butterflies – bushboys world

This is January 2019

Published on February 8, 2019February 21, 2019 by bushboy28 Comments

January. A month of hardly any rain, only 6mm over 2 days at my place, whereas the average is around 120mm and it rains most days. It was also freakingly hot. Days in succession of over 38C to a top of 42C here. There were some magic moments, a bit of travelling and the return of the butterflies. I spent a lot of my time watering my garden and plants in shade house. The dam became low so I was thinking of water rations to the plants. I became the bad parent having to decide which plants would get water and those who I hoped would survive.

Among all of this I did manage to get out and about and take quite a number of photos. Looking through the folders, I decided that I would have to do special posts that encompassed some of my days out and about, as I have a lot of things I want to show you this month. It has taken me a long time to decide on what I want to put into this post.

Yep……it’s another huge lot of photos. So once again, get a cup of tea or coffee (I have a coffee while writing this) perhaps a snack (I have already eaten my biscuits). For those reading in the evening, a glass of wine will help sustain while scrolling through this mammoth month. I shall try to keep the captions short.

Ready. All sitting comfy. Lets go

I best start off with a bit of morning and sunrise through the trees. I don’t get to see the full splendor of sunrise living in the bush or in a forest for those non-Australians

I liked this morning photo as it has a sliver of our Moon. Can you see it?

This is what our Moon looked like up close

Seeing a full moon in the morning was fabulous. A great start to the day.

While visiting my daughter in Toowoomba, we spent time walking about the streets looking at street art (a post of those wonderful art works to come) and strolling though the many gardens and parks.
I was glad to see that Yarn Bombing was still happening and Council was leaving them in place.

I just had to get a photo of this carrot that was on top of the vege display at the local Farmers Market

The distant hills have sentinel like Grass Trees over looking the valley. Grass Trees grow at around 25mm (1 inch) a year. Some of these are probably 2+ meters tall so ancient wonders on the other side of the valley from my besties place.

Now for the flowers.
The many colours and shapes of (I think) a Gazania

Despite the heat, a red Frangipanni buds and flowers appeared.

The photo doesn’t capture the wonderful red colour.

The flower of a Eucalypt, not sure which one, with a bee. There was lots of bees around in January too.

Just a wonderful flower.

Bougainvilleas flowered well in the heat and dry.

I have many photos of Native Frangipannis but have never seen a seed pod before

The Dahlias in my daughters garden

I saw a flower and while I was looking, some kids came along and said “Look brain flowers”. Yep Brain Flowers or Cockscomb or a Celosia flower.

Also came in red.

More bees and flowers

This one was getting stuck into the pollen at my besties

A Wattle Line-blue Butterfly enjoying a Brain flower. Did you spot the butterfly earlier?

An Orange Ochre stopped to enjoy the afternoon sun

A Cabbage White Butterfly flitted about the garden

and stopped to have a snack

The Dragonflies are all flying around the garden and over the dam. These two stopped for some “relaxation” on a branch on the ground.

Should I have told my visitors that Dragonflies are having sex on their car aerial?

A golden moment with a smiling Dragonfly

The Lesser Wanderers came to feed on the flowers that popped up in the grass.

Wings open to get a bit of sun before take-off.

The Meadow Argus Butterfly seemed to stop anywhere. You can see how dry it has been. The grasses are dead.

With wings open it helps to know what butterfly I have photographed

On the flowers, the Meadow Argus looks lovely.

Another photo of the flowers and butterfly

A Native Australian Bee, a Carpenter Bee flying among the Ponytail Palm flowers with some beetles and ants. Carpenter Bees quite often make their nest in Grass Trees.

Among the dried grasses, the Dandelions still had time to flower (see This is December 2018) and set seed

The branches of a Bunya Pine – Art Direction, my daughter, Photo, me

High in the trees at my besties, late one afternoon, a flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos came to roost for the night. Not the best photo as the light was failing and the birds kept moving.

The raucous sounds of the Sulpher-crested Cockatoos sounded all over the park as we strolled about.
As the weather was hot and dry, the bird bath had to be topped up regularly. The Lewins Honeyeater made enough noise to let us know that there wasn’t much water in the bird bath.
Once the bird bath was filled, the Noisy Miners queued up to get a drink and a bath.

The Silvereyes stopped by to get into the water while a Striated Thornbill waited his turn.

I was spied by an Eastern Rosella who dropped by for a drink

Getting a drink helped show the lovely back feathers pattern.

The Superb Fairy Wrens make a lovely couple.

“Hey babe, check this fancy bit of flying”
“Get out of the way, you’re in my shot”

Do you mind, I’m trying to take a bath here

The King Parrot having a look at what I am doing in my office

Just strolling through the park. Move along, there’s nothing to see here!

The Tortoises sunning on a rock while another is swimming over.

What a face

It has been so hot that I have left nearly all of the windows and doors open. That seemed to be an invitation for a Lesser Long-eared Micro-bat to take up residence in my pantry.

This is one of the reasons I keep some doors closed at night. Brush-tailed Possums like to range about the garden at night. Given half a chance they will wander inside creating chaos.

The Koalas have been active as it’s mating season. I have heard their loud calls at my place. At my besties place we can see this male who has taken up residence occasionally in the trees. Usually asleep, around 18 hours a day, the big feller was not very happy at me walking around taking photos even if he was about 10 meters above me.

Well it’s almost time to say goodbye. A wave from one of the many Geckos who live behind the pictures on the walls.

The sun is setting. Aren’t the colours just wonderful?

The oranges made for a spectacular sunset

I was quite pleased to get a photo of our Moon with the coloured rings. It is a hand held photo. Most time I would use a tripod but didn’t have one handy.

Well it looks like it is getting late so goodnight.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed a scroll through bushboys world for January 2019. Did you have a favourite photo?

Departing

Published on September 3, 2018September 20, 2018 by bushboy11 Comments

The word prompt from Manic Mondays: Departing

Orchard Swallowtail Butterflies
180903_blog challenge_departing_orchard butterflies

This is May 2018

Published on May 31, 2018June 28, 2018 by bushboy29 Comments

Another wrap up of whats been happening in bushboys world in May. This month has been so dry. Many of the usual birds that are around here in May are absent. The most exciting thing is that I have two new birds that have dropped in on their migration to warmer places.

Some of the photos are from my besties place where it has been raining almost every day. There isn’t a huge amount of photos but I still recommend grabbing a drink suitable for the time of day you are scrolling through This is May 2018.

I think I’ll start with a couple of flowers. I can’t wait for some of the plants which flower in the cooler months to flower.

I love the purple colour

The last hibiscus flower

Just a mud puddle with a bit of the sun and sky

This is the shell of a Frasers Banded Snail. One of the advantages of following scientists on Twitter is that if I can’t ID anything, there is always someone to ask. Bronwen Scott gave me the name of the snail. Bronwen is at Snailseyeview

Another view of the Frasers Banded Snail shell

When the cooler weather arrives, quite often so do some of the marsupial mice from out of the forest looking for somewhere warm to nest. I have a live trap where I can trap, ID and release back into the forest.
This is a view into the trap with a House Mouse, not an Antechinus as I first thought, who has been enjoying a bit of peanut butter. ID help from Dr Dave and Dale Nimmo

Here is the little bloke ready to hop off and find another place to spend Winter other than my pantry

Another new discovery at my besties was this Eastern Stoney Creek Frog. The ID on the frog was also from a Twitter. The wonderful Jodi Rowley

Here’s a bit of orange fungi growing on the side of a tree glowing in the afternoon sun

This fungi was so soft and really did feel like velvet. Also an added bit of Lichen as well as some Moss. Yes it was a wet habitat.

Here is the usual warning for those who have an aversion to spiders. Try to have a peek as the Golden Orb Weaver is a rather beautiful spider.

Lets break in gently with a tiny but lovely web glowing in the morning suns golden glow. Not an Orb Weavers web as this spider is tiny

Here she is, a Golden Orb Weaver looking lovely against the blue Autumn sky.

The markings underneath are so wonderful. She is not quite 75mm long.

This is why she is a Golden Orb Weaver. She is attending to her larder dangling on the golden threads of her rather messy web

A rainy day in Ballina. A Willie Wagtail found a place to try and stay dry during a downpour

Only a few bits of green grass when this photo was taken of a Willie Wagtail hunting for a snack.

The Eastern Spinebills have arrived. A few will hang around over winter as long as the Grevilleas have flowers.

A small flock of Silvereyes have taken up residence as well

Not sure who this Silvereye is yelling at while at he bird bath

On a drive I spotted a group of Ibis resting and preening. Among the group were a couple of Spoonbills having a rest.

It was disturbing to see 4WD wheel tracks on a section of South Ballina Beach which is a no go zone as the birds rest and nest on that part of the beach.
A Sooty Oystercatcher and a Little Tern in the wheel tracks, with some Crested Terns in the background

A Little Tern resting on the beach
Sometimes you have to wait for your turn in the bird bath. A White-throated Treecreeper hangs about waiting for a Lewins Honeyeater to finish his bath.
Ahhh……that’s better. I love how the White-throated Treecreepers sit in the bird bath, the totally opposite to all the other birds.

The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are on their migration too. Some of the flock will stay here over winter. They are the bullies of the bird bath and chase the other birds away.

The Northern Yellow Robins are always around the forest . This bloke and his family are hanging around my garden

My bestie has sold her place. Here is one of the last photos of Bobbin, the Northern Yellow Robin who lives at her place on the garden chair where he loves to survey the garden for something to eat. Bobbin is such a cutie isn’t he?

An Emerald Dove found a good drinking spot in the garden. A stem of a Bangalow Palm filled with rain water.

Here is the first of the new birds at my place. This is a Striated Pardalote

The other new bird is a tiny Varied Sittella. A small flock dropped in one day for a drink, rest and a bite to eat before continuing on their way north. Another little cute bird.
The butterflies are becoming scarce as the weather gets colder. I have been lucky enough to get some photos of the inside wings as well as the usually more colourful outer wings. This butterfly is a Yellow or Common Albatross showing the inside wings
The outer wings are a lovely yellow with a brown edging.
A Zebra Blue or Plumbago Blue Butterfly. You can see the blue on the inside.
The outer wings have a lovely marbling and striking pattern.

The inside wings of the Common Jezabel are rather dull compared to the outer wings.

Here is a Common Jezabel sitting high upon a flower stalk on a sunny day.

I hope you have enjoyed a scroll through my May.

This is March 2018

Published on April 1, 2018 by bushboy25 Comments

Here we are at what I saw in March. There has been a couple of photo challenges I have done in March so some of those photos aren’t in this lot. It is another big photo post. There are a few photos of snakes, spiders and other insects but try to have a peek through your fingers when they come along. Nature is full of wondrous colours and shapes.

Of course there are flowers and birds plus my March obsession of spiders webs. So I do recommend getting your favourite drink and perhaps a snack as you settle in and have a look at my month of March.

OK, I’ll get the insects out of the way first for all those who have told me of their dislike of bugs. You will be rewarded with seeing some lovely little creatures from my world.

I’ll ease you into the insect section with a lovely Wanderer Butterfly

Remember My Quest to photograph a Blue Triangle Butterfly. Well now it seems they are waiting for me. This Blue Triangle was on the road when we went for a walk.

There were a lot of Easten Common Brown Butterflies around this year.

A long range photo of a lovely bug with orange feelers. Some close ups are coming next.

When you are a small insect you really have to hang on if there is a breeze about.

I look fearsome but I’m not.

A small Fly with red eyes came to sit with us while we had a drink on the deck. Spiders next

Remember the spiders web from my March Squares. Lots of people were glad the spider wasn’t in the web. Well here he is, all 5 or 6mm of him. Better watch out if you are a mossie.

Some spiders hang up side down on their web.

First prize in the messiest web. I love the droplets on the web from the morning mist.

As part of my obsession, I have been playing with my photo editor. Do you like this one?

A bit of respite now. A Lemon Migrant Butterfly on Lantana

While on a day trip, we stopped at an art gallery which wasn’t all that great. Outside life was far more interesting. I found a Praying Mantis eating a Bee in the flower bed.

This poor little bloke couldn’t get his wings folded

Photographing some grass seeds I was photo-bombed by a Dragonfly

I don’t think it was this lovely red Dragonfly. I love the shadow

My favourite Australian Native Bees are the Blue-banded Bees which are in other posts this month. This Australian Native Bee has the best named of all. Let me introduce you to the Teddy Bear Bee. Do you know of a cuter bee name?

When we look out of the kitchen window at my besties place, neatly framed in the arch, waiting for his breakfast too is PJ the horse. He knows where to stand to get attention doesn’t he?

The grass seed photo I talked about earlier.

An Australian Native flower that grows at my place. This one was on the side of the road.

My besties Roses are lovely this year. The camera couldn’t capture the wonderful red colour though

A great year for Bromiliad flowering too.

This plant is called Ink Weed. Apparently you can make ink from the plant. Not sure which part but they did in the early days of the colony.

I have often shown the Blue Ginger flowers up close, sometimes with a Blue-banded Bee in them. This is one patch of them in my besties garden.

I love Cats Whiskers flowers. They are just opening in March.

Aren’t the colours of the garden striking?

Remember the many posts about the Dancing Lady Hibiscus. Here is a shot of the many flowers that came out this year taken from the verandah where we sometimes have breakfast, the most flowers we have ever seen. The Hibiscus bush trails up the Poinciana tree trunks. How many Dancing Ladies can you count?

A tiny Eco-system in a tree trunk on the side of the road.

The fence post was covered on one side with these fungi.

A lone fungus on the side of the hill.

I love this shot from under the Poinciana tree at the small fungi high up.

The Common Garden Skink, I call a Copper Headed Skink, doing its best not to look at the camera before it scurried away.

Apart from flowers, fungi, birds, the Poinciana also has a non-venomous Green Tree Snake who lives in the hollows. These Pythons are harmless

Beautiful little snake. Aren’t the colours and markings lovely?

I wondered why the chook was hesitant about coming out of her yard. When she did she would run across the yard to a sheltered spot. She never came into the front garden. Then I spied why. The Square-tailed Kites have built a nest in a eucalypt in the front yard

The Black Kites are everywhere near the Lismore Waste Center
On a drive to Caniaba, while waiting for some dairy cows to cross the road, I saw two Wedged-tailed Eagles wheeling about high in the sky.

The Little Wattlebird enjoyed singing and searching for food in the Poinciana tree

He saw me with my camera while up side down looking for grubs.

The tiny Buff-rumped Thornbill defied gravity looking for a snack in the Poinciana tree too

A Golden Whistler was in fine voice in the Poinciana tree.

Another singer in the garden is the Varied Triller

A flock of Silvereyes called in to have a feed

A Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike strained to see if it was food or just the wind blowing leaves about

On a recent walk, I spied a young Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike harassing its parent for food

“Where is everyone?” the Pied Cormorant seemed to say as it looked around before diving for fish once more in the Brunswick River.

Meanwhile on the beach at Brunswick Heads, a Welcome Swallow found a convenient stick to perch

Remember the Bromiliad Flower? The Lewins Honeyeater has been sticking his head into the flower to get a snack. The flower also rewarded him but giving him a pollen crown.

I love Wonga Pigeons. This pair were sitting in the garden preening and looking about.

The Grey Fantail looked like he was walking on stilts.

A great moment in March was seeing the Green Catbird feeding her young. Seconds later another young one came along which disturbed the scene and soon all three had flown off.

I can’t do a post with birds and not included Bobbin, the cute resident Northern Yellow Robin. I recently discovered that I have been calling the Yellow Robins around here and at my besties, Eastern Yellow Robins. There are two distinct races of Yellow Robins. So from now on Bobbin and his friends are Northern Yellow Robins.

Thanks for getting this far. I even made a second coffee to keep me going to the end.

The afternoon colour and trees looked so lovely

The Full Moon earlier in March looked great with the clouds drifting by.

I like to put the captions before the photo. What do you do? Do you prefer the captions before or after a photo? Let me know what you think?

Did you have a favourite photo from March?

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter M

Published on November 15, 2017 by bushboy10 Comments

In this Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: The Letter M the word used must have two M’s anywhere in the word.

For this challenge I have used the word Common which is common among butterfly names

Common Albatross

Common Ringlet

Common Dart

Common Brown

Common Aeroplane

Common Yellow

Common Jezabel

This is October: Part Two

Published on November 9, 2017November 9, 2017 by bushboy12 Comments

Part Two will be the animals, reptile, amphibians and insects I came across in October

I put out a bowl with water for animals that come around the house for drinks when the weather is warm. I found a frog in the bowl which needed to be rescued. I think it is a Common Eastern Froglet.

One morning we looked on the verandah and there was a Carpet Snake skin hanging from the rafter. It was over 2 meters long.

Isn’t the skin beautiful?

Brush-tailed Possums are coming into the shed. I surprised this one who has a mosquito on its nose.

I set the live trap as the Brush-tailed Possums are getting into the roof cavity. I heard a crash on the verandah and saw a mother Possum with a baby on her back so I set the trap off. I can’t believe I actually gave the piece of apple to the baby.

