February 2024 – bushboys world

This is February 2024

Published on February 29, 2024 by bushboy33 Comments

February was either wet or hot and humid. The wet has been good for the garden as well as for easy weed removal that have been growing like crazy because the weather is good for the garden. A lot of the days was out in the cool of the morning, hibernate in the heat of the day into the air-con and back out before the mozzies come out in numbers. Even have to change out of a sweaty shirt doing housework, it’s very humid.

I went to Old Bar, a small town down the coast to visit a very good friend, his wife and spend some time at the beach. Holiday snaps at the start.

Here is your scrolling song, February by Getaway Plan. An Aussie band, that has been around since 2004. This is a track on Requiem from 2011

As always, have to start at sunrise. Luckily to be at the beach with my oldest friend, who likes to surf, and gets down there at sunrise to either have chats with the other blokes, in or out of the water. As you can see at wasn’t worth getting in or is that going out.

Anyway you have to navigate the kelp and Seagulls to get to the water.
I have never seen so many Silver Gulls flying in one large flock at the beach. Instead of chips they were eating maggots that was in the rotting kelp, as well as probing the sand as the water receded to get sand crabs or other sand living organisms.

The beach looked crowded. There was a rush back to your spot on the kelp when the water went out

Sometimes a bonus among the kelp. A Stick Insect I think

The next morning there wasn’t a cloud and just a ball came over the horizon

Making the sands golden

Giving a wonderful background for the seagulls flying off the beach. When this happened the day before, I missed the big flight as I was looking in the other direction. This day I was ready after already seeing the Osprey pair cruising past

The Osprey didn’t care at all about the seagulls and just kept flying towards the river mouth

Later that day while out on a walk, a White-bellied Sea Eagle floated overhead

I spotted a Heron in the early morning sunrise. I hadn’t seen a Heron of that colour before. The sun has coloured a Pacific Heron that has a white head, throat and chest.

We went to Crowdy Head so had to visit the cutest lighthouse ever. Aren’t the clouds cool too.

All that is left of some historical pier or jetty, a few pieces of wood sticking out of the water. It has character I thought.

We had lunch at the Harrington Pub. Looks like we were early and had to line up

Might as well get a standard Pelican on a post photo while I wait

I love coming across a few Galahs feeding on grass seed. The bloke at the back is giving me the stink eye – that’s my girlfriend buddy

I like seeing what ships are on the horizon.

The road works continued while I was away. Not only on the highway but on my gravel roads too. They didn’t do anything about the drainage problem, if anything made it worse in places

Enough whinging. My friend has these huge Hibiscus flowers. The first time seeing a flower sitting up like this. It was almost on the top of the bush.

The startled look of a Bougainvillea

The miniature red Hibiscus bud after the rain

The Cape Water Lilies started to flower

They are an amazing flower to photograph

The Blue Gingers are all having a bit of a flower, some more advanced than others

The Lilli Pilli is having another go at flowering but there’s not many flowers as this gold bum ant seems to grumble as he heads off for another place to find a snack for the nest.

One of my all time favourite flower, Cats Whiskers, is having the best flowering ever. The Possum proof fence works

Remember in the 70’s, probably, when having a Happy Plant in your house bought you luck? Somehow one was acquired from a well meaning person, maybe as a house-warming present. That had been divided put into a few pot and some were just planted in the garden.
Their name is Golden Corn. Now you’ve seen the picture, you know.

Here is one planted in the garden. That growth is about third of the way up. It is almost higher than the house

Most morning this little Red-necked Wallaby comes into the garden for breakfast like it did with mum. I last saw mum actively discouraging it from hanging around her. She has another Joey in her pouch
Still very shy about sounds of me moving around. Mum never used to care much.

I like seeing Brown Pigeons in the garden. They are large beautiful brown birds.

The Bananas open and wait for the flowers to appear.

This fellow is waiting for the bananas probably.

You have to beware in the garden. There is life every where even under a leaf. This Praying Mantis froze, looked at me and ran around the other side of the leaf. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I could still see his shadow through the leaf.

OK SPIDER COMING UP

A beautiful Golden Orb Weaver

A beautiful Golden Orb Weaver with a March Fly

A beautiful Golden Orb Weaver with a March Fly that won’t have a chance to bit me when I am in the garden. See that big proboscis on the fly. That is what she uses to drill into you to have a drink of blood. They can also be called Horse Flies. About 25mm – 1 inch in length. The downside is that she built this huge golden web across one of the garden paths. Luckily there is more than one pathway through the garden.

For being good and seeing the Golden Orb Weaver, here’s an Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly. She has found somewhere there is a lot of pollen, maybe the Ivory Curl Tree.

Time for the usual finish.
It is so good to look up and see Our Moon during the day in a pale blue sky

Most nights there has been cloud and one night when I was about to go to bed I noticed it seemed rather bright outside. The clouds had gone for a while and it was clear. Being tired I just took a few hand held photos. I think I deleted ten or more white blobs.

I like it when a crater photo comes out ok

Thanks for sticking it out until the end. Maybe a favourite or two photos?

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.

