Sunday, April 19, 2009

Blue Skies

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Blue Skies...




After more than two weeks of rain in Queensland the blue skies have returned. Our area received over 300mm (12") in a few days causing flooding in the hinterland where one of our neighbouring towns was flooded twice in two weeks. The rainfall is good news for the dams and our water restrictions have been eased.




Inland on the floodplains of Southwest Queensland tens of thousands of water birds have flocked to take advantage of what the experts describe as the best conditions in 20 years.
Many more birds will be arriving soon at Lake Eyre in South Australia as it fills with flood waters from Queensland rivers.




At Lake Machattie, north of Birdsville this week an estimated
30,000 pelicans massed on two sand bars, tending eggs and chicks.



One indigenous ranger said that the extent of
waterbird nesting was the greatest in memory.



At another colony 80,000 ibis are nesting and there are also ducks, spoonbills,
egrets, cormorants taking advantage of the floodwaters to breed.



Without occasional flooding the future of many of these
species would not be assured.



Vast areas of the inland that have been bare earth for years
are now meadows of lush grass.





It is a mystery how birds know when and where to head inland.





Altogether another reason to be filled with awe and wonder...




Sourced from The Weekend Australian April 18-19, photos by David Sprouke
For more photos see the article here.

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22 comments:

  1. yeah Nature can't be beaten.... love the pictures.
    I want to visit lake Eyre so much especially now the lake is full of water!

    have a nice evening.

    xxx Mona

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  2. SO amazing ...and pelicans are a favourite of mine!

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  3. Mona,

    How are you after a lovely Sunday?

    Wouldn't it be perfect to see the inland areas now with all the new growth...

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  4. Hey SL
    I loved your post and am still feeling good about it...
    Pelicans never cease to amaze me when they coast in to land on the water...so gracefully - so huge...so ungainly...so beautiful...

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  5. I found your blog in Lola's. Was wondering if you are from Australia. You show tons of creativity. I am also in the early autumn of my life and am enjoying it a lot. I am a man from Roma. Ciao. I'll come back.

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  6. Oh I am so happy to hear you all have had rain. Same here, we needed it desperately. Beautiful photos. The wonder of nature is truly inspiring & breath-taking! Thanks for sharing this wonderful event!

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  7. I'm glad you have your water back--I hate water restrictions! The pictures are incredible.

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  8. Water will be more precious than oil some day...These photos are stunning! ...it must be a wonderful sight to see and photograph...do you live near enough to visit this place?

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  9. Delwyn,
    those pictures are spectacular!

    I wanted to thank you for leaving your kind comments on my blog and wished to reassure you that I will not entirely disappear, I will post a little less and have fewer chances to run through my blogroll every night like I do now.

    Ciao, and again grazie for the wonderful images

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  10. Good morning to the man from Roma,
    How nice to have another 'early Autumner' for company...
    Thank you for the nice comments and I will come and visit you later today...
    Happy days

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  11. Lizzy,
    Its nice to have a chat with you,
    Did you notice that on my awards post I gave another 'Renee' to you, knowing that you had one didn't stop me from giving you another!
    We will never tire of nature pictures and stories will we...
    happy days Lizzy

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  12. Hi Jelica,
    now my son tells me that some water restrictions are going to stay - the theory is that we have all become used to being stringent and the council want us to maintain this attitude of deprivation!

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  13. Oliag,
    Most Australians live on a thin coastal stretch running up the eastern seaboard of the continent.The rest is all desert.
    Au is a huge continent, larger than North America!

    So these areas are a long way inland. I would like to go to Lake Eyre in Sth Au after the rains to see the wondrous transformation. - one day...

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  14. Lola,
    Well I have enjoyed our blog friendship and hope that we will maintain a connection in the future too,
    So happy Days Lola...

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  15. I nearly didn't find this Ogden Nash Poem and was going to share a very good poem of his about a Pizza instead, but then I found it:

    THE PELICAN

    A curious bird is the pelican.
    His beak can hold more than his belly can.
    He can hold in his beak
    Enough food for a week
    But I wish that I knew how the hell he can.

    (Attributed to Ogden Nash)

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  16. Alden,
    good on you for hunting that out.
    My grandfather used to recite this poem to us...and the others would all shush him for his uncouth language...

    He had a sign in his huge Timaru backyard warning visitors to be careful at a particular tree...

    It read "Watch your plurry head"- not a word we hear now.
    The story goes that the visiting pastor was impressed by it...
    thanks for adding to today's post my friend.
    Happy days

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  17. Welcome Bunga,

    I translated your blog but it is still tricky to read. I will visit you again.
    Happy days

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  18. ...?! The birds and the Ranger...it looks computer generated...the Earth is an amazing planet! I wonder what all them pelicans SOUND like! lol

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  19. Tulsa,
    hello my friend,
    It does look that way but if you go to the article you will see that it is part of a series.
    As for pelican noise, I have never heard them making any noise!
    however the chicks and mothers must communicate.

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  20. The second photo is mind-blowing. It looks like birds on a canvas. Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  21. Hi Mr Cuban,
    it reminds me of some wooden mobile pelicans we bought when we first moved here, which flapped their wings when the breeze blew over them.

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