This is April 2024

Published on by bushboy

April was so varied lots of rainy days, some hot days. One day the temperature didn’t even nudge 20C and the next day it was nudging 30C. Crazy weather. Plants flowering early, some not at all every thing has been growing and there has been lots of birds and butterflies.

Nearly every night was overcast and I missed the moons glow. On the Pink Full Moon, the clouds parted around 11:30pm, everything became so bright. I took a chair out front to take photos as the Full Moon was right above my house. It was lovely out there until the cool breeze woke me about 30 minutes later.

It might be get a cuppa type post

I wouldn’t know but how about some April Sun in Cuba. A bit of an Aussie icon. Dragon were mainly an Aotearoa/New Zealand band

So onto the things I saw, may as well go from morning to night and find out what one month crammed into a day looks like.

One morning I thought the sunrise may have potential and wandered down to the best spot where there’s a dip in the trees, also where the rain gauge is. There was cloud and a tinge of colour, I thought nothing much was going to happen.

Then the sky changed to blue and the cotton ball clouds tinged with colour began to spread

After about ten minutes the sky was no longer like the first sky I saw

As is normal for April are foggy mornings

The Grafton Bridge looks different on the other side from sunrise

The fungi are still happy to pop up in random places

The first frond of an Elkhorn Fern, the biggest ferns in Australia along with Staghorn Ferns. This first spreading little Shield Frond with a bud. The big one I have is over a metre in width and height, this is a cute 100mm

A bounty from the garden courtesy of the compost. Green Chillies

Some of the things you see siting outside. Mama Red-necked Wallaby with a juvenile somewhere around being more independent all the time as she has another Joey developing in her pouch.

Isn’t she sweet

Maybe not as sweet but still is part of life in the bush. Another sighting from the kitchen window, a Lace Monitor wandering down the drive. They are long claws. I asked it to not come toward the house and it said sure thing and scurried up the hill to the nearest tree.

Isn’t it beautiful. You can see a bit better why it is called a Lace Monitor. That’s the best thing about these big fellas, they are more scared of you and will climb the nearest thing to get away. *A good idea is not be that nearest thing to climb, never look like a tree. *bush wisdom

Unlike his big cousin, Leaf-tailed Geckos, are allowed in the house. Great natural insect control
This one was out hunting with the verandah light on and me photographing the moon

One of the first birds to let everyone know there is danger in the garden are the Peaceful Doves. Because they are always here I neglect to show them off, they are so lovely

Another alarm clock are Laughing Kookaburras. This one just swooped on an insect and it was gone before I could react.

The Blue-faced Honeyeater lets me know there’s something going on, quite often because it likes it’s own voice too.

The Eastern Spinebills are still around the garden. They like the Firesticks Grevillea and use the Pentas flowers as cover to chase others away from the flowers

Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters were here for a few days enjoying the Bottlebrush flowers

The White-Cheeked Honeyeaters dropped in for e Bottlebrush feast as well.

There are always Eastern Yellow Robins around

The Golden Whistlers seemed to taunt when I was in the garden, Haven’t got your camera have you! and of course when I do get my camera, they fly into the upper branches

Yesterday was Eastern Whipbirds in the garden day, foraging in the undergrowth and garden mulch for snacks for most of the day.

A Striated Pardalote came by one day and I thought I heard one when I went to a bird bath near the hole where they nest

The male Satin Bowerbird seems to get more attention. The females are so lovely as well

Earlier in the month the bower in the garden was intact. Then one day it had been trashed. I hoped it would be rebuilt but a lot of the blue treasures were gone as well.

Not long after I saw Satty on the other side of the drive. When all was quiet I investigated and sure enough a new bower was constructed in the garden, treasures transferred too.

In town, the White Jacarandas are flowering

The bananas are growing well with this weather, lots of fruits for the birds to enjoy. The bananas are rather floury and not really nice to eat.

The cats Whiskers are thriving. The first year of abundant non-stop flowers.

Here’s a look at the whiskers

Among the butterflies were Varied Eggfly Butterflies who loved the Bottlebrush flowers too.

The Orchard Swallowtail Butterflies were a bit frisky.

