“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” – Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine
It started like any normal morning. After unfurling from their nighttime rest, the Leopard Lily flowers petals opened to greet the day.
Already the bees started to arrive to seek vital nectar and pollens to take back to their hives. A European Bee was quite engrossed when a Stingless Native Bee saw what was going on.
“Hey you! You big bag of yellow. Get off my flower!”
The European Bee, whose name was Tom, just kept gathering. “Oy, didn’t you hear me? Do I have to hover here for ages?” said Steveo, the Stingless Native Bee
Not used to being ignored, Steveo flew right up into the flower “Look at me,” he said right in Toms face, “It’s time we knew who owned what around this garden.”
“Now look around here,” said Steveo, “From up here all the orange flowers you can see are mine.”
“Are you even looking?” “Come up here and see what I’m talking about.” “Don’t make me come down there!” an exasperated Steveo said.
“Go on, off you go…..and don’t come back!”
“Now for a bit to gather and enjoy” “Don’t these stamen look a treat?”
“Mfheese rr tho gosth….nom nom nom”
“Hey Steveo, looks like you found a good supply there.” “Yeth,” said Steveo swallowing hard, “these are so good, want to come and share?” “No thanks, I’m off to Trevs place. I hear he has some coffee bushes flowering,” said Billy with a wry smile.
Nom nom nom. Steveo made sure that all bits of what the flower had to offer, going over the top and shuffling pollen into his pollen baskets below.
Going along the stamen like this gives……well I’ll let Steveo tell you. “As I move down, I scrape my rear legs where the pollen baskets are and pollen fills the baskets.” If you look really hard that little orange ball at the Native Bees rear is the pollen basket. It looks quite full to me.
The rose didn’t mind that insects came to visit. Some were quite welcome although petal munches weren’t encouraged.
One morning a little green hopper was enjoying the sun after seeing the end of a tiny spider drop to the end of the flower. Looking up after hearing this loud noise he exclaimed “What the hell is that!” knowing it wasn’t a bee. “It better know how to land without breaking anything!” he hoped.
As it grew closer the little green hopper started to think of finding a new flower to hang around in for a while. “Someone like that would lower the tone of this fine neighbourhood” he said, “this is a place where every ones knows every one else and we can swap flower scent stories.” No one wants to chat about big stinky folk next door
“Oh no” he sighed, here come the bees” “Once one drops in and heads off to do his waggle dance, the place just fills up with buzzing and flicking pollen” “Not good for my hay fever,” as he sniffled and could feel a huge sneeze coming on. “I’m heading out of here, see ya!”
See I told you didn’t I. Don’t blame me if you start to sneeze.
A bit of a quiet month for me. The days have been lovely so I have been in the garden or wandering about town – actually a quick coffee and shopping. There was a few days of almost rain. Enough to discourage taking the camera out.
As the nights have been quite cold, a lot of my days were spent with chainsaw in hand and gathering firewood, then splitting the rounds for the fire. This is a good bit of exercise plus pushing a full wheelbarrow of the split wood up to the house.
I have acquired a new friend but more about her later.
Here is your August song to help you get through this post
I have had some feral cats in my yard during the month so I set my live capture trap with a can of cat food in the hope to get one. I checked the trap and it hadn’t gone off but the food was gone. I immediately suspected rats so out with the smaller live trap just in case it wasn’t a Ratus ratus.
Here is the little one I trapped. It isn’t a Black Rat but not sure what it is, so I let it out in the bush nearby. Isn’t it cute?
OK lets start with a few flowers. The Grafton Regional Art Gallery is finally getting the gardens together. Some bulbs popped up and looked so good.
A house nearby has some lovely Hibiscus
I am not sure what flower this one is. It looks like a Purple Violet but the leaves are different. This just popped up in a new garden bed we made a few years ago.
This Winter is the first time the Giant Salvia (my name, not sure what they are really called) have flowered. The plant has really big leaves and is now over two metres tall.
This year being wet and now dryish has confused a lot of the plants in the garden. The Grevilleas and Bottlebrush have been flowering nearly all year now. The birds are loving the flowers and this pink Bottlebrush is a favourite of the small birds.
The small Nectarine and Peach trees have had a blossom bonanza as well. The bees are all over the trees.
The flowers look so lovely.
On one of my days in town, I decided to have a bit of a photo session of the Grafton Goal, some photos I have already posted (Thursday Doors) and there will be some more over the next week or so.
