Terri’s Sunday Stills: #Calm Before the Storm
You can just make out the horses and cows who have moved into the old dairy as a storm approaches 
The storm clouds are building over my home
The afternoon is calm
Tag: storm
This is November 2018
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. đŸ˜€
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
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Rain
The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Rain
Rain in the bush
Rain in town
Rain in the city
Rain at the beach
Without the rain, we wouldn’t have rainbows
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Clouds
The word prompt from Leanne is Clouds
Some clouds have a familiar shape….Africa perhaps
Some clouds have a random shape within the clouds
Some clouds can give our Moon a face
Some clouds herald a storm approaching
Some clouds just streak across the sky
Some clouds colour the sunset with wondrous patterns
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This is June 2018
Welcome to my world in June. Not an abundance of photos this time but I do recommend getting comfortable. June was the month where my bestie sold her 103 year old farmhouse in a Rain-forest, where a lot of bird bath and bird photos came from, and moved into her new place which is similar to my climate. It is a newish house but has a bird bath and a great bird attracting garden. So far we have identified 38 birds, some are in this post. As you can see I have been a bit busy helping move house.
The house is still in a rural setting.
This is my first attempt at photographing Dandelion seed heads.
One afternoon the sky became fierce looking. Quite an angry face looking out isn’t it?
The early morning at my place walking through the Blady Grass. It was very dry in the previous months. Green shoots struggled to grow among the dry brown grass.
This native plant is growing in the middle of a paddock. The Autumn saw the stalk covered in white flowers. I hope the seeds have spread and not harvested by ants.
June is the month for the Lismore, a town nearby, Lantern Parade. I didn’t get many good parade photos. There were a number of Orchid lanterns hanging in the trees in the park where the show and fireworks took place.
The fireworks were quite spectacular.
While my bestie was moving house, I was given some, OK a lot, of plants to look after. The Kalenchoe loved being in my sun room and has put on a wonderful display of flowers.
Winter has also brought some other visitors into the house. I usually have native rodents come into the warmth. I have a trap to catch them and then they get taken back into the bush. This time I have had a House Mouse or two in the pantry. This little fat one, I suspect to be a pregnant female, was relocated up the road.
This is the big section of birds for the month of June
The little Silvereyes have really taken to the hanging pot bird bath and drinking place.
The other bigger birds prefer to use this bird bath. A female or juvenile Satin Bowerbird was chatting to someone nearby.
A Yellow-faced Honeyeater takes a drink.
A Yellow-faced Honeyeater at my besties has claimed this branch of a tree.
There has been quite a number of Yellow-rumped Thornbills around my garden
A very cute looking Jackie Winter enjoyed the morning sun on the fence.
While we were walking along a road, we came across a small flock of Variegated Fairy Wrens darting in the grass beside the road. A young one made an appearance on a nearby tree. 
Of course I couldn’t let a post go past without my favourite, an Eastern Yellow Robin. Sadly we had to leave Bobbin behind so maybe this one at my place will be the the new substitute. I haven’t found the right name yet. Any suggestions?
One afternoon a small flock of Red-browed Firetails came looking for grass seeds in the front garden.
A young Lewins Honeyeater found a great lookout atop a red flowering Eucalypt.
The Rainbow Lorikeets came for the Eucalypt flowers too.
A Rufous Whistler singing an early morning song
It was lovely to have a welcome to the new place with a number of Welcome Swallows who zoom around the verandahs and sit on the fence to do their laundry.
Another bloke who likes to sit on the fence to survey the lawn for insects is the Restless Flycatcher. They make the most amazing sound. I tried to make a video but it wasn’t the best sound quality.
An Eastern Rosella wanted to see what we were doing in the new garden.
At my place, a number of Noisy Miners were carrying on. They didn’t like the Kookaburra being too close to their nests.
I thought it was going to be a cold night after finding a Kookaburra family cosying up for the night in the late evening.
A Pacific Black Duck showing a flash of turquoise as it paddled on the creek.
A young Straw-necked Ibis didn’t want me to take its photo as it strolled in a nearby paddock.
This bloke didn’t seem to mind though.
The Sacred Ibis look wonderful as they wheel about in the sky
A Common Tern was fishing down by the estuary. Gliding along and then suddemly plumetting into the water. I didn’t see it catch a fish though.
The Moon and a plane.
Well the sun is almost setting. Thanks for joining me in This is June
Hope to see you next month
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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Rain or Rainbows
The rain on the window from the 75th floor overlooking Sydney Harbour
A close look at the rain on the window
What could be more rainbow than a bird bath of Rainbow Lorikeets?
Looking at you
Or a tree with Rainbow Bee Eaters
Or just a double rainbow
This is a bit more dramatic from my bushboy YouTube channel
More great rain inspired photos at Cees
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This is December
This is just the one big photo blog. I hope you have time to scroll through. It started rather small at the start of December and just seemed to grow as stuff happened. I have included some of the skies that may have been in Beckys Square Sky photo challenge or missed out. I really enjoyed Beckys #SquareSky challenge. Perhaps you may need a pot of tea to get to the end!
Lets go. I love skinks and how they just move about on brick walls.
Come Summer and the Dragonflies are flitting about the garden.
I couldn’t find this Dragonfly at first when it disappeared into the garden.
Summer in Australia with the deafening cacophony of cicadas. When the tree you were in many years ago has gone, make do with anything to get out of your shell.
Brown Ringlets have wonderful “eyes” on their wings.
I was visited by an Assassin Bug who did a bit of fluff cleaning for me.
Mud Daubers make wonderful clay pots to raise their young. They lay an egg in the clay pot, they go about gathering spiders which they comatose for the grub to eat when it hatches.
I have been watching this one build a cone shape on the architrave of the office door.
