Another wrap up of whats been happening in bushboys world in May. This month has been so dry. Many of the usual birds that are around here in May are absent. The most exciting thing is that I have two new birds that have dropped in on their migration to warmer places.

Some of the photos are from my besties place where it has been raining almost every day. There isn’t a huge amount of photos but I still recommend grabbing a drink suitable for the time of day you are scrolling through This is May 2018.

I think I’ll start with a couple of flowers. I can’t wait for some of the plants which flower in the cooler months to flower.

I love the purple colour

The last hibiscus flower

Just a mud puddle with a bit of the sun and sky

This is the shell of a Frasers Banded Snail. One of the advantages of following scientists on Twitter is that if I can’t ID anything, there is always someone to ask. Bronwen Scott gave me the name of the snail. Bronwen is at Snailseyeview

Another view of the Frasers Banded Snail shell

When the cooler weather arrives, quite often so do some of the marsupial mice from out of the forest looking for somewhere warm to nest. I have a live trap where I can trap, ID and release back into the forest.
This is a view into the trap with a House Mouse, not an Antechinus as I first thought, who has been enjoying a bit of peanut butter. ID help from Dr Dave and Dale Nimmo

Here is the little bloke ready to hop off and find another place to spend Winter other than my pantry

Another new discovery at my besties was this Eastern Stoney Creek Frog. The ID on the frog was also from a Twitter. The wonderful Jodi Rowley

Here’s a bit of orange fungi growing on the side of a tree glowing in the afternoon sun

This fungi was so soft and really did feel like velvet. Also an added bit of Lichen as well as some Moss. Yes it was a wet habitat.

Here is the usual warning for those who have an aversion to spiders. Try to have a peek as the Golden Orb Weaver is a rather beautiful spider.

Lets break in gently with a tiny but lovely web glowing in the morning suns golden glow. Not an Orb Weavers web as this spider is tiny

Here she is, a Golden Orb Weaver looking lovely against the blue Autumn sky.

The markings underneath are so wonderful. She is not quite 75mm long.

This is why she is a Golden Orb Weaver. She is attending to her larder dangling on the golden threads of her rather messy web

A rainy day in Ballina. A Willie Wagtail found a place to try and stay dry during a downpour

Only a few bits of green grass when this photo was taken of a Willie Wagtail hunting for a snack.

The Eastern Spinebills have arrived. A few will hang around over winter as long as the Grevilleas have flowers.

A small flock of Silvereyes have taken up residence as well

Not sure who this Silvereye is yelling at while at he bird bath

On a drive I spotted a group of Ibis resting and preening. Among the group were a couple of Spoonbills having a rest.

It was disturbing to see 4WD wheel tracks on a section of South Ballina Beach which is a no go zone as the birds rest and nest on that part of the beach.
A Sooty Oystercatcher and a Little Tern in the wheel tracks, with some Crested Terns in the background

A Little Tern resting on the beach
Sometimes you have to wait for your turn in the bird bath. A White-throated Treecreeper hangs about waiting for a Lewins Honeyeater to finish his bath.
Ahhh……that’s better. I love how the White-throated Treecreepers sit in the bird bath, the totally opposite to all the other birds.

The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are on their migration too. Some of the flock will stay here over winter. They are the bullies of the bird bath and chase the other birds away.

The Northern Yellow Robins are always around the forest . This bloke and his family are hanging around my garden

My bestie has sold her place. Here is one of the last photos of Bobbin, the Northern Yellow Robin who lives at her place on the garden chair where he loves to survey the garden for something to eat. Bobbin is such a cutie isn’t he?

An Emerald Dove found a good drinking spot in the garden. A stem of a Bangalow Palm filled with rain water.

Here is the first of the new birds at my place. This is a Striated Pardalote

The other new bird is a tiny Varied Sittella. A small flock dropped in one day for a drink, rest and a bite to eat before continuing on their way north. Another little cute bird.
The butterflies are becoming scarce as the weather gets colder. I have been lucky enough to get some photos of the inside wings as well as the usually more colourful outer wings. This butterfly is a Yellow or Common Albatross showing the inside wings
The outer wings are a lovely yellow with a brown edging.
A Zebra Blue or Plumbago Blue Butterfly. You can see the blue on the inside.
The outer wings have a lovely marbling and striking pattern.

The inside wings of the Common Jezabel are rather dull compared to the outer wings.

Here is a Common Jezabel sitting high upon a flower stalk on a sunny day.

I hope you have enjoyed a scroll through my May.