Duck reflection

We are having to do quite a bit of watering due to this dry spell so had to transfer water from the bottom dam to the top dam. As I was getting the pump ready, a solitary Black Duck was paddling along at the opposite end of the dam and as we don't see them on the dam that often, had to record the moment.

Black ducks Anas superciliosa are widespread in Australia as well as being found in Indonesia, New Zealand, New Guinea and across Polynesia. Next to the Wood Duck they are the most seen duck in our area and as well as farm dams they are found around Wallis Lake as they don't seem to mind the salt water environment.

Thirsty

We have gone from an above average wet period to a very dry spring and the effects are showing on the vegetation and the fauna. Our bird baths and ponds are now a magnet for the thirsty and today a pair of rufous whistlers chose the fish pond as the best spot to cool off and take a drink.
The female stoped long enough on a stem of our bamboo palm to have her photo taken.

Emperor tale

A Wedge-tail eagle gliding across the front of our house had me getting the camera but as usual by the time I had the camera the eagle had gone over the ridge. However I then noticed a butterfly fluttering around a shrub in the garden, it then became the subject. I recognised it as a Tailed Emperor Polyura pyrrhus semipronius, one of the most striking butterflies that visits our area.

It was very busy depositing eggs under the leaves of a Cootamundra Wattle one of the Acacias that are a favoured food plant for the lava. Their range is throughout northern Australia, NSW and at times into Victoria and SA.
Later in the afternoon I sighted one sunning and managed to get a photo with the wings partially open.

Baby python

Getting our gardens ready for our Garden Club's open garden weekend and then being away has kept me away from the blog, but now we are back to normal I thought I should get going again.

This one goes back some weeks and the photo was taken by Lee who with his family were staying in the holiday cottage. The wildlife was quite active with lots of birds, our resident Lace monitor around and this baby Diamond Python put in an appearance.