Life in Colour challenge June: White or Silver
This week I have a bit of silver for you
A little Silvereye to start the gallery of silver
Tea anyone and a bit more
Tag: silvereye
Harmony in the bath
Kates Friday Fun: Harmony
Enjoy a bit of Harmony as you have a look at the selection of birds in the bird baths over the years. Click on any photo to enlarge if it takes your fantasy.
Share this:
The Pink Bloodwood Tree
I was intending to write about some of the trees on my place this year. Waiting for trees to flower, produce gum nuts and being there when they do, has been a failure on my part. I put some Pink Bloodwood nuts, which I photographed a while ago, in a post and a few people were interested about the nuts and the trees. Here is the gum nut photo I posted of the urn shaped nut which are10 – 20mm in length and 8 – 16mm wide.
Here is one of the many Pink Bloodwood trees, Corymbia intermedia, which grows on my property. This one is just down the hill from my house. Pink Bloodwood trees can reach 20–30 m (65–100 ft) in height with a 10–20 m (35–65 ft) spread. The scent from the blossoms is quite strong when the Bloodwood trees flower between December and March.
As you can see, Pink Bloodwood trees have a distinctive bark when compared to the other trees in the bush behind.
Why are the called Bloodwood trees did you say? When there is a change in weather or damage to the bark or growth of the tree, particularly when the tree is flowering, they exude sap which can look similar to blood.
This sap is a food source for Gliders, Squirrel Gliders, Yellow-bellied Gliders and the Gliders I know I have here, Sugar Gliders and Feather Tail Gliders. Gliders have been seen by researchers biting and chewing the bark to get the sap to run out and licking the sap. I am sure other possums, insects and animals would enjoy the sap as well.
The sap running down the tree can resemble globules of blood. The sap hardens in the sun and sticks to the bark. The First Nations people of Australia are said to have used the sap to treat wounds, burns and sores.
I have not seen the sap do this before. A series of strings clinging to the bark was a fascinating find.
The flowers have a distinct habit where the flowers are in bunches of seven on the end of the branchlet. The flowers are 20mm in diameter and mainly occur on the top and higher branches of the tree.
Often the bees can be heard buzzing away attracted by the flowers scent as are many of the Honeyeaters. The Blue-faced Honeyeaters came in numbers to feast on the flowers nectar.
Then, almost just like that, the flowers die leaving the fruits behind which have closed valves encasing the seeds which open after a short while to spread and drop to the forest floor.
This is not before seed eating birds come to eat the seeds from the nuts in the tree like this Silvereye.
Then the gum nuts fall to the forest floor and you can now go back to the start of the post where this story began.
Share this:
Little legs
Olive
The word prompt from CitySonnet: Olive
There are a few birds that come around my place that have lovely olive coloured feathers. The featured bird is a Figbird.
This one is actually an Olive-backed Oriel
The little White-throated Honeyeaters
Blue-faced Honeyeater
A Silvereye
Share this:
It’s the threes
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: 3 items or the number 3
The Pelicans
The Pelican and friends
At the bird bath series of threes
Silvereyes and a Red-browed Firetail Finch
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters drop in
Red-browed Firetail Finches have their turn
The Scarlet Honeyeater watched as the Silvereyes had a drink
Share this:
Gentle
The word prompt from Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Gentle
The flower unfolds
revealing
showing
waiting.
A bird lands
gentle
feeding
nourished.
Share this:
A Few Birds
Joining in with Kate and here theme: Birds
This particular post is in memorium to the terracotta bird bath that has given so much pleasure over the years. Over the weekend, possibly during a wild storm on Saturday, the terracotta bird bath plummeted to the ground and breaking into many many pieces. The bird bath had survived other falls but not this time unfortunately.
Share this:
Wordless Wednesday – September 19, 2018
Share this:
August at the Bird Bath
There has been lots of activity at the bird bath. August was very dry so the water in the bird baths at home had to be replenished often. I have three bird baths around my house. This is what has been happening at just one.
This is the view I have of the bird bath from my verandah so it makes it easier to get a few photos. The birds still notice me and often fly off.
The King Parrots are easy to spot when they visit the bird bath.
When competing families arrive at the same time, a bit of arguing takes place.
Notice the look on the Yellow-faced Honeyeater on the left. They are the guardians of the bird bath and swoop in to scare other birds away. The Lewins Honeyeater was rather nonplussed at the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters presence.
The Silvereyes quite often arrive on mass
Looks like the White-throated Honeyeater is surrounded. One Yellow-faced Honeyeater has been in for a bath, no longer looking sleek.
I only just caught a Buff-rumped Thornbill who flew off before I could get set for another photo.
The Eastern Yellow Robin didn’t look pleased to have a post bath photo taken.
A typical stance of a Yellow-faced Honeyeater. The Eastern Yellow Robin didn’t care much while a White-throated Treecreeper waits his turn.
A Grey Fantail gets ready to get into the bird bath.
As usual, a White-throated Honeyeater waits out of sight when a gang of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters arrive at the bird bath.
I love the way the Treecreepers sit on the edge of the bird bath. He seems taken a back at the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters attitude.
Peace at last and time for a bath. Look at those feet, made for scaling vertical surfaces.
The White-throated Honeyeaters often arrive in numbers too.
How embarrassing seeing me like this the Eastern Yellow Robins seems to say as a flock of Silvereyes arrive.
A Scarlet Honeyeater watches on as the Silvereyes take a drink
The Red-browed Firetail Finch and Silvereye discuss their day while hanging around the bird bath.
The Eastern Spinebill was not sure about having a Yellow-faced Honeyeater at the bird bath.
The Noisy Friarbird isn’t the most handsome visitor to the bird bath
Pied Currawongs drop in from time to time. They have a disgusting habit of vomiting food pellets into the water before drinking necessitating in water changes.
The Female or Juvenile Satin Bowerbird love the bird bath.
They make a huge splash when the plop into the water.
The Male Satin Bowerbird is wonderful. The camera doesn’t quite catch the sheen and colour shifts from black to blue
The Rainbow Lorikeets are the most colourful visitors to the bird bath.
I hoped you enjoyed your visit to the bird bath. Did you have a favourite bird at the bird bath?
