Tag: Trees

At Last – Autumn Has Arrived

It has been a long dry Summer this year.  I notice my last post was dated in October 2015, so I have missed telling you about the end of Spring and the entire Summer season. (Oops – sorry about that.) In Australia, the El Nino weather pattern meant a hot, dry Spring followed by an even … Continue reading At Last – Autumn Has Arrived

Catching Up

Most of the time,  confining this blog to what happens on our property of fifteen acres works well. There is certainly a lot to photograph and research.  Over the past year I have been doing many more things which take my focus away: involvement in the community and trying to progress my artwork being two major focal … Continue reading Catching Up

Fallen Branches

We had three days of high gusty winds last week, resulting in several fallen branches.  Some of these limbs looked like like small trees, towering over my head while laying on their side.  The largest of them fell across a fence but thankfully it didn’t cause any lasting damage.  When the weight was removed, the fence was … Continue reading Fallen Branches

Drooping Mistletoe (Amyema pendula)

For many years I have wanted to have a red flowering eucalypt, so when I spotted what appeared to be red flowers on the ground, I got excited – only to work out that I have a red flowering Mistletoe.  The Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which attaches to eucalypts and sometimes acacia trees.  The … Continue reading Drooping Mistletoe (Amyema pendula)

Ornamental Plum Blossom

We have so many eucalypts and native plants with unobtrusive flowers,  it feels fantastic when the ornamental plum tree is in full blossom.   A real burst of colour which attracts both birds and insects. This week, two Red Wattle Birds have been feeding from the blossoms every day.  I’ll post the bird photos tomorrow.  Today I … Continue reading Ornamental Plum Blossom

Mind Shifting Moments 2: Art

Photography has always called me, but until we moved here, I really had no time to learn any photographic skills.  I would simply take snapshots, usually of family, friends and pets. The first photographs I took on this property were snapshots too.  A quick, unthinking capture of  a bird or plant for identification.  Sometimes I … Continue reading Mind Shifting Moments 2: Art

Regrowth Forest

In Australia, regrowth forest has been in the news recently. Our conservative Government requested that an area of regrowth forest be removed from the World Heritage listing.  Thankfully the request was refused because this regrowth is  part of a beautiful old growth forest in Tasmania. Over the last few weeks, when I ventured into areas of local … Continue reading Regrowth Forest

Mind Shifting Moments 1: Ecosystem

As we approach the two-year mark, I want to document some of the ‘mind shifting’ moments that have occurred since we moved in.  I think I am substantially a different woman from the one who lived in the centre of the city two years ago.  The topic I have selected for this first post is Ecosystem … Continue reading Mind Shifting Moments 1: Ecosystem

A Fallen Acacia

In Summer, one of our Acacia trees snapped its trunk about five feet off the ground.  The colour of the bark and exposed timber against the dry grasses, and the shape of the branches kept drawing my attention.  Today, as I was scrolling through some old photographs, I came across this one. I like this … Continue reading A Fallen Acacia

Bird Attracting Tree

Near the house, a previous owner has planted a row of native trees that are not necessarily native to our area, but which are both beautiful and bird attracting.  Today I am going to write about the second smallest of these trees, which I am pretty sure is a Paperbark, but I can’t identify exactly which … Continue reading Bird Attracting Tree

Flowering Eucalyptus Trees (and the seed for leaf exchange)

A few days ago I wrote about the sole Corella flying with the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.  Since then, we’ve had small flocks of Corella landing in our trees.  This is not common.  While the Cockatoos do chew through twigs, sending a bunch of leaves falling to the ground, the Corella are much messier.  They seem … Continue reading Flowering Eucalyptus Trees (and the seed for leaf exchange)

My Favourite Tree

This tree is central to the view we have when we look out the window from the main rooms in the house.  Each day the light is different, and each day the fork I have photographed looks slightly different in colour.  It never fails to interest me.  I have lost count of the number of … Continue reading My Favourite Tree

An Eerie Light

Last week we experienced a heat wave in Victoria, with highest-ever temperatures being recorded in some locations.  The intense heat led to many fires across the entire State, resulting in a smoke-filled atmosphere.  Fanned by strong wind, the smoke drifted for hundreds of kilometers.  For a few hours on Friday afternoon, while it drifted across … Continue reading An Eerie Light

Light and Shade

The texture and colour of bark continues to fascinate me. Often the colour of the bark on a single tree can change, depending on the time of day, whether it is sunny or shady, and how intense the light is on a particular day.  I love the contrast in colour and texture in this shot, … Continue reading Light and Shade

Tree Angles

Over the past month we’ve had some days of very high wind.  This took a toll on some of our trees, but mainly with branches falling.  These old Wattles were already dead, and some of them had already snapped off, but we had a few more snap recently. I like the effect of all of … Continue reading Tree Angles

Birds in Spring: Nest Hunting

Two of the trees we can see from the house have hollows in the trunk – just about right for nesting birds. Over this first week of Spring, I’ve noticed a flurry of activity as pairs of birds try to find the perfect nest.  It reminds me of house hunting.  The birds will land close … Continue reading Birds in Spring: Nest Hunting

Daily Prompt: Journey – My Morning Walk

I’ve discovered the WordPress blog ‘The Daily Post’ which offers challenges to bloggers.  Today’s challenge is to photograph or write about a journey. I won’t do this every day, but today I was inspired to get out and capture the journey I take every day around our property, including the things I look for each … Continue reading Daily Prompt: Journey – My Morning Walk

Crackle Crackle…. Plop!

Crackle crackle… plop!  Crackle crackle…. plop!   This is the sound I heard around me this morning on my walk.  It is a still day, and I have heard the same sound on other still days.  Having investigated the noise about a month ago, I recognise it immediately  and smile to myself.  This is the sound … Continue reading Crackle Crackle…. Plop!

Bushland Colours and Textures

Last weekend, we had a family gathering, including two guests from England.  As we walked around the bushland at the back of our property, it began raining.  The rich red colours of the bark were so striking when wet, it grabbed our attention.  The artistic side of our brains began thinking of things to do … Continue reading Bushland Colours and Textures

Arhodia lasiocamparia

I’m starting to look more closely at leaves, bark and buds in an attempt to work out the precise mix of tree species on our land.  Often it is clear that something has been munching on the leaves and if so, I am beginning to look for caterpillars and larvae.  There are still so many … Continue reading Arhodia lasiocamparia

Hot Northerlies, Cooling Southerlies, and Rough-Barked Trees

Over Summer, we’re forever monitoring the wind direction. This is new for us.  Living in the city, we monitored temperature throughout the day, but wind direction was just a vague acknowledgement that  North Winds were hot, and South Winds were refreshing and cool. Also, when the Southerlies came in on the back of a hot … Continue reading Hot Northerlies, Cooling Southerlies, and Rough-Barked Trees