tasmania to north of Perth.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4A8xHkPp0w4EWeXrFs7S1whPEkIpRktFWFhqm8NFvNOq9zS6VOUYo1ZdTQ1p73fkCukdUYfIC-t3knu0S6Ly-BP-HHip6gYNqVjkHDFkmrI4B1hQ0JtRINs61xFjH8MTQ0IBHETtY_knanMH7mc7erC1Y98KP692vMp59nf66Tahy9859bOc8V7t/s800/Lasiopetalum%20macrophyllum%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4A8xHkPp0w4EWeXrFs7S1whPEkIpRktFWFhqm8NFvNOq9zS6VOUYo1ZdTQ1p73fkCukdUYfIC-t3knu0S6Ly-BP-HHip6gYNqVjkHDFkmrI4B1hQ0JtRINs61xFjH8MTQ0IBHETtY_knanMH7mc7erC1Y98KP692vMp59nf66Tahy9859bOc8V7t/w400-h300/Lasiopetalum%20macrophyllum%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrubby Velvet Bush <i>Lasiopetalum macrophyllum </i>Family Malvaceae (though until fairly <br />recently it was in the much smaller family Sterculiaceae, and who knows what is yet to<br />come?). In Victoria it is found mostly in the far east, except for a few populations<br />in Gariwerd - including this one at Golton Gorge.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JKBfcNh4lfQS3euhhlzwwIQAkTyRdaEtetJFRRfVcJ5FbGFKYOXxxDXONFjh4b9KLFI09VFydGSsTMcLWr2ht5vHOjt8JqK1-MPwMSiQVbHEV_K2pRz1DdI7v6DnqBjFS10mIdns5LlKeLrU0X1pJX7JmbUuRn1CXXFXKr3sJTiMql7dtY7rXd4q/s800/Philotheca%20verrucosa%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JKBfcNh4lfQS3euhhlzwwIQAkTyRdaEtetJFRRfVcJ5FbGFKYOXxxDXONFjh4b9KLFI09VFydGSsTMcLWr2ht5vHOjt8JqK1-MPwMSiQVbHEV_K2pRz1DdI7v6DnqBjFS10mIdns5LlKeLrU0X1pJX7JmbUuRn1CXXFXKr3sJTiMql7dtY7rXd4q/w400-h300/Philotheca%20verrucosa%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bendigo or Fairy Waxflower <i>Philotheca (</i>formerly <i>Eriostemon) verrucosa</i>, another beautiful<br />snowy white flower. Found in Victoria mostly in Gariwerd and the central Goldfields, and<br />in Tasmania, plus outliers in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Family Rutaceae (like citruses and boronias). <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXWF0h1iao5caBCvd5aQbcsLDChhgWt5J-5GzArpcoQqRuYNeBPkkPj2H-yKZ8BApmsIe5CWPBb8lgl62pDXLdUu94zC97VbR0bQfZSp8GH48FlldVHXn8k-lf11jL0Xw58O_yYl53MYzReD869nETVGegpUe8ZJcrwY0YTAsKhy7bH4eW8ORkWaB/s800/Prostanthera%20rotundifolia%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXWF0h1iao5caBCvd5aQbcsLDChhgWt5J-5GzArpcoQqRuYNeBPkkPj2H-yKZ8BApmsIe5CWPBb8lgl62pDXLdUu94zC97VbR0bQfZSp8GH48FlldVHXn8k-lf11jL0Xw58O_yYl53MYzReD869nETVGegpUe8ZJcrwY0YTAsKhy7bH4eW8ORkWaB/w400-h300/Prostanthera%20rotundifolia%20Golton%20Gorge%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round-leaf Mintbush <i>Prostanthera rotundifolia, </i>a profusely flowering beauty<br />found in rocky areas throughout south-eastern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD84XYLsgOCYh_QMDFF-7683h9QcAfxANlZpm4R-MPH5lH5JV7L_CI0fQ1zxi5HOYQKOArfexh_wn9KJVTbl7AmdDTOsCYcixy4po9phi4qJW16vnBcBJoQdfaQTr78rOohYKLO8xoPBtULZBH2XUC2NUOlvcqz0pVkfgFjq0qNF-afJ60SnipUCmV/s800/Spyridium%20parvifolium%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD84XYLsgOCYh_QMDFF-7683h9QcAfxANlZpm4R-MPH5lH5JV7L_CI0fQ1zxi5HOYQKOArfexh_wn9KJVTbl7AmdDTOsCYcixy4po9phi4qJW16vnBcBJoQdfaQTr78rOohYKLO8xoPBtULZBH2XUC2NUOlvcqz0pVkfgFjq0qNF-afJ60SnipUCmV/w400-h300/Spyridium%20parvifolium%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dusty Miller <i>Spyridium parvifolium </i>at Boroka Lookout.<br />The 'dusty' pale leaves surrounding the inconspicuous flowers draw attention<br />to them. I like to think this gives us an indication of how petals originally developed.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmTHCMN9Z11cCeGMC-Pah6D3tGBdIXcA2ybd6eopuBfpcz3uy5HwTm90PsATW9r-pkcH2YY86xlAzEKSbbPdZ0iJYM9l---864kxkx4W74Zv--78iANgTPgPTgb7JCQuR6Awllo8cQUGLMt1x6cTX9rlyI9frKpqXERw74Icc_5fEufJdS-VqlR_m/s800/Tetratheca%20ciliata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmTHCMN9Z11cCeGMC-Pah6D3tGBdIXcA2ybd6eopuBfpcz3uy5HwTm90PsATW9r-pkcH2YY86xlAzEKSbbPdZ0iJYM9l---864kxkx4W74Zv--78iANgTPgPTgb7JCQuR6Awllo8cQUGLMt1x6cTX9rlyI9frKpqXERw74Icc_5fEufJdS-VqlR_m/w400-h300/Tetratheca%20ciliata%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Bells <i>Tetratheca ciliata, </i>found everywhere in Gariwerd and a constant source of pleasure.<br />Its flowers are bigger than those of other <i>Tetratheca</i> I know. <i>Tetratheca's </i>family Tremandraceae <br />has been subsumed into the bigger and ancient Gondwanan family Eleocarpaceae, following<br />a common pattern in botanical taxonomy in recent times. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEfEN2WoOkAxleVYKcLd5EEBbtTbZZMB6LPOtsN-sC7AgMV6iiHrXiU5Z-7L8O1yyVPi7oNMMW7y-eHlJnB2WEkFJoD0cEB7vjkVFIyVXZUaUUdagCP9EpMKs3uTKbKepfVFP7JB9ky57k85t_2aXdxs9nRNRK5TchcQxnLTzT7VYG0zgIyf6lbX9/s800/Utrichularia%20dichotoma%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEfEN2WoOkAxleVYKcLd5EEBbtTbZZMB6LPOtsN-sC7AgMV6iiHrXiU5Z-7L8O1yyVPi7oNMMW7y-eHlJnB2WEkFJoD0cEB7vjkVFIyVXZUaUUdagCP9EpMKs3uTKbKepfVFP7JB9ky57k85t_2aXdxs9nRNRK5TchcQxnLTzT7VYG0zgIyf6lbX9/w400-h300/Utrichularia%20dichotoma%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairy's Apron <i>Utricularia dichotoma</i>. These tiny flowers grow in wet areas (this one <br />was part of a colony growing in thick moss on a rock sheet). They prey on very small<br />organisms in the water beneath them, by means of little 'bladders' which 'suck' in water<br />and tiny organisms.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDS7upcjhdRb2CpjvCDZllsV2K_QCPwJoQiPTX3lVAD26IZB5Mrrsjo-r90mIfdKaLo2ubf4JQaIFBE3BwZ-HiFwBb1FlLSXO2D03cBs-tbwquWCCTTmj1A4TU2uWZZqIYZMPbah0spqO3c90SM53jY_mUjLtGdn4Xvwu2ff33bTs_OGtVk2Bb_jEa/s800/Xanthorrhoea%20australis%20Gulgurn%20Manja%20track%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDS7upcjhdRb2CpjvCDZllsV2K_QCPwJoQiPTX3lVAD26IZB5Mrrsjo-r90mIfdKaLo2ubf4JQaIFBE3BwZ-HiFwBb1FlLSXO2D03cBs-tbwquWCCTTmj1A4TU2uWZZqIYZMPbah0spqO3c90SM53jY_mUjLtGdn4Xvwu2ff33bTs_OGtVk2Bb_jEa/w300-h400/Xanthorrhoea%20australis%20Gulgurn%20Manja%20track%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass Tree <i>Xanthorrhoea australis</i>; this is a familiar sight in many places (though I never<br />tire of them) but I was intrigued by the oddly chopped-off flower spike, present on <br />several of these plants in the area near Mount Zero in the north.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And finally, those who know me will not be at all surprised that I'm going to end this Gariwerd floral odyssey with a selection of the orchids we saw. Some are common and widespread, others not nearly so much, but I enjoy them all every time; I hope you do too!<br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVkaEb017mLpleBLCgbIeGOUcDjXneimrzsA-ffmnBe907QYs6fJZ9rLEmKDJrwcx3Y1W654vTEsJ7KAnpiSVxjpX_Qk0NRwu17678eEcNE4PiJxCDh8JToeO3yzoZbg0O6ozlGrutgaR0bhTaMdbkFPfU0E9DqNlyKHcZTQ2GDlkQ27Hd4ZLrPcM/s800/Glossodia%20major3%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVkaEb017mLpleBLCgbIeGOUcDjXneimrzsA-ffmnBe907QYs6fJZ9rLEmKDJrwcx3Y1W654vTEsJ7KAnpiSVxjpX_Qk0NRwu17678eEcNE4PiJxCDh8JToeO3yzoZbg0O6ozlGrutgaR0bhTaMdbkFPfU0E9DqNlyKHcZTQ2GDlkQ27Hd4ZLrPcM/w301-h400/Glossodia%20major3%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxlip Orchid (or Parson-in-the-Pulpit) <i>Glossodia major</i>; this orchid <br />is familiar to anyone who goes into the south-east Australian bush in spring, <br />but I can never ignore it! On both our most recent visits to Gariwerd we saw these in swathes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJkfRJwPT5A159cDuFk0wil_d-VQKz_bwx8Jy2VQl71x1s9VdtuiBqrhfbnh7lkZWDr5_1pWUUkSl57eGEpa4EKNtx8SOZKtIO-sLkILKS2mV6d4qw4eO4YenrZHKKkWTblYrpGwP7pX2vT6eb5cw2gRfpyqT2RtFyQN8YXPmD7fCyZXIOUkNj152/s800/Diuris%20pardina2%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="603" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJkfRJwPT5A159cDuFk0wil_d-VQKz_bwx8Jy2VQl71x1s9VdtuiBqrhfbnh7lkZWDr5_1pWUUkSl57eGEpa4EKNtx8SOZKtIO-sLkILKS2mV6d4qw4eO4YenrZHKKkWTblYrpGwP7pX2vT6eb5cw2gRfpyqT2RtFyQN8YXPmD7fCyZXIOUkNj152/w301-h400/Diuris%20pardina2%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leopard Orchid <i>Diuris pardina,</i> another very common Gariwerd orchid, <br />and also widespread in south-eastern Australia.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1900Ls1pEUFSv0u8K-HqLV3eYyg9NdyyKdoHDXCLal_-d2nV2dwzUsSxtDtoayUoxVeSwMdIjEC0eRI48U-qd4lHVfDDcLoHet3WM4yvLEyAfoWv759uEZ_uXPOpy08bsoO1XwCYcbQej5UtVTJ3j92ECxxsIe_G2UKevolD2sGQEL0rtBK_qyflz/s800/Diplodium%20concinnum1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="603" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1900Ls1pEUFSv0u8K-HqLV3eYyg9NdyyKdoHDXCLal_-d2nV2dwzUsSxtDtoayUoxVeSwMdIjEC0eRI48U-qd4lHVfDDcLoHet3WM4yvLEyAfoWv759uEZ_uXPOpy08bsoO1XwCYcbQej5UtVTJ3j92ECxxsIe_G2UKevolD2sGQEL0rtBK_qyflz/w301-h400/Diplodium%20concinnum1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim Greenhood <i>Diplodium </i>(or <i>Pterostylis</i>) <i>concinum; </i>for more on the fascinating<br />greenhoods, see my recent post on them <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2022/10/greenhoods-are-great.html">here</a>. This one has a similar broad<br />south-eastern distribution to the last two species.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOiVS8jfyGU2goZeC50BnWsti9uR6vk-GtnJMNCOkCMEZJ-TuFG-xzxVDwqvTQM_i85xOShIp2zMzFcQXM5VhTnTpTead0W04ecjiG89aFQf81SfTix6nFVLK8StoK_XjAf3IFRV8H-hghu-gqWKvUFNzw_WoVpoLyq00K5ViaLnfdcn7kGewAzR9/s800/Bunochilus%20smaragdynus%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOiVS8jfyGU2goZeC50BnWsti9uR6vk-GtnJMNCOkCMEZJ-TuFG-xzxVDwqvTQM_i85xOShIp2zMzFcQXM5VhTnTpTead0W04ecjiG89aFQf81SfTix6nFVLK8StoK_XjAf3IFRV8H-hghu-gqWKvUFNzw_WoVpoLyq00K5ViaLnfdcn7kGewAzR9/w300-h400/Bunochilus%20smaragdynus%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald-Lip Greenhood <i>Bunochilus </i>(or <i>Pterostylis</i>) <i>smaragdynus</i>, here coming to the <br />very end of its flowering. It was the only plant we found, and only the top couple of flowers<br />are still fairly fresh; the lower ones have swollen ovaries and shrivelled flowers, having <br />been fertilised. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwuptvI1wUcEdDgBg9LHSLyk43yn2ZXAQ_-n-BEA8QHiULVebrgpfssKwmeZoCbSAaWZRjgqGA2AwLnuZLFWeZ_Nlm9Nfm4chpguK2OHdKwwl7BXexZP8t5975_bprXWwhiA7Z1ImT5aaef31HDv44WE396k3-Gf-fZbZBgmPnvz5rmqLRy7MXwUa/s800/Cyrtostylis%20reniformis1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwuptvI1wUcEdDgBg9LHSLyk43yn2ZXAQ_-n-BEA8QHiULVebrgpfssKwmeZoCbSAaWZRjgqGA2AwLnuZLFWeZ_Nlm9Nfm4chpguK2OHdKwwl7BXexZP8t5975_bprXWwhiA7Z1ImT5aaef31HDv44WE396k3-Gf-fZbZBgmPnvz5rmqLRy7MXwUa/w400-h300/Cyrtostylis%20reniformis1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnat Orchid <i>Cyrtostylis reniformis</i>, yet another species widespread in the south-east but,<br />despite growing in colonies, it's not always easy to see in the shady situations where it often grows.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJizJB1oOcNqQQltRzkXmVugJQlEXMgFjfxme-7n-RAqqA8Zt3O5xj-KYHZJ-00DEwW3JwBb7gXHzL8MfnMaMONGaOMjTgNKl_v5mA7Jc655U26aM8PildnkmxisaO2CvwifTj8LuneRvhZyG5uB68VHEt9x9wMsXWDlyJ8Hnn_T5QVl4KwFOq1dgJ/s800/Thelymitra%20antennifera%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJizJB1oOcNqQQltRzkXmVugJQlEXMgFjfxme-7n-RAqqA8Zt3O5xj-KYHZJ-00DEwW3JwBb7gXHzL8MfnMaMONGaOMjTgNKl_v5mA7Jc655U26aM8PildnkmxisaO2CvwifTj8LuneRvhZyG5uB68VHEt9x9wMsXWDlyJ8Hnn_T5QVl4KwFOq1dgJ/w400-h300/Thelymitra%20antennifera%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabbit Ears <i>Thelymitra antennifera</i>; the odd name refers to the red-brown erect lobes<br />on the column in the middle of the flower. It's one of the sun orchids, but is a bit more<br />willing to open on cloudy days than many others in the group. <br />A widespread orchid across southern Australia, but not as far north as NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggADeNPSyPxXpdAYM3obh0rv9meV3J0Hv6IvS_r0yQHu7Zcubo2sLNtrsStFmeT84NV1BsB5eeZo9EPI-Oe-17zU4_xpr4meu1gV4hRt1KyNRPwZcozSqXCE2k-NTM22t-TsyQt16m5qmzbLk3lGta__XEmC51fLAiOMlTXo5fO2o4-QGX9JLqYXBm/s800/Caladenia%20pusilla%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggADeNPSyPxXpdAYM3obh0rv9meV3J0Hv6IvS_r0yQHu7Zcubo2sLNtrsStFmeT84NV1BsB5eeZo9EPI-Oe-17zU4_xpr4meu1gV4hRt1KyNRPwZcozSqXCE2k-NTM22t-TsyQt16m5qmzbLk3lGta__XEmC51fLAiOMlTXo5fO2o4-QGX9JLqYXBm/w300-h400/Caladenia%20pusilla%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pygmy Caladenia, or Tiny Fingers, <i>Caladenia pusilla</i>, a very small finger orchid indeed; <br />it is found scattered across south-eastern Australia, but is rarely apparently common.<br />However its diminutive size and similarity to other, much commoner, caladenias <br />probably confuses the situation. We only found this one, up near Mount Zero.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAfsH_Azqdmjj3zHxKYeFmr4rvc50L0-NpCH294cjvJYFMbPV9oFHr9twIVYDdfWek6t8i8M5zxUCS2Tv7zvABWyWSI2UIFsAvy1OfXkMNko4fGo3XkwdWR13xhPvMtriRg2BHo0KAADw874eAcrjFbCAdX0jz9oOzWec7DlAFh-ShRoKDHSQYCMP/s800/Caladenia%20ampla1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20carpark%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAfsH_Azqdmjj3zHxKYeFmr4rvc50L0-NpCH294cjvJYFMbPV9oFHr9twIVYDdfWek6t8i8M5zxUCS2Tv7zvABWyWSI2UIFsAvy1OfXkMNko4fGo3XkwdWR13xhPvMtriRg2BHo0KAADw874eAcrjFbCAdX0jz9oOzWec7DlAFh-ShRoKDHSQYCMP/w300-h400/Caladenia%20ampla1%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20carpark%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And to finish, a beautiful spider orchid which is giving me considerable angst<br />regarding its identity. I enquired on a very knowledgeable orchid facebook<br />group, where I was assured by a couple of authorities that it is the Critically <br />Endangered Dainty Spider Orchid <i>Caladenia ampla</i>. I'd have no argument with that,<br />and it certainly looks like it, but the Flora of Victoria tells me that while it<br />grows nearby it doesn't actually live in Gariwerd itself. If anyone reading this<br />can advise me of what I'm missing here I'd be <i>very </i>grateful indeed!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And that might just about do us on some of the fabulous flowers of this fabulous park; it's turned out to be a longer post than even I'd anticipated! If you've gone the full journey with me I'm very grateful, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. And it's worth bearing in mind that while spring is clearly peak wildflower season there, any time of year it's a great destination, including for flowers. Please do drop by when you can, you won't regret it.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I'M TAKING A SHORT BREAK FROM BLOGGING UNTIL JANUARY.<br />I'LL NOTIFY YOU, AS USUAL, WHEN THE NEXT ONE GOES UP;<br />SEE BELOW IF YOU'RE NOT ON MY NOTIFICATIONS LIST AND WOULD LIKE TO BE.