Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

This is a heartwarming tale of an adventure for six ducklings and their mom in Gosford, Newcastle.

A MOTHER duck braved traffic and a housing estate during a TWO-MILE chase to rescue her babies from a sewer.

The six ducklings fell down an underground access and were swept away – but mum could not fit through it.

So the mallard followed their frantic quacks overground across two main roads and a railway line until they stopped under a manhole in Gosforth, Newcastle.

She then sat quacking loudly for at least four hours until jogger Peter Elliott, 59, and daughter Vicki Jefferson, 30, stopped to see what was wrong with her.

They were amazed to hear the faint sound of quacking coming from under the cover and, with the help of friend Jim Calder, lifted it off with a crowbar.

They were even more stunned to see the six ducklings below — and lifted them all out to safety with a child’s fishing net.

Northumbria Water staff used a laptop showing the sewage layout to work out where the babies had got into it — and how far the mother had walked after them.

A spokesman for Northumbria Water said “It was an unbelievable journey.

The storm drain where it all began and the mother duck’s incredible journey

The two men who rescued the six trapped ducklings

Original Post by R Perrie: Sun UK

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I keep track of this competition every year and here are the winning photographs from the various categories plus a really good video at the awards night in the Smithsonian. Congratulations to all of the winners ….

Nature’s Best Photography Exhibit Opening

Grand Prize “Burchell’s Zebras” by Richard Du Toit

Creative Digital category “Iguana Eyes” by Michael D Kern
Endangered Species category “Mountain Gorilla Baby” by Rita Summers

Landscape Category “Fly Geyser, Fly Ranch” by Rodney Lough

Wildlife Category “Bull Bison” by Steve Hinch
Environmental Issues Category “Florida Manatee” by John Johnson


Oceans Category “Dwarf Minke Whale” by Jurgen Freund

Backyard Habitat Category “Orange-crowned Warbler” by Robert Goodell
Art in Nature Category “Mandarin Duck” by Russ Burden

Zoos and Aquariums Category “Kodiak Bear and Bee” by Terry Ross Cervi

Conservation Photographer of the Year “Polar Bear Mother and Cubs” by Howard Ruby
Camera Club Winner “White-tailed Ptarmigan” by Chris Loffredo

Youth Category “Sea Lion and Pup” by Eddie Schermerhorn
Animal Antics Category “Red Fox” by Steve Hinch

Birds Category “Snowy Egrets” by Fabioa Del Alcazar

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I discovered this site today called Desktopography which is a non-profit project, launched in 2005 by a group of designers. They are striving to create a site where people can download nature and topological themed wallpapers with edits from selected designers.

What we see everyday can affect our mood and state of mind, enhance your desktop with a wallpaper creation from desktopography and feel the essence of nature and the outdoor existence on your computer. Bring tranquility to your desktop, feel the wilderness and give your background a breath of fresh air..

Here are a few of my favourites but there are lots more in a range of sizes including widescreen - highy recommended if you are a nature lover and enjoy quality art work.

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The disappearance and downsizing of Australia’s backyard in major capital cities is placing increased pressure of Australia’s native birdlife.

Blue Wren

Ann-Maree Colborne, CEO of Gould Group, Australia’s oldest environmental education organisation formed in 1909 with Prime Minister Alfred Deakin as its first president to protect native bird life said, the decade of drought has seen a major increase in birds migrating to the city in search of water and food. “However, with the increase in higher density housing, smaller lots of land and larger homes the traditional Australian backyard is disappearing with fewer trees and shrubs being available for birds and other small animals.” Gould is urging people to think of birds by making sure that they leave a bowl of water in the garden in a safe spot off the ground for birds to get a drink. Ms Colborne said, with the lack of rainfall and excessive temperatures forecast to continue bird life in Australia will continue its migration to the city areas.

“The appreciation of Australia’s bird life has never been more important as many of our birds are facing extinction and unfortunately in the past one hundred years we have already lost many species.

“Australia is home to between 600,000 and 700,000 species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. About 84% of plants, 83% of mammals, and 45% of birds are endemic - that is, they are only found in Australia.”

The Department of Environment and Water list twenty three birds as extinct, and another forty which are endangered.

Ms Colborne said that with climate change, tree clearing, the removal of habitat in the cities with denser development and the drought, birds and other unique Australian fauna are under increasing threat.

