orchid – bushboys world

Orange flowers and things

Published on November 10, 2022 by bushboy23 Comments

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge November: Tangerine Orange Colour

I found a couple of old orange/tangerine photos and of course I had to have a Sooty Oystercatcher

An Orchid

Published on June 24, 2022 by bushboy20 Comments

Cee’s FOTD
Bren’s Floral Friday

Delicate

Published on May 19, 2019 by bushboy15 Comments

The Lens-Artists Sunday Word prompt: Delicate

Caper Berry flower

Bee

Superb Fairy Wren holding a gift for his mate

Butterflies on flowers. Ever so delicate

The tiny Water Snowflake flowers

A Scarlet Honeyeater assessing the juiciest flower in the Pink Euodia

This is March 2019

Published on April 3, 2019 by bushboy19 Comments

What a month of differences. I had some good rainfalls in February but March became quite dry. The dam I use for watering the garden and use outside didn’t receive any run-off and is very low. I am in water conservation mode and back to watering the garden plants sparingly. The pot plants on the verandahs are getting the precious tank water. I have lost a number of my Begonias sadly. I have a number of plants of the same species and nothing has been lost altogether.

The coming of Autumn is usually a time to plant but as the same as last year, there isn’t the promise of rain and soil moisture. I have a number of plants that are now going to re-potted into bigger pots. The best thing is the sunsets this Autumn so this post has a number of sunsets as I couldn’t decide which ones to use.

I haven’t included the photos I have used in posts over the past few weeks, such as the Wedged-tailed Eagle having lunch on the side of the road. I have also put some in reserve for posts to be written later on.

There is a a good selection so maybe a cup of your favourite beverage, a snack and get comfortable to see some of the stuff I found in my world in March.

I was very privileged to be part of a smoking ceremony. A traditional Aboriginal welcome to their part of country. The leaves that were on the fire, Lemon Scented Gum, Cinnamon Gum and another type of eucalypt leaf I can’t remember.

We stood or sat around the circular fire pit. One of the most amazing part was we were told that the smoke would touch us all. They began playing a welcome tune and the smoke went in a spiral around the circle of people, the smoke touching everyone. Yes the hairs on my arms and neck stood, it was a magical moment.
The leaves had to be put on regularly to infuse the people and the moment which gave us a sense of being part of country.
One of the murals inside of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence where the NSW Landcare Forum was held

The city sunset

One afternoon, the sun was so yellow bathing the countryside giving an eerie glow to the Grass Tree sentinels that watch over my besties place.

I wish I had more time to explore Redfern its streets, houses and gardens. I love this ornate piece on a gate.

Back at my part of the world, I found a bit of rust.

One of the jardinieres in the front of a house

Meanwhile at the beach, the shadows on the sand caught my attention.

The colours of a Small Common Yellow Butterfly seemed to change as it sat on the lomandra.

My nighttime visitor who dropped in and commenced doing her laundry.

The early morning rain at my besties on a spiders web.

The water drops

While on the hunt for spiky things for Beckys March Square Photo Challenge, a purple Spider Orchid said pick me.

Another angle

Some Eucalypt flowers look spiky but are so soft

Purple flowers in the morning sun.
Another orchid found at the Lismore Farmers Market where we go most Saturdays for breakfast and get some produce from the growers.
The Desert Rose is also for sale at the Market

After not doing much, the rain came to my besties in March (but not my place) and the bean plants started to grow and flower.

This is the very first time I have seem coconuts growing on a tree.

Time for a few bird photos. The cute little Striated Thornbill enjoys dropping into to use the bird bath
OK….now we are back at the beach. The Crested Terns flew in and sat on the beach with us.

On Macleay Island, the Bush-stone Curlews had a young one.

Having a drive around we came across a family of Grey-crowned Babblers having a feed along the side of the road.
One afternoon the sky was filled with a cacophony of squawking Little Corellas, the most Little Corellas I have ever seen in one huge flock. There were hundreds.
The flock stretched across the sky in the afternoon sun.
I love the graceful Ibis as the soar overhead.

The Black Kites are always hovering and swooping at the waste facility.

A look at the steering mechanism on a Black Kite.
I am so happy that the Scarlet Honeyeaters are still around the garden at home.
It is always a treat to come across Eastern Rosellas
The rain at my besties has bought out the happy looking Green Tree Frogs.
On the drive around we came across an Eastern Grey Kangaroo and her Joey.

