Hawks from here

The Bird Weekly Photo Challenge: Hawks

When I saw the theme for this weeks photo challenge, I wasn’t sure I had any Hawk photos. It took a bit but there they were plus a sneaky one.

A Collared Sparrowhawk in a tree on my place watching next doors chooks.

A Grey Goshawk yelling at something

Not really a bird. A Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: The Letter K

Join in Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge with all the other photographers who have lots of K’s in their photos.

A King Parrot often drops in to see what’s happening on the verandah
king parrot_named_home_august 2015

Rainbow Lorikeets are here in numbers to feast on the nectar of the eucalypt blossoms
rainbow lorikeet01_named_home_aug 2016

Musk Lorikeets only drop in every now and then
musk lorikeet02_named_home_feb 2015

The Grey Goshawk frightens the chooks
grey goshawk_named_binna burra_july 2017

This Australian Kestrel was hunting for lizards in a car park
nankeen kesral_named_tweed heads_august 2015

A Fan-tailed Cuckoo kept an eye on me
fan tailed cuckoo_named_binna burra_july 2017

Had to include a Chook
chook_named_home_june 2017

and some Chickens
chickens03_named_home_nov 2014

and of course Brendan the Brush Turkey
170623_bandw challenge_headshot_brush turkey_colour

The little Forest Kingfisher is a brilliant flash of blue as he darts through the forest
forest kingfisher_close_named_home_march 2017

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos love pine cones and eat them like an ice cream cone
yellow-tailed-black-cockatoo02_named_home_sept-2016

These Plumed Whistling Ducks were paddling about in a puddle in a football field
plumed whistling ducks_close_ballina_named_aug 2014

Dis someone say Duckduck looking_grafton show_named_may 2017

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.
raspberry lookout_named_gibralter ranges_july 2017
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.moth_named_binna burra_july 2017

We found a caterpillar munching a plant. Look at how much it has eaten for such a small sized caterpillar.
caterpillar_named_binna burra_july 2017

The winter flowering stone fruits are alive with bees.
bee_peach blossom_named_binna burra_july 2017

I was enjoying a cuppa on the verandah when this bloke came buzzing around. I like the confusion of fly and shadow.
fly_named_home_july 2017

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.
green log_named_raspberry lookout_july 2017

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.
tree face_named_raspberry lookout_july 2017

My  bestie found this fantastic leaf.
coloured leaf_named_binna burra_july 2017

One day the clouds just decided to look rather special. Something to do with a hot day, cold upper air or whatever.
170712_blog challenge_clouds_feather

“What are you looking at?”
cow_looking_named_ulmarra_july 2017

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.
170711_electric fish

Late one evening when going for a walk, I saw the red and green leaves glowing in the afternoon sun.
vine_named_binna burra_july 2017

A neighbours place glowed in that afternoon sun. This plant is called Firesticks.
firesticks_named_binna burra_july 2017

I have never looked at a Dandelion flower. Isn’t it beautiful.
dandelion flower_named_binna burra_july 2017

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.
gazinia_named_grafton_july 2017

A fragrant Rose. I love Roses.
pink rose_named_binna burra_july 2017

The Grevillea flower shone in the early morning sun.
grevillea flower_named_home_july 2017

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.
blue faced honmeyeater_honey gem_named_home_july 2017

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.
silvereye_honey gem_named_home_july 2017
The Figbirds are after the fruiting trees in the rainforest gullies. This Figbird seemed to have an interest in a Eucalypt nut.
figbird_snack_named_binna burra_july 2017

The Lewins Honeyeater found a tasty morsel in the bark of the tree.
lewins honeyeater_snack_named_binna burra_july 2017

It doesn’t look like it was that appealing does it?
lewins honeyeater_tongue_named_binna burra_july 2017

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.
white throated honeyeater_seat_named_home_july 2017

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.
brolgas_named_ulmarra_july 2017

Some birds will do anything not to have their photo taken. The Eurasian Coot did a great dive.
eurasian coot_named_grafton_july 2017

Have you ever been so angry that you just had to shout at a tree?
yellow faced honeyeater_palm_named_home_july 2017

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
white throated tree creeper_named_raspberry lookout_july 2017

The Welcome Swallow was ignoring me as he sat on the old bridge watching the workings building the new one.
welcome swallow_named_grafton_july 2017

The Spotted Pardalote had a ritual of checking out the verandah every morning for snacks.
spotted paradalote_verandah_named_home_july 2017

The Grey Shrike-Thrush have set up home at my besties.
grey shrike thrush_named_binna burra july 2017

Adorable looking birds aren’t they?
grey shrike thrush_close_named_binna burra july 2017

The Grey Fantail was a bit puffed up in the cool afternoon breeze.
grey fantail_named_binna burra_july 2017

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.
friarbirds_named_home_july 2017

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.
yellow tailed black cockatoo_named_binna burra_july 2017

The lovely little Rose Robins are occasional visitors. So cute as the bounce in the garden looking for snacks.
rose robin_named_home_july 2017

This is excitement number one. First time I have seen a Grey Goshawk. It was high in the trees at my besties place.
grey goshawk_named_binna burra_july 2017

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.
fan tailed cuckoo_named_binna burra_july 2017

This was the sunset in some of the photos mentioned before. So it must be time to go.
sunset rip_named_binaa burra_july 2017

Thank you for stopping by. Drop me a note if you found something that interested you.