234507✽
Our darling Kookaburras have returned! The parent birds have taken up residence in our gum tree - which is a metre away from our back deck. I just love Springtime here in Newcastle, all the blossoms are out and the air is full of Jasmine, Jacaranda and Wisteria. I've also got Sweet peas, Purple Petunias, White Gauras (Butterfly plant) and Lavender in bloom. George and Grace (my weeping Grevilleas) have their red flowers out all over the bushes and there is a Yellow climbing rose on the front of our home which is called Golden Showers and it smells divine. Love to you all, Chris
1. Kookaburra feeding his mate a worm.
2. Kookaburras in back reserve tree.
3. Female Kookaburra sitting on our back deck.
3 images:
[1]
[2]
[3]
Comments (17)
169064✽
I am so glad they are back. I so enjoy their story each spring.
1 comment
Hi Karen, I so look forward to this dear pair coming back. They mate for life! They can live up to 20 years and we've been in this house for 12 - so hope to see a few batches of baby Kookaburras for a long time yet. I haven't gone up the ladder yet to see how many eggs there are, but maybe when we come back on Sunday (off to the Hunter Valley tomorrow to visit some friends and watch the grand final of the Australian rules football on their big TV). The grand final is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, affectionately known as the MCG. Once the footy season is over they get it ready for the CRICKET yeah! Love Chris
111390✽
Neat to watch mother nature. ! Glad they are back! Suzanne
1 comment
Hi Suzanne, I can't wait to check the nest out and see how many eggs there are. Love Chris
158718✽
I've been waiting for their return!
1 comment
I knew you were! Love Chris
145791✽
Likei Jerrilyn I have been waiting for your pictures of their return. It's almost like I have them here Chris. I do so look forward to hearing of their return ea. yr./Lillian
1 comment
Thanks Lillian, we are so lucky that they have chosen our gum tree and I too love awaiting their return. Love Chris
318555✽
by
dragonflyer
26 Sep 2014
+4✽
...kind of like the swallows returning every year to Capistrano, California...but better!
2 comments
When I read your comment Kim my immediate thought went to my childhood where I heard a poem by D.H. Lawrence called Bat. The bats in the poem are a species called Pipistrello and they fly under the Ponte Vecchio which is a magnificent bridge in Florence over the River Arno. It was a place I've always wanted to see. So I was very happy when Trevor and I visited it 6 years ago. All of the shops on there were owned by Jewellers and or Gold merchants.
Here is the poem -
Bat
By D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
At evening, sitting on this terrace,
When the sun from the west, beyond Pisa, beyond the mountains of Carrara departs, and the world is taken by surprise ...
When the tired flower of Florence is in gloom beneath the glowing brown hills surrounding ...
When under the arches of the Ponte Vecchio
A green light enters against stream, flush from the west,
Against the current of obscure Arno ...
Look up, and you see things flying
Between the day and the night;
Swallows with spools of dark thread sewing the shadows together.
A circle swoop, and a quick parabola under the bridge arches where light pushes through;
A sudden turning upon itself of a thing in the air.
A dip to the water.
And you think:
"The swallows are flying so late!"
Swallows?
Dark air-life looping
Yet missing the pure loop ...
A twitch, a twitter, an elastic shudder in flight
And serrated wings against the sky,
Like a glove, a black glove thrown up at the light,
And falling back.
Never swallows!
Bats!
The swallows are gone.
At a wavering instant the swallows gave way to bats
By the Ponte Vecchio ...
Changing guard.
Bats, and an uneasy creeping in one's scalp
As the bats swoop overhead!
Flying madly.
Pipistrello!
Black piper on an infinitesimal pipe.
Little lumps that fly in air and have voices indefinite, wildly vindictive;
Wings like bits of umbrella.
Bats!
Creatures that hang themselves up like an old rag, to sleep; And disgustingly upside down.
Hanging upside down like rows of disgusting old rags
And grinning in their sleep. Bats!
In China the bat is symbol for happiness.
Not for me!
Here is the poem -
Bat
By D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
At evening, sitting on this terrace,
When the sun from the west, beyond Pisa, beyond the mountains of Carrara departs, and the world is taken by surprise ...
When the tired flower of Florence is in gloom beneath the glowing brown hills surrounding ...
When under the arches of the Ponte Vecchio
A green light enters against stream, flush from the west,
Against the current of obscure Arno ...
Look up, and you see things flying
Between the day and the night;
Swallows with spools of dark thread sewing the shadows together.
A circle swoop, and a quick parabola under the bridge arches where light pushes through;
A sudden turning upon itself of a thing in the air.
A dip to the water.
And you think:
"The swallows are flying so late!"
Swallows?
Dark air-life looping
Yet missing the pure loop ...
A twitch, a twitter, an elastic shudder in flight
And serrated wings against the sky,
Like a glove, a black glove thrown up at the light,
And falling back.
Never swallows!
Bats!
The swallows are gone.
At a wavering instant the swallows gave way to bats
By the Ponte Vecchio ...
