How late am I getting this done? So many things of no consequence happening and I am being very slack in sorting photos and getting myself together.
This may be a bit haphazard and not quite concise with the flow and descriptions but I just wanted to get this post out for my own piece of mind. Admittedly I did get a bit wayward with trying to get things together for Becky’s wonderful #SquareKind photo challenge.
On a personal note, I saw the Neurologist in October and I saw the MRI of my brain. It was fascinating to see the slices and was very happy to see there wasn’t anything untoward. But as I thought, she reaffirmed the legal requirement that I don’t drive a vehicle, that includes the farm ute, ride-on lawnmower as well not operate a push mower, chainsaw, power tools or climb ladders. Well that stops me from doing about 80% of my life. It’s for my own safety and the safety of others. Social isolation and Covid lock downs are almost mainstream but now I am in Neuro Lock down as well as my normal social isolation due to living in a almost remote location.
Enough of that, let’s get started. All sitting comfy with some refreshments to hand as you should know by now I do post a lot of photos which summarises what I saw and found in My October 2020. Have a bit of a listen as you scroll too. I am sure you may enjoy a song…..
AS usual, lets start with a wonderful sunrise
The Spangled Drongos were awake enjoying the morning
Rufous Whistlers sang in the morning
A Red-backed Fairy Wren had his morning bath
The female Satin Bowerbird dived right in
A White-faced Heron stood guard in the morning protecting the nest high in the tree
A Yellow-faced Honeyeater came for breakfast on the Honey Gem Grevillea
Two White-naped Honeyeaters debated whether to grab a snack or have a bath
The Striated Pardalote looked for food on my verandah.
This Satin Bowerbird has set up home in my garden.
The old swimming pool, now a bit of a dragonfly and frog haven, attracted the attention of a Scared Kingfisher who decided that this was the place to have a bath.
The first of the Rainbow Lorikeets turned up in the garden to check it out for Summer.
Rainbow Bee-eaters were a splash of colour for a Spring morning
Only a mother could love a baby Noisy Friarbird
Sometimes King Parrots like to hang about in the garden
We went to one of our favourite spots for a bit of a look around to see the fire recovery and have a picnic. Raspberry Lookout is just up the range from my place and a favourite spot.
The Banksia trees had a good burn but this helps the seeds germinate as they pop open and scatter with papery like seed that blow on the wind. Children’s stories talk of the Banksia men. They do look a bit scary don’t they
It was good to see that a lot of the vegetation was growing. I love the colours of the new growth of the Trigger Plant.
The Native Lilac False Sarsaparilla were flowering quite well. I also have this species on my place.
The Trigger Plant flowers attracted a Native Bee
IN my garden, the Stingless Native Bees filled their pollen sacks from the Hippeastrums
A Large Yellow Butterfly came for a visit to the Bottle Brush flowers
Common Grass Blue Butterflies were everywhere in the garden this Spring
The first of the Caper White Butterflies arrived in late October and many more were here a few days ago. They love the Pentas flowers in my garden
It is always lovely to see Orchard Swallowtail Butterflies in the garden. One of the largest butterflies that I get here
I think this may be a mosquito being a pollinator on a Daisy in the garden
Some of the succulents are getting ready for Summer
The Roses at my besties place looked a treat over Winter and Spring. I have too many animal who love to eat the leave and flower buds as well as the flowers for me to grow Roses here.
By the end of October, the Grevilleas have finished their Spring flowering and are setting seeds
This year my Begonias had a very showy flowering.
Another not your usual pollinator, a fly on the Marigolds this time
This tiny Grevillea, called Billy Bonkers, flowers have some attendant ants
The Stingless native Bees like the Dietes flowers too
Agapanthus in the garden had a great flowering this Spring
The bees loved the Cornflowers in my besties garden. I love the radiant blue of Cornflowers.
I wasn’t sure if thge Lolly Bushes would have survived the fire but they have bounced back and the flowering was quite wonderful. Yes the flowers smell like lollies.
