tiabunna's photos
At the 'Birdsnest'
At China's famous "Birdsnest" building (the formal title is the "National Stadium"), built for the indoor athletics at the 2008 Olympics. HFF and have a great weekend, everyone.
With this connection, and with that sculpture, this has to be the musical link.
Explored.
Scented Sun Orchids #2
The Scented Sun Orchid (Thelymitra aristata) is a native Australian orchid that likes sandy soils. There's no shortage of sand in the Mallee area of Victoria, so they were quite prolific. These flowers were about 4cm across. Best viewed large.
Scented Sun Orchids #1
Scented Sun Orchids (Thelymitra aristata) are a native Australian orchid that like sandy soils. There's no shortage of sand in the Mallee area of Victoria, so they were quite prolific.
Once was
The remains of the Salt Town. Salt harvesting at the Pink Lakes began in 1916 and a small town with a school was here in the 1920s and 1930s. At first salt was taken out by camel trains (the image in the note appears to have been taken on a picnic day), then briefly by an unsuccessful tramway, before trucks took over. Salt extraction finished in the 1970s, after some some 60 years of operations.
Salt museum
This is (rather laughingly) called a "museum" of equipment from the old salt extraction works which operated at the Pink Lakes from 1916 until the 1970s. In the background is a pile of salt, extracted but left behind when the operations ceased.
Ringnecked Parrot
The interesting thing about the Ringnecked Parrot is that it comes with variations of colour across different parts of Australia - though all have the yellow ring around the back of the neck. This is the Mallee area form, another in the note. Also a note with an image (posted long ago) of the Port Lincoln form. Best viewed large.
Rufous Songlark
The Rufous Songlark is apparently found across most of mainland Australia, though I can't say I'd positively identified one previously. Maybe if I listened for its song which, my guidebook assures me, is "a rich melodious "twitchy tweedle" ..." :-). Second image in note. Here's a musical link and a different one with the bird itself singing.
Explored.
Pink lakeside
At the drying edge of one of the Pink Lakes. The water is extremely saline (up to 800 times that of sea water) and home only to an algae which coats itself in pink extrusions to protect itself from the sunlight. The intensity of the pink seems to vary depending on the light and, I gather, is most intense in mid-late summer (about February).
Across the lake
Across one of the Pink Lakes. The water is extremely saline (up to 800 times that of sea water) and home only to an algae which coats itself in pink extrusions to protect itself from the sunlight.
