
Wordless Wednesday – 31 May

Well May was the absolute turn around in weather. From a very warm Autumn to Winter conditions arriving in the last month of Autumn. My daughter and her partner came out and we went bush and cut a good trailer load of firewood. Luckily found a couple of good logs, one was blocking the track and the other was one that had fallen after the fires in December 2019. There are a lot of tree that are down so I might have a good selection this winter.
That was the first May that I can remember putting the flannelette sheets on the bed and lighting the fire. The days are in the mid to low 20’sC but the nights are into the low single figures. Last night was 3C and today was 25C. May is also the time for some birds to drop in to have a feed and look around. More of that later.
I went to the State Landcare Gathering in Coffs Harbour, a beach town down the coast from here. It was a good gathering and I enjoyed seeing a lot of people from around the state I only get to see at conferences like this.
This song is a bit long so maybe listen to a bit while you have a look at my May
As I mentioned, I went to Coffs Harbour for the State Landcare Gathering. I was hoping to get some sunrise over the sea photos. Defeated by cloud each morning
Nearby was a little creek that offered some photo opportunities.
I saw a couple of ducks feeding and having a paddle. Until I looked at the photo I didn’t notice the Eastern Water Dragon. Did you?
Back home. An Eastern Yellow Robin contemplates a bath. It has been quite cold at night but the days warm.
Looks like he went in
A wonderful song that has been ringing out lately in the high canopy has been from the Golden Whistlers. They are here on and off but are here in May.
Silver-eyes have been dropping in as the flocks move north
A regular May visitor is the Rose Robin. Isn’t that blush of pink delightful on the male
The female Rose Robin checking out the verandah for snacks. She only has a light dusting of pink.
Another drop in was a Brown Pigeon. They sporadically call in to give the garden the once over
I never know when Crimson Rosellas will turn up. They don’t squawk and carry on as most of the other parrots do. Mostly I hear their quiet chatter among themselves
One morning I looked out of the kitchen window and saw this Grey-crowned Babbler. It looked like a young one and was by itself, which is very unusual, as Babblers are family birds. I can only guess is that it is a male and they have said it’s time to leave the nest. He hopped about for a while out front, flicking over leaves and probing Bandicoot snuffle holes. I saw him again yesterday and he almost hopped onto the verandah.
The little Red-backed Fairy Wrens are always hopping around the garden eating insects and seeds. This is a female called a Jenny wren
Another Jenny wren. This time a Variegated Fairy Wren enjoying a nectar drink from a Honey Gem Grevillea
The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are one of dominant garden birds. They are small but will have a go at most other honeyeaters to protect their patch. They also are one of the alarm birds. They have a “look out there’s something about” call that is distinctive. I know it well as they do it when I walk off the verandah. This one is enjoying the morning sun.
One of the “victims” is the Brown Honeyeater who is smaller than a Yellow-faced and has to zip in and grab a drink before they get noticed
The Eastern Whipbird is notoriously shy. They come into the garden a couple of times a week for a feed and let off a few whips which is so great to hear.
The ever present Laughing Kookaburra. They are not shy and will sit on a branch for ages keeping a look out for anything that moves – lizards, skinks, frogs, grasshoppers or basically most things. They will even grab a snake. Once in its bill, the Kookaburra just smashes it against the branch until it doesn’t move any more
As always, Tiny the King Parrot is keeping an eye on me
It is so hard to capture the actual colour of this Bottlebrush. The Bottlebrush trees have a had a second flowering, maybe it was the warm wet April tricked them into thinking it is Spring
The Camellia had a great flowering this year although I didn’t see the flowers until after a lot had already gone
I love this plant. It was called “The Pink Thing” from a good friend ages a go. Last year was the year the bushes took off and this year they are full of these tubular bell shaped flowers
One of my passions is growing Begonia Rex, any of numerous usually rhizomatous hybrid begonias from an East Indian plant. They have rough-textured leaves patterned in silver and bronze and purple and so many other colours.
I grew this plant from a leaf a few years ago. It outgrew its pot so I re-potted it to a lovely but heavy pot and put it on the verandah, where it is thriving. I love the little buds.
Most of the Begonias are grown for their lovely patterned leaves and the flowers are small delicate bonuses. These are different flowers to all the other plants I have.
As I said, Begonias are grown for their leaves. My hand is under there with fingers spread.
The Hibiscus are having a great flowering too. All of the Miniature Red Hibiscus bushes have been covered in flowers since Spring last year.
This pink variety has never had so many flowers
The white Hydrangea is still in it’s pot on the verandah. It will go into the ground maybe this Spring or this time next year depends on how well it grows over Winter
This is the second flower and there’s new new leaves budding up so it looks like it will be happy to stay on the verandah for winter
I planted a number of Gazanias and was surprised when I found a white one
I just love the colour of this Salvia
Last Macro Monday I posted a close-up view of these yellow roses in the Cathedrals garden. Even in the shade, they just stood out
Here is a Gazania parade. Don’t the colours and stripes remind you of a circus tent?
The pink/mauve/purple petals are held on with little shiny buttons
A couple of days ago a plain but vivid yellow Gazania appeared
The tiny Stingless Native Bees enjoy the nectar and pollen that the Gazania flower gives
I went for a drive to see what’s been happening in the neighbourhood. I haven’t stopped at the old wagon for a while. It’s slowly falling apart. My Grandfather would be aghast. He was a Wheelwright.
Late one afternoon I was walking around and I saw a Red-necked Wallaby so I stood still to see where she was going. After a minute a little Joey appeared from the front garden. By the look of it, she has another Joey in her pouch. They sat and looked around then headed off.
The Moon was quite fabulous through the month. I love the crater bumps around the edge
One afternoon sunset, the Moon was bathed in soft pinks and blue
It’s time to get going. As usual, did you have a favourite photo?
The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently, though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.
For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.
But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.
There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.
Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
Create a ping-back to Ju-Lyn at Touring My Backyard or this post, so that we can update it with links to all of yours.
Paula’s Words of Wisdom Y23 #5
“A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.” – William Carlos Williams
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge May: Imperial Purple Colour
A selection of old and new purples
Flowers of a Blue Mist plant
Hibiscus flower
A lamp shade
Steampunk hats for sale at the markets
It’s just a purple snail going up the side of a building
Deep inside of a Torenia flower. Also called a Wishbone flower
Water Lilies
One of my favourite Iris flowers
Pansies
A bit of playing with colour layering
Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge: Red, White and Blue
I was looking through folders looking for anything I might have had that was red, white and blue, other than a flag, was tempted to make something that is red, white and blue.
In the end my laziness won out. A lovely red bottlebrush flower being tasted by a Blue-faced Honeyeater from a few years ago
Cee’s Midweek madness Challenge: May Close-up or Macro
A tiny Skipper Butterfly on Purple Basil flowers
Getting close with a Cats Whiskers flower
The centre of an Apricot Brandy Hibiscus flower
A tiny orchid, Epidrum secundum.
The beautiful feathers of a Lace Wyandotte hen
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