The word prompt from CitySonnet: Scarlet
I could use a photo of a Scarlet Honeyeater (search my blog for a photo of a Scarlet Honeyeater) but no, this time it’s a Robin
OK I did cheat the name of the Robin is a Rose Robin but oh so lovely in my garden
What a month July has been. I haven’t been inspired to take photos. I have had a general malaise that has not been inspiring to take many photo and some I have taken are not worth the effort to place in my blog. Sorry everyone. This is my mediocre blog for the year. I have had some special moments. My best mate and his partner came for a almost a week, my bestie arrived a few days later and my “twin” and I had a great birthday together. (look back into my blog to realise why or there is a recent blog on Meet the Bloggers blog if you want to read)
Enough of being maudlin Let’s get going for some of my world in July
I have found grass seeds are quite striking. Perhaps they need a blog of their own? This seed head is a variety called Summer Grass or perhaps a Couch. So many choices I give up
Same with this one. I liked trying to get a good photo of grass seed heads, perhaps I should have tried hared.
The low chill stone fruits are flowering. The Peach has a lovely amount of bees. Maybe more bees next time.
The spider webs have been looking nice in the mornings. Here is a love heart for you.
One of the rusty rooves that didn’t make it into Becky #RoofSquares photo challenges
At the Lismore Air Show, some Black Kites decided to join in the fun. A Kite with a Pit Special acrobatic aeroplane. I may do another blog on the Air Show.
I like this photo even though it’s not the best. It’s a bird, it’s a plane. Yes it certainly is.
This is what a Black Kite looks like
Some Sacred Ibis did a formation fly over too.
A usual winter visitor is the Satin Bowerbirds. When it gets cold in the mountains, they come to winter at my place. This male enjoyed an afternoon drink.
The females and juveniles have similar plumage. I think this is a female Satin Bowerbird.
Enjoying a bath.
Looks like a grumpy Pied Currawong didn’t want me around.
Eastern Spinebills are lovely to have around the garden. Their distinctive wing clicking lets me know when they are around.
The Eastern Spinebill has found a potted Grevillea and has made the Grevillea its own feeding place.
It looks like there is no communication when the bird bath has to be shared. A White-throated Honeyeater and a White-throated Treecreeper aren’t talking this afternoon.
A Spotted Pardalote enjoyed a moment to itself.
A new visitor to my garden is a Striated Pardalote. Here looking at me as I was at my desk taking photos through the glass door.
I had four Pied Butcher Birds having a look for insect when I was cutting firewood. The sound of the chainsaw brought them to examine what I was doing. 
A female Golden Whistler loved being in the garden. Often seen swooping through the sprinklers when I was watering the garden.
I often neglect some birds as I see them all the time. The little White-throated Honeyeaters love my garden.
My mission for August will be to get some good photos of Eastern Rosellas.
The wonderful Winter visitor to my garden is the Rose Robin. Such a lovely sight as he flits through the garden.
The photo I used in an earlier blog. Just had to include this again. What a lovely bird to have in my life.
The sun is setting so almost time to say goodnight or good morning, depends on where you are in this world.
This time of year, it is time to harvest sugar cane. Some cane farmers still burn the cane prior to harvest. This is the view of the cane fires from my besties garden.
The last light is almost upon us so I guess I’ll see you later.
See you later. Say G’day. I would love to hear from you.
You all know how I go on about the Eastern Yellow Robins that are around here all the time…..this is a Rose Robin who drops in here when the weather gets a bit cooler. This bloke has his bright breeding plumage on. I have seen the female flitting around the garden but haven’t had my camera with me at the time.
The word prompt from Debbie at Travel With Intent: Where
Where have these photos been taken?
From my desk in the office through the glass door
A chook often comes to see what I am doing
A Noisy Friarbird looking in the door
The Kookaburra heard me move I think
A Brush-tailed Possum found a snack
A tiny Spotted Pardalote investigating for insects
The Rose Robin was tweeting away
Sometimes a Huntsman Spider will find insects hovering around the computer screen
The Daily Post Word prompt: Blush
What could be sweeter than the blush of colour on a little Rose Robin?
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.
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.
We found a caterpillar munching a plant. Look at how much it has eaten for such a small sized caterpillar.
The winter flowering stone fruits are alive with bees.
I was enjoying a cuppa on the verandah when this bloke came buzzing around. I like the confusion of fly and shadow.
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.
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.
My bestie found this fantastic leaf.
One day the clouds just decided to look rather special. Something to do with a hot day, cold upper air or whatever.
“What are you looking at?”
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.
Late one evening when going for a walk, I saw the red and green leaves glowing in the afternoon sun.
A neighbours place glowed in that afternoon sun. This plant is called Firesticks.
I have never looked at a Dandelion flower. Isn’t it beautiful.
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.
A fragrant Rose. I love Roses.
The Grevillea flower shone in the early morning sun.
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.
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.
The Figbirds are after the fruiting trees in the rainforest gullies. This Figbird seemed to have an interest in a Eucalypt nut.
The Lewins Honeyeater found a tasty morsel in the bark of the tree.
It doesn’t look like it was that appealing does it?
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.
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.
Some birds will do anything not to have their photo taken. The Eurasian Coot did a great dive.
Have you ever been so angry that you just had to shout at a tree?
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
The Welcome Swallow was ignoring me as he sat on the old bridge watching the workings building the new one.
The Spotted Pardalote had a ritual of checking out the verandah every morning for snacks.
The Grey Shrike-Thrush have set up home at my besties.
Adorable looking birds aren’t they?
The Grey Fantail was a bit puffed up in the cool afternoon breeze.
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.
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.
The lovely little Rose Robins are occasional visitors. So cute as the bounce in the garden looking for snacks.
This is excitement number one. First time I have seen a Grey Goshawk. It was high in the trees at my besties place.
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.
This was the sunset in some of the photos mentioned before. So it must be time to go.
Thank you for stopping by. Drop me a note if you found something that interested you.
Ever so late doing my “this is what I found in May.”
So many things have needed doing and my time has been spent doing the many Photo Challenges, which I seem to be obsessed with as they give the opportunity to showcase your photos and techniques and at the same time see what other bloggers from around the world are doing. I love showing my part of this world or some photos of my travels. I hope you have enjoyed these Photo Challenges as much as I have.
OK……….on to my May. May is show time in my town. What I love (as many of you know) are chooks so I always go to the poultry pavilion when I go to the Grafton Show. Here are my favourites from the show.
“Do you like my new hair do?”
“I find the bun at the back is what the fashionable ducks are wearing this season.”
This is the Champion Pair of the Show – I think they are Wyandottes – a classy pair
Even the excitement of the Show doesn’t stop the need to lay an egg.
“Are you talking to me?” “Are you talking to me?”
“Is lunch coming or what?”
One of the Photo Challenges I did was Frames and the Currawong was the first image. This Currawong found the water well in the Poinsettia tree and was enjoying a drink.
The Lewins Honeyeater has been a constant visitor in May to the verandah looking for insects and gathering spiders webs for the nest. I think I was spotted as he looked in the door from the Zygote Cactus.
Another visitor to the garden at this time of year is the lovely little Rose Robin.
The Zygote Cactus have wonderful blooms this year
Some of my besties Pansys
I love this dark purple variety.
Just sitting in a wheelbarrow garden looking fabulous.
Some flowers look lovely at the end of Autumn don’t they?
Sitting in a cafe in Brunswick Heads I spotted the Native Stingless Bees in the garden bed on the street.
The spiders web have a certain magic in the morning light.
One night, there was a banging on the window. We went outside to see what was making all that racket. We found an Emperor Gum Moth sitting on the window sill. Aren’t the antennae wonderful?
You know when Winter approaches when the insects wear their fur coats.
The evening walk had wonderful lighting. I love this old fence with the air ferns and other plant life growing.
The grass seed heads looked spectacular in the late afternoon light. I didn’t do any photo manipulation this is what they actually looked like.
The Moon is almost setting the same time as the sun.
The Sun is setting so I better say good evening and hope you have enjoyed a little bit of May in my part of Australia.
Hello May. May has come and gone. We went back to Macleay Island again and I have another new bird that I have photographed. I do get excited when I find something new.
This collection of photos has some birds, mainly that I have put here before, that I have found in a comical situation. OK situations that I find comical and hope you do too.
There is also a photo of a moth just to warn those people who have a phobia about moths. I should have put that warning in the last blog too. There aren’t any spiders or snakes this time.
This poor old Blue Tiger Butterfly was sitting on a leaf catching a bit of sunshine, probably the last sunshine he had. See the hole in the right wing? And the rest of the wings are a bit shabby and colour bleached.
Here is the moth. An Emperor Gum Moth, one of the largest moths that are around here. Its wingspan is around 150mm. I thought it was a Micro Bat when it flew past me.
This year the Cordyline Rubras flowers were spectacular. I have never seen so many flower spikes. There were lots of bees buzzing around. Can you spot one?
Here is a close up of a flower spike.
On the ferry going to Macleay Island, one of the Morton Bay islands, the ferry was followed by a White-bellied Sea Eagle for a long part of the journey. At one stage it swooped off to the other side of the ferry but didn’t catch anything.
The Curlews are back. I am not sure what they were on but I have not seen such a wide eyed expression.
Here is the photograph first for me. The Pale-headed Rosella. They were having a lovely time in the Grevillea on the property next door to where we stayed on the island.
They have lovely markings don’t they? The red splosh under the tail is eye catching.
Back home, the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters have claimed the sparse flowered Honey Gem Grevillea. The dry weather has reduced the number of flowers of what is usually a shrub laden with flowers. This is what it looked like a while ago
The Yellow-faced Honeyeater are very bossy in the garden at the moment. Taking up vantage points around the garden to chase of anyone who thinks they might get at the flowers. The Eastern Spinebills are the one who seem to be picked on the most.
