The word prompt from the Lens-Artists: Close up
Tiny Stingless Native Bees and a Hippeastrum flower
Now you saw how small the Stingless Native Bees are, here is one on a Bangalow Plalm flower filling its pollen sacs
Even an ant has to have a drink sometime
The beautiful face of a harmless Carpet Snake
One of the biggest flies I have here. Yes they bite.
A lovely Caper White Butterfly enjoying a bit of nectar from a Pentas flower
First of all, thanks to everyone who has been part of my life this year. I have enjoyed sharing my part of this world with you. Your comments and feedback has been quite overwhelming at times. I take photos because I enjoy the results I achieve. I have a basic Canon PowerShot SX60HS which takes great macros, amazing telephotos and does everything I could ask, except focus where I want sometimes. Even then the capture can be a photo that goes into my Arty Ones folder. Some of those are posted in a recent photo challenge – Abstract.
On to December. This month was taken up in part with Becky’s great square format photo challenge #timesquare The featured image is one of the photos from Beckys challenge. Sometime last year I made a suggestion for the challenge which I cannot remember.
I have tried to cut down the number of photos but again it may be a bit of long read, so a drink, perhaps a snack may be in order. All settled back and ready. Join me in looking at This is December 2018
Sunrise is always a good place to start
The wind blew the grass seed heads
One morning, the tiny Line-blue Butterflies were all over the grass area while we were having breakfast. They loved the clover flowers.
A Blue-banded Bee made a morning ritual of visiting the Chinese Lantern flowers. I never was ready to get that photo.
A delicate flowering plant we were told was called Herb Robert. A lovely flower and bud.
A Mistletoe Bird was a visitor for a few days
After the demise of the terracotta bird bath, a tempory replacement was found. A Rainbow Lorikeet looks unsure.
Since the hatching of the Brown Honeyeaters, they have stayed around the garden. This is one of their favourite sitting places in the morning.
Luckily one of the Grevilleas is flowering for them.
I love it when you can see our Moon during the day.
Many people call Dandelions weeds. The flowers add a great splash of colour in the garden.
The Bees love the flowers too. Look at how much pollen has been gathered into the bees pollen sacs.
I think it is wonderful.
A Pumpkin display at the markets. So many varieties to choose from.
This van belongs to one of the market stall holders at The Channon markets. I would love this van.
Now Summer is here and it is hot and dry, the birds have to share the bird bath.
Coming in for a landing
“I made it safely….so what are you looking at?”
The Brown Honeyeaters. An adult and one of the young ones. Always look up to your elders.
This is my bird bath the Magpie Lark (or better known as Pee Wee) is telling everyone.
A spot of grub hunting has paid off.
The Cape Chestnut Tree at The Channon Market was in full bloom.
Now for a couple of native flowers I found at my daughters place. I looked in my books to try and identify so I could tell you their names, but wasn’t successful. I will have to ask an ecologist who said I could send him photos and he would try to tell me their names. Isn’t this one pretty?
Like the above flower, most native flowers are quite small. The one above was about 10 to 15mm from petal tip to petal tip. This little flower is about 5mms
Another tiny flower with an amazing structure
Such a delicate ball of even smaller flowers. Each ball is around 10-15mm in diameter.
The Stingless Native Bees just love the native flowers. The flower seems huge compared to the bee
The start of Summer. The Frangipanni flowers around the garden are stating to emerge.
I love the soft pink and yellow of this Frangipanni flower which has a heavenly fragrance.
The pinks and yellows of this one are much more stronger.
The Pink Frangipanni is stunning.
This Poinciana tree I see on the way home was the best I have seen.
The tiny flowers of one of the Tea Trees I have in my garden is waiting for the bees.
This year, my Agapanthus flowers were the best flowering ever. All through the garden was spots of white and blue
One of the blues.
The tree Begonia decided to have another flowering this December.
I have a number of Datura Erecta plants around the garden. The berries looked lovely one morning. I think they may be poisonous as nothing seem to eat them.
If anyone would, it would be a Fig Bird, seen here keeping an eye on me as I walked about.