Some mornings the chicken wire fence has lots of spider webs in the mesh.
What a fabulous green the grasshopper has which contrasts with the yellow of the Deities flower.
I love the Line Blue Butterflys antennae
The Bromiliad flower with a bonus spider shell.
The Stingless Native Bees loved the Day Lily flower.
After the rain, the Crocus flowered much to the delight of the Stingless Native Bees
They certainly have a laconic way of flying don’y they?
The red Dahlia is one of my favourite flowers.
The Tree Begonias supplied a splash of red in the garden too.
It was a great year for the Agapanthus flowers.
A tiny native flower with a fluffy centre.
Another lovely flower I was given from my friend Geoff.
A very pretty Rose in a friends garden.
I think this flower is an Egg and Bacon plant flower.
The Hibiscus flowers welcomed the rain in December.
A field of Daisys on the side of the road.
The Curry Bush had a great flowering last year as well
The storm season arrived a bit late last year but when it came, it was spectacular.
This sky was incredible
And again
I love capturing the suns rays.
The palm leaf had shiny spots of water which glistened in the sunlight.
People must have thought I was mad walking around trying to get the sun in the right spot.
This sunset was amazing. The colours changed every minute.
It’s hard getting a sunrise photo when you live in a forest.
The Spangled Drongo was wondering what I was doing interrupting bath time.
It isn’t often I see a Peaceful Dove at the bird bath.
When White Ibis flocks glide overhead it is just magnificent.
A female Figbird or a young Figbird just getting his red mask.
One day he will look like his dad.
Check out the pants on the Channel-bill Cuckoo
They have a very serious looking bill don’t they?
Rainbow Lorikeets are quite raucous as they nibble about on the Lemon Scented Tea Tree.
I am so glad the Forest Kingfisher has returned this Summer to forage around the house.
An activities box outside of a Cafe in Toowoomba.
The Moon was just wonderful with the coloured rings on a cloudy night.
If pupils were white it could look like an eye.
Some people have said this photo has a Japanese feel about it. What do you think?
Thanks for dropping by
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Sky #22
Beckys photo challenge: Square Sky
Here is my sky number twenty two in the daily photo challenge for December
Again, this afternoon the clouds built and the storm approached. Unlike yesterday, I had some much needed rain. I hope to go to sleep with the sound of rain on my tin roof, water gurgling in the downpipes filling my water tanks and frogs happily croaking away.
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Travel Theme: Storm
It’s storm season here. From a very dry Winter to many storms and thankfully rain to soak a parched earth. My garden is very happy now, so are the weeds in the paddocks and surrounding bush.
Here are a few storm photos gathered from around the area where I live.
I find nothing more exhilarating than a storm at night. Fascinating and scary at the same time
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Stuff I saw last weekend
So much happened last weekend. Most of the things I found were during a drive to Murwillumbah plus bits and pieces around my besties place. There were things made of plastic, flowers, big things, small things and of course some birds.
Lets begin with the first thing we saw on the road to Murwillumbah. Cruising through Mooball we just had to stop at the Moo Moo Cafe as the biggest motorbike I have ever seen was “parked” outside. As a bloke who loves his MotoGP and road racing since the days of the Yamaha TZ750’s, this one was worth a quick stop.
Of course, the first stop was for coffee. This time we went to a cafe I hadn’t been to before. The inside was rather funky and we sat up the back so we could people watch and take in the feel of the place. I liked the lights.
One wall had some wacky art works and the biggest paella pan I have ever seen.
Of course the Op-shops had to be explored. I found one of my favourites, an elephant. It was made of plastic but at $45 it stayed in the shop.
So did the rocker. I think it was a deer?
The Garden around the Civic Centre was bursting with flowers. The Lilli Pillis were lovely.
I think this is a Lilli Pilli too but not sure.
Hanging around the garden was this little Water Dragon. He just ran every time I came near but stopped for a minute for me to get this shot before scurrying off again.
On the way to the Art Gallery is a Kapok tree whose seed pods were bursting open.
The Tweed Art Gallery is always a stop off when there are new exhibits. Only one really took my imagination. The art of Philip Wolfhagen was the best and well worth a visit. I just love the Margaret Olley Art Centre as I always find something that I hadn’t seen before. This time I found a chook. Okay, it may not be a chook but I want to think it is.
Looking out of the window we saw a storm heading over the range and over Mt Warning. They are always spectacular and dramatic looking.
That night the Huntsman came out from behind the cupboard to check out what we were doing.
The next day the overnight rain had refreshed the garden and it seemed that there were flowers everywhere. The scent in the air was from the Jasmin growing on the old fence around the garden.
And from the Wisteria growing on the arbour.
A splash of yellow caught my eye. It was a Day Lily all by itself standing tall.
The Azalias were full of blossoms.
The red of these tiny flowers provided a contrast in the garden.
There are Pansy’s everywhere, but these small ones looked a treat as they spilled over the edge of the garden.
I disturbed a small spider who had folded the petals of a Gazania. He was gone in a flash, probably in case I thought he was a snack.
High in the sky a couple of Kites wheeled about.
They didn’t come down very close unfortunately.
Walking around not caring about much, an Emerald Dove just walked down the track.
While a Galah sat on the powerline looking rather fluffy.
Among the bushes, a Brush Wattlebird was calling.
The Wonga Pigeon didn’t seem to mind the rasping call and sat around watching what was going on.
Late in the afternoon, it looked as if the wattlebird had its pants on fire.
The next morning back at home, the Satin Bowerbird was getting into the Honey Gem before the Blue-faced Honeyeaters or Friarbirds were awake. This bloke did look rather serious didn’t he?
Well, like the Brush Turkey, I’d better run.