Changing guard.
Bats, and an uneasy creeping in one's scalp
As the bats swoop overhead!
Flying madly.
Pipistrello!
Black piper on an infinitesimal pipe.
Little lumps that fly in air and have voices indefinite, wildly vindictive;
Wings like bits of umbrella.
Bats!
Creatures that hang themselves up like an old rag, to sleep; And disgustingly upside down.
Hanging upside down like rows of disgusting old rags
And grinning in their sleep. Bats!
In China the bat is symbol for happiness.
Not for me!
That was an excellent read. Thank you
255054✽
Chris, we are also enjoying the spring. Today we have some much needed rain. We are already back to water restrictions - no hose pipes allowed. I was interested to see that you mentioned Jacaranda trees. Our Jacaranda trees (mainly in Johannesburg and Pretoria) only flower about Oct/ Nov time. They are on our banned list and not allowed to be planted anymore - so very sad. Enjoy your little birds. Hugs
1 comment
Hi Sarah, I'm sorry to read that the Jacaranda trees are on a banned list! Ours Wiseria is in full flower, the Jacaranda tree will very soon be having lots of pretty blossoms on it as well. Love Chris
360671✽
Springgggggggggg i wishhhhh winter is coming my way it is 40f most nights now andf sometimes lower but i got all my outside work done:);)
Thanks for the nice picture hugs
Thanks for the nice picture hugs
1 comment
Wow! 40F is 4Celsius - you know it's been over 30C (86F) here for the past 2 days and I heard on the television that Melbourne, Victoria has had massive thunderstorms and raging winds and the temperature at the time I write this is 11.4! (52.5F) Australia is certainly an island of contrasts. Love Chris
109788✽
As always Chris, love the photos.-Toogie
1 comment
Thanks Toogie, love Chris
173695✽
I hope I have a nice long Indian Summer! You live in beautiful place and I is a joy to have wild life around. I met a hawk family about 5 years ago who had 4 fledglings. Today I saw an adult hawk! I had heard a single juvenile in the neighborhood. Today the adult came to hunt in mine and my neighbor's yard. Yeah! I hope to find the nest since they most likely live here year round, and I need to get a camera with zoom! I took pics today, and I thought I was really close and the bird looks tiny!
1 comment
That's a great shot Chris, love any type of birdlife. Love Chris
23577✽
The birds are magnificent! Everything you shared looks beautiful and must smell heavenly. Thank you for sharing the lovely photos!
1 comment
I just love Springtime - one of my favourite seasons. Love Chris
115778✽
by
asterixsew
27 Sep 2014
+2✽
Thanks for the picture Chris. Your signs of spring arriving are autumn arriving for me
1 comment
Yes, it's lovely that we have opposite seasons on here. Love Chris
743327✽
so lovely to see :)
1 comment
Thanks Gerry, love Chris
35675✽
Love it! But you start me singing every time the Kookaburra returns to the "ole gum tree"!! An old Girl Scout never dies...or forgets the songs!! Do they actually sound like a laugh??
1 comment
They certainly do. If you go onto Google and look up Kookaburra laughing you will here one. At 5.30am it's a bit raucous but great to hear them welcoming the dawn. Love Chris
45918✽
Sound like a lot happening there, good thing you don't get hayfever.. It's always nice to see the Kookaburras have returned.. It maybe Spring but the weather today was more like Summer.. Marian
1 comment
Hi Marian, yes, it's been over 30C here for the past couple of days and I've got the fan on! Love Chris
20475✽
Someday I hope to retire and spend some quality time in your area of the world. Your every day experience is amazing to me.
1 comment
Australia is certainly a country of amazing contrasts and we are so lucky as we live 5 minutes from the ocean. An hour away is the Hunter Valley with world class wines and the other way south is the capital of New South Wales - Sydney. Love Chris
1941✽
by
Patricia109
01 Oct 2014
+1✽
I love all Aussie birds! We have some that come to visit us thanks to the previous owners of our house. A male lorikeet and my DH have formed a close bond. The lorikeet calls and DH goes running to talk to him. He is still working on the magpie that likes our backyard. We had a juvenile Butcher Bird almost at the back door a couple of weekends ago. Never seen one so close before.
It is so nice to have wild birds visit in a natural way.
It is so nice to have wild birds visit in a natural way.
1 comment
Hi Pat, yes our native birds are fabulous aren't they? I love the Butcher birds we have some in our area too. Magpies and Lorikeets visit our backyard frequently too, but not close enough to form a bond! Love Chris
2872✽
So beautiful. I love bird watching and appreciate you sharing those from your country. I'm watching my hummingbirds prepare to leave for the winter but in November we will begin to see the Bald Eagle return to roost along the Mississippi River. I had this one find my lake a couple winters back - ran outside in the snow barefooted because I was so excited! Wasn't such a smart move as I had been fighting the flu at the time!
1 comment
How exciting to see the Eagle and I've never seen a hummingbird other than on the internet. Thanks so much for this great picture. Love Chris