Tag: white-throated treecreeper
This is July 2019
Welcome to This is July 2019.
What a month it has been. Over the month the lack of rain has started to bite again. There was 10mls of rain at the start of the month and since then it has been quite warm during the day. Some days have been in the low 20’s while the nights have been in single figures. The warm days are not that unusual for my winter but the constant sunny days are. There has been rain on the coast, yesterday (1 August) there was 20mls of rain while some sporadic rain clouds drifted overhead here. My dam I use to water the garden around the house is very low. I have to decide what part of the garden I’ll give water to to try and keep plants alive. I am loathe to use the dam’s water because it is so dry and I may need that water in case a bush fire springs up nearby. There has been a few fires but they have been a fair way from here. I am glad I don’t have any animals or crops to look after as it is depressing enough as it is.
July was Becky’s #JulySquares so all of those plus others I have used in other photo challenges aren’t in here but I thought I would use the photo that had the most comments and likes as the header.
Enough of that. This has been a bit of a cropper month for photos though so I do suggest that you get a drink, perhaps a snack, settle back and scroll along.
Hey ho let’s go……………
I spent a few days down the coast visiting my mate whose wife is quite unwell. It is a lovely place and the ferry that goes across the bay is so cute. The size of the other boats docked at the marina make the ferry look so small.
We found a secondhand shop on the way home. We didn’t buy as their prices were a bit over the top. The glassware was well displayed.
Don’t look at this too long as you will probably see it move.
In Lismore, a nearby town, they have a train in a park that the kids love, OK I have been on it once or twice. I was getting photos of the park and I really liked the tunnel photo.
My bestie found a Wanderer Butterfly caught in a spiders web in the garden. After removing the web, the butterfly sat on her hand for ages before flying off.
I wonder if this is the same Wanderer Butterfly?
While away down the coast, we did a bit of exploring the surrounding area. I found these flowers on a most unusual plant in the sand dunes.
Isn’t this flower and it’s hairy plant lovely? I think it is called Herb Robert.
My Billbergia Nutans are flowering
I found this flowering native shrub while out on my place cutting firewood.
The Magpies found a warm place in the sun. They were warbling away as we walked down the street to where we were staying.
Pied Currawongs are a sign of Winter as they come down from the mountains when the weather get cold up there. This one seems to be taken with the house and the verandah.
The Willie Wagtails at my besties like riding around on the cows next door. I think they may be collecting nesting materials from the cows.
The Cattle Egrets love riding around on the cows too.
Back at home, the King Parrots are still hanging around despite the dry conditions.
The females are quite different compared to the males.
Among the garden bushes, a little Striated Thornbill was hunting for insects.
The Scarlet Honeyeaters are always around the garden. It is lucky I have some Eucalypts flowering so there is a food source for these wonderful little birds.
There seems to be lots of small birds around at the moment. The Double-barred Finches were happy to hop around the grass eating grass seeds.
A new bird for me, a Black-faced Woodswallow at my besties place
Some of my grevilleas are bravely trying to flower despite the lack of water. The wonderful bird attracting Honey Gem which usually has an abundance of flowers has a few straggly flowers that the Lewins Honeyeaters have found.
Yes, I am looking at you Satin Bower Bird. Taken while sitting in my office through the door. The camera is always on the desk.
The female Satin Bower Bird was also curious to see what I was going.
While down in the lower part of my place there is a wide grassed gully which I drive along to find suitable fallen timber for firewood. Often when I arrive there is a flurry of activity from White-winged Choughs or these birds, Grey-crowned Babblers. A small group walk along the gully flicking over leaves, bark and small rocks to find insects to eat. They have a constant chatter as they do and there is one bird who is the lookout who will let everyone know that danger lurks. As I approached, they flew into the trees so I just sat and waited until they resumed normal business.
Here you can see their grey crown
If the piece of wood is too hard to kick over, you have to get down and get your beak in to get your snack.
Back at home, the White-throated Honeyeaters love this little hanging pot which I fill with water for the birds. If I am outside and the pot is empty, one of these birds will sit near me and let me know.
I love the olive colour on their back and wings.
The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters also come to drink and bathe here.
After a bust day at the grevilleas, a Lewins Honeyeater enjoys a drink and a dunk.
“Hello….is anyone using this bird bath?”
