Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

My Christmas Card to you all

This is my favourite photo of 2009. It is a Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) emerging from her nest hollow in a Brittle Gum (Eucalyptus mannifera).

It was taken on Black Mountain, Canberra, one afternoon, when I was there for my father's funeral. So it was taken in late September.

Two Rosellas flew down the hill and one landed straight on the edge of the hollow. It looked at me, and decided (rightly) that I was no threat to it.

I did not know if she was feeding young, or going to lay an egg. I decided to wait, and sure enough, she came out after about 7 minutes. There was no noise, and given the early season, she was probably laying an egg.

She emerged, looked around and realised I was still there. That made her uneasy, and she flew away quickly.

Fortunately, I had plenty of time to focus the lens, and test the light settings, while she was inside the nest hollow.

What a lovely bird.

Please click on the image to enlarge it - to make the card easier to read.

9 comments:

tilcheff said...

Merry Christmas, Denis, and best wishes for the New Year!

A beautiful photo of a beautiful bird indeed.
N

Duncan said...

All the best to you for Christmas and the New Year Denis, and keep on blogging!

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Duncan and Nickolay
Duncan, let me say how much I have enjoyed and appreciated your own Blogging. So much to learn!
Nickolay, having seen your Flying Fox Farewell, they were beautiful, and very interesting presentation (to stand them upright). You are right - our eyes work better that way.
In case that was your final presentation - let me thank you for ALL your stunning images.
Happy Christmas to you both.
Denis

tilcheff said...

Hi Denis,
Glad you liked the bat photos!

I have about a dozen more posts left and a folder of images that should all go there before the end.
I'll definitely write a clear final post when that time comes. It will be very soon.

Thanks again for all your support
Nickolay

Tyto Tony said...

Lovely idea, Denis. All the best to you and to Robertson for 2010.

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Tony
spoken like a true wordsmith - it is the ideas which keep Blogs alive, I believe.
Cheers
Denis

Sebastian said...

Merry Christmas Denis! All the best for the new year.

Gaye said...

And Merry Christmas to you too, Denis.

What a bright and cheery bird the Crimson Rosella is, and what a wonderful opportunity to take in the details of nature following the sad occasion.

Kind regards,
Gaye

Denis Wilson said...

Thanks Gaye.
Yes, I was "escaping" to a peaceful scene, and this was one of the highlights of Nature.
I went back to that as my favourite photo of the year, based solely upon the result of the image, but it was also a nice parallel to the "nativity scene" we see so badly abused at this time of year.
Cheers
Denis