Day: July 31, 2022

July saw Winter arrive here. The first week was wet on the odd day or two but then the rest of July has lovely sunny days – 20c plus. The nights then dropped into single figures and the fire was lit earlier in the afternoon as the cool breeze blew down the mountains.

I didn’t get out very much to take photos so most of this month are photos from my garden. The only exciting day out was going to Ballina and seeing the Humpback Whale migration.

Your July song to scroll to

July saw the start of the foggy mornings. I took this one early in the month when I went down to check on how much rain was in the rain gauge.

The Nectarine and Peach trees are starting to come into blossom. The foggy morning provided a good background.

One morning I looked out of the kitchen window and saw all these Peaceful Doves on the ground. This was most unusual as when they are around there, they are foraging for food, not sitting still. At first I wondered if they were dead, so I grabbed my camera to have a closer look and saw some fast asleep and others opening and closing their eyes. Next time I looked they were gone. Most unusual.

The mornings are always punctuated with Whipbird calls echoing around the gullies that are on both sides of the house.

In July, the Whipbirds have been in the garden most days. All the photos have been taken out of the windows as they are quite shy and will disappear at the slightest movement. This is the first time I have seen both of them together.

They are quite striking looking birds

Yes it does look like I was spotted in the sun room trying to sneak a few more photos. I probably took over a hundred photos over the month, many duds or the window does need cleaning.

One morning I spied a Lewins Honeyeater lurking in the Honey Gem Grevillea.

A Blue-faced Honeyeater was quite serious getting some nectare from the Honey Gem flower.

Outside of the office, Satin Bowerbirds hopped onto the branch to see what I was doing. It is so hard to get the amazing colours and shades with a photo.

Yellow-faced Honeyeaters can always be heard chattering away around the garden all day.

The garden wouldn’t be complete without an Eastern Yellow Robin splashing yellow about the garden as they fly about.

The female Golden Whistler comes into the garden but the fabulously coloured male doesn’t seem to. He stays in the gullies calling the most splendid song.

A Grey Butcherbird hangs about occasionally looking for a snack or two.

One day I saw a lot of movement in the garden. Venturing out onto the verandah I saw a small flock of Variegated Fairy Wrens investigating the soil as well as under leaves and on branches for food. A female Jenny Wren hoped to find something on a Fan Palm leaf.

The flocked never stayed still for long so it was hard to follow them through the garden. I eventually came across the male Variegated Fairy Wren as he made sure his harem was safe.

The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have been around for the last few days of July. Their raucous calls let me know they have arrived in the late afternoon to chew the bark of the Eucalypts to get the grubs. It was hard to get good photos as they were high in the trees.

The Eastern Spinebills have been around in the garden for a few months now. It is hard not to want to get photos of them especially when they are in the Firesticks Grevillea. This one eyed me suspiciously early in the month but now they don’t mind me wandering about.

The bees don’t have much to feed on at the moment but the Pentas were still flowering at the start of July.

The Bottlebrush, just like the Grevilleas have had another flowering. Perhaps once the rain slowed down and the ground is starting to dry, they decide to have another flowering. Lots of bees and birds are always hanging about.

One day I’ll find out the name of this pretty orchid that grows on long spikes. I love the splash of colour they provide amongst the green of the plants in the garden.

When at Ballina Beach for a fish and chips lunch and hoping to see some Humpback Whales, the Sooty Oystercatchers patrolled the beach looking for their lunch.

I did manage to get one whale photo out of a lot of splash photos. It is quite difficult when trying to get a photo from the shore

Late in the afternoon, the Buddha sits serenely in the last of the warming sun.

I hope this finds you serene and at peace with all that surrounds. Did you have a favourite?
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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.

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