A White-throated Treecreeper looks over the edge of the bowl. This is a replacement for my wonderful terracotta bird bath which doesn’t attract as many visitors as the terracotta one.
The Welcome Swallows are starting to nest at my besties under the verandah as they have for years.
Busy collecting nesting material, it’s time to line the mud nest with feathers, probably from the Cattle Egrets on the farm next door.
The Willie Wagtails are nesting too. Unfortunately the next day after I took this photo the whole nest was gone. We looked around the garden, under and nearby, but there wasn’t even a sign of the nest. The Wagtails were distraught in the morning. 
Time to look up and see who has been flying over head. This is a collection of the Raptors. A White-bellied Sea Eagle was cruising around Harbour Beach at Port Stephens.
The Black Kite is a regular at the Lismore Waste Facility. We go there usually on a Saturday as their Revolve Shop has some great bargains from items recovered from the waste collections. 
A very brave Magpie was making sure the Wedged-tailed Eagle wasn’t hanging around near their nests. It harassed the Eagle until it flew higher than the magpie could. 
I love seeing the Wedged-tailed Eagles soar overhead.
No I wasn’t in the Sahara. At Harbour Beach the sand dunes are enormous and there is a Camel ride operator. We were there late in the afternoon and this was the last tour of the day coming back in.
Well the sun is on the way down so I better say see ya.
On the road from my place to the river the setting sun gave the road a redder hue than the normal red gravel on the roads surface.
I had to get a close up as the sun started to disappear behind the mountains
Well that’s all from me for July. I hate to end on a sad note but Chicken, the last of my chooks, died last month. Chicken came to me from my friend who lived down the road, the same one who gave my the beautiful Iris. When he had to go into care, he asked me to look after his chooks and Chicken is the last one. She was quite old and had been ill for a while and I used to take her with me when I went to my besties and also to my daughters. Since the start of the cold weather at night, I would pop her into her travelling crate and she would sit inside with me near the fire.
Also linked with Su’s Changing Seasons
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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
Listen for a chip chip and look at the tree trunks to see a White-throated Treecreeper scouring the bark for an insect or two
The lovely face of a Blue-faced Honeyeater
You might hear the wings of the Eastern Spinebill before you see one zoom past
The Pied Butcherbirds song will fill the forest as we walk along
We may see a Jackie Winter sitting on a fence
Lovely little Eastern Yellow Robins will be chip chip chipping seemingly endlessly
Of course the familiar sounds of Kookaburras will resound around the bush
Small Brown Honeyeaters will be silently having a snack on a Bottlebrush
A flash of colour and a Spotted Pardelote will fly by
A Forest Kingfisher, a sudden flash like a blue jewel, as he flies through the bush
The unmistakable squawking of Rainbow Lorikeets as they argue about whose branch it is will get your attention
The beautiful song of a Rufous Whistler will kep you spell bound for ages
A whistle, a flash of red, the smallest honeyeater is unmistakable in the bush
High in the tree, the resident Square-tailed Kite will keep an eye on you
While overhead it’s mate will soar
Up the road a bit, some Crimson Rosellas have a snack on the horses feed
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
More jewels in the sky as the Rainbow Bee-eaters gather
Another remarkable song and bright yellow of the Golden Whistler will make you stop and listen
Musk Lorikeets can be seen as they feast on the nectar of Pink Euodias
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 close
A bit more whistling heralds that we are near some King Parrots
A strange metallic sound draws our attention to the iridescent and distinctive tail shape of the wonderfully named Spangled Drongo 
A Satin Bowerbird who is similarly coloured to a Drongo will be in the bush sometimes finding food
or finding sticks or blue stuff to decorate and construct his Bower
Thanks for dropping by and having a bit of a walk around my neighbourhood. I hope you had a good time.
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Bath Time
The word prompt from Bren for the Photo for the Week 27: Time
I love the bird baths that are at my besties place and here at mine. Some birds opt for a quick dip while others just love to splash about.
It’s time for bath time
The first few are from the bird baths at my besties old place. This one in particular was near the verandah so it gave me plenty of opportunities for bird bath photos.
