Swan Parade

I've had a run of bird images in the last few days. On Monday morning there was a fantastic sunrise out at Lake Burrumbeet and whilst the aerial images are amazing, I thought I would dedicate this post to the group of swans that made their presence so well known. Not long after I captured these they decided to hit the road (or sky!) and took off into the distance.

.

More Guitars

Remember my guitar sunrise from a few days ago? Here's a few more from the same morning at Lake Learmonth when the conditions in all directions were amazing. In the third one here you can Lake Burrumbeet in the distance. Last one here is the guitar (a Fender Stratocaster, I believe!) from a lower angle.

.

The New Brood

On Sunday morning I was running around Lake Wendouree and noticed that the "Cocky" tree on the south side of the lake was booked out for the season. After my run I grabbed the camera and went back and though initially only one cocky was on view, it didn't take too long before both of them appeared. I think it's a couple of years since I've seen them here and its always a lovely sight. And they are certainly aware of your presence way down below, too!
This is my third day in a row for a bird image....and I have a feeling that Monday mornings might the best of the lot...when I get to them! 

8

Saturday Sunrise

After the colourful end to Friday evening, the colour came back first thing the next morning, this time I was at the Palm Pond on the west side of Lake Wendouree to catch it all. The palm tree here always makes a strong silhouette and the unusual begonia bridges also contrast strongly with the elements. The big zoom lens came into play for the last 2 images here...some interesting "smeared" clouds on the horizon was followed by a cormorant dancing among the reflections.

.

Friday Extravaganza

A very diverse range of images from Friday. Starting with this kite I captured out at Blampied around lunchtime. As the wind dropped later in the day I was keen to make the most of it to capture some aerials of Moorabool Falls, which has some great flow going at the moment. Coming home from Moorabool Falls I could see the sky starting to light up to a full-on colour extravaganza and knowing the district so well, I was able to get to this shed near Mt Warrenheip in time before the colour faded away.

6

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

I had high hopes for Thursday morning and it didn't take long for me to realise that out around Lake Learmonth was the direction to head to. Once again plenty of low lying fog and calm weather allowed me to capture something pretty unique. I noticed this small dam not far from the lake that might offer a nice addition to the images, though it wasn't until I got up above it that I could see the amazing shape! And the sunrise conditions weren't too bad either!
I'll post a few more from this incredible morning a bit later....this one deserved to be highlighted in its own post.

.

Bows and Bows

On Wednesday afternoon there was some pretty intense light just before sunset out at the wind farm. I really like the way the sun is just about to disappear below the horizon. And a little while before this yet another rainbow sitting above the Ballarat Racecourse Grandstands. 
I thought I'd also slip in a couple more images from Monday morning....yet another (!) fogbow at Glendaruel on the way home from Mt Beckworth, and one last stop at Mt Hollowback for the sheep.

6

A Day at the Lake

Well, actually a morning and an evening........
Initially the clouds were clear just before sunrise at Lake Wendouree on Tuesday morning and the first thing that caught my eye was this fisherman looking for an early morning bite. Then a view through the branches of the trees on the small island is always a great spot to capture some birds.  However the clouds started to develop right in front of my eyes to put on quite a show on the west side of the lake. On the way home it had started to rain, and we all know what that means when the sun is shining...rainbows! A stop at the end of the rowing course gave me a couple of lovely views.
Much later in the day, after a mostly clear day, the clouds had moved in and put on quite a show. Another rainbow looking across to Myt Buninyong was a great start as I followed the skies around the lake. There was a certain summer storm feel to the conditions and it was actually reasonably mild. The final view at View Point was equally as striking as the clouds prepared themselves for a sudden downpour.

.

Majestic Mt Beckworth

A fantastic start to the week on Monday morning. I was keen with the forecast calm weather to get some aerials and as I headed north out of Ballarat I could see some fog shrouding some of the low lying hills. Before long I found myself buried in the fog and decided to head out to Mt Beckworth where I was hoping the fog was low lying enough for me to get up above it to see what the view offered....and it was amazing! Once the sun lit up the landscape it was an incredible sight. Whilst I have quite a selection of images to work through this panorama deserves it's own post. Make sure you click on it for a bigger look - I've left it large than normal, I hope you have a big screen!

.

More Colour and Drama

Another colourful start to the day on Sunday, once again close to home at Lake Wendouree. Initially the sky was looking pretty lacklustre, however as the sun rose the warmth it created enticed the clouds to form and this view shows the judges box at the end of the rowing course.
As you know, usually its around sunrise or sunset that the light is at its most dramatic. However, just occasionally you get something during the day that really stands out. Around 2pm a storm moved through Ballarat and the light at Lake Wendouree was something special. This is one of the small islands on the west side of the lake, and with the bright sunlight spotlighting the trees and the dark, threatening skies behind, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more dramatic sight so close home .... and that bird flying towards me just adds that extra little element!

.

Colour All Around

Some great colour around on Saturday, starting with some lovely clouds at sunrise looking north at Lake Wendouree. Helping out were some seagulls, adding that extra element into the scene.
And later in the day I spotted some colour building at sunset so made a quick dash up to View Point where the sky exploded into this colourful display.

.

More Frosty Friday Fun

This series is from Friday morning...before I captured the 2 images in the previous post. After heading out well before dawn I was once again drawn to the area around Lal Lal Reservoir, and whilst I have been to this spot many times I feel this series is quite a new look at some of the incredible scenery in this spot. 
The first image here, looking down on an arm of the reservoir, shows an early morning mad flurry of cockatoos as they break free from the trees they have been nesting in throughout the night. Almost as startling as this view is the noise they make when they take off!
The second image shows some great coloured cloud reflections in the water that gives a unique look to this view.
The last 2 images are a bit further around from the previous, along the Moorabool River's course where the overall view from up high is quite a surprise. The last one shows just how frosty it was - minus 3 degrees!

.

Frosty Friday

A very cold and frosty Friday morning with the temperature dropping down to around minus 3 degrees. Some great conditions down around Lal Lal Reservoir in Harris Road where I caught this first one as the sun was starting to warm up the air and actually increased the fog. A few miles further on I stopped for this fogbow near Mt Warrenheip, and nice continuation of this weeks "bows". Plenty of aerials to get to that I'll post tomorrow.

.

A Late Burst of Light

Not a lot to show from Thursday afternoons travels though this late burst of light above the northern reaches of Mt Warrenheip was certainly colourful. So a good chance to post another image from Monday afternoons travels around the Waubra area where the constantly changing light was lighting up different past of the landscape.

.