A Red-necked Wallaby enjoying the morning sun in front of the house.

When you are small and still in the pouch, you have to do some investigating when ever you can.

It was hard to find the grasshopper amongst the leaves.

The Bull Ants know when you are about. Time for a quick photo as they Bull Ants poured out from the nest, running away before they ran up my legs.

These lovely ant enjoyed walking about the plants looking for whatever ants look for.

The Wolf Spider and the Millipede inside escaping the rain.

Further up the wall a Huntsman observed the carry on below.

Looking among a timber stack, I disturbed a Huntsman Spider having a rest.

Look at the mouth of this butterfly.

The inside wings of a Ringed Xenica. The first time I have seen a Ringed Xenica on my place.

The outer wings of the Ringed Xenica are far more showy

The Native Stingless Bees get right inside of the Dietes to get the nectar or pollen.

This fly may look quite pretty but boy can they bite.

Just resting on a leaf before buzzing off to buzz around the house or just annoy people.

A dragonfly enjoying the sunshine.

Some dragonflies being “friendly”

Ready for Part Three?

This was June

Published on July 6, 2017August 17, 2017 by bushboy6 Comments

It has taken me ages to sort through the photos that I took in June. Luckily I took out the photos of birds that I encountered and put them in this blog. I was surprised at some of the subjects that I managed to capture as it is Winter here which is normally a bit dry but we have had a rather wet Autumn. I am wondering where to start as I have quite a number of photos so maybe I will get going with some of the old bits and pieces I came across in June. The photos are at my place unless otherwise stated.

When I visited a neighbour, I had to stop and photograph the old farm stuff they have near their front gate. I think this is a horse drawn stick rake.

The old cart has seen better days. My Grandfather was a Wheel Wright and I reckon he would love to have a go at restoring this cart.

As you know, I love rust, the colours and the shapes that make the metal into an art work.

The chains and hook are a wonderful knot of rust.

This old pulley is hanging on the besties verandah. It may have been part of the old dairy that used to be on her place years ago.

I love the tiny water drops in the spiders webs from the misty rain.

The rain has put water drops on the flowers in pots on her verandah.

The Zygote Cactus water drops seem to be able to defy gravity

Even the spiders web caught a water drop or two.

The spiders web in the Red Ironbark had a golden glow. The Red Ironbarks are majestic trees on my place.

The rain drops on the spiders web in the grass looked like jewels.

Moss and lichen are other favourites of mine to photograph. A lovely green on the Bloodwood tree.

The wonderful coloured red sap from the Red Ironbark oozes from fissures in the bark.

The Tuckeroos are in flower and the trees are full of these tiny flowers.

The trees were abuzz with the sounds of bees and insects.

I am not sure if this is a bee or a wasp.

The bees certainly have to scrunch to get to the pollen and nectar.

I didn’t notice the red eye on this insect until I down loaded the photos.

The Blue-banded Bees were still hanging around the Pentas. I love their blue bums.

They hardly sit still and this bee looks like he hasn’t any wings.

Down on the forest floor, I was trying to get the right angle for a photo of the fungi when along came this fellow. I love the colours of the fungi. The reds are very striking to see. just little red dots on the ground.

I found this bunch of fungi during a Landcare visit to a site in Tucabia emerging from the mulch.

In the rainforest on my besties place I always come across fungi growing on the fallen trees. This is the first time I have seen this wood fungi which went the length of the log. Amazing colour isn’t it?

This wood fungi was on the end of a log nearby. Such a contrast in colour from the fungi above.

I found this little Stink Horn Fungus walking down the driveway at her place. I think I was stalking the Brush Turkey trying to get a photo of him on the mound he built.

Isn’t the yellow of this fungi just lovely? And it even curled its edge to show me its frill.

The Gold Top mushrooms are everywhere at the moment on my place.

I love looking under the fungi to see the frills which have a fascinating shape and texture.

Growing on a log in the forest, the mix of moss with its seed pods and the fungi looked like a tiny elfin garden.

The Bromiliads in my besties garden are flowering but mine haven’t as yet. The mix of colours on this flower is just right.

The Matchstick Bromiliad flower is different.

This is me being a bit artistic with the hanging Hibiscus flower.

I can’t remember what this vine flower is called but it certainly caught my eye in my besties garden. I love the curly tendril as well.

Looking deep inside the flower, it almost looks like it is exploding outwards.

The Banksia flower in the afternoon sun.