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications Gould Group
Mobile: 0417 329 201

Gould’s Top Tips for Bird Watching

What scares birds?
Three things will frighten birds unnecessarily.
* Pointing with an outstretched arm will often frighten birds close-by.
* Sudden movement eg. a child swinging a bat, throwing a ball or play fighting will frighten birds because they see fast dangerous looking movement.
* Sudden loud sounds unsettle birds, but talking in an even pitched tone will cause little disturbance.

Locating birds:
To find birds, look for movement and locate where sound is coming from. The brightest parrot is invisible in a green tree when it remains motionless. Look for movement in the air, on the ground and among plants. You may also find some birds resting on structures like power lines, roofs etc. Look in the direction of bird calls. Remember not to point with an outstretched arm.

How close can you get?
Most birds will allow you to get reasonably close before they fly away or run off. You can get closer by moving slowly, approaching from the side and not walking directly towards the bird. How close you get may depend on the environment. So parks and your own garden, where birds are used to people are good places to begin bird watching. During duck shooting season, waterbirds may be nervous, and may not let you get within 200 metres of them. But in a park, the same duck may come up and take food from you.

Feeding Birds:
The best way to feed birds is to provide them with appropriate trees, shrubs, grasses and mulch. Many birds appreciate a shallow bird bath. Directly feeding feral birds can potentially cause problems for the survival of some of our native birds.

What do birds do?
There are many interesting books describing the intriguing life of birds. You may like to read some of these books. However you can look through a window into your garden, or go outside and discover first hand the amazing life of birds.

Source
www.gould.org.au

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Not just a website but a media extravaganza which I discovered today when one of the Earth-Touch videos appeared on the TV channel I was watching in High Definition.  From there I discovered the website and it’s very impressive.  There are several wildlife videos available to watch online or to download and view on your computer, iPod or digital TV, for free (at this stage).  You have to join (for free) in order to be able to download and enjoy the videos but they must not be copied or used in blogs etc so I can’t embed one in this post to show you but trust me, they are very good.  They are all fairly short but perhaps could be all be copied onto a disk to watch.  When you join, there is also the option of rating and commenting on the videos.  There is also a blog and RSS Feed so that you can remain up-to-date with the latest videos.

Earth-Touch is both a company and a concept. We aim to film quality wildlife footage in High Definition from the most spectacular locations around the world, and to bring it to you, our users, within a few days or less of it being filmed. Our footage can be accessed on the Web through our main site and our blog, and can be seen on TV, through our global partnerships with broadcasters. We want to show people the truth and beauty of nature, and in doing so, to inspire them to looking after the precious yet dwindling natural resources our planet has.

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This positively charming art and sculpture oasis created by South American artist Bruno Torfs is in Marysville, 95k from Melbourne. The Garden is open to the public every day from 10am - 5pm and the Gallery on weekends. I have never been but next time I am in Melbourne I will make an effort to visit this beautiful place.

After training and working as a sign writer, Bruno made a gradual transition to become a fulltime artist. This was achieved through many trips around the world, both alone and with his wife Marleen.

Sketching the scenes and faces of his journeys allowed Bruno to return home and make oil painting and sculpture versions of his experiences. These artworks would then be sold in a series of annual exhibitions hosted in the lower levels of the family home. After several years of this lifestyle, Bruno and the family made a decision to pack up and move to Australia to create a sculpture garden that he would run as a permanent attraction.

The family arrived in Melbourne and shortly after had found the perfect place in the small Victorian village of Marysville. The luscious sub-alpine forests of the surrounding area were the ideal setting for Bruno’s plan and luckily the property he purchased had a large section of rain forest attached. After five months of backbreaking work, Bruno’s art and sculpture garden was opened to the public.

Also on the property was a gallery that housed over 200 of his artworks brought over from Europe that included oil paintings, sketches and smaller sculptures. The garden began with just fifteen life sizes terracotta sculptures, today there are over one hundred and fifteen pieces on display and Bruno is still making regular additions. The unique experience of the garden and its wondrous inhabitants attracts thousands of visitors a year. Bruno and the family still live there and always take great pleasure in being able to share their magnificent art treasure with all that come.

Bruno’s Art & Sculpture Garden Website

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It was my half day at work and such a beautiful autumn afternoon which made me want to be outdoors so I took myself off to local bushland which I had wanted to investigate for a while. About a ten minute drive from my house, this pocket of nature is called Venman Bushland National Park. The history is a heart-warming story of how one man, John (Jack) Burnett Venman, made a great contribution to the conservation of 255 acres of bushland within the Redlands Shire.

