I wait every month for the Pick a Word photo challenge from Lost in Translation.
Setting
Nubilous
Motley
Growth
Nautical
Look at the link to see what other photographers matched with the Pick a Word photo challenge
Tag: clouds
This is July
At last I am able to sit down and write this blog. I have a chest infection which made my concentration levels drop and a lack of interest in doing anything. Looking at the screen made my eyes sore as well. July was interesting as the days became more like Summer than Winter. There hasn’t been much rain so the garden is suffering. Most of the flowers are from elsewhere, some of the birds are from around here and there is a bit of what is that photo. There is a bit of excitement but that will come later. There are quite a number of photos so perhaps a cup of tea or coffee or whatever you drink while sitting have a look at my July.
This is the view from Raspberry Lookout in the Gibraltar Ranges, about 70kms from my place, which is somewhere to the left of the photo a few gullies over.
I thought I’d start with the bugs I found. A moth isn’t really a bug but an insect but this beauty had to go in somewhere.
We found a caterpillar munching a plant. Look at how much it has eaten for such a small sized caterpillar.
The winter flowering stone fruits are alive with bees.
I was enjoying a cuppa on the verandah when this bloke came buzzing around. I like the confusion of fly and shadow.
At the Raspberry Lookout I found a log. Not just an ordinary log but one that had a lichen that made it look so green.
Can you see the face on this old tree stump. The big cut mark on the left is where the timber cutters used to put a board to stand on to cut the tree down with an axe. The “graffiti” isn’t all that old though.
My bestie found this fantastic leaf.
One day the clouds just decided to look rather special. Something to do with a hot day, cold upper air or whatever.
“What are you looking at?”
I call this photo “The Electric Fish”. I would love to tell you how I took the photo but have no idea. The leaves and flowers were in the bottom of the bowl and the spots on the surface are fish food.
Late one evening when going for a walk, I saw the red and green leaves glowing in the afternoon sun.
A neighbours place glowed in that afternoon sun. This plant is called Firesticks.
I have never looked at a Dandelion flower. Isn’t it beautiful.
In a garden in Grafton the rest of the garden was bare and a few of the flowers were doing their last gasp but this Gazania stood out among the rest.
A fragrant Rose. I love Roses.
The Grevillea flower shone in the early morning sun.
Some birds come back every year to spend Winter here or perhaps just drop in for a snack and rest on their migratory route to further warming climes. The Blue-faced Honeyeaters stay around and nest. The mornings and evenings are filled with their calls.
The Silvereyes flock through, some keep going but some hang around for a while eating and building their strength for the next part of their journey.
The Figbirds are after the fruiting trees in the rainforest gullies. This Figbird seemed to have an interest in a Eucalypt nut.
The Lewins Honeyeater found a tasty morsel in the bark of the tree.
It doesn’t look like it was that appealing does it?
A White-throated Honeyeater, a bowl and a garden bench. There are a number of places where birds can get a drink in my garden.
Going to my besties one day, I came across a flock of Brolgas in a farmers field beside the highway. This is only the second time I have seen Brolgas and to see around twenty was wonderful.
Some birds will do anything not to have their photo taken. The Eurasian Coot did a great dive.
Have you ever been so angry that you just had to shout at a tree?
I hadn’t noticed the rich orange around the eye of a White-throated Tree Creeper before. Since the blog was published, Carol Probets who often lets me know what’s what informed me that this is a Red-browed Tree Creeper. See Carols blog at Lyreades
The Welcome Swallow was ignoring me as he sat on the old bridge watching the workings building the new one.
The Spotted Pardalote had a ritual of checking out the verandah every morning for snacks.
The Grey Shrike-Thrush have set up home at my besties.
Adorable looking birds aren’t they?
The Grey Fantail was a bit puffed up in the cool afternoon breeze.
Another regular Winter visitor to my place are the Noisy Friarbirds. Their calls resound through the forest all day long. These two were having an in depth conversation.
Every now and then a large flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos descend on the pine trees to feed and then take off to find a place to roost.
The lovely little Rose Robins are occasional visitors. So cute as the bounce in the garden looking for snacks.
This is excitement number one. First time I have seen a Grey Goshawk. It was high in the trees at my besties place.
Excitement number two. The first time I have seen a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. It was so happy to sit on a post and pose for a minute or two at my besties place.
This was the sunset in some of the photos mentioned before. So it must be time to go.
Thank you for stopping by. Drop me a note if you found something that interested you.
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Weekly Weather: Clouds
Who doesn’t love clouds. Sometimes we can see things, sometimes they are just clouds. This Weekly Weather photo challenge from Jennifer Nichole Wells is Clouds.
