Flowers of the Canberra Botanic Gardens
Daisy, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
We always enjoy visiting botanic gardens, no matter where they are. We have found over the years that most gardens have an excellent range of plants and flowers which keeps my wife interested. I also enjoy taking photos of the flowers. An added bonus is the often prolific bird life, which interests me. I use my observations to write about on my birding blog.
One of the best – arguably the very best – such garden is the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. We have visited these gardens on every occasion we have been to Canberra. In 2007 we spent a whole day there and only covered about half the gardens.
In this post I will feature some of the flowers I photographed on our visit earlier this year. (You can see other flower photos in the posts published in the previous few days, and also in the coming few days.)
Flowers, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Flowers, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Kangaroo Paw flower, Australian National Botanic Gardens
The Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra are worth a visit at any time of the year. We have visited on a every occasion we have been to Canberra and never tire of these magnificent gardens.
Set on the slopes of Black Mountain and only a short distance from the heart of Canberra, these extensive gardens are a tribute to our wonderfully diverse and beautiful plants and flowers. Most of the paths are very easy walking but some can be a little steep. Many are wheel chair friendly which makes walking for the rest of us a breeze.
I enjoy the bushland setting of the gardens; you forget that you are a five minute drive to the centre of our capital city. The birdlife is prolific with many wonderful species. They are used to people in large numbers, so photographing them I find very rewarding. There is always something flowering too, and I enjoy getting photos of the many plants in flower.
Eastern Spinebill on Kangaroo Paw flowers, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Kangaroo Paw flower, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Sturt Desert Pea, Australian National Botanic Gardens
After our short holiday in Sydney last year we drove to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. We were visiting friends of our daughter. After unloading the car we had a few hours in the afternoon free so we decided to head over the the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
These botanic gardens would have to be our favourite such garden in Australia. On our last visit in 2007 we spent a whole day there. This time we only had a few hours on a beautiful summer’s afternoon and evening.
I had a great time photographing birds and flowers. My wife concentrated on the plants only while our daughter found several comfortable seats to read a book.
Banksia flower, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Flower in the fern gully, Australian National Botanic Gardens
Birds at the Sydney Fish Markets
Silver Gull, Sydney Fish Markets
Australians a quite used to having Silver Gulls watching them as they eat picnic lunches, especially if any seafood is on the menu. While we were eating our lunch in the picnic area on the wharf at the Sydney Fish Markets, several Silver Gulls kept a close eye on our food, especially the individual shown in the photo above.
He went hungry.
At least we didn’t feed him anything. Others in the vast crowd may have been more compassionate and shared their lunch.
A very bold White Ibis patrolled the footpath between the rows of tables where hundreds of people were eating. This species has become a pest in many picnic areas. They are not afraid of people and frequently hop on to picnic tables and grab food off your plate. Cheeky blighters.
Some people might think this behaviour as cute, or amusing. For a little child it can be very intimidating and downright frightening.
More docile were several hopeful Australian Pelicans cruising near the wharf.
Silver Gull, Sydney Fish Markets
Some birds of Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
Australian Magpies (Black-backed)
Two days after Christmas we had a family picnic in Lane Cove National Park in Sydney. This was also a family get together. Before lunch some of us went on a hike for one and a half hours. My son and I took our cameras, hoping to get some bird photos. It was hot and humid and in the middle of the day so we did not see all that many birds.
Some of the birds seen include Brown Thornbill, Pied Currawong, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Little Black Cormorant, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Forest Raven, Superb Blue-wren, Crimson Rosella and Rainbow Lorikeets.
Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
While eating our lunch – delicious Christmas lunch leftovers – a Laughing Kookaburra came to a nearby branch and watched proceedings closely. I guess he was waiting for us to be inattentive for a moment. I’ve known kookaburras to snatch food from one’s plate as they fly past during a moment’s inattentive on the part of humans.
Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
This one, shown in the series of photos on this page, was obviously used to being fed by humans. He allowed me to approach to within two metres taking photos as I came.
Click on any photo to enlarge the image.
Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney