Japan: Fukuoka’s Ohori Park

Ohori Koen is host to birds, turtles and large carp in the lake. It’s a great open space incorporating many attractions and old ruin sites. Unfortunately, Fukuoka Art Gallery and the Japanese Garden were closed today, the former due to a large-scale renovation which will be completed in 2019.

Kouroken was once an ancient guesthouse which was only discovered less than forty years ago. They excavated the site and uncovered many artefacts belonging to migrants from Iran who travelled along the old Silk Roads.

There is not much remaining of the old Fukuoka Castle save for some ramparts, which provide a great view of the park and the city.

Birds on the high tide

I’ve been walking. Lots. On most days, the iPhone comes with me, largely so I can listen to podcasts, and also to capture anything of interest along the way.

Today, I took my old faithful Sony mirrorless camera and caught some of birds that might be described as local regulars.  The migratory shore birds are in abundance at the moment, but find other places to roost when the tides are as high as they were this morning.

The Veronica chronicles: a road trip

We’re off tomorrow on a road trip, just me, my American travelling companion (henceforth to be referred to as TC) driving a 9 year old Holden Viva called Veronica.

For the next week and a half, I hope to bring you regular briefings on our notes and observations. The route will remain a close-kept secret to all but the driver to avoid accusations of getting us lost.

In the meantime, we broke TC in to some Australian cultural experiences with a couple of nights on Stradbroke Island. A State of Origin football match at the Bowls Club was a curiosity, but not nearly as big a hit as the natural wonders of the island. Here are a few highlights.

Early morning Ibis – Adder Rock beach

Eastern Osprey – Adder Rock

Kangaroo and dunes south of Main Beach

Sooty Oyster-Catchers – Main Beach

Myora Springs at low tide. No place demonstrates the value and beauty of mangroves as this one.

 

pelicans – Brooms Head

It’s been a while since I picked up the camera. This past week or so, we’ve been in Sydney. Yesterday afternoon on the last day of a three-day drive home, I communed with pelicans on the beach at Brooms Head. Such wings!

California – Point Lobos Natural Reserve

This place just south of Monterey on the Californian coast must rate as some of the most spectacular shoreline scenery in the world. Not only was the autumn weather just glorious, the wildlife was plentiful. We saw harbour seals, sea lions, otters, pelicans, gulls, egrets and cormorants. A feast for the soul.

a change of pace on Meeru Island, Maldives

Just over an hour’s flight from Colombo is Male, the capital of the Republic of Maldives. We’re spending a couple of days on Meeru Island before heading home on Sunday with a short stopover (connections willing) in Singapore, then the night flight home.

After the hectic lively pace of Colombo, Meeru Island is all about bare feet and chilling out.

Feeling very fortunate on a multitude of levels.

  

young magpie and mother

This young magpie and his mother are regular visitors to our back yard. While I was hunting for new spiders this morning, they descended onto the fence. I lifted the camera to take a quick shot of the two of them, when  ……. 

Port of Brisbane wetlands – egret

This lone egret was a good candidate for some fun adding poster effects to some photos.

    

Port of Brisbane wetlands

We took a short visit out to the Port of Brisbane on Monday to check out the activity at this roosting site. The cast of birds included sooty oyster catchers, pelicans, pied cormorants, stilts, egrets, ducks and an unidentified kite of some sort.

There are two hides at this location. Visitors need to head to the Port of Brisbane office nearby to collect a key to gain access to the area. After returning the key, we took the lift to the Observation Cafe for some coffee and apple pie that came with a great view of the mangroves and St Helena Island in Moreton Bay.

garden visitor: white-faced heron

Captured through still-waking-up Sunday morning eyes this morning, this now seemingly regular visitor to the garden showed off its navigation skills on departure.

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bird flight treatments

I’m still working on capturing flight moments. Much depends on the time, place and settings. So when the composition of this white-faced heron worked, it seemed a shame to dispose of the image altogether just because of a lack of focus.

Same goes for this young magpie and the pelicans, all caught over the past two days on my wanderings.

Sunday morning bird action

Just over a fortnight ago, I came across this mound and a lone Brush Turkey on a rainy walk. Early on Sunday morning I found the pair on the same mound. They were making adjustments to the nest together presumably getting the temperature just right for when the eggs are laid. Spring is definitely with us.

Down on the point, I’m persisting with my self-imposed learning journey to capture birds in flight.