A night capture taken at the Kruger Park South Africa

Happy New Year.
A walk along the lake.

I spotted this fisherman when i visited my son in Mozambique.

Please scratch my head!

Portrait of a Blue Heron.

A Wattle bird taken from my kitchen window.

Taken at Jervis Bay

Cockatoos are regular visitors and usually
meet around the bird pond at night.

An evening shot taken at Bodella National Park.



Late afternoon at Bodella National Park.
I camped there for a few days last month.
I noticed there were few birds and lizards present
since the fires. I never even saw a kangaroo.
However, it is a beautiful spot with a few lovely hikes down to a river.

I enjoyed watching this Tiger Seal
when i recently visited Narooma on the South coast

Happy New year to you all.
I hope you all stay safe and the new year will be a good one.

An old wheel on a farm road at Jamberoo.

I was camping at Jerrara and had two horses for company.Having fed them an apple each this one
gave me a big smile!

Spring flowers in a nearby garden.

For some reason i have not seen many birds about.
I have been trying to photograph waves instead!

I spotted these cockies on the beach.
They were either fighting or mating'

A pair of retrievers posing under Windang Bridge.

Sunset at lake Illawara

A poppy about to burst open.
Taken from a pot in my garden.

This lady was happy to pose for me.

This bright lorikeet
is a frequent visitor.
He loves my tree in front of the kitchen window.

A beautiful evening sunset
taken in front of my house.

A Wattle bird enjoying the blossoms
on my tree.
A frequent visitor!

I recently visited Jindibyne.
A friendly kangaroo turned around to say hello!

Perhaps one of the only natural spots left.
This is taken at Bass Point.
A very rugged coastline and a popular spot to dive.

Every evening the cockatoos arrive
and drink at my pond.
They are terribly noisy for a few hours
but amusing to watch.
This Mother is tired of its chicks constant crying and shutting it up!
I took this from my kitchen window,

Cattle Egrets are always seen around cattle.
I spotted this young one in a tree close to a dam
on the way to Jamberoo.
It was early morning and pretty bright but i was happy with the result.

This beautiful little girl lives close by'
Her best friend is her little hen!

There have been few birds about but this Night Heron
is a regular visitor to our Little Lake.
I love the intensity of his concentration on catching a fish.

This shot was taken at Port Kembla Beach
near sunset.

I was lucky to capture this shot at the right moment!

A Grey FALCON.
A VERY rare sight around here.

This little Honey Eater is a regular visitor.
This shot was taken from my kitchen window.

I am back again at last!
I took this shot of the Rainbow Lorikeets
from my kitchen window.
I have planted an Acacia tree which has red fluffy flowers blooming all year round. It has attracted
a variety of birds.

It has attracted so many birds.

Sally is in hospital with bad scalding to her back.
She asked me to choose one of her pics to put up for her.
This attractive shot shows an Australian Black Swan and
a Stilt. Get WEll Soon Sal.
Hal

This was taken from a distance at Shellharbour
Village.It was the carols by candlelight evening.
I wish all my friends on PBase a very Happy Christmas
and New Year too.

This little girl is sister to the twins in
my previous picture.
She looked like a little princess!

I could not walk past these twins on the beach! Their Mother
allowed me to take a picture of them in their Christmas outfits'
It was a bright afternoon and this pic is a bit over exposed.
Nevertheless they are so cute and i had to share the happy moment.

Laura loves to pose,
She is a friends granddaughter.

This cockatoo is a frequent visitor to my bird pond.

A spring walk at Barrack Point.

A Rainbow Lorikeet posing for me.

An Egret posing for me at sunrise.
I love these gracious birds.

Taken on a very cold and frosty morning.
I camped here for a few days.

Minamurra taken on a calm afternoon.Usually
there are many seagulls but i only saw one when i took this shot.

Driving to Jamberoo,a small country town, the geese have the right of way!

Two little girls sharing a secret!

Precious moments.

A young Cormorant sunning himself after a feed,

I spent a lovely morning at Minamurra. These children were playing so happily.

