egg and bacon flower – bushboys world

Nature

Published on February 17, 2019February 21, 2019 by bushboy34 Comments

The Lens-artists word prompt: Nature

A bit of nature at my place.

Depth of Field

Published on February 13, 2019February 20, 2019 by bushboy4 Comments

The Photo a Week Challenge from Nancy: Depth of Field

Depth of Field is one of the first things I tried to come to grips with when I started out taking photos with a SLR camera that didn’t have the wizz bang technology that digital cameras have now. Sometimes I get it right lol

A Rose Robin through a window

Down on the ground with a Dandelion

Hanging with the Ginger flowers

The flowers of an Egg and Bacon plant

Bee and grass flowers before it becomes a seed head

A Caper White Butterfly and a Pentas flower

The lovely little Eastern Yellow Robin

This is October 2018

Published on November 7, 2018November 19, 2018 by bushboy19 Comments

OK folks strap yourself in for this ride. You will need stamina, food, drinks and a possible toilet break as I have been unrelenting in snapping away with all manner of things. I was going to break the photos down into subject groups in separate posts, but I thought “What the heck, you can scroll through at your own pace.”

What better way to start the day (or post) than with a sunrise from my besties new place

Let’s start with things. I don’t know what to call this bunch of photos as they are different. Enough talk. Off we go!

I found these gelatinous blobs on the beach, hundreds of them. Perhaps baby jelly fish?

When you see a land form that resembles something else

The planes have been showing themselves a bit in October.

Just love these rock cliff, the colours and again, can you see a face?

The moss gave the tree a bit of a dress with a vine for dramatic effect.

More moss. This time at the waters edge at the beach

The rock pool took on an ethereal mood

Just the shelf at my besties place

When I put on this lamp, I just had to take the photo. Another shelf at my besties

October saw the rain come. This dam, I use the water around the house and garden, was about one-eighth full. Seeing the water flow into the dam cured my blues.

The waterhole on my place never is dry but came very close this year. Seeing it full again made me happy. I think the birds and animals are pleased as well

Waterfalls make such a soothing sound don’t you think? Even little waterfalls that help fill the waterhole.

Of course a bit of rain and sunshine brings out the fungi

Fungi of all shapes and colours. Some big….

…some small

and some are edible

I love Grass Trees. These are at a place called Naughtons Gap. They are bigger than some of the Grass Trees on my place.

A wonderful discovery was a whole street in Grafton lined with Bottle Trees. This will be investigated as to why and how and perhaps a bushboy post about the history of the Bottle Trees in Grafton may evolve.

The early morning dew and spiders webs. I can’t resist

Sitting having a cup of tea with my bestie when a large Skink wandered about the garden. Wonderful markings aren’t they?

Would you believe that this tree is called a Cheese Tree?

Just an ant having a swim. He did get out eventually.

The flower and a bee. The flower is on what is called a broad leaf weed which is supposed to be undesirable in a lawn. Look at the bees pollen sacks. I don’t think the bee would be as happy if the “weed” wasn’t there. Think before you mow please.

Just a feather

and another

The Forest Kingfishers have arrived. The male looked about for anything that moved in the grass or the garden.

The colours on his back are lovely.

This photo shows a bit more of the iridescence

Galahs are funny birds. This bloke is sitting on the stock trough on next doors place at my besties

It’s a bit of a way down to get a drink.

Another arrival in Spring are the Grey Shrike Thrush. They are in the trees around the garden and sing in the morning and in the afternoons. What a delight to have in my garden.

The Pied Currawong didn’t mind a bit of rain.

Doesn’t he look great. The black with the red of the Flame Tree

The Fig Bird was spotted eating Mulberries

So was his mate

A Coucal Pheasant came for a visit and sat high in the Gum Tree.

Later on, I think he was checking me out through the undergrowth.

Another October visitor, a Brown Honeyeater

He soon found the bird bath

The Blue-faced Honeyeaters have arrived in numbers to feast on the Honey Gem Grevillea

The female Blue-faced Honeyeaters also drop in for a snack

Remember the post about the Post where the Noisy Friar Bird was chased away by the Spangled Drongo. Here Rainbow Lorikeets get a serve from the Friar Bird. A bit of a peck to the head.

The Rainbow Lorikeets were a bit bemused by all the carry on.

A female Satin Bowerbird enjoyed the nectar in the Yamba Sunshine Grevillea.

But like everyone else, the Honey Gem Grevillea is the best place to get a meal.

Yellow-faced Honeyeaters seem to have a constant scowl on their faces.

