DESKTOP 3330 - SPRING SKY

A camellia blooming under a bright blue Spring sky.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3324 - WILLIE WAGTAIL

The willie (or willy) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest.

Measuring 19–21.5 cm in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage. Three subspecies are recognised; Rhipidura leucophrys leucophrys from central and southern Australia, the smaller R. l. picata from northern Australia, and the larger R. l.  melaleuca from New Guinea and islands in its vicinity. It is unrelated to the true wagtails of the genus Motacilla.

The willie wagtail is insectivorous and spends much time chasing prey in open habitat. Its common name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground. Aggressive and territorial, the willie wagtail will often harass much larger birds such as the laughing kookaburra and wedge-tailed eagle. It has responded well to human alteration of the landscape and is a common sight in urban lawns, parks, and gardens. It was widely featured in Aboriginal folklore around the country as either a bringer of bad news or a stealer of secrets.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3319 - FLORAL

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 3317 - PUP

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3316 - WAITING...

For Spring!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3312 - MEMORIES

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 3311 - SUNSET

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3309 - SUNSET ON THE YARRA

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3304 - FAIRY BOWER

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3302 - DAWN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3300 - MOSS

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

DESKTOP 3298 - FRUITING

 Decorative berries and fruits on ornamental plants provide food for birds and animals in the garden.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 3297 - FOGGY

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3296 - NIGHT HERON

The nankeen night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) also commonly referred to as the rufous night heron, and in Melanesia as Melabaob, is a medium-sized heron. It is found in Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, and throughout much of Australia except the arid inland. A small colony has also established near Wanganui, New Zealand.

 

The nankeen night heron stands about 60 cm tall with a stooped appearance. It is a stocky heron with rich cinnamon upperparts, white-buff underparts, a black crown, and yellow legs and feet. The head is large, the neck short (giving a stooped appearance), and the legs relatively short. During breeding the back of the head bears three white nuptial plumes. The bill is dark olive-green, and the eyes are yellow. Young birds are heavily spotted and streaked white, brown and orange-brown. As they mature, the black cap of the adult develops first, with the body plumage remaining streaked for some time. It is not strictly nocturnal. It often feeds during the day, especially during wet weather.

 

The bird is dependent on a diet of small fish, reptiles, insects and sometimes eggs. It can be seen around freshwater rivers, lakes, bulrushes, estuaries, harbours and in residential fishponds for goldfish. The species breeds in the period from September to April, building a nest platform out of sticks. It nests communally, near water. Two to five light green eggs are laid, with a 22-day incubation followed by a 42- to 49-day fledging period. Widespread throughout its large range, the nankeen night heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3295 - MOON

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3294 - CAMELLIAS

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DESKTOP 3290 - GOOD DOG!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3289 - FISH TANK

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3288 - SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3286 - STIRRINGS OF SPRING

Stirrings of Spring are making themselves felt in the Southern Hemisphere. We have been enjoying a few sunny, fine days in wintry Melbourne with the sun making us cast off a few layers of clothes. Perfect weather for a walk, during which one discovers that nature has awakened from its Winter slumber.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.