A Grasshopper keeping an eye on me

There were Golden Orb Weavers everywhere with their huge golden unkempt webs

When the Gerberas flowered the little Stingless Native Bees arrived. These are Masked Bees

The Blue-banded Bees seemed to be everywhere in the garden

The Common Albatross liked the flowers of the Trochocarpa laurina bush

The tiny berries of the Trochocarpa laurina a favourite among lots of birds

This was the funniest sight. I was photographing the Common Albatross Butterfly when I can across this odd looking thing on to of a Trochocarpa laurina branch.
On closer inspection I saw it was a tiny Crab Spider on it’s back, even weirder. I took a photo (or more maybe) and was going to have a closer look when a small Line-blue Butterfly almost landed on the Crab Spider. Luckily the butterfly had quick reflexes.
The Crab Spider went back into its passive hunting position

Rainy days always produce water drops

Night time is upon us already, the Brush-tailed Possums are out looking for food

One of the Pink Moon photos from the comfort of the verandah chair in the yard

A lot to get through I know but can you remember if a photo was a favourite?

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently, though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.

For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

Tags and ping-backs

Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

Create a ping-back to Ju-Lyn at Touring My Backyard or this post, so that we can update it with links to all of yours.
This post is also for Cees FOTD

54 thoughts on “This is April 2024”

  1. Oh the flora and fauna of Australia… and your eye and photography are fabulous!! How could one possibly pick a favorite? I am bowled over by the number and quality of your photographs on this one. A+++!!!!! I would love to have gekkos in my house again. Last time was in Bali. I could always tell when some predator was near as the utter din would suddenly become quiet..You could hear a pin drop. How I would love to see a wallaby hopping up my driveway with one in the bush and one in the pouch! Everything lovely, lovely.

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    1. Thank you ever so much judy, that is such a lovely comment 🥰
      At the moment the Geckos are getting frisky so it’s the straighten the pictures on the wall every morning 🙄 At night I can hear the pictures rattle against the wall 😂

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  11. Hard to pick a favourite photo as they are all so amazing. You are blessed with such wonderful wildlife and flowers. Those cats’ whiskers are unique and something I have never seen before. The weather has been changeable here in Spain as well.

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  12. Brian, I did not listen to your advice and now I’ve gone through but it was not enough. I am going to get that cuppa, then come back and do it once more, only properly this time. Too hard at the moment to pick a fave. (…time passes…) Ok, I’m back. The Lace Monitor is huge and gorgeous. I want him to be my friend, but I understand that he’s scared. Also, I love the suggestion not to look like a tree! Sounds like great advice! The variety of your birds is just astonishing to me – maybe because each one of them is a new bird to my eyes. The lovely blue around the eyes of the doves, the curved beak of the Spinebill, that perfect yellow on the Robin. Is this a female Satin Bowerbird? How absolutely beautiful it is. And the story of the rebuilt bower – completely with blue treasures – is interesting and delightful. The bees are also new: the masked bees are so tiny! And the Blue banded bees so pretty! The possum and the wallaby are cuter than cute. OK, I think my favourite is the bower with the display of blue: just amazing. For pure photography, I like the moon and the raindrops. I hope your May is just as wonderful.

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    1. Thank you ever so much for a thoughtful and lovely comments Crystal, glad you went back for the suggested cuppa 🥰 I do have a few birds around and the post would be so much bigger if I could put them all in plus get the photos too 😁
      I have a wildlife camera and set it up at the old bower. Not really good videos so will try again on this bower of the various comings and going, bower construction and the rearranging of the blue treasures. I have to work out my video program and do some editing and joining of the 30second clips.
      I am so happy you enjoyed my April.
      Have a fab May, I guess you’ll be at home this month lol

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      1. I’m never at home for an entire month! Last week I was in Annapolis, Maryland, teaching. This month we are taking one of Pedro’s boys down to LA to visit Universal Studios. I’m excited. I love that stuff! 🙂

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  13. Pingback: April Recapitulation | Milepebbles
  16. Pingback: The Changing Seasons, April 2024 – Touring My Backyard

  17. The weather has been a little nuts – although our cooler temps aren’t as exciting as yours: it’s just hot & muggy for us, or hotter & muggier 🤣

    Such a transformation to the morning sky … and you were right there to catch the change! Right place, right time, lots and lots of patience!

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  19. Brian, this post is a month of photo treasures that most of us can only read about and never see. Your Lace Monitor … the name made me think it could be one of your many awesome, beautiful butterflies, but I was surprised to see what would be creeping around and you would not let it in the house. The gecko chasing insects in the house made me smile. The Wallaby and Joey would be something nicer to see.

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      1. I sent the link to a fellow blogger Esther. Her family has a pet gecko and I’m sure she and her kids, all nature lovers, will get a kick out of the Lace Monitor and your flowers and birds. Esther often contributes to Cee’s FOTD Challenge so she likes flowers.

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