Todays walk was going to be a walk down through my place. When I got to the track start it was a bit over grown, so it was plan B – get out the mower as the ground and vegetation was dry so a chance of getting bogged or sliding around wouldn’t happen. Of course I did a lot more than just the track and by the time I was inside, it rained.
I am glad it was dry while mowing and I didn’t have to walk home, Let’s walk. Here’s your walking song from one of my favourite bands.
Here is the newly mown track heading down the hill
On the way I saw a pair of Saw Red-backed Fairy Wrens and could hear lots of birds, Satin Bowerbirds, Noisy Friarbirds, Kookaburras, Rufous Whistlers and a “tizz tizz” and there was a young Yellow Thornbill telling the parent birds that I am here and I am hungry.
I went as far as I could and a tree was across the track. This tree had fallen last year and was hung up in a tree in front. I am glad that it as fallen as it was dangerous to try and cut down plus I have a good source of easy to get firewood for next year. As you can see there are still a few dead trees from the fire so more track clean-up will be needed in the future.
Looking through the bush there are still a lot of blackened tree trunks. Most of these are alive just don’t shed their bark.
I did find a flower, a Native Leek Golden Lily. There are more popping up in the paddocks now.
Well it looks like the storm might come back so lets get home.
In the garden on the way back to the house I saw a couple of butterflies flying about. A pair of Orchard Swallowtails were having a mating fly about the garden. The male, at the rear, is one of many that have been flying around the garden for months.
The title of this post is a bit misleading. Yes the last photos are from this mornings wonderful sky. I have included other days as I had to get the photos and have been waiting for Hammad not to be so busy that he posted the wonderful Weekend Sky photo challenge.
Here is a song to scroll as you work your way through a few photos of melodies in the sky
The start was an amazing sky in the afternoon of the 24 October. I wondered what the sky was doing as the storm was building. I looked to the east and there was a faint rainbow through the trees and the sky was a lovely lilac.
Then the storm approached
On last Thursday morning, the first of November, the sky was so colourful I just had to grab a few photos from the usual spot
After a while the colours had changed
Here we are at this mornings sky. I should have changed the camera setting as the sun was just rising and the colours are great, The photos don’t do the sky justice
Over the house patches of blue were surrounded by dark clouds tinged with colours
The sun hadn’t quite reached the gum trees yet but a faint glow is evident
This was about five minutes after the first photo for this morning. More blue sky struggling through.
I tried to get the sunrise through the trees with another camera but the yellows and oranges are taken by the black of the trees. When you live in a forest I guess that’s the price to pay
I started this post on Sunday but the original went away from being beautiful. This is a dark post as well but I find that once we are in the dark, then mystery can be all around.
Another month of rainy days, at one point it rained every day for just over a week. I did manage to get out and grab a few photos but most are from home. There is quite a number as I just couldn’t whittle it down any more.
A it is Spring there are lots of flowers and of course the birds are coming into the warmth of the North Coast. There has been a few new sightings, some of which have been posted already like the Masked Bee. I had a bit of trouble finding the names of a lot of the new things I found but will name the ones I know.
I hope you enjoy your October song to listen to while you scroll through my October
As the month went on, clouds appeared. This one is a great one for those of us who see shapes and faces
Sometimes when the sky was clear and blue I walked about always looking around when the resident Square-tailed Kite was circling over my place
As the month went on the clouds increased making wonderful shapes against the blue sky
When the rain came there was always the opportunity for rain drop photos
Spider webs with tiny water drops is always a favourite
I love the perfectness of webs. This one had a rainbow effect which is only faintly seen in the photo. All of the following spiders are about 20mm in size so no need to be frightened of their beauty.
Sometimes the spiders just seemed to hang in space with no visible support
Just as I took this photo that small brown leaf, at the bottom of the photo, dropped onto the web. The speed in which the spider went to investigate was amazing
I found this weird little lump scuttling around the plants leaves in the garden, hence the blurriness of the photo. A spider with a unique defence mechanism to deter predators, he is called a Bird-dropping Spider. When I went to find the actual name I put in Bird Poo Spider which I think is more fun.
I think may be the first time I have photographed a butterfly from underneath with the sun behind. It is a Brown Ringlet which when view from above is a dark brown with two yellow spots on the edge of the wings
Another new insect in my garden. A Colourful Broad-headed Bug which are sort of related to Assassin Bugs
A Dingy Skipper Butterfly hanging around on a Hoya flower
Even though it had rained in the morning, when the rain stopped the bees came out for a quick flower investigation. This bee disappeared right up into the Salvia flower and I waited for ages for it to back out.
