In an earlier post, I worried about disturbing the Superb Fairy Wren’s habitat in our back yard. I also worried about our cats killing the wrens if they were able to find a way into the newly constructed cat enclosure. Most of all, I lamented that I would no longer see their cheery form hopping … Continue reading The Fairy Wrens and the Cat Enclosure: A happy story
Tag: nature
Too hot for swamp wallabies, and for me too!
Yesterday, the temperature here reached 39 degrees celsius. We were lucky – many parts of the State had temperatures in the low 40’s. Even so, we didn’t feel lucky – high heat, high winds and dry vegetation is a dangerous mix. In our former life, in the middle of a large city, we would have … Continue reading Too hot for swamp wallabies, and for me too!
Jacky Dragon
Around Victoria today, the soaring heat made it impssible to do much outside. It even seemed too hot for the cats to be bothered doing much, until Clio ran past us with something large dangling out of her mouth. My first view of the Jacky Dragon was the underside of the tail and one leg … Continue reading Jacky Dragon
Jetty Buddies: Pied Cormorant and White Faced Heron
I was fascinated to see two very different water birds sitting side by side on the jetty. A wader, the White Faced Heron has long yellow legs and a long sharp beak. It’s feathers are fluffy as they are not immersed in the water when the bird fishes. In contrast, the Pied Cormorant has short … Continue reading Jetty Buddies: Pied Cormorant and White Faced Heron
Swamp Wallaby
Our Christmas present this year is a photo of a Swamp Wallaby! We’ve sighted a #kangaroo or wallaby from a distance twice before, and have seen scratchings in the ground, so we knew they were around. However, like many Australian mamals, kangaroos and wallabies are nocturnal creatures. We owe this photo to an early clock-radio … Continue reading Swamp Wallaby
Crimson Rosella
We are lucky to have a small population of Crimson Rosella living on our property. They, along with the Galah’s, have been constant visitors to our bird feeder ever since we moved in. First to notice that we have put out seeds each day, they live in the trees near the house. When feeding, they … Continue reading Crimson Rosella
Fire Plans and Pumps
Recently, we’ve been to a few Community Fire Authorityn (CFA) information sessions. These sessions are aimed at ensuring property owners are aware that we are coming into the ‘fire season’. This is the time of year when, due to the combination of high heat and low humidity, vegetation is dry and bushfires are more likely … Continue reading Fire Plans and Pumps
Great Cormorant
We’ve had a few cormorants here before – the pied cormorant, and the little black cormorant – so when we saw this huge bird sitting on our jetty, we both exclaimed “What’s that!” and rushed for the Field Guide to Australian Birds. Turns out this is the Great Cormorant which can grow up to … Continue reading Great Cormorant
Taunting Kookaburras: Photographing our environment
Every night, just when the light is too low to capture them on film, I hear kookaburras laughing in the trees. It sounds like they are taunting me because try as I might, I simply can’t get a good photo of one. During the day, the kookaburras call from neighbouring properties, or the opposite end … Continue reading Taunting Kookaburras: Photographing our environment
Eastern Spinebill
A pair of Eastern Spinebills, also nectar feeders, can squeeze through the lattice fence into the fernery. Thankfully, this pair seems to have mastered the process of getting out of the cat enclosure as well as breaking into it. The cats don’t seem to have noticed their presence, which is a huge relief! … Continue reading Eastern Spinebill
Yellow-Faced Honeyeater
As I stood in the kitchen chopping food for lunch, I noticed frantic flapping in the cat enclosure. The trapped bird was a Yellow-Faced Honeyeater which must have come in through the lattice fence. Small birds are able to hop through the squares created by the lattice which forms the side wall of the fernery. … Continue reading Yellow-Faced Honeyeater
The Ballet of the Australian Wood Ducks
After the hot weather we received last week came s few storms. A dead tree was close enough to our house that, if was uprooted, it may crush the decking and lounge room, so we took preventative action and cut it down. The Australian Wood Ducks seem to have adopted the trunk as a stage … Continue reading The Ballet of the Australian Wood Ducks
