This is August

I do seem to have a lot of favourite photos from August. I have done quite a hard cull. I hope you are able to get through all of this blog. It was a busier than usual month. The rain hasn’t come and the place is dry now. It is a pity the dam I use for around the garden leaked as it was full in Autumn and that would normally have seen me through Winter until the Spring storms arrive.  Being so dry the number of birds are reduced but I have maintained the water points around the garden for the birds and animals. I almost feel like a bad parent, selecting the plants to water and hoping the others will hang in there until I start the pump and give the garden a good soaking.

Enough of the sob story and let’s get started with the things I found in August.

I just love the colour of this leaf.
leaf_named_home_august 2017

Late one afternoon while I was searching for a new log to cut firewood, I went down to the water hole. This water hole has never dried even in some of the severe droughts in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Camera settings 1/320 F6.5 ISO 800
pool_afternoon_named_home_august 2017

Driving about the property, mainly gathering firewood and pulling lantana out, I often come across a family of White-winged Choughs as they patrol the bush, walking about looking under leaves and bark for insects. It was good to see that this family group has grown from five to seven.
white winged chough_named_home_august 2017

The wily Currawong was sitting in the Bottlebrush waiting for an unsuspecting small Honeyeater to drop in for a meal.
currawong_named_home_august 2017

At the small paddock dam, in reality a wetland now, the Peaceful Dove was walking down the slope heading for a drink.
peaceful dove_named_home_august 2017

In one of the water points I have placed a stick so if a bird falls into the old drum, they have something to grab onto and get out. The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters like sitting on the stick after having a drink or plopping in the water for a bath.
yellow faced honeyeaters_named_home_august 2017

The main sounds that were echoing through the bush in August were the calls of the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. They loved feasting on the Bottlebrushes.
brown honeyeater_named_home_august 2017

The Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike was surveying the scene at Modenville.
black faced cuckoo shrike_named_modanville_august 2017

One morning the Bowerbird was eating the grass for breakfast. It had quite a number of beak-fulls before it flew off.
satin bower bird female_named_home_august 2017

The Bowerbird looked stunning in the afternoon light.
satin bower bird_female_named_home_august 2017

I love having King Parrots around. Their whistle resounds through the bush.
king parrot01_named_home_august 2017

A Restless Flycatcher dropped in for an afternoon.
restless flycatcher_named_home_august 2017

The Superb Fairy Wrens were bustling about the garden at Modenville hardly sitting long enough for a photo.
superb fairy wren_named_modanville_august 2017

The little Variegated Fairy Wren was very busy with his flock of females as they explored the garden at Binna Burra.
variegated fairy wren_named_binna burra_august 2017

I wondered what had happened to my beautiful blooms on my Cyclamen and then I saw the culprit. It is almost like the caterpillar has a straw in its mouth.
caterpillar_cyclamen_named_home_august 2017

I found this tiny “house” that an insect has constructed on the bark of a block of firewood I had cut. I have bought it home and hope to see what come out of this beautifully constructed nest.
insect nest_named_home_august 2017

I found this beetle marching with purpose along a log.beetle_orange black_named_home_august 2017

The Common Jezebals have been flying about the bush and garden for a few weeks. When they fly they have an intense stroboscopic pattern flashing of black and white. When the wings are flat you can see the predominately white side of the wings.
common jezabel_close_named_home_august 2017

I love it when there is an unexpected spider on a flower or seed head as well as small grasshoppers and ants. The seed head is about the size of a 20 cent piece.
grass flower spike_spider_named_home_august 2017

This is the rest of the spike
grass flower spike_named_home_august 2017

There is a lot of native flowers popping up this August. It was unseasonably very warm. A lovely circle of yellow flowers about the size of a 10 cent piece.
native flower_yellow_named_home_august 2017

I called this flower a Buttercup but it’s probably not. The leaves are similar to Oxalis.
native flower_yellow_buttercup_named_home_august 2017

Look how hairy the leaves are and the flower has a lovely reddish brown centre.
native flower_yellow hairy leaves_named_home_august 2017

The Egg and Bacon plant is growing on the top of the dam wall. The flowers are beautiful and yes the leaves are spiky. A great place for small birds to escape into.
egg and bacon flower_named_home_august 2017

I call this vine a Native Wisteria. It is also called False Sarsaparilla and a few other names. It looks lovely when the vine entwines with a wattle threading purple among the wattle flowers.
native wisteria01_named_home_august 2017

Scattered throughout the bush these little star shaped flowers are easy to miss as they are about ten millimeters across.
native flower_purple_named_home_august 2017

The Bottlebrush flower is photo-bombed by a Stingless Native Bee.
grevillea_red_bee_named_home_august 2017

This Grevillea flower is called Lemon Daze.
grevillea_yellow daze_named_home_august 2017

Isn’t the inside of this flower interesting?
flower_pink_named_binna burra_august 2017

Love the colour of these flowers.
pink flower_named_binna burra_august 2017

Pansys. Who doesn’t love smiling Pansy faces. The colours are spectacular.
pansey_yellow_named_binna burra_august 2017

The camera can’t catch the deep purple of these Pansys
pansey purple_named_binna burra_august 2017

One August afternoon the sunset was spectacular.
sunset01_named_binna burra_august 2017

I love the effect of the hills and trees on the horizon.
sunset_close_named_binna burra_august 2017

One of my Canon Powershot camera setting is called “Creative”. It takes a number of photos with different setting. This one made the sun look explosive.
sunset_changed_named_binna burra_august 2017

Looks like the sun has set so goodbye and thanks for stopping by.