December 2018

2018 is done and gone.  May you all have a wonderful 2019.


This is a Willie Wagtail getting very excited at me as its nest was about a metre above my head.  Our two dogs were sniffing around in the bushes nearby.

Cranky Willie

One of my occasional morning dog walk locations is in McKellar (suburb in Belconnen, ACT) where there are the remains of an early homestead.  A lot of European trees are planted along a minor tributary of Ginninderra Creek.

Esme following a scent.

Dense stand of trees

 On one of my morning walks, I was fortunate enough to spot four Superb Parrots fly into some seeding wattles.  Three were in dense cover, but this one was more interested in the available seed.

Superb Parrot

Garden Shrub (in flower)

 After an extended dry period where Ginninderra Creek stopped flowing, we had three or four days of heavy rain.

Ginninderra Creek looking towards a rock bar

Ginninderra Creek just breaking its banks

The dry tributary at McKellar also held water

During the month we also drove up into the Snowy Mountains to Three Mile Dam to check out the wildflower situation.  Lots of shrubs in bloom, but we were too early for the wildflowers.

Near Orroral Valley, looking towards the Brindabellas

Flowering shrubs in Namadgi National Park

Snow Gum trunk and bark

Snow Gums, flowering shrubs and Three Mile Dam

Flower covered hillside

Delaney's Hut

 Early morning walk, Ginninderra Creek had settled back to its normal flow .

Ginninderra Creek

This year has been great for our Kangaroo Paws in the garden.

Kangaroo Paw

Pipit on a post.

This last shot is a tree I have been watching as the bark slowly dries out and hangs down like long ribbons.

Shedding

November 2018

Christmas is nearly with us, so I wish everyone a wonderful time.

The three young Frogmouths successfully fledged and set off to explore the world with their parents.  Hoping to see the adults return sometime in the New Year.

Three hatchlings watching me

Disinterested Dad with the three fledglings

Have a number of Kangaroo Paws in the garden this year - all doing well.  Will plant more next year.

One of our proteas did not survive winter but another did.  This is its first bloom.

Crimson Rosella bathing in the creek

Rainbow Lorikeet with the bottlebrush

Christmas cactus bloomed very well this year

Morning light through the trees

Rufous Whistler (I could hear him every morning, but only found him once)

Spent a few days at Tuross Heads - a low formed off the coast, dust storms hit Canberra and the weather was 'not the best'.

Surf at Tuross

This helped to rinse the dust out of the throat though

Plantation Point beach

Pied Oystercatcher standing back from the surf

White-headed pigeon visited one morning

One Tree Point - Tuross Heads

Tuross Heads from the drone

Dry, dry, dry.....

The Tawny Frogmouths hatched on or about 10 October, but our first view of junior was on 15 October.

First view of junior(s)

At the end of the month Dad is off the nest.   When they were small, we counted three youngsters, but with the crowding in the nest, we are having trouble deciding if two or all three survived.

Now Dad is outside the nest

Kookaburras (nest hollow nearby)

Catkins in the morning light

Gibraltar Falls

Need RAIN

Black Cormorant at the creek

Looking towards the Brindabellas

Crimson Rosella

Flag Iris

Calothamnus - loved by the Wattle Birds

Tharwa Bridge

Looks Green from the ground level

Green drought

Large Eucalypt

Granite outcrop along the creek

Home garden flowers

White-breasted Sea Eagle at Burrinjuck

Kangaroo Paws in the garden

For Halloween challenge I submitted a Ljubljiana Dragon brought to life, and a view of the convict cells on Cockatoo Island.

Can you see the witch in the window?