Start with a spray (end with a splash)

Published on February 29, 2024 by bushboy17 Comments

CMMC February Alphabet: W or X anywhere in the word

car Wash – A clean start to the post

FoX – Oh look, a human

Wooden boX – From when your tin of volatile Shellite, a flammable hydrocarbon solvent used primarily as lighter fuel, came in a wooden box, which probably came in another larger wooden box. I love the stencilling on the box.

Lots of eXotic choices in the phone book – remember phone books

SeX – The look you have when one of the kids walks into the bedroom

Collared SparroW HaWk – keeping an eye on the neighbours chickens.

Wedged-tailed Eagle – commands the skies

White-bellied Sea Eagle – commands the waterways

Wonga Pigeon – a bird that likes to stroll

Humpback Whale – likes to play

The corridor (to bed)

Published on February 28, 2024 by bushboy13 Comments

RDP Wednesday: Corridor

Leaving the dining car on the Madrid to Paris overnight train to head to the sleeping quarters in the corridor coach, a type of railway passenger coach that is divided into compartments, in this case sleeping compartments, with a corridor running down one side.

Holden (built for Australian conditions)

Published on February 28, 2024February 28, 2024 by bushboy29 Comments

CFFC: Cars – new, vintage, toy, etc

Made in the 1940’s, the General Motors Holden was one of the first mass produced cars in Australia. This is a good range of body types, sedans, station wagons, panels van and utes. Hopefully if you click on an image it will give a larger photo and arrows to navigate.

The title was one of Holdens slogans from the 1950’s

Going from L – R
1st Row – These 3 are from 1948, the FX Model
2nd Row – First 2 are 1950’s FJ Models a favourite Holden with a later Model FC
3rd Row – First 2 are 1958 FE Models and a 1963 EH Model which 256,959 were sold
4th Row – All EH Models as well as the last one, a top of the range, a Holden Special

Now you need an Aussie driving song Solid Rock by Goanna

Driven by wind (windmills and clouds)

Published on February 28, 2024 by bushboy16 Comments

Leannes Monochrome Madness

Wordless Wednesday – 28 February

Published on February 28, 2024February 24, 2024 by bushboy14 Comments

Twinkle twinkle (little star)

Published on February 27, 2024 by bushboy

RDP Tuesday: Ink

I am silver (not shiny)

Published on February 27, 2024 by bushboy27 Comments

Bird of the Week: Invitation LIII

For most Australians, Silver Gulls are commonplace so I thought I should give them their time in the spotlight. I enjoy showing the rest of the world, well my small blog world anyway, the birds of Australia. Even the more, what to Australians, may be mundane but is different to elsewhere. Compared to most other Gulls, the Silver Gull is small, 40 – 45cm (15 – 17 inches) tip to tail.

The Silver Gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae, is common throughout Australia and is also found in New Zealand and New Caledonia. In adult birds the bill, legs and eye-ring are bright orange-red.

The Silver Gull is found at virtually any watered habitat and is rarely seen far from land. Birds flock in high numbers around fishing boats, like this lot with looks of expectation, as the trawlers return to the marina, but seldom venture far out to sea.

As with many other gull species, the Silver Gull has become a successful scavenger, readily pestering humans for handouts of scraps, pilfering from unattended food containers or searching for human refuse at tips. Other food includes worms, fish, insects and crustaceans.

Hundreds of Silver Gulls were feeding amongst the kelp. This one hit the jackpot with a Stick Insect, I think. It was eaten before I could get set for another photo.

Hopefully this sound link works. It was hard to find a call that was easy to link for you
Silver Gull

Silver Gulls look very much alike

One of the categories you’ll find Silver Gulls in is Birds Behaving Badly
I have seen them swoop at people even taking a chip from their fingers that was almost in their mouths.

They have no respect

This small part of a lot were lined up at the poolside dining area where breakfast was set up. One woman selected her food, placed her plate on the table, then made the rookie mistake, turned her back to go and get a beverage. Not gone three steps when her breakfast was stolen by a few gulls. I am sure they know a tourist when they see one.

Slowly and nonchalantly stroll along the beach towards a fishers catch bucket

Move fast when the fisher catches you

They fly at you, why? Just because they can. Maybe this one is the one chased off from the bucket and was still grumpy, wanting to have a go at me.

Silver Gulls like to have a chill morning like most people.

Or have a swooping fly around with the rest of the gang as the sun rises

REF: https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Chroicocephalus-novaehollandiae

Lancet (that’s a bit Gothic)

Published on February 26, 2024 by bushboy23 Comments

Ludwigs Monday Window

The Lancet windows of the Ulmarra Church which is no longer used as a church.

Lancet windows are tall, narrow windows capped by a sharply pointed arch. They are named for their spearhead-like shape. Variations exist in the width of this type of window, but the overall shape is consistent. Common in Gothic architecture, lancet windows were sometimes made with stained glass, although given the austerity of the period they were generally free from ornamentation. They were typically built in pairs or even-numbered rows. Today, lancet windows are sometimes employed in church architecture because of their historic and religious significance.

REF: https://classroom.synonym.com/types-of-windows-for-churches-12081016.html

The windows of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church (Former). It was built in 1912 and the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Carroll on 19/5/1912. This church was closed in 2012 and the property sold.