Looking inside of the Orange Hippeastrum
Red Dragonflies were all around the garden
After watering the garden one morning, this spiders web attracted my attention with sparkles in the morning sun
After a bit of rain, I went to check to see how much water went into the dam. I noticed one of the Cape Lillies in the middle of the dam looked a bit different. Nestled in among the flower was a Dwarf Green Tree Frog.
Our Moon has risen in the afternoon. I love the blue sky and our Moon
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to have a look at my October. I would like to know if you had a favourite photo. I’ll try not to be so tardy for My November. Have a great day or evening depending on what side of the world you are.
Flora – noun The plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period generally the naturally occurring indigenous or native plants. (We won’t go to one of the other definitions – The bacteria and other microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ or part.)
Here is some of the Flora that are naturally occurring on my place. Many are very small, around 5 to 10mm in diameter. I don’t know the names of all of them so just enjoy the images. If you want to know the name of a particular flower, drop me a line in the comments and I’ll try and let you know.
I have been out and about but not far into the bush as there are limbs falling and the ground is quite wet now so some burnt trees could still topple. These are in the area around the house. This area was just burnt ground with some blackened timber. The unburnt leaves have fallen since the fire went through on the 6th December.
Some of the plants I know what they are and have named. I am going cross-eyed trying to find all the plants in my books. Many of the flowers are small some up to 10mm or half an inch. There is quite a few photos.
The start of a Native Wisteria emerging from the soil
Fungi were the first plants to appear. The Finger Fungi is small and struggling. There’s a bit of Lichen too.
The Golden Lily is showing as bright dots of yellow through the bush. The flowers are 20 to 40mm and in places they are in clumps of flowers. There are about five buds waiting to open here
The Lomandras are in clumps or individual plants and all are flowering
The Lomandra flowers are tiny balls on a tall spike emerging from the tough strappy leaves
A different Lomandra.
Not sure what this plant is
A small group of plants
I should know what this plant is but cannot remember
Some plants emerge from the roots that survived the fire. This could be a shrub to small tree a Cheese Tree possibly.
The growth surrounding the burnt trunk. A lot of Australian plants start life red then turn green as they mature.
Another hardy Eucalypt grows. They are fire hardy plants and there is a sort of root, a lignotuber at the base of the tree that conserves energy and when it’s time, the tree will commence growing. Many species can re-sprout from buds under their bark.
Another tiny flower. These are on slender stalks and in clumps of tiny white flowers.
This is a ground cover that spreads along the forest floor. Bright dots of purple catch your eye.
These yellow flowers are ones the Native Stingless Bees love. Again around 10mm across.
Almost a clover like flower but opens up as you can see in the background
There are lots of these purple flowers on tall spikes and multiple flowers.
I think this may belong to the pea family. So pretty with many flowers along the stalk
Lots of clumps of these flowers and bees buzzing around.
A close-up of the flowers in the above clump.
If anyone knows the names of any of the flowers or plants please let me know.
Oh my aren’t I tardy with the October wrap up? Lots of things have been happening – see some of the posts over the past week. I shan’t dwell on the most horrible situation I find myself in right now. I guess you have seen all about the fires in Australia, The north coast of NSW is where I live and the fires have been burning since early October.
I can’t really think straight as I haven’t slept well for a while now. Luckily and the end of October to early November my bestie and I had a brief holiday in Tasmania. I hadn’t been before so it was all new. Breathing air that wasn’t smoke laden was a blessing as was cool temperatures and even a bit of rain. That will be a post of its own later when I get around to it.
OK there isn’t all that many photos compared to previous “This is” posts but still grab a snack and a drink of your choice so you can stroll through my world in October.
I haven’t posted many photos of the Red-necked Wallabies that hang around my garden for a while. This little Joey has fun speeding around.
His Mum was keeping watch. Check out those lovely lashes.
I was out on a walk with my bestie and a friend when we came across some Eastern Grey Kangaroos resting in the shade. There was a female, a Joey and a male. When the male stood up we stopped and waited to see what they would do. Thankfully they group hopped over the fence in one bound and into the next paddock. When he stood up to his full height, he was about 2 meters tall. Look at those chest and arm muscles!!
I may be in drought but every evening the frogs start up, not as many as usual. I love these tiny Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs. Here he is again in a previous post that has the call as well.
