A chilly day – a chilly night – where did summer go?
I’m a tad weary after a busy week, so going to bed to read and keep warm. 🙂
Month: December 2020
A Visit from Larry.
I must confess to having an addiction ~ I simply can’t resist taking photos of kookaburras. My addiction began many years ago when I met my first tame kookaburra, who I named Larry.
When I saw this beautiful boy atop my clothesline this morning I first took a photo from afar. Until I approach a kookaburra, I am never sure whether they are tame or shy. Kookaburras with both characteristics visit my garden these days.
Recently, I have noticed several kookaburras have become more trusting, and allow me to hand feed them. This has created something of a dilemma for me, as once upon a time I had just my one tame bird, Larry. I recognised this bird just after I approached him and spoke to him though ~ it was faithful old Larry. While the other tame birds view me with caution, Larry is cool. Nothing phases Larry. Nothing phased this bird.
When I wanted to walk past the clothesline to take a photo of Mount Warning, I politely told him not to be afraid, I just wanted to take a photo. He calmly looked at me without even so much as flinching. That confirmed it was Larry.
When we heard the distance chorus of kookaburra laughter, Larry became alert. He stopped and listened, and I felt sure he would fly away to investigate the commotion. Instead, he shook himself, and fluffed up his feathers.
Larry looked this way and that, listening, completely ignoring me clicking away with my camera directly beneath where he sat.
With his feathers fluffed up, Larry shook out a wing, as if to fly away, but instead he stayed. His stance shows the expanse of his wing, and the brown and beige stripes running the length of his tail. They are magnificent birds.
I could not believe the change in his feathers! I have seen kookaburras fluffed up against the cold before, but this was the first time I have seen it closely, and in warm weather. Their individual feathers are surprisingly fine and delicate for such a robust bird.
Larry had been the perfect model for me, so definitely deserved a reward. 🙂
When he saw the food, Larry flew down to the fence to eat. He may have had to share his reward with a fly – it’s there if you look closely – then with a full belly and flattened feathers, off he flew to parts unknown. ❤
Wordless Wednesday
Another (Different) Sunset
During our recent hot, humid, hazy weather, I have noticed that the best time of day to take photos of the valley is either first thing in the morning – before the valley begins to look hazy – or later in the day – after the haze has been burnt off and replaced by a sunset. Caught up as I am in the mornings though, feeding both my domestic menagerie and the local birds, (oh, and myself!) I tend to forget to take photos of the mountain in the morning. When the camera is out, it’s to take photos of my feathered visitors, such as this friendly kookaburra, sitting right beside my window.
Hmm, I wonder if that stare is a method of emotional blackmail for more food? 😉
Tonight, although it is yet another sunset photo, at least it’s a differently coloured sunset than last night. And I will try to remember to take a morning photo tomorrow. 🙂
December Storms
Before 7:00am this morning I had a kookaburra waiting outside my kitchen window for breakfast. Husband left for work early, so my day began about an hour earlier. I had already given the pot plants a watering and finished a few chores around the house when kookie arrived, and when I went out with his meat, the magpie family arrived too.
Moments after I went outside, there was a huge thunderclap in the valley, and a few spits of rain suggested an approaching storm. A quick downfall, accompanied by several more loud crack of nearby thunder though, and it was all over.
By 9:00am, I was heading out to spend a few hours Christmas shopping with my daughter. We had a lovely morning, and met up with my other daughter and her two-year-old, Aurora, for morning tea. Aurora’s other Nana joined us for coffee as well, and met my baby grandson, Eli, for the first time.
I may have finished my Christmas shopping now. Hopefully I have, as the only reason I want to go to the shops now is to buy food.
Later this afternoon, the threatened morning storm arrived in earnest, with thunder, and heavy rain. After the storm passed, husband checked the rain guage, and found that we’d had 20ml. of rain in about half an hour.
I hadn’t expected any amazing sunset colour-show in the valley after seeing the amount of white mist that had rolled in with the storm. Half way through cooking dinner though, this is what I saw –
The sky lit up in orange-red hues, the mist had disappeared, and the valley made her magical early evening offering yet again. ❤
In My World 