My morning walks close to home often are a welcome surprise. Clear skies and a cool morning add to the wonder of nature with the birds.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo feeding on emerging buds of Ornamental Pear in our backyard. Very inquisitive, noisy and sometimes mischievous. We usually see them in large flocks, sometimes hundreds. Another hollow log nesting large bird.

This female Maned (Wood) Duck was looking for nest sites. These ducks nest in hollow logs especially eucalypt (gum) trees-many other Australian ducks nest on the ground close to water. Not sure why they are called Wood ducks in Aus maybe because of the preference nest in hollows. It is a bit like disconcerting driving along a heavily wooded road and a Wood Duck flies out of the trees. It also looks amusing to see fledgings following mum and dropping some distance to the ground.

Close up of a Maned (Wood) Duck. She was not perturbed by me walking past, later I saw it wandering around the farmer’s paddock with its mate.

A male Golden Whistler with it’s beautiful call caught my eye high up in this Blakelys Red Gum.

White necked Heron with its neck pulled in (feeling the cold maybe) beside a local dam.

This Gray shrike Thrush has a beautiful call.

Australian Pelican coming in to land on a dam.

Square tailed Kite directly overhead at home. This is a new one for me. The jet powered Magpie is trying to harass this raptor.

Crested Pigeons enjoying the morning sun.

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