The Bottlebrush trees have been continuously flowering for a lot of this year. I actually found new flowers on another Bottlebrush this morning. The bees were a loud buzz around the garden when the sun was out
Of course the Honeyeaters love Bottlebrush nectare as well. The little Yellow-faced Honeyeaters have been around the garden for most of this year
Of course when I was wanting a photo of a bird on the Lilli Pilli flowers I couldn’t get one. Then the Brown Honeyeaters arrived in October and found the Lilli Pilli flowers
The Scarlet Honeyeaters have been here since September and this was their favourite Bottlebrush tree. This shows the size of the Scarlet Honeyeater compared to the size of the Bottlebrush flowers
Leaden Flycatchers are a common Springtime visitor to the garden
Laughing Kookaburras are always here with their waking up and end of day calls. I love how this one is just sitting on the post. Judging by the full looking crop, I would say he has had a good feed and it letting the food settle before going on the hunt again.
A pair of Spangled Drongos arrived for their Spring residence. I hope they found a good nesting spot this year
You can see why the are Spangled Drongos, such beautiful feathers
The number of Red-Necked Wallabies in the garden has declined over the years. This female seems to be one who stays around in the bush and visits often. I suspect the neighbours next door are feeding the Wallabies hence their lack of coming here.
I am sure this is her mother with the damaged ear who also hangs around
Enough of my place. We found this bull just resting in the front paddock of a house. At first we thought it was a big dog as we drove past. Isn’t he handsome
Spring time brings new leaves. These ones unfurl with a light pink and then turn bright red before becoming green
The Dendrobium Yukidaruma Orchid looked lovely cascading down the pot on the front verandah
The Daisies lit up the garden
As did the Gerberas
The scent of Jasmin filled the air
I bought a selection of miniature Geraniums for the garden. I have to be quick to see the flowers as either Wallabies or Possums like them as well. It looks like they will need little fences.
This year the tiny Drimiopsis maculata, a bulb from South Africa. I had a few in a pot and when I re-potted some of the small outer bulbs dropped off and now I have a few patches of plants in the garden. I can see why it is sometimes called Little White Soldiers
This has been the finest year for the Canna Lillies. Most of the plants are taller than me this year.
All of the Bromiliads flowers this Spring as well. This is probably a Neoregelia compacta Bromiliad
The Common Hovea have appeared for the first time in the garden although they are in the bush around the house.
The Tree Bauhinias flowers are quite spectacular this Spring. The plant has more flowers than before
There is a little pond at the Grafton Art Gallery and the Cape Water Lillies are starting to flower. This is a phone photo
I love the White Dogwood flowers, sometimes called Rice Flower. The road to my place is lined with lots of white flowers. I have a few growing on my place
Another Dogwood, this time a Yellow Dogwood or Jacksonia scoparia. Another favourite tree which is covered in yellow flowers in Spring
I found this flower growing on the side of the road. I don’t know what it is called but it is quite pretty with its composite flowers. Must be small spiders in there as well with haphazard webs
I love Yellow Buttons as well. They are growing all over my place and I am yet to try and transplant some into my garden. I didn’t notice this one had some sort of insect on it. The yellow ball flowers are about 5mm in diametre so whatever that insect is, is rather tiny as well.
I did mention that it is Jacaranda time in Grafton, my nearest town. The streets are lined in purple and the grouns will be covered in a carpet of purple as well soon.
The red of Flame Tree flower look rather spectacular against the purple of Jacarandas
I love the purple against the blue sky
Did you know there are White Jacarandas as well. There are a few planted around town
While out spotting White Jacarandas, I saw a Magpie gathering nesting materials
Native Frangipani, Hymenosporum flavum, flowers have different stages. They are a greenish at first, then turn white and then yellow. They are small flowers and what the have in common with other Frangipanis is their scent.
The flowers also do water drops quite well
Another plant that has great water drop potential are Elkhorn Ferns. Their strap like leaves are perfect for holding water drops
One afternoon there was an orange glow shining into the house. I grabbed my camera and went to see what the sky was doing. I managed to get a bit of the sky and clouds and then had to turn around because
behind me the sky was purple and I could see a faint rainbow through the trees. Not long after the rain came pelting down again.
I see you are still with me. I hope you enjoyed a scroll through my October. As always, I like to know if you had a favourite photo
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.
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Yes, I am back to grey skies and rain. It has been raining every day for the past week. In a way it has not made me feel all that good. I have things I want to do but am restricted to doing things inside. I have been doing a lot of photo sorting and photo challenges. It would be good to have company and sit around playing Scrabble or other games. At night I have the frogs for company and there are hundreds at the moment, in the dams and gullies all around the house.
Here are two lots of Weekend Sky photos. I took the first lot on the 1st October and the second just a few minutes ago. Both had great clouds but this mornings were so good.
Just a hint of sunrise colour
The sunrise through the trees. I don’t get to see an expanse of sunrise sky.
This morning there was rain earlier and it is starting to clear
This is looking straight up from the small landing where I always take my weekend sky photos
bushboys world 