Counting Pollinators

My health has taken a bit of a tumble lately and as a result I haven't been up to much.

But it's not difficult to become involved in the Wild Pollinator Count. I'm endeavouring to do this as often as I can in the time frame.

If you're in Australia you may want to take part too.  You've got until the 22nd of November.

Taking photographs of your finds is optional but I managed one or two not-too-bad captures today so here they are. (Bearing in mind I used my point and shoot camera.)

I chose a large stem of elder flower from which to make my observation.

I spotted a fly (there was a second much smaller fly too)

and a European honey bee as well as some unidentifiable insects that reminded me of midges; and what looked like a pintail beetle which was too swift for me to even begin to take a photo.

It's nice to see the sun shine after weeks of wet stormy weather but the prediction is for heat wave conditions with temperatures in the low forties.

Linking to Outdoor Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Expect The Unexpected

I took this from our speeding car with my point-and-shoot camera as Mr HP and I drove home last night.  We'd had lunch with our family to celebrate the November birthdays.

I wasn't expecting much from the camera, even though the scene before me was one to behold.

I did ask him to stop so I could take a quick shot from the side of the road; but he chose not to hear. It seems there was no need ...

This is in the vicinity of Badgerys Creek, the site for what is being tagged as Sydney's next international airport, and looking west.

The blue finger along the horizon is The Blue Mountains...where we live.

Linking to:

Four Seasons Fill The Measure Of The Year

I don't believe it's been over a month since my last post.

October has been a mixed month, one of gluten free, dairy free birthday cakes (as I struggle with sinusitis and a bad bout of IBS);

hot summer-ish days spent on our beautiful harbour;

windy dry days followed by the mindful sweeping-up of leaves;

days of gratitude and appreciation as plants respond to the sudden burst of warm days after such a long and cold winter.

Having had such a cold winter accentuates the divide of the seasons, something we haven't experienced for some years now.
Welcome, Spring.