It’s time to share some gorgeous photographs I took a while ago on Mud Islands, near the entrance to Port Phillip Bay in Victoria.
Watching terns is a seriously fabulous pastime. They are so graceful and photogenic.
And just when you’ve decided they are the ballet stars of the skies they start squabbling.
Greater Crested Terns are the first species to test positive for H5N1 bird flu in Victoria. Please check my recent post Bird flu what can we do and keep checking the guidelines for how to respond to this rapidly developing situation.
Renowned birder Bill Oddie passed away this week. Never before has his suggestion seemed quite so poignant: “My plea to people would be to ‘go naked’ occasionally – take off those earpieces so you hear nature and, of course, birdsong. You may not realise how precious it is until it’s gone.”
Happy birding, the sights and the sounds, Kim
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra – 11K+ followers
~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
~ Etsy – prints via me at Kim Wormald lirralirra
thankyou for that beautiful quote from Bill Oddie,condolences.
also for the reminder about bird flu and what we should be aware of! ❤️❤️❤️
I’m glad you liked the quote and information Sue, thank you for letter me know. It is a worrying time isn’t it 🙁 x
Hi Kim I am a great lover of birds and am always so delighted to receive your latest news and captivating images of these beautiful creatures. The pix of the Greater Crested Tern are particularly poignant tonight as I have just read the headline that this dreadful virus is spreading into our local population. My daily coast walks (never with headphones, I must say!!) are increasingly gut-wrenching as I look at all our gorgeous unsuspecting local birds and hope they aren’t stricken. It’s just so sad. So your latest photos in my inbox are especially moving. One of my teachers used to quote Keats’ La Belle Dame Sans Merci – with its expression of utter desolation as ‘The sedge is withered from the lake and no birds sing.’ Let’s all hope we have birds left to sing. Helen
Oh Helen, you have expressed your love for your local birds and your dread for their future so clearly – it’s heart-wrenching. Enjoy every moment you have with them, and perhaps it’s good that they are unsuspecting and can go about their lives without the knowledge of how much we fear for them. That quote, ‘and no birds sing’, it’s unimaginable
Beautiful terns! RIP little Billykins. Forever my Goodie ☺️
Such a fascinating, talented man. I wish he’d lived to be 110
Loved Bill Oddie Kim.
Remember him well in The Goodies and of course he loved his birds.
RIP Bill.
A fabulous man.
I used to enjoy The Goodies too Avril, and remember being pretty surprised to realise he was an avid birder. Definitely a fabulous man.