Striated Pardalote – bushboys world

This is July 2018

Published on August 3, 2018August 30, 2018 by bushboy32 Comments

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.

Another Winter Visitor

Published on July 26, 2018August 30, 2018 by bushboy4 Comments

The last few weeks has seen a lot of small birds in my garden and in the forest around the house. One little bird, a Striated Pardalote, has hopped onto the verandah most mornings looking for insects among the windows and doors or just on the verandah boards. A lovely colourful visitor who has a hole in a gully wall where it has made a nest. I am yet to find the nest.

striated pardalote_named_home_july 2018

This is May 2018

Published on May 31, 2018June 28, 2018 by bushboy29 Comments

Another wrap up of whats been happening in bushboys world in May. This month has been so dry. Many of the usual birds that are around here in May are absent. The most exciting thing is that I have two new birds that have dropped in on their migration to warmer places.

Some of the photos are from my besties place where it has been raining almost every day. There isn’t a huge amount of photos but I still recommend grabbing a drink suitable for the time of day you are scrolling through This is May 2018.

I think I’ll start with a couple of flowers. I can’t wait for some of the plants which flower in the cooler months to flower.

I love the purple colour

The last hibiscus flower

Just a mud puddle with a bit of the sun and sky

This is the shell of a Frasers Banded Snail. One of the advantages of following scientists on Twitter is that if I can’t ID anything, there is always someone to ask. Bronwen Scott gave me the name of the snail. Bronwen is at Snailseyeview

Another view of the Frasers Banded Snail shell

When the cooler weather arrives, quite often so do some of the marsupial mice from out of the forest looking for somewhere warm to nest. I have a live trap where I can trap, ID and release back into the forest.
This is a view into the trap with a House Mouse, not an Antechinus as I first thought, who has been enjoying a bit of peanut butter. ID help from Dr Dave and Dale Nimmo

Here is the little bloke ready to hop off and find another place to spend Winter other than my pantry

Another new discovery at my besties was this Eastern Stoney Creek Frog. The ID on the frog was also from a Twitter. The wonderful Jodi Rowley

Here’s a bit of orange fungi growing on the side of a tree glowing in the afternoon sun

This fungi was so soft and really did feel like velvet. Also an added bit of Lichen as well as some Moss. Yes it was a wet habitat.

Here is the usual warning for those who have an aversion to spiders. Try to have a peek as the Golden Orb Weaver is a rather beautiful spider.

Lets break in gently with a tiny but lovely web glowing in the morning suns golden glow. Not an Orb Weavers web as this spider is tiny

Here she is, a Golden Orb Weaver looking lovely against the blue Autumn sky.

The markings underneath are so wonderful. She is not quite 75mm long.

This is why she is a Golden Orb Weaver. She is attending to her larder dangling on the golden threads of her rather messy web

A rainy day in Ballina. A Willie Wagtail found a place to try and stay dry during a downpour

Only a few bits of green grass when this photo was taken of a Willie Wagtail hunting for a snack.

The Eastern Spinebills have arrived. A few will hang around over winter as long as the Grevilleas have flowers.

A small flock of Silvereyes have taken up residence as well

Not sure who this Silvereye is yelling at while at he bird bath

On a drive I spotted a group of Ibis resting and preening. Among the group were a couple of Spoonbills having a rest.

It was disturbing to see 4WD wheel tracks on a section of South Ballina Beach which is a no go zone as the birds rest and nest on that part of the beach.
A Sooty Oystercatcher and a Little Tern in the wheel tracks, with some Crested Terns in the background

A Little Tern resting on the beach
Sometimes you have to wait for your turn in the bird bath. A White-throated Treecreeper hangs about waiting for a Lewins Honeyeater to finish his bath.
Ahhh……that’s better. I love how the White-throated Treecreepers sit in the bird bath, the totally opposite to all the other birds.

The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters are on their migration too. Some of the flock will stay here over winter. They are the bullies of the bird bath and chase the other birds away.

The Northern Yellow Robins are always around the forest . This bloke and his family are hanging around my garden

My bestie has sold her place. Here is one of the last photos of Bobbin, the Northern Yellow Robin who lives at her place on the garden chair where he loves to survey the garden for something to eat. Bobbin is such a cutie isn’t he?

An Emerald Dove found a good drinking spot in the garden. A stem of a Bangalow Palm filled with rain water.

Here is the first of the new birds at my place. This is a Striated Pardalote

The other new bird is a tiny Varied Sittella. A small flock dropped in one day for a drink, rest and a bite to eat before continuing on their way north. Another little cute bird.
The butterflies are becoming scarce as the weather gets colder. I have been lucky enough to get some photos of the inside wings as well as the usually more colourful outer wings. This butterfly is a Yellow or Common Albatross showing the inside wings
The outer wings are a lovely yellow with a brown edging.
A Zebra Blue or Plumbago Blue Butterfly. You can see the blue on the inside.
The outer wings have a lovely marbling and striking pattern.