The Blue-faced Honeyeater has a black chin. I hadn’t noticed how extensive it was before. I have gone through the previous photos and none have shown the honeyeaters chin before.
Hi on the tree, the Eastern Rosella was just hanging out. It seemed to see me with the camera and just posed for quite a while.
Look at me, don’t I look splendid?
After a while it was a case of “See my butt!!” and away it flew.
I love getting photos of Eastern Whipbirds. They never sit still long enough to get good photos. I took this photo as it was just about to take off.
The bird bath is always a place to get some birds. The White-throated Honeyeaters swapped from the small hanging pot to the bigger bird bath.
Although it doesn’t look like the water was to this ones liking. Don’t honeyeaters have long tongues?
I love it at this time of year. There is always someone new in the garden. The little Rose Robins are so cute.
Driving home one afternoon, I spied a Wedged Tailed Eagle feasting on a bit of road kill. Despite getting into my best sneaky mode, the eagle flew into a nearby tree to wait for me to go so it could continue dinner.
Well it’s night time and the moon is beaming down. Goodnight.
I cannot believe how the months are whizzing by!! I have been meaning to bung a bit about what’s been happening for ages. Life gets in the way of good intentions. There have been some interesting things I have found in my blog stats, especially in what people have been searching for, and ending up at my blog, sometimes in one of the blogs way back in the archive. This has sent me looking at the earlier stuff I have posted. I was thinking of doing a “best of” blog with your favourite photos that you have told me you have liked…..but then again I need a bit of time and motivation to do that don’t I?
This small lot of photos have been sitting here waiting for me to write a few words about them. I love this tiny stem of flowers from a Spider Aloe. I didn’t get back in time to see them open so maybe next year?
The weather in May was a few showers here and there, plus some very warm days, so the fungi has been popping up all over. I love the orange wood fungus. It can always be seen adding a splash of colour in the bush or even on a bit of wood near the chooks yard.
Some of the larger fungus are much easier to spot. I love the frills under the cap.
One of the latest birds to appear in the garden are the Rose Robins. This little one was always on the look out for a snack.
Down by the Clarence River in Grafton, we were having lunch when one by one the seagulls appeared.
Later in the afternoon, having a wander about town, a tree suddenly became the place to be if you are a Rainbow Lorikeet looking for a roost for the night.
I can’t resist putting a Golden Whistler in as they are the bird of the month and are everywhere in the garden.
The only bird who has taken to being in the garden are the lovely Eastern Yellow Robins. I love seeing them hop about the garden.
Here is a close up of that young Rose Robin. What a cutie to have around.
The days in May have seen the Moon setting during the day. I love the blue sky behind the Moon instead of the usual inky blackness don’t you?
Now to get started on the photos and stuff for June.
Thanks for stopping by and if you have a favourite photo from the past please let me know so I can include your favourite photo in the favourites blog.
Last weekend my bestie and I went for a walk around my place as well as a bit of a drive to see what we could discover. A walk up the road in the morning was so nice. Listening to the birds in the bush, seeing them fly between the patches of bush and trying to get a photo or two certainly occupied the morning.
The property at the end of the road have dragged the old truck from one property to their front gate. It looked like a painting of a rural scene.
We found a She-oak that I have never seen before along a track. It felt so soft to the touch unlike the She-oaks that are everywhere. It just cascaded to the ground and was much lighter in colour.
There seems to be a lot of air fern growing on dead wood as well as on trees.
As the weather is warming up, lots of insects are on the move, especially the Bull Ants.
It seemed a bit dangerous to get down to photograph this tiny yellow flower with the Bull Ants prowling about the leaf litter.
The birds seemed to like sitting on the dead branches of the trees along the road. This little Robin just sat for a while before hearing a call and swooping away.
The Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike tried to look like the branch it clung onto.
On the drive we came across a couple of Spoonbills sitting on a Bottlebrush. They didn’t seem to care until I got closer, then they the became restless.
Overhead a Whistling Kite rode the air currents at speed. I didn’t think I actually got the photo but ended up with two plus a couple of photos of blue sky.
We went for a walk to the rock pool on my place. On the way, I found a Satin Bowerbird’s bower that was covered in blue items from all around the neighbourhood. There can’t be too many blue pegs left in the neighbourhood as well as bottle tops! I think this bloke has a hoarder issue.
This pool hasn’t dried out, even in the big drys that have happened since I have been living here. This is one of my favourite spots on the place, lovely and cool on hot days. A Yellow-faced Honeyeater came down for a drink while we were having a cup of tea.
Although it pretended to be shy at first.
I saw a flash of red and then a tiny Scarlet Honeyeater dropped in for a drink as well.
Besides Water Striders, the only other thing in the water was a frog. It splashed into the water and was gone. After a while she came out and sat on the ponds edge. I have heard them, but this is the first time I have seen an Eastern Stony Creek Frog.
So the She-oak and a photo of a Spoonbill and the frog were the new discoveries. I wonder what new discoveries I’ll find this weekend. I will take my wildlife camera as well and maybe set it up to see who come to my besties bird bath.
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