</b></i><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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Gariwerd was renamed the Grampians after the Scottish range by the now infamous surveyor/explorer Thomas Mitchell in 1836, but now both names are used together. In the 1990s a Victorian premier, in an act of astonishing political perversity, abolished the original Indigenous names that had been jointly reinstated but sense and decency has since apparently been restored in this matter. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkUp3hf-vMU_4OTwJFW5GiWt-mqf7NEAiukeSeP9JVXUYVFzhRPiXX3MGYcMiytsIfQt68bU3U1H1ml7f4dqe8Eh8IvPRwR5kjwTlMFIGtOsjkfkrnLXisUKIyFJd2OCSpB5BSrd9F-IAepf96QVjpuF2rDAS6r6oX827A-BXykGsfOwq8_M-NbXO/s800/Gariwerd%20from%20the%20east5%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="800" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkUp3hf-vMU_4OTwJFW5GiWt-mqf7NEAiukeSeP9JVXUYVFzhRPiXX3MGYcMiytsIfQt68bU3U1H1ml7f4dqe8Eh8IvPRwR5kjwTlMFIGtOsjkfkrnLXisUKIyFJd2OCSpB5BSrd9F-IAepf96QVjpuF2rDAS6r6oX827A-BXykGsfOwq8_M-NbXO/w640-h224/Gariwerd%20from%20the%20east5%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The central section of Gariwerd from the east, some 25km away. The range (or series <br />of ranges) is 90km long from north to south, and half that at its widest point, <br />covering an impressive 167,000 hectares, though astonishingly it wasn't declared <br />national park until 1984. It is surrounded by farmland, formerly woodland.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS5nQL0uDg50D9-j9Qt_1LVndrdGh-NUJ3H7Dq9H4zOYFIyKZgMX91A0AcRNBW7QFr9FDLvEiyw5b69HiBTJKIu-9iwrI-HcbveTGFq4Y53xjHcn5Jzp_6_0zt1zum3SNpNLVfNQRcm4maPC_oDKOeQavEUbftZDn9Y6cN0to1nJOsnrNZXRti0b9/s1103/Australia%20Gariwerd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1103" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS5nQL0uDg50D9-j9Qt_1LVndrdGh-NUJ3H7Dq9H4zOYFIyKZgMX91A0AcRNBW7QFr9FDLvEiyw5b69HiBTJKIu-9iwrI-HcbveTGFq4Y53xjHcn5Jzp_6_0zt1zum3SNpNLVfNQRcm4maPC_oDKOeQavEUbftZDn9Y6cN0to1nJOsnrNZXRti0b9/w400-h276/Australia%20Gariwerd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gariwerd lies approximately at the end of the red arrow in the<br />south-east corner of the map.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVZPzYm0Wr5SKIJvkZEGYxh49oz3bTIN11Ig7xGvgmX8XhnldALjkZxIh_beux4Ou505v7f_1BBHORppG82x-FPUHXtF68_s2uqPZAtW3N4mt2TDsyHLJW83IXqyWWRdM8biQ6wQkZBShb825ZESKE1YpiTr9pJC3COh2xzdNgrgY4dwGec1eHsSy/s655/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="499" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVZPzYm0Wr5SKIJvkZEGYxh49oz3bTIN11Ig7xGvgmX8XhnldALjkZxIh_beux4Ou505v7f_1BBHORppG82x-FPUHXtF68_s2uqPZAtW3N4mt2TDsyHLJW83IXqyWWRdM8biQ6wQkZBShb825ZESKE1YpiTr9pJC3COh2xzdNgrgY4dwGec1eHsSy/w305-h400/Capture.JPG" width="305" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A low-res map of the park, courtesy of Parks Victoria. You'll probably need to <br />click on it to see it at all clearly. Halls Gap (HG) is in the middle of the eastern edge of the <br />range - look for the white on blue <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #01ffff;">i</span> </span>(for Information). The main areas covered by the <br />photos are Mount Zero and Gulgum Manja Shelter in the far north; Heatherlie Quarry<br />about halfway between HG and Mount Zero; Boroka Lookout, just north-west<br />of HG; Balconies, west of HG; Victoria Valley, south-west of HG.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There are roads through the park but it is not fragmented by them and much of the park is only accessible by foot. Accordingly, most visitors see only a tiny area of the park, though this is still pretty satisfactory. My guess is that most visitors never leave the small area around Hall's Gap, a busy village in the centre of the eastern edge of the range; from here there are walks along the delightful Stoney Creek and a short circular drive to other creek and waterfall walks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIE5OYxI-n9I4PNgs5xCe2oOgMlk2AglZKxObTHSyngd_QsfND7q-pnqGi0P4qZpUT82z6jVpYx-gfMOP-wPiMZXpDsDFcsT03JgPrWv97y8dB68x-TN5Dna_fmWGcw0EzMe5_W9qADRJuKMU31M4KL_489IKQTPAUjmaT93B30sAucmgvaqYqs1L/s800/Stony%20Creek1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIE5OYxI-n9I4PNgs5xCe2oOgMlk2AglZKxObTHSyngd_QsfND7q-pnqGi0P4qZpUT82z6jVpYx-gfMOP-wPiMZXpDsDFcsT03JgPrWv97y8dB68x-TN5Dna_fmWGcw0EzMe5_W9qADRJuKMU31M4KL_489IKQTPAUjmaT93B30sAucmgvaqYqs1L/w300-h400/Stony%20Creek1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stoney Creek, a delightful short walk from the tourist hub of Hall's Gap.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>These sheltered walks along ferny stream lines, often leading to a waterfall, are probably the most popular in the park (though not least because most of them are close to Hall's Gap). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrma75W9SHLSSArxgvJkYqJCxhYtrUyrQqmDfmJkBRkWMA3e10TFb3d8Uv9P9kL3tXnsFdQv8yqvTFLlLMFUeZa0oLdAZvYz2OTpimiRWUJHLIe7AMGC15YwUj-5c_duyDrLHSU2iguHL_Jk3oSpZ3nPEhxjN2-A8c60pKR2l7tk8RrWSEcjIOpss/s800/rocks%20Stoney%20Creek%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrma75W9SHLSSArxgvJkYqJCxhYtrUyrQqmDfmJkBRkWMA3e10TFb3d8Uv9P9kL3tXnsFdQv8yqvTFLlLMFUeZa0oLdAZvYz2OTpimiRWUJHLIe7AMGC15YwUj-5c_duyDrLHSU2iguHL_Jk3oSpZ3nPEhxjN2-A8c60pKR2l7tk8RrWSEcjIOpss/w300-h400/rocks%20Stoney%20Creek%20Halls%20Gap%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another scene on Stoney Creek; this is near the pool known as Venus' Bath. These awfully<br />twee names make me wince, but they are rife in areas favoured by 19th and early 20th<br />century tourists. And our forebears were dedicated and determined tourists!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>People were coming to the Grampians (as they were then universally known in English) from Melbourne from the middle of the 19th century, taking advantage of the trains to Stawell in particular. In 1868, <i>Thomas' Guide for Excursionists from Melbourne </i>was published to promote the Grampians. The return rail fare from Melbourne was £5. "To him who likes to escape a while from the conventionalities and to be brought for a while face-face with nature in her solemn grand and eternal beauty, we say: Try the Grampians" Unfortunately he then went on to recommend the pleasures of shooting the wallabies (probably the Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby, now Critically Endangered in Victoria)...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition the ranges supported a logging industry, a hugely destructive wattle bark industry (for tannins for leather-tanning), gold mining, stone quarrying and stock grazing. Not only was this environmentally detrimental, but had (as everywhere) catastrophic imlications for the Djab Wurrung and Jardwardjali people, whose descendants help manage the park today. However their stories are not mine to tell, and I don't have the right or ability to do so.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy_Zz3Mm8dSOVpTgG6IE4BKf1zydPKo2C2nZa7hmd1b-i9XbZfa0_gyD51VE6sg8zobqQ4TyCa9lCzCHaOc7tlndnCL358On24-SX3eDidAsbq7NtWhjk25Ftb-osL_-LUehHXRIjRLzePOmRPYbsA0D8-odqijPe8iCWSsn8FozsH9IvoOtZwwBZ/s800/Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy_Zz3Mm8dSOVpTgG6IE4BKf1zydPKo2C2nZa7hmd1b-i9XbZfa0_gyD51VE6sg8zobqQ4TyCa9lCzCHaOc7tlndnCL358On24-SX3eDidAsbq7NtWhjk25Ftb-osL_-LUehHXRIjRLzePOmRPYbsA0D8-odqijPe8iCWSsn8FozsH9IvoOtZwwBZ/w400-h300/Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulgum Manja art site, in the far north of the park. This is a well-publicised site,<br />protected by a mesh and interpreted. There are several such sites in the areas (as well,<br />I imagine, as many others not advertised); more information on them can be found at<br />Brambuk Cultural Centre in Hall's Gap.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Instead here are a few more scenes from walks along the stream lines, or to waterfalls. They also feature some of the magnificent rock formations which are such a feature of the park. Most of the geology features sediments - sandstones etc - which were laid down during the Devonian, between 415 and 425 million years ago, by rivers carrying material from higher ground into shallow estuaries. (There are also some younger granites, but not in the areas most people visit.)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIHcF2_cXxiXAxgvqgEiP7nVO7BCICl-rqeGfPme5op9VFRMX_e2r_Karn-NkORMeBcrFTyORKJZ4vKfmplWAasQ7trL4IiplfuI7xtw0A2utRp-31WMO3w-qtr0AT8yMYCAF9WtKaxl5axaJqZty0yAoEo6gCBkSIK4qGHR32hG1wQaplo1SajuA/s800/Golton%20Gorge2%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIHcF2_cXxiXAxgvqgEiP7nVO7BCICl-rqeGfPme5op9VFRMX_e2r_Karn-NkORMeBcrFTyORKJZ4vKfmplWAasQ7trL4IiplfuI7xtw0A2utRp-31WMO3w-qtr0AT8yMYCAF9WtKaxl5axaJqZty0yAoEo6gCBkSIK4qGHR32hG1wQaplo1SajuA/w400-h300/Golton%20Gorge2%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golton Gorge, off the road north to Mount Zero. Another easy pleasant<br />walk to where the water slides over the rocks via a small fall into a pool.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbADfmMcoM9Wdv_ui7ZYh6sMGj4RvxZhaoN5DzVZQyfLS9MbplASn1sUeunhm1X02uatEvKW_7rRG5wL85jxGBJGUruyoYOXCmHIS_M-PDqJoutP-XR5Kp3yupuKGBk6-TN6VRCJNfuL059Pxi5Df466wnNF8_V2oEAjd-YN18W7Rugm9uIlZQxu6/s800/Turret%20Falls1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbADfmMcoM9Wdv_ui7ZYh6sMGj4RvxZhaoN5DzVZQyfLS9MbplASn1sUeunhm1X02uatEvKW_7rRG5wL85jxGBJGUruyoYOXCmHIS_M-PDqJoutP-XR5Kp3yupuKGBk6-TN6VRCJNfuL059Pxi5Df466wnNF8_V2oEAjd-YN18W7Rugm9uIlZQxu6/w400-h300/Turret%20Falls1%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turret Falls, in the Wonderland area (see previous comments on <br />twee 19th century names), in the Hall's Gap area. This photo, and the couple of <br />Stoney Creek earlier, were taken in September 2019 after prolonged drought, <br />just before the current series of inundating La Niñas began. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next two were taken in early October 2022 after a wet week, but before the devastating rains of the past week (I am writing on 27 October 2022) which have submerged so much of New South Wales and northern Victoria. The results at the waterfalls were spectacular (and I can't imagine what they look like now). <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNvGf1kr4MGLjOR5hUPcCNF4xe8qXmd7Hb0ex-FZKA4hmzx5n47HMqzoN9M1YoxHQ4dHteMrS5cCw1FKJ_P32b31y1muyi_cXOuoCOUReLd5TBPB0vvzJC8wMAuEvahi__Jn0U0XelLyn_3XKcOuACzgnoai_zihS14Xu9OGP-8v96rjTQZslN-C1/s800/Mackenzie%20Falls2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNvGf1kr4MGLjOR5hUPcCNF4xe8qXmd7Hb0ex-FZKA4hmzx5n47HMqzoN9M1YoxHQ4dHteMrS5cCw1FKJ_P32b31y1muyi_cXOuoCOUReLd5TBPB0vvzJC8wMAuEvahi__Jn0U0XelLyn_3XKcOuACzgnoai_zihS14Xu9OGP-8v96rjTQZslN-C1/w300-h400/Mackenzie%20Falls2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mackenzie Falls, even from way above it was truly awesome <br />(and I don't use that word lightly).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_YC6sMUU86niaTTZp2koVASET0eL3ka5xv4LnGvBW1OH589EGeZNCK_t8y1hCWFQpft_SDT8A6e-uz0Uo7Z9wbshi-xijFqx-faHQvTZfpUBNc-NwmR7SQWKyVTNs1jPjEGkjVQg2G-pVBGPUPH114TJwFMUsEHu90q0GkLu037EXwtXyB7YHAcb/s800/Silverband%20Falls2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_YC6sMUU86niaTTZp2koVASET0eL3ka5xv4LnGvBW1OH589EGeZNCK_t8y1hCWFQpft_SDT8A6e-uz0Uo7Z9wbshi-xijFqx-faHQvTZfpUBNc-NwmR7SQWKyVTNs1jPjEGkjVQg2G-pVBGPUPH114TJwFMUsEHu90q0GkLu037EXwtXyB7YHAcb/w300-h400/Silverband%20Falls2%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silverband Falls - and as you can see from the spots on the lens it was still<br />raining. The big eucalypt on the left had been washed off the hillside opposite,<br />and the roar of the water was overwhelming.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Away from the wet gullies in the sheltered central eastern ranges near Hall's Gap, dry eucalypt forest with a heathy understorey is more the norm.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP06CORBNDrocdnUqNRQ5lLqAgMjh7Mc82nCOWHAepaD4LP4kTMbpYdROy7l7X2Tje3o-7aYRb7afqAzTwxXAKEMLY3lTR1sOHaiHpmFasfgywTB9cSJn1ToU1HtBahsRcdAjSjLe6aY6LkiE-nWP3zeml0GDkLqaa89ymU0PizDFyHGqnCyg_40P2/s800/track%20to%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP06CORBNDrocdnUqNRQ5lLqAgMjh7Mc82nCOWHAepaD4LP4kTMbpYdROy7l7X2Tje3o-7aYRb7afqAzTwxXAKEMLY3lTR1sOHaiHpmFasfgywTB9cSJn1ToU1HtBahsRcdAjSjLe6aY6LkiE-nWP3zeml0GDkLqaa89ymU0PizDFyHGqnCyg_40P2/w400-h300/track%20to%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The track into Heatherlie Quarry where the flowering in spring is spectacular.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are some truly grand views to be had at a couple of justifiably well-known lookouts (both of which can be pretty good for flowers too). Boroka Lookout is right above Hall's Gap (600 metres above it in fact) though it's reached by a 15km drive west along Mount Victory Road, then north a little to the well-marked lookout. The views west and south are superb.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS87G6hq3ji6OZ7M6oTrpeKv2eZ91BQCzlYAkl1QzW8zmEaDhtH_-MY3fdUHaj9hdcxP7WiN-_I3rqlmn1xPM_3Wj2CpB5YzudmeH8g0VtS2nhpZWj-IKHT1QbCDnGBx9S4-lwwUHBHEj7zpgR1GDLq1g2PLTyppQiE-_K76ixwmzWk9oKzK1wsVOT/s800/south%20from%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS87G6hq3ji6OZ7M6oTrpeKv2eZ91BQCzlYAkl1QzW8zmEaDhtH_-MY3fdUHaj9hdcxP7WiN-_I3rqlmn1xPM_3Wj2CpB5YzudmeH8g0VtS2nhpZWj-IKHT1QbCDnGBx9S4-lwwUHBHEj7zpgR1GDLq1g2PLTyppQiE-_K76ixwmzWk9oKzK1wsVOT/w400-h300/south%20from%20Boroka%20Lookout%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South from Goroka Lookout. The sandstone layers in the foreground and the tilted planes of<br />the Wonderland Range behind must delight a geologist's eyes; they certainly do mine.<br />Far beyond is the Serra Range. To the left is Lake Bellfield, created by a dam on Fyans Creek<br />in 1966 to provide water (and recreation) for Hall's Gap, which is to the left of the photo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The other famed vistas are from Reed's Lookout and along the adjacent one kilometre track to the Balconies (formerly widely known as the Jaws of Death, which was apparently deemed to require some tweaking for PR purposes, perhaps understandably). The carpark is by the Mount Victory Road, not far past the Boroka Lookout turnoff.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Lmrnysge88ypSZgIl2Wmb7SFVbw0OpEnSI_nJ145Hb4_jgJ6yL87GtO3tbaFkJBjGnuPPdUYtGWaSN4hJ6keJiQ718JLSw-R7QQQVagnDgS5IOjQagFfX6A5c-yHYF6KYJ_wv6FZC-9z-KCWyWkasHnXsS5cfmgh_Pf9hsDRs4JSVeG4-BAibMy2/s800/Victoria%20Valley2%20from%20the%20Balconies%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Lmrnysge88ypSZgIl2Wmb7SFVbw0OpEnSI_nJ145Hb4_jgJ6yL87GtO3tbaFkJBjGnuPPdUYtGWaSN4hJ6keJiQ718JLSw-R7QQQVagnDgS5IOjQagFfX6A5c-yHYF6KYJ_wv6FZC-9z-KCWyWkasHnXsS5cfmgh_Pf9hsDRs4JSVeG4-BAibMy2/w400-h300/Victoria%20Valley2%20from%20the%20Balconies%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south into the Glenelg River headwaters valley (generally referred to as <br />Victoria Valley), with Moora Moora Reservoir in the distance. It was planned in<br />the 1880s but only completed in 1934, to divert water to Horsham - which I have to<br />say seems a long way in the wrong direction, way back over our left shoulder<br />as we're looking at it!