Canberrans often complain about our winters, which are generally colder than coastal areas nearby. However, when I looked through my photos of winter in Canberra I decided to look on the bright side.
Canberra in late autumn, early winter can be beautiful, and for many people it is a time for rowing, cycling, running and walking and taking photos.
One of my favourite occupations is looking out the window into our back garden and taking photos of the birds we often see in winter.
Here are a family of King Parrots who fly in to drink melted water from the gutter of our cabin in the garden. I love watching these beautiful birds because they are very cautious and shy and we hardly ever see them during other seasons.
The male Australian King Parrot has a completely red head, and the females are similar to the males except that they have a completely green head and breast…easier to distinguish in the photo below.
In winter we often go to the Australian Botanic Gardens, there are always a few colourful native plants and an abundance of birds ….especially early in the morning.
Canberra is a planned city with many parks and bushland. We often go for winter walks along Coolaman Ridge Nature Track, which has a winding track around a mountain ridge. Quite often in winter the kangaroos are slow to start the day and you can see a little Joey still half asleep enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on the rocks.
The photo below shows the kangaroos in languish mode, along a track near Mount Taylor, near where we live. This photo was taken a while ago (in winter) and since then this area has become very popular as a walking track, and a place to take dogs for a walk. Fortunately there is a fence between the walking track and the kangaroos, who spend time on the other side of the mountain.
We saw these kangaroos at Weston park, and although they are watchful, they are used to people strolling by and taking photos occasionally.
As the winter sun sets, the view from our street is of the Brindabella Mountains…the colours change from hour to hour. The currawongs call is a familar sound in the evening, time to close the curtains, turn the heater up, and be very, very thankful we live in a peaceful part of the world.
Best wishes to everyone, and I hope you are enjoying your patch of sunshine where ever it may be…
Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.
Oh my, what a beautiful post highlighting the lovely area you live in. Of course, you knew you had my attention when you included ‘birds’ in the title. Your birds are amazing, and the kangaroos are wonderful. To see anything like these, we’d have to go to a zoo so I applaud those who planned out your city. Enjoy this beautiful season, and thank you for sharing your wonderful friends.
Thanks Judy, always lovely to see your comments. I especially love the King Parrots, aren’t they lucky to be able to fly around free..
Your city is lovely in that it it has lots of space for wildlife and recreation. I love the king parrots. They’re so colourful. You have such a great view of those beautiful mountains, Gerrie. I would be mesmerized by them. Keep warm. xx
Yes, the King Parrots are so colourful, they brighten up a winter’s day! I love living near mountains ..I’m glad you enjoy them too. I hope you and your family are going well.
You make winter in Canberra look very inviting. It is good that you have interesting walking routes to use.
I’m sure you would prefer our winters to our summers….I do, despite how dreary the garden looks in winter. Bike riding is very popular here.
These are such beautiful winter photos. I love those Australian King Parrots, I’ve not seen them before.
Thanks Nikki. The King Parrots are really lovely and they bring so much colour into the garden during winter.
It looks lovely – and the parrots are a nice pop of colour.
Yes, the parrots are not as well known as some of the other birds, like cockatoos!
Winter looks very fine in Canberra. How I would love to visit this beautiful planned city and see those parrots and, especially, the kangaroos. I can’t recall ever having seen kangaroo at any of the zoos I’ve visited.
And, yes, those of us who live in a peaceful part of the world have much to be grateful for. I feel the same way about living in central Maine, where we seldom lock any of the doors.
Thanks Laurie, and great to read that central Maine is a peaceful place too, we are lucky!
I did enjoy this wonderful post showing what a beautiful place you get to live in. Those mountains are just stunning. Lovely getting to see the kangaroos and birds as well as the plants!xxx
I was thinking of you, when I did two posts with lots of kangaroos! Glad you liked the posts, and I’ll soon be over to check your latest post too.