The crown above the gates looks like it has been recently refurbished. It is quite a grand Victorian building.
Walking around town, I spied a teapot on a fence. It was near a cafe and I forgot to ask if they put it there to attract customers.
Also just sitting there was a Pied Currawong in my garden. It is sitting on a dead palm that didn’t survive the drought at the end of the last decade. Pied Currawongs come down from the mountains when the weather gets cold.
Last week a couple of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos decided to stop over for a rest and a snack. This one just seemed to sit in the tree and didn’t do much at all.
Whereas it’s friend decided to gnaw at a tree. They listen for grubs in the tree and then commence to dig the grub out.
Stopping long enough to admire it’s handiwork.
and then back into hacking into the tree. By the time the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo finished there wasn’t much tree left but it is still standing. I am waiting for a strong wind to see if it comes crashing down. Luckily it is not in a part of the bush where I walk.
I have a number of bird baths scattered around the garden but some birds, like these female Satin Bowerbirds seem to like this rusty old drum
Yes the Whipbirds are still coming into the garden to forage. One day I hope to be outside and in a spot to get a photo and not through a window
The King Parrots are still around as well but not in the same numbers as last month or earlier this month. This female King Parrot sits outside of my office and ever now and then knocks on the window to get my attention to let me know the feeder is empty.
Remember I mentioned I have a new girlfriend? Well this is her. I came home from town one day and noticed a Brush Turkey walking across the garden and head down into the bush. I have never had Brush Turkeys on my place before so this was strange to say the least. Over the next few days I saw her in the garden sometimes pecking under the bird feeders getting spilt seed.
Over the weeks, she has gotten used to me and now hangs around me when I am in the garden or splitting firewood in the hope I’ll turn up insects. When I came home from town this afternoon, there she was on the verandah so she is becoming bolder.
I suspect she has been hand reared and has been dumped. People often dump birds and animals out my way but this is a rather strange one to say the least. As she looks like staying around I have named her Betty – Brush Turkey ➡ BT ➡ Betty
I saw a few Pink Galahs on a patch of lawn in nearby town, Lawrence. It was a case of “Hey bud, no paparazzi” as they walked down the hill
One day I looked at the sky and saw these clouds, grabbed my camera and started taking photos. People on the street wondered what I was doing, looked up and remarked to each other how wonderful the clouds were. Would they have noticed if they didn’t see me looking skyward?
Well speaking of looking upwards, the Moon is up in the morning on this day but even so once the Moon is up it must be time to finish off and get to bed.
I hope you enjoyed my August.
I hope this finds you serene and at peace with all that surrounds. Did you have a favourite? Perhaps you would like to join us with your Changing Seasons post?
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 and/or this post, so that we can update it with links to all of yours.
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? Perhaps you would like to join us with your post?
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.
Well another wet and rainy month. Not as much rain as the previous three months but enough to keep the ground sodden. I didn’t take a lot of photos and some I did take just weren’t all that good as the light was quite poor.
Some of these photos have been enhanced using my photo editing program. Some people have asked what I use to edit my photos. I use Corel PaintShop Pro Ultimate 2022. I used to use Corel when I was working so it made sense to use the same program only a better version. I have used it since 2009 and upgraded every year as some of the function change and improve.
Trying to think of a May song for you to scroll to. Arcade Fire’s Month of May is a bit fast and you might get scrolling in a rapid fashion but I really like Arcade Fire. ACDC’s Stormy May Day seems appropriate being Aussie and the weather but not all enjoy ACDC. So I went for something a bit gentler and also a band who started their career in Australia with one of their lesser know songs which I love. Enjoy your scroll while having a listen.
I managed to get away for a few days to visit a mate at Port Stephens. I started my drive in rain and after a while the skies cleared and I was lucky enough to have a couple of days in sunshine.
This is sunrise from his place. So as the sun is up, lets go.
We went for a picnic and saw a White-bellied Sea Eagle cruising the shore line.
Meanwhile back at home the rains continued and again the Clarence Valley experienced a minor flood. Previous floods in March, the water went over the pylons but under the Grafton Bridge.
The Pacific Black Ducks didn’t seem to mind the high water.
I had fungi popping up around the place but not as much or as many as I thought. Possibly as it was wet and not much sunshine or heat in the soil.
I love the colour and frills on this little fungus
When I went to clean out the leaves from my water tank strainers, this big fat Green Tree Frog was sitting on the tank. It was not a good idea as a bird would have loved to make a meal of it. This photo was taken in my green house where I relocated the frog so it may have some insects to snack on as well be safe.
While in the shade house I took a few photos of the Begonias and the flowers. This is one is the better photos of Wax Begonia flowers with some water drops.
Water drops were everywhere and it was hard not to try and get a few photos despite the dismal overcast days. This orange Hibiscus has loved all the rain and has flowered better than ever.
I saw sparkles when one evening the sunset looked spectacular through the trees
This year the Zygote Cactus are flowering so well. I love this apricot coloured one which is a new one in the shade house getting started. Also has water drops all over.
I had this Zygote on the verandah and it wasn’t happy so I put the pot in the garden. It certainly enjoyed a change of scenery.
The Satin Bowerbird didn’t seem to mind when the rain started to fall. He was more intent on enjoying lunch.
Christine – Stine Writing – said she didn’t know that birds, other than parrots, could be green when I posted a photo of a Green Catbird Well here you go Christine here’s another one. A female Satin Bowerbird in the tree outside of my office.
The Satin Bowerbirds liked the fruit of the Benjamina Fig Tree
The Benjamina Fig Tree had a fantastic fruiting this year as well. The fruits are around 10mm and when they fall the Peaceful Doves walk around under the tree eating the fallen fruits
The little Silvereyes liked eating the figs too and then pop over to the Grevilleas for a bit of a sweet drink.
The bees enjoyed the sweet nectar too. Here a couple of bees shooting are the breeze over a few drinks.
The Chinese Lanterns looked good in May and continue to flower.
The Cats Whiskers are having a full on flowering too. After this flowering I will have to get some cuttings as I love Cats Whiskers as do insects. Unfortunately the Red-necked Wallabies like them as well so I have to fence the plants.
Through the bush the Egg and Bacon plants are flowering. Some are covered in these tiny 10-12mm flowers other plants have less numbers of flowers but are showy nevertheless.
At this time of year, the Eastern Spinebills turn up at my place. This Spinebill enjoyed the Pentas flowers in the garden.
One exciting thing to happen was that the Eastern Whipbirds that live in the gullies around my house have started to come into the garden. They are quite allusive and move rapidly through the undergrowth occasionally giving off their whip cracking call in the bushes. I managed to get this photo from my verandah.
The Golden Whistlers are in the garden too. This female was quite happy to pose for a few photos before flying off into the bush.
Sometimes the birds come to me. This Blue-faced Honeyeater flew onto the verandah to come to see what I was doing in my office.
What has been lacking for a lot of this year has been Red-necked Wallabies around the house. I was pleased to see a small mob turn up for a couple of days and one female had a joey. I grabbed a photo from the verandah down toward the end of the garden just as they were hopping away.
I was so glad that they turned up the next day and were in the garden for quite a while. The little Joey was quite adventurous and hopped away from Mum but not too far. Yes another verandah shot.
I did get out a couple of times and again I had a sunny day when I left the rain at my place and went to see a mate who was holidaying at Woolgoolga. On the way home I stopped at the lookout and there was a pair of Australasian Pipits hopping around the car park.
Another car park stroller. This time at the riverbank in Grafton while I was checking out the floodwaters a Crested Pigeon just walked past.
Another bit of excitement was when I was driving home from town one afternoon and I saw a Black-necked Stork in a flooded paddock that has turned into a quasi wetland. That is where I took the photos of the Black Swans recently. This time she was close to the road so I managed to get quite a number of good photos.
The Black-necked Stork is the only species of stork that occurs in Australia. Its name is a little misleading, as the bird’s neck is not black, but an iridescent green-and-blue sheen. I only just found out that the female has a yellow eye.
Another bit of excitement was hearing a sound in the garden late one afternoon and seeing a shape moving around the garden. I realised it wasn’t a Wallaby and saw a Northern Bandicoot looking for dinner in the garden. I rarely see Bandicoots but know they are around by the holes that are dug around the garden looking for worms and grubs.
The only other time I have taken a video of a Bandicoot in the chook house in 2014. You can see that this one is a female as there is movement in her pouch.
