What a week! I took a fabulous sixteen year old to the Mallee for his birthday, we had a brilliant time and saw some incredible sights. Despite getting my car serviced earlier this month, ready for the trip, we broke down on the way home. I haven’t loaded my photographs yet but I have been loading Cormac’s shots and will share a beauty of his today.
Common Bronzewings are far from ‘common’ and this shot of Cormac’s is a beauty. He didn’t expect to enjoy bird photography as much as he did.
This is a super short post as I am exhausted. When my vehicle lost power I was very lucky to get it to a safe place before everything shut down. The guys from a nearby farmhouse came to check that we were okay, and ten minutes later brought us cold Cokes and delicious icecreams – thank you Peter and Kyle! Then Michael and Louise, from Explore the Mallee where we’d been staying, offered to pick up our gear and keep it safe until we could get back – I highly recommend a visit to their Trust for Nature property in Patchewollock. And thanks to Hamza for towing the vehicle and dropping us at a motel. Then incredibly wonderful friends from Melbourne offered to pick us up – thank you millions Fiona and Steve. And thanks to my awesome house-sitters, Lissa, Heinz and Dee for looking after my dogs for an extra night. I might not have my car back for two or three weeks, which will be a challenge, but there were blessings amongst the stress.
I think you’ll enjoy some of the beaut shots I captured over the past few days, it’s been so exciting. And I hope you like Cormac’s bronzewing.
Happy birding, Kim
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Explore The Mallee, near Patchewollock, is a great way to see birds and wildlife. Its a great B & B type place. Michael takes some great photos too. This is a lovely photo. Bronzewings are so beautiful. Well done to your young fellow.
I love the Mallee Judy, though being stranded up there wasn’t quite as lovely as driving around enjoying the sights and sounds!
I like the way the rust coloured edging of the bronzewing’s feathers, is almost exactly the same rusty colour as the old metal the bird is perched upon – these colours sort of echo each other – so that was a happy accident for Cormac! That was rotten luck about your car – but it makes us realise just how lucky birds are – they are so brilliantly designed, they don’t need petrol or tyres – they just take off – free as a bird!
I will mention that to Cormac. And how awesome it would have been to have taken to the wing without all the palaver – I feel more shaken this morning for some bizarre reason.
A few years ago some ‘common’ bronze wings visited us (I haven’t seen them since). When I identified them I said ‘common, shmomen’ and sneered. Well done to Cormac. I am sorry about the car dramas but glad that you both had an excellent time.
So you realised why I put ‘common’ in inverted commas! We could definitely have done without the car dramas, especially the scary part of it, but everyone’s loveliness certainly helped. I hope your bronzewings come back to where they will be very much appreciated.
A stunning shot from Cormac! Shame about the car dramas, get home safe xx
Didn’t he do well! I was seriously impressed xo