Some birds, like this Eastern Yellow Robin, just enjoyed a splash around
A Magpie getting right in
I think this was a Whipbird really splashing about
The Noisy Miners loved to get wet
Sometimes it is just good to sit and soak like the little Thornbill
The Eastern Whipbird jumped right in
A Red-browed Firetail Finch made sure the water went in everywhere
Onto a few photos from my place. It is a pity that possums managed to smash my lovely terracotta bird bath while trying to get a drink even though they had lots of ground level watering places around the garden.
The White-throated Treecreeper enjoyed a good butt soak
A female Satin Bowerbird liked to sit and think
As did a Rainbow Lorikeet
The little hanging pot is a favourite for small birds
Really getting a splash on
A quick in and out for a White-throated Honeyeater
Quite often it was mixed bathing. The Eastern Yellow Robin and Silvereyes shared a quick dip
Often the Rainbow Lorikeets came in numbers which often ended up in squabbles
Hope you enjoyed Bath Time
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Threesome at the bird bath
The word prompt for Ragtag Daily Prompt Saturday: Three
A Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill and a Red-browed Firetail
Red-browed Firetail and a couple of Silvereyes
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and a White-browed Treecreeper
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and a White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters
A Scarlet Honeyeater and Silvereyes having a drink
Rainbow Lorikeets
Red-browed Firetails
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This is October 2018
OK folks strap yourself in for this ride. You will need stamina, food, drinks and a possible toilet break as I have been unrelenting in snapping away with all manner of things. I was going to break the photos down into subject groups in separate posts, but I thought “What the heck, you can scroll through at your own pace.”
What better way to start the day (or post) than with a sunrise from my besties new place
Let’s start with things. I don’t know what to call this bunch of photos as they are different. Enough talk. Off we go!
I found these gelatinous blobs on the beach, hundreds of them. Perhaps baby jelly fish?
When you see a land form that resembles something else
The planes have been showing themselves a bit in October.
Just love these rock cliff, the colours and again, can you see a face?
The moss gave the tree a bit of a dress with a vine for dramatic effect.
More moss. This time at the waters edge at the beach
The rock pool took on an ethereal mood
Just the shelf at my besties place
When I put on this lamp, I just had to take the photo. Another shelf at my besties
October saw the rain come. This dam, I use the water around the house and garden, was about one-eighth full. Seeing the water flow into the dam cured my blues.
The waterhole on my place never is dry but came very close this year. Seeing it full again made me happy. I think the birds and animals are pleased as well
Waterfalls make such a soothing sound don’t you think? Even little waterfalls that help fill the waterhole.
Of course a bit of rain and sunshine brings out the fungi
Fungi of all shapes and colours. Some big….
…some small
and some are edible
I love Grass Trees. These are at a place called Naughtons Gap. They are bigger than some of the Grass Trees on my place.
A wonderful discovery was a whole street in Grafton lined with Bottle Trees. This will be investigated as to why and how and perhaps a bushboy post about the history of the Bottle Trees in Grafton may evolve.
The early morning dew and spiders webs. I can’t resist
Sitting having a cup of tea with my bestie when a large Skink wandered about the garden. Wonderful markings aren’t they?
Would you believe that this tree is called a Cheese Tree?
Just an ant having a swim. He did get out eventually.
The flower and a bee. The flower is on what is called a broad leaf weed which is supposed to be undesirable in a lawn. Look at the bees pollen sacks. I don’t think the bee would be as happy if the “weed” wasn’t there. Think before you mow please.
Just a feather
and another
The Forest Kingfishers have arrived. The male looked about for anything that moved in the grass or the garden.
The colours on his back are lovely.
This photo shows a bit more of the iridescence
Galahs are funny birds. This bloke is sitting on the stock trough on next doors place at my besties
It’s a bit of a way down to get a drink.
Another arrival in Spring are the Grey Shrike Thrush. They are in the trees around the garden and sing in the morning and in the afternoons. What a delight to have in my garden.
The Pied Currawong didn’t mind a bit of rain.
Doesn’t he look great. The black with the red of the Flame Tree
The Fig Bird was spotted eating Mulberries
So was his mate
A Coucal Pheasant came for a visit and sat high in the Gum Tree.
Later on, I think he was checking me out through the undergrowth.
