End of an Era OR

A New Beginning.
I have lived here for about 14 years and I am finally going to get a new house next door and a new family moving in. I have met the new people and they seem very nice.
The early morning peace and quiet were disturbed by a rattle and a rumble and when I went outside to investigate next door was very busy. Before any work could be done on the land there were two large pine trees to get rid of. This area is surrounded by pine plantations. The pines are not a native species and they spread wherever the seeds blow! The only ones that have really enjoyed these trees are the birds. They have nested in them and roosted in them.  They were not pleased and - being parrots - they expressed their displeasure at the top of their voices - especially that night and the next morning!
There were two fellows with big chain saws, a big truck to take away all the rubbish  and one of those machines that take in branches and stuff on one side and spit it out as chips on the other.

They started by cleaning up all the small stuff that had grown up close to the tree and then cutting down the lower branches.

They next made a good sized scarf cut on one side of the trunk and on the opposite side began hammering in several metal wedges. They had very big heavy sledge hammers which they used very efficiently. I could not see details as I was very safely on the other side of my fence. A few cracking noises and the tree was down!

That left the branches to be cut and chipped and all that is left is the trunk and a big stump -  all of which will need to be taken away at some later date.

These bottle brush flowers - callistemons - are now the highest trees on that side. There was a high breeze blowing and bush birds don't sit nice and still the way shorebirds do! I have a lot of learning to do before I can achieve the photos I want! Please be patient as I learn!!!
Rainbow Lorikeets

White-cheeked Honeyeater

For more scenery  from around the world visit Our World Tuesday http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Local

I took this pic one afternoon when I took a quick look around down at the bay just to make sure everything was still the same!These people were on holiday and told me they were filling in time while younger members of their family were off on more active pursuits. They knew lots more about fish and fishing than I did and told me what small fish they had already spotted. This is where I used to launch my kayak and I don't think I have ever seen fish right there!  I hope they had some good luck!

All these birds I saw and photographed one afternoon around my house I often see Galahs flying over but they only come down on the lawn when I haven't mowed the grass for some time and there is a good crop of dandelions for them to enjoy. Galahs always amuse me, They have a slow and rather stately movement but they waddle not walk! Also a lot of my photos show that sideways look where one eye is half closed!

This is a little Willie Wagtail that spent a lot of time around my yard some weeks ago. I think there was a pair of them and they were the first birds to call in the morning and the last ones at night also. They frequently came and sat on the top of what used to be the pen where the cat was enclosed - but that was a while ago and much of the wire had rusted and fallen away. They knew all the ways in and out and obviously felt quite secure up there.

This is a little sparrow. They are relatively new to my yard and quite new to this whole district. Why did they come here? I wonder what has attracted them into the yard and is one of my neighbors feeding them. There is quite a flock of them around by the sounds of them in the bushes outside my house.

For more scenery  from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Gymea Lilies

I have posted about Gymea lilies some time ago but this has been an exceptional season which has had an impact on all growing things in my yard. My Gymea lilies were given to me some years ago as very small plants by a friend. I have a number of plants in different places around the yard but this year must have just suited the plants in the front yard. I don't know if it was the very warm winter or the lack of rain. All except one plant has flowered and this has been quite spectacular.  The first two plants to put up a flower stem were right in among the palms and the flowers became very high - I am guessing about 5 meters high.  I kept photographing these first two flowers but they did not become fully formed perfect flowers. I don't know if it was just too dry.

Then another plant started to flower and this flower was only a couple of meters tall and much easier to photograph.  It was interesting to see it gradually open up.

One of the other plants put up a flower stem right among the palms and the flower started to open before it got clear of he palm frond

Now I wonder if it was the lack of rain that damaged those first two flowers or if it was maybe those 'wicked' Blue-faced Honeyeaters?They are so aggressive and constantly pull apart the beautiful blue and white flowers on the strelitzia nicolia. They also made my poor little cat's life a misery if they ever caught her out in the open! She would crouch down under a plant and cry until the dog came and rescued her. The dog loved it! These were one of the few birds she was allowed to chase!! (These bird photos were taken a while ago.)

For more scenery  from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Return to Blogging

First - I want to state that it is much easier to stop blogging than to start again!

This strange creature climbed half way up one of the posts on my verandah.  I never saw it climbing up there but then I didn't sit and watch it! I have never been really interesting in "bugs and bities" but when something like this comes right in front of you, it is necessary to take a photo and at least find out what it is. This is a Case Moth and it is well camouflaged. The (caterpillar/ grub/) creature (?) is inside that case and able to move around. It eventually comes out as a fully formed moth. I found a lot of pages of descriptions on-line and this is one of them http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/psyc/elong.html

No photo for this next part - I hope your imagination is working well! I have just had cataracts taken off both eyes.  This is day surgery and you are given what they call a twilight anaesthetic- which means that you are awake all the time but don't feel any pain.  When I came out from the operating theater I was lying flat on a bed/trolley and swathed or cocooned in a warm fluffy brown blanket with just my head poking out.  As others also came out they were the same way. I felt like a brown moth and wished I could draw everyone all lined up this way. As soon as possible we were sat up in an easy chair and given a cup of tea or coffee and something to eat. By the way - my eyes are much improved and my sight is so much better. I just wish there were something similar that could be done for the macular degeneration!

My eye specialist  is down on the Sunshine Coast - about an hour and a half drive away. By the time we got home it was nearly dark but there to welcome us were at least a dozen White Cockatoos swinging on the electricity wires at the gate and all yelling in typical "cockie" fashion. No  photos taken right then but here are a couple of photos taken a while ago when the birds were putting on a similar show in my back yard.

 Now it is just a matter of keeping up blogging!!

For more scenery  from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday