Round and blue and something deadly

January Colours and Letters Photo a Day Challenge – 20th: Starts with the letter Q

The round and blue part

Here is a few fruits of a Quandong tree also known as Blue Figs,

And now for the deadly part.

When I had chooks a few years ago, it was devastating to find dead birds after a Spotted-tailed Quoll paid a nocturnal visit. Notoriously hard to catch, I set the trap with a dead chook previously killed and I managed to trap it. I released the Quoll in the Gibraltar Range National Park in the morning. Once I opened the cage it was gone in milliseconds before I could get a photo of the Quoll not in the trap.

Fifth

The word prompt for Terri’s Sunday Stills: Fifth

The fifth of five
a son
nine months before
I went to
a party
with Dad
I came home
with Mum
Always the baby
the spoilt baby
two brothers have gone
two sisters remain
I am
the fifth of five

 

me_K1-1959

 

Birds Around My Neighbourhood

Two photo challenges caught my eye today.

Lens-artists: Around the Neighbourhood

Jenns: Feathered Friends

Come for a quick walk around my neighbourhood. There is my dead end gravel road which is about three kilometers long which has an intersection with another gravel road which is paved about sixteen kilometers from my place. It goes from the highway to a long way away, perhaps fifty kilometers.

Lets get going.

The Noisy Friarbird will often let others know we are about
noisy friarbird_tree_named_home_nov 2018
Listen for a chip chip and look at the tree trunks to see a White-throated Treecreeper scouring the bark for an insect or twowhite throated treecreeper_named_home_oct 2018

The lovely face of a Blue-faced Honeyeater
blue faced honeyeater_honey gem_grevillea_named_home_oct 2018

You might hear the wings of the Eastern Spinebill before you see one zoom past
eastern spinebill_grevillea_named_home_july 2018

The Pied Butcherbirds song will fill the forest as we walk along
pied butcher bird05_chain saw_named_home_july 2018

We may see a Jackie Winter sitting on a fence
jackie winter_named_home_june 2018
Lovely little Eastern Yellow Robins will be chip chip chipping seemingly endlesslynorthern yellow robin_named_home_june 2018

Of course the familiar sounds of Kookaburras will resound around the bush
kookaburra_named_home_oct 2017

Small Brown Honeyeaters will be silently having a snack on a Bottlebrush
brown honeyeater_named_home_august 2017

A flash of colour and a Spotted Pardelote will fly by
spotted pardalote_named_home_june 2017
A Forest Kingfisher, a sudden flash like a blue jewel, as he flies through the bushforest kingfisher_close_named_home_march 2017

The unmistakable squawking of Rainbow Lorikeets as they argue about whose branch it is will get your attention
rainbow-lorikeets_named_home_dec-2016

The beautiful song of a Rufous Whistler will kep you spell bound for ages
rufous-whistler_named_home_dec-2016

A whistle, a flash of red, the smallest honeyeater is unmistakable in the bush
scarlet-honeyeater_singing_named_home_nov-2016

High in the tree, the resident Square-tailed Kite will keep an eye on you
square-tailed-kite01_nest_named_home_nov-2016

While overhead it’s mate will soarsquare-tailed-kite_flying_named_home_sept-2016
Up the road a bit, some Crimson Rosellas have a snack on the horses feedcrimson-rosellas_named_home_sept-2016

What’s that chatter chatter chatter? I hear you say. The Grey-crowned Babblers walk about the forest floor snacking on unsuspecting insects talking about their day
grey-crowned-babbler_named_home_aug-2016

More jewels in the sky as the Rainbow Bee-eaters gather
rainbow-bee-eaters01_named_home_aug-2016

Another remarkable song and bright yellow of the Golden Whistler will make you stop and listen
golden whistler01_named_home_may 2015

Musk Lorikeets can be seen as they feast on the nectar of Pink Euodias
musk lorikeet02_named_home_feb 2015
The largest bird of prey, a Wedged-tailed Eagle on the lookout for an unsuspecting wallaby or animal, will sit silent until we get to closewedged tailed eagle01_named_home_feb 2015

A bit more whistling heralds that we are near some King Parrots
king parrot_home_crop_named_dec 2013
A strange metallic sound draws our attention to the iridescent and distinctive tail shape of the wonderfully named Spangled Drongo spangled drongo_home_named_oct 2014

A Satin Bowerbird who is similarly coloured to a Drongo will be in the bush sometimes finding food
satin bowerbird_male_home_named_june 2016
or finding sticks or blue stuff to decorate and construct his Bowerthe-bower_named_home_feb-2017

Thanks for dropping by and having a bit of a walk around my neighbourhood. I hope you had a good time.

Balance: Sculptures by the Sea

The word prompt from Jenn at Traveling At Wits End: Balance

I try to go to a wonderful outdoor art exhibition held on the cliff edge and parks on Sydney’s southern beaches called Sculptures By The Sea. Here are some great sculptures I photographed over the years that have good balance

181126_blog challenge_balance_mattresses

 

181126_blog challenge_balance_lady

 

181126_blog challenge_balance_discs

 

181126_blog challenge_balance_skeleton

 

181126_blog challenge_balance_cresent

 

And one that didn’t have good balance
181126_blog challenge_balance_figures