Reflections on lovely Lake Illawarra.
Hal and i spent a few hours here,watching the sun go down.

Three Pellies in the evening light.

Sunrise at a private estate near Jamberoo.
This dam is a nesting place for Egrets and Ibis.
Geese are often seen too, and fed on the road by local farmers.

A Quiet Winter Scene ...
Away From The Crowded City

I spotted this lizard in a rain forest.
It was not still for long and disappeared over the rock.

A beautiful early morning capture walking towards the Little Lake mouth.

I watched this Night Heron in the late afternoon.
He was still for a long time and eventually got lucky.
So was i!

This blue tongue lizard was feeding on an egg that had fallen out the hens cage.

I thought i would show this pic of the chick being fed.It was so special watching this family.

A doting mother feeding a bird to her young.
There were four in the nest.

Kestrel bringing a meal of Lizard
for her 4 chicks.
The nest is in rocks facing the ocean.
We can only get there when the tide and
the sun are right at the same time.

I find these Pellies amusing!I am sure Hal will find a fitting caption! I thought of this."Open wide so i can examine your tonsils!"

I see this Kestrel each morning on an early morning walk.
The pair have nested in the rock below Barrack point.
I have spotted the female on the nest and now waiting to see their young.
It is a difficult spot to photograph as at high tide i am up to my knees in the surf!

It looks like this fisherman got lucky
This was taken below Barrack Point, a very popular fishing spot.

Early morning walking on the farm in Natal South Africa, i would often spot Reid Buck.They would stop and stare at me and show no fear.

The Meanest Face ln the Outback !
A Vulture giving me an lcy Stare !

Pumpkins Anyone?

These unattended farm stalls in the country
work on the Honesty System.
Buy what you need and leave the money
in the box provided.

Wild EMU
In The OUTBACK
Emu are large flightless birds
a little smaller than an Ostrich

KANGAROO BONES AT ROADSIDE
IN THE RED CENTER.
'Roo skeletons in the Red Center
are a common sight as Roos frequently
jump in front of moving vehicles.
lt's quite rare to hit two Roos at the same time.
Cars using the OUTBACK roads usually have 'ROO BARS fitted,
to prevent severe damage to the front of the vehicle.

Camping alone, off unpaved roads,
with no-one around for hundreds of miles
in Australia's treeless Red Center
so-called for the red color of the desert sand.

I have always found these trees very attractive.So many shapes and sizes!
This shot was taken near Port Augusta.
I am leaving for South Africa and will be away for four weeks.I will be visiting my family. Yippee!

WILD HORSES.
They are called "BRUMBIES" in Australia.
lt is very rare to get this close to them.
I spotted these two at the foot of the Snowy Mountains.
I think they are very beautiful.

On my return home, i camped on the hill overlooking the Salt Lakes.This was the view from my van.
I was the only roadside camper!

Its Hals Birthday on 13th July.
This is for you Hal.A picture of the beautiful outback.
Happy Birthday. May you have many more.

My friend Suzanne enjoying the brilliant colors of this big rock.

I am back from my travels.
This was my first glimpse of Ayers Rock.
The outback was dry but beautiful.I loved the stillness.

Surfer At Dawn

Sally is away
For about 8 weeks, on a 2000+ Km camping trip
to Central Oz..
Hers is the front van. She is going with 2 friends
in the back vehicle and asked me to put up a few posts
for her so you'll know that she hasn't forgotten you.
Hal

I have become so fond of a family of Kestrels.
They are usually sitting in the crevices of a rocky shore habitat at barrack Point I usually see them on an early morning walk and this morning i was lucky to see them again.

I see these two Stilts everyday at low tide.
This shot was taken at sunrise.

This young Egret was in the little lake in front of my cabin. I love watching them dance around and finally catch a fish.

A family of swans.

I took this shot when i kayaked up the creek towards Shelharbour Village.

My grandchildren Emily and Josh met for
the first time in South Africa, during my visit.
It was not long and they had such fun together.
Josh is from Zambia, and Emily Greytown, Natal.