It was Jack’s dream to conserve Venman Bushland National Park for visitors to enjoy the tranquility of the bush which he eventually succeeded in doing but not without a struggle. After attending Brisbane Boys Grammar School on a scholarship, Jack became a qualified fitter and turner but spent a lot of time working in cattle stations which became his true passion and enabled him to get to know the bush and witness the results of over-burning or not burning and ring barking and so on. He realised that a lot of this land was being ruined which gave him a different appreciation of the country.

Jack had property at Mt Cotton but the area was logged in the early 1900’s and he was determined to see the land returned to its natural state. After selling this land to the Albert Shire Council for one dollar in order to make the land secure from any future development it had to become an environmental reserve that they could never cut up.

Jack put a great deal of work into the property to make it a parkland that people could visit and enjoy. He created walking tracks which also acted as firebreaks and dammed a small section of Tingalpa creek so that during the dry season, there was still a fresh water supply for animals. He constructed wood-fired stone barbecues and built wooden chairs and tables where people could relax. The council also provided two septic toilets as visitation increased.

Jack Venman dedicated 40 years of his life to building a dream. There was much controversy over the naming of the park, and it wasn’t until after his death at the age of 83 that the park became Venman Bushland National Park. Today, the park is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

The ridges of open eucalypt forest, patches of lowland rainforest and paperbark-lined Tingalpa Creek provide ideal habitats for a large diversity of wildlife. Be enchanted by the playful tunes of birds, inquisitive wallabies or even spot a lazy koala nestled amongst the tree tops.

References

Ashman, Kirsten 1998, A Tribute to Jack Venman in honour of a True Bushman, Bernborough Press, Oakey, Queesland.

Griffith University, Institute of Applied Environmental Research 1992, ‘Venman Bushland Reserve: an Historical Outline’, unpublished manuscript, Griffith University, Brisbane.

Walding, Richard 1992, ‘A True Tale From the Bush, Jack Venman’s Story as told to Richard Walding’, unpublished manuscript, Brisbane.

This bushland really is quite a special place and not long after I started my trek I came across Jack’s tombstone.

There are several tracks which you can choose to walk along and the walking is easy going and mostly flat. What struck me immediately was that all I could hear was the myriad of bird songs coming from the tree tops and the humming and buzzing of insects around me. Instant calm and I was dwarfed by huge Eucalyptus trees while I crunched along winding tracks, nestled among ferny glades with the occasional glimpse of watering holes.

I kept hearing and seeing tiny little birds above me in the tree tops but could not get close to them and they were so fast. They darted from branch to branch above me and occasionally would hover infront of the tree trunks waving their fan-like tails.

They are grey fantails and these were the best photographs I could get

While I was engrossed in trying to get a reasonable shot of these tiny birds, I heard a noise behind me and got a bit of a fright as a wallaby started bounding through the trees and long grass next to me. When he spotted me, he stood still and stared at me for a few minutes before jumping off again. It doesn’t get any better than this and it was a rewarding sight.

The variety of trees is amazing and I was fascinated with the texture of the bark on many of them including the scribbly gums (Eucalyptus racemosa)

Larvae of the wood-boring moth cause scribbly lines and they make for some fantastic abstracts

Some other interesting tree bark textures and patterns

There were lots of pairs of butterflies around as well and they were darting all over the place, one following the other then occasionally resting for a moment or two. I watched this pair for a while before moving on. The female (I assume) remained still on the branch for ages while the male fluttered above her. Is this some kind of courtship perhaps?

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk in these bushlands and thank you John (”Jack”) Burnett Venman for creating this nature’s paradise.

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A mysterious illness is killing tens of thousands of honeybee colonies across America, threatening honey production, the livelihood of beekeepers and possibly crops that need bees for pollination. The cause of these losses is an alarming phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder or “CCD”. When a hive experiences CCD, the honey bees mysteriously leave their hive and die.

You can download the gorgeous screensaver and/or wallpaper plus make and send a bee-mail

Bee Facts: Bees fly approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour and visit about 50-100 flowers in each pollination trip.To produce one pound of honey, honey bees must visit two million flowers and fly 55,000 miles. When a honey bee returns to the hive after finding a good pollen source, it gives out samples of the flower’s nectar to its hive mates and performs a dance that details the distance, direction, quality and quantity of the food supply. The richer the food source, the longer and more vigorous the dance.

