This is September 2023

Published on by bushboy

What more could be said other that it’s very dry now. Around 25mm (1 inch) of rain in the last four months. This is the first time since all the family were here that I am having to think more about water use. The house dam is almost empty and I think I may have pumped the last load of water to the header tank.

It was much like this in the last big dry and I was the bad parent in the garden having who could have a water after a very hot spring day. It’s 31C today so there’ll be the plants who didn’t get a drop yesterday want a bit today. I am taking a lot of cuttings so if I do lose a few plants in the garden, I’ll have some replacements.

I have enough water for household use to last for quite a while. I just need advance warning of visitors if I haven’t been to town for a few days. It’s amazing what a few days in the bush alone can make one look and smell like. Avoiding mirrors is a must.

Here’s your scrolling song as you may need it, perhaps a cuppa and snacks. Anyway, that’s up to you. Just don’t spill your drink. It’s Hot Hot Hot

I wonder how many hot dry springs this old Bauhinia Tree has seen?

Must have been the perfect Winter as it has so many wonderful flowers

Yes, lots of blue skies. The air ferns don’t seem to mind the heat

The morning sun gleams on a spider web highlighting so many colours

I went visiting and it rained at their place, just a drizzle in the mornings,
but enough that my job of watering the garden became superfluous. Gave
time to prowl the morning garden for some water drops. I found a really
good one on a Cumquat

The Hatiora or the Mistletoe Cactus’s second year in the hanging basket
has been settling and this year there were tiny flowers on the end of nearly
every “leaf” called Multifid which means cleft into many parts or lobes

This was a poor twisted Grevillea from the rescue plant section of a nursery
that didn’t cost very much. It is now a bigger twisted misshapen Grevillea
that has the occasional most wonderfully coloured flowers. Being a rescue
plant it was also an orphan and didn’t have a name. I wish I did so I could
buy another one.

The hot dry weather suited the Dietis

The other Dietis I have is Dieties Bi-colour. When I went to get a photo
some Stingless Native Bees dropped by. The bees are around in the garden
a bit more as they prefer warm days

I guess this is a sign of Spring.
“But baby, don’t go.”
“I have to Dave, it’s been fun.”
“But wasn’t it the best thirty seconds you’ve had?”
“Yeah, sure, now let go!”

Now for a bit of incredible. I watched as Dragonflies, coupled together,
whizzed around avoiding other dragonflies amourous attentions. Every
now and then they would swoop low over the water and the male would almost
let go of the female, drop down with her and pick her up and fly off again.

I lost count of the number of my photo attempts but there are two that were worth
saving. This is the best one. I think the female is depositing eggs into the
water and off they go doing that around more eight times.

September is when birds are on the move. In a good season my place is a
good stop off. They remember and drop in for a few days. Luckily there should
be something to snack on in the garden.

The male Leaden Flycatcher flew onto a branch in front of my car just as I
was about to go to town. I was sure I heard them a few days before.

And not much later the female Leaden Flycatcher was in the garden too

I have posted Olive-backed Oriel before in September, but this one is in
the early morning light

One afternoon the White-winged Chough family decided a tree near the
house was a good spot to roost. Choughs are another of the family groups
that live on my place too, like Kookaburra and Babbler families

You never know with Rainbow Lorikeets who is family and who is not. They
seem to squabble with anyone anytime.

Golden Whistlers just like to hang with their mate. They are great at
being my biological insecticide and sing such a lovely tune.

I had an exciting encounter at the house I did a bit of dog sitting. One
afternoon I looked out of the big glass doors and there out front was a
Buff-banded Rail scurry around looking for insects or what ever snack
that could be found. This is a young bird as the chest feathers haven’t
darkened.

Another first while I was there was fulfilling a quest to photograph a
Black-winged Stilt. I decided to stop off at Lismore Lake as sometimes
there is a birds or two to photograph. I was so happy to see a few Stilts.
It looked like a pair and a juvenile. This one came closer to the tree I was
standing next to.

The Eurasian Coot looks rather miffed I disturbed whatever it was doing.

“Whoa….those herring are down deep” gasped the Pied Cormorant, “I’ll give
it one more go, because I don’t want to hang around the fishers catch
cleaning bench again.”

Meanwhile, amid the chaos of the other two, an Intermediate Egret
gracefully glides down river.

“Oi! You! Yeah down here. I’m a Bearded Dragon. I am almost ten inches
long of very scared energy but look at me, I am so fearsome.”

