SUNSET

Sunset in the Melbourne suburbs.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

MELBOURNE SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

SUNSET RENDEZVOUS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

SUNSET SILHOUETTES

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

WETLANDS

The Cheetham and Altona Important Bird Area comprises several wetland sites on, or close to, the north-western coast of Port Phillip in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Collectively they total 1223 ha in area and lie within, or adjacent to, the western suburbs of the city of Melbourne. They were classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because they support more than 1% of the world populations of Red-necked Stint, Chestnut Teal and Pacific Gull.

The IBA includes the undeveloped coast between Williamstown and Seaholme, including the Jawbone Reserve, Altona Coastal Park, Rowden's Swamp, the Cheetham Wetlands, Truganina Swamp, with the Spectacle Lakes complex and RAAF Lake of Point Cook Coastal Park. These contain all the remaining freshwater wetlands, saltpans, intertidal mudflats and shallow inshore waters which support the key bird species.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

AFTERGLOW

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

WERRIBEE WEATHER CHANGE

Autumn is a season with much variation in the day-to-day weather and quite sudden changes in temperature with sometimes a rain shower developing as skies darken with threatening clouds in a few minutes. This has given Melbourne a reputation for changeable weather, and the saying maligning it: "If you get all four seasons in one day, you must be in Melbourne."

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

AUTUMN EVENING

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

MAGPIES

The Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen) is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Although once considered to be three separate species, it is now considered to be one, with nine recognised subspecies. A member of the Artamidae, the Australian magpie is classified in the butcherbird genus Cracticus and is most closely related to the black butcherbird (C. quoyi). It is not, however, related to the European magpie, which is a corvid.

The adult Australian magpie is a fairly robust bird ranging from 37 to 43 cm in length, with distinctive black and white plumage, gold brown eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. The male and female are similar in appearance, and can be distinguished by differences in back markings.The male has pure white feathers on the back of the head and the female has white blending to grey feathers on the back of the head.  Juveniles are blotchy grey as the youngster on the right in the first photo and the one in the second photo. With its long legs, the Australian magpie walks rather than waddles or hops and spends much time on the ground.

Described as one of Australia's most accomplished songbirds, the Australian magpie has an array of complex vocalisations. It is omnivorous, with the bulk of its varied diet made up of invertebrates. It is generally sedentary and territorial throughout its range. Common and widespread, it has adapted well to human habitation and is a familiar bird of parks, gardens and farmland in Australia and New Guinea. This species is commonly fed by households around the country, but in spring a small minority of breeding magpies (almost always males) become aggressive and swoop and attack those who approach their nests. Magpies were introduced into New Zealand in the 1860s but have subsequently been accused of displacing native birds and are now treated as a pest species. Introductions also occurred in the Solomon Islands and Fiji, where the birds are not considered an invasive species.

The Australian magpie is the mascot of several Australian sporting teams, most notably the Collingwood Magpies and Port Adelaide Magpies. There are several names given to a group of magpies, but perhaps the most descriptive is “a parliament.” The birds have earned this title as a result of their often appearing in large groups in the Spring, looking stately and cawing at each other.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.