For this week’s Black and White Sunday photo challenge, Paula is hoping to see some photos from a low lying perspective. I always am getting down to get “that photo” especially of Fungi. I have a number of blogs just on fungi. Looking at the photos in black and white is different. What do you think?
Have a look at Lost in Translation to see more Lying Low photos
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.
The Thursday Photo Challenge from Lost in Translation is Vision
Today, I took a walk on my property mainly to pull out weeds but as usual had my camera with me, just in case. When walking about you have to have vision as so many things happen or can be seen. Here is a snapshot of what I saw today just a few meters from my house.
I love finding things as I walk. Isn’t this small blue rock unusual?
Always keep an eye out when you walk about as there are a few things that can bite or sting in the Australian bush.
Isn’t the little garden on the old log just magical?
A few twitters in the garden and there was the Silvereye sitting among the branches.
A flash of yellow caught my eye as it flew past and the Golden Whistler landed on a branch nearby.
A jump among the leaves caught my attention and the little Broad Palmed Frog was looking at me as well.
I hope you enjoyed a quick walkabout with me.
Week 61 of Franks Tuesday Photo Challenge. This topic is Unusual. I have many unusual fungi growing on my place, but the Finger Fungi are quite unusual.
April. An Autumn month where the hot days give way to warm days, a hint of rain and cool nights. Migratory birds stop off, some plants flower and the weather is great for getting into the garden.
My garden helpers. Well maybe not all the time but they can help out with the insect control. They are constantly digging somewhere.
The end of March saw floods around the region and as a result, the floodwaters that entered the ocean caused the beaches to become foamy wonders. Here is a selection of the water at Sharpes Beach near Ballina.
I love the structural shapes in cacti
Some cacti were flowering
Other flowers bloomed in their own showy way. The camellias were beautiful this year.
Other flowers were just as spectacular
The Hibiscus is one of my favourites
The deep red of the Dahlia is stunning
The bees are loving the Pentas.
The fungi were everywhere in March but now just the few last fungi are popping up here and there. This is a wonderful pink fungi.
It looks almost planetary from the top don’t you think?
On a young eucalypt I found this amazing growth which I was informed is called Witches Broom. The ants seem to enjoy scurrying over it.
I have had a visitor in my house since early this year. She has been moving from room to room but has moved into the laundry. She is the biggest Huntsman Spider I have ever seen. When she stretches her legs she has a 16cm span. How big is your hand?
One day out in the garden, I dug out some old plants and also dug out a spider. At first I thought it was a Funnel Web Spider but it was a Mouse Spider. Both species of spider are quite venomous. It was too fussed about being disturbed.
The Line Blue Butterfly stopped for a rest on the hanging pot support.
The Eastern Yellow Robins have been zooming around the garden chasing one another. The female Robin sat on the bush just outside of the window. I think she was looking in the window.
The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters have returned for the winter.
The Plumed Whistling-Ducks have also come to rest for a while. I found a large flock in Waterview Heights, a outer suburb of Grafton. They were walking up and down the edge of a dam, chatting among themselves.
The ever present Kookaburra is not far away when I am digging in the garden, either sitting in a tree or like this bloke, on a fence post.
That was a bit of Bushboys World in April. Hope you liked stopping by.
Some more words from Lost in Translation to pair with a photo
Thanks Paula for the chance to think and to find a suitable solution.
The rain came.
The sun came out.
The earth warmed.
Life emerged from the earth.
These are Fungi
The first signs as the fungus pushes its way from the earth
The yellow hue of this fungus didn’t translate to the photo as it nestled among the leaves of the Honey Gem.
All manner of shapes and colours appear among the grass and sticks.
Sometimes emerging from the mulch can be difficult.
When your neighbour emerges after you have and tilts you
Even in decay the fungus emits a golden sheen
Flipped onto its back the delicate frills no longer are there
The texture of the fungus is rough to the touch but has a softness also
The underside frills make a lovely fan
A certain translucency when the sun falls upon the frills
Fungi come in groups. These tiny fungi are everywhere dotting the grass with their orange brown spots. See how big the blades of grass are compared to the tiny fungi.
Or group together and dwarf the blades of grass
The brown fungi like to hang closely together.
The Finger Fungi are never alone as the stand tall. Well as tall as a Finger Fungi can.
Is this one of the ball shaped fungi above starting to grow old.
This next few photos are of fungi that I have never seen here before.
The tiny red fungi are easy to spot as they grow among the Norfolk Island Pine needles. Seemingly solitary with other red fungi nearby.
The pink fungi are coming out from between cracks in an old sleeper.
This type of small fungi are a jet black and only a few appeared next to the verandah and in a day or two, were gone. The photo doesn’t show the true colour
These are the fungi at my place. There are more as some others are in my first fungi blog from years ago.
THE HOT SUMMERS DAYS are here and the lack of consistent rainfall has sapped my energy causing me to be indoors more often than out in the biting rays of the Sun.
However I did get out and about and went to the Bangalow Markets hoping for some photographic inspiration. There was a bit of action but on the whole my mojo wasn’t there.
The colours did grab my attention.
In some part of my besties garden, the flowers are always around. There is more rainfall and cooler weather there. I was taken by the red flower buds getting ready to burst forth.
Back in my garden the storms gave relief to the plants with a Murraya sending out its perfumed blossoms.
I love the Hibiscus schizopetalus. The flowers hang down from the long stems and dance in the breeze.
The small amounts of rain and a bit of hot weather has made a fungi or two pop out of the soil. This one was the biggest I have seen for a long while. I didn’t know what to use to show its size but a brick came in handy
It looked just as amazing from beneath as well.
