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.
bushboys world 