This is the first time since starting this blog in 2012 that I am a day late with my post, though it is still Friday in several time zones around the world! To celebrate the new year I’m sharing one of my favourite photographs from each month of 2024. It was quite fascinating and wonderful to wander through last year’s posts and make my choices.
This is a rare species that I never ever expected to see on my travels, let alone looking at me through my bedroom window.
The cheerful call of the Laughing Kookaburra is a regular sound at my place.
I keep my birdbaths full of fresh, clean water and only photograph birds after they have taken their first drink and bath. There is often a lot of splashing going on!
This very rare visitor, an American Golden Plover, turned up at the Western Treatment Plant at Werribee. Such a striking bird to see so far from home.
I am very fond of Striated Fieldwrens and always get a buzz when I see one. They are quite shy so I don’t often manage to get a photograph as I won’t call them in.
This gorgeous Pacific Black Duck was peacefully preening itself at the edge of a pond in the Yarra Valley.
A pair of Musk Lorikeets were foraging high in the trees when this one flew down for a moment to look at me. I was super pleased that my settings were right for the shot.
Eastern Yellow Robins are one of my favourite species. Another pair have successfully nested at my place this season.
Galahs visit my place fairly often but I photographed this one at Gluepot Reserve in South Australia.
These pardalotes also live at my place but I took this shot in South Australia.
Rainbow Bee-eaters are one of our most beautiful birds. I photographed this female one misty morning in Victoria’s Little Desert.
You don’t often see the underside of the wings of the Common Bronzewing. I was happy to get this lovely shot.
And a bonus Blue-winged Kookaburra for luck and to showcase the difference between this species and the Laughing Kookaburra shared above for February.
My precious friend is back in hospital, it’s such a worrying time. Along with that I’ve been super busy looking after some gorgeous littlies, and crazily busy trying to ensure the property is as fire-safe as I can make it.
Thanks to EC for the idea of sharing photographs from each month. It was trickier than I’d imagined to make my choices as there are four or five posts each month, and often several species showcased at a time. I hope you like my choices, and more importantly I hope you have a wonderful 2025 filled with love, laughter, health, happiness and birdsong.
Happy birding, Kim
PS It’s hard to hit publish on this post when I keep wondering if I should have shared the sweet ducklings, or the Red-capped Robins, the Brolga chick, or the many honeyeater species, the Blue Bonnets or fairywrens… or so many of the other wonderful species I was lucky enough to photograph last year. If you’d like to see any of the other species they are all available by using the search button or clicking on the post titles in the righthand side-bar.
~ Browse prints and gifts Lirralirra Shop
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra – 8.2K followers
~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
That was a dazzling selection of beautiful birds, Kim – thanks so much! Choosing must have felt as difficult as picking your favourite flavours from a huge box of chocolates – hmmm…turkish delight or caramel crunch? Flame Robin or Gang Gang cockatoo?! Your choice is like a banquet to feast our eyes upon.
I have made a New Year’s resolution to keep my eye out for more of our superb birds this year. My top resolution is to spot and photograph a Blue Banded bee – they are quite common here in Spring and Summer, but also shy, elusive and solitary. But I have never seen one, and am determined to find one! Do you ever get Blue Banded Bees at your place?
Oh yes, picking chocolate favourites can be tricky! I hope you see heaps of birds this year, including some lifers. And I would also like to see more Blue-banded Bees. I have seen them at my place but not often. They seem to prefer purple blossoms and the sound they make is quite different from other bees. It’s a significantly deeper sound and is always the first alert for me to know there is one nearby. They are fast-moving when foraging and I’m yet to get a stunning photograph.
This is a glorious showcase of ‘some’ of your year of birds. Many, many thanks.
My heart goes out to your friend and to all those who care about her.
Good luck with fire proofing. Sadly a necessary chore.
Thanks for the idea EC, and for the your kind comments too.
Such beautiful images.
Many thanks Carolyn 🙂