Another October visitor, a Brown Honeyeater
He soon found the bird bath
The Blue-faced Honeyeaters have arrived in numbers to feast on the Honey Gem Grevillea
The female Blue-faced Honeyeaters also drop in for a snack
Remember the post about the Post where the Noisy Friar Bird was chased away by the Spangled Drongo. Here Rainbow Lorikeets get a serve from the Friar Bird. A bit of a peck to the head.
The Rainbow Lorikeets were a bit bemused by all the carry on.
A female Satin Bowerbird enjoyed the nectar in the Yamba Sunshine Grevillea.
But like everyone else, the Honey Gem Grevillea is the best place to get a meal.
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters seem to have a constant scowl on their faces.
I think this Yellow-faced Honeyeater spotted me and my camera
The gravity defying White-throated Treecreeper taken from the comfort of the chair in my office
They are lovely as they hop up and down the trees looking for something to eat.
Another photo from my office chair. I call this one, “I can see what you are doing” is what the King Parrot is saying.
A young King Parrot morphing into a male
Getting a good Eastern Rosella photo quest continues
Out for a drive, we spotted a smallish bird run across the road and into a paddock. A new bird has been seen, an Australasian Pipit.
On another adventure drive, we spotted flashes of green zooming across the road. A flock of Rainbow Bee Eaters were hanging about. This is a breeding pair
Aren’t the males colours amazing?
You may wonder why we are back at a couple of young King Parrots. I thought it was lovely to have them sitting on a hanging pot under the verandah, until I spotted what they were doing
Yes, these “lovely” young birds had eaten half of the succulents in the pot. All around the pot, the succulent trailed over the edge. Can you see the bit trailing over the edge now. This hanging pot is no longer hanging where pesky King Parrots can get at it.
Water drops and new growth
I love the colour of this Succulent. Was tempted to pinch a leaf or two
I love the colours in this photo of a Hanging Violet with red in the background
A lovely Native Geranium growing in the “lawn” Another reason not to mow
Pansies, pansies, pansies
and more Pansies
This year the Silky Oaks flowering was spectacular
A flower of a Succulent
The Budlea flower spike wonderful and smells delightful
Some of the Roses looked a treat this year
A pink Bottlebrush flower
The native water lillies on my dam. Water Snowflake
The rain knocked a lot of the flowers off the Flame Tree. The little cups filled with water
Some native flowers that grow on my place. This yellow beauty is Dogwood
I think this native flower is a Hairy Guinea Flower
I have been encouraging a lot of Egg and Bacon plant to grow on one part of my property. It’s spikey habit is good for protecting small birds when it is in a fairly dense thicket
Plus the flowers are lovely. You can see the sharp points in the leaves
A small pink Grevillea.
My besties flower beds are looking great
and yet more flowers
This flower has caused great excitement for me. This is the first time I have seen a Hakea Florulenta on my property.
Aren’t the tiny flowers delightful?
The early morning fog gives a sense of wonder to start the day
Of course when it rains, you also find rainbows. This one had a faint double above.
Well, the sun is setting and you have reached the end. Well done for sticking around to get to the end and thanks for having a look at my October 2018
Did you have a favourite photo?
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August at the Bird Bath
There has been lots of activity at the bird bath. August was very dry so the water in the bird baths at home had to be replenished often. I have three bird baths around my house. This is what has been happening at just one.
This is the view I have of the bird bath from my verandah so it makes it easier to get a few photos. The birds still notice me and often fly off.
The King Parrots are easy to spot when they visit the bird bath.
When competing families arrive at the same time, a bit of arguing takes place.
Notice the look on the Yellow-faced Honeyeater on the left. They are the guardians of the bird bath and swoop in to scare other birds away. The Lewins Honeyeater was rather nonplussed at the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters presence.
The Silvereyes quite often arrive on mass
Looks like the White-throated Honeyeater is surrounded. One Yellow-faced Honeyeater has been in for a bath, no longer looking sleek.
I only just caught a Buff-rumped Thornbill who flew off before I could get set for another photo.
The Eastern Yellow Robin didn’t look pleased to have a post bath photo taken.
A typical stance of a Yellow-faced Honeyeater. The Eastern Yellow Robin didn’t care much while a White-throated Treecreeper waits his turn.
A Grey Fantail gets ready to get into the bird bath.
As usual, a White-throated Honeyeater waits out of sight when a gang of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters arrive at the bird bath.
