Category: nature

December 2019. A month and a year to remember. As this decade draws to a close I shall always remember the past couple of years. The drought has all but decimated my garden. The bush has been blackened but being Australian bush, the fire will bring about a renewal and the trees will flourish. A lot of the smaller shrubs and bushes will disappear as will the pioneer rainforest species that were starting to grow in the gullies.

I shall endeavour not to dwell on the fire but I have to include a bit as since the sixth of December my place has changed. I was lucky to get a good amount of rain on Christmas Day which has given my garden a temporary reprieve. I have some water to last for a month or so but the run-off has come over ash laden ground which may not be the best. I heard some frogs at the dam for the first time in months so the water may be OK.

You may need a cuppa or glass of something, depending when you are reading this. I would include a snack to keep you going as it is rather long. I know I have already done a birds edition but there are some more bird images in here as well. OK Let’s go………..

After the first decent rain, the Crocus sprouted from various places in the drought ravaged garden adding more hope for the future.

Even in decay the Crocus looked lovely.
Although the dam was almost dry the Cape Water Lillies did their best to put on a show
The hanging Geraniums always have flowers in the three pots hanging from the verandah
The Hydrangea struggled in the dry and heat but managed a flower or two
I was surprised the Frangipannis flowered. There weren’t as many flowers but some flowers made the garden a bit better
All the different colours came out
The Duranta flowers attracted a Caper White Butterfly
A Mud Dauber wasp poked around the pots of Pentas looking for small spiders to place in the clay nest for the hatching grub to feed on.
Some insects tried to get in out of the smoke and heat
The Dragonflies seemed to like the heat and there were quite a number around even though the dam was almost empty
I found this Weevil in the kitchen sink. So I helped it out, put it on the bench, took a photo or two and threw it back outside. Amazing looking insect
Looks like the heat of the fire got this beetle I found the next day as I was doing my inspection of the destruction
The Bullants survived the fire and were quite belligerent
You may have seen these before but had to include the Grass Trees again as they are my favourite plants in the bush around my place
This was a tree stump that was tall and hollow. I found an Owlet Nightjar in there many years ago. See the holes where the roots were. There is heat coming from the holes so the fire was still burning underground!!
Even the rocks were burnt
I often found blackened leaves around my place weeks prior to the fire here
This tall tree, possibly a dead tree, crashed down and burned completely
The day after the fire life emerged. There were quite a number of this species of Fungi dotted through the landscape. Some even had munch marks
The fire has left not much for the Goannas to forage in. I have a couple who walk through my garden regularly
This bloke is about two meters long. That light patch on his tail shows signs of shedding skin so maybe he may have had the fire go over his hiding spot
The lovely Velvet Geckos who live behind the pictures on the walls
These Eastern Water Skinks live at my besties place are quite big for a skink. It looks like a Soft-shelled Snail is going to be breakfast for an Eastern Water Skink
Nom Nom Nom
I spotted a Brown Falcon on a fence post when we were driving down a back road. It flew onto a power pole and kept watching a spot on the ground. I guess it may have swooped down for its meal after we drove off.
A pair of Sacred Kingfishers are often in the tress at my besties. In the background, a Jacaranda tree has had a second flowering
A Striated Thornbill watches the Brown Honeyeater have a quick bath
I love the little Thornbills
Sometimes after a bath Rainbow Lorikeets look a bit disheveled
There was quite a queue for a drink when a flock of Crimson Rosellas came to my place
This Magpie Lark or commonly called Pee Wee just yells at everybody
King Parrots can be such clowns and acrobats
The sounds of the Common Koel ring through the bush sometimes all night. They are migratory birds and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. This male Koel was sitting quite still as he had already been dive-bombed by a Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike trying to get the Koel to move away from his nest.
The messy nest of an Australian Raven among a Mistletoe
The Square-tailed Kite is still soaring the skies above my place
Waiting for the shop to open
While Mum found a cool spot under the shed to spend the day
When munching Grevilleas in the garden, a Red-necked Wallaby had to watch out for that poke in the eye
After a hearty breakfast of Macropod Pellets, supplied by me for the Red-necked Wallabies, it is lovely to stretch out in the morning sun in the garden
As the pellets are dry, I leave water containers near where I put the pellets.
One Saturday we went to the Tip Shop, where things that people throw out in the garbage service get recycled and sold at the Water Management Facility, we saw this tin car head out on the back of a ute. The next day here was the same little car at the Lismore Car Boot Market

I hope you enjoyed a scroll through My December. Did you have a favourite image? Hopefully next decades, next months “This is” will be more cheerful.

Also part of Su’s Changing Seasons