waterhole – bushboys world

Down at the waterhole

Published on April 24, 2022 by bushboy37 Comments

Debbie’s One Word Sunday: Drink

The favourite spot on my place. I haven’t done any work down there for quite a while as after the fire of December 2019 it made me too sad to go down there.

Looking at these photos does bring back happy memories and a bit of motivation to see what work needs to be done.

It is good to share. A White-throated Honeyeater and a Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Just drink, don’t look at your reflection. Those rocks look slippery. A White-throated Honeyeater

A Fuscous Honeyeater sips

A Red-browed Firetail Finch get really into drinking

One month before the fire and a week after

It’s in the elements

Published on February 2, 2022 by bushboy36 Comments

Terri’s Sunday Stills: The Power of the #Elements

Water – “All know that the drop merges into the ocean but few know that the ocean merges into the drop.” Kabir

Air – “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Fire – “Set your life on fire, seek those who fan your flames. ” Rumi

Earth – “To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” Mahatma Gandhi

“A great silent space holds all of nature in its embrace. It also holds you” – Eckhart Tolle

Going for a recharge

Published on May 26, 2021 by bushboy16 Comments

Debbie’s weekly quotation inspired image

“Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind.”
– Seneca

The place I go for a change of pace and a recharge is not far from my home. A wonderful waterhole where I can sit and watch the birds come in for a drink and a bath. Yes this place is about 1km down the bottom of my property. Not much travel but gives me a sense of relaxation and peace

Pick a Word – April 2021

Published on April 23, 2021 by bushboy15 Comments

Lost in Translation’s Pick a Word: April 2021

Paula’s words for us to match an image are –

FURRY

PICTURESQUE

My favourite spot to sit in the mountains near my place

RAPID

It’s hard to capture the beating wings of an Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly as they are rarely still, even when having a drink

SUBTERRANEAN

APOCALYPTIC

My favourite spot on my place after the devastating fires of December 2019. This waterhole never dries and is a haven for birds and animals. A big job to clear the fallen trees. I went there yesterday and the bush around is recovering and there were so many birds but the tangle of trees still remains.

The whole hole or part of a hole whole

Published on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by bushboy35 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Hole or Whole

A bit of fun to start

Oops…almost forgot your song

A rusty hole at the pier

A bullet hole in a road sign

Down at the waterhole

The whole waterhole

Potholes – luckily it’s not my road

The whole mob having a rest in the shade

Looking through the hole of a tie up ring on a ferry

Spying through the hole to see what’s on at the cafe

The whole Moon

The Recovery of Durranbah – New life part one

Published on January 9, 2020January 9, 2020 by bushboy69 Comments

It has been six weeks since the fire devastated my place. Today was the first time I have been able to get about my property and see the extent of the damage the fire has done. I went mainly to check the fences as they are the things that have been severely impacted by fire.

The best thing was that I didn’t find any large animals that had died from the fire. I didn’t go poking around in burnt logs and under things so smaller animals and reptiles may have not survived.

I did find the recovery of plants starting to commence.
new_growth_grass_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020