I love the way the Treecreepers sit on the edge of the bird bath. He seems taken a back at the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters attitude.
Peace at last and time for a bath. Look at those feet, made for scaling vertical surfaces.
The White-throated Honeyeaters often arrive in numbers too.
How embarrassing seeing me like this the Eastern Yellow Robins seems to say as a flock of Silvereyes arrive.
A Scarlet Honeyeater watches on as the Silvereyes take a drink
The Red-browed Firetail Finch and Silvereye discuss their day while hanging around the bird bath.
The Eastern Spinebill was not sure about having a Yellow-faced Honeyeater at the bird bath.
The Noisy Friarbird isn’t the most handsome visitor to the bird bath
Pied Currawongs drop in from time to time. They have a disgusting habit of vomiting food pellets into the water before drinking necessitating in water changes.
The Female or Juvenile Satin Bowerbird love the bird bath.
They make a huge splash when the plop into the water.
The Male Satin Bowerbird is wonderful. The camera doesn’t quite catch the sheen and colour shifts from black to blue
The Rainbow Lorikeets are the most colourful visitors to the bird bath.
I hoped you enjoyed your visit to the bird bath. Did you have a favourite bird at the bird bath?
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This is August 2018
Not a terribly exciting month for photos as I have been unwell with a cold which is not going away. I decided to do two or maybe more posts about August, one is a fairly large post which will be done soon. At least being unwell allows me time to sit at the computer to sort photos and do stuff that I put off as I have lots to do outside before the weather warms up, although this Winter had been unseasonably warm.
Let’s get started. A few mornings have been slightly foggy. One morning, the early morning fog made the bush look quite surreal.
Some days the clouds were in shapes that made me just stop and look.
I am glad this Red-necked Wallaby stopped and looked before hopping across the road in front of me.
A day was spent at an event in town called Wings and Wheels held at the South Grafton Airfield. It was great to see the Grey Ferguson tractors lines up. This one looked like mine.
One day out and about, we came across this most colourful and crazy garden. Lots of ideas for Cee’s Odd Ball photo challenge that’s for sure.
My bestie said it was time for the old wheelbarrow to get a succulent garden. Didn’t she do a great job? All the plants came from pots around the house and garden.
The hanging geraniums are always in flower.
We doing things in my besties garden when we felt that someone was looking at us.
Here is the biggest Brush Turkey from a nearby town, Kyolge.
Getting home from a drive, the chook decided to detail the car, removing all sorts of insects from the front of my car.
It is nesting time. I wondered what was going on with the mat on the verandah. The White-browed Treecreeper, normally hopping on vertical tree trunks, gathering nesting material.
A Spotted Pardalote was foraging among the vines.
The Welcome Swallows have been nesting in the verandah at my besties new place for years. They have started building their nests too. They are always together.
A young King Parrot morphing from juvenile to adult
Checking out the tree tops, an Australian Raven, surveys the scene.
A Pied Currawong found the berries on a Murraya irresistible.
The rather prehistoric looking Noisy Friarbird love Grevilleas.
Eastern Spinebills also love Grevilleas.
The blue black is lovely as a contrast to the rest of their colours. You can see why it is called a Spinebill.
The Galah just loved walking among the grass seeds snacking as he went.
I went down to the bottom part of my property to check on the waterhole. While I was there the activity of birds was quite amazing. A huge flock of Fuscous Honeyeaters were darting everywhere.
One afternoon, the Moon looked so fabulous against the blue sky. I love our Moon.
Well there you go. A quick look at my month of August. Thanks for stopping by. Leave me a comment which will cheer me up no end.
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This is May 2018
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.
The inside wings of the Common Jezabel are rather dull compared to the outer wings.
Here is a Common Jezabel sitting high upon a flower stalk on a sunny day.
I hope you have enjoyed a scroll through my May.
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The birds of June
It may be Winter, but here, it is the time when birds drop in on their way north to build their strength for the next part of their journey, or stay for the winter in the warm days on the North Coast. The nights can get cold but the days are usually in the low 20’s C with the warmth of sunshine and the number of plants that flower in late Autumn and Winter makes it a good place to stop off. This is not a complete record of birds as there have been birds who I haven’t managed to get in my lens plus there has been some who have just been to fast for me to photograph. Yes I have quite a number of photos of empty branches!!!
