Pip and I enjoyed our last morning together before I headed to the airport for the next leg of my sojourn.
bushwalk+brekkie
Category: Uncategorized
Wareamah
Spent a lovely day on the largest island in Sydney Harbour with Liz and Chantal, sketching and chatting up a storm.
Cockatoo Island/Wareamah has rich history, cultural significance, and expansive views of the Sydney’s iconic harbour. It served as a penal colony starting in 1839, housing convicts who worked on constructing the island’s facilities, including silos and dockyards. From the late 19th to the 20th century, the island was one of Australia’s largest shipyards. It played a significant role during both World Wars, where naval vessels were constructed and maintained. The shipyards eventually closed in 1992, but the island has since been revitalised as a public space. Definitely worth a visit—I hope to return another time.
Sydney wildlife
There’s an active brush turkey nest in my friends’ front yard, right below the verandah. It’s a huge mound of mulch and leaf litter, several metres wide, which the male tends daily with much scratching and shifting of the plant material as the eggs incubate deep inside.
Brush turkeys are not exactly beloved in suburban gardens, as they steal every bit of mulch they can find. Once one starts building a mound, it’s pretty much impossible to get it to stop.
If the chosen location is really inconvenient, you can try to redirect the bird’s attention to a different part of your garden by creating a compost mound. The brush turkey might be drawn to this spot and eventually adopt the compost mound as its nesting site. Good luck!
LAX to SYD
Nice to be greeted at Sydney airport by the ubiquitous Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca), known locally as bin chicken or tip turkey for its habit of rummaging in garbage. Ah, it’s good to be here.
packing list
I’m off Downunder to spend time with family and friends.
oak tree fountain
It’s coming up on six years since the Woolsey fire ravaged Malibu and the surrounding mountains. This oak tree fountain at a local shopping centre commemorates the event. I didn’t realise, while sketching it, that it’s made of copper; I presumed bronze. It has developed a dark patina that makes it feel very coast-live-oaky, and the rocks at the base are bright with algae or moss. I like it.
moore lab
I took a (free) guided tour of the Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College in Eagle Rock and wow, it did not disappoint. The vast majority of the 65,000–specimen collection is whole bird study skins, mostly collected in Mexico in the early 20th century. The lab welcomes visits from students, scientists and artists, so I’m keen to go back for more extensive sketching time (and a peek into more of the drawers!).
Tantilla planiceps
We last saw a black-headed snake in our yard 14 months ago. Wouldn’t it be cool if it was the same snake? My herpetologist friend Greg says, judging by the size of this one, it’s likely four or five years old … so it’s possible.
Asplenium nidus
Bird’s nest fern (native to Australasian tropics) under bougainvillea (native to South America). Both doing nicely in our Mediterranean climate.
the waiting trees
You’ve heard of the giving tree, one of the most divisive trees in children’s literature. These are the waiting trees, waiting to be sketched by one who waits.
hashiworks 