South Australia – Page 14

Tree “skin” & “grass tree” flower spike (#1 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series)

Published June 26, 2023 by Pelidoug

Tree “skin” & “grass tree” flower spike (#1 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series)

Northern South Australia and the south of the Northern Territory are deservedly celebrated for their vast, “cinematic” landscapes.

Any visitor can hardly fail to be in awe of the big skies, the far-distant horizons, and the extravagantly colourful, harsh/glorious, obviously-ancient terrain.

Too many visitors, however, fail to pay attention to what’s literally right in front of them, or just behind, or immediately above them.

The “small” view – of whatever is within “touching distance” – is almost always at least as rewarding as is any “sweeping plains and rugged mountain ranges” perspective.

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A spring on the Martian surface: water’s presence clearly revealed

Published June 25, 2023 by Pelidoug

A spring on the Martian surface: water’s presence clearly revealed

Is there a Great “Martesian” Basin, from which water “escapes” in certain places, forming petite “oases” on the planet’s otherwise “desolate” surface?

This gushing – or seeping – water originally arrived from the sky as rain… many thousands of human generations ago, when the proverbially dry Mars was a very wet place.

As you can see, the new photographic evidence is compelling.

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“From behind” (#6 in single-image series; Superb Fairy-wren)

Published May 27, 2023 by Pelidoug

“From behind” (#6 in single-image series; Superb Fairy-wren)

Superb Fairy-wrens and Splendid Fairy-wrens both deserve their names.

The former – Malurus cyaneus, pictured above – is the “Blue-wren” most familiar to humans who reside in Australia’s southeast.

The latter – Malurus splendens – is the Blue-wren most commonly seen in Australia’s southwest.

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Three of the same (#1 in a single-image series: kangaroos)

Published April 22, 2023 by Pelidoug

Three of the same (#1 in a single-image series: kangaroos)

Recently, in a “to cull, to tweak, or to let it be?” mission, I waded through nearly 10,000 images.

I suddenly realised that most of my “single species” wildlife photos involve either a single animal, a pair, or a group/flock/herd of more than four individuals.

Three, I think, is the rarest single-species group size…or number of individuals a photographer can “isolate”, successfully.

This little celebration of “companies of three” will range over three continents and at least one island….

It begins in one of my favourite parts of the island continent.

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A tiny slice of a wren’s life

Published February 4, 2023 by Pelidoug

A tiny slice of a wren’s life

If the relevant timepiece registered only minutes and hours, it would have said “9. 23 am” through all of this post’s eight images, which are presented in chronological order.

As it happens, my camera also records seconds, so I know that only 39 of them elapsed from first to eighth photo.

From image “1” through “7” only 21 seconds passed.

A recently-bathed Superb Fairy Wren – Malurus cyaneus – can adopt a great many different positions within such a “short” time!

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Summertimes, Coorong National Park

Published May 28, 2022 by Pelidoug

Summertimes, Coorong National Park

This sequel to previous post is the fruit of summertime visits, pre-pandemic.

Warmer days offer their own particular photographic opportunities and challenges.

Heat haze and mirages can render some “long lens shots” utterly pointless.

However, they can be the making of others.

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Coorong National Park (northern part, Autumn 2022)

Published May 25, 2022 by Pelidoug

Coorong National Park (northern part, Autumn 2022)

The featured image and the one below were both taken from a boat on the Coorong-proper – Australia’s longest lagoon.

Both photos look across its waters to the Younghusband Peninsula – the dune field that separates the Coorong from the Southern Ocean.

Sand and water are the Coorong National Park’s key components.

The former arrives via wind, and Southern Ocean waves.

Most of the “fresh”-ish supply of the latter is delivered by the Murray-Darling river system.

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Murray River meets Southern Ocean: little big mouth

Published May 22, 2022 by Pelidoug

Murray River meets Southern Ocean: little big mouth

The featured image’s Southern Ocean waves are breaking on the Younghusband Peninsula’s narrowest, northernmost section.

The peninsula’s tip is the southern “lip” of the mouth of Australia’s biggest river system; the cormorants are on the “freshwater side”, as was yours truly at 3.35 pm on 30 March 2022.

If you have never been to this spot, you may be thinking, “it looks splendidly wild, barely touched by humans”.

Alas, you would be very wrong….

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Fur seals: bad news for The Coorong?

Published May 18, 2022 by Pelidoug

Fur seals: bad news for The Coorong?

Over the last 15 years seals have become an increasingly common/obvious presence in the Coorong-proper and on/around the Goolwa Barrage.

This has delighted some people, but infuriated/worried some others.

Some of the infuriated/worried people perceive the seals as “intruders”, as “fish thieves”, as “out of control”, “a threat to fish and bird populations”.

So, who are these seals, are they “newcomers”, and are they a threat to “the natural balance”?

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Flight, Coorong National Park: gulls (with musical bonus)

Published May 10, 2022 by Pelidoug

Flight, Coorong National Park: gulls (with musical bonus)

When an Australian thinks of seagulls, the relevant species is almost certainly our most common, emblematic one.

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae – the Silver gull – has prospered mightily, post-1788.

Arguably, this highly-adaptable bird should no longer be described as a “seagull”.

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Tag: South Australia