A Eucalypts lignotuber sends new growth from the ground. I love the red colour.
new_growth_ground_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
A burnt tree sprouts new growth from its trunk.
new_growth_tree_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
Early signs are often red gradually turning green. tree_new_growth_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
This gold bummed ant was very protective of its tree. After a while it actually leapt onto the camera lens ant_tree_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
Other ants were carrying treasures back to the nest ant_ground_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
I did find the Bower Birds burnt bower which was near to my house. the bower_bower bird_blue_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
His blue treasures to impress the females a bit charred and molten.
Some people have asked how did the waterhole fare. The Lomandras in the water course have all started to sprout. new_growth_lomandra_waterhole_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
The rain on Christmas Day filled the waterhole and it still has a good amount of water. I am not too sure about the quality of the water. On the left under the fallen Brush Box tree is the rock I sit on to watch and photograph the birds. On the right hand side that tree has fallen across the track I use to get down to the waterhole. The rocky gully where the water comes into the waterhole has lots of trees over it but the small water hole up there a bit has water as well. The Powerful Owls weren’t around much to my disappointment. waterhole_trees_water_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
This is what the water hole looked like
waterhole_named_home_oct 2018
Dragonflies were flitting around one of the dams near the house.
dragonfly_dam_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
I was pleased to see the White-winged Chough family patrolling through the bush. It looks like they have had a good year as there was around three chicks. I counted eleven birds. Last year when I saw a flock there were seven. Choughs are quite good at enticing other Choughs from other family groups into their family. white-winged choughs_bush_walking_home_jackadgery_jan 2020
I was dismayed to see the big Ironbark tree still on fire. It will be a while until this tree stops burning. It is surrounded by a big burnt area so I am not concerned about it getting out of control. Unfortunately my tracks through the bush have so many trees over them I am unable to get anywhere near it and if I did I have no idea how I would be able to cut through the log to separate the burning bit from the rest of the tree. The tree is at least one meter in diameter. log_burning_ironbark_burnt_fire_home_jackadgery_jan 2020

So when I am next able to get about the property, I’ll write again about the recovery of Durranbah. I probably shouldn’t have walked as far as I did. I hurt my back a few weeks ago and am starting to feel better. I did come back to the house, have a shower, a bit of lunch and then went to bed for a few hours. Still am a bit sore still but the constant showers for the last three hours has been lovely. Not much rain I think but steady soaking rain has made me feel a lot better.

For Cee’s On the Hunt for Joy Challenge – Get Outside

LPM – Photo Adventure – Rural Life

Special Spot

Published on January 5, 2020January 5, 2020 by bushboy27 Comments

The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #78: Special Spot Shots

A special spot on my place is the waterhole.

This was in October 2018 in the middle of this three year drought. This was the lowest water level I had ever seen.

Then in November there was rain on one day which put water into the waterhole
In August 2019 the water level plunged even further leaving a small puddle.

November 2019 another day of rain put a small amount water back into the waterhole

I guess you want to know why this is a special spot?
When the water level is full, which used to be most of the time, life abounds from the moss and vines on the trees
to the birds who rely on the water hole like the White-throated Honeyeaters
Fuscous Honeyeaters
Red-browed Firetail Finches
They come in large numbers and enjoy the water hole together, Fuscous and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters
A Scarlet Honeyeater Keeps an eye on me

I haven’t been down there when any animals have come to drink. My clomping through the bush or the sound of Old Smokey the farm ute alerts them and off they go. I have found fish in the water and there has been signs of Crayfish. The water usually has a variety of insects.

Always a Dragonfly or two flitting about

Water Striders make interesting shadows

Hope you liked a view of the Special Spot on my place

Precious

Published on December 17, 2019 by bushboy4 Comments

The Daily Word Prompt: Precious

One of the places that is precious to me and the other fauna that rely on its existence is the permanent waterhole on my place.

This is October 2019

Published on November 11, 2019 by bushboy20 Comments

Oh my aren’t I tardy with the October wrap up? Lots of things have been happening – see some of the posts over the past week. I shan’t dwell on the most horrible situation I find myself in right now. I guess you have seen all about the fires in Australia, The north coast of NSW is where I live and the fires have been burning since early October.

I can’t really think straight as I haven’t slept well for a while now. Luckily and the end of October to early November my bestie and I had a brief holiday in Tasmania. I hadn’t been before so it was all new. Breathing air that wasn’t smoke laden was a blessing as was cool temperatures and even a bit of rain. That will be a post of its own later when I get around to it.

OK there isn’t all that many photos compared to previous “This is” posts but still grab a snack and a drink of your choice so you can stroll through my world in October.

I haven’t posted many photos of the Red-necked Wallabies that hang around my garden for a while. This little Joey has fun speeding around.

His Mum was keeping watch. Check out those lovely lashes.