My neighbour has a wheelbarrow full of these Pancake cactus. They are becoming one of my favourite cacti.

When I was watering some pot plants on the front verandah, out popped the little Broad-palmed Frog.

Isn’t it one of the cutest frogs you have ever seen?

At the Landcare walk at Tucabia you know I couldn’t resist chasing a butterfly. The Large Grass Yellow was feeding on a Farmers Friend or Cobblers Peg plant.

The Orange Palm Dart butterfly just happened to sit on a leaf while I was stalking a bird in my besties garden. What wonderful colours

The Orange Palm Dart was very co-operative in getting its photo taken.

In Winter, you have to be careful when you go to the wood pile. You never know who is getting the warmth of the afternoon sun. Luckily I saw this small Red-bellied Black Snake

Well the sun is setting so I better get off and do stuff. Hope you enjoyed the things I found in June.

Thursdays Special: Vernal

Published on May 11, 2017June 7, 2017 by bushboy19 Comments

What a great photo challenge from Lost in Translation. Vernal is an inspirational adjective bringing thoughts of Spring – it’s colours and promise of life. It is the middle of Autumn here in Australia, so my selection of photos are from last years spring. Hoping it brings joy to you and your Spring.

The blossoms of the nectarine tree in the early morning

nectarine tree_named_home_july 2016

Of course what would blossoms be without bees

bee_nectarine blossoms_named_home_july 2016

The little native Blue-banded Bee loves to scrunch to get the nectare

blue-banded-bee_blue-ginger_named_home_dec-2016

and of course there are butterflies everywhere in my garden

caper-white-butterfly05_named_home_oct-2016

butterfly01_pentas_named_binna burra_march 2016

butterfly_named_lismore_dec 2015

The birds come for the flowers too

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

yellow-tufted honeyeater_named_home_may 2015

Eastern Spinebill

eastern spinebill_named_home_may 2015

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

scaly-breasted lorikeet_named_home_feb 2015

Musk Lorikeet

musk lorikeet02_named_home_feb 2015

Rainbow Lorikeet

rainbow lorikeet01_named_home_feb 2015

Scarlet Honeyeater

scarlett honeyeater01_named_home_feb 2015

jupiter najnajnoviji

Hello May

Published on June 6, 2016 by bushboyLeave a comment

Hello May. May has come and gone. We went back to Macleay Island again and I have another new bird that I have photographed. I do get excited when I find something new.

This collection of photos has some birds, mainly that I have put here before, that I have found in a comical situation. OK situations that I find comical and hope you do too.

There is also a photo of a moth just to warn those people who have a phobia about moths. I should have put that warning in the last blog too. There aren’t any spiders or snakes this time.

This poor old Blue Tiger Butterfly was sitting on a leaf catching a bit of sunshine, probably the last sunshine he had. See the hole in the right wing? And the rest of the wings are a bit shabby and colour bleached.

Here is the moth. An Emperor Gum Moth, one of the largest moths that are around here. Its wingspan is around 150mm. I thought it was a Micro Bat when it flew past me.

This year the Cordyline Rubras flowers were spectacular. I have never seen so many flower spikes. There were lots of bees buzzing around. Can you spot one?

Here is a close up of a flower spike.

On the ferry going to Macleay Island, one of the Morton Bay islands, the ferry was followed by a White-bellied Sea Eagle for a long part of the journey. At one stage it swooped off to the other side of the ferry but didn’t catch anything.

The Curlews are back. I am not sure what they were on but I have not seen such a wide eyed expression.

Here is the photograph first for me. The Pale-headed Rosella. They were having a lovely time in the Grevillea on the property next door to where we stayed on the island.

They have lovely markings don’t they? The red splosh under the tail is eye catching.

Back home, the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters have claimed the sparse flowered Honey Gem Grevillea. The dry weather has reduced the number of flowers of what is usually a shrub laden with flowers. This is what it looked like a while ago

The Yellow-faced Honeyeater are very bossy in the garden at the moment. Taking up vantage points around the garden to chase of anyone who thinks they might get at the flowers. The Eastern Spinebills are the one who seem to be picked on the most.

The Blue-faced Honeyeater has a black chin. I hadn’t noticed how extensive it was before. I have gone through the previous photos and none have shown the honeyeaters chin before.

Hi on the tree, the Eastern Rosella was just hanging out. It seemed to see me with the camera and just posed for quite a while.

