We are a competitive lot in the Blue Mountains of NSW. At a Blackheath outdoor pool, this little silvereye was training for the 20cm breaststroke event, and yes, struggling a bit. Keep that head up Mate! Oh the relief to get to the end! And an encouraging
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There was initially some reluctance on the part of our Wonga twins to attend nursery school in the garden. That nest high in the conifer was so snug and secure. The pair hatched in August and by mid September one parent was offering encouragement from an adjacent
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What an unusually high temperature we had on Thursday. Even the breeze was warm. Maybe it doesn’t bode well for summer, but I did revel in it, and so did the crimson rosellas. Time to get out and about, much as I appreciate the delights of home.
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My partner Rob and I headed west to the historic New South Wales village of Hartley in the days before Covid. We wanted to visit the Talisman Gallery, in the hope of finding an iron sculpture for a eucalypt tree stump in our garden. I had in
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AUGUST 2020 AND THE WONGAS ARE STILL IN BREEDING OVERDRIVE. I BLAME COVID-19; THEY MUST FEEL THE NEED TO INCREASE THEIR NUMBERS IN CASE OF CROSS-SPECIES INFECTION. After producing two single chicks over a Blue Mountains winter (yes, I did tell them it wasn’t the right season)
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Did you ever have a tawny frogmouth take up residence in your garden? What a strange but lovely creature. Never steals your fruit and scarcely makes a sound. He is certainly imposing when he wakes up at dusk and prepares to go hunting. Look out lizards and
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Recently, Marney Daniel posted on the Blue Mountains Community FB site that a sulphur crested cockatoo had stolen a bag of pegs from her clothes line. She was from further ‘down the hill’ at Glenbrook. Marney apologized if the pegs were littering someone’s backyard, and asked everyone
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Warwick and Wendy Wonga from Blackheath have been using a rustic wooden ‘courting seat’ in my garden for quite a few years. These Australian native pigeons are monogamous, and mate for life. Unfortunately, their seat has begun to show signs of wear and tear. Well, they do
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June the Wonga chick was hatched completely out of season, here in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. It hasn’t been easy for the dear little one, with rain, sleet and heavy frosts to contend with. I call June ‘her‘ even though I don’t really know if that’s
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The Wattle Cafe, on the Great Western Highway at Blackheath, has been around since the 1940s. My Blackheath born friend Larraine tells me they used to serve hot milkshakes, which had to be drunk quickly, before the straw melted. It is such a warm sanctuary on a
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