Saturday 31 October 2020

DESKTOP 2649 - CROW

The Torresian crow (Corvus orru), also called the Australian crow or Papuan crow, is a passerine bird in the crow family native to the north and west of Australia and nearby islands in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The species has a black plumage, beak and mouth with white irises. The base of the feathers on the head and neck are white. The Torresian crow is slightly larger with a more robust bill than the morphologically similar little crow.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.


Wednesday 28 October 2020

DESKTOP 2646 - CREEK

In the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne, one fine Spring morning...

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.


Tuesday 27 October 2020

DESKTOP 2645 - SYDNEY

Sydney is known as the Harbour City and with good reason as it is built around a magnificent natural harbour. It is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia with an enviable reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It is full of history, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design and within the city or a short distance from it are areas of great natural beauty, The city is set next to kilometres of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches. Recent immigration trends have led to the cities reputation as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia and the world. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet. 

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.


Sunday 25 October 2020

DESKTOP 2643 - DUCK FAMILY

Chestnut teal duck family, Anas castanea (Eyton, 1838). The chestnut teal is darker and a slightly bigger bird than the grey teal. The male has a distinctive green-coloured head and mottled brown body. The female has a brown head and mottled brown body. The female is almost identical in appearance to the grey teal. The female chestnut teal has a loud penetrating "laughing" quack repeated rapidly nine times or more.

The chestnut teal is commonly distributed in south-eastern and south-western Australia, while vagrants may occur elsewhere. Tasmania and southern Victoria are the species’ stronghold, while vagrants can be found as far north as New Guinea and Lord Howe Island. The chestnut teal prefers coastal estuaries and wetlands, and is indifferent to salinity. This bird is an omnivore. 

Chestnut teals form monogamous pairs that stay together outside the breeding season, defend the nest site and look after the young when hatched. Nests are usually located over water, in a down-lined tree hollow about 6–10 m high. Sometimes nests are placed on the ground, among clumps of grass near water. The young hatch and are ready to swim and walk within a day.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.


Thursday 22 October 2020

DESKTOP 2640 - MICHELIA

Michelia is a historical genus of flowering plants belonging to the Magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). The genus included about 50 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical south and southeast Asia (Indomalaya), including southern China. Today it is regarded as a synonym of Magnolia.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.


Wednesday 21 October 2020

DESKTOP 2639 - RINGWOOD LAKE

Ringwood Lake Park is a significant asset, well valued by the Maroondah City community. The 8.5 hectare park has been enjoyed by many locals and visitors since its creation in the 1920’s. The significance of the park has been highlighted through the preservation of the local history, pleasant and naturally significant surroundings and by hosting various annual festivals.Community groups and individuals have contributed both time and funding towards the Park’s preservation, including recent works to enhance the cultural value of the park. 
 
 Ringwood Lake Park is located at the corner of Maroondah Highway and Mt Dandenong Road next to the Belgrave railway line. The lake is about 1 hectare in size with a shoreline of 1 kilometre and a maximum depth of 4.3 metres. In 1926 the lake was created, with community co-operation, by damming the Sandy Creek which flowed north-westerly to the Mullum Mullum Creek. It was an area of mud, fallen logs and grasses which now provides alternative habitat for wildlife as well as passive recreational opportunities.
 
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.


Saturday 17 October 2020

DESKTOP 2635 - WOOD DUCKS

The Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata) also called the Maned Duck is very common throughout Australia and can be found in most suburban parks and waterways. They are also seen in woodland areas often perching in the trees. The male is on the right, front and has the darker head, while the female behind to the left is more speckled and has a lighter-coloured head. Here they are seen in the Darebin Parklands in Melbourne.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme



Tuesday 13 October 2020

DESKTOP 2631 - TASMANIA

Tasmania is an island state 240 kilometres in the south of the Australian continent, separated by the Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania, the 26th largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. The state has a population of about 540,000 (as of March 2020), of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart precinct. Tasmania’s area is 68,401 square kilometres, of which the main island covers 62,409 square kilometres. The subantarctic Macquarie Island is also under the administration of the state, as part of the Huon Valley Council local government area.

Tasmania is promoted to tourists as the “Natural State”, the “Island of Inspiration” and “A World Apart, Not A World Away”, owing to its large and relatively unspoiled natural environment. Almost 37% of Tasmania lies in reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. The island is 364 kilometres long from its northernmost to its southernmost points, and 306 kilometres from west to east.

The state capital and largest city is Hobart, which encompasses the local government areas of City of Hobart, City of Glenorchy, and City of Clarence, while the satellite town of Kingston (part of the Municipality of Kingborough) is generally included in the Greater Hobart area.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.


Sunday 11 October 2020

DESKTOP 2629 - HOPE SPRINGS

Newly sprung oak leaves as our Spring struggles to gnaw through the shackles of a lingering late Winter.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.


Wednesday 7 October 2020

DESKTOP 2625 - GRASSLAND

 Native grasses on a hill in the Darebin Parklands, a nature reserve in suburban Melbourne.

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.


Tuesday 6 October 2020

DESKTOP 2624 - ASWAN, EGYPT

Aswan, formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate. Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dams on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Aswan is the ancient city of Swenett, which in antiquity was the frontier town of Ancient Egypt facing the south. Swenett is supposed to have derived its name from an Egyptian goddess with the same name. This goddess later was identified as Eileithyia by the Greeks and Lucina by the Romans during their occupation of Ancient Egypt because of the similar association of their goddesses with childbirth, and of which the import is "the opener". The ancient name of the city also is said to be derived from the Egyptian symbol for trade, or market.

Because the Ancient Egyptians oriented toward the origin of the life-giving waters of the Nile in the south, Swenett was the first town in the country, and Egypt always was conceived to "open" or begin at Swenett. The city stood upon a peninsula on the right (east) bank of the Nile, immediately below (and north of) the first cataract of the flowing waters, which extend to it from Philae. Navigation to the delta was possible from this location without encountering a barrier.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.


Sunday 4 October 2020

DESKTOP 2622 - GARDEN SHED

A backyard shed in one of the Alphington properties adjacent to the Darebin parklands. It certainly looks very bucolic, especially when the sprawling garden is wearing its Spring clothes.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.


Thursday 1 October 2020

DESKTOP 2619 - BUTTERCUPS

Buttercups

Your sun-yellow light,
It shines so bright!
Buttercup, buttercup,
I'll gather you up
And put you in a jar,
To light up my night!

NJV

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.