I think this Yellow-faced Honeyeater spotted me and my camera
The gravity defying White-throated Treecreeper taken from the comfort of the chair in my office

They are lovely as they hop up and down the trees looking for something to eat.

Another photo from my office chair. I call this one, “I can see what you are doing” is what the King Parrot is saying.

A young King Parrot morphing into a male

Getting a good Eastern Rosella photo quest continues

Out for a drive, we spotted a smallish bird run across the road and into a paddock. A new bird has been seen, an Australasian Pipit.

On another adventure drive, we spotted flashes of green zooming across the road. A flock of Rainbow Bee Eaters were hanging about. This is a breeding pair

Aren’t the males colours amazing?

You may wonder why we are back at a couple of young King Parrots. I thought it was lovely to have them sitting on a hanging pot under the verandah, until I spotted what they were doing

Yes, these “lovely” young birds had eaten half of the succulents in the pot. All around the pot, the succulent trailed over the edge. Can you see the bit trailing over the edge now. This hanging pot is no longer hanging where pesky King Parrots can get at it.

Water drops and new growth

I love the colour of this Succulent. Was tempted to pinch a leaf or two

I love the colours in this photo of a Hanging Violet with red in the background

A lovely Native Geranium growing in the “lawn” Another reason not to mow

Pansies, pansies, pansies
and more Pansies
This year the Silky Oaks flowering was spectacular

A flower of a Succulent

The Budlea flower spike wonderful and smells delightful

Some of the Roses looked a treat this year

A pink Bottlebrush flower

The native water lillies on my dam. Water Snowflake

The rain knocked a lot of the flowers off the Flame Tree. The little cups filled with water

Some native flowers that grow on my place. This yellow beauty is Dogwood

I think this native flower is a Hairy Guinea Flower

I have been encouraging a lot of Egg and Bacon plant to grow on one part of my property. It’s spikey habit is good for protecting small birds when it is in a fairly dense thicket

Plus the flowers are lovely. You can see the sharp points in the leaves

A small pink Grevillea.

My besties flower beds are looking great

and yet more flowers
This flower has caused great excitement for me. This is the first time I have seen a Hakea Florulenta on my property.

Aren’t the tiny flowers delightful?

The early morning fog gives a sense of wonder to start the day

Of course when it rains, you also find rainbows. This one had a faint double above.

Well, the sun is setting and you have reached the end. Well done for sticking around to get to the end and thanks for having a look at my October 2018

Did you have a favourite photo?

This is December

Published on January 5, 2018 by bushboy21 Comments

This is just the one big photo blog. I hope you have time to scroll through. It started rather small at the start of December and just seemed to grow as stuff happened. I have included some of the skies that may have been in Beckys Square Sky photo challenge or missed out. I really enjoyed Beckys #SquareSky challenge. Perhaps you may need a pot of tea to get to the end!

Lets go. I love skinks and how they just move about on brick walls.

Come Summer and the Dragonflies are flitting about the garden.

I couldn’t find this Dragonfly at first when it disappeared into the garden.

Summer in Australia with the deafening cacophony of cicadas. When the tree you were in many years ago has gone, make do with anything to get out of your shell.

Brown Ringlets have wonderful “eyes” on their wings.

I was visited by an Assassin Bug who did a bit of fluff cleaning for me.

Mud Daubers make wonderful clay pots to raise their young. They lay an egg in the clay pot, they go about gathering spiders which they comatose for the grub to eat when it hatches.

I have been watching this one build a cone shape on the architrave of the office door.

Some mornings the chicken wire fence has lots of spider webs in the mesh.

What a fabulous green the grasshopper has which contrasts with the yellow of the Deities flower.

I love the Line Blue Butterflys antennae

The Bromiliad flower with a bonus spider shell.

The Stingless Native Bees loved the Day Lily flower.

After the rain, the Crocus flowered much to the delight of the Stingless Native Bees

They certainly have a laconic way of flying don’y they?

The red Dahlia is one of my favourite flowers.

The Tree Begonias supplied a splash of red in the garden too.

It was a great year for the Agapanthus flowers.

A tiny native flower with a fluffy centre.

Another lovely flower I was given from my friend Geoff.

A very pretty Rose in a friends garden.

I think this flower is an Egg and Bacon plant flower.

The Hibiscus flowers welcomed the rain in December.

A field of Daisys on the side of the road.

The Curry Bush had a great flowering last year as well

The storm season arrived a bit late last year but when it came, it was spectacular.

This sky was incredible

And again

I love capturing the suns rays.

The palm leaf had shiny spots of water which glistened in the sunlight.

People must have thought I was mad walking around trying to get the sun in the right spot.

This sunset was amazing. The colours changed every minute.