Debbie my daughter in law from Zambia.
You can see the bond between horse and her.

This morning i rode my bike along the shores of our lake.
It was pleasing to see more birds around!
I spotted this Tern about to take flight.

This is Huskisson Beach on the South Coast,
a truly wonderful spot where i enjoy camping.
On this particular morning the sky and reflections were magic!

Portrait of a Spoonbill.

Durban beach. My granddaughters enjoying a game!

Dubai at night, taken on an evening walk.
Imagine living in one of these skyscrapers!

Dubai is a very popular holiday destination for the English as the weather is always warm.
They visit during their winters.
I was enjoying the sights when i spotted these camels on
the beachfront. I did get to ride one!

Happy New Year to my friends on TTL.
I am back from my travels having visited
my family in Zambia and South Africa.
I stayed for a night in Dubai on my way over.
Dubai lies in the Arabian Desert and is situated on the Persion Gulf coast of United Arab Emirates.
An evening tour in a Land Cruiser took me 85km out of Dubai to the red dunes of Ali Hibab.
It was an amazing experience and we had a camel ride and entertainment included.

A common sight in Africa.
A woman will habitually carry things on her head.
This is strange to outsiders but so frequently seen in SA that one doesn't give it a second glance.
lnterestingly they are wearing Western clothes,
but the woman on the right
has a political message in English, on her blouse....
ANC LIVES ANC LEADS
Referring to the political party, the
African National Congress.

I pass this lovely garden almost every day
on my walk to the beach.
l decided that it is well worth photographing.

Last week, l photographed this girl surfing all alone on the incoming time at Killalea

Summer is here at last!
I took this shot whilst kayaking on our little lake heading towards the mouth.

A bee buzzing around this bright blue flower in my garden.

This little girl caught my eye at a garden show.

We visited the Botanical Gardens in Wollongong recently and i finally captured this bee in a rose after following it for some time.

A calm morning. Sun sea and clouds! How lucky we are to have this perfect beach on our doorstep.

This shot was taken at the Appen Falls where i recently camped with my van. Taken in the early morning so the light was good.

My five year old granddaughter Catherine , living in Zambia.
She loves to pose for a photograph!

Mallard ducks taken in our creek.

The trees around here are laden with berries.
This is a Fruit Dove enjoying a feed.

Egret taking off.
I had to chase it to get this shot!

Another shot of this Night Heron.
According to the book it is known
as intermediate morph or Brown Bittern.

I spotted this Heron on the rocks this evening.
It certainly looks ready for a good nights feed!

This Red Wattle bird was enjoying the nectar when i took this shot. Note the bees feasting too!

Friends! A blue Heron and Cormorant, often seen together on my early morning walk.

Cate, my 5 year old granddaughter who lives in Zambia.

This Cormorant got lucky! So did i on my early morning walk.

This young Kestrel and i are becoming good friends!
I took this pic from a distance of perhaps 6 meters from him and he sat on the rock quite happily.

Whilst walking recently, I watched this young Egret
catch and eat a fish.
It was a good size and it battled to swallow it.
A gull swooped down to share it, but the Egret won in the end!

At Barrack Heights , at high tide a waterfall is created. It is magic to see. I hope you all agree.

This shot was taken whilst taking a ferry ride to Palm Beach.It is a beautiful bay and famous for the TV series, Home and Away.It is an easy walk from this bay to the beach on the otherside.

A young Kestrel taken whilst out walking.

I have been waiting for so long to see a family of swans at Kilalea. Today i got lucky! There were three cygnets. The third was behind some reeds.

Wollongong Harbor taken early morning.

Lake Illawara, taken on a perfect day.

My son Gary has been visiting from Norwich.
This is a shot i took of him paddle boarding.

Hal feeding the gulls at Shellharbour Village beach.

Flying Ibis.

This shot was taken outside my cabin at sunrise.

On top of the world!
My precious two year old Grandson Josh.
Taken at Hole in the Wall, South Africa

I spent many early mornings trying to capture
Waxbills breeding in the river reeds at my families farm in Greytown. I finally got lucky with this bright little fellow !

