Birds against a MtLawleyShire sunset

These are taken of clouds in the eastern sky –

pigeons flocking against the light of storms clouds building at sunset:

the colours are slightly enhanced, the photos ‘noisy’ but I liked the effect:

and teh structure of the clouds was amazing:

and ibis flying against softer clouds to the south-east:

A Summer Sunset over MtLawleyShire

It start gold and uncertain

 

swathes of cloud offered promise

 

and soon became great sweeps of gilded cream against the wash of crimson on the western horizon:

and the light lowered, the sweeps of cream became gold and powerful

dominating the sky in powerful washes

as the light departed, they deepened into waves across the sky

a desert upended

rolling and rich

the sky washed clean light blue and green is a wonderful contrast against rich reds and golds

and across the evening, the ibis flew home

 

 

even in detail, the sky retains the sand dune appearance

as day departs, the hues alter, become richer, more vibrant,

luminous

the untidy tatters of neon pink to the north-west contrasted with the red golds of those sweeping clouds

but all things end, especially sunsets and as light departs, it gives a rich gift, deepening the colours

changing them in some areas to crimson, and leaving the sky beneath the tattered veil of receding crimson and red, almost green and pale blue.

All clean for the next day.

A slow MtLawleyShire sunset

After an oppressively hot day, the late afternoon clouded over.  It looked like rain, but there was none, although it was much cooler:

a group of ibis flew across the clouded sky towards their roost:

and in the west, the sun was shrouded, casting a ring across striations of cloud:

 

As it sank lower, it was reflected in, then seemed to bend the clouds, creating interesting shades amidst the layers:

 

 

A hint of colour, sullen embers marking the meeting with the far horizon:

 

barely making a reflection in art deco windows:

 

I waited a few moments, but the day became duller.  I returned inside, uploaded the photos, checked outside and

OH!

The sky had exploded into late opulence:

 

flaring crimson waves of light:

an upturned desert of red:

and it began to fade into purples and pinks:

 

washing the lower part of the sky:

 

leaving a luminous glow far down on the horizon:

Reflecting the heat, but hopefully not for tomorrow.  This was a selection from what was a remarkable and beautiful sunset, from subtle to outrageous 🙂

MtLawleyShire’s Ravens from Matilda Bay

My last 2 visits to Matilda Bay have been graced with visits from the ravens.  Wonderful birds, clever, personable and their personalities are so visible in face and carriage.

I love taking portraits.

Here we have contemplative, quizzical and slightly surprised

 

The raucous:

 

Quizzical and beautiful:

 

and iconically disconcerting, even slightly creepy:

These, taken as this raven strutted along a stone wall, illustrate a sense of play – and possible threat:

slightly gangsterish: ‘you lookin’ at me?’

 

 

 

MtLawleyShire would love to fly: birds at Matilda Bay

Birds – well, mostly seagulls.  Seagulls sitting, flying.  Oddly enough, they were well-behaved today because normally, the raucous scallywags are everywhere, squabbling and messing with the peace of mind of patrons at the tearooms.

So I photographed them sitting in the dappled shade of the plane tree:

Standing as though in a meditative trance or preening on the river’s edge:

 

A little stranger standing quietly, possibly a fairy tern, and this seagull looking as though he’s going to have a go (he didn’t):

Three short-billed corellas who flew in from an earlier post

and seagulls flying: towards the tables of the tearooms:

 

over the river:

solitary but never alone: flying with your shadow:

 

 

 

or your reflection:

  

and this little guy playing at being Narcissus 😀

Now these – they came with the dolphins and left with them too.  Some I think are fairy terns, like this one:

but I am not sure of the others.  They were too far away.  But I loved their shape against sky or water:

 

 

And that is the last post of MtLawleyShire’s visit to Matilda Bay.

I hope you enjoyed it.  I will go again…..

 

MtLawleyShire’s raven portraits at Matilda Bay

There are many birds at Matilda Bay, and I love them all, even the seagulls with their pristine feathers and terrible table manners 🙂  But perhaps my favourites are the ravens.  Some I almost know by sight now.  This one with his repaired wing is one I have photographed many times:

this one was near the carpark against the light:

 

My friend with the repaired wing at the tearooms:

 

Another one perched on the sprawling roots of a Moreton Bay fig tree at the end of the carpark:

 

This fellow was sitting on fence posts by my car:

You lookin’ at me?  Well, yes I am, actually ’cause you’re beautiful!

 

Then he answered a group of his friends from trees across the road and he was gone:

Now – how did this young fellow get in here? This juvenile magpie should be with his mum in the previous post 😀

I hope you don’t think I’m overdoing the ravens.  Next post – the delightful surprise.

🙂

A little walk in MtLawleyShire

It was a short walk around streets.  There weren’t many flowers, but these looked lovely with the lowering sun making them glow:

 

a Grevillea peering over a garden wall:

It was too windy for the delicacy of bottlebrush flowers and I didn’t have much luck trying to capture the bee clearly:

 

but the light coming through the confused shadows was rich:

I saw a pair of magpie larks – this is the one bird, its companion was up on the telephone wires

 

The oblique light cast sundust over the streetscape:

a beautiful frangipani in a friend’s garden and her striking chilli plant:

 

There was only a smear of sunset tonight:

 

and the sky glowed in the east:

I hope you enjoyed these little souvenirs of a walk around a couple of blocks.

Next – the moon.  The new moon 🙂

Birds over MtLawleyShire

Sometimes I am lucky with timing and the camera

Ibis flying home, catching sunset in their wings:

 

and this – a surprise visitor.  A young hobby falcon on the flats just behind my house:

 

 

He hasn’t been back since.  I think he was newly fledged and looking for a territory.  I hope he found somewhere richer than my urban setting.

 

MtLawleyShire at Matilda Bay

An afternoon at Matilda Bay with a dear friend – not a cloud in the sky but, thankfully, it wasn’t too hot.

The light through the trees on the banks of the Swan River was magical:

 

trees on the edge of this vast expanse of the salty river always intrigue me:

The Matilda Bay Cafe isn’t just a haven for humans – the ubiquitous inhabitants, the seagulls.  Squabbling, fighting, flying, thinking – I can’t help liking them:

 

and they are beautiful, like all birds, in flight:

 

 

 

and there was another in the skies:

 

We were blessed by a glimpse of the endangered and beautiful Black Cockatoo.  They have come up to Perth as their remaining habitat is destroyed by logging and a drying climate:

 

just a glimpse of the pretty yellow bottom of a wattled honey eater:

and the river was graced by its most dignified inhabitant:

  

What magical moments will my next visit hold…

MtLawleyShire and the Ravens at Matilda Bay

An afternoon at Matilda Bay with a dear friend – and there were ravens everywhere. Adults and juveniles.  Some were so cheeky – playing peekaboo over our table:

 

I never thought to do portraits of ravens, but these fellows were just irresistible:

 

 

\

This fellow has had his wing fixed

 

He was delightful

And this is the best of them all:

They are beautiful birds and I feel honoured to have had them in my camera.

I hope you enjoyed them as well 🙂