The Pink and Grey Galah is a cockatoo feeding on native seeds and nuts in the bush. However, with the clearing of the Weathbelt during European settlement Galahs have been provided with ample grain and water which has resulted in a thriving population around the Perth metropolitan area. Mostly living in pairs or small flocks they never fail to impress with their striking appearance and noisy behaviour.
The combination of ample winter rain and plenty of sunshine gets the first wildflowers blooming. Not even two weeks ago there were only a few Hovea’s to be seen, now the bush is full with them; Prickly Hovea’s (Hovea chorizemifolia), Tree Hovea’s (Hovea elliptica) and Devil’s Pins (Hovea pungens) – a royal purple spectacle.
The annual migration of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) along the coast of Western Australia is a true spectacle. While breeding in the warm northern waters of the Kimberley and feeding in the food-rich waters of the Southern Ocean, humpbacks travel long distances close to shore. The sheltered bays of Point Ann (Fitzgerald National Park), King George Sound (Albany) and Flinders Bay (Augusta) have always been particularly good places for us to spot those graceful animals during the winter months. Despite the fact that the water was rather choppy this time we managed to get some decent sightings of playful females showing loads of fluke- and fin-slapping. No doubt we’ll be back later this year for the gigantic Blue whales. Can’t wait!
The splendid firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii) is a rather gnarly tree of the Proteaceae family that grows on the sandy coastal plains of Western Australia’s mid and central west regions. It flowers in autumn and winter after a lengthy process in which the inflorescence changes from a bare brown cone to a spectacle of more than thousand brightly coloured flowers.
