James Dee Birding

During my favourite trip of all time, my five month tour of Australia in 2007, I climbed the Gloucester Tree near Pemberton, Western Australia.  It was one of those moments I won't forget.  As I reached the top platform, 61 metres off the ground,  a Purple-crowned Lorikeet  appeared out of nowhere, just metres from my face as if to welcome me. What a stunning bird.  The breast looked a purply-blue in the morning's light. And then it was gone.

On one of wanderings around the outskirts of Leh, near to Shanti Stupa I spotted the unmistakeable patterns of a Forest Wagtail lost during spring migration.  The exact spot is lost to time but somewhere around  34°10'37.4"N 77°34'37.7"E.   Although, not only was it a vagrant and unlikely to be seen in this area on many occasions, the expansion of the town renders the area somewhat different.  I remember that it was making it's way up a stream. In those days, my only camera was a Canon ISUS 50 or something similar so when ebird moderators asked for a photo twenty years later, it caused something of an amusement.  I've used a free stock image below as they're too good not to have a shot. Stock image by  aee_werawan