It’s hard getting a sunrise photo when you live in a forest.

The Spangled Drongo was wondering what I was doing interrupting bath time.

It isn’t often I see a Peaceful Dove at the bird bath.

When White Ibis flocks glide overhead it is just magnificent.

A female Figbird or a young Figbird just getting his red mask.

One day he will look like his dad.

Check out the pants on the Channel-bill Cuckoo

They have a very serious looking bill don’t they?

Rainbow Lorikeets are quite raucous as they nibble about on the Lemon Scented Tea Tree.

I am so glad the Forest Kingfisher has returned this Summer to forage around the house.

An activities box outside of a Cafe in Toowoomba.

The Moon was just wonderful with the coloured rings on a cloudy night.

If pupils were white it could look like an eye.

Some people have said this photo has a Japanese feel about it. What do you think?

Thanks for dropping by

This is August

Published on September 5, 2017 by bushboy15 Comments

I do seem to have a lot of favourite photos from August. I have done quite a hard cull. I hope you are able to get through all of this blog. It was a busier than usual month. The rain hasn’t come and the place is dry now. It is a pity the dam I use for around the garden leaked as it was full in Autumn and that would normally have seen me through Winter until the Spring storms arrive. Being so dry the number of birds are reduced but I have maintained the water points around the garden for the birds and animals. I almost feel like a bad parent, selecting the plants to water and hoping the others will hang in there until I start the pump and give the garden a good soaking.

Enough of the sob story and let’s get started with the things I found in August.

I just love the colour of this leaf.

Late one afternoon while I was searching for a new log to cut firewood, I went down to the water hole. This water hole has never dried even in some of the severe droughts in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Camera settings 1/320 F6.5 ISO 800

Driving about the property, mainly gathering firewood and pulling lantana out, I often come across a family of White-winged Choughs as they patrol the bush, walking about looking under leaves and bark for insects. It was good to see that this family group has grown from five to seven.

The wily Currawong was sitting in the Bottlebrush waiting for an unsuspecting small Honeyeater to drop in for a meal.

At the small paddock dam, in reality a wetland now, the Peaceful Dove was walking down the slope heading for a drink.

In one of the water points I have placed a stick so if a bird falls into the old drum, they have something to grab onto and get out. The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters like sitting on the stick after having a drink or plopping in the water for a bath.

The main sounds that were echoing through the bush in August were the calls of the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. They loved feasting on the Bottlebrushes.

The Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike was surveying the scene at Modenville.

One morning the Bowerbird was eating the grass for breakfast. It had quite a number of beak-fulls before it flew off.

The Bowerbird looked stunning in the afternoon light.

I love having King Parrots around. Their whistle resounds through the bush.

A Restless Flycatcher dropped in for an afternoon.

The Superb Fairy Wrens were bustling about the garden at Modenville hardly sitting long enough for a photo.

The little Variegated Fairy Wren was very busy with his flock of females as they explored the garden at Binna Burra.

I wondered what had happened to my beautiful blooms on my Cyclamen and then I saw the culprit. It is almost like the caterpillar has a straw in its mouth.

I found this tiny “house” that an insect has constructed on the bark of a block of firewood I had cut. I have bought it home and hope to see what come out of this beautifully constructed nest.

I found this beetle marching with purpose along a log.

The Common Jezebals have been flying about the bush and garden for a few weeks. When they fly they have an intense stroboscopic pattern flashing of black and white. When the wings are flat you can see the predominately white side of the wings.

I love it when there is an unexpected spider on a flower or seed head as well as small grasshoppers and ants. The seed head is about the size of a 20 cent piece.

This is the rest of the spike

There is a lot of native flowers popping up this August. It was unseasonably very warm. A lovely circle of yellow flowers about the size of a 10 cent piece.

I called this flower a Buttercup but it’s probably not. The leaves are similar to Oxalis.

Look how hairy the leaves are and the flower has a lovely reddish brown centre.

The Egg and Bacon plant is growing on the top of the dam wall. The flowers are beautiful and yes the leaves are spiky. A great place for small birds to escape into.

I call this vine a Native Wisteria. It is also called False Sarsaparilla and a few other names. It looks lovely when the vine entwines with a wattle threading purple among the wattle flowers.

Scattered throughout the bush these little star shaped flowers are easy to miss as they are about ten millimeters across.

The Bottlebrush flower is photo-bombed by a Stingless Native Bee.

This Grevillea flower is called Lemon Daze.

Isn’t the inside of this flower interesting?

Love the colour of these flowers.

Pansys. Who doesn’t love smiling Pansy faces. The colours are spectacular.

