Some snaps of things natural

It was pretty cool (about -1oC ) and foggy when we took off on our dog walk at 8am this morning.  It was still that way as we dropped down the hill in Widgiewa.  I thought the consequent muted light made these trees look attractive.  Rather like the River Red Gums in Sydney Nolan's Big Bend paining.
 Later in the day a friend sent me an SMS to say there was a Yellow-billed Spoonbill at the Bungendore Cultural Centre (wet Annex).  ie the Sewage Works.  Indeed there was!

 There were several other duck species present but nothing of great note.

Going back home I passed down Trucking Yard Lane and noticed quite an amount of bird life at the small dam just off the Kings Highway (Trucking Yard Dam #2).  There were a good number of ducks on the dam and a very large flock (at least 100 birds) of House Sparrows in a leafless Hawthorn.  I have counted 75 birds in the image and there were others to the side and in the back of the tree.
 There were 24 Plumed Whistling Ducks on the nominate Trucking Yard Lane Dam.  Large numbers of Pacific Black Ducks (50) Grey Teal (40) and Chestnut Teal (at least 20 with at least half being males in full spiff) were on the dam or nearby paddock and at least 25 Australian Shelduck around the feed racks in the background.

The most numerous birds were Cockatoos with at least 50 Little Corellas, 100 Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and (I guessed) 600 Galahs.  They were in several very mobile flocks and I found it impossible to count them.  Here is a small part of the mob in quiet feeding mode.

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