Dust devils, Wilmington, South Australia. Credit: Sandy Horne.
Photographer Sandy Horne. Credit: Sandy Horne.
A visit to inland South Australia on a bird photography mission saw Sandy Horne in the right place at the right time to capture an elusive weather phenomenon.
It was while driving with friends in the southern Flinders Ranges to look for birdlife to photograph that Sandy captured another scene, featured as the August photo in the 2026 Australian weather calendar.
Multiple dust devils, spinning across the dry landscape before her, were a distraction for her camera away from the birds she hoped to capture.
"It was a really hot day, a bit windy, and it was in the middle of a terrible drought," she said.
"But we went for a drive anyway, just looking for birds, and as we're driving around, I could see all the willy-willies, the dust devils happening.
"They're really hard to get photos of because they last seconds - by the time you get out of the car with your camera, they're gone."
These spinning columns of air are usually short-lived phenomena resulting from uneven heating of the ground by the sun.
As air starts to warm and rise, unstable conditions intensify to form vortices that become visible as debris is pulled in.
Associated winds can be gusty, occasionally strengthening to more than 90 km/h.
Dust devils dissipate when they run out of warm air, or suck in surrounding cooler air.
With so many spinning at once, Sandy had to quickly rattle off a series of shots to try and capture the dust devils dancing on the dry earth in front of her.
"It was just amazing to see," she said.
"It was such a spectacle, and I knew I couldn't do it justice, because it was so hot.
"I was struggling with the heat haze trying to take the photo, it was really hard to get a good shot."
A long-time interest in birds and a passion for all things creative led Sandy to start bird photography, a hobby that often leads her out on weekend adventures in the bush.
And she says there are many positive benefits to nature photography - aside from ending the day with some beautiful shots, Sandy finds it has mental health benefits too.
"It's also really good to get out and about for the exercise and the fresh air and sunshine," she said.
"I head off into some remote wilderness places at times to just do my photography and have a bit of fun.
"When I'm out trying to get the shot, I'm not thinking about what bills I've got to pay what's happening at work or all of the other stuff.
"My focus is just totally in the moment."
The Bureau's 2027 Australian Weather Calendar national photo competition is currently open for submissions until March 31.
For the full terms and conditions of entry, and to submit a photo, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/calendar/contest/