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EPedGd42uTjuWJLdacPS9I6eHFwO5ZiTzMljqLeYH_iopTOY5u8YGD8aDtS_lgaXk_lbH5qoxmm17xlKuPA5Yxe1tGDqRJDd1umNQXe-Rwf2Ff3ogl8vLwqPiMtq7L3n1Rfg2x9rI5gH7GWy68O_JdK62KRoi4ILDKAOUkMfq_uv4DgdKkcZpLtp/s800/Lake%20Moora%20Moora%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EPedGd42uTjuWJLdacPS9I6eHFwO5ZiTzMljqLeYH_iopTOY5u8YGD8aDtS_lgaXk_lbH5qoxmm17xlKuPA5Yxe1tGDqRJDd1umNQXe-Rwf2Ff3ogl8vLwqPiMtq7L3n1Rfg2x9rI5gH7GWy68O_JdK62KRoi4ILDKAOUkMfq_uv4DgdKkcZpLtp/w400-h300/Lake%20Moora%20Moora%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moora Moora Reservoir (while we're talking about it), which is a lovely tranquil<br />place now, though in the 1890s there were up to 80 people in a small village here <br />logging ancient River Red Gums for railway sleepers. It's worth recalling too that <br />prior to the dam being built it was a doubtless rich and fascinating wetland.<br />Across the water the effects of bushfires can be seen in the trees; since 2006 there have<br />been three major fires in Gariwerd which have together burnt some 85% of the park.<br />The effects can be seen everywhere. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Back to Reeds Lookout, from where the track to the Balconies passes through interesting areas of sheet sandstone with little mossy gardens, and with views to the north. <br /></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjjx1qhsC7YuxL8Hzv7N40aFJyphJVU2NOpyj66hxnvev8-Z0sSirRdkMwfIZO_hsrbKdlHLuLKHe_8DSeyaQ7dlJRFYPkQwgRALjkCQwMLhfMsG7jfhWqUtzzG6yeq0yKSIa13uJ7IFaJq2ovjz1bIqxxbSRXLtA0YdZvI5hTwQoE-6e0zOeJSdg/s800/moss%20bed%20with%20Utrichularia%20and%20Drosera%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjjx1qhsC7YuxL8Hzv7N40aFJyphJVU2NOpyj66hxnvev8-Z0sSirRdkMwfIZO_hsrbKdlHLuLKHe_8DSeyaQ7dlJRFYPkQwgRALjkCQwMLhfMsG7jfhWqUtzzG6yeq0yKSIa13uJ7IFaJq2ovjz1bIqxxbSRXLtA0YdZvI5hTwQoE-6e0zOeJSdg/w400-h300/moss%20bed%20with%20Utrichularia%20and%20Drosera%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss bed on the rocks along the Balconies walking track, with Fairies' Aprons<br /><i>Utrichularia dichotoma</i> and sundews <i>Drosera</i> spp.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrLQQg9tiraErJ799Os7QzzN7yBT3LIGHpUAOCA-ZuQefNkBiSyZZoDaycrLAluP-4BBtvJkyFR_0nyZy4hib_ZOLPsudkfJr50db4Lnf5o0GuGsxWc7TG56C5kNNOtsYV0SAt0rDBFfwNQt2xeuKXyr4VK_MIAM7mzwwLKHdZq6RocXFO8EySbqX/s800/Lake%20Wartook%20from%20Balconies%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrLQQg9tiraErJ799Os7QzzN7yBT3LIGHpUAOCA-ZuQefNkBiSyZZoDaycrLAluP-4BBtvJkyFR_0nyZy4hib_ZOLPsudkfJr50db4Lnf5o0GuGsxWc7TG56C5kNNOtsYV0SAt0rDBFfwNQt2xeuKXyr4VK_MIAM7mzwwLKHdZq6RocXFO8EySbqX/w400-h300/Lake%20Wartook%20from%20Balconies%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north across the sandstone sheets to Lake Wartook in a valley of the Mount<br />Difficult Range. The park seems to have more than its share of reservoirs, though to<br />be fair they were all built before its late gazettal (but see below). It was another wetland, <br />which attracted pastoralists and the Cobb and Co. coaches for watering stock. <br />The first dam wall was built here in 1887, but was raised significantly in 1997 - ie well<br />after the park's gazettal. The water is released to the Mackenzie River, and then channelled<br />to the Wimmera River to provide Horsham's water supply. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">About 30 years ago you were able - indeed encouraged! - to clamber onto the lower 'balcony', high above the valley floor. Given that fact that the sandstone is gradually eroding away, this seems crazy now and there is fencing and signs in an attempt to deter people - but some people are hard to protect... I've even seen a photo from the 1940s of a party of 23 people posing on it, who collectively must have weighed close to two tonnes; that could have ended very badly indeed. <br /></div><div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG84RsAPZ0aP64oFTAjX1fI-N-PKlw4j_aXYtgpromCY5ZZHBFLXkg7YqDheZw5S_DWGqv3vYCutBVoaIZFRq5lVenc81AljKo9bumcQhvXSd73dQgOQ8ZbcfNcvPY8Uer3wgt_5zDng1QL_4LhbNz6s5JftymjfIyNuFtr0sBwobeeN_7a4c-ghb/s800/Balconies%20(Jaws%20of%20Death)%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG84RsAPZ0aP64oFTAjX1fI-N-PKlw4j_aXYtgpromCY5ZZHBFLXkg7YqDheZw5S_DWGqv3vYCutBVoaIZFRq5lVenc81AljKo9bumcQhvXSd73dQgOQ8ZbcfNcvPY8Uer3wgt_5zDng1QL_4LhbNz6s5JftymjfIyNuFtr0sBwobeeN_7a4c-ghb/w400-h300/Balconies%20(Jaws%20of%20Death)%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Balconies from the newish adjacent lookout. The tree in the foreground partly<br />obscures the lower shelf, so you can't really see how flimsy it looks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div> While we're admiring sandstone, here are a few more Gariwerd sandstone scenes to admire.<br /></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoyAABWZKjcEeWB_soMjXYEDCevzr9HuSFNHfKjfwi_YaA3e8eqa6Sb_c1FcO059UfMkpY6CcUbmos_83Fz1ixUpYlAKvkAeKxuzH71QAlwuio-LXWd_yrkzP7rRyIPuXDpQi5SDiON4XkZ-Pz_WdcLmGm02XrsstgO_p15cIUdk5OjXZbUJ7hxww/s800/view%20from%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoyAABWZKjcEeWB_soMjXYEDCevzr9HuSFNHfKjfwi_YaA3e8eqa6Sb_c1FcO059UfMkpY6CcUbmos_83Fz1ixUpYlAKvkAeKxuzH71QAlwuio-LXWd_yrkzP7rRyIPuXDpQi5SDiON4XkZ-Pz_WdcLmGm02XrsstgO_p15cIUdk5OjXZbUJ7hxww/w400-h300/view%20from%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view looking roughly north-east from Mount Zero in the far north of the park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LKHMUXi0MxU8w071JXyTf1NhU3LBdkXGHSI2UJYVljAuzmP2j9k-dCRiJ7Jz9KyQ4MYpToYpaf-t4R5vQUcH3UslgUVFz8Vkcrhd3My-sFnWa2SFQOtXqmm4h2qL9_L1zOF5ysiNiGVwZfbfxnbrxETHJK7hCo7_N7iisHi4vdFy-etZLK1ZLdHM/s800/sandstone%20Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LKHMUXi0MxU8w071JXyTf1NhU3LBdkXGHSI2UJYVljAuzmP2j9k-dCRiJ7Jz9KyQ4MYpToYpaf-t4R5vQUcH3UslgUVFz8Vkcrhd3My-sFnWa2SFQOtXqmm4h2qL9_L1zOF5ysiNiGVwZfbfxnbrxETHJK7hCo7_N7iisHi4vdFy-etZLK1ZLdHM/w400-h300/sandstone%20Hollow%20Mtn%20artsight%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also in the far north, close to Mount Zero, is the Gulgum Manja art site (in an area also referred <br />to as Hollow Mountain). There is a photo of some of the art above, but this is its setting.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn5e9yjd6Qmn2hJlRZt6g2RH9nXcf8PodxuZA1nF9gEOjQQkUWiZgc_LgQQztImWKnhONI2RBo88WhvUIoXW5-_mmgjbGJxQTq42ZelAyt6MHt38nwhsk9oyfiNI0XplrUHZoCZSgI0_LfexYcmpCOMODsHghUk4G2b5OdrO8-t9cf24AEzOM51YS/s800/Roses%20Gap%20Road%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn5e9yjd6Qmn2hJlRZt6g2RH9nXcf8PodxuZA1nF9gEOjQQkUWiZgc_LgQQztImWKnhONI2RBo88WhvUIoXW5-_mmgjbGJxQTq42ZelAyt6MHt38nwhsk9oyfiNI0XplrUHZoCZSgI0_LfexYcmpCOMODsHghUk4G2b5OdrO8-t9cf24AEzOM51YS/w400-h300/Roses%20Gap%20Road%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Rose's Gap Road, driving back from Mount Zero to Hall's Gap.<br />I just had to stop and photograph these grand cliffs over the trees. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As mentioned earlier, it is impossible not to be aware of the impact of fires in the past couple of decades, almost wherever you go in Gariwerd. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs_JOElsgtOYSdnqNo9Qq86wwi7AjHGrLz-ZG402L-gVPOPNPRR1LcxIxFtc4tglRYkxzRmIdT5bD3KlWP48uOH_pjyWqa-gsvZ8xl4g2QY1HVStbX8YimG6Tt10RLl5Fz0QVNUDEHaJu3WhCzC9UwWtaaLnlBBm_7DjbhvpbBVXc-LU3QenzOdsf/s800/epicormic%20growth%20Mt%20Victory%20Rd%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs_JOElsgtOYSdnqNo9Qq86wwi7AjHGrLz-ZG402L-gVPOPNPRR1LcxIxFtc4tglRYkxzRmIdT5bD3KlWP48uOH_pjyWqa-gsvZ8xl4g2QY1HVStbX8YimG6Tt10RLl5Fz0QVNUDEHaJu3WhCzC9UwWtaaLnlBBm_7DjbhvpbBVXc-LU3QenzOdsf/w301-h400/epicormic%20growth%20Mt%20Victory%20Rd%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epicormic buds beginning the tree's recovery along the Mount Victory Road. I think this<br />was actually a management burn, being very recent and limited in area along the road.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1Kc7IMSxD9WJ_3gpseGsFKlY8liWSCa3s0dcbBeHOaL9kEKGbgeyXNrpMFtbOl6DGw6E5jsrEO-AIwdABjQ5o_iJZ2NL1Gt8plrypNXOq6JrLERCOOU_-ao0ZiUGIZmjynzzYVBrDUi_B6gj9la6J3K_m1EPLx48ifh0BMPy3Ck6-7SyeYbnCMmn/s800/flowers%20and%20post-burn%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1Kc7IMSxD9WJ_3gpseGsFKlY8liWSCa3s0dcbBeHOaL9kEKGbgeyXNrpMFtbOl6DGw6E5jsrEO-AIwdABjQ5o_iJZ2NL1Gt8plrypNXOq6JrLERCOOU_-ao0ZiUGIZmjynzzYVBrDUi_B6gj9la6J3K_m1EPLx48ifh0BMPy3Ck6-7SyeYbnCMmn/w400-h300/flowers%20and%20post-burn%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The north end of the park burned very severely in January 2014 and as far as I know that<br />was the last time, though I'm having trouble getting information on the third fire mentioned<br />above. This photo was taken in early September 2019, and the fact that it had been very<br />dry for some time explains the apparently slow recovery. The flowering was still <br />impressive however.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDSpB3PK4xOJ8IDBX3ph1Je_18jrDAb-17QMNnxfBVp9M5UzPAG2w7E6Fi0VcJGwZ3V08j4vCoYHi3NMBNBfO0-NgRLpmtLOWI5B3IFvOhyqmMGLZ3OpAsOFLfTu44xQBjObGYA2Qq10Q6L8ceVbSJw_hOJ-UOANIOWAEq4mK7ljUpm5ZjQUU_wTd/s800/massed%20flowering%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDSpB3PK4xOJ8IDBX3ph1Je_18jrDAb-17QMNnxfBVp9M5UzPAG2w7E6Fi0VcJGwZ3V08j4vCoYHi3NMBNBfO0-NgRLpmtLOWI5B3IFvOhyqmMGLZ3OpAsOFLfTu44xQBjObGYA2Qq10Q6L8ceVbSJw_hOJ-UOANIOWAEq4mK7ljUpm5ZjQUU_wTd/w400-h300/massed%20flowering%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the same general area (not the same scene) three years later, in October 2022. <br />Recovery is progressing well and the flowering this year was wonderful after three wet years. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I keep teasing you with mention of flowering without really producing any. That's because there is far too much to squeeze into this post, and I'll be focussing on the flowers next time. However as an appetiser here are three of the 20 species found nowhere but Gariwerd, plus another which has only one other outlying population. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4cnnYa-RvEqi3OLv-dDruM0f8t98HEgqzOeksd_MnGvqmwwh4P1wFkNJ1gbBfrCGqpZLivB83idhS0UPGaAKPugN34D0YK1f_t9hqtutIDFjORyFJh7OrftGwpDiQ8C5jD4o4qLYgmF1QdYzYRYDqtB453A1KwpfuRjRvypeoQYAZxvKmPK1UQm/s1000/Thryptomene%20calycina2%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ4cnnYa-RvEqi3OLv-dDruM0f8t98HEgqzOeksd_MnGvqmwwh4P1wFkNJ1gbBfrCGqpZLivB83idhS0UPGaAKPugN34D0YK1f_t9hqtutIDFjORyFJh7OrftGwpDiQ8C5jD4o4qLYgmF1QdYzYRYDqtB453A1KwpfuRjRvypeoQYAZxvKmPK1UQm/w640-h224/Thryptomene%20calycina2%20Mt%20Zero%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grampians Thryptomene <i>T. calycina</i>. This lovely shrub is widespread in the park (but nowhere else) flowering right through winter and spring.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqMzpsmWGjgwkw6YZHSJo6lJSyeyzJXiDX1nq8jQnKkMIIAenZIIY7fKbgiuKThO-SJ1TXi2Jq8XD1_42ksqKYLW_29tVI58MQ6FkRCmIhw0GmyxtDMhXsVUB9pF1EYFM7U1iZZ0nClqn_WeBine80sC0bVHL278Wl9l77_kONqVImn_WiUf2iShC/s800/Grevillea%20dimorpha%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqMzpsmWGjgwkw6YZHSJo6lJSyeyzJXiDX1nq8jQnKkMIIAenZIIY7fKbgiuKThO-SJ1TXi2Jq8XD1_42ksqKYLW_29tVI58MQ6FkRCmIhw0GmyxtDMhXsVUB9pF1EYFM7U1iZZ0nClqn_WeBine80sC0bVHL278Wl9l77_kONqVImn_WiUf2iShC/w300-h400/Grevillea%20dimorpha%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flame Grevillea <i>G. dimorpha</i> is widespread, but not abundant, but can't be missed when in flower,<br />which also happens from late autumn to spring. I have read that it also occurs in the Pyrenees (!) <br />near Ararat to the east, but the Flora of Victoria <a href="https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/0fd5c804-a455-49c4-a396-9cac1bf261b3">confirms that it's restricted to Gariwerd</a>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DTJnsk4WSgAXQdCaL6nITzR8AzdrzBczUg4UZSi_U7TxFTgc4jvI6q5uFVoYsI_7AwTeNIZ1fEzb--J3ciL83i-rsEzwtQcJ00qNbpJYYPR9-P8wu5aT_iGJPTyQndejtWbKpe1atPObK-QGoiMcXFJn7PH5XTt18TyV7XEhoBURxZoliFxA6Pjf/s800/Dillwynia%20oreodoxa%20E%20%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DTJnsk4WSgAXQdCaL6nITzR8AzdrzBczUg4UZSi_U7TxFTgc4jvI6q5uFVoYsI_7AwTeNIZ1fEzb--J3ciL83i-rsEzwtQcJ00qNbpJYYPR9-P8wu5aT_iGJPTyQndejtWbKpe1atPObK-QGoiMcXFJn7PH5XTt18TyV7XEhoBURxZoliFxA6Pjf/w400-h300/Dillwynia%20oreodoxa%20E%20%20Heatherlie%20Quarry%20Gariwerd%201022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grampians Parrot-Pea <i>Dillwynia oreodoxa</i> is a Gariwerd endemic of rocky areas.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbcjidlLvJJp3waU1XgM21M9Z8y-SDCcz11G5K8NoEU0AkHQ1UIlCQ3Ckqf0g2Oji6mXpnleOJD3dfmWbYkduvgwmvKgi4vRYT0BsUaPoUYwcvix47mAoRb2oIhGviiVqRGW5Eva11CGXJGRaUMY0Ivz5HUW7ZBZBKcKFGoXZqT2HSthaVe98y7mM/s800/Banksia%20saxicola1%20Mt%20William%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbcjidlLvJJp3waU1XgM21M9Z8y-SDCcz11G5K8NoEU0AkHQ1UIlCQ3Ckqf0g2Oji6mXpnleOJD3dfmWbYkduvgwmvKgi4vRYT0BsUaPoUYwcvix47mAoRb2oIhGviiVqRGW5Eva11CGXJGRaUMY0Ivz5HUW7ZBZBKcKFGoXZqT2HSthaVe98y7mM/w400-h300/Banksia%20saxicola1%20Mt%20William%20Gariwerd%20Vic%200919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Banksia <i>B. saxicola, </i>here on Mount William on a misty day, is otherwise <br />found only at Wilsons Promontery on the coast on the other side of Melbourne.<br />It is not common, found only in some mountainside sites.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">If you're into wildflowers, come back in a fortnight - they're too good to have to wait three weeks for - when I'll present a range of lovely Gariwerd flora. If this post hasn't persuaded you to go there (or go back there) sometime soon, I'm hoping that the flowers can clinch it! Meantime, stay dry if you can, and enjoy the final weeks of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">
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spring, and an old (in my case) man's fancy turns to thoughts of
orchids. That's a vast topic; there are some 1700 orchid species in
Australia alone, and orchids comprise some 8% (one in twelve) of the
world's flowering plant species. Accordingly I'm going to limit myself
today to just one group, less colourful than some orchids but
nonetheless attractive, and indeed fascinating, to many of us. Within
the wider orchid family they seem to be an old group with no close
relations; indeed they are so
specialised that they are not always immediately recognised as orchids.