The King Parrots are starting to want some food as a couple of people who fed them in the street have since moved on. I give them a small amount of wild bird mix occasionally. Actually I hadn’t been home for a couple of days and this bloke came to the verandah and whistled to get my attention
A migratory visitor to my place are Leaden Flycatchers, This female was scouting the verandah for a snack. Yes a photo taken while I was inside at my desk.
One afternoon as I drove through the front gates, a Forest Kingfisher swooped in front of me and sat in the tree, almost like a welcome home.
The Australian Air force is saying goodbye to the fleet of Orions. One of the planes is going to an Air Museum at Evans Head. It flew into Lismore. This was taken from my besties backyard.
The old swimming pool, which is now a frog pond of sorts, is host to so many water insects and frogs. One of the frog species in the pool is the Perons Tree Frog. I think this may be one just emerging from tadpole to frog.
I am unsure who these beastly looking gang are. Hopefully are dragonflies.
Christmas is always a wonderful time in December. I wasn’t in a Christmas mood this year. My bestie had some decorations at her place. An op-shop angel and some lights looked great.
An Australian Lilli Pilli tree in the corner with some little lights mad the room look bright.
The Full Moon, just before Christmas Day was big and bright.
One of the photo challenges was Abstract – see the opening words – I didn’t include this Moon photo as I thought it was rather special and needed to be in my monthly wrap-up post.
I didn’t have my tripod so just had to have a go hand held. At least one turned out OK lol
Summer arrives and the plants start to thrive so along come the Grasshoppers to have a snack. This one likes Basil….or used to.
Another little Grasshopper from my daughters place. Her garden hasn’t been attacked yet.
The Ponytail Palm has so many flowers, the bees don’t know where to begin. I walked outside and the buzzing was quite loud I looked up and the flower spikes were full of bees.
The Blue-banded bee I couldn’t get in the Chinese Lantern Flower didn’t escape my attention as it buzzed about the Basil flowers.
The Hover Fly loved the garden too
The Palm Trees, the water and the ripples
Late afternoon looking from my besties verandah across the paddocks
The December sun is almost set.
Goodbye December and 2018.
Thanks for being a part of my world. I hope to see you again in 2019.
My last post Time #6 was post number 1,000. I was hoping this one would be number 1,000 but it has taken a lot of time getting it together.
November was where Spring really came to life. Rain in the previous months led to life appearing, flowers brightened, the little native flowers, some only 10mm in diameter sprung up in the paddocks and in the bush. Birds who come to my place over Spring and Summer appeared, in some instances with their chicks.
This is another long post as I couldn’t cut back and also have had a couple of double ups. I have a some things left out as they deserve their own post.
So I recommend getting your drink of choice, perhaps a snack and if you are lucky, someone to bring refills. 😀
I have tried to arrange the photos in some sort of grouping. OK off we go………
Some days saw the storm clouds appear bring some destruction but also welcoming rain
The water plants on the dams are pleased that the water levels are up
The Bromiliads in the garden are sending their flower spikes up.
or just colouring while the flower appears in the watery centre
One of my favourite flowers, the Cats Whiskers flowered after the rain.
Day lilies flowered some with multiple buds
The Dietes, which are all through the garden, showed the borders with their white and purple flowers. If you look on the left side of the flower, you can see a little native bee.
The pink Pentas were planted two years ago and this year the flowers were prolific.
I thought these were the last of the Pandoreas but when I walked past today, more have appeared
I have a miniature Native Frangipanni in a pot at the front of the house. The warm breeze send a delightful scent into the house. The flowers start as white flowers and gradually turn yellow
Also in the garden is quite a big Native Frangipanni. It is constantly flowering through November. You can see the various stages of flowering from the white and yellow buds, white flowers and then the yellow flowers on their way out.
The Gardenias are looking good this year
Had to show the buds too
This Pentas is great for attracting insects
The original red Hibiscus that my Mother bought from her garden when the gardens were first planted many years ago. This was one of my Mums favourites
This is the bush still in the part of the place where gardens and the old house once were
Another Hibiscus that had a good flowering too.
The Grevilleas took a while to flower compared to other gardens around the area.