This website is beautiful and well worth a visit - please help in any way you can.

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Don’t visit this Park if you suffer from Arachnophobia …

An enormous spider web has been found at Lake Tawakoni State Park, Texas, US.

It is not the work of one giant spider - rather, millions of small ones have been spinning away and now it is twice the size of a football field. Park rangers are not sure why the spiders have joined forces - they describe it as a rare occurrence. The web covers a 180m (590ft) stretch of trees and shrubs in the park. Although it was initially described as “fairy-tale” white, it has turned brown from all the mosquitoes caught in its trap.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6972062.stm

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A storm swept through southeast Queensland yesterday and I was caught in it driving home from work. I have to confess that it was the scariest drive I have ever experienced and visibility due to the torrential rain on the freeway was almost nil. With the windscreen wipers on at full pelt and trying desperately to see the white lane lines on the road, I nervously followed the other cars along the deluged highway. Some motorists had opted to pull over to wait out the storm, others had broken down and their hazard lights blinked brigthly in the rain induced haze. The final part of my drive home from work is along a single country road and this was when the going got tougher. Flooding had well and truly started and water was gushing from the overworked drains onto the road. Cars were crawling at this stage as we drove through several waterlogged areas and I remember at one point not being able to see a thing as the spray of the water from a car coming in the opposite direction totally engulfed my car. I finally did make it home safely and breathed a sigh of relief when I finally pulled into my driveway but it didn’t end there.

By this stage, the thunder and lightning was angrily rumbling and flashing and our pool was overflowing into our garden and pergola area so I quickly set the pool filter to drain some of the water out and began sweeping the water which was gathering in our pergola area. I put buckets out to catch the drops from our leaking pergola roof, placed towels at our doorways as the rain was lashing so heavily, it was forming wet puddles at our entranceways. Phew! The storm finally eased but my husband was still stuck in traffic on his way home and told me that it was horrific on the roads and that he had to find an alternative route home due to severe flooding. He reported that some people were stranded and it would take them hours to get home then we heard some very sad news on the radio …

A man has drowned in a drain south of Brisbane after a storm swept through southeast Queensland, flooding streets and turning drains into torrents. The 18-year-old was in the drain on Mark Street, Capalaba, when he was swept away shortly before 5pm (AEST), police said. A second teenager also feared drowned was found alive a short time later.

Severe storms lashed Brisbane’s city centre, Boonah, Beenleigh, Logan City, Gatton, Toowoomba, the ranges between Biggenden and Tiaro and the area northeast of Kingaroy. The Bureau of Meteorology had earlier issued a severe thunderstorm warning for much of the region, including the southern coast, Wide Bay and Burnett regions, the eastern Darling Downs and Granite Belt area.

The storms caused traffic chaos for the peak hour run home, with flooding trapping motorists at Carindale, in Brisbane’s outh. More than 5,000 homes without power at the height of the storm were mainly in Logan and Beenleigh, south of Brisbane. A spokesman for Energex said crews were working to restore power, but could not access one outage at Shailer Park, as roads were cut by floodwaters.

Earlier on Wednesday, an Emergency Management Queensland helicopter rescued a family from their property, isolated by floodwaters, at Teviot Brook, near Boonah, southwest of Brisbane.The couple, who had a 19-month-old baby, had no supplies or money and were stranded.

State Emergency Service volunteers rescued a 22-year-old man clinging to a log in the flooded Boyne River, near Wondai in the South Burnett. His car was swept from a bridge in the early hours of the morning, and he clung to the log until a passer-by raised the alarm around 8am (AEST).

Near Maryborough in southern Queensland, seven children were forced to spend the night at school when floodwaters cut roads to their homes. Brooweena State School principal Tanya Jensen said the waters rose quickly, stranding children and staff from outlying areas. The decision was supported by mums and dads and might have given them the opportunity to have a night off,” she said.

The rain has pushed the combined dam levels in drought-hit southeast Queensland over 30 per cent. SEQWater, which owns and runs the Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams, said the total of the three was now 31.53 per cent, up by 2.33 per cent overnight, or an extra 2.5 months supply.

Photo courtesty of the Courier Mail

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