Capertee Valley, NSW, May 2021

     Found in the heart of New South Wales, Australia, not far from Lithgow, Capertee Valley is a treasure for wildlife photographers and for those who want to get away, for a while, from big city living. There was once mining in the region but, when that petered out, so did the human population.

    

      In May 2021 I travelled to Capertee Valley with a group from Illawarra Birders. We were prepared for a cold May there since it is surrounded by mountains. It was surprisingly warm. There was dew on the ground of a morning and local creatures making the most of this dew.  

      Local spiders build elaborate webs to catch the morning dew.

I had never come across Babbles before. Fast, energetic birds.

Jackie Winters, birds that make a sound similar to their name, were easy to find.

Double-barred finches could be found of an afternoon where I was staying.

There were boobook owls on the prowl at night and a mouse plague to keep them well fed. 

                   There are Creatures Good at Hiding 

                   And, right now, there is the Creeping Cold

                                        An insect hard to spot because it is good

                                        at blending into its surroundings.

                    Darwin came across such creatures in his travels.

                    This one was found in the heart of Corrimal, NSW, Australia.

                     Right now the south coast of NSW

                      is in the grip of a cold snap.  

Starlings are not as plain to look at as you might at first imagine. 

 There are street artists working for local businesses in Wollongong.

                                                 

                                                   This artist works in chalk. 

                       Another example of what can be done with coloured chalk.

                        Can we do better when it comes to Aboriginal Australians?

                                      This question is being asked in Wollongong.