Meet Bob, one of the funniest fish I have ever seen. He would swim away and then appear from the side of the tank, look at you and swim away. The Seahorse World where he lives is at Beauty Point in Tasmania.
A regular sight around the north coast are Black-shouldered Kites hovering over a field waiting for snack to make a move then drop like a stone.
Here is one some of the European readers will know. The European Goldfinch was introduced into SE Australia and Tasmania in the 1850’s.
A Forest Kingfisher waits patiently on the power lines in the late afternoon for his meal to move in the paddock below.
The little hanging pot bird bath is too small for the King Parrot but its good for drinking. The Hippeastrums will come later.
One very unseasonably hot day, the temperature reached 38C IN SPRING!!! Here is a young King Parrot and a Spangled Drongo discussing the day, “hot enough for ya”
Down at the waterhole on 3rd after a good fall of rain. Lovely to see a bit of water. The last rain since.
Going up into the mountains for a bit of a walk and see new places. The players of the mountains from my favourite spot, the Raspberry Lookout.
Another place near Washpool, (which is now on fire) The smoke is from the fires to the north in early October.
I love finding a leaf that has been skeletised (OK I made up that word according to spellcheck)
The new Spring flush of leaves on a Eucalypt.
The Casuarina and the blue of the distant hills. My bestie reckons it is like a Japanese print.
One of the new crops on the north coast is dryland rice.
Back at the waterhole on my place. The ferns in shelter spots are growing well. This is called a Five Fingered Jack or a Rough Maidenhair Fern.
While in the Gibraltar Ranges in Spring I was hoping to find some native flowers. Here is a Blue Dampiera.
Tiny False Lilac flowers
A Hairy Bush Pea with a Native Stingless Bee
Don’t the little Small Leaved Boronia look ever so sweet.
There were lots of White Paper Daisies along the road sides.
The flowers of a Flapjack Succulent
The first time this plant from my old mate Geoffs place has flowered and I can’t remember what it is
My besties Foxgloves flowered well this year
The start of my Hippeastrums
More have started to bud up
Once the flowers arrive, so do the Native Stingless Bees
Look at the amount of pollen in the flowers. The Native Stingless Bees get coated in pollen
An olden Hibiscus at my besties attracts a bee or is it a wasp?
Casting a fine web, this spider waits underneath for lunch to drop in.
OK all is done. I had to include a photo of our Sun late in the afternoon on a fire day. A mixture of clouds and smoke.
I hope you enjoyed a stroll through my October. Did you have a favourite photo? I love to hear what you think so please drop me a line. I guess I need conversation
The word prompt from the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge 51: Unique
I think I’ll stick to the uniqueness of around here.
Native Stingless Bee with a Jumping Ant looking on
One of the many small Australian Native flowers that grow here
A Rainbow Lorikeet in a Pink Euodia
Purple Fringe Lily
Hyacinth Orchid that just pops up in the bush around the house
Red-necked Wallaby and her Joey
Blue-banded Bee in Blue Ginger flower
Koala
Native Sarsaparilla or Wisteria among Fringe Wattle flowers
Native Gardenia flower
Blue Triangle Butterfly
Here is Debbies One Word Sunday: Size
Some of the things I have been contemplating on contributing for OWS perhaps can also be some of my Favourite Things as Patti from Ragtag asked.
Perhaps some of the small things in my world should be a start. The feature photo is a Scarlet Honeyeater, the smallest honeyeater and a red jewel that flashes through my garden and the forest.
I love having Stingless Native Bees in my garden
and of course Blue-banded Bees scrunching into flowers
All of the tiny native flowers that abound on my place
I have to include some big things too. Kookaburras are always hunting in the garden and waking me with their morning song
Overhead one of the Square-tailed Kite family soars
While in the garden, a Red-necked Wallaby snacks on the Honey Gem Grevillea
The trees of the forest that surround are the big
Now a warning for those who have a thing about spiders – there is one in the next image
Isn’t she a beauty. She lived in my laundry for a Summer and then came into the lounge and dining rooms for Winter last year. I think she became bored of my company and headed outside.
bushboys world 