There are some 400 species of greenhoods, most of them Australian and
the rest nearby, in New Guinea, New Zealand and New Caledonia. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYvmae445odVxU8D0hriGDZaRt2vMMZw8gG2DwYvrz2a-afVT3wumUZ_lEmcU-p7vx8JVAhrdMhKjwtX0nBFT14Ud7X7BlECVpoXnXMK8vlwGlh38FneLApskMy7tIWqZy8S33AsTcQO1YgqluuWCbB2W2B5Vq4eAge-EGaITSglRAEogsMem9YQJ/s800/Diplodium%20decurvum%20Moonlight%20Hollow%20Rd%200109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYvmae445odVxU8D0hriGDZaRt2vMMZw8gG2DwYvrz2a-afVT3wumUZ_lEmcU-p7vx8JVAhrdMhKjwtX0nBFT14Ud7X7BlECVpoXnXMK8vlwGlh38FneLApskMy7tIWqZy8S33AsTcQO1YgqluuWCbB2W2B5Vq4eAge-EGaITSglRAEogsMem9YQJ/w300-h400/Diplodium%20decurvum%20Moonlight%20Hollow%20Rd%200109.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Greenhood <i>Diplodium decurvum</i>, Brindabella Ranges, above Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">To
understand this curious flower structure, let me remind you of the
basic orchid form (on which there are a myriad variations) using a
rather more typical orchid flower. (You can skip this if you like,
though that might make it harder to understand some of what follows -
don't miss the pictures though!) <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMgNnpbQlEz7frKmM4_PC6jKPcugI5z3UqHeZ7FPqDndYG4TuntG275o2AubIhVP6e9YXd4HTp4VhUNlzdPXhYCtMawDMmPFTtSJ5sxV2JtnmfdZOZBZ4rOZ3tle7_xs53U4ootnHopnqcKbpJnaHzRF1xowLRSrxax2E7kle3A841e51Ck8HtRXA/s822/orchid%20flower%20parts%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMgNnpbQlEz7frKmM4_PC6jKPcugI5z3UqHeZ7FPqDndYG4TuntG275o2AubIhVP6e9YXd4HTp4VhUNlzdPXhYCtMawDMmPFTtSJ5sxV2JtnmfdZOZBZ4rOZ3tle7_xs53U4ootnHopnqcKbpJnaHzRF1xowLRSrxax2E7kle3A841e51Ck8HtRXA/w315-h400/orchid%20flower%20parts%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Donkey Orchid <i>Diuris punctata</i>, Tallong, New South Wales.<br />Unlike
most flowers, orchids (and lilies) have sepals - the outer ring
of flower parts - which are as large and colourful as the petals. There
is one dorsal sepal at the top of the flower, and two lateral sepals
lower down. There are two dorsal petals, with the third
petal forming an insect landing platform called the labellum (lip). (In
this photo the dorsal sepal looks to be in front of the petals, but if
you look at the top flower - you might have to magnify it by clicking on
it - you'll see that it really does rise from behind them.) And
that'll do for now!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The
greenhood in the previous photo looks entirely different, but the basic
structure of the flower is exactly the same. However in greenhoods the
two dorsal petals and the dorsal sepal strongly overlap to form the
hood, or galea; it may look as though it's a single fused structure, but
it's not. The inconspicuous labellum of the Summer Greenhood can just
be seen protruding under the hood. The two lateral sepals, which droop
down in the donkey orchid, stand stiffly up in this greenhood, though
this is isn't true of all greenhood species. However the important
difference is that they're conspicuously fused at the base, while those
of most other orchids are free of each other. Again, that'll do for now!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As
I mentioned some greenhoods have the lateral sepals hanging down like
the donkey orchid above, and many other orchids. Here's an example.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglppRUo2P1oEAbwQgy-YRJASWqpJsaFsDZoQn0CKtoSr9ucR-dd4ctQWhY4M1Buo8pqTDwBpBSNnGja7vz8KNZbtW14QOFdzhZ2Bd7gko_vj5X58cO96NoGHTpGegC5SLx_GSKBDdkHyxDqJgIwenRxBvqLQwiz6k26gcxKqFw4tY3LnLFYErHO6Ro/s800/Bunochilus%20longifolius%20Calalla%200712.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglppRUo2P1oEAbwQgy-YRJASWqpJsaFsDZoQn0CKtoSr9ucR-dd4ctQWhY4M1Buo8pqTDwBpBSNnGja7vz8KNZbtW14QOFdzhZ2Bd7gko_vj5X58cO96NoGHTpGegC5SLx_GSKBDdkHyxDqJgIwenRxBvqLQwiz6k26gcxKqFw4tY3LnLFYErHO6Ro/w300-h400/Bunochilus%20longifolius%20Calalla%200712.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tall Greenhood <i>Bunochilus longifolius, </i>Callala, south coast New South Wales.<br />The conspicuous labellum is very clear here, which brings us to greenhood pollination. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">No
greenhood provides a nectar reward to hard-working pollinating insects;
all of them attract small male flies, mostly fungus gnats (like small
non-biting mosquitoes),
with a pseudo-pheromone, a chemical that mimics the 'come hither' scent
of an interested female gnat. The labellum, which may be out in the
open like this Tall Greenhood, or mostly hidden in the flower so it is
just visible, like the Summer Greenhood earlier. When the amorously
hopeful
insect contacts the hinged labellum it snaps back, pinning the insect
against the column, which contains both pollen and style. In its
struggle to escape the unfortunate gnat either collects the sticky
pollen, or delivers a
bundle it's already carrying. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FB0j19FoP5u5DfF61BqeYxtxhSdeb8dajKKZUptdrfk_LE4NCBEutsd-3WeWctxA9g6U294UzQ4je8ngOo96G36arrVGeJeJOoBP1JCzejPLLWtApXdccpQVEJj6j8hGFQiof1hAqETObKRylNV-dyL_2GypytfaNydCVc0PEE6j_MqP8gXw65wp/s800/Pterostylis%20hildae3%20Katoomba%20Blue%20Mtns%200922.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FB0j19FoP5u5DfF61BqeYxtxhSdeb8dajKKZUptdrfk_LE4NCBEutsd-3WeWctxA9g6U294UzQ4je8ngOo96G36arrVGeJeJOoBP1JCzejPLLWtApXdccpQVEJj6j8hGFQiof1hAqETObKRylNV-dyL_2GypytfaNydCVc0PEE6j_MqP8gXw65wp/w400-h300/Pterostylis%20hildae3%20Katoomba%20Blue%20Mtns%200922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainforest Greenhood <i>Pterostylis hildae, </i>Katoomba, Blue Mountains, NSW.<br />Here the flower has been recently 'triggered', so the labellum is tucked away<br />out of sight inside. It may take 30 minutes for the labellum to reset, and <br />another 30 to become sensitive again; in part this is likely to be to allow<br />the last pollinating gnat to get well away so it doesn't return the pollen to its source. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The
ovary is below the flower. After pollination the flower begins to
shrivel and the ovary to swell; within it the tiny wind-borne dust-like
seeds develop - this is characteristic of all orchids.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCqxlHcboDjMD3RHTrI2x68BS7oVHfAfHjAyPq2ImGZVzIWQrD4Zj4sQY3KIG3gT0wP318a-QAVUXS4k1Z4GGbVoVMxUEhjUd4fCUYA12lxhvvjz3hbizOt-Cpa0g5CvA8ShCM7eiwYvRiah1wSw99o9rUBIAd0bbTsEYxGr-AGRySi1eBLK69ewA/w300-h400/Pterostylis%20nutans%20fertilised%20Bl%20Mtn%20Forest%20Loop%201020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nodding Greenhood <i>Pterostylis nutans, </i>Black Mountain, Canberra;<br />the flower is losing its colour and the ovary is starting to swell.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfQnOfiNGLPUao0zdper_o3GEJZlVUy3HZOc-fN9cUjIOCjDq9OOJzIklK1h9Z_wlAhq4D803HQhEyLWKgZAfMMdHHy6xltBxSJDtBpAlX26-N0Gu3yonDWWRwA-m5wxHPZWy2ToqYFfrZSRjf6dfN8XH-QV5_XiRCczj96hsx3tD4NwzqZ-iB-sa/s800/Pterostylis%20nutans%20fertilised%20ovum%20Bl%20Mtn%201008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfQnOfiNGLPUao0zdper_o3GEJZlVUy3HZOc-fN9cUjIOCjDq9OOJzIklK1h9Z_wlAhq4D803HQhEyLWKgZAfMMdHHy6xltBxSJDtBpAlX26-N0Gu3yonDWWRwA-m5wxHPZWy2ToqYFfrZSRjf6dfN8XH-QV5_XiRCczj96hsx3tD4NwzqZ-iB-sa/w300-h400/Pterostylis%20nutans%20fertilised%20ovum%20Bl%20Mtn%201008.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The process almost completed. Later in the blog is a photo of a healthy unfertilised flower.</td></tr></tbody></table> If
you're at all familiar with the Australian orchid scene you won't be
surprised to read that there is controversy over greenhood taxonomy.
Until recently they were lumped into just one unwieldy big genus, <i>Pterostylis</i>,
which contained obvious groups of species, each quite different from
the others. Then in 2003 two highly respected Canberra-based orchid
experts, David Jones and Mark Clerments, divided the genus into 16
genera, based on biochemical work. (The main reference is Jones, D.L.
and M.A.Clements (2003b). A New Classification of Pterostylis R.Br.