The morning sun on the pampas grass seed heads

The car ferry on the way to Macleay Island was soon overtaken by the catamaran ferry

It was a treat when the yacht owner put up the red sails

The sunset over the bay made the end of a busy day worthwhile.

The sunset on the water
The farmer next door ploughed and planted a paddock next to my besties place. When it was ready, he let the cows into the paddock. This cow certainly seemed to enjoy having a snack.
The calf kept a wary eye on me.

The calf at sunset.

Another fabulous sunset.

Another day, another sunset. This is the eastern sky

I think this was my favourite sunset of March

Probably my favourite sunset photo. Well the suns gone down…..

…..and our Moon is in the sky, so it’s time to go.

I hope you have a had a good time wandering about, sometimes a bit chaotic, in my world. The featured photo is one from Beckys photo challenge which a lot of people liked. Maybe you have a favourite photo too?

Spiky Squares # 7

Published on March 7, 2019March 4, 2019 by bushboy13 Comments

Becky has started a new photo challenge for March #SpikySquare Drop into Beckys Spiky Square site for some details and other peoples spiky photos.

The rules are simple:
Have fun interpreting the spikiness but don’t forget there is ONE absolute rule for this daily photo challenge – your main photograph must be square.

190307_spiky_square_orchid

Flowers – Monochrome

Published on May 30, 2018June 14, 2018 by bushboy11 Comments

Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: Flowers

Orange

Published on April 27, 2018May 24, 2018 by bushboy13 Comments

The word prompt from Nancy’s A Photo a Week Challenge is Orange

Of course we go to nature for our orange. I found a selection that I think work better in a slideshow. What do you think?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

With an orange sunset and clouds to say goodnight

Purple

Published on December 16, 2017December 16, 2017 by bushboy21 Comments

Who could resist a photo challenge from Nancy Merrill with the theme: Purple

So much Purple, here is a taste. Do you have a favourite?

Berries on a Native vine

Among the Wisteria flowers

Another beautiful Native flower

Caper Water Lilies

A Purple Swamp Hen

Inside a Torenia flower

An orchid flower I think

The wonderful Native Purple Fringe Lily

The Native Hyacinth Orchid that grows wild at my place and this year appeared in my garden for the first time

This is November: The Flowers

Published on December 5, 2017 by bushboy9 Comments

The final installment of This is November. The flowers that appear in November are fabulous. The small native flowers shoot out of the ground for a short time. The garden is resplendent with most of the flowering shrubs a hive of activity as you saw in This is November: The Insects. Enjoy the flowers of November.

You saw the Jacaranda flowers in the This is October: Part Three Did you know that the Jacaranda flower is not only purple but white as well?

Some flowers are just made to be photographed.

A close-up shot of the Blue Salvia which the Lewins Honeyeater was feeding on in This is November: The Birds

A few drops of water and an early morning sun make for wonderful flower photography

The second flowering for some of the Grevilleas

The cactus had so many buds and flowers this year.

When the rain comes, the Crocus add splashes of colour throughout the garden.

One of the Day Lilys I was given by my mate Geoff. There is always a Stingless Bee flying around somewhere.

This orchid was at my besties sons place. An amazing cascade of flowers.

Here is the orchid flower

The Pandorea were flowering high in the canopy

My White Hydrangea has a pink hue

One of the best years for the Silk Tree flowering

The Roses at my besties are magnificent this year too.

And the scent is divine

The little yellow puff balls are everywhere

I love this Hibiscus which seems to have many names – I like Dancing Ballerina

The Lomandra growing on the forest floor has many flower spikes

The new leaves on the Paperbark are fabulous

The Paperbark was covered in white creamy flowers from top to bottom.

Growing in the paddock was a tiny yellow flower about 5mm in diameter. Once I saw this one I then noticed all the others.

The Bottlebrush flowers were their showy best this year. The Pink Bottlebrush flower is the second year it has flowered since planting about 10 years ago.

This is the red Bottlebrush flower I used as an experimental technique late last month

many people wanted to know what the bush looked like. Here is the Miniature Bottlebrush about 1.5M tall

The birds have been fighting over the Black Bean tree flowers

Have you ever seen a Pineapple flower? Now you have. I had no idea they had flowers like this

Last year, I found the Hyacinth Orchid growing in the forest at my place. I went looking again this year to where I thought it was but to no avail. Looking around my garden not only did I find one growing but two!

