Laughing Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

These photos were taken at the Mount Elliot Lookout at Katandra Reserve, on the New South Wales Central Coast.

The Laughing Kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae) at this location will allow humans to approach to within 3 metres.

(click on the photos for a larger image)

Boring statistics: WCG

It’s been a long while since the last update, and my little fleet has expanded by an i7 and an i5 during the hiatus. The i5 and a Core2Duo will go away soon, to be replaced by another i7. Total computing time exceeds 56 CPU years; current ranking is 561.

A recent flurry of BETA tasks has finally brought me into Ruby badge territory (180 CPU days). The long slog to Emerald (1 CPU year) has begun.

Drug Search for Leishmaniasis is a new project that started this week. The mission of this project, as announced on the linked page, is as follows:

The mission of Drug Search for Leishmaniasis is to identify potential molecule candidates that could possibly be developed into treatments for Leishmaniasis. The extensive computing power of World Community Grid will be used to perform computer simulations of the interactions between millions of chemical compounds and certain target proteins. This will help find the most promising compounds that may lead to effective treatments for the disease.

With the bronze badge for DSFL I am inducted into Club 19, which means I’ve participated in every World Community Grid project since its inception.

Magpies

Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen)

A visit with friends at their home in a sclerophyll forest on the Central Coast last Sunday afforded me a chance to photograph an Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen) and its young.

Myxomatosis

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with myxomatosis

This is the face of myxomatosis.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is part of the Hawkesbury River system and in fact is where the Hawkesbury meets the sea. These photos are from a short day trip I made to this location.

The Temple of Baal, Jenolan

A constant dripdripdrip of water falls onto this formation

On the 18th of April Hapsis and I visited the Jenolan Caves with the cunning plan of visiting two of the pay-to-enter caves (and the free one as well) all in the same day.

Yellow

Honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Today’s post is brought to you by the colour yellow.

Georges River National Park

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

On this sunny Good Friday the family headed for the Georges River National Park for a picnic. The site was fairly crowded and opportunities for exploring were very limited as often happens when in mixed company, but Hapsis and I had great fun photographing the seagulls and other wildlife that ventured our way.

Wentworth Falls and the Blue Mountains Drive

A view from Jamisons Lookout, Wentworth Falls

A very short visit to Cape Solander

Cape Solander, NSW

The Kamay Botany Bay National Park comprises the two headlands at the entrance to Botany Bay, La Perouse in the north and Kurnell in the south.

Cape Solander on the Kurnell Peninsula is named after Swedish botanist Daniel Solander who arrived with James Cook’s expedition on 19 April 1770.