Category: native Australian birds

Australia · autumn · floods · garden flowers · native Australian birds · poetry · rain

Flooding Rains

Joanne5 Comments

Tonight I heard on the news that it rained in every town throughout the state of New South Wales today. The whole of the eastern coast of the state, and towns further north into southern Queensland, are on alert for excessive rainfall and flooding.

While media alarmists cry out “climate change,” the realists among the press – and yes, fortunately, there are some realists remaining in Australian media circles – reminded viewers tonight of a famous poem, once taught to most school aged children. The poem, “My Country” by Dorothea Mackellar, written between 1904 and 1908, is a timely reminder of the predictable harshness of the climate in this country I call home.

“My Country” is a beautiful poem. It romantisises Australia, while at the same time emphasising the ruggedness and challenges of living in this land. The second verse of the six verse poem is the most famous and is the verse I am sharing today. The other five verses can be found on the Official Dorothea Mackellar website.

My Country

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

~~ Dorothea Mackellar.

Australia · autumn · clouds · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · Tweed Valley

A Break in the Clouds

Joanne6 Comments

My house and garden spent most of the morning in the clouds, with a slight easing of the thick mist by the afternoon. Later this afternoon, the clouds and mist broke, revealing a stunning deep blue mountain scene, surrounded by tufts of clouds both above and below.

I had a sweet baby butcher bird hiding from the dismal day on my back veranda for a while too. Unfortunately, with the light of the day so dark, little butch blends in a bit. Luckily his white feathers allow him to stand out slightly against the dark background. 🙂

Australia · autumn · mist · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · rain · Tweed Valley

Washed Clean

Joanne2 Comments

After heavy overnight rain, I hadn’t expected Mount Warning to look so clear this morning. When the view is as crystal-clear as it was today, it seems to have been washed clean by the rain.

Misty swirls lingered throughout the morning, very noticeable against the rich blue/grey/green colour of the ranges.

Also washed clean were the birds! This is a female magpie lark, or pee wee.

And this is one of two baby butcher birds I have visiting this year.

I particularly like this photo of Hoppy, sitting on my undercover clothes line – his preferred perch when he visits – with the morning sun glistening on raindrops caught in the purple tibouchina tree in the background. ❤