Here are some clouds I saw on the weekend.
This cloud formation reminded me of a birds wing feathers
A white line among the clouds
This cloud formation fascinated me
A while ago I saw this cloud which looks like a bear or a dog
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Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – April 21
So many ideas pop into my head for Cee’s Which Way photo challenge I decided to do something different this time.
The Tram at Glenelg in Adelaide South Australia
Flying high above the clouds
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A mixture of many things
So much has happened since my last blog. I am no longer employed and have time to try to sort out my photos and other stuff. I am not able to do all that much as my hips are hurting a bit especially when I bend down. It’s quite amazing to discover how clumsy I am, I seem to drop so many things which leads me into decision-making. Do I leave whatever I have dropped there or do I really need to pick it up!!!
Enough of that and onto some of the wonders in nature I have come across as well as other things that I have thought was a bit special and hope you do too.
The succulent that is growing among the rocks in the garden, possibly dropped there and started to make a home for itself, has flowered. So many tiny flowers that only were around for a couple of weeks but added a drop of colour in the garden.
The Grevillea, Yamba Gold is flowering for the first time. The rains in July were a life saver for the garden which had a flush of life.
I gave the nectarine tree a severe trimming and this year it has been covered in blossoms.
The bees have been visiting the tree. The buzzing, as I walked about, was very loud.
The Stingless Native Bees have also discovered the tree.
Both bees decided to visit the same flower at the same time. It looks like a face off doesn’t it?
I love finding a Praying Mantis slowly swaying as it makes its way around the garden. Just after this photo, it decided to jump onto the camera and wander about. The photos of the Praying Mantis on the lens didn’t come out as good as I thought they would.
One evening in July, it was rather warm so I had windows open and in flew a fly. The fly just buzzed around me while I was trying to do stuff!!!
We had a few days away and while we were sitting outside enjoying the late afternoon and the sunset, this cloud caught my eye. I immediately thought it was Micky Mouse. What do you think?
All of a sudden there was a loud flapping of wings and the Brush Turkeys headed to their roost high in the Norfolk Island Pine.
The Eastern Spinebill hung around the garden all through the dry period and took over ownership of my favourite Honey Gem Grevillea. They did allow the Silvereyes to enjoy the flowers as well. The Silvereyes dropped in on their way north as they usually do in July.
The Silvereyes stayed around for a week or so before going on their way. Such a pretty little bird.
Late one afternoon the light was just amazing. It changed the whole colour of the Honey Gem making the greens so vivid.
There was a bit of competition at my besties bird bath. The birds have a bit of a bath or a drink.
Early one morning the Little Wattlebird Olive-backed Oriole (thanks for the ID @carolprobets ) wondered if the water was too cold to have a bath.
I went onto the verandah and there was a flurry of activity as around 20 Red-browed Finches flew out of a patch of long grass where they were feeding on the seed heads. Some flew into the trees whereas others just popped onto the garden edges to watch what I was doing.
The palm frond made a good perch to wait until I went away so they could continue with their seed eating.
The Wrens make a splash of colour as the hop about the garden looking for things to eat.
Down at the beach I am always on the look out for birds of prey in the sky. This time the White-bellied Sea Eagle Brahminy Kite (thanks for the ID @carolprobets )soared high in the sky, occasionally dropping lower to investigate a possible meal.
The unseasonal rainfall and warm weather produced so many fungi. The tiny orange fungi were all through the leaf litter.
These dimpled fungi pushed their way out of the soil in the morning sun.
I found this silver looking fungi under the tank stand. The red centre looked a lot redder than the photo shows.
These larger orange fungi were scattered in small clear patches throughout the bush.
Now come the tale of woe. During the few days I spent away enjoying myself at the resort in Kingscliffe, mayhem was happening at home. I came home to find that all of my chooks had been killed by a dog or perhaps two. I was devastated. There were four dead chooks in the chook house, a few piles of feathers in the bush and one pile of feathers on the road about 60 meters from the chook yard. When I saw those feathers on the road as I drove home, I had a sinking feeling. Speaking to some neighbours, I found out that three properties had some of their chooks killed as well. Apparently there had been a stray dog spotted around the neighbourhood.
Here is my rooster who was giving me the stink-eye for disturbing the foraging among the food scraps I just threw down. The six brown hens had only been here for about three weeks. These were the first hens I had ever purchased and they were just settling into the chook yard routine. One hen had just started to lay as well.
Sorry to end on such a sad note. I love my chooks and now I am sure the dog has gone, I’ll have to get some more chooks.
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June had something new as well as old
The rain finally came in June. The big dam, which leaks, almost filled which is lovely to see even though it only lasts a few weeks before it’s a puddle again. The frogs certainly liked the water and there were a number of different types of frogs calling.
The frogs were also on this little dam which is more of a wetland than a functioning dam. The animals drink from here as well as some birds. Dragonflies were flitting about on both dams.
As usual, we do our drives around the north coast and one day, as we were heading west out of Casino we came across this Long-necked Tortoise in the middle of the road with cars and trucks speeding by. A quick rescue mission unfolded and it was taken to the dam up a side road not far from where we picked it up.
At my besties one of the old farm sheds, this one was a piggery, we have created a studio space for art exhibitions and rent the Lady Shed for workshops by all manner of people. We love rearranging and decorating the Lady Shed with all sorts of things found or created
I love this owl!!!
Quite often when pillows or things are moved there are skinks that scurry away. This day it was a bit cold and some of the skinks were a bit too cold to move too fast.
Spiders are also disturbed as we do a bit of a cleaning and moving stuff around when there is someone else going to use the Lady Shed Studio. I have lost my spider ID book so I can’t tell you what is this one.
There is a lovely cane light shade in the Lady Shed Studio. We always check to ensure that no one has decided that the light shade would make quite a nice house. Most times a spider or two is moved on or a mud daubers nest is removed. This time a little micro bat with only a face a mother could love had taken up residence. Luckily it had gone the next day before the workshop has started. I think it may be a Lesser Long-eared Bat.
In the insulation, just under the corrugated iron, lives a Carpet Snake. It is a lovely warm place for a snake to spend winter. This Carpet Snake has been living in the Lady Shed Studio for ages and sometimes can cause a bit of angst among the workshop participants.
One afternoon I was driving home from work when I spied a Black-necked Stork patrolling after the rains had replenished a wetland. When he saw me he just casually walked away.
On the drive west of Casino in a place called Piora, we came across a little watercourse that had a couple of Spoonbills, some ducks and a Heron. The Spoonbill was the only one who didn’t move off when the car stopped.
As it has been very dry at my place with only occasional showers and 2 days of good rainfalls. The normally abundance of birds has deserted the garden and surrounding bush. The Lewins Honeyeater has stayed waiting for the blossoms to appear. The rain bought out the Honey Gem flowers.
The Satin Bowerbirds have also stayed around as they steal snacks from the chook yard. They also have a been stealing all manner of blue things from the surrounding properties.
The number of Satin Bowerbirds usually increases when it gets a bit cold in the Gibraltar Ranges. This day when I took these photos the trees were full of the mad chattering of Satin Bowerbirds.
I did a bit of a bush walk one day. Just near the dam in the first photo there has been a bower for a number of years. The blue objects were strewn in all directions from the bower up to 2 metres away.
So many blue objects. I have no idea whose place they get the blue bottle tops from as I don’t have any and my recycling is always in a sealed wool bale sack. I do think the strips of blue are from a disintegrating tarp in my building materials area.
The bird bath is always kept with water in it for the birds. Actually I have three places where the birds can get a drink and a wash. This one is one of the favourites. You can always hear the constant call of Eastern Yellow Robins in the bush and they come to the garden for an insect snack or head to the bird bath.
The little Striated Thornbills are regular bird bath regulars. They only stay for a quick wash and drink before they are off.
One day I heard a call I didn’t recognise at the bird bath. At first I didn’t see anyone but then a head popped up whilst the bird was clinging to the edge of the bird bath with its tail in the water. Just then, another bird flew in a sat on the edge. The big feet gave it away. This was the first time I had seen the White-throated Treecreepers in the bird bath.
At my besties there are always Eastern Whipbirds calling and foraging in the garden. This one was muttering to itself while it turned over leaves and small rocks hoping for a bite to eat.
Of course there a the little Eastern Yellow Robins in her garden as well. They are such a cute little bird don’t you think?
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Februarys finds
What a busy February has been. I haven’t seemed to be able to stop, travelling to Orange in the central west of NSW where I saw the roses, and around the north coast as usual. I have seen so many new things as well as some birds and insects to photograph. Here is a batch of birds and insects plus a flower and some clouds found in early February. I am still going through the last lot of photos to find some pretty things for you.
I found this little wattle bird sitting on some broken branch of a eucalypt gazing into some loose bark.
In a flash he jumped over to the bark and started digging around.
Nearby, a young Blue-faced Honeyeater was looking rather intense don’t you think?
The Red-browed Finch was happy to have a bath.
High up in the trees this crazy bird was just sitting there like this for ages. Some Twitter folk have suggested “bird yoga” or just chilling and “catching some rays”. Either way it was funny to see.
I love clouds when you’re above them. They can look surreal.
This is the only flower photo, a day lily, as some of the others weren’t very good but the next blog may have more as you seem to love flowers as much as I do.
This part of Summer is when there are heaps of butterflies around. I have spent quite a bit of my days chasing butterflies lol. I think that this is an Orchard Butterfly. The photo was taken in the twilight in Orange. It was high in the pine when it finally stopped.
Another butterfly from Orange is this Australian Painted Lady which perched on the ground and only moved a short distance when I came too close.
I chased this Albatross around for ages as it kept disappearing into the foliage at home. I saw a white butterfly flying around one afternoon and when I finally found where it was perched it was so different to the white butterfly I was chasing. You can just see the white on the edge at the rear of the wings.
My garden has been full of Lemon Migrants flitting about the Cassia and on the Pentas.
My garden always has Line Blues flying about. They are so funny when the come across another Line Blue as the get into a spiralling and suddenly break away and continue their flitting about. This is one of only photos I have of one with its wings open.
I love it when the Dragonflies come buzzing about. They have been zipping alone then hover for a bit and suddenly take off in a direction that I never can pick. This dragonfly kept setting down on the ground making it easy to photograph.
I also have spent some time chasing bees. They do make it easy to photograph when they stop to collect a bit of pollen but always seem to have a wary eye open for me.
Another part of Summer has been some spectacular sunsets.
That’s all for February so far. Back to sorting the photos for the next blog. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my February finds.
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Out and about
Last weekend was a great weekend for wandering about. We did a bit of walking around my street and found lots of things that caught my attention. A drive to Grafton and out to Lawrence yielded many an experience that I love to share with everyone. And of course there was plenty going on around my place as well. Some photos have been already seen by those who like to interact on Twitter as they were too good not to share straight away…..I can be impatient sometimes. So let’s be off…..the sky looked ominous on Saturday morning as we set off on a morning stroll.
There were birds flying around and chatting from the bush. Usually I seem to get photos of thin air but this time I got the swoop from the tree.
The spider webs were still out, all shimmery in the morning sun.
I found lots just walking down the gravel road, just like the little horse from next door who always gallops along the fence as we walk down the street. He is so cute, always wants a rub but you have to keep an eye out as he does like to have a bit of a nip.
I love wood and the shapes, patterns, colours and things that grow on it. This post just caught my eye.
The lichen growing on the post at the front gate together with the cracks looked a treat.
Further along the road, a tree had fallen in a storm many years ago, throwing the root ball into the air which looked like a modern art sculpture.
Just out the front of my place there has been a bit of a flush of spring plus the recent rains have bout all sorts of things alive. These little fungi were about the size of a 10 cent piece.
While this little yellow flower was a bit smaller.
At this time of year, following the swathes of yellow from the Fringe Wattles, the Dogwoods start to appear. Still in bud, but their little white flowers are getting ready to burst open.
In the park in Grafton, this white climbing rose had Fairy Wrens, yes those ones from this page, as well as Scarlet Honeyeaters, flitting in and out among the blooms.
On the drive to Lawrence, we had to stop at a flood shoot of the Clarence River where last year we saw a Black-necked Stork patrolling the water’s edge. This time there wasn’t a stork but a group of ducks paddling along. A mix of Pacific Black Ducks and Hardheads.
A couple of ducks decided to take off while I was taking the photo. Again for one I was lucky to get them taking off.
Just up the road there is an Ospreys nest. I have taken photos of it before but this time they have a baby. Here is the adult keeping a lookout while baby looks about constantly squawking. You can just see the small bump in the nest.
Here is a better look at the young one.
Back home it was all go in the garden. The Blue-faced Honeyeaters are the bosses of the Honey Gem Grevillea.
Chasing away everyone who comes for a bit of a snack. The Friarbirds think they own the Grevillea too.
The Scarlet Honeyeaters dash in for a quick drink of nectar while the bigger birds are busy. The female seemed to be much braver.
As usual, the Eastern Yellow Robin was always around somewhere making sure the garden was in order.
There are lots of Red-necked Wallabies cruising around the house and garden. This little bloke is last years Joey still hanging around Mum.
Meanwhile, Mum was also sampling the delights of the Honey Gem with this years young one keeping a look out from the warmth of the pouch.
That was last weekend….I wonder what I’ll see this weekend?
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Discoveries in June and July
I have been doing my usual wandering about, looking for things that are interesting, stunning or just plain great to photograph. This is what I have found over the past two months which have made a quick stroll or a drive into a lot of stop and look.
The early morning fog sitting in the Clarence Valley looked quite amazing as I came over the hill on the way to town.
Some of the morning skies had so much colour
The Pelicans were paddling on the Clarence River looking for their breakfast. Everyone knows that Pelicans are great fishers and know exactly where the fish are.
The Little Corellas played on the light towers, swinging on the wires and generally creating havoc.
There were many storm clouds around but I haven’t had much rain at my place in the past few months and the Summer storms just didn’t appear this season. These were looming while I was travelling around the Richmond Valley.
The next few photos are stuff I found in Lismore. I will have to go back and see if I can get the shot I saw in my mind with this spiral stair case.
I love puddles
I also love rust – the textures and colours rust brings to metal.
This is what it’s like looking down the barrel of a gun.
The footpath also got my attention. The moss is such a striking green.
The early Winter flowers were appearing in the gardens around Lismore. A splash of white caught my attention. I have no idea what it is though.
One tree had ants massing all over as they were preparing to launch the winged ones.
But the tree looked nonplussed.
On the way back to my besties, we stopped at the outdoor cathedral in Bexhill. The Grevillea flowers (I think) were almost over but still looked amazing.
The flowers at her place were also blooming. I was hoping to get a bee or two but they were too fast.
The birds that are there are nothing like the birds at my place, although there are a couple that I find at mine as well as at hers. The cheekiest is the White-browed Scrub Wren who likes to hang around the back door.
“Is anyone home!!”
“I know you’re in there!!”
The Catbirds were around in the afternoon making their weird sounds.
I also came across this butterfly. Its colours made for a great camouflage until I came blundering along.
I guess the sun is setting so drop by soon and let me know if you enjoyed my some of my Discoveries in June and July.
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An assortment found while travelling around
I have ben slack I will admit. Here is a collage of life that I have found. Some have no meaning and just are stuff that the world leaves lying around, or sitting or just being.
I went to the Bentley Blockade had a chat or two with the folk who were only too happy to chat, buts another story another time. Of course I have to go exploring, so Bentley is a good start and who knows where we will end up
This wonderful farm-house, just sitting there, neglected.
While overhead, the clouds were just blowing up and drifting apart, ever-changing.
On the way back to Lismore, the clouds in the east had a soft blush of colour which turned to storm clouds.
The pansies were blooming bright colours making spots of joy in the usually, almost colourless autumn gardens.
Everyone was enjoying the camellias, Lewins Honeyeaters were darting in and out and even the ants were traipsing all over the bush.
The stamen look like they are wearing boxing gloves…no wonder the ant scarpered
Of course someone had to shine. The Gerbera was the star of the garden.
The Emerald Dove can’t seem to stop still for a second. I think it scooped stuff up while strutting around the courtyard.
The little Eastern Yellow Robin was always darting about the foliage of the tree begonias.
While overhead the Eastern Rosellas just chatted away, mostly to no-one in particular.
The White Headed Pigeon took advantage of the last afternoon to have a last dip at the bird bath.
Up the flag pole!! The Butcher Bird thought the flag pole was a great place to scan the neighbourhood. As long as he looked up as well.
The Brahminy Kite was on the prowl making birds scatter everywhere.
Cormorants look very pretty with their wings folded. All that drip-drying seems to pay off.
The Pelican didn’t seem to give a rats about anything.
The Pied Oyster Catchers seemed unfazed by the Soldier Crabs who have just taken over whole of the little beach in a small bay.
The Soldier Crabs were everywhere….always seemed to be on a mission to somewhere and back again, a bit of over there and a “Hey it’s Norm again” as business is done as a cluster ever moving, occaisionally stopping for a quick drink or to stuff a claw into their mouths possibly with a snack of some sort..
They were so hard to get a good photo as they just scuttled away when you got close to them or they got close to me. Below is an artist’s impression of the Soldier Crabs
The crabs knew someone was looking on at their antics. No one was fooled by the shades.
The end of the day. The sun setting like an explosion of fire and colour.
The evil eyes are looking….beguiling you into the mouth of fire.
After the sun has set, it is sometimes just as beautiful. The purples, deep blues and almost a russet flow down into yellow with a lone house light in the distance.
When darkness sets in, the little Pademelons come scrounging around the chook yard, hoping to snuffle up some grain the chooks left behind. That’s why this bloke has a smudge on his nose.
I love our Moon. Sometimes the Moon just shines when full. Goodnight.