Look at me, don’t I look splendid?

After a while it was a case of “See my butt!!” and away it flew.

I love getting photos of Eastern Whipbirds. They never sit still long enough to get good photos. I took this photo as it was just about to take off.

The bird bath is always a place to get some birds. The White-throated Honeyeaters swapped from the small hanging pot to the bigger bird bath.

Although it doesn’t look like the water was to this ones liking. Don’t honeyeaters have long tongues?

I love it at this time of year. There is always someone new in the garden. The little Rose Robins are so cute.

Driving home one afternoon, I spied a Wedged Tailed Eagle feasting on a bit of road kill. Despite getting into my best sneaky mode, the eagle flew into a nearby tree to wait for me to go so it could continue dinner.

Well it’s night time and the moon is beaming down. Goodnight.

Birds and butterflies and perhaps a snail

Published on April 18, 2016 by bushboy6 Comments

I really enjoy sitting down and writing. Something I haven’t done a lot of lately so this little bit of writing includes a lot of photos. I was intending to do a series of birdbath photos. Instead here is a selection of the two birdbaths, my besties birdbath and the small hanging pot that I found some of the birds at my place love to visit.

First off is the birdbath that has been a regular feature in a lot of my blogs. I still remember the first time I saw a Noisy Friarbird. They are so prehistoric looking. I tell visitors that they are Australia’s only vulture. Naughty aren’t I? Their songs are one of the most distinctive as they call in the bush. I love seeing them when two Noisy Friarbirds sing in unison, both doing the same movements as well.

The little Eastern Yellow Robin must have had a hot tail as he sat with his tail in the water for quite some time.

The White-browed Scrubwren was far more interested in what the other scrubwrens were doing underneath the birdbath.

“Oh for goodness sake, tidy yourself up!” The Spangled Drongos having a lovely time at the birdbath.

I wonder what the Little Wattlebird was giving the Drongo the stink eye about?

Here is the little hanging pot. One day the hole in the bottom was blocked with some leaves and dirt. It filled with water after the rain and I heard some birds having a good time, drinking and having a splash about. I sealed the bottom and now keep it filled with water. The small birds, especially the honeyeaters, are the ones who use it the most.

The White-throated Honeyeaters are regular users. They are here every afternoon to have a drink or a bit of a splash in the water.

One has a bath while the others keep a look out.

The Brown Honeyeater caught with his tongue out after taking a drink.

The Lewins Honeyeaters are in the garden most of the day. This one came for a drink in the middle of a rather warm March day.

Another tongue out shot. This time of a White-throated Honeyeater.

You can see why I need to keep the water up to the birdbath. The Lewins certainly enjoy a good splash.

The White-throated Honeyeaters are a bit more refined in their bathing habits.

I love seeing the little Thornbills in the garden. They always seem to have something to investigate.

The Whipbirds are always hiding behind something or rustling about in the garden under the bushes.

Enough of the birds. I also love Dragonflies. We were doing some bush regen down at the spring, when this Dragonfly took an interest in what we were doing. Yes, that is one of the lantana bushes he is sitting on that got pulled out.

After a bit more zooming around, I realised that he was doing something other than watching what we were doing. At least it reminded us to have a break and a snack.

Speaking of snacks. There was a loud buzzing and upon investigating, there was the fly caught in the web and a Daddy Long Legs getting ready to wrap the fly up for his dinner. Fly wrap anybody?

I don’t think it is fair to be called common but the butterfly world has many “common” butterflies. This Common Crow was very obliging to have its photo taken.

The Pentas are a great flowering shrub for butterflies.

Butterflies are so delicate as they stand on flowers to gather nectar.

Getting your proboscis right in there seems to be the way to go.

The Orchard Butterflies were in the garden a lot in march. These two were having a good time fluttering around the garden.

Quite often their dance became quite close and eventually there was a lot of blurred photos as they mated. As this isn’t one of “those” blogs I haven’t included the very blurry photos, mainly as they were very blurry

Aren’t they beautiful big butterflies?

Oh. That’s right. I did mention a snail didn’t I. One evening I went into the bathroom and saw something high up on the wall. The soft-shelled native snail was very shy and seemed to sense when I was close trying to get a photo and went into it’s shell. At least I know what was making holes in the leaves of the plant in the bathroom.

I am glad you have gotten to the end of one of the longest blogs I have done. Did you enjoy the journey? What was your favourite photo?

February 2019
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