Posted on by Cathy

A Winter Walk…….

A couple of days ago I mentioned how cool it had been during the week – I’m writing this on Saturday and it looks like the weather man agreed with me.

After my trip to the pool on Tuesday I was determined to keep the body moving so on a very cool cold foggy Wednesday morning it was on with coat wooly hat and gloves and out i went – up the road to my favourite reserve.  Kiera decided on a spot near the fire to wait for my return 😊

As I said it was a very foggy, looks like the sky was falling down, low light morning – even on the low light feature my photos look dull – I haven’t altered them because I want to remember the morning as it was.  Clicking will enlarge

Not another silly bugger soul in sight as I looked up past the pond and began to think the resident ducks had migrated to warmer places,  then turned back and saw they’d all come out of hiding.

Some were keeping their feet dry – while others were looking for lunch!

 

And here’s a group of Purple Swamphens – this is not their usual behaviour.  I’ve never seen them rush up from their wetland waterhole – like ducks looking for something toeat – they potter around feeding on the grassy slopes, and tend to stay clear of people.  I think this winter must have been hard on them.Oh dear what a miserable looking waterhole this is  – not very interesting is it.  Can’t see a thing on the horizon except grey skies.

Look below and admire the view of the nearby Dandenong Ranges we get from that spot on a sunny day  Yes, those are the infamous tv masts that sit on The hilltops visible for miles around.  No matter where we’re coming from once I can see them in the distance I know I’m nearly home 😊

So it was up the hill past the old school oval which is now an off lead dog park – couldn’t see or hear anyone.  Nobody around but me.  And looky here – there’s my resting spot.  If you compare this photo with the one of the masthead you can see how much growth has taken place in not very many years.  It’s a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by on a warm dry day.  Not today tho’!

Down the hill and back to the bridge, heard a flapping of wings as I went over.

 

A big black and white bird was perched on the railing.  I’d no idea what it was.

It just sat there for ages looking around not in the least bit bothered by me snapping away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s better!

If you stand up straight I can look you up in my bird book when I get home

I cheated and checked the reserve’s website to see what birds frequent the area then looked it up in my bird book 😊

It’s a Little Pied Cormorant !

(or Little Shag)

http://foelizabethbridgereserve.org.au/Birds%20At%20Elizabeth%20Bridge.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_pied_cormorant

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Linking to Sunday Selections – http://river-driftingthroughlife.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/sunday-selections-339.html

Linking to Nature Notes – https://ramblingwoods.com/2017/08/07/nature-notes-430-raising-monarch-butterflies-from-eggs/

Linking to Our World Tuesday – http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au

20 Replies to “A Winter Walk…….”

  2. Such an interesting walk, Cathy. A great photo of the cormorant. It’s feathers look like fur!

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    1. I would have liked to have got closer Marie to actually see what they looked like – didn’t want him to fly away so had to be content with zoom and a tiny bit of cropping. Took oodles of photos so there may be another post sometime 😊

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  3. It took a long time for the fog to lift. We can see the masts on Mount Dandenong from home but I always mark coming home by seeing tram lines. Once I see them, I feel safely home. I think they are the birds that sit with their wings out, giving them a good airing. That possibly happens in summer, not winter.

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    1. It’s beem miserable, cold and foggy all week Andrew – certainly been a winter this year hasn’t it. Mind you I’m grizzling more than I should really because we aren’t usually here to experience it lol
      Love the tram tracks being your safety blanket. Each time I go into the city from now on and see them I’ll think of you 😊

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  4. even though you were devoid of human company – you could wander where you will – without running/walking into someone else, maybe even taking on a frisky dog – and then you had the company of the “shag” as someone said that bird title a bit OTT…

    then your other friend was at home – minding the fire for you…:-)

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    1. That’s a lovely way to think of my walk Cathy. Actually dog owners round here are pretty good about harnessing/using leads on their dogs. The doggy community seems quite tight knit and as off lead area has e only come about since the High School closed down it’s been welcomed by all the residents.

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  6. Wonderful bird and terrific photos. Makes me feel better about our rather cool 13C – It is summer after all.

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    1. Oh Freda that isn’t what summer is supposed to be like is it. Maybe autumn will be better
      BTW it’s lovely to hear from you – keep hoping for a blog post from you 😊

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  7. A lovely walk. But I think I’d be like your kitty and wait by the fire for you lol
    Another cold and wet one here today

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  8. Lovely photos Cathy, sorry I’m a day late. We have TV towers on our Adelaide hills and when I see them I think of my daughter who lives on the other side of that particular hill. When I can’t see them because of fog, I’m glad her kids are grown and she no longer has to drive them to school through that fog.

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  9. He fire looks cosy we have had some awful weather even though it is supposed to be Summer. Love the pics xxx

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  10. Hello, lovely view of the pond an ducks. I like your pretty Pied Cormorant. We are supposed to have a cooler August here, we will see. Lovely walk and photos. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!

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  12. Thanks for taking us along on your walk. I enjoyed it a lot! The birds are really interesting, being that they are acting differently than usual. We saw a cormorant (we call them shags) that sat and let several people pet him. We could only assume that it didn’t know it was suppose to be afraid of humans for some reason 🙂

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  13. Nice to see you in Nature Notes Cathy and on such a nice walk. The fog is really beautiful in its own way although it can’t compare to a nice sunny day… Nice captures of the birds….Michelle

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