MONDAY SOMETIMES BEATS SUNDAY....

Funny what a difference a day makes... comparing yesterday's walk and today's. Weather was the same, threat of rain but didn't rain. Different route though. Today, I chose the Wetlands and actually put plastic bags over my joggers to cut down on soggy socks (refer to my last post if you don't understand that comment). It turned out to be quite a colourful walk. Firstly, I was thrilled to finally see (and snap) a rainbow bee eater, having been told how beautiful they are by a friend.  That was the highlight of the walk, just standing there watching it fly around, yellow wings catching the morning light. Magic. I've now learned even more about them, like they nest underground!

This little cutie was the highlight of yesterday's walk, a male golden whistler, colourful enough to make this post.

No doubt I can thank the watery sunlight for the stunning colours in this guy's feathers. A sacred kingfisher perched up high waiting for his breakfast.

This black-faced cuckoo shrike wasn't waiting around and I'm told that the caterpillar he's snatched would have turned into a Swallowtail butterfly.  Sigh.

I thought this photo showed where the shining bronze cuckoo got its name... although this one looks quite coppery as well.

The purple swamphens graze in the paddocks around the wetlands. They are quite skittish too. You'd swear I was using a shotgun, not a camera. I was taken with how prehistoric looking it appears in this photo.

Lots of these little birds around this morning, tawny grassbirds (I think).

It seems every second small bird I spot these days is one of these little silvereyes. But that's fine, may there be many more...

At first I thought I had some obscure bird in the viewfinder.. but realised pretty soon it's a male red-backed fairy wren which is losing it's breeding plumage. But I love it as much as the black and red.

And here is a female, much duller poor thing, but so sweet... he will look like this soon but with a black beak I've read.

Not all birds on this walk... spotted this green dragon fly which stayed still long enough to take a snap.

I was quite taken with this web. I thought spiders were perfectionists. I saw this a few days ago and now it has even less web detail above the centre.  Wonder if its learned that it keeps losing the top of the web so has adjusted?

Lots of wanderer butterflies around the area but haven't spotted any of the distinctive caterpillars yet.  All in all, a most enjoyable and interesting walk.