I think this could be a male but it moved quickly and I didn’t get a good look at it. When it stood on it’s back legs to see what it heard in the garden, it had its back to me. Males can weigh up to 3kg
As I mentioned before, one evening there was a spectacular sunset. I don’t get to see sunsets and sunrises living among the trees in the bush or forest, so when I do they are spectacular.
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.
Subtitle: Changing Seasons – in conjunction with Ju-Lyn
I didn’t take many photos in November. I am loving the rain. The frogs have been as well. Some nights it is so loud with all the frogs having their say. The most photographed thing, because the rain has made the garden just grow, are flowers splashed throughout the garden. I am doing a garden post as it is too good not to share. I have spent a bit time in the shed so there’s a post about that on the list as well.
The days we had with sunny blue skies which were taken advantage of, so there was lots of photos to pick from for This is November. Grab your usual drink/snack that you may like to consume at this time of your day and enjoy this bit of my world.
Here is your song to scroll to….a new one for me. I hope you enjoy my discovery. Hit play and let’s get scrolling. You can always come back up and stop the music if you don’t like it.
One Saturday morning I woke very early and there was colour in the sky, so I had to try and take a few photos for Hammad’s Weekend Sky. After taking my usual photos from the usual place, I tried to see what I could get through the trees. Most were ok but didn’t show all that much of the coloured clouds. My favourite of the lot.
The cows next door to my besties were calving. I think these two may be related.
On that hill where the calves are, a Double Bared Finch was having lunch too.
It is always lovely to see an Eastern Rosella or two when out and about.
Sacred Ibis always look spectacular as the glide overhead.
On the lookout tree, a Spangled Drongo (top) and a Dollar Bird keep an eye out for some unsuspecting breakfast to be passing by.
In my besties garden, a Pheasant Coucal was calling for a few days. One morning he decided to come out in the sun.
We went away for a few days to Soldiers Point. One day we went for a walk in a nature reserve at Nelson Bay. There’s a few photos from there following as well. A pair of Corellas were checking out the hollows in the Gum Tree to make home maybe.
This made me laugh, the Darter look so serious too.
We found this lily like plant and it has the most wonderful flower. I haven’t been able to ID it yet.
I just love Red and Green Kangaroo Paw flowers which were growing along the track in the nature reserve
At a cafe having a coffee while the waiting for the rain to ease a bit, I saw Bougainvillea flowers had fallen on a table out in the rain.
That’s all from our mini holiday. Remember the last two “This is…..” I have shown the progress of the amazing Gymea Lily flower. I don’t think it will be there next time.
Here is a few from around my garden as a bit of a teaser lol. The agapanthus in the garden have never had as many flowers ever! Mostly blues but some are from plants with white flowers that I never knew their colour.
This white Agapanthus flower stalk was so tall, well over a meter.
The Crinums or Spider Lilys are flowering well this year.
I have been trying to find the right place for the Walking Iris as I love their flowers
I have a Jacaranda tree which is a bit scraggly but this year showed itself as best it could.
Scattered around the garden are Spiny-headed Mat Rush (Lomandra) plants that have long strappy leaves most of the time but they do flower
The Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia) are flowering and the insects and birds are loving them.
I can’t grow roses at my place. It gets too wet and the Possums and Wallabies love them too much. My besties place is ideal. Here is a selection of Roses. This is a tiny climbing variety.
Some of the flowers are amazing. I love this pink one.
Such a deep colour, it is more orange than red in real life
Some Zinnias are appearing.
This is the flower from a Bromiliad which I found in the plant rescue section of a nursery. I took three and said these be easy. He rolled his eyes. Five years later, two survived and this one has flowered for the first time.
Sometimes Thistle flowers look so good.
I always forget to take photos of the Zig-Zag plant when it flowers.
I cannot believe this Pineapple plant. It has been in the garden for as long as I can remember. Every now and then it pops out a fruit. This is the flower stage. Pineapple plants are Bromiliads.
The Day Lilys have been wonderful this year
Even the Stingless Native Bees thinks so as well.
The Variegated Duranta has been flowering since start of Spring. Now it has rained there are flowers everywhere.
There was a break in the rain. A Blue-banded Bee decided to take advantage too.
In the nature reserve we found this amazing way the Lichen has formed. What shapes or things can you see in the photo? IN the top right hand corner is a tiny fern similar to an air plant. They grow on anything organic wood, rock etc
OK Who was paying attention as I would really like to know what was your favourite photo? Did you like the music?
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.
bushboys world 