Tag: pee wee

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. ❤

Australia · clouds · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · subtropical weather · summer · sunrise · Tweed Valley

A Beautiful Summer’s Morning

Joanne4 Comments

The sky had the slightest tinge of pink early this morning, (although it doesn’t show up in the photo) and as the day progressed and the low cloud cleared, Mount Warning stood beautiful and clear in all her blue-green glory. I must be growing used to seeing clouds over the mountain though, as I chose this photo over clearer sky photos I took later in the day due to the character clouds add to the early morning sky.

Joining me to enjoy the early morning view from the tibouchina tree was my little Butcher Bird friend, Hoppy (of gammy leg fame) …

… and joining Hoppy was one of the two new additions to the Butcher Bird family this year.

While I was eating breakfast, I heard the sound of something we don’t hear a lot of now in these covid days – a ‘plane. And I knew from the whiring of the ‘plane’s engine that this was not a passenger ‘plane. It was here to fly over the valley and dust the crops. I had to zoom in fully to take the photo, and the photo is severely cropped, but at least the ‘plane is in focus. 🙂

When I turned around from taking the photo of the crop-dusting ‘plane, I spotted Bubba Magpie. I’m not sure if he dropped by to say hello, or seeing my camera he decided to pose. Either way, the sun shining on his still-downie baby feathers lit up the black and white pattern which will progressively turn shiny black as he matures.

I have decided these two are an item now, so I will introduce them as Mr and Mrs Pee Wee. Although she is the newest addition to my regular feathered visitors, Mrs, on the left, seems quite dominent, and doesn’t hesitate to come right up close to me when I am feeding the birds their breakfast.

The weather felt warmer in temperature today than it has been, but the lower humidity made the warmth of the day very pleasant indeed.

I could get used to summer if every day felt as beautiful as today. ❤

Australia · clouds · garden flowers · gardening · in my garden · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · rain · seasons · summer · sunrise · Tweed Valley

Monday Morning Mist

Joanne6 Comments

This morning I awoke to the most beautiful sight in the valley.

After another warm day yesterday, we had an unexpected downpour of rain late last night, nothing major, but it seems the moisture combined with the heat was enough to give the valley an “other worldly” appearance this morning.

While I was outside admiring the valley mist in the early morning light, a female Pee Wee came by. I have four regular Pee Wee visitors these days – two males and two females.

Even though drizzly rain continued all morning, there was something special about the light today. I played around taking photos for a while from my front patio, and one of my favourites was of my white miniature rose. A couple of weeks ago, the plant looked a tad frazzled, but since the days have been cooler, it seems to have had a new surge in growth.

Like the miniature rose bush, the cooler and calmer summer’s days we’ve had recently have given my Tibouchina tree a new lease on life too.

This summer, I am basking in the glory of cooler-than-usual days and nights, which have allowed me to spend more time in the garden than usual this summer. If every summer could be this agreeable, I’d be a very happy all-year-round gardener. 🙂

Australia · clouds · garden flowers · in my garden · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · native Australian plants · rain · summer · Tweed Valley

More rain …

Joanne4 Comments

When the rain bucketed down at 7am this morning, there was no sign of Mount Warning. Ignoring the inclement weather, two little Magpie Larks, or Pee Wees as they are affectionately called in Australia, arrived first for breakfast at my back door.

The first photo is a little lady pee wee, with verticle lines of black feathers through both eyes, and white around her beak.

Nearby, another pee wee waited, a male, with a horizontal black “mask” across his eyes, and more black feathers around his beak than his little lady friend. My photos would have been clearer if it wasn’t for the dreary weather, but with such shy flitting birds, I take what I can get.

Later in the afternoon, the mountain appeared from behind the veil of clouds which had hidden it all day.

For days now, I have been trying to take a photo of the new Lilly pilly flowers appearing on some of my potted plants. They will eventually form a hedge in the garden, but for now, I am keeping them near to the house where they can be watered every day – manually, with a hose, (was the plan) although I have rarely used the hose this summer due to our excessive rainfall! Lilly pillys are usually very hotogenic flowers, except on dull days, apparently. I will persevere though. They are very pretty Australian natives and I would like to document their growth more extensively, besides showing off their beauty. 🙂

 

Australia · blessings · in my garden · In My World · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · rain · summer · sunset · Tweed Valley

Something to Sing About.

Joanne4 Comments

When the day began – again – with rain and mist, I expected another day of nothing interesting to take a photo of. It’s a wonder the poor kookaburra could even find its way to my garden this morning through the thick mist that hung about in the valley until around 9am.

Mr. Pee Wee, seen this morning singing a happy song while tightrope walking along the slippery glass balustrade.

By midday though, the valley had cleared and the sun was shining. I rushed outside to take a photo while I had the opportunity to get a beautiful clear photo of the mountain.

By mid-afternoon, the change in weather seemed to have infected the birds with happiness! Mr. and Mrs. Pee Wee splashed around the birdbath in my front garden, although I couldn’t get close enough to quietly take a photo of them. Meanwhile, a baby Butcher Bird chortled away in the Tibouchina tree just outside my front door.

Even when I snuck outside the door to say hello, the sweet little thing didn’t miss a note. This little beauty is welcome to sing outside my front door any time he likes. 🙂

Just when I thought the day couldn’t look any more beautiful, the sky put on a pretty burnt yellow sunset show, nothing eye-popping, just a subtle show of laid-back beauty. 🙂