Welcome Mrs Satin Bowerbird.

 

Capturing these birds on camera is proving more difficult than I imagined.

I swear that there were anything up to twenty of the satin bowerbirds in and around my garden and all three neighbours' gardens.

The males seem to be more elusive than the female (pictured above).  Of course this could also be a male juvenile of the species, their feathers turning a satin blue black with maturity, which can take up to seven years. 

To lure them to a more suitable site for photographing, I have left some offerings out for the male...blue objects...with which they decorate their bower.

I will keep you posted.

Bowerbird

Source

This morning I was up at six thirty trying to photograph the elusive bowerbirds that, for the past week or two,  have been making an early morning call just outside our bedroom door.

Twice I've managed to catch a glimpse of them but they are very timid and move on very quickly. They alert me to their presence with their most unusual call, a whirring is the best way to describe it I think.
Although I managed to get the camera out onto the verandah this morning, no satisfactory photographs resulted and you will have to be happy with Arthur's free Australian Clip art for the time being!

What About Me?

It isn't fair,



















I want my share

can't you see, I wanna live 

you just take more than you give.

(With apologies to Garry Frost and Frances Swan ).
We never feed the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, but occasionally they come to suss out the feed that we leave for the lorikeets.  Luckily, lorikeets and cockatoos don't eat the same type of feed. (See my previous post regarding Rainbow Lorikeets.)
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are a grand looking bird.  They are also noisy, (with a loud screech) and can be very destructive.  If so inclined they could make a fast meal of our timber balcony.  So although they are welcome guests in our garden, we do not encourage them.
It is a rarity to see them this close up but a lovely surprise to find them early this morning.

The Woop Bird.

Aka, Bronze Wing Pigeon.

Bronze Wing Pigeon.  Blue Mountains, New South Wales.

A flock of these ground loving pigeons have taken up permanent residency in our garden.  Usually they scrounge around in the leaf litter on the south side of the house. 

This morning I was startled by this one on the north-western side.

The human residents of the same plot of ground call these birds Whoop Birds because that's the sound they make when calling.

A bird bath is always on hand for them because they love to drink from it, especially in hot and humid weather.

Exotics In My Garden

Brachyscome.

Verbena.

Cactus.

Cactus.

A Visitor to My Garden

Had a special visitor in the garden today.
 

If any one can help me identify this beautiful moth I'd be very happy.

I Love My Tutu.

Tutu Gorgeous.

One More Tutu ...

Yesterday, I found this gorgeous red tutu in Frou Frou .
Frou-Frou is one of my favourite shops in Springwood and a number of items purchased from here adorn my house.
My G-D already has a blue tutu but is always asking for a pink one.  Believe it or not, the blue one belonged to her mother at around the age of eight.
  I'm sure this one will delight her, even if it's not pink.  It's in the wash at the moment and I'm hoping it will have dried in time for her return from pre-school this afternoon.

Mothering.

Skyped my youngest son tonight.  He is in Ireland, visiting his girlfriend's family.  The two of them fly out tomorrow, arriving Sydney Friday night.
As a mother, I find I worry endlessly about my children.  To find out that he caught a bad chill that required treatment with antibiotics a few days before he is to fly home disturbs me.  I'm hoping and praying that he has a comfortable flight home.

Quilt Top.

Quilt top made from Churn Dash blocks and hand pieced.

Pulled out this quilt top this afternoon.  I'd started this project many moons ago.  In fact I'd forgotten all about it.
Last night my fingers were itching for some hand work to do.  All my 'night time' projects (that is, hand worked pieces), are finished.  I don't know what it was that jolted my memory but whatever it was, I'm glad I've found it.
The colours in this quilt top draw me in, I love the patterns that they create.  This same pattern was used previously in a quilt I made for our very first Great Nephew and I loved it so much I decided to make another using different scrappy fabrics.  I'm already planning a third!
The quilt top was hand pieced and it's now ready to have sashing added, a border and of course the usual binding.  I will keep you posted!

Other projects READY to go:

1. A hat for my Grand Daughter (I bought a hat pattern today...which also includes a dress pattern, so I guess I'll be making a hat AND a dress).
2. A pair of  linen capri pants for myself. (I also bought the fabric for these today which I've laundered and have waiting to press and cut out.)

Wash Day.

Woke this morning feeling like cr*p.  Feels like a head cold coming on.
Summoned  up enough energy to do some laundry, while the sun's shining.
This summer has certainly been one of extremes.  When the sun's come out it's been HOT.  When it hasn't, it's been WET.
It's not my common practise to take photographs of my laundry piles.  Neither is it common for me to sort into so many piles.  Usually I sort into lights/whites, darks, and hand-washing. For some strange reason, this morning I sorted into lights/whites, blacks, reds, and blue/greens. (As well as one load in the wash of mixed colours). Suddenly I was struck by the colours...perhaps there's beauty in everything.  Or, as the saying goes...'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'
I might just add...it's not the laundry I find beautiful...just the colours!

Ballet Duty.

My daughter is still feeling ill from a stomach virus so I volunteered to take my three year old Grand Daughter to her ballet class today.
She is so cute...and very talkative during the class too.  I think one lesson she needs to learn is how to listen more and speak less!
Afterwards we went shopping and then to the park.
Unfortunately I haven't been feeling one hundred percent either, so did not spend any more time than necessary at the shops.
 I promised my G-D that I would take her out to morning tea another time, once my body is feeling a bit more together.
Went home and had a light lunch of soft boiled eggs and miso soup which I followed with a sleep.  The sleep helped a lot and I then cooked  roast chicken with the usual veg - pumpkin, rosemary potatoes, beetroot, and carrots (all done in the oven) and of course steamed peas.
Tonight, I think I made the best gravy I've ever made!

Earlier this afternoon, my daughter and I were shocked and saddened to hear about the devastation of yet another earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand.
Once more, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by what seems to be an endless stream of natural disasters on either side of the Tasman Sea.

SiCk LeAvE

Sandstone Carving At Watson's Bay.

After a beautiful day at Watson's Bay yesterday, today is a sick day.  Stomach bug doing the rounds!  :(

A Day @ The Beach.

Tunnel Vision

Pictures of Sydney

Autumn Crocus.

I dedicate this post to my brother, who departed this earth, one February, three years ago this week.
After his passing I planted a little corner of our garden in his remembrance.  A neighbour had given me a pot of Autumn Crocus bulbs which I planted as a border in this garden.
Unbeknown to me, in the southern hemisphere, Autumn Crocus flower in February.
My brother was only 43  when he left us, in a senseless accident, leaving behind a nine year old son.
Imagine my surprise when the first February after I planted the bulbs, the delicate looking buds appeared, just days before my brother's anniversary.
Is that serendipity or what?
And then, while researching the plant (they are classed as 'exotics' in Australia and I didn't know much about them at all when my neighbour gifted them to me), I found that their botanical name is Colchicum autumnale, and that they contain a toxin, colchicine, which has medical uses.
Colchicine is a toxic natural product used to treat pericarditis, (as well as other ailments) which is an inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding the heart a symptom of which is chest pain.
My little brother complained of chest pain, as he waited to be rescued, and the coroner found that he died from a heart attack.
Sometimes the universe speaks to us surprising ways.

But in the autumn of my years I noticed the tears
And I knew that our life was in the past
Though I tried to pretend, I knew it was the end
For the autumn of my life had come at last
Now what, what do you say to a child of ten?
How do you tell him his daddy's goin' away?
Do I tell him that I reached the autumn of my life
And that he'll understand some winter's day?

Goldsboro Bobby - Autumn of My Life