(Orchidaceae). <b>Austral. Orch. Res</b>. 4: 64-124 but it doesn't seem to be readily available on line.) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">No-one
seemed to disagree that these were valid sub-groupings but the main
botanical 'establishment' preferred to leave things as they were and
just regard them as sub-genera. Subsequent further work using new tools
by Clements combined some of those genera again, leaving eleven
greenhood genera. Now things have settled down somewhat there seems to
be a fairly healthy 'live and let live' approach taken. Take for
instance two recent field guides relevant to my part of the world. The <i>Field Guide to the Orchids of the Southern Tablelands of NSW including the ACT </i>(Jean Egan et al, 2020) uses the 'new' genera. The <i>Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT </i>(Copeland and Backhouse 2022) calls them all <i>Pterostylis </i>but finishes each entry with 'also called .....', acknowledging that those genus names are also in wide usage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Without
claiming any expertise it seems to me that the more nuanced approach of
Jones and Clements is more informative in recognising clearly separate
greenhood groups. Jones' vast (800 pages) and hugely influential recent
work, his 2021 full revision of <i>Complete Guide to </i><i><i>Native Orchids of Australia</i>, </i>obviously
uses his own names. For these reasons I have chosen to also use them
here; just bear in mind that some books will call them all <i>Pterostylis.</i></div></div><div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">And
with that I'll just get on with introducing you to representatives of
nine of those eleven genera, and hoping you enjoy meeting them as much
as I do. (The other two contain just one species each, but I've not yet
had the pleasure of meeting them.) As mentioned earlier, two basic
groups of greenhoods are recognised. The larger group in terms of
species, though only containing three genera, is
characterised by having upswept lateral sepals like the summer greenhood
above. Here are some more of this grouping, starting with a few from
the big genus <i>Diplodium</i>, containing some 80 species, all but four of them being from Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHFpi06JH11gt6cAY0bkuMucKMdVSlEFcSLY6wJyUDfJD0fb-rWgzr_Jti7r8SgHazVBTyrqv4Ev71wlCg_7ppzRiV98MulNBva68xA_PaKlsTzGfJxCJtO2C2yARygP0QJ2vz0X5-cdHH3WoLBOaaaXIFzMbRU_jUcJaKfQjxzozk0vI83TZX8oz/s800/Diplodium%20coccinum%20side2%20nr%20Monga%200313.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHFpi06JH11gt6cAY0bkuMucKMdVSlEFcSLY6wJyUDfJD0fb-rWgzr_Jti7r8SgHazVBTyrqv4Ev71wlCg_7ppzRiV98MulNBva68xA_PaKlsTzGfJxCJtO2C2yARygP0QJ2vz0X5-cdHH3WoLBOaaaXIFzMbRU_jUcJaKfQjxzozk0vI83TZX8oz/w300-h400/Diplodium%20coccinum%20side2%20nr%20Monga%200313.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet Greenhood <i>Diplodium coccinum</i>, near Monga, inland south-east NSW.<br />This is an unusually colourful greenhood, a truly beautiful one that I've not often seen.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWLsZptK5YZLfvlB73weOUEvTyMpPTa1-45x9938cAPEJcTgRQPxzThnwsIrN023hZTTf9__k6lbzE0hZiYPstbxafcsagGM0h0hDvf62IMT-9pRtXHBc1-1hvIP_eNVAgjlSqsD6ubS2xqgPY0hueiKRM49IYqAgNx7w8shxgcIg9iRYGJm1a-7M/s800/Diplodium%20reflexum1%20BM%200312.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWLsZptK5YZLfvlB73weOUEvTyMpPTa1-45x9938cAPEJcTgRQPxzThnwsIrN023hZTTf9__k6lbzE0hZiYPstbxafcsagGM0h0hDvf62IMT-9pRtXHBc1-1hvIP_eNVAgjlSqsD6ubS2xqgPY0hueiKRM49IYqAgNx7w8shxgcIg9iRYGJm1a-7M/w300-h400/Diplodium%20reflexum1%20BM%200312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Autumn Greenhood <i>D. reflexum, </i>Black Mountain, Canberra.<br />Quite a few greenhoods, in this part of the world at least, flower in autumn.<br />(And Black Mountain, in the heart of the national capital, is an orchid nirvana,<br />with 51 species recorded there!)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhE66NVYnngfT2mysmBKxO7630ywoVn0VQKIc150cOX_47dG6kuPjw6yh_CVduPF2se6ohbAYJsOkI7FF6WWHSeaikJnYsQJmPV-xV1XF4ybpGq0HMd4AirThBvqWYEu5PUuZqdeMCaHEySZYOgUl7RtIycUzG3sFSQ7XfmtB-CX6P3-rWN5g877s/s800/Diplodium%20reflexum%20colony%20BM%200312.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhE66NVYnngfT2mysmBKxO7630ywoVn0VQKIc150cOX_47dG6kuPjw6yh_CVduPF2se6ohbAYJsOkI7FF6WWHSeaikJnYsQJmPV-xV1XF4ybpGq0HMd4AirThBvqWYEu5PUuZqdeMCaHEySZYOgUl7RtIycUzG3sFSQ7XfmtB-CX6P3-rWN5g877s/w400-h300/Diplodium%20reflexum%20colony%20BM%200312.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Autumn Greenhoods often grow in large colonies;<br />this is also on Black Mountain.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-os6jqZUsKnN2vLrIzc1fsj5HqEBJsjhNCHJ1cT_ognW8C2-aq_M1NQx9PNDkJmdELNX5xA5Uo-e9JYGhU1AuZTAN-7IIgzjMlA2w4QpQkw6gV3rHZIbP5buWl8Iv2AbAV0GUPAuBDiPdql5vZleIBNqUEDhkx0odjtFlc8cI_y8OMNbGgkBdTZFe/s800/Diplodium%20revolutum2%20Chiltern%20NP%200412.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-os6jqZUsKnN2vLrIzc1fsj5HqEBJsjhNCHJ1cT_ognW8C2-aq_M1NQx9PNDkJmdELNX5xA5Uo-e9JYGhU1AuZTAN-7IIgzjMlA2w4QpQkw6gV3rHZIbP5buWl8Iv2AbAV0GUPAuBDiPdql5vZleIBNqUEDhkx0odjtFlc8cI_y8OMNbGgkBdTZFe/w300-h400/Diplodium%20revolutum2%20Chiltern%20NP%200412.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Autumn Greenhood <i>D. ampliatum</i>, Chiltern Forest, central Victoria.<br />(This was until recently called <i>D. revolutum, </i>but inland plants are now<br />recognised as a separate species.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hi9g8KnxOUSqvUyAMqJp4_UCDvaDhMlwgHIUe3ODblWkFoZab9X1O3bUfgO3wqlbfMD6z7kIbe37t8DoyVGfnZt-ajPr6tjqqcl5dzPTi6k8ymDDrJuVtI1750nn4eqSIJszDJj6XJdyXWUfWUOveQpZ7Amot67WU0jUbntgPCK1sBkvHDRUWK4-/s800/Diplodium%20truncatum2%20Bl%20Mtn%200312%20horizontal.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hi9g8KnxOUSqvUyAMqJp4_UCDvaDhMlwgHIUe3ODblWkFoZab9X1O3bUfgO3wqlbfMD6z7kIbe37t8DoyVGfnZt-ajPr6tjqqcl5dzPTi6k8ymDDrJuVtI1750nn4eqSIJszDJj6XJdyXWUfWUOveQpZ7Amot67WU0jUbntgPCK1sBkvHDRUWK4-/w400-h300/Diplodium%20truncatum2%20Bl%20Mtn%200312%20horizontal.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Dumpies (or more formally Brittle Greenhood, though I don't know why)<br /><i>D. truncatum</i>, Black Mountain<i>. </i>I love the spontaneously arising folk names though.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghvr1NaVUGUqo0wlAuQp5zPthqWDHtreiTZaWX0eWbqEvlH0qdx7FI8odJwHTqbCt7LmNdoHPXf1vLsxru3rokOJ6kMGJmlJsIf3EIS7m_3HI1BpL8Qck1nP5edlOgew0Lodb2bi41d0/s1600/Linguella+(Pterostylis)+sp+Alligator+Gorge+0807.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghvr1NaVUGUqo0wlAuQp5zPthqWDHtreiTZaWX0eWbqEvlH0qdx7FI8odJwHTqbCt7LmNdoHPXf1vLsxru3rokOJ6kMGJmlJsIf3EIS7m_3HI1BpL8Qck1nP5edlOgew0Lodb2bi41d0/s400/Linguella+(Pterostylis)+sp+Alligator+Gorge+0807.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hairy-stemmed Snail Orchid <i>D. setulosum</i>, southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.<br />
There are over 30 species of the little snail orchids, mostly in Western Australia; until recently<br />they were given their own genus (<i>Linguella</i>) but Clements and Jones, after further work,<br />moved them into <i>Diplodium</i>.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwubUVugoLxfnmx52kh_lX36OrrGF0A1ubC0oVMopHLh-GPc35DVgFuVpNP_h2v36Db9UiWajQtg_9gkeF9nEBSVGMQ8oVRzN3RKAGF8uRSmUfp58DThGJfJAW4HBN8cvoLKYd3SnONP0/s1600/Taurantha+concinna2+Callala+0712.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwubUVugoLxfnmx52kh_lX36OrrGF0A1ubC0oVMopHLh-GPc35DVgFuVpNP_h2v36Db9UiWajQtg_9gkeF9nEBSVGMQ8oVRzN3RKAGF8uRSmUfp58DThGJfJAW4HBN8cvoLKYd3SnONP0/s400/Taurantha+concinna2+Callala+0712.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim Greenhood <i>D. concinnum, </i>Callala, south coast New South Wales.<br />
Again the labellum is obvious, protruding through the join of the two lateral sepals; <br />
this angle is the sinus, and is used for identification of greenhoods. This species too<br />was once assigned to a separate species (<i>Taurantha</i>) which has since been withdrawn.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>About 26 species remained in the old genus <i>Pterostylis</i>,
along with some still to be named, and some 15 in other parts of
Australasia. They include two of the commonest greenhoods in this part
of the world and throughout much of eastern Australia. Both can form
very big colonies.<br /></div></div><div> <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC7c7yW_HKoUReNM3Cwc4dM0KLBbZbFP79Rm7TPSXQDwVq5c9ASE89X1tuMEUMDa2EIGo1qy0LA3K0qf6DHg1V3IA0aFr6oi8kVebrJb1nW5VBabfJhmGmP49Ya8QWsQXnni0grW0qvM/s1600/Pterostylis+nutans1+Micalong+Falls+0907.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC7c7yW_HKoUReNM3Cwc4dM0KLBbZbFP79Rm7TPSXQDwVq5c9ASE89X1tuMEUMDa2EIGo1qy0LA3K0qf6DHg1V3IA0aFr6oi8kVebrJb1nW5VBabfJhmGmP49Ya8QWsQXnni0grW0qvM/s400/Pterostylis+nutans1+Micalong+Falls+0907.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nodding Greenhood <i>Pterostylis nutans</i>, Micalong Falls, New South Wales.<br />Not dozing, they always look like this!</td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayXVqBAn3C3MjgwEUZH1VtcVZErEz1r8EU3F8YjNNK9vUn5wciLUDWyjJoVffuiZ18bjlA_fTQbiB9kQY9wQXrx5XdRhn2eW7hqSuomXB_trr9SKvolzl9zhclYLw7a0q2GiRMAwXc-dxhnXZ3Bic6cJBHc9eURqpZUeDOtwiZleaZhS4PCtKWZ7j/s800/Pterostylis%20pedunculata1%20Woods%20Reserve%201020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayXVqBAn3C3MjgwEUZH1VtcVZErEz1r8EU3F8YjNNK9vUn5wciLUDWyjJoVffuiZ18bjlA_fTQbiB9kQY9wQXrx5XdRhn2eW7hqSuomXB_trr9SKvolzl9zhclYLw7a0q2GiRMAwXc-dxhnXZ3Bic6cJBHc9eURqpZUeDOtwiZleaZhS4PCtKWZ7j/w300-h400/Pterostylis%20pedunculata1%20Woods%20Reserve%201020.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroonhood <i>P. pedunculata, </i>Woods Reserve, ACT.<br />This little one in particular can occur in hundreds.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The third genus in this group comprises very small-flowered orchids, often referred to as tiny orchids. There are 23 species of <i>Speculantha, </i>all
confined to eastern Australia. They are distinctively dumpy little
characters with short 'horns' ie lateral sepals and often a rusty tinge.
Here are a couple of them. <br /></div></div><div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3EDJsbsCtrkbYbsw52NH6MH7cbipbZ9hAljgEtAmtwM1UBpOBan60sZBkhVzwaaU63nSPgHASB57Y78akGcE9Co0y5NG5OPWA9M9noomSJ66kE2WvBd3bOEXfrXNV6fSYvkF53Z6hDAyvZpnJs3H_9NBbRxQ4GB2Ctdag6yeojFeFKIMKJgw1YrI/s800/Speculantha%20rubescens2%20BM%200312.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3EDJsbsCtrkbYbsw52NH6MH7cbipbZ9hAljgEtAmtwM1UBpOBan60sZBkhVzwaaU63nSPgHASB57Y78akGcE9Co0y5NG5OPWA9M9noomSJ66kE2WvBd3bOEXfrXNV6fSYvkF53Z6hDAyvZpnJs3H_9NBbRxQ4GB2Ctdag6yeojFeFKIMKJgw1YrI/w300-h400/Speculantha%20rubescens2%20BM%200312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-tipped or Blushing Tiny Greenhood, <i>S. rubescens, </i>Black Mountain, Canberra.<br />This one is widespread across the southern inland slopes and plains of NSW, <br />whereas most tiny greenhoods are coastal.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1KBHoGALUBQhR8mIFFMgONzQ27XtQWuf2qUqgYVVHVjvO8y7fppyJoOJCs2ILsz1FpYIM7GgN_xVIO8BzdeehdIG2gKi7yEyjlpbzKv13nG70FCf0mtvFAL-jz5QkBxDcBaRk96JpiGKi1rCm3jY2bKe0jd48oieFjIGN4XRSnizoQfuvCCF4Vts/s800/Speculantha%20furva%20Mongarlowe%20Cemetery%200215.%20Mongarlowe%20Cemetery%200215.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1KBHoGALUBQhR8mIFFMgONzQ27XtQWuf2qUqgYVVHVjvO8y7fppyJoOJCs2ILsz1FpYIM7GgN_xVIO8BzdeehdIG2gKi7yEyjlpbzKv13nG70FCf0mtvFAL-jz5QkBxDcBaRk96JpiGKi1rCm3jY2bKe0jd48oieFjIGN4XRSnizoQfuvCCF4Vts/w300-h400/Speculantha%20furva%20Mongarlowe%20Cemetery%200215.%20Mongarlowe%20Cemetery%200215.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squat or Swarthy Tiny Greenhood <i>S. furva, </i>Mongarlowe, south-eastern NSW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">
As illustrated earlier, in the other greenhood sub-group the lateral sepals point downwards (ie they are
<i> deflexed</i> if you're feeling erudite. There are eight genera of
these, and I'm happy to be able to offer you examples of six of them. In
addition there are two genera each with just one species - Daintree's
Greenhood <i>Pharochilus daintreanum </i>from southern Queensland and northern NSW, and the Frog Greenhood <i>Ranorchis sargentii </i>from the south-west of the continent. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The leafy greenhoods, genus <i>Bunochilus,</i>
are good examples of this group. There are 15 recognised species down
the east coast of Australia, including the Tall Leafy Greenhood above
and these two.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuM-x_KjLyJGlWa2wRmD_6KZU3ik4DyMxfArvnfvIwJWVg4IBXKetvNvYgHHLkVzX9_tfU1Z5h7JnPMWvTBDJ5F7vQiJvrYqx7GgJO43OwczCWiWnWwdY8UYZxkE7c8ExR_Va3sK2bYCT15QPYxtfBPZNEK0sKHXFDdOqSTVrQpaJbXz7bvN1SQS4/s800/Bunochilus%20montanus1%20TNR%20Lyrebird%20Track%201020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuM-x_KjLyJGlWa2wRmD_6KZU3ik4DyMxfArvnfvIwJWVg4IBXKetvNvYgHHLkVzX9_tfU1Z5h7JnPMWvTBDJ5F7vQiJvrYqx7GgJO43OwczCWiWnWwdY8UYZxkE7c8ExR_Va3sK2bYCT15QPYxtfBPZNEK0sKHXFDdOqSTVrQpaJbXz7bvN1SQS4/w301-h400/Bunochilus%20montanus1%20TNR%20Lyrebird%20Track%201020.JPG" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown-lipped, or Broad-sepaled, Leafy Greenhood <i>B. umbrinus</i>, <br />Tidbinbilla NR, ACT lower mountains; it is limited to the<br />NSW southern tablelands. In this plant the labellum has been triggered<br />so is pressed back into the flower; behind it the fungus gnat<br />is struggling to get out, carrying its pollen load. Otherwise the labellum<br />looks like that of the Tall Leafy Greenhood near the start of this blog post.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02gZ8A_WpcWlK7gcLdqfdM9kfl4a2FyA2d8uUX1JnYTyfLXoKIevnSqxPzjdyJ6KG1OxR5VZUO4mUGAwW4z5NAwqD04AiO28M6s0tmqVuN-t9--TlCtIZgt7Jj8FQRMRNtlEtstItWTaUMXl527wPPV-ediE2NHYUeAuWAY32FeI8B9ui_QLWamE6/s800/Bunochilus%20umbratus%20Black%20Mtn%201021.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02gZ8A_WpcWlK7gcLdqfdM9kfl4a2FyA2d8uUX1JnYTyfLXoKIevnSqxPzjdyJ6KG1OxR5VZUO4mUGAwW4z5NAwqD04AiO28M6s0tmqVuN-t9--TlCtIZgt7Jj8FQRMRNtlEtstItWTaUMXl527wPPV-ediE2NHYUeAuWAY32FeI8B9ui_QLWamE6/w300-h400/Bunochilus%20umbratus%20Black%20Mtn%201021.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montane Leafy Greenhood <i>B. montanus, </i>Black Mountain, Canberra. <br />Sorry about the poor lighting. This was described by David Jones in 2006, <br />but one recent publication prefers <i>B. jonesii, </i>doubtless a tribute to David Jones.<br />However that was published in 2007, so I can't shed any light on that story.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Hymenochilus</i>
