BORDERS ARE OPEN!!

GREAT NEWS that the borders are open and mandatory mask wearing in Victoria is a thing  of the past.  I'm heading off down south tomorrow and can't wait to hit the road.

Meanwhile it's been wildlife central around here over the weekend, dinner at Sam and Di's and a sleepover at Derek and Sue's meant i was introduced to new birds at their houses. Zebra finches at Di's, i love these little birds and it's the first time i've seen one in the wild.

then at Sue and Derek's the sparrowhawk is nesting up in their box tree, a splendid specimen that has all the small birds nervously making lots of noise.   These hawks are such efficient killers.

Then there was the grey shrike thrush baby up high in their garage, the nest precariously balanced across a corner ledge

On the way home the lock looked beautiful, yesterday was a very hot day but really still so the reflections were perfect for some photos. 

As i drove through the gate yesterday i had to stop to clear the stumpy from the driveway - he was not impressed

Love these funny little fellas

the kingfishers came to visit down on the riverbank

BABY BIRDS

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE  to watch this family of white-plumed honeyeaters for 10 days, from early feeding to fully fledged.  The parents worked so hard, protecting the pretty ball shaped nest from large birds like ravens and kites, constantly bringing food and standing guard. 

The nest was visible from the couch so i was constantly running out with the camera, or simply watching through the window with the zoom lens.   The night after the chicks ventured out onto a branch was a wild windy night after a 40 deg day so i'm watching to see if they're still around.   Nature is tough.

A WARM WEEK

WEATHER'S BEEN IN THE 30's this week - too hot to do much outside after mid morning.  just keeping things watered, and spending time indoors.  yesterday i had a trip to mildura for some birthday shopping. 

Fabulous clouds due to expected (disappointing) rain

TWO BARBECUES -  at last i had a long-planned bbq to thank sam and justin for their kindness and hard work demolishing my bungalow.  i cooked and cleaned up the house and yard for three days and made mum's chocolate cake and gail's festive icecream.  and cooked enough food for twenty people rather than seven.  but it was a good night and perfect weather for sitting out on the riverbank.

two days later i had another barbie with sue and derek to polish off what was left.   another beautiful night, these warm days end in lovely evenings and the river looks spectacular

ACTIVITY HERE IS BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS

Flirting, nesting, fledging and chasing off predators.  the goanna was lurking quietly in a tree the other day watching young spiny cheeked honeyeaters that had just fledged, they flapped around in amongst the branches, landing on the ground in a mess then taking off again. all the while the goanna was high up lying on a branch, watching and waiting.  i threw a few things up to try and scare it off but in the end i went inside, too stressful.   one of the young birds flew into the climbing rose and frightened a young baby blackbird out of its nest. it plopped on the ground and ran and fluttered off when i tried to throw my shirt over it to put it back.  i'm not sure it was ready to fly and don't know what happened to it.   

baby blackbird

jolted out of

its nest 

The white-plumed honeyeaters have at least two babies in their nest which is suspended in fine branches high above the front lawn. i can

watch them from the couch and they're so busy, constantly coming and going and chasing off birds as big as ravens - and every other bird that flies within 10m of the nest

A BLUE MOON this month, beautiful as always

GIN & TONIC

IN THE IGA yesterday, the specials trolley had a can of G&T in it. It was a Fossey's can with my artwork for desert lime blossoms on it. In the middle of a busy cooking day, cake and ice cream for saturday's bbq, i sat on the riverbank and enjoyed a cold g&t. 

BORDER OPENING!!!

HOORAY!!   Gladys Berijiklian is opening up the NSW/Victoria border on nov 23.   i'll be down to Melbourne like a shot to pick up this little possum for a huge long cuddle and visit sunny and luke in their new apartment.

moving day -

Lucky Mick and Bernie spent a whole day looking after Etta

 while Sunny and Luke did the

big move

ren and family have been enjoying some good weekends 

away, this time in what looks like a national park

MELBOURNE CUP  - run this year with no spectators, but for me it

was situation normal, following the afternoon on the telly

 

 FRAN AND I have done a lot of different things this week, besides lots of telly watching and knitting during the unseasonally chilly grey wet days earlier in the week.   Our original plans were thrown last Sunday when mike became unwell and was taken off to Mildura Base Hospital for covid tests and diagnosis.   So difficult in these times of border controls, it was an effort for Fran to find out how we could get him back over the border from Victoria to here, and fran couldn't visit for the same reason.

The week - i've always meant to go down Fletchers Lake Rd so finally we drove down and had a wander, discovering tiny flowering native plants, lots of new growth everywhere after the rains. 

SUNRISE AND SUNSETS have been spectacular because of the weather, plenty of cloud around to capture the colour

CRESTED PIGEONS have had babies, they're so funny as they 

chase the parents around the yard, they're relentless :0)

                           BIG BABY DARTER  - just look at 

                            those feet and below, how they can

                            grab onto the branch

ECO DYEING WORKSHOP,  fran and i raided the garden for leaves and made a concertina book and a woollen wall hanging

FULL MOON - gorgeous as ever

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL MORNING

SUNDAY  - FAREWELL FRAN & MIKE     after a week in hospital in mildura mike arrived back, rested and a lot better than when we saw him off in an ambulance last sunday. Now heading home to rest  

and recuperate

around the garden    (there's a blackbird nest up in that tangle)