Superb Fairy Wren Nest
When Richard walked underneath the trellis arch at the front of the house, he noted baby bird tweets. Careful inspection revealed a tiny Superb Fairy Wren nest Hidden in the bushy part of the climbing plant. Adult wrens were protesting loudly, but we did not touch the nest itself. I had been thinking about repacing … Continue reading Superb Fairy Wren Nest
White Necked Heron
The latest addition to the bird species list is the White Necked Heron. We have one drop in every now and again, but only for an hour or two at a time. The photos of the herron on the jetty were taken on a differnt day to the images of the heron wading in and … Continue reading White Necked Heron
Galah
Of all of the birds we have on our land, the Galah is probably my equal favourite, along with the Superb Fairy Wren and the Australian Wood Ducks. Compared with other parrots, it is not noisy or showy, but quietly goes about its business. We’ve had galah’s here ever since we bought the property – … Continue reading Galah
Long Billed Corella
Occasionally we have heard Corellas calling to each other as they fly overhead and once we saw a pair on a tree over out back fence, but until today, we had not actually seen one on our land. Today we had two Corella outside our study window, with three Galahs and a Crimson Rosella for … Continue reading Long Billed Corella
Waxlip Orchid (Glossodia major)
In mid-October we had a few Waxlip Orchids flowering. They seem to be solitary, just one here and there, but their beauty certainly captures my attention when I walk past one. I’m still a novice when it comes to native Australian wildflowers, so I rely heavily on references. The one I am using to identify … Continue reading Waxlip Orchid (Glossodia major)
Xanthorrhoea Minor
A number of the plants which I thought were native grasses, have developed large flowering spikes, but others have remained flower free. Keen to find out more about this, I consulted Denise Grieg’s excellent book ‘Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers‘ which I picked up last week. An excellent reference! According to Grieg, these plants are … Continue reading Xanthorrhoea Minor
Moth – Zygaenoidea Genus
A friend came to visit, and as I was showing her the wild flowers which grow near the dam when a flash of blue caught my eye. After a few seconds of following the low flying irridescent flashes of blue, a moth settled on the grass, and I was able to take these photographs. I … Continue reading Moth – Zygaenoidea Genus
Australian Wood Ducks 2 – Duckling Update
The family of Australian Wood Ducks spend much of their day on and around our dam, even though they built their nest under some scrubby bushes just over the fence into the neighbouring property. All eleven ducklings have survived and have their adult plumage. Although they are still adjusting to their wings, they can also … Continue reading Australian Wood Ducks 2 – Duckling Update
White Faced Heron
A solitary White Faced Heron has appeared this week. It waded around the edge of the dam, and seems to like feeding around the reeds growing in the water. It doesn’t stay for long – sometimes only a matter of minutes, sometimes about an hour. It is very elegant but rather shy – preferring to … Continue reading White Faced Heron
Ants Nests
The soil here is a sandy loam. This, combined with the lack of cultivation means it is a haven for ants. Thankfully, we don’t have ants in the house, nor do they seem to come into the cultivated back yard. Howeve, once we begin walking on the uncultivated bushland, there are anthills, or ant nests … Continue reading Ants Nests
Dragon Fly
Over the warmer weeks of Spring, I’ve been watching the Dragon fly’s skim over the surface of the dam. Sonetimes alone, and sometimes in a dance with a partner, they zoom from the reeds growing on the edge, to the shade beneath the jetty, circling around, and rising and falling through the air as they … Continue reading Dragon Fly
Native Shrubs in Flower
Dotted around the property are a number of flowering native shrubs which have been planted by previous owners. Many of these are just coming into flower, while others have interesting seed cases on display. I have not yet researched the specific plant names, so I have just posted the images without descriptions. Enjoy the photo … Continue reading Native Shrubs in Flower
Fifteen Acres 