It’s been a lovely week with the Canberra crew, but now it’s time for more friends and family!
moving on
Blog
rhipidura albiscapa
Australia is famed for its colourful birds, but the little monochrome ones can be just as fascinating. Grey Fantails live across most of Australia. Hyperactive, agile and graceful, they perform rapid aerial acrobatics, constantly splaying out their tail feathers into a fan. They feed on flying insects which they chase out from the edge of shrubs and bushes and snap up mid-air. Cute!
leaf galls
While waiting for our friends to arrive, I sketched the pretty galls on the gum tree by the gate.
acacias
I did a bit of an audit on the acacias on my sister’s bush block. I counted five different species, four of which I am pretty confident on the ID. The fifth remains unidentified.
There are almost 1000 species of acacia in Australia!
tidbinbilla
The Sanctuary at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a large wetlands ecosystem surrounded by bushland that has been protected by a predator-proof fence for around 40 years, creating a refuge for a range of native animals.
We enjoyed seeing the similar-but-different small marsupials, Long-Nosed Potoroos and Southern Brown Bandicoots, free-ranging in the bush. Both have rat-like faces but move in unique ways.
canberra vibes
sublime
We made it Downunder! We took a long detour on the drive from Sydney to Queanbeyan and spent the day in the Blue Mountains, where the scenery is indeed sublime.
We ate a delicious meal at the Yellow Deli in Katoomba, and pegged it as a place to recommend and return to. But some reading on the religious group that owns the chain of restaurants has diminished our enthusiasm. A pity — because the food was really good!
last minute plantings
Yesterday I popped some seedlings into the remaining gaps in the veggie beds, with hopes of October meals. This morning, the mizuna has been entirely eaten by slaters. That’s a problem to solve on our return. Today we fly!
sad bodie
It’s as if she knows that tomorrow we’re going to leave her (in good hands!) for a month. Don’t be sad, Bodie. We’ll be back!
procambarus clarkii
Call me up next time there’s a Procambarus clarkii removal day in our watershed; I’d love to participate.