is a genus of 24 very small-flowered greenhoods (called midget
greenhoods, appropriately). Two of them are from New Zealand, the rest
are Australian. Any they really <i>are </i>tiny - you can't properly see them unless you get right down to their level.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1Y_LCpNkWk9ulkK8e5N2QpEih3GpFm69NVtyHoG-NHlH9sYQ8dVnxq1cV6u7i31dTCCRvZELIJOIOU09cztBfDhZMMUa5MMlLpQMJpkO7t-3Fqp0OGj1sOOF6WSJXXwrZOgv2N5Sl7ppFu7V_K006hpc6BK_CldKQuFrqQKECP4s9H6JapiaQY2f/s800/Pterostylis%20(Hymenochilus)%20bicolor%20Bt%20Mtn%200920.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1Y_LCpNkWk9ulkK8e5N2QpEih3GpFm69NVtyHoG-NHlH9sYQ8dVnxq1cV6u7i31dTCCRvZELIJOIOU09cztBfDhZMMUa5MMlLpQMJpkO7t-3Fqp0OGj1sOOF6WSJXXwrZOgv2N5Sl7ppFu7V_K006hpc6BK_CldKQuFrqQKECP4s9H6JapiaQY2f/w300-h400/Pterostylis%20(Hymenochilus)%20bicolor%20Bt%20Mtn%200920.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-tipped Greenhood <i>H. bicolor, </i>Black Mountain, Canberra. <br />The distinctive black appendage at the base of the labellum is only seen <br />when the labellum has not been triggered. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSZQNl7mP21xC6f_HeqhbsyEyYxHc1A3PUwiYOL3S3HpRXrB_sDy9ol5PLAbHP0rGZei2oEilYqn6cV_l0hzme2MNbHHZ2nJLZQWcM_LaoYVQZ-VgEWS-4rW3AWf5DNaFivTAvbtOoWc6UYSyhMAypEbguE0nmMfsV4xNH893eXyQpvwfsvYF24u1/s800/Hymenochilus%20crassicaulis1%20NNP%201215.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSZQNl7mP21xC6f_HeqhbsyEyYxHc1A3PUwiYOL3S3HpRXrB_sDy9ol5PLAbHP0rGZei2oEilYqn6cV_l0hzme2MNbHHZ2nJLZQWcM_LaoYVQZ-VgEWS-4rW3AWf5DNaFivTAvbtOoWc6UYSyhMAypEbguE0nmMfsV4xNH893eXyQpvwfsvYF24u1/w300-h400/Hymenochilus%20crassicaulis1%20NNP%201215.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine Swan Greenhood <i>H. crassicaulis, </i>high Brindabellas, Namadgi NP, ACT.<br />Named by Jones in 2008, it grows in high grassy areas of the Brindabellas and the<br />Snowy Mountains. This stem is coming to the end of its flowering,<br />with only the top flowers still fresh.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8fTHzeRycYNXCGCHhPzzKjYuDOx45HziXtSVJ6F3QH2nZIZwqwTHoCMnDpb2mqC1NV5dMg7dOqhId_fFhSLTWuETnc9dWd0A0bu9MxwaC2tB1GhwwdBrBpoE669nwIhVrh0xBO3owz0wYHmO7bJtWudKNvYNbY4hToCJ8or3SZk2PZG155WeHvS6/s800/Hymenochilus%20muticus%20Nangar%20NP%201008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8fTHzeRycYNXCGCHhPzzKjYuDOx45HziXtSVJ6F3QH2nZIZwqwTHoCMnDpb2mqC1NV5dMg7dOqhId_fFhSLTWuETnc9dWd0A0bu9MxwaC2tB1GhwwdBrBpoE669nwIhVrh0xBO3owz0wYHmO7bJtWudKNvYNbY4hToCJ8or3SZk2PZG155WeHvS6/w300-h400/Hymenochilus%20muticus%20Nangar%20NP%201008.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midget Greenhoods <i>H. muticus, </i>Nangar NP, central western slopes, NSW.<br />This is mostly an inland species, found from Queensland to Victoria.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rustyhoods, <i>Oligochaetochilus, </i>include
some of the most striking greenhoods to my eye. There are some 80
species of them, up to 15 of which are still awaiting description. Many
are reddish, as the group name reflects, many have long pointed lateral
sepals, and many have hairs around the fringe of the labellum. Many also
grow much further inland, and in drier areas, than most orchids. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy0Uo4FcYalVegUTsckdSlVLEI1y5wISm2bQduRk7LOp-bCLmvmCgW9K6AaDBwQR51V462wsdEIJTNVzH7Pb32MJoEpWwEbRQgVkiLuYgSQeNhqppdbEfHRb5rMfoU9ST56aTFZWTvNI/s1600/Oligochaetochilus+boormanii+Weddin+Mtns+NP+1008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy0Uo4FcYalVegUTsckdSlVLEI1y5wISm2bQduRk7LOp-bCLmvmCgW9K6AaDBwQR51V462wsdEIJTNVzH7Pb32MJoEpWwEbRQgVkiLuYgSQeNhqppdbEfHRb5rMfoU9ST56aTFZWTvNI/s400/Oligochaetochilus+boormanii+Weddin+Mtns+NP+1008.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boorman's Rustyhood or Baggy Britches (!) or even Sikh's Whiskers, though that is <br />understandably falling from favour these days, <i>Oligochaetochilus boormanii</i>, <br />Weddin Mtns NP, south-western slopes New South Wales.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8tka7F7Szhqfu8X5FktESACyQ8DBcMhZvMdIC93cDjKkfbBEnZSlmMr_KzzQAyB5c_jjngczXN-3kSMyZ8FJ_pW0Fa4VWJ8aaFTw2FPkXmHnCY2OPFyGiCxmt-1GPr_RwR7uEy13JZjdjcrDdDhVaVmv0elYD7l7htLsHv1BVR0NGBmhJx53U29e/s800/Oligochaetochilus%20aciculiformis%20Mt%20Tennent%20quarry%201020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="800" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8tka7F7Szhqfu8X5FktESACyQ8DBcMhZvMdIC93cDjKkfbBEnZSlmMr_KzzQAyB5c_jjngczXN-3kSMyZ8FJ_pW0Fa4VWJ8aaFTw2FPkXmHnCY2OPFyGiCxmt-1GPr_RwR7uEy13JZjdjcrDdDhVaVmv0elYD7l7htLsHv1BVR0NGBmhJx53U29e/w400-h301/Oligochaetochilus%20aciculiformis%20Mt%20Tennent%20quarry%201020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slender Rustyhood <i>O. aciculiformis,</i> Mount Tennent, south of Canberra. <br />This species and the next were flowering together in a very nice site in dry<br />casuarina woodland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEswIkl-WcTQD4p45GZMdamHZmB8Ydzv2Cg-OrMwhCbKLdDX72MRlwTWz3AFU94uZ6JpyieFvIpdPA3hpP_VnO7bKjIMpsOnSt0l3oTIef8abvD4qzpkwepKkfMAouTRGbux0POyxt193Qu4cSCwXyZe-90VVmXXAtVqwGFPjgFsUzDsDSW9A2iMF/s800/Oligochaetochilus%20hamatus3%20Mt%20Tennent%20quarry%201020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEswIkl-WcTQD4p45GZMdamHZmB8Ydzv2Cg-OrMwhCbKLdDX72MRlwTWz3AFU94uZ6JpyieFvIpdPA3hpP_VnO7bKjIMpsOnSt0l3oTIef8abvD4qzpkwepKkfMAouTRGbux0POyxt193Qu4cSCwXyZe-90VVmXXAtVqwGFPjgFsUzDsDSW9A2iMF/w400-h300/Oligochaetochilus%20hamatus3%20Mt%20Tennent%20quarry%201020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Hooked or Scaly Rustyhood <i>O. hamatus</i> (see previous caption).<br />This is an especially distinctive species with those <i>long</i> curving sepals.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The bearded greenhoods are, if anything, even more striking with their nodding labellum fringed with long thick yellow hairs. <i>Plumatichilos </i>contains
some 25 species, nearly all of which are endemic to Australia and most
to WA. I haven't had much luck with them over there, but here's a nice
one from my home state of South Australia. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UZUTlLhilElcdL1zfqalWVIyhleUfkL4nU5mI9S93gX6FeG3BOmybjQLVmL0oBnVhp7_l_ADXGRRdOPV5JNYwiuXIC2gVlXZHh0TmEs-dcjyuPzWfGNA5uHQ-9oh2uxVZngSqtZqMCz6BCULK6eLUrFSdhw7xT6H1X6dMT5zZNJRqGQyAOZCLRlg/s800/Plumatichilos%20foliaceus%20Alligator%20Gorge%200807%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UZUTlLhilElcdL1zfqalWVIyhleUfkL4nU5mI9S93gX6FeG3BOmybjQLVmL0oBnVhp7_l_ADXGRRdOPV5JNYwiuXIC2gVlXZHh0TmEs-dcjyuPzWfGNA5uHQ-9oh2uxVZngSqtZqMCz6BCULK6eLUrFSdhw7xT6H1X6dMT5zZNJRqGQyAOZCLRlg/w300-h400/Plumatichilos%20foliaceus%20Alligator%20Gorge%200807%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leafy Bearded Greenhood <i>Plumatichilos foliaceus</i>, Alligator Gorge, <br />southern Flinders Ranges. Unfortunately the characteristic dark red knob on the tip<br />of the labellum is largely hidden in front of the shadow.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">There are seven species of the pretty banded greenhoods <i>Urochilus </i>spp., five of them limited to WA. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q5y8NzHHgjPNs0z5FiJQtp5U9Hl298rnHHBylSgkiYzZe_Ybuo7w6VLMq9DTsXgrsq8OFvYxfB7ehFj5ZkEYEdno2K9W2CHk-ZFWz62jNVmwbntdPBHP8jihX5Qxm6gvGt-yVcnfFc5oq2XXNnQtnHaU-Yz2s9ldLb7pHZgQlx16kYqIatxzdp8k/s800/Pterostylis%20vittatus%20Shannon%20NP%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q5y8NzHHgjPNs0z5FiJQtp5U9Hl298rnHHBylSgkiYzZe_Ybuo7w6VLMq9DTsXgrsq8OFvYxfB7ehFj5ZkEYEdno2K9W2CHk-ZFWz62jNVmwbntdPBHP8jihX5Qxm6gvGt-yVcnfFc5oq2XXNnQtnHaU-Yz2s9ldLb7pHZgQlx16kYqIatxzdp8k/w300-h400/Pterostylis%20vittatus%20Shannon%20NP%200913.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banded Greenhood <i>U. vittatus, </i>Shannon NP, south-west WA.<br />This one is fairly common across the sandy south-west.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfC2YQEmO1wTw6CQ-jMjce1XzIFGkCZ_wRMeHFjkaDtjLDB7H9AaEtO-PHIKph8wgSDy3yJkZLDgH2Nrvmn9-iiQE7LsM-i55mQLPlSlVqIarWE1eDkfSg04GvkORUhPbObe-tWyJTCGWIpdy0-8pkYb2_1EDIjyR_RoSEJB0MpLuW7k1VteB_x_/s800/Pterostylis%20sanguinea%20Wireless%20Hill%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfC2YQEmO1wTw6CQ-jMjce1XzIFGkCZ_wRMeHFjkaDtjLDB7H9AaEtO-PHIKph8wgSDy3yJkZLDgH2Nrvmn9-iiQE7LsM-i55mQLPlSlVqIarWE1eDkfSg04GvkORUhPbObe-tWyJTCGWIpdy0-8pkYb2_1EDIjyR_RoSEJB0MpLuW7k1VteB_x_/w400-h300/Pterostylis%20sanguinea%20Wireless%20Hill%200913.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-banded Greenhood<u> </u><i>U. sanguinea </i>Kings Park, Perth<i>. </i>This one has a remarkably wide range across southern Australia from Tasmania to Perth and north to Kalbarri.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My last offering is a pretty weirdly and unmistakably striking single-species genus from WA.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1i4HlfDfAF_h3LXf56yeTxUDrIkqFJGQHpDcO6yoIq_XFoTPITNtJOXa25suHT3HA9xL5SS5XX7NX5wp_Y7YsRxiGP5YCkAO1xOpafiGWvZ3H7_DJG7LUF-eSPT71dlHYDrzgf3KJnM/s1600/Stamnorchis+recurva+Twin+Creek+Reserve+0908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1i4HlfDfAF_h3LXf56yeTxUDrIkqFJGQHpDcO6yoIq_XFoTPITNtJOXa25suHT3HA9xL5SS5XX7NX5wp_Y7YsRxiGP5YCkAO1xOpafiGWvZ3H7_DJG7LUF-eSPT71dlHYDrzgf3KJnM/s400/Stamnorchis+recurva+Twin+Creek+Reserve+0908.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jug Orchid <i>Stamnorchis recurva, </i>Twin Creek NR, Western Australia.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So, the greenhoods, subtle beauties. I hope my
enthusiasm hasn't led to you feeling buried in too much information and
that you've been able to enjoy them as much as I do. Look for them in
damp shady places (especially in the east) and in autumn and even winter
when most other orchids are waiting their turn. You may well end up
entranced.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 27 OCTOBER</b></i><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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A bird's bill (or beak if you'd prefer, there's no difference) is a wonderful structure, and is the sole food-gathering tool for most birds, as well as being fundamental to preening, nest-building, chick-feeding any many courtship activities. It is not too dissimilar to the jaws of other vertebrates in comprising upper and lower jawbones (mandibles) but it is covered in a thin horny or leathery keratin sheath. The top mandible is connected by three bony prongs to the forehead and sides of the skull, so unlike in a mammal's jaw the top mandible is moveable as well as the bottom one, enabling a significant gape. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Let's start with a couple of the biggest bills, and one of my favourite birds (though that tends to depend somewhat on which bird I'm watching at the time). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4bQrnnwSHd1n3aiHMg2KjVVdRrQnZf9uGi55_gwjxQ4j9rs-BTRHLaG2LdqppGFcYDF-yDrWzjrebuQJbipciLHSTT8qJ57tebcnpAz0fuqsbNIf8QHKbvxYwlJlkDF4OUXrZ9qf5NwTMc3K0kiOutsiO4N-KA4t8nv1QOPdUauKyW2SjV3NZ6-B/s800/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird4%20Yanacocha%20Reserve%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4bQrnnwSHd1n3aiHMg2KjVVdRrQnZf9uGi55_gwjxQ4j9rs-BTRHLaG2LdqppGFcYDF-yDrWzjrebuQJbipciLHSTT8qJ57tebcnpAz0fuqsbNIf8QHKbvxYwlJlkDF4OUXrZ9qf5NwTMc3K0kiOutsiO4N-KA4t8nv1QOPdUauKyW2SjV3NZ6-B/w400-h300/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird4%20Yanacocha%20Reserve%20Ecuador%201112.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The claim to fame of the fabulous Sword-billed Hummingbird <i>(<span class="st">Ensifera ensifera) </span></i><span class="st">is that<br />it has the longest bill of any bird relative to its body size. Indeed it is also claimed to<br />be the only bird with a bill longer than its body. Yet another claim is that it always rests<br />with its bill held upwards, because it's too heavy to hold horizontally, but this female<br />didn't seem to realise that. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I first saw the species (this photo commemorates that occasion) <span class="st">in Ecuador, at the
delightful Yanacocha Reserve, 6,700 hectares of cloud forest on the
northern slopes of Pichincha Volcano, across the ridge from Quito. Like
other precious Ecuadorian cloud forest reserves, it is run by the admirable