This first gallery of photos are the birds from my place.
The White-throated Honeyeaters arrive in the morning and in the afternoon with their chirp chirp chirp as they set about diving into the birdbath or pool to have their bath.
The Yellow-faced Honeyeaters arrive from down south, some stay while others in the flock fly further north.
The Blue-faced Honeyeaters come and go all year depending on what food is available. The Honey Gem Grevillea has finally started to flower after a long dry hot Summer. Look at the pollen dust on his head.
The little Eastern Spinebills are here with the distinctive clicking of their wings as they zip around the garden and their calls echoing in the gullies.
You can judge their size by comparing with the Blue-faced Honeyeater and Grevillea flower above. They really stretch to reach the blossoms at times.
Their plumage is quite pretty don’t you think?
I don’t include many photos of the female Golden Whistler but this one is so cute. They are around the place all year round with their repetitive call which can sound like a squeaky wheel, at times up to twenty single notes.
They also like to land on the side of trees and have a look around.
As do the White-throated Treecreepers who just hop up and down the trees looking for insects under the bark. They have a similar call to the Yellow Robins but not as persistent.
They also like to defy gravity as the give the trees a very thorough checking over.
The tiny Red-backed Fairy Wrens like to explore the lower parts of the forest eating grass seeds and insects foraging among the grass stalks. The Jenny Wren has good camouflage. 
The Silvereyes are migrants who stop for a few weeks to gather their strength for their next leg of their journey north.
They are another of the tiny birds around here.
The Red-browed Firetails are another constant visitor to the bush as they move about in small flocks looking for grass seeds. This is a young one as the red brow isn’t as prominent as the adults.
The tiny Striated Thornbills are always around the garden and in the gullies around the house.
They love the birdbath.
Someone who I haven’t seen for quite a while has turned up this month and has been around the garden early in the morning and in the gullies during the day. The Spotted Pardalote digs a tunnel in the side of the gully to make it’s nest. They are so pretty aren’t they?
I think this one saw me as I snuck along the verandah for a better photo.
They can be quite vocal too.
The sounds of Kookaburras signal the start and end of every day. There are about three families that live in the bush around the house and sometimes the cacophony of up to five or six Kookaburras can be quite deafening.
After I took this photo I noticed that there was another two sitting nearby in separate trees. All of a sudden they all flew off into the forest disappearing among the trees.
This next gallery are from my besties place.
The Lewins Honeyeater is the boss of my besties garden. They swoop on most other birds that dares to come into the garden. The Lewins at my place aren’t as bossy.
Can you spot the Varied Triller?
The Grey Fantails are always doing their acrobatic flying around the place catching insects on the wing. A very serious looking bird.
The Golden Whistler is always around the garden and nearby rainforest singing its lovely song.
My besties place is surrounded by rainforest so she has more doves and pigeons than I do at my place. The White-headed Pigeon has a deep sounding whoomp whoomp call. They also fly about in large flocks.
The Brown Pigeon didn’t want its photo taken.
There is always up to ten bar-shouldered Doves foraging on the ground in the garden looking for pecans that have fallen from the tree.
The Whipbirds also enjoy foraging among the leaves for pecans.
While high in the trees the Figbirds look for seeds as well as pecans. This female Figbird found the seeds of an Umbrella Tree.
The male Figbird was more interested in pecans.
The Green Catbird is also interested in pecans. Not long after this photo was taken, so was the pecan.
Another recipient of the fallen pecans is the large Brush Turkey. His strong beak breaks open the pecans and often leaves small pieces behind for the other birds to eat. This one we call Brendan who has taken over the garden and has a mound nest almost one meter tall in the front garden. One day I’ll try to get a photo of Brendan and his mound.
The most exciting discovery was finding a Regent Bowerbird just on the edge of the garden late one afternoon. I only managed to get a couple of bad photos but had to share in my excitement.
We went to Byron Bay one day to shop as we haven’t been for ages and Winter is a good time as the number of tourists is halved at least. The Golden Pendas are in flower and the Rainbow Lorikeets were having a great time screeching at each other.
And of course there are always chooks foraging around both our gardens.
That is a snapshot of some of the birds around here in June. My June photo round-up probably won’t have any birds this year. Hopefully I’ll get to that by next week.
