Fire in the Sky

A suprise blip tonight! I have been having a bit of a blip slump and lacking inspiration the last few days - however, we were sitting on the back patio this evening having a drink and cooking dinner on the BBQ so I thought I would go and get the camera just in case any Rosellas came in to roost in the large Bottle Brush in our neighbour's yard. As I was sitting there and watching, I noticed a funny plump brown bird sitting on our neighbours tv antenna - I had never seen a bird like him before - not that I am a bird watcher (although I'd like to be). I took a couple of shots of him and then the Rosella's came, so I took a couple of them as well. There was a lovely colour in the sky in the south and east - all pinks and golds so I thought I would go up on the deck upstairs at the front of the house and see what was happenning in the south and west. Well the sunset up there just was the most amazing one I think I have ever seen - the photos didn't quite catch it ( straight from the camera)but the depths of colours were incredible.
But - when I put the photos of the brown bird on the computer and looked at them in large I became quite intrigued as to what he might be. My husband said nonchalantly - "he's a pidgeon". Well to me pidgeons are the little grey birds with the top- notchs that hop around the front garden! He comes from a family of three boys who were allowed to roam the bush as kids with their rifles and shoot whatever as boys did in those days, so he seems to know his birds. Definately some sort of pidgeon he said - but he'd never seen one like it mind you - but it seemed he knew what he was talking about! I got out my "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia" and looked up Pidgeons. Lo and behold Number 326 looked very much like my little brown bird - and in fact is called a "White-quilled Rock-Pidgeon". Dark brown with light scalloping (yes), Throat black,white spots (yes) Habitat: Stone Gorges North Western Australia and Stokes range area in the Northern Territory (NO)! Well he's a long way from home and you can see him in my Blip folio if your are interested (better in large) at Long way from home and alsobetter in large