New put up, new continent! The title is already giving it away, however sure, I’ve returned to the wonderful nation of Australia and extra particularly – Western Australia. I say returned as I used to be right here final yr across the similar time. Function of my journey? Chasing wind and waves for my different habit (I imply ardour?) moreover birding – windsurfing. I’m right here with a purpose to compete in competitions, take pleasure in time with household, take within the sights and naturally stand in-awe and peer on the dazzling endemics of Western Australia.
Birding is just not a simple process down right here. It’s scorching, the birds are fast, the place there may be water there usually are plenty of flies making an attempt to crawl up your nostril, and moreover all that it’s important to watch your step as every part can kill you. Okay, perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration however only a slight one. Nevertheless, regardless of all this it’s completely beautiful! For a European birder like me, used to seeing a brownish warbler someplace behind an array of thick scrub, vivid, pink parrots also called Galah’s (Eolophus roseicapilla) flying simply above my head is sort of the sight. The colors stand out in birds reminiscent of parrots and honeyeaters that are in a fantastic abundance right here and could be seen in virtually each backyard. Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens) is a day by day sighting and could be heard virtually wherever each in a metropolis centre in addition to the bush.
Up to now in Australia my birding has been principally incidental with a couple of exceptions. However since I’m transferring round rather a lot in seek for wind I see a lot alongside the way in which. For instance, driving away from Shark Bay (beautiful space by the way in which) I noticed a fairly large hen on the street completely devouring a roadkill. A glance by the binos set my eyes on a Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax). It flew off and landed on a useless tree close to the street and I had a fantastic have a look at this beast. Darkish with a really contrasting gentle invoice makes this a wonderful raptor and additionally it is the most important on the Australian continent! Moreover rabbits and another small critters, roadkill is a vital a part of this species weight-reduction plan.
One other “shocker” for me was the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) or as my dad began calling them “piles of hey” as they do resemble a pile of hey barely with these fascinating physique feathers:) Within the city of Denham in Shark Bay, these birds are strolling proper within the city’s centre as they’d be pigeons in New York. I’ve to let you know that it’s fairly thrilling to see this dinosaur-looking hen simply strolling by like he owns the city and generally casually bumping in some folks while foraging with it’s head put down.
Australia actually is an fascinating nation with its landscapes, birds and khem sharks, snakes, spiders and so forth. and so forth. and so forth. 🙂 However regardless of all that it’s completely value visiting and you’ll be blown away. I’ve been right here for 2 weeks and I nonetheless acquired two weeks in entrance of me so in that point I’ll actually go on a walkabout and do some intentional birding and write up longer articles so you possibly can hopefully take pleasure in Australia by my phrases:)