That’s the last post on This is November. I hoped you like all the posts.

As I wander about

Published on September 7, 2015September 7, 2015 by bushboy9 Comments

It’s been ages since I have had time to get things sorted, to take time for things and actually sit down to set out to write a bit. I have been taking photos of all manner of stuff – as you will see. It is difficult to have a clear pathway of thoughts, to put ideas down and try to make sense so that you can follow where I have been and what I have seen. Many a time I just take off to see what I can discover and see something that I find interesting, colourful or part of our world that some people would just walk by everyday and not think of the beauty. Perhaps I look at the world in a different way, to imagine in my head what I see, grab my camera and let the lens take me where I think it should go. Enough of a jumble of thoughts – as The Beatles sang

“Thoughts meander like a restless wind
Inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe”

So lets go across the universe or through a small part of my world. Starting at the beginning. Early one misty morning, some rogue cattle were walking along the road when we was taking a walk.

Further down the road, the spiders webs were all through patches of grass. Small cup shaped webs dotted the side of the road in their hundreds.

As it is still rather cool here I am still out in the bush every couple of weeks to cut some firewood. One morning I noticed the White-winged Choughs doing their daily march along the clearing with their incessent chatter as they kicked over sticks and rocks looking for their breakfast. They had an almost straight line as they marched up the hill.

Sometimes you can look up and see a Spangled Drongo fly past the moon, even in the late afternoon.

I though the Bellwood Cormorant Hotel was rather fab but the double decker Osprey nest near Chinderah has a far better vantage point.

While we were having lunch in the Tweed Heads industrial/shopping complex, we watched as a bird swooped across the car park, grab what we think was a lizard and go back to the roof top and eat away. After I took the photo (OK I took heaps of photos), I discovered it was an Australian or Nankeen Kestral. What a pretty bird don’t you think?

Speaking of pretty, the Emerald Doves are out and about in numbers at the moment. This bird was not all that content having me stalk it to try and get a good photo.

It stuck its bum in the air as if to say “Go on….take a photo of my best side!!!”

This little bird was sitting in the tree singing its little lungs out.

Having a cuppa on the verandah one morning, one of the local King Parrots decided to pop over and see if we had any snacks.

The Bar-shouldered Dove didn’t seem to mind the Brush Turkeys leaf raking exercise. The turkey was flicking leaves so high into the air! The turkey’s litter mound is about 5 meters away from where it was methodically raking leaves.

One morning I found a Rainbow Lorikeet sitting on the ladder in the old swimming pool looking rather grumpy.

OK….now this is where things take a different direction for a while. One day we decided to walk across the Clarence River on the walkway under the Grafton Bridge. The structure has been graffitied over the years and the layers of paint with a bit of rust made lovely colours and patterns.

I like the rust colours.

This green almost looked like moss.

One of the hundred of thousand rivets holding te bridge together. Small but significent.

The walkway along the bridge also had two tunnels at either end which have always been “decorated”. Sometimes some of the graffiti has to be added to doesn’t it?

Othertimes the message is what everyone needs to hear.

One of my favourite cafes in Grafton is the Tilted Teaspoon. Skye has a wonderful sense of decoration with ever changing bits and pieces gleaned from Op-Shops and garage sales.

The water below the bridge has shapes that change as the water ripples from passing water craft. This one is rather spooky.

Speaking of spooky, what is the blue flash that appeared in my besties loungeroom?

I love the “eye lashes” on the bullet hole in the road sign.

Enough of the different stuff and back to colour and nature. The red flower of the eucalypt just seems to burst in a riot of colour.

One of the first flowers that I started to photograph many years ago were the Azalias of the next door neighbours. They had so many varieties that cascaded over the front suburban fence. The colours were superb. My besties Azalias have been a wonderful splash of colour around her garden. The deep pink flowers are lovely. One of the surprises when taking photos is the unexpected bits that are in and around the flowers.

This flower was hidden inside the same bush as the pink one above.

The red Azalias are such a stand out in the garden.

The Irises are dotted through the garden not being showy but adding a bit to the shape and form in the garden. It also is the home for a small spider.