This Grevillea flower hangs downwards
The second year for the Ivanhoe Grevillea and the first flower
Two Grevilleas in the front garden that always have birds squabbling over the flowers
I love the pastel colours of this Grevillea
The Bottlebrush flowers add splashes of red throughout the garden
The Balsam flowers appear in many places in the garden. The just pop up
A Bottlebrush just starting to flower
One of my favourite small trees is Jacksonia. They add touches of yellow through the bush
Another small tree in an old part of the garden. The last few years it has taken to flower for months
A large tree in the garden, a Silky Oak, which is also one of the biggest Grevilleas
The Eucalypts are flowering following a prolonged dry spell. Some are flowering now and I haven’t seen them flower at this time of year before
A ground cover flower that I thought had gone but has reappeared. I had an orange version as well. I wonder if that one will come back?
The Duranta flowers are another flower with soft pastel colours
I planted this native in a rockery. The Red-necked Wallabies love it. The constant trimming looks like a benefit as it is covered with flowers this November
The flowers appear on soft stalks and the spots seem to darken too
The Hippeastrums looked wonderful this November. The wheelbarrow gardens looked a treat. There is a post about them earlier this month
The red Hippeastrums seemed very red this year
A tiny native flower about 10mm in diameter
You can see how small this native flower is by the grass and size of the leaves
I love clover flowers
A Calathea I have in a pot flowered this year with tiny flowers with delicate colour
This Native flower is called a Smooth Parrot Pea
Even the patch of Spider Plants flowered
With the flowers growing well the flower sellers at the market were selling bunches and most market days, sold out before the end.
Saw this car and just had to get a photo. It is a ute as well as a tad rusty
The clouds one day were quite spectacular
What a tiny Grasshopper on the Brunsfelsia flower
The Caper White Butterflies are migrating. This one is the first to arrive at my place
The Stingfless native Bees are loving collecting pollen from the orange Hippeastrum
A Crab Spider showed me his scary end when I disturbed its rest. Not a very big spider either
Meet Gus, my axolotl. He is always happy looking
A Noisy Friarbird snacking on a Honey Gem Grevillea
Noisy Friarbirds always have something to say
A female Figbird contemplates her next meal
Always singing around the house and in the forest, a Grey_shrike Thrush was looking through the window
Aren’t the Masked Lapwings strange looking. They are also called Plovers
but their eggs are quite pretty. They lay their eggs anywhere. These were on a walkway to the beach.
Peaceful Doves are always around the house
Royal Spoonbills were another of my quests to photograph
The ferry cable is as good as anywhere to hang out to dry
On a visit to a small degraded wetland I was amazed to see the amount of birds there. The flock of Hardhead Ducks was rather large
On another wetland, where the Royal Spoonbills were, some Pink-eared Ducks also were paddling around
Eurasian Coots paddled about looking for food
I was surprised to see a Crested Tern so far from the coast. A Purple Swamp Hen strode around the edge of the water
Aren’t Australasian Grebe chicks cute
A pacific Black Duck was closely followed by a young one
When you go calling on your girlfriend always take flowers
The Superb Fairy Wrens hopped around us at the lookout
Well the sun is going down so it’s time for me to go. Thanks for hanging around with me. I hope you enjoyed my November
The photo challenge #22 from Ann-Christine at the Lens-Artists: Happiness is…
So many things to explore with happiness is.
Among other things, I get great pleasure from nature. Happiness is sitting down and watching the world drift past, from the big to the small. Hope this post can bring a bit of happiness into your day.
A Blue-banded Bee scrunching into a Blue Ginger flower always makes me smile
Stingless native Bees whizzing about with full pollen sacs are a joy
A Blue-banded Bee getting a look at me too
Finally finding a Blue Triangle Butterfly was a happy moment
Having the Caper White Butterflies come into my garden on their migration is lovely
The Black Jezabel is usually high in the canopy and when they come down for a visit I smile
Orchard Swallowtails are large butterflies who make the garden their home
Figbirds song is always a welcome sound around the garden
A cacophony of sound and colour means the Rainbow Lorikeets are here
Even a female Satin Bowerbird snacking on a bunch of bananas is something special
A Whipbird calling in the forest is a sound of delight
Having birds nest and raise their young close to the house is happiness
Or a Hornet building her nest on the wall is nice
Finding a spiders web in the morning with the dew shining like gems makes me happy
as is finding an Hyacinth Orchid for the first time in the forest around the house – elation
I hope you enjoyed my Happiness is…….
