Saturday, June 30, 2012

Two little Birds


I seemed to have amassed quite a few bird photos, here are a 
couple from my backlog.

A house Sparrow sitting in my crabapple tree


and a Willy-Wagtail on a far away fence.


Hope you are all enjoying a great weekend. 

We have had wild weather with two little tornados in the city this
week, as well as pouring rain and some hail, it is cold and wet 
and I just got drenched pruning just one rose.

Happy days!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

SkyWatch - Sunset Clouds


I tried to catch the golden lining to the clouds but it was too 
bright . . .


so I caught the fluffy clouds against the blue 


and some bare trees


but could not resist zooming in to the main event.


My heart goes out to all the folks in Colorado who have lost their homes,
I have been in the same boat. I hope with all my heart that you get a good thunderstorm to douse the fires.

God bless you all.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

World Bird Wednesday - Female Flame Robin


A few days ago, this cute little female Flame Robin checked out 
our garden.


Isn't she a sweetheart? Some winters when we are lucky, a pair
of them brighten up our our gardens until late spring.


I do hope she brings a mate along . . .


Monday, June 25, 2012

OUR WORLD - A New Arrival


It has been a full and harrowing time since I last posted. Like 
shades of Lemony Snickert, there have been a few unfortunate 
events.

I am still jelly limbed as I thank God for our granddaughter's 
miraculous survival of a horror car crash. Somehow, that relegated 
blogging to the depths of a dark cupboard.

Next, my 95 year old friend of 40 years standing, suffered a fall 
and broke two vertebra. Suddenly, independent living is no longer
an option for her and we had to honour our promise to take her
little dog.

Allow me to introduce you to Koockie, obviously taken with our
eldest granddaughter. Over the years, the grandchildren have amassed
quite a menagerie of foundlings and ill treated four legged friends.


The first attempt of Bumble, a loveable bottle raised sheep, to 
make friends, seemed questionable. A couple of days later though, 
Koockie's confidence had grown  and an entente cordiale was 
reached.


Grandson's valiant attempt to hush Rex's very loud bark proved 
futile but first meetings can be deceptive. The black and white dog 
looking on is one of my eldest granddaughter's 'acquisitions' and 
the friendliest dog that ever was.


Meeting horned beasts proved rather daunting.


A happy respite in my garden.


Meeting a beast so much bigger than yourself, can be intimidating


but meeting a whole herd is frightening indeed and yet, he tried 
his level best to protect me from them.


So now the cat is out of the bag. I have a dog. A blessing, a
responsibility and a definite liability when photographing birds 
and wildlife. The blessing is that I have to take him on twice daily 
walks and walking in nature is one of the great joys of my life.

All considered, I feel incredibly blessed.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Our World & World Bird Wednesday -- Riverbank Birds


Life was chucking rocks at us for a while but I'm more or less 
back again.

A few shots from our trip to Renmank on the Murray River.


The well kept lawns at the Holiday Park offered ideal foraging
for this immature Dusky Moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa,


as well as any number of Purple Swamphens, Porphyrio porphyrio.

These two look innocuous enough 


but I certainly wouldn't want to mess with this chap!


Small wonder this Masked Lapwing, Vanellus miles, looks a
little wary. 


Although the Lapwing has spurs on it's wings, it was not about 
to get too close to this big fella.


It did get a trifle windy at times and feathers flew


and even a bird can have a bad hair day. 
Just look at the expression on it's face.


I sincerely hope you are all enjoying your life, remember, it has a use by date.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Primulas


When skies are grey and days are dreary,
it's good to have something bright and cheery.


Just a few of the primulas I have recently planted


and can see from both the kitchen sink and my bedroom.


I hope you all have flowers to enjoy!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

SkyWatch - A Day at Wirrealpa


Sunrise at a place I dearly love, Wirrealpa station in the North of 
South Australia.


A little drama during the day


that resolved itself into a rather nice sunset at gin & tonic time.


What a difference a day makes . . .


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

World Bird Wednesday - Mistletoebird


When we were up at Arkaroola, I tried so hard to get a 
Mistletoebird, Dicaeum hirundinaceum, actually on a mistletoe.

On the last morning, I had success of sorts. The lighting was not 
ideal and the tree was at some distance.


I just kept trying . . .


and trying to get a half decent image.


This is the bunch of mistletoe growing from a high up branch 
of Eucalyptus . . . can you spot the bird??


Happy birding to you all!

Monday, June 11, 2012

OUR WORLD - Back to Yesteryear


Imagine my surprise as I headed into the village and spied these
vintage Holden cars. This is the all time iconic Aussie car. 


The road outside the pub had a clutch of them on both sides,
obviously the owners were having a get together lunch there.

A quick U-turn, and I had snapped a few and


could zip onward to the next little town to get our necessities.

As you can see, it is autumn and the big pomegranate tree outside
the cafe was laden with fruit basking in the sun.


They are such incredible fruit, splitting with ripeness and showing 
off their gleaming, ruby red, juicy insides.


What a wonderful world we live in, post yours and visit every one else's.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

TODAY'S FLOWERS - Winter Colour


Some people are just blessed. 
My niece came for the weekend from far, far away.

Here is my private garden gnome attacking the wasteland that is
my garden.


A couple of days later, there was a cleared patch and some
 rounds prepared for my tulips.


She even bought me some winter cheer 


which brought the sun out and a butterfly as an added bonus.


Isn't it great that flowers show up every day!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

SkyWatch - More Kingston Sunset


This was one of the reddest sunsets I have ever seen, the sky, 
the sea, the very air was suffused with a glowing golden red.


The sun had set but the birds refused to go to bed,


flying in pairs,


practising formation flying


or, like these cormorants, were just sitting around by the dozen.


What fun it is to SkyWatch, the more you do it, the more you enjoy it.

Monday, June 4, 2012

OUR WORLD & World Bird Wednesday - Galahs


Just these Australian iconic parrots, Galahs, photographed in the 
inland. Dark clouds always set them off well.


I haven't managed to post or visit for a while, things have been
just a tad chaotic . . .


Do enlarge these so you can see the colour of their eyes.

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