Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Subliminal Return


Have just returned from the sea and am repacking my bags
to be off to a workshop with India Flint at Yankalilla, also
close to the sea.



My watery photo, taken at our overnight stay in Whyalla
at the upper Spencer Gulf in South Australia, is just one of
the many I have in store for you all on my return on the 5th
of April.

Till then my friends, I must bid you all a fond farewell, stay
well, stay happy until we meet again across the iterpixies.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

SkyWatch ~ Sunrise


Unusual for me I know, but just one shot of this splendid
sunrise. I am packing for a trip to the Flinders Ranges and
a coastal town on the Eyre Peninsula for a week or two.



Do enlarge it to see the full beauty.

I hope to get in some bird watching, fishing and painting while
away.

Be kind and leave some comments for me to come home to,
you know they brighten my days.

Keep safe and well until my return.

Click on the Skywatch Logo to join this fun meme with skies of
all descriptions on view.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

World Bird Wednesday - A Bird or Three


A Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus helping himself
to my Eucalyptus ficifolia flowers.


This bird I have had the greatest trouble identifying. I hope
Stewart M or someone else may be able to help me there.

I have gone through my bird books backwards and forwards
without success. The eye mask should give it away yet I cannot
find it anywhere.


At first it was in the Eucalyptus, then moved over to the Hawthorn
where I thought it was feasting on berries but soon realised it
was picking off tiny insects.



Even stooping to share with it's fully grown infant. It was
approx. 12-14cm, roughly the range for scrub wrens yet there
were no white markings near the eyes.


Sulphur -Crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, 44-51cm. In
captivity, given half a chance, he can be quite an entertainer
as he likes to show off his skills for the applause.



Much better enlarged!

World Bird Wednesday gives us a chance to show off our flighty friends
so click on the Logo and be sure to join in!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Some Late Blooms


One last summer bloom on 'Anna Pavlova' in my Mt.Lofty
garden.


As the sun glowed lower in the sky it lit up this Lemon Verbena.
It may not be a spectacular plant to look at but it exudes a most
wonderful lemony scent. The leaves are perfect for potpourris as
they retain their delicious scent for years.


Myrtus communis, a small flowered evergreen bush. In days
of yore brides wore a little garlands of this aromatic shrub as
a symbol of enduring love.
It looked lovely with it's last flowers glowing in the light of
the setting sun.


For all those of you who showed amazement at Eucalyptus trees
flowering, here is the showiest of them all, Eucalyptus ficifolia, a
native of Western Australia that has now been hybridised to
produce colours from white though a number of pinks and oranges
to an even deeper red than this. Unfortunately the sun had left
the tree and the leaves do not appear as dark green and shiny
as usual but when it flowers, it flowers all over with a sea of red.



Red is the colour of happiness for Chinese so when two of my
husband's Chinese graduate students were marries we held a
reception for them near this tree and it's twin in full bloom
and I baked a dozen glazed strawberry tarts. For students who
had managed to escape from Maoist China, it was a real treat.

With thanks to Luiz Santilli Jr. who hosts this happy meme.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ On a Country Walk


I could not wait until dusk for my morning constitutional,
so off i trundled after lunch, Up the road that splits our farm
to the top of the hill and through the magic living gate that
almost marks the end or the beginning of our place.


As I passed the shadows a friendly ant of the Myrmacia family
crossed my path


to disappear into the depths of the shadows cast by our sentinels.



All photos enlarge at a touch.

Thanks to Tracy at HEY HARRIET, we can all join the shadow world,
just click on the Logo and you are there.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

SkyWatch ~ Yet Another Sunset


Lately I have been good about going for my constitutional
walk up out road to the top of the hill so that you now get
a different view of my sunsets.

After an inauspicious start


the colours started emerging as I passed the windmill


and strengthened to the point that I ended taking 27 shots


in all before it was too dark for more.


The colours over Moon Hill were amazing


changing from minute to minute.


When I got to the top of our road, there was just a flash of red
left on the horizon,


and yet when I zoomed into the yellow streak, it still was
quite spectacular.


Turning towards home, the NE looked rather nice as well.



All my little wonders enlarge if you feel like it.

Thanks to SkyWatch we can all share our skies so click on the
Logo and be a devil and join in.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

World Bird, Watery Wednesday & Nature Notes ~ Mainly Emus


Like my MY WORLD post, this also is from our trip to the
Flinders Ranges in South Australia. We had a very wet spring,
in consequence we saw many families of Emu, Dromaius
novaehollandiae. Here is one crossing the road directly in
our path. I had no time to think and had to crop out part of the
car. Luckily, as passenger, I always have my camera in my lap
and am ready to shoot. The dirty windscreen from insects and
dusty roads somehow did not enhance the clarity of picture
either. This father was raising 9 chicks which is a very healthy
clutch.


Coming around a bend we met a pair lying comfortably side
by side at this puddle, surveying the little waterscape.
We were so surprised at the sudden sight that I missed that
sweet togetherness shot and only managed to get them as one
was already heading bush and the other rising.


They moved off as if in a dance with their feathers bouncing.


Some people unfortunately take little heed of slithery wildlife
or even deliberately murder them although they are quite safe
in their cars so we came upon this brown snake in an equally
brow puddle. Snakes are part of the general ecological balance
and this sort of needless and mindless killing makes me sad
and angry.



It was quite a large snake for a brown, about 4' long.

All photos enlarge for better viewing.

World Bird Wednesday, Watery Wednesday and Nature Notes may
all be accessed through clicking the relevant Logos.