Grow Through...

Grow through

What you go through.

A Striated Pardalote....

A striated pardalote was having a feast on some insects in a small hole on the front of the house.

Not wishing to disturb him from his mission I kept a safe distance to watch his antics.

I did wonder for a moment if he was building a nest, however after he flew off I couldn't see anything inside the hollow.

Also known as Pickwick, Wittachew and Chip-Chips they are stunning little birds.

I see them in the garden quite frequently, but as with a lot of the other birds that frequent the garden they normally appear when I do not have my camera handy......

A Cheeky.....

A cheeky little Willie Wagtail follows me through the garden, constantly swishing his tail from side to side as he chirrups away.

 

The largest of Australia's fantails and because of their non stop wagging sideways they have become affectionately known as Willie Wagtails.

 

These are cheeky little critters, they will purposely tease cats often driving the unsuspecting feline to despair as the nimble wagtail is forever out of their reach dive bombing the cat and then in an instant out of the cats reach again.

I often catch glimpses of them harassing other larger birds too, annoying them until they fly off and the Wagtail has the garden back to himself.

They defend their territory actively and often nest around houses as they do not seem to be terribly worried about humans.

 

This one scurries along in front of me forever chirping, often darting up to a branch to watch what I am doing, maybe I will disturb a nest of insects whilst I am pottering in the garden, giving him a tasty treat, or perhaps he just likes to keep an eye on what I am up to.

Although occasionally I have the feeling I am being told off as his calls can take on a scolding nature.

 

 

Hoping this one finds a mate and nests in the garden this year, and like many other tiny birds who dwell within the garden will bring the young to feed and investigate the foliage and flowers so I can sit quietly and watch the splendour of nature and the private family moments I have been blessed to witness.... 

 

 

 



Once Upon A Time....

 Once upon a time there lived a little girl who dreamed of leaving the city and finding a magical cottage surrounded by a forest where she could live encircled by nature and animals away from the destruction, materialism and loneliness of the human cities.

 

The little girl was sad and alone and she did not understand why people did not see the magnificence around them, and she knew that if not for the gifts that nature bestowed upon her she would have surely never known what love was.

 

She spent hours alone watching as she walked through nature and always seeing something wondrous and was always in awe of the opening of a single flower.

 

She did not understand why no one in her life understood the amazement being in nature gave her.

 

She spent time with her  beloved animal companions in preference to humans as they understood her more and gave to her love so pure it  could make her cry with joy.

 

As the girl grew this dream never left her, yet she was taken down many different paths that would one day lead her to a special little place where she would one day create her own tiny forest surrounding a very small wooden cottage.

 

The cottage when she found it was barren and unkept void of love and life, but the girl had a vision.

 

As the years progressed the girl slowly created and nurtured a space where she could once again feel the magic of nature away from a world she does not understand nor particularly like.

 

She now has a  place where chickens roam free, where birds sing and frolic and flowers bloom in abundance and cat's purr in contentment.

 

The girl might not live in the gigantic forest she always dreamed about but she has created a private sanctuary that despite it's size is giving her all her heart ever wished for...…...

 

Flashback.....

 Flashback to a little corella couple who started visiting the garden in October 2014

 

My Garden..

 My garden offers me so many rare and private moments with the bird folk who visit.

Richness is not about money.

It's about the stolen moments of pure love.....

Very Excited....

 

 Very excited to find the first ever flower on my eucalyptus melliodora (yellow box).

 

She has been in the garden since 2016 and has never produced any flowers before, standing on a ladder I was able to get a clear shot of this first beautiful bloom.

 

Taking another photo aiming upwards she still towered over me, she will grow to a height of around 30metres.

 

The canopy of the tree is absolutely covered in buds just waiting for the moment when they will all push the caps off and open.

 

The yellow box is the considered to be the best native for honey production so I am expecting an invasion of bees and honeyeaters when she is in full flower.

 

 

I am told that the flowers are also very fragrant smelling of honey.
The tiny honey ants are already harvesting the nectar from this one lone flower, I am also looking forward to seeing how many birds she will entice into the garden.
 

Have to say I am looking forward to seeing her blossoming in her full glory and having the intoxicating aroma of honey settling over the garden.... 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Cricket...

Charlie Cricket arrived mid January being company for his grieving sister Miss Bear.

 

After Spirit Cat passed she went into a deep depression and given that I work long hours she was not coping with life on her own.

 

I was going to look at Charlie Crickets brother, as the owners were not keen on me even seeing Charlie Cricket.

He had been attacked two weeks prior to my visit, I suspect by a dog.

Little Charlie was lucky to be alive.

 

Having been passed his brother by the owners it was by mutual understanding that he was not for me.

 

Charlie Cricket sat by my feet covered in blood and just stared up at me.

 

As I looked at him I was not sure I wanted to pick him up, much less take him on, he had bite marks all over his back and his face, yet as I bent over to pick him up the bond was sealed instantly.

 

The owners were amazed at how Charlie Cricket went straight to my neck, snuggled around it and proceeded to go to sleep, he never moved until I was ready to leave.

 

The owners were astounded as he had never done this to any member of their family and agreed he had chosen me.

 

Actually I believe we had chosen each other, it was simply meant to be.

 

Once home I washed him immediately as he was I discovered covered in fleas and I did not want Miss Bear getting any.

After his bath and tending to his wounds we spent the next couple of hours getting to know each other whilst Miss Bear came to have a look at him from time to time.

 

Funny thing was that it wasn't until I had settled down with Charlie Cricket that I realised I had once again a black cat and a ginger one, same as last time when I found Spirit Cat and adopted Pixie, have to wonder if in awhile a fluffy white and black cat shows up.

 

Having these two energetic playful souls has helped me deal with the grief of loosing Spirit, Pixie and Tarmie, so once again my home is filled with loveable fur kids, because all I need is love and my cats.....

 

 

 

 

Love...

Found this Kite.....

 Found this kite at the local refuge station, unused and waiting for a home I scoop it up and brought it home thinking that it will bring a touch of playfulness to the garden.

 

Now all that is left to do is to find the perfect place for it to fly...…

 

And Then....

And then the family arrived!

 

 And a state of rowdy disorder took over the usual serenity of  the my normally peaceful back yard.

 

With the intensity of their screeching I had to laugh as this crackle of corellas relaxed and played.

 

 I just sat and watched surrounded by them, smiling as I realised how blessed I am to have such a large family of wild birds come to my garden with their babies to take some water and carry on with their hilarious antics for an hour or so.

 

Magical it certainly was...…..