“But that’s not why I am here. I’m here to let those who may want to not look
at the following can just look at Joey cuteness and do not hit the next slide
button.”
“Just move on for your own sake OK”

How is this for cute? A Red-necked Wallaby Joey in the morning sun.
This is where some may go and some many stay.
The slides are a small Huntsman Spider on my desk and an about 3 to 4 foot or a
metre Goanna going for a bit of a stroll through my dry looking garden

I posted a close up of the phone booths in the Crown Hotel Grafton for
Debbies One Word Sunday, Window but though you should see the full wall
in it’s true colours

I am asked how I get nature photos. One thing is to not stand out to your
surroundings and the other is to find somewhere comfortable and sit for
a while.
Quite often nothing much happens so I amuse my self with “What’s that
shape?” What can you see?
Spotted Gums are one of the best trees for playing “What’s that shape?”

Looks like the sun is going down. I like the bands of colour. One for the
silhouette lovers too

How many Full Moons this month? I had to grab “some” and here’s my
favourites of the “couple” of photos I took. When it was just over there

and one when it was bit bit closer. I love seeing the craters on the edge
of the photo

Thanks for lasting the distance. Do add your Changing Seasons post, maybe even just a few photos as Ju-Lyn and I enjoy seeing posts from around the world.

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.

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45 thoughts on “This is September 2023”

  3. I see a dancing poodle in the spotted gum. My favourite is the Goanna, because I feared it was a snake, dared to look rather than skip past, and discovered it wasn’t… but still felt just a little scared at the idea of a 4 ft one in the garden.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes the dancing poodle, well spotted Susan. Goannas are snakes with legs 😂 They are more scared of you and will run and scamper up the nearest tree. A good tip is – Don’t stand still and look like a tree when a frightened Goanna is running about 😁 The birds at the bird bath soon flew away

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Top dragonfly pics, they are quick little suckers. That fly catcher is a pretty little thing. I’m sure i can see poppa smurf being dragged along by a dog on that spotted gum,or maybe it’s late and my brain is tired.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Love the Bauhinia flower. It’s gorgeous. And I’m with everyone on the dragonflies. The second one is what makes all those attempts worth it! I like your reptiles too. Hope you get some rain soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They are a nice flower. My tree is very small but had some flowers this year. It’s OK for a crap photo. Yes a bit of rain would be ever so good but I want to be greedy and have a shit load

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Last year we set records for LACK of rain. THIS year we’ve set records for endless rain. It has been so wet and so dark that the middle of the day looks like night. What a pity we can’t move the weather around — give you the extra water we don’t need because our ground is saturated and flooding is everywhere.

    I do love your birds and your pictures of them. Elegant birds and beautiful pictures. I have spent most of my photographing time taking pictures of my doll collection which is leaving here and moving to a new home far away.

    As you move into spring and summer, we shall head into fall and winter. I sure hope we get less precipitation in winter or we are going to be up to our chins in snow.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you Marilyn 🙂
      Sounds like our dry 2019 then wet years since, 2 major floods. This year is a dry start so I really hope I am not moaning this time next year

      Like

  11. Wonderful shots of the flowers, dragonflies and birds, many new to me or at least exotic-seeming compared to ours. If I’m picking out favourites I’d have to opt for the two Dieties (not a flower I’d heard of before) and the Leaden Flycatchers – such pretty tones on both male and female. I’m sorry though to hear about the challenges of the drought you’re facing – I hope you get some proper rain soon.
    Here’s my (very busy) September: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/gallery-a-september-selection-2023/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Sarah. I will gladly give you as many of the white and purple one as you want. I am always removing it and it is hard to kill.
      I’ll be over to yours soon 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  13. What an amazing number of birds and wildlife in your area Brian. But I think it is going to be a hard, dry season for the garden this year. Good idea to take cuttings for back ups, just in case.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I am glad you could see a few things like I did Tracy 🙂 Today has been cool and cloudy, part cloud and very warm and now back to cool and cloudy but will be amazed if any rain falls

      Liked by 1 person

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  19. As I view your lovely captures, I am thinking about your water situation, and how many of us who live in Singapore take for granted that if we turn on the tap, we will have water. It is a precious resource and when one has to be so careful with it, like you do, it really drives home the point that it is not a limitless resource.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I am happy you understand my lifestyle and how Australians view water. Not many people complain anymore when water restrictions are placed in towns and on rural use, farms etc

      Like

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