Musings on life and times
I was taking photos of the sunset, affected by smoke from bushfires 100 km to the west of us. I did not see the bird coming! I have used a version of this photo before in an earlier post, but it so neatly fits this theme, I feel compelled to use it again.
This is in response to the weekly photo challenge, “share a photo that has a little something extra: an unexpected visitor, or a tranquil landscape with a splash of colour.” Other entries for this week’s challenge can be found here.
Grevillea “Moonlight”, is a hybridised Australian Native which attracts many of our native birds. One of the most frequent visitors is the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), a member of the honeyeater family, and appropriately named for constant tweeting!
Camera : Canon Powershot SX50HS, f6.5, ISO 800, exp. 1/160 to 1/500, focal length 215mm, the last photo at x4 digital zoom. Photos taken from an elevated position approximately 20 metres from the tree.
We are only in the first month of spring. Yesterday, after a long dry winter spell, we experienced temperatures over 30C and strong north westerly winds. Some parts of outer Sydney suffered several bushfires. One or two homes were lost and a few injuries incurred. It suggests we may be in for a long danger period this coming summer, especially for those living near ‘the bush’.
While the fires were well to the west of us, the smoke added ‘heat’ to the setting sun.
I wish I could claim credit for catching the bird in full flight!
