Hi all – since the last blogalong, there have been quite a few new subscribers to this continuing journal. – new blogalongs are put out when I have time to put them together, or when there is something important to say -  the topics are varied, but regularly the damage humans are doing to their home planet will get an airing

Other missions I am involved in get written about as well.

Visit www.whalecall.org , look at the Whale Call Café for daily news about oceanic issues, particularly those relating to Whaling – like the report this week about the sinking of the killer whaling ship Willassen Senior http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4TBrx6tuym275mg60kGg5J--pbw  at port in Norway – Whale Call puts out a News of the Week email bulletin covering issues related mostly to oceanic and species survival – you have to subscribe to it to get it –

and look in the documents section of whalecall.org for our anti whaling videos, and the monthly Wadalba reports,http://www.whalecall.org/index.php?page=improving.htm

containing more of the same type of photography as you see in this blogalong.

The Wadalba reports cover environmental issues in an area pegged for further population growth, including the environmental destruction that inevitably precedes such state planning and ‘development’ programs.

Since I returned from the Lightning Ridge trip, many hours have been spent on finishing the Whale Call bus restoration project to a stage that the vehicle is on the road and drivable – finishing touches like wheel alignment have been done, and it is ready to hit the road for a test trip.

This is the time of year in east coast Australia that the spring flowers are at their best.

Many orchids are flowering now, so this blogalong will show some of the ground orchids photographed this season, as well as some other spring sights –

Caladenia caerulea [above] is one of the first Caladenia ground orchids to flower. It is not common in this shire, but a few scattered populations are known to survive. The fragrance from this orchid is superb – worthy of using in the perfumery trade.

Even rarer is this minature version of Caladenia aff catenata var warnervalensis. Only three locations have been found where this plant has been seen. Nominations for protection of this plant are still being considered by the N.S.W. Scientific Committee.

 
Red Beaks, and the yellow version of this species also ooze a perfume that is quite exquisite – a few colonies in the shire, but not common here, as in other places in the state.

Glossodia minor, flowering in small colonies is a stunning sight to see – these flowers are a couple of inches from the ground, and provide a beacon for pollinating insects in the grasses.

Angophora costata, the Coastal Red gum, is a sight to behold when it ages and displays its twisted branches, as well as providing ample hollows for wildlife habitat. The above tree is estimated to be over 500 years old, and one of the ten most significant aged Angophora costata in the shire, but is in land pegged for housing development at Gwandolan.

Spring time is not just flowers – the insects come out, and so do the spiders that eat insects – like this St Andrews Cross spider.

One of my hens disappeared a few weeks ago – she re appeared a few days ago with seven chickens – and the bush is abuzz with the sounds of new hatchling birds of all descriptions – and birds of prey looking for unguarded cockatoo nestlings – the feathers of a baby owl were found today – looks like a bird of prey kill – spring has also increased road kills locally, with a King Parrot, a Blue Tongued Lizard and a Brush Tail Possum all being road killed in the first few hot days of September.

The Whale Call Crew attended the second Terrigal Whale Festival at Terrigal Primary School – we took the bus, and a car trailer with the Whale Tail on it – parked on the main road and used it to direct traffic to the festival – I reckon about 15 thousand attended – Whale Call had a Marquee with the Norah Banner, I took some of my Whale Rock Carvings to display, we lobbied with politicians, and educated kids on how precious humpbacks are – Skye Bortoli, Teens against Whaling, made a speech on her recent trip to the I.W.C. meeting in Alaska, and on Whales in general – check out her website if you haven’t already - http://www.teensagainstwhaling.com/

 Skye Bortoli and Tony Fields from Whale Call reconnecting at the Terrigal Whale Festival

 During the month, I spent a few hours on Tuggerah Lake in a canoe with Rick, the Whale Call Southern Oceans Director – we looked at sea bird roosts around the shoreline of Wyongah.

 Cormorants were the most common roosting bird, although sooty terns and pacific gulls were seen –

 This is a plover on the left, a pelican, and a cormorant sharing the same rock shelf. This surprised me as the plover is usually a land bird, even though it utilizes wetland areas, it is normally seen in grassy spots.

 As we paddled home, a 20 foot fishing boat was on its way home, with by catch being thrown from the speeding boat – seabirds in flocks pursued the boat looking for an easy meal of fish – in came a flock of pelicans, just skimming the water for over 100 yards – I had the paddle in my hand, not the camera, so you missed the stunning sight – but then, another flock of pelicans came in – diving, with a juvenile sea eagle also vying for the feast --