I was out on a walk with my bestie and a friend when we came across some Eastern Grey Kangaroos resting in the shade. There was a female, a Joey and a male. When the male stood up we stopped and waited to see what they would do. Thankfully they group hopped over the fence in one bound and into the next paddock. When he stood up to his full height, he was about 2 meters tall. Look at those chest and arm muscles!!
I may be in drought but every evening the frogs start up, not as many as usual. I love these tiny Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs. Here he is again in a previous post that has the call as well.
Meet Bob, one of the funniest fish I have ever seen. He would swim away and then appear from the side of the tank, look at you and swim away. The Seahorse World where he lives is at Beauty Point in Tasmania.
A regular sight around the north coast are Black-shouldered Kites hovering over a field waiting for snack to make a move then drop like a stone.
Here is one some of the European readers will know. The European Goldfinch was introduced into SE Australia and Tasmania in the 1850’s.
A Forest Kingfisher waits patiently on the power lines in the late afternoon for his meal to move in the paddock below.
The little hanging pot bird bath is too small for the King Parrot but its good for drinking. The Hippeastrums will come later.
One very unseasonably hot day, the temperature reached 38C IN SPRING!!! Here is a young King Parrot and a Spangled Drongo discussing the day, “hot enough for ya”
Down at the waterhole on 3rd after a good fall of rain. Lovely to see a bit of water. The last rain since.

Going up into the mountains for a bit of a walk and see new places. The players of the mountains from my favourite spot, the Raspberry Lookout.

Another place near Washpool, (which is now on fire) The smoke is from the fires to the north in early October.
I love finding a leaf that has been skeletised (OK I made up that word according to spellcheck)
The new Spring flush of leaves on a Eucalypt.
The Casuarina and the blue of the distant hills. My bestie reckons it is like a Japanese print.
One of the new crops on the north coast is dryland rice.
Back at the waterhole on my place. The ferns in shelter spots are growing well. This is called a Five Fingered Jack or a Rough Maidenhair Fern.

While in the Gibraltar Ranges in Spring I was hoping to find some native flowers. Here is a Blue Dampiera.

Tiny False Lilac flowers

A Hairy Bush Pea with a Native Stingless Bee

Don’t the little Small Leaved Boronia look ever so sweet.

There were lots of White Paper Daisies along the road sides.

The flowers of a Flapjack Succulent

The first time this plant from my old mate Geoffs place has flowered and I can’t remember what it is

My besties Foxgloves flowered well this year
The start of my Hippeastrums
More have started to bud up
Once the flowers arrive, so do the Native Stingless Bees
Look at the amount of pollen in the flowers. The Native Stingless Bees get coated in pollen
An olden Hibiscus at my besties attracts a bee or is it a wasp?
Casting a fine web, this spider waits underneath for lunch to drop in.
OK all is done. I had to include a photo of our Sun late in the afternoon on a fire day. A mixture of clouds and smoke.

I hope you enjoyed a stroll through my October. Did you have a favourite photo? I love to hear what you think so please drop me a line. I guess I need conversation

also for Su’s Changing Seasons

Reflections at the waterhole

Published on August 29, 2019 by bushboy28 Comments

The August Photo a day Challenge from Maria at CitySonnet for the 29th: Reflections

When life gets you down
head down to the waterhole
A place where life gathers
A place where the day dissolves
Find yourself a rock
even though the water
is diminishing with drought
Sit
wait
listen to the bush
Hear the sounds of life
immerse yourself in life
The bush is never quiet
the buzzing of insects
the crunch of leaves
as animals and lizards
move about
The smell of the dry bush
the sounds of plants dying
dropping leaves and branches
surviving
waiting
The Rains will come
one day.
So for now
sit and reflect
your heart will not
be heavy for long
Cry if you want
let the bush
wash over
Sit and listen on
the rock by the waterhole.
Here they come
finding a place to be
a small puddle
of life
reflecting.

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