Jocotoco Foundation. While the Sword-bill feeds on a variety of tubular flowers which don't require the remarkable length of bill, it seems to have co-evolved with passionfruit flowers, and especially the species <i>Passiflora mixta</i>. Both the bird and the flower live in a long strip of high elevation cloud forest (between 2500 and 3400 metres above sea level) along the Andes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAHA9fGtC4C2P12G-03y8jv_b52t14VcJauBkEl99A6C1vuAAnQcndbHpY71N1j9NhndhMrR2ge88g-ZVPywnXQeDtmeQ32LZgpHJ0WgBwEM3hff_hwXKGeNgQoacEJ64EIvu4tRqBGdM8ZdJZimTDb-lFtrQE78jzUSTp9UYlb8ONKDWkVvUbuWA/s800/Passiflora%20San%20Isidro%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAHA9fGtC4C2P12G-03y8jv_b52t14VcJauBkEl99A6C1vuAAnQcndbHpY71N1j9NhndhMrR2ge88g-ZVPywnXQeDtmeQ32LZgpHJ0WgBwEM3hff_hwXKGeNgQoacEJ64EIvu4tRqBGdM8ZdJZimTDb-lFtrQE78jzUSTp9UYlb8ONKDWkVvUbuWA/w400-h300/Passiflora%20San%20Isidro%20Lodge%20Ecuador%201014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A related species of <i>Passiflora</i> at San Isidro Lodge in north-eastern Ecuador. The flower tube<br />of <i>P. mixta</i> is even longer than this, and probably no other bird can reach the rich nectar<br />supply at the base of it. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>W<span class="st">ell that's <i>relatively </i>the longest of any bird bill, but what about in absolute terms? That honour seems to belong right here in Australia, with a very familiar bird - the Australian Pelican <i>Pelecanus conspicillatus</i>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLaBeRXS8jzzmcWvxfOC_LeJURb4puVBDhnBHncXwD1AmoSbkdEwsVilf7LGrb-AqzORutAG1BmbzgJo2MpPd3aEKo1LrsfBAK1Gs9iUG3Q8A91TenebbhiH8KO1_JhpioX6lbBnxH8dGhnuKj1qwMAGSTuFiFC03kNwg6Aecdqk72tl295o9Zj4I/s800/Pelican%20Nowra%200707%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLaBeRXS8jzzmcWvxfOC_LeJURb4puVBDhnBHncXwD1AmoSbkdEwsVilf7LGrb-AqzORutAG1BmbzgJo2MpPd3aEKo1LrsfBAK1Gs9iUG3Q8A91TenebbhiH8KO1_JhpioX6lbBnxH8dGhnuKj1qwMAGSTuFiFC03kNwg6Aecdqk72tl295o9Zj4I/w300-h400/Pelican%20Nowra%200707%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male's bill can be up to 50cm long. The famous pouch, of thin stretchable skin,<br />is supported by a pair of surprisingly delicate long bones, but can hold up <br />to 13 litres of water.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrSWF8TewkIzxqB_l7b_1cwb8KMMDIyNcEO77UHGZEZqIk3upPrQLYMIGKIGOr2aJz5Ob4a_IGFQVScT6knwHBQUBdAcsF7crCzUu7aotbwgWLBRkUE6BKt3MHB--O7iSxCLh2gG6VqBb_RKtTKZvp9fya1TetCi09Qi_PDAZqK48bLaymh_3cJQr/s800/Pelican2%20Longreach%20Waterhole%20NT%200916%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrSWF8TewkIzxqB_l7b_1cwb8KMMDIyNcEO77UHGZEZqIk3upPrQLYMIGKIGOr2aJz5Ob4a_IGFQVScT6knwHBQUBdAcsF7crCzUu7aotbwgWLBRkUE6BKt3MHB--O7iSxCLh2gG6VqBb_RKtTKZvp9fya1TetCi09Qi_PDAZqK48bLaymh_3cJQr/w400-h300/Pelican2%20Longreach%20Waterhole%20NT%200916%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The important point is that pelicans do not carry food (or water) in the bill, but eat it immediately. <br />As soon as a food item, nearly always a fish, is scooped up along with the surrounding water, <br />the pelican presses its bill back against the breast to squeeze the water out. <br />As can be seen here, pelicans (along with gulls and owls) can spread the bones of the bottom <br />mandible to increase the width of scoop. The fish is then manipulated to be swallowed head first.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">As we'd expect, in most birds (though not the ones we're looking at today) the upper and lower bill mandibles are essentially the same size and shape so that they fit together snugly when closed. However if 'biting' or tearing is required, the upper mandible is often hooked to provide grip and leverage to rip and crush flesh, hard seedcases or even wood. In this case the tip of the lower mandible is often broad and square; when closed the top hook fits over it. Here are a couple of examples.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJ8bxMv8eHEjS3hO-11bXPyWWgMV5xWiwUZOYnbUzFflXjT2EVZkUc-UL_WWJNqa5debfoS49Zf-wMB7rYHkkX1463tkZALS9iuabSMEbGiqAHZW_kPzTlWzE55se9BY4QQ0hD-fUOfPHy5XO3-I8w8ijCP0tyZotkP-quCRf6a9JYiVwp-1w6n8x/s800/Yellow-tailed%20Black-cocky2%20Duffy%20home%200317.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJ8bxMv8eHEjS3hO-11bXPyWWgMV5xWiwUZOYnbUzFflXjT2EVZkUc-UL_WWJNqa5debfoS49Zf-wMB7rYHkkX1463tkZALS9iuabSMEbGiqAHZW_kPzTlWzE55se9BY4QQ0hD-fUOfPHy5XO3-I8w8ijCP0tyZotkP-quCRf6a9JYiVwp-1w6n8x/w400-h300/Yellow-tailed%20Black-cocky2%20Duffy%20home%200317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo <i>Zanda funerea</i> breaking open <i>Banksia marginata</i> cones<br />to extract the seeds (in our backyard in suburban Canberra.) In this situation the<br />force is exerted by the bottom mandible against the top, which hooks into the cone.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lYNZJVtdC8tNuvhinLuUlVxGzYjzEKv-kZ3aDsB6ajpVXx5-pO3ol9h7eWHGxmMR3fPpCpMOSCtd9HflxCkEA0pr0mf4rGq59JbzVHlJCqnia5wPmagNnl-nWz2KhFUQy26hdjMefiC8hXyEPaTZMIzXC1Dq8HmuiWWa3eysoiwGwOq5mnbqvi-_/s800/E%20pilularis%20chewed%20by%20Y-t%20Bl-cockies%20Ulladulla.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lYNZJVtdC8tNuvhinLuUlVxGzYjzEKv-kZ3aDsB6ajpVXx5-pO3ol9h7eWHGxmMR3fPpCpMOSCtd9HflxCkEA0pr0mf4rGq59JbzVHlJCqnia5wPmagNnl-nWz2KhFUQy26hdjMefiC8hXyEPaTZMIzXC1Dq8HmuiWWa3eysoiwGwOq5mnbqvi-_/w300-h400/E%20pilularis%20chewed%20by%20Y-t%20Bl-cockies%20Ulladulla.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same cocky species has ripped deep into this very hard-wooded Blackbutt<br /><i>Eucalyptus pilularis</i> to extract moth or beetle larvae. <br />Near Ulladulla, south coast New South Wales.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBsuVbFSXpmGGESQjm_WyrZkru4LnE4HHTogN4hgG-UmpJ01UCLb7-B_unV58XGkp0JllzABUCc2zZEcGqE4zBYmQA92jx8pSESEz91poB7Ir5OPIsXAMNMo3UopIFVT0R_6PcSVl7KtH9LbyRrKBjoCR55B9xAMfDj1D8ZOIFdX4Usk9j3LL2Af8/s800/Wedge-tailed%20Eagle%20with%20roo%20carcase%20Sturt%20NP%200511.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBsuVbFSXpmGGESQjm_WyrZkru4LnE4HHTogN4hgG-UmpJ01UCLb7-B_unV58XGkp0JllzABUCc2zZEcGqE4zBYmQA92jx8pSESEz91poB7Ir5OPIsXAMNMo3UopIFVT0R_6PcSVl7KtH9LbyRrKBjoCR55B9xAMfDj1D8ZOIFdX4Usk9j3LL2Af8/w400-h300/Wedge-tailed%20Eagle%20with%20roo%20carcase%20Sturt%20NP%200511.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedge-tailed Eagle <i>Aquila audax</i> with road-killed Red Kangaroo carcase, far<br />north-western NSW. The hooked bill will have no trouble opening the body.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">However in a few specialised cases, this hooked upper mandible is greatly attenuated for extracting edible material from within a hard case with a small access. The big apple snails (<i>Pomacea </i>spp.) are abundant in Neotropical wetlands, but despite (or because of) being a valuable potential food source are protected by their large, smooth, hard shells with a small opening. However two species of raptors have evolved a long slender upper mandible to solve the problem; they are snail specialists.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SFtVrdYUY_tXgDpE2thFlHHKG9wP-qVcJUjX6rKmx8ZqLp_4D7ZYpo8vJjxBFYZd943hEnGVSSfY-YjTv8DXaP09q4OSYvS_Jj1HMGrTkYGEFNnPCSX0I6cRO8utPH_L3p3mJFuL2VNarAagO5qZ-RcckiUd7OEi9hN70ogjdXqt3KC0iV1RgWgV/s800/Snail%20Kite%20with%20snail1%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SFtVrdYUY_tXgDpE2thFlHHKG9wP-qVcJUjX6rKmx8ZqLp_4D7ZYpo8vJjxBFYZd943hEnGVSSfY-YjTv8DXaP09q4OSYvS_Jj1HMGrTkYGEFNnPCSX0I6cRO8utPH_L3p3mJFuL2VNarAagO5qZ-RcckiUd7OEi9hN70ogjdXqt3KC0iV1RgWgV/w400-h300/Snail%20Kite%20with%20snail1%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snail Kite <i>Rostrhamus sociabilis</i>, Panatanal, south-western Brazil,<br />at work extracting an apple snail, above and below. (The Slender-billed Kite <i>Helicolestes hamatus<br /></i>has developed a similar bill for the same purpose.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LykKLyzuWJCsTwtvOj7DCJPm97dgjCGMcSij7gAab7GK6-C7b4oTXVy135xnCGisrfMlVMimZPV8kHd5zl0EouxPudcQq9UyUeiO-mATJFEnUQsfrRQyuBw8YJvePjg99QOV5CHq9qtjZbHXunN73pgJZZ1oBl_ZyuA0-zsAVyKk711PUdxcgo4-/s800/Snail%20Kite%20with%20snail2%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LykKLyzuWJCsTwtvOj7DCJPm97dgjCGMcSij7gAab7GK6-C7b4oTXVy135xnCGisrfMlVMimZPV8kHd5zl0EouxPudcQq9UyUeiO-mATJFEnUQsfrRQyuBw8YJvePjg99QOV5CHq9qtjZbHXunN73pgJZZ1oBl_ZyuA0-zsAVyKk711PUdxcgo4-/w400-h300/Snail%20Kite%20with%20snail2%20Pda%20Araras%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200719.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But snails aren't the only food hiding in a hard shell; many seeds do the same. In the south-west of Western Australia the Marri tree <i>Eucalyptus </i>(or <i>Corymbia</i>) <i>calophylla</i> dominates large areas of dry forest; its fruit are not entirely dissimilar from an apple snail in appearance.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvLa_JDBqzk_2CGpbLEKFgj0fJbkkd2OET7MtIput8I6NwpWYCo6ksEBKtTSAZH1euuzd6z9AGwzC4xuNujz9g1sLYi4n4Xq9oOl_c9plKx0NHCcrZf9msy6oyRekujIWyTwdfPSv4lm4SBbz06rwgkYxPEabPtRBdWE_8VQgKE4YPYO67-b6HmHR/s800/E%20calophylla%20(Corymbia)%20fruit%20John%20Forrest%20NP%200908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvLa_JDBqzk_2CGpbLEKFgj0fJbkkd2OET7MtIput8I6NwpWYCo6ksEBKtTSAZH1euuzd6z9AGwzC4xuNujz9g1sLYi4n4Xq9oOl_c9plKx0NHCcrZf9msy6oyRekujIWyTwdfPSv4lm4SBbz06rwgkYxPEabPtRBdWE_8VQgKE4YPYO67-b6HmHR/w400-h300/E%20calophylla%20(Corymbia)%20fruit%20John%20Forrest%20NP%200908.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marri fruit near Perth; the cases are phenomenally hard, but a couple of bird species endemic <br />to the area have solved the access problem in the same way the South American kites have. Both<br />these birds are experts at extracting the seeds without
damaging the fruits.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdAbPndZZoimKc458wJSpp0ruAuITJTaAOs7KyqZoY6x6QdIUqU65jLxEzNgeDpKJQxolojHLTWEI3A1OCnwUFJ8DgYBVwvz4ppnYkWTmjcepjSDrJ9lWV4_Lze5NKKleVLyabL-RFaj5mJpe8DUGDuhqnoM87EcloIeZs0y_aFMFY1nK2bdVmJeq/s800/Red-capped%20Parrot7%20Albany%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdAbPndZZoimKc458wJSpp0ruAuITJTaAOs7KyqZoY6x6QdIUqU65jLxEzNgeDpKJQxolojHLTWEI3A1OCnwUFJ8DgYBVwvz4ppnYkWTmjcepjSDrJ9lWV4_Lze5NKKleVLyabL-RFaj5mJpe8DUGDuhqnoM87EcloIeZs0y_aFMFY1nK2bdVmJeq/w300-h400/Red-capped%20Parrot7%20Albany%200913.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-capped Parrot <i>Purpureicephalus spurius,</i> Albany, <br />a truly glorious large parrot, and the sole member of its genus.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The key feature of the Red-capped Parrot from our perspective however is
the extended upper bill, fairly clear in this picture. Experienced
older birds show great dexterity in nipping off the hard ripe Marri
fruit, holding it in one claw, testing it and, if it is of good enough
quality, rotating it while inserting the upper bill to extract the seeds. (Green fruit are simply chewed apart.) An earlier study found
that 54% of Red-capped Parrots in winter had been eating Marri seed. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Given the value of the resource offered by Marri, it is not so surprising that another bird has independently come up with a similar solution to the issue of accessing the seed. This is Baudin's Cockatoo <i>Calyptorhynchus baudinii</i>, named for French commander Nicolas Baudin, sponsored by Napoleon to lead of one the most impressive exporatory expeditions ever to visit Australia, in the first years of
the 19th century. (I won't digress here into the vexed question of whether we should be lumping animals with people's names, but it was certainly simpler when the two white-tailed black-cockatoos were referred to unequivocally as Short-billed and Long-billed!) As you'd expect from the previous story, Baudin's is the long-billed version.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUQy9nb0n8mjoO9xdqJCAFu3GyZMnKohhFpe4-2havHlQMv6QGhqk27QKm0RrdTiPP7e-uDYhGBGNLLidV5vPl-EO3vpl9keZA4XY2KDdKXe35bN7JdO1P_VVZkLBRO4vtYQ6YJI8ZRsPRt56XMI_6Gu0PlS0duWmbHJX9h0nVi9XmkooSV5xXmtB/s800/Long-billed%20Black%20(Baudin's)%20Cockatoos%20Stirling%20Ranges%20NP%200913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUQy9nb0n8mjoO9xdqJCAFu3GyZMnKohhFpe4-2havHlQMv6QGhqk27QKm0RrdTiPP7e-uDYhGBGNLLidV5vPl-EO3vpl9keZA4XY2KDdKXe35bN7JdO1P_VVZkLBRO4vtYQ6YJI8ZRsPRt56XMI_6Gu0PlS0duWmbHJX9h0nVi9XmkooSV5xXmtB/w400-h300/Long-billed%20Black%20(Baudin's)%20Cockatoos%20Stirling%20Ranges%20NP%200913.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baudin's Cockatoos, Stirling Ranges NP. The special mandible is not as clear as it is in the <br />Red-capped, largely
because the bill is part-hidden in feathers, though the light isn't helping. <br />In this pair it can best
be seen in the female (with pale bill) on the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Baudin's Cockies are even more dependent on Marri than the Red-Capped
Parrot, with wood-boring grubs comprising most of the rest of the diet. Sadly they are listed as
Endangered, by the IUCN and both Western Australian and Australian governments. The
single population is estimated to comprise between 10,000 and 15,000
birds; the main threat formerly was habitat clearance, while now it is
regarded as a mix of loss of mature Marri trees (the key food source),
competition for nesting hollows with feral Honeybee colonies, and
illegal shooting (primarily by orchadists).</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Another Australian cockatoo has also evolved such a bill, but for an entirely different purpose. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl51sAlcpYPFDzJd6x4kSEciYZnroRHENUfItcslGR5UbE5uX5sQCYnPtnQNJ6oyXCZtCkyNPGEe0ptKGRNj44H1x_8qtJGg-7UxVHbzSiLUMclIavU3MrpxctcUr-iWdsBgBcgptEfVRj3dWbziqAu0TAf0KHvNP3rC43eaJy-MruPiNatv4To4vX/s800/Long-billed%20Corellas%20Urana%200908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl51sAlcpYPFDzJd6x4kSEciYZnroRHENUfItcslGR5UbE5uX5sQCYnPtnQNJ6oyXCZtCkyNPGEe0ptKGRNj44H1x_8qtJGg-7UxVHbzSiLUMclIavU3MrpxctcUr-iWdsBgBcgptEfVRj3dWbziqAu0TAf0KHvNP3rC43eaJy-MruPiNatv4To4vX/w400-h300/Long-billed%20Corellas%20Urana%200908.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the Long-billed Corella, <span class="st"><i>Cacatua tenuirostris, </i>here at Urana in <br />south-central NSW. Its long upper mandible evolved to extract tubers, of a <br />native daisy species, from the ground.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm02vKyl8kN-QNshe9wGuN9Bs8RJYO_xcvWvMoc4YfVH_FrH5UWu1VOcMck-ggI91bO41snSsSaYj6zDEzj3F6Z7BlYas0u6lvTECPyMgbC3zVGCmlO6Y6h4D6NrCzZ9jXHsu9KpKIqPl4__zQsgZ0NnahvHl42y9UkPIC1nfLPXlyXGnXMAWcffqp/s400/Microseris%20lanceolata%20Gungahlin%20Hill%201012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm02vKyl8kN-QNshe9wGuN9Bs8RJYO_xcvWvMoc4YfVH_FrH5UWu1VOcMck-ggI91bO41snSsSaYj6zDEzj3F6Z7BlYas0u6lvTECPyMgbC3zVGCmlO6Y6h4D6NrCzZ9jXHsu9KpKIqPl4__zQsgZ0NnahvHl42y9UkPIC1nfLPXlyXGnXMAWcffqp/w300-h400/Microseris%20lanceolata%20Gungahlin%20Hill%201012.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murnong, or Yam Daisy, <i>Microseris lanceolata</i>, here in Canberra.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The daisy is not uncommon, though never abundant, but once it was almost unimaginably profuse. Accounts from the grassy plains and
open woodlands of southern New South Wales and northern Victoria tell of
swathes of Murnong flowers turning the plains golden to the horizon.