Kate’s word prompt for Friday Foto Fun: Little Things
Wonderful little Australian native flowers found in the bush around my place
A tiny Crab Spider in a Torch Ginger
Little fungi that pop up after the rain
A Stingless Native Bee collecting pollen from a Bangalow Palm flower
An other Stingless Native Bee and a Lilli Pilli flower
A Scarlet Honeyeater, the smallest of all the Australian Honeyeaters
A little world of moss and fungi
The header photo: Line-blue butterfly
The word prompt for the photo challenge from Leanne Cole: Flowers
The Brunsfelsia are flowering and this little grasshopper is enjoying the sun
I could go on and on with Grevillea flowers but here is just a couple. A new planting from a few years ago has a lovely pink flower.
A standard Grevillea, Robin Gordon, is one the birds love.
The Hippeastrums are in flower and are a delight of colour scattered about the garden.
One of the old wheelbarrow Hippeastrum gardens
The Stingless Native Bees love gathering the pollen from the Hippeastrums 
In a pot at the front verandah, a Native Frangipanni’s scent drifts into the house. The flowers start as white and as the get older become yellow.
My tenth photo for Becky’s square photo challenge: In the Pink
The Stingless Native Bees love the pink Crocus in my garden
If you want to join in here are a few ideas from Becky.
The theme for squares this month is ‘In the Pink‘ and the one rule as always is that your main photograph must be square. After that the world is your oyster, or should I say flamingo?! To help you get started here are some ideas you might want to consider;
Squares is a daily challenge, so your photographs can be from the archives or brand new. Don’t forget though to keep your photo square, and to pingback with #InthePink.
The word prompt from Amy at the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge: Everyday Moments
My everyday moments often involve just things that happen around my place. This is something that happens everyday here. The last photos are the main point of the everyday moment. The first ones are to set the scene.
The succulent spear has started to grow taller with an orange tinge.
Once the flower develops, the buds open up and the flowers turn orange.
This is the everyday moment at my place. The tiny Stingless Native Bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) come to collect the orange pollen in their pollen pouches. These bees are 4mm in size.
You can just see the pollen on their legs. Such a out of focus photo sorry and today is quite windy so they aren’t about at the moment to get a better photo for you.
Another Stingless Native Bee has gotten the message and flies in to join the others from the hive.
The word prompt from Debbie at Twenty-four: Small
It is good to see that people are taking up Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge while she is on vacation. Thank you all.
A tiny Soft-shelled Snail
Whats smaller than ants
A lovely Line-blue Butterfly, about 15mm in size
Hidden in the folds of a flower, a small Crab Spider waits for something smaller to drop by for a snack
Stingless Native Bees having a feast on a Crocus flower
I love finding small fungi on my place
A flower which is a big 10mm in diameter
Baby birds are cute especially in a small nest
The smallest Honeyeater, a Scarlet Honeyeater
Creative Exploration in Words and Pictures
Dil se Dil tak...
To participate in the Ragtag Daily Prompt, create a Pingback to your post, or copy and paste the link to your post into the comments. And while you’re there, why not check out some of the other posts too!
Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Short Stories
Mostly photographs with some words by this arty scientist...
Rural doctor, mom, writes poems, dance, sing.
Writing about Lifestyle, Travel and Traditional Art
Your second chance to be creative. .
Life’s ups and downs, a personal journey.
Aroused by Arête
Suffering from limited internet access? Low data limits for high cost? Slow speeds? Data used up suddenly? Join BIRRR's action group!
Framing Life
Making the most of The South African LIfestyle
quirks, quips & photo clicks
Art and Practice
Images brought to you by Bren and Ashley Ryan
Fun, Fitness & Photography
To See a World in a Grain of Sand...
photography, poetry