This Zulu Lady works on the farm for a friend of
mine in Greytown Natal South Africa.
Note the mud she applies to her face to prevent sunburn.

During my Visit to Natal South Africa,
i visited a game park not far from Pietermaritzburg.
It was midday and not a good time for game viewing,
as the game make for shady areas.
I was lucky to spot this handsome Impala.

These horses are being herded to greener pastures to graze. This shot was taken whilst on a short visit to the Northern Drakensburg mountains in Natal South Africa.
Hal is familiar with this area so will appreciate a peep
at it!

This shot was taken from our cottage at Hole In The Wall in the Eastern Cape.
The Land is owned by the local blacks and the cottages have been leased by white families for 100 years.
It is a very rural spot and the locals make their living by diving for fish and yummy crayfish.

Red Winged Starlings taken
whilst in South Africa

The Hole In The Wall.
I spent 2 weeks holidaying with family here.
It is untouched and situated in the rural homelands
of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
The local people believe that the hole was
formed when the sea spirit fell in love with
a young maiden from the land and pulled her through the rock and out to sea.
They believe the young couples spirit is in the water
surrounding this great rock

Whilst holidaying at Hole In The Wall
in the Eastern Cape, I could not resist
taking a shot of these cute rural children.

This is my Grand Daughter Emily.
She is four years old and is the most beautiful little girl both in looks and nature.
I am in South Africa in the Midlands,Natal
where my family live.

It is wonderful to be back in South Africa with family.
This is my daughter Marianne and Grand Daughter Lauren
taken in Pietermaritzburg Natal whilst Christmas shopping.

This little Blue Wren was singing away
and did not seem to mind my closeness.

Tahlia is a lovely young Registered Nurse.
This shot was taken at the hospital when she agreed to pose for me during a tea break.

Guess who this is?

I have discovered a spot where
these Oyster Catchers enjoy a feed at low tide.

I picked this lovely rose
growing in a pot outside my cabin.
It smells as lovely as it looks.
Its wonderful to have summer on our doorstep again!

What can we buy?
A friends grandchildren taken when we stopped for
lunch.

This is me kayaking from Little Lake
towards the mouth.
It was a glorious day with a very calm sea.
Its a great way to relax.

This shot was taken whilst kayaking
on our Little Lake where i live.
The little duck kept me company.

View from Barrack point. Taken in the late evening.

This is a little bay at Bass point.
Hal is sitting under the umbrella enjoying the sun!

A sleeping Pigeon Taken under Windang Bridge.
It looked so peaceful i had to capture it!

This shot of the rainbow over the sea at Warilla Beach was taken late afternoon after a storm
It was magic to see!

Cloud reflections on Lake Illawarra.

Taken on a fine spring morning.

This is a shot of Shaylee who is very much a part of my life.
She lives next door to me and is a little ray of sunshine.

A white Egret in action.

A colorful little Water Hen hiding in the reeds.
Taken at Kilalea lake.

This is our lovely beach at Warilla.
It was taken in the early evening.

This is the last shot i got of the Heron and Ibis.
The angry Heron won in the end!
I dont know what the drama was about but it
could have been territorial.

This is my second shot of the Ibis and Blue Heron.

This is the first of three shots i have taken.
I gather the Ibis is encroaching on the Herons territory and he is really angry. Taken on the Illawara Lake on a beautiful winters morning at low tide.

This shot was taken on a beautiful winter morning whilst bike riding.
The reflections on the water were simply beautiful.
This is for you Hal. Happy Birthday.

I spent a few days at the Blue Mountains
recently and this was taken on an overcast rainy day.
A beautiful escape!

I could not identify this Raptor.
My neighbor tells me it is a Hawk.
They have a caged bird and this fellow was looking for a feed!
He appeared to be very tame so could have escaped from an aviary.

This little Wren stopped for a moment and i was lucky
to get a shot. They move all the time and are difficult to capture!

This shot was taken from Warilla beach, looking towards Windang Island.
This cloud was so amazing with the early morning light

The CALL OF THE WILD

A white-faced Heron
on the rocks at the edge of the ocean.

My neighbors ten year old daughter loves to go out hiking with me.
She took this shot at Kilalea and edited it too.
Hats off to Shaylee!

Hal and i were walking at Minamurra .
Suddenly i saw this crow swoop down and
pick up what i thought was an egg.It
turned out to be a golf ball!

This lovely Zambian lady teaches my grand daughter in Ndola, Zambia.
She was very happy to pose for me.

I spotted this Oyster Catcher whilst walking along the local beach at low tide.
They are very eye catching with their strong red beaks and red legs.

This Egret has become a frequent visitor.
Taken in the late evening.

Hal playing the keyboard.
He is self taught and doing amazingly well.

Taken late evening on our local beach.

This little Wader taking a stretch.

My friends Grand Daughter feeding the seagulls.
This was taken in front of my cabin.

Windang Bridge taken at sunset.
I used to live very close to this bridge.
At sunset one can usually spot many people fishing.
The Pellies hope for an easy feed when the fishermen clean their catch.

The bridge joins the suburbs of Windang and Warilla, where i live now.
The lake is very popular for kayaking and long boarding too.

I was really excited to see this Snake Bird (Anhinga)
at the water's edge in front of kitchen window a few days ago.
lt's the first one I've seen here.
l dropped everything and rushed to grab my camera
and quietly went outside and got a few shots of it.
Here is one of them, in which strangely,
it seems to have a double twist in its neck.

Sunrise from Barrack Point
The point of land, just mentioned by Hal.

These Falcons are common in our parts.
This fellow was circling above me looking for prey.
Luckily I had my camera at the time.

I think this is known as the Nankeen Night Heron.
I sometimes spot him in the early morning when the tide is
coming in.

The Steamer "Earnslaw" at Queenstown on a mountain lake in New Zealand.
The boat was built in Dunedin over 100 years ago and was brought to the Lake
in sections, where it was assembled.
One of its main functions was and is to supply Sheep Farmers on the mountain side of the lake,
where there are few road links to any towns.

The Earnslaw is also very popular with tourists
and there is a most interesting historical museum on board of the early years
on the lake and showing photos and relics of early paddle steamers
that were used in the 1800's.

The mountains in the background are called "The Remarkables"
and in Winter are very popular with skiers.
Ski lifts operate all year round for sight-seers.

This shot was taken in New Zealand, South Island.
We did a flight over the highest peaks including Mount Cook.
It was a truly wonderful experience.

This cactus flower blooms for one day only.
The little hornet became very clear with cropping.
Hal gave me the idea to create this semi abstract image.
Thank you Hal!

My Daisies are in full flower.
A cheerful way to say Happy New Year to you all.

Happy Christmas to all my friends on TTL.
Can someone identify this little bird please.

I have only sighted this Night Heron after dark or
early in the morning.
For some reason it was at our little lake
at midday having a feast of small bream which was fascinating to watch.
The sea gulls merely looked on!

I took this shot when I went bike riding along our
lake. Sometimes one is lucky and there is
a variety of sea birds to see, especially swans.

This Pelican managed to steal
the eel from another and took
flight very smartly!
It was amusing to watch.

Hal and I had a lovely day out
at Kilalea today.
The weather was perfect and it was a bonus
to come across this lovely Blue Heron in
the grass. We usually see them at the waters edge.

This little wren was only still
for a moment to allow me to capture her.

This little girl in her
own little world caught my eye.
She had no fear of the sea.

We went out recently with cameras in hand
and I took this shot of Hal.

This couple travelled on a bus with me to Bundanoon.
I came across them exchanging some loving words in the open garden.

This late evening shot was taken at our lake.
It is a very popular picnic spot.

This is a favourite shot
of my young granddaughter
taken in Zambia.

I was very fortunate to capture this
White Fronted Bee Eater whilst staying
in Zambia.

Mother and Child.
This shot was taken in Zambia.
We were doing an early morning drive
and this zebra and foal crossed the road
in front of us.