Their small sweet tubers were harvested by Aboriginal people, eaten raw
or roasted to a delicious treacly consistency. European settlers learnt
the trick from them.There are stories of wagon wheels turning up thousands of Murnong tubers
from the soft soil, leaving them to rot on the surface. Then the sheep
came, eating the plants and learning to push into the soil to eat the
tubers as well. The plough finished the job. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The corellas used to come in vast flocks to feed on them, but when the Murnongs largely disappeared so did the corellas. They rebounded when they found that the grains which replaced the Murnong were also edible, but of course this was a capital offence and the numbers fell again. Today numbers seem to have again recovered within their fairly small range of south-western NSW and western Victoria, partly due I suspect to their ability to adapt to eating the tubers of exotic weeds. <br /></div></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what about the lower mandible; can that be adapted to a particular food-gathering purpose? Well of course it can - nature can do anything!<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The skimmers comprise three species (one each in Africa, southern Asia and the Americas) of birds in the gull family (though until recently they were given their own family). They are distinctive birds with large bills, usually seen loafing on sand bars or mud banks either in rivers or at the coast.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGI7642npwUaybyeNFjZzMgc7jBW-uuNSuWm9lsznpm2FFBBn6to9J-RVOd5f9wtp0_bvPvZhI1LIJnvfW9mJpLhnbbe6RsMc2bURD4x0P-yLG6R6kc8MVSyz7BEv0XvxtiaKHoWbwiDPWrvIE5C92OFFHpzzKIWKXx-CpVpMX-M7KntwlEfHCps7/s800/Black%20Skimmer%20Cuiaba%20River%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGI7642npwUaybyeNFjZzMgc7jBW-uuNSuWm9lsznpm2FFBBn6to9J-RVOd5f9wtp0_bvPvZhI1LIJnvfW9mJpLhnbbe6RsMc2bURD4x0P-yLG6R6kc8MVSyz7BEv0XvxtiaKHoWbwiDPWrvIE5C92OFFHpzzKIWKXx-CpVpMX-M7KntwlEfHCps7/w400-h300/Black%20Skimmer%20Cuiaba%20River%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Black Skimmer <i>Rynchops niger, </i>Pantanal, south-western Brazil.<br />Here you can clearly see the much longer and heavier lower mandible.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpS166sV4dt9dBYxn-nSIYpsxGzNwqwVuvKhjdrBgcxXqqjEKkWfm9ZDsxNqFjWYF_B8xJmCYKhJ5rttYf-UtfPg1TuJgNqOc9hEDjIr3tGLVjsEQHRiP-i-rdPQpiP40ShTWnzXhZRkkFI1Ylpxuxzd6ziRSaewzJo1hSP-5q71SCWeKxWhLiMvu/s800/African%20Skimmers%20Kazinga%20Channel%20QENP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpS166sV4dt9dBYxn-nSIYpsxGzNwqwVuvKhjdrBgcxXqqjEKkWfm9ZDsxNqFjWYF_B8xJmCYKhJ5rttYf-UtfPg1TuJgNqOc9hEDjIr3tGLVjsEQHRiP-i-rdPQpiP40ShTWnzXhZRkkFI1Ylpxuxzd6ziRSaewzJo1hSP-5q71SCWeKxWhLiMvu/w400-h300/African%20Skimmers%20Kazinga%20Channel%20QENP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Skimmers <i>R. flavirostris</i>, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.<br />You can click on both these photos to better see what I mean.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But for what purpose? This photo, ordinary as it is, gives you the answer.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrZ6hEQ82ev67ZhMUWUDvi-xEXQdoEpV8dMkQGGDGe6eIFsoxrVcgts3wG55QDKzDCK3QmkEWMp8cz6Wq5PD7Ki2sacUVPppCTBnJVXm48r56U5CCm6iqnyxPNFjkXyjc2kqebKjG4AiWIl2fKZx5inB9fNWGP_wQNWbr5ubuQhi68nBAo5L6N6ef/s800/Black%20Skimmer%20fishing,%20Caulin%201107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrZ6hEQ82ev67ZhMUWUDvi-xEXQdoEpV8dMkQGGDGe6eIFsoxrVcgts3wG55QDKzDCK3QmkEWMp8cz6Wq5PD7Ki2sacUVPppCTBnJVXm48r56U5CCm6iqnyxPNFjkXyjc2kqebKjG4AiWIl2fKZx5inB9fNWGP_wQNWbr5ubuQhi68nBAo5L6N6ef/w400-h300/Black%20Skimmer%20fishing,%20Caulin%201107.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Skimmer 'skimming', Isla de Chiloé, southern Chile. It is flying along steadily, just above the water, with that long lower
mandible cutting the surface. When it contacts a small fish or shrimp it automatically snaps shut, flipping the
snack inward. Wonderful!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">OK, so much for unusually long slender bills; what about bills that seem abnormally flat and wide for scooping? No problems. Here are two examples in totally unrelated water birds. The first is the Shoebill <span class="st"><i>Balaeniceps rex</i> (ie 'king whale-head!'), sometimes referred to as a stork, but actually the only member of its entire family. Its massive bill is </span><span class="st">well over 20 centimetres long - only pelicans and some large storks have longer bills.<br /></span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIW-ofbKq2AC63uc4mYq5_NinOSO_0jZoSrfQIYixszNEMQSR-t64qg9UzjbJdkU-6AqX1N-PO9cXy4PPN5PjpgGG6liBqqZ2_uivnIbVRGAB8g6RXi68340emWM1wb1v_t905m4AOeaKhNgXf_kDvdwuI7PjDMLMtTdfVRDXYd2JDWFj_H6TFj9B/s800/Shoebill2%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIW-ofbKq2AC63uc4mYq5_NinOSO_0jZoSrfQIYixszNEMQSR-t64qg9UzjbJdkU-6AqX1N-PO9cXy4PPN5PjpgGG6liBqqZ2_uivnIbVRGAB8g6RXi68340emWM1wb1v_t905m4AOeaKhNgXf_kDvdwuI7PjDMLMtTdfVRDXYd2JDWFj_H6TFj9B/w400-h300/Shoebill2%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoebill, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.<br />The slightly mad-looking eyes can be a bit disconcerting, but more so I suspect<br />if you were about to be seized by that huge bill! They mainly prey on fish, especially<br />lungfish, concentrating on low-oxygen water where the fish are forced to come<br />regularly to the surface to breathe.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXI-P-izDj2b4gfqMXVf-DUJ2F0NwxyiiDeFrYJCzDsFpW14NgioAfMqzMeOmoDZvNZme5sU5q5QlWgVAGuhMtdiyYYB2-DYQZfxug1V6AvtWjV-XE4i4KX7o_ah0tIKw4divVvxuf4SIf6x4M1w8-fcFof1UoPpp3o6_5tOWyTjM03ErNV8lBqRz/s800/Shoebill3%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXI-P-izDj2b4gfqMXVf-DUJ2F0NwxyiiDeFrYJCzDsFpW14NgioAfMqzMeOmoDZvNZme5sU5q5QlWgVAGuhMtdiyYYB2-DYQZfxug1V6AvtWjV-XE4i4KX7o_ah0tIKw4divVvxuf4SIf6x4M1w8-fcFof1UoPpp3o6_5tOWyTjM03ErNV8lBqRz/w400-h300/Shoebill3%20Murchison%20Falls%20NP%20Uganda%200710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From this angle the savagely hooked tip is obvious, as well as the mass of the bill.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Across the Atlantic in the mangroves and streamside forests of the Neotropics, from Mexico to northern Argentina, lives a bird with a surprisingly similar bill to the Shoebill, but though it is equally massive relative to the bird's size, the Boat-billed Heron is only a third as big as the Shoebill. <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmL54BnLL6Xbta0SKaZebYi4ReYABuYjW-wo8-M3ALqrJB4chsXKKKRxTDPo92ICtPvUU5m3ZjP1NODbByBF63ll1D_uYlZLJWvmrkf-9OpYlgy2Gs5NutGNYaqoKaxUzweFpYAlxAPFzTToVqGB5F3MVvD-MOWBsb7b4_Rqh1w3dFuvP2yZTypcZZ/s800/Boat-billed%20Heron%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmL54BnLL6Xbta0SKaZebYi4ReYABuYjW-wo8-M3ALqrJB4chsXKKKRxTDPo92ICtPvUU5m3ZjP1NODbByBF63ll1D_uYlZLJWvmrkf-9OpYlgy2Gs5NutGNYaqoKaxUzweFpYAlxAPFzTToVqGB5F3MVvD-MOWBsb7b4_Rqh1w3dFuvP2yZTypcZZ/w300-h400/Boat-billed%20Heron%20Pda%20Piuval%20N%20Pantanal%20Brazil%201018.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="st">Boat-billed Heron </span><i>Cochlearius cochlearius, </i>Pantanal, Brazil.<br />The very big eyes tell us that it mostly nocturnal, so we can only see it<br />in the very late afternoon and at night. It is probably not particularly uncommon<br />but because it can mostly only be seen from a night-time boat ride, it seems scarce.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The strange bill led it to be regarded as 'not-a-heron' (and there are some who would reinstate the older view that it belongs to a separate family) but the general opinion is that it is an out-lying member of the heron family. It <span class="st">snaps up a range of
prey, especially fish and invertebrates and small land mammals, often using its bill as a scoop in a way that no other heron </span><span class="st"><span class="st">does </span>that I can think of. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="st"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="st">While typing this I've thought of another, entirely different, group of birds with similar broad scooping bills. The frogmouths comprise a family of well-camouflaged nocturnal birds from Australia-New Guinea and south-east Asia, mostly dwellers in dense forests. The best-known however is the Tawny Frogmouth <i>Podargus strigoides</i>, found in open forests and woodlands throughout Australia. Their short broad bills enable them to 'swoop and scoop' on prey, from large insects and spiders to frogs, lizards and even small mammals and birds. They are related to nightjars, swifts and hummingbirds!<br /></span></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6faIuko0mMQBlp8QahNptxWUDXGZNut0kYWM46ave-iPQtTip60eBp2iPm4owmYr6QYSoSG78SLaMte2LCLGXMKExIgyx2UeM-jRdyGHJ7p4wc190OZOnL-ROWeNGTg3TDVFagW32fmD6jQkTeZ8HcyEdcz9UqC5Pg7jsiBkfPj-Rb3RSslM_QxR7/s800/Papuan%20Frogmouth1%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6faIuko0mMQBlp8QahNptxWUDXGZNut0kYWM46ave-iPQtTip60eBp2iPm4owmYr6QYSoSG78SLaMte2LCLGXMKExIgyx2UeM-jRdyGHJ7p4wc190OZOnL-ROWeNGTg3TDVFagW32fmD6jQkTeZ8HcyEdcz9UqC5Pg7jsiBkfPj-Rb3RSslM_QxR7/w400-h300/Papuan%20Frogmouth1%20Centennial%20Lakes%20Cairns%200515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papuan Frogmouth <i>Podargus papuensis</i>, Cairns, north Queensland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Finally a couple of bills that really don't fit any sort of pattern used by any other birds. </div><div> </div><div>Toucans, from the Neotropics, have famously huge colourful bills with which they toss down fruit, and extract nestlings from tree hollows. However we now know that the driving force behind the bill is its role as a heat disperser, to manage body temperatures in the tropics.<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07uzL0PIixyXGtYU0n6QOeeTNKi13chXyRjOjoEpc1ZN4H6c4mKGdXL3mZPZwaYbG0fq2ruzMoeuCdwEgnxqKFrxmtI8e3hg6eU8ZyffRvDeDrrPMMSAcaskJM5HsuM-O0LcIKxfYbFWq-IBF1pSN7Upjpj72P2UcQp0N485JR-38_2J8laios2GF/s800/Toco%20Toucan1%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07uzL0PIixyXGtYU0n6QOeeTNKi13chXyRjOjoEpc1ZN4H6c4mKGdXL3mZPZwaYbG0fq2ruzMoeuCdwEgnxqKFrxmtI8e3hg6eU8ZyffRvDeDrrPMMSAcaskJM5HsuM-O0LcIKxfYbFWq-IBF1pSN7Upjpj72P2UcQp0N485JR-38_2J8laios2GF/w400-h300/Toco%20Toucan1%20Pda%20Aguape%20south%20Pantanal%20Brazil%200918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toco Toucan , Pantanal, Brazil.<br />Rather than reiterate things I've written about in detail recently, see <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2019/10/tough-toucans-anything-but-clowns.html">here </a>for more on <br />toucans in general and <a href="https://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com/2021/09/big-bills-thats-cool-toucans-and.html">here </a>for the temperature-management story.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Flamingoes have an extraordinary feeding behaviour, which requires an extraordinary bill. In all the birds we've looked at today, the top mandible is the larger one with the flexible lower one working against it. In flamingoes the opposite is true.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOR9dORIN3lSn32LyWI9IgYLkV9v6yLR4XzY3DemZTwFkxt7jnUUC05s5kjaZxwQEEJB2efqVz3Uq0uT4wTsw_msWMX8v1dClDVXQR4X1FjSgX7Das_MBH9gy-rzyG7m1ILcZKCpaVXn69BfnQLHS37b2uTeUDCWBvtbj-kKQJSg6M9hZgh7VVExQ/s800/American%20Flamingo1%20Isabela%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOR9dORIN3lSn32LyWI9IgYLkV9v6yLR4XzY3DemZTwFkxt7jnUUC05s5kjaZxwQEEJB2efqVz3Uq0uT4wTsw_msWMX8v1dClDVXQR4X1FjSgX7Das_MBH9gy-rzyG7m1ILcZKCpaVXn69BfnQLHS37b2uTeUDCWBvtbj-kKQJSg6M9hZgh7VVExQ/w300-h400/American%20Flamingo1%20Isabela%20Galapagos%201112.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Flamingo <i>Phoenicopterus ruber</i>, Galápagos Islands.<br />Here the lower mandible is clearer larger than the top one. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">What makes this seem especially peculiar is that the flamingo then turns its head upside down in the water so that the bill is almost horizontal, to feed with its bill in the conventional bird shape - larger mandible upwards! Presumably only thus can it get its bill close to and parallel to the substrate.<br /></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj4_8nqSyFtoOdIOub4gt-GOJe4hsJKYAS1Jd8zsyV9lR_MYJFh86TDkqTnYUwRqj9e_qmoAms3oHfdISegOaJaLHv-qmdhP_r9gh5Hag4NYqE3zWFXKU7fagcZK3RFoMv9T34jYkGqu1IIuiHmz-CxR9q-I2Yit1Dqc5THcDUefq31l_ZdXV_2Bv/s800/American%20Flamingo%20feeding%203,%20Isabela,%20Galapagos%202011%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj4_8nqSyFtoOdIOub4gt-GOJe4hsJKYAS1Jd8zsyV9lR_MYJFh86TDkqTnYUwRqj9e_qmoAms3oHfdISegOaJaLHv-qmdhP_r9gh5Hag4NYqE3zWFXKU7fagcZK3RFoMv9T34jYkGqu1IIuiHmz-CxR9q-I2Yit1Dqc5THcDUefq31l_ZdXV_2Bv/w300-h400/American%20Flamingo%20feeding%203,%20Isabela,%20Galapagos%202011%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Flamingo, same location, feeding in shallow water. It is separating water and <br />unwanted muddy particles from food items using a large, fatty, highly sensitive tongue with <br />numerous fleshy protuberances (lamellae), complemented by a keeled bill also fringed with <br />fleshy lamellae. The tongue is used as a pump which beats from five to 20 times a minute to <br />suck in beakfuls of muddy water and wrigglies - including algae, small fish and invertebrates - <br />and to expel unwanted gunk via a complex set of movements. Remarkable.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">And while all these bills are, I believe, fascinating variations, I've left one of the most peculiar and mysterious - ie whose function has only recently been properly understood - until last. There are two species of openbill stork, genus <i>Anastomus, </i>one in Africa and one in Asia. They, like the Snail Kite earlier, feed on the big apple snails but their approach is quite different. There has been a lot of debate as to how they use this structure to extract the snails, not least because the process is both rapid and mostly occurs under water. It is now agreed however that despite earlier beliefs they do not break the shell, or use the gap to carry snails away.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMgpFPPM4Z6VnXRpiDyfuTcspDnkDp2isDYJaXyAnKo0pRwtXBkGbL8BUAKzZW-7I8ugqP6Tf_yDYjxOuFxiTbjGb13zwV_0MtHh7DI7QB-SGc92jWI2wWy9-1YdOGqGkz704Tb66qV2x1gzESuP5XihqpaQf_EWD7baW6KpvNIVlSxKHUN3LfsBr/s800/African%20Openbill%20on%20grass%20Entebbe%20BG%20Uganda%200610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMgpFPPM4Z6VnXRpiDyfuTcspDnkDp2isDYJaXyAnKo0pRwtXBkGbL8BUAKzZW-7I8ugqP6Tf_yDYjxOuFxiTbjGb13zwV_0MtHh7DI7QB-SGc92jWI2wWy9-1YdOGqGkz704Tb66qV2x1gzESuP5XihqpaQf_EWD7baW6KpvNIVlSxKHUN3LfsBr/w300-h400/African%20Openbill%20on%20grass%20Entebbe%20BG%20Uganda%200610.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Openbill <i>Anastomus lamelligerus</i>, Entebbe Botanic Gardens, Uganda.<br />You can see readily enough the outward curve towards the end of the lower mandible, but not <br />obvious from this angle is the twist to the side, so that the tips don't meet. Stalked pads at the <br />tip of the upper mandible hold a big <i>Pila </i>snail against the ground (or underwater mud) while <br />the lower tip stabs past the protecting operculum to cut the muscle which holds the flesh <br />in the shell. Even more remarkably a narcotic in its saliva trickles down the bill to assist the <br />process by relaxing the snail. </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, there's probably nowhere to go after that story, at least in my opinion. I've gone on longer than I intended, but that's the (only) problem with good stories. Maybe we can even follow this thread in different directions one day. Meantime, thanks for perservering!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #6a1419; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER</b></i><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b> </b></i></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>I
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