It may be Summer but the Teak Tree has decided that it is time to lose its leaves making the garden have a temporary Autumn feel.
Summer time and the wasps are constructing their nests from chewed wood giving them a papery look, hence the name Paper Wasps. Unfortunately these are under the gutter at my besties and will have to go. When I had a bloke doing some building work at my place, he managed to disturb a nest and was stung on his ear and back. They chased him as he ran away from the nest. Paper Wasps in the bush are OK but around the house they have to move on.
Even though it is hot, early morning and late in the day, the butterflies are about. I think this is a Skipper whose wings have seen better days.
The Caper Whites are still around but no where near the numbers of late Spring.
Here is a large horse fly Triclista singularis’ These fly slowly with a loud buzzing and we gave them the nickname of B52s. When they do land and bite you really know it. This is the biggest fly around my place, around 25mm. It is rather pretty for a fly.
I noticed movement in the kitchen on a potted begonia I found a Praying Mantis. He hung around the kitchen for a few days before going outside. Fearsome looking but quite friendly.
The Yellow-faced Honeyeater looked pleased with itself as it puffed out its chest.
The constant calls of the Bar-shouldered Dove ring around the garden as they sit high among the trees.
They have a pink ring around their eyes which I hadn’t noticed before.
I love the feather patterns on the Little Wattlebird
There is a queue at the bird bath waiting for their turn.
A return visitor to the garden is a lovely little Forest Kingfisher. The orange spots stand out as does the wonderful white chest.
He was so obliging to turn around to show the striking blue feathers. When flying about the garden the flashes of blue catch the eye.
I hope the hot weather soon abates and February brings more things for me to share with you.
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.
I have been meaning to do the last lot of photos for December. Being on holidays makes it hard to sit and do useful things. I haven’t really gone anywhere. Just doing the usual day trips around the north coast of NSW, trying to avoid the places where the tourists are massed and clogging the roads. Managed to get caught in a 7km traffic jam because I didn’t check Live traffic before I left home. A useful website when driving around here in the school holidays.
The title doesn’t really tell you everything that is in this blog but there are birds, bugs and flowers. I suppose I should warn some of my more squeamish readers that this blog may contain spiders and moths. Yes someone doesn’t enjoy my moth photos.
The Ibis is the garbage scavenger quickly replacing the Seagull. I looked up one fine day and there, high above me, wheeling around on the air currents were some Ibis. They looked so graceful.
It was a hot day and the young Magpie Lark or Pee Wee as we called them as kids, was in the trees occasionally squawking but mainly panting – that’s if birds pant.
The heat of the day also brings some visitors to the verandah into the cool. The hanging plants make a good resting place for this King Parrot. King Parrots are regular visitors.
Walking around Lismore Heights, we stopped at the lookout where there were heaps of Copperheaded Skinks. Mostly small ones that were quite fast who ran away when I got too close.
I love coming across caterpillars. I have no idea what this one is and am feeling too lazy to get the books out. They are always ready to have their photo taken.
There has been a hatching of Cabbage White butterflies. There were quite a few flitting about the garden. I am not sure of the name of the flower this butterfly was enjoying.
Bugs. I really need a bug book as there are so many in the gardens and places I go to. I just call these types of insects shield bugs. It was quite intent on sucking on the stem of the plant and didn’t mind me taking a few photos.
Whereas this bloke was quite busy trotting about the vege garden. As you can see it wasn’t a very big bug.
The tiny moth just settled on the door frame, keeping dry from a passing shower. I love how hairy some moths can be. This one looks like it even has feathers on its back.
Bees. I love trying to get good photos of bees as you would know. I wonder how many bee photos I have?
As I was doing a bit of a tidy up in the garden, I came to the Crinum and was removing some of the debris that had gathered in the leaf stalks. I was also looking for spiders as well because they love to make a home in there. This time it wasn’t a spider I found but a cricket. It tried to wiggle its way deeper into the stem. This was the first photo before it made itself smaller.
One evening I got into the shower and this girl was in there as well. I gently moved her out of the shower as I don’t think she would find hot water beneficial. She decided that the mirror was a good place to sit. Maybe she was reflecting on her day.
I have developed an obsession in photographing Dragonflies. I didn’t realise there were so many different colours in dragonflies. This one almost looks like the stick it is sitting on.
Some dragonflies are quite orange. They seem to hold their wings out to the side when they are resting.
And then there are the red dragonflies that I have been trying to get a photo of for quite a while. The red is almost fluorescent. The red dragonflies hold their wings to the front.
Dragonflies can also be a bit hairy.
Of course any blog of mine would be complete without a fungi appearing somewhere.
It looks like we are up to the flowers. I have had a fascination with photographing flowers since I got my first SLR camera. The small geranium flowers all seem quite different if you look carefully.
The ball of flowers that make up the Pentas flowers looks so striking even when you get right into the flower and see the individuals that make up the whole ball.
Flowers grow in all sorts of shapes and patterns. I didn’t notice the structure of this flower until I looked from directly above. What a lovely circle of flowers.
These marigolds have so many subtle shades of orange that changes when viewed in sunlight. In the shade they seem to darken with lighter highlights.
What would summer be without the scent of a Frangipani? I can almost smell them when I see the photos, can’t you?
Buddha has a nice shady spot to sit. I like to visit him often for a chat.
Well that is the last of the 2015 photos. I hope you have enjoyed being with me as I made some lovely discoveries over the 2015. Here is the year in review that WordPress build – http://bushboy54.com/2015/12/31/2015-in-review/
Thanks for the positive comments and support and I hope I can let you see what will be in my world in 2016.
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