Trouble At The Birdbath
l put this birdbath in front of my cabin
and it attracts quite a variety of wild birds.
This shot was taken early one morning.
The seagulls are very possessive and don't like
to share with the other birds.
The birds in this shot are :
Silver Gulls, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, and
a solitary Pee Wee.

This is a lovely walk up to Barrack Point.
It is a popular spot for surfers.

IMPALA IN ZAMBIA
A group of young male Impala Taken in Zambia.
They are always on the lookout for lion.

I was lucky to capture this little Bee Eater whilst in Zambia.
Apparently they rub the bee on the bark of the tree to remove the bee sting.
How clever is nature.

Two little children in a big wide world.
My Grand-children, Catherine and Jennah
living in Zambia where my son is working for a few years.

The African Saddlebill Stork
l photographed this lovely and unusual bird
in the Game Reserve in Zambia

I came across these pelicans when I visited Ulladulla Harbour which is on the south coast.
It seems that the rock is a favourite perch!

Yellow Billed Stork.
Taken in Zambia.
So exciting to see different species of birds for the first time!
This bird had just caught a Catfish, called a Barbel in South Africa.
lt must use some special senses to catch a fish
in that murky water.
Maybe it picks up vibrations through its legs.

Eastern Reef Egrets ??
l took this shot recently on the coast about 8 miles South of home.
None of the people at the Bird Club could give an lD of the birds.
They've never seen them before!!

Nearest they could say was that they are likely a mutation,(having prominent crests)
of the very rare Eastern Reef Egret..... that most members have never ever seen.

l was alone at the time, so sadly for him, Hal missed out !!

I photographed this elephant family
in a game reserve in Zambia.
The well protected baby elephant
is just one week old

A Portrait of Emily.
One of my grand-children here in South Africa.

These two giraffes were taken at Mfuwe Game Reserve in Eastern Zambia.

Bass Point juts out into the ocean.
lt is not visited all that often and
retains a wild and unspoilt atmosphere.
Rarely one sees gannets diving for fish there
but though very large flights of lovely silver gulls, like this one,
are also rare, l was fortunate enough to capture this shot of them
flying out over the surf.

This White Faced Heron is a regular visitor at our little lake.
They make a loud croak when startled.

I grew these lovely roses in pots which stand outside my cabin.
They flower continuously and give me great joy.

Pelicans on the Lake.
These are quite common around here.
They are different from the American variety,
as these pellies do not dive for their food.

This picture of Killalea Beach was taken at sunrise.
Hal and I had breakfast at the picnic area, above this lovely beach.
Some years ago this was a dairy farm. The owners charged the surfers two dollars to access their beach.

This picture was taken at Minnamurra, not far from where I live.
It is a great place for hiking and swimming.

This picture was taken on my way south to Nowra.
It is a small farm with a vineyard in the background.
We have had a lot of rain recently so the countryside
is very green.

Lake Illawarra taken at sunset.

These lovely-looking wild birds are not very popular around here.
They are very noisy and quite destructive to things like
rubber windshield seals and woodwork.
They usually fly around in flocks of 10 or more and
can kick up a terrible screeching din.

Some are kept as pets and can be taught to talk.

Warilla Beach taken at sunrise.
This is our local beach.

This picture of a flying White Faced Heron
was taken at Killalea State Park.

Young Kestrel
I was sitting at the base of
Windang Island and I heard
a high pitched call.
I looked up and saw this young Kestrel watching me.
I was very lucky to get this shot.

This was taken at Windang Island.
These days it is not an island anymore.
It was joined to the mainland in the 1870's
when a railroad was built to remove rocks from the island.

Two Swans on Lake Kilalea
lt's Spring Time here in Australia.
Hopefully we'll be able to photograph Cygnets soon.

Black Swans
This photo was taken at a recreation park
called Kilalea.
lt is about 6 miles from where l live.

This photo of a Royal Spoonbill
was taken in Little Lake,
a tidal inlet opposite to where l live