The camera can’t catch the deep purple of these Pansys

One August afternoon the sunset was spectacular.

I love the effect of the hills and trees on the horizon.

One of my Canon Powershot camera setting is called “Creative”. It takes a number of photos with different setting. This one made the sun look explosive.

Looks like the sun has set so goodbye and thanks for stopping by.

Birds and Flowers

Published on September 19, 2016 by bushboy8 Comments

I have not kept up to date with my blog. It is already half way through September and the start of Spring has gone. I too so many photos in August that I have to have a second go at putting my photos and things into writing.

Lately I have been walking along my road and as usual, my camera has been to hand. Some of the photos have been from around the neighbourhood whilst other photos have been at home. This first lot are typical of the bush in and around my place. The Fringe Wattles looked lovely this year and the spur my house is on is surrounded by the yellow of the wattles.

The small puffs of yellow encompass the whole wattle tree.

The Native Sarsparilla also bloom at this time of year.

They both look lovely as the Sarsparilla entwines around the Fringe Wattle

The Paperbarks certainly flowered well this season. The air was full of the scent from the flowers which attracted all sorts of insects. How many can you see?

Here are more insects in the flowers of the Paperbark. Mostly the insects get right down into the flower stem so only their bums are visible.

The Coastal Rosemary flowers are quite pretty don’t you think?

I am not sure what this little hairy leafed bush is. I called it Egg and Bacon plant but I am not sure. Can anyone help out with what this flower is please?

I love the colours of Spring. Even the leaves can have such great shades of colour. Plus there is a bonus insect!!!

The Double-barred Finches have been feasting on the grass seed. This one looks particularly portly at it sat high on the powerline.

They have lovely markings. I like their blue beak.

The Red-browed Finches were having fabulous snacks in the tall native grasses along the side of the road.

A late comer to the last of the Bottlebrush flowers, (see the previous blog), was the Brown Honeyeater.

The Friarbirds loved having a bath in the neighbours dam. They were diving in from a great height.

Away in the distance I could hear the “chwit-chwit-chwit-peter-peter-peter” call of a Jacky Winter. Perched high on the dead tree, it was quite happy wagging its tail back and forth chittering away.

Further down the road, a Little Friarbird was enjoying the last rays of the day.

Often when I am sitting in my study, I have eyes that peer in through the door or window. This day the Female Satin Bowerbird was looking in.

Quite often White-throated Treecreepers are spotted jumping up the trunks of trees. This is the first time I have been able to get a photo of one who took its time on its hunt for food.

On the walk up the road I was very excited to see a couple of Grey-headed Babblers forage for insects among the dead wood and leaf litter on the property next door. I have seen them in the forest on my place but I was lucky enough to see them in the cleared land next door. I love their fluffy pants.

The Rainbow Bee Eaters were having a splendid time zooming about the cleared paddock up the road. The many dead trees offered a great vantage point to watch for unsuspecting insects flying about.

Every now and then, a group would gather to tell about the day and to keep a look out for flying insects. Their heads were always swivelling about as they say and chatted in the trees.

So that’s the end of my start to Spring. I hope you have enjoyed my walk up the road.

Flowers bugs and birds

Published on October 12, 2014October 12, 2014 by bushboy

The many wanderings around the north coast of NSW has taken me to many places, seen many things and of course taken many photos. The last wandering took in the warm days of Spring. The flowers are blooming and many of the birds are coming back to the gardens.

The Calendulas are looking great in the garden.

The Gerberas just stand out in the sunshine.

Lemon trees are full of buds. It’s hard to imagine that this little flower will turn into a lemon.

All through the garden the nasturtiums are a riot of colour, brilliant reds and oranges.

I thought it would be good to look deep inside to see what they look like. The patterns and shapes are quite different.

The wisteria trailing over the arbour with the hanging blooms added a splash of mauve to the garden.

Lots of native flowers are looking good this year as well. The Egg and Bacon plants tiny flowers, only about 5 to 8mm across, are very showy.

With the onset of warm weather the insects are always present around the house and garden. This Crane Fly was hovering around and finally resting on a leaf.

The baby geckos are also on the move at night. This little bloke lives in the laundry.

The King Parrots send waves of reds and greens through the garden as the fly about the trees and bushes.

Whereas the Rainbow Lorikeets provide a constant chatter.

The old broken pot has made a great birdbath. The Wattlebird is a bit shy when bathing.

But doesn’t seem to mind sharing with the Spangled Drongo.

At Lismore Lake the birds are busy. The late afternoon has birds flying and singing everywhere. The Egrets stalk around the water plants, probably looking for an unsuspecting frog or fish.