banksia bird heaven

soft banksia cones
rainbow lorikeet crisps
ready for snacking

We have a local indigenous Banksia tree growing by our front gate. Currently it is flowering and a variety of birds, Noisy Miners, Wattle Birds and Rainbow Lorikeets are daily visitors. The Lorikeets are big in numbers and very noisy so when they arrive anyone else feeding tends to disappear. This is my contribution to Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 349 CRISP and Soft. Visit this site to see how other poets respond to Ronovan’s challenge.

trees speak out

ancient forest spirits

whisper from distant times

protect our future

These trees are in the Gariwerd National park in Western Victoria in Australia. This is an ancient mountain range formed millions of years ago through geological upheaval. The forests are also ancient and regenerate after regular fires usually caused by lightning but occasionally by humans. For thousands of years, we are not sure how many, but possibly 30-40,000 at least, Indigenous Australians lived within these ranges and respected the flora and fauna. There are many thousands of years old rock art galleries sharing the culture of the Indigenous people throughout Gariwerd. Rock art sites are still occasionally discovered by current scientists that indicates the wild nature of some sections of this area . The haiku in this Haibun is a response to
RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #273 Forest&Whisper go to https://ronovanwrites.com/2019/09/30/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-273-forestwhisper/#comments and see lots of other haiku responses to this challenge from Ronovan.

no nature

developers greed

environment destroyed

no chance for haiku

 

One hundred metres down the street from our home these photos show  where a suburban house and garden once stood for over 60 years, where families shared their lives, where plants once grew and died , where birds, animals and insects     co-existed in nature. Now all gone.A desert of flat dozed lifeless dirt. Already foundations are being created to build fence to fence double story townhouses and concrete hard surface and maybe a few plants in pots. Gone is a local history and an ecosystem, not an original one but an ecosystem that saw many indigenous life forms existing. Through the gap in the rear fence where green weeds grow the same thing happened last year and over that next street the same again. This is happening all across our suburb and in neighbouring suburbs and on and on in Melbourne Australia. Population growth demanding new dwellings and  a greed from property developers to squeeze as many living spaces on a block of land as possible  means vegetation and fauna loss on an increasing scale. We have noticed the little birds have disappeared from our garden and that is one small sign. Our local government is unable to limit or control this madness, this environmental destruction. As well the loss of trees and shrubs adds to global warming. Maybe these images sum up Australia’s attitude as a nation to global warming.                   No chance for haiku !!!!!!

dinner time

so trusting

young lonely and lost

fledgling bird

A couple of weeks  ago Jill and I were sitting in the garden eating our lunch when this baby Pied Butcherbird flew in and landed on a branch above us. It then flew to the ground and began demanding something to eat. All we could offer  this young carnivore were a few pieces of tinned tuna. That was enough to curb the appetite and it flew back to the branch and had a short sleep. This is the first young one of that species we have seen. When small birds are breeding in Spring adult Butcherbirds raid nests after fledglings. This baby looks cute however it is destined to become a feared marauder in our neighbourhood. The other curious fact about the visit was the time of year. We are almost to Winter and we have had visits from a young Butcherbird, then fledgling Little Wattlebirds and some young looking Magpies during this last month. One more pointer to the effects of Climate Change?

The one a week Photo Challenge word challenge this week is LOST.  This is my contribution . For this years 52 weekly challenges planned by Cathy and Sandra visit Cathy’s blog at  https://nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com/one-a-week-photo-challenge-2017/

spacious city

hillside view

feel the city space

relaxing

Looking across the downtown area of New Zealand’s capital city Wellington. This has to be one of the most picturesque capital cities in the world. Both views are from the Botanic Gardens. Everywhere you look are hills and trees with the city stretching around bays and up valleys giving people views from almost anywhere they are. Even the international airport is aesthetic with a single runway stretching across an isthmus. Only Hobart in Tasmania and Nagasaki in  Kyushu Japan approach Wellington for my top city awards and both are located in similar topography. There is so much to see and do in Wellington and all in a relaxed lifestyle.

This is my contribution to Cees Weekly Foto Fun Challenge Roofs. To see the prompt visit https://ceenphotography.com/2019/08/27/cffc-roofs/

people power

saving trees

against bureaucrats

people stand 

Three weeks ago on a wet cold Tuesday afternoon 40-50 local people gathered to hear for the first time that a planned new school re-development would mean 239 trees across the site would be destroyed. A story of secrecy , deception, lies and secret agreements  was shared. These people swore to meet again on the site 2 days later to plan  a response . This is image 1 and more people and dogs were there. We learnt  that the state government department of education intended to begin destruction of the trees the following Monday morning. The people that afternoon declared to stand in the way of this destruction at 6.30 on the Monday morning. Television stations and newspapers were contacted and the rally cry went out.

Image 2 shows part of a 300 plus crowd who blocked entry to the site at 6.30 on the Monday. There were many police there as well. For the first time the bureaucrats negotiated with the local residents about these plans. The people said no trees until we have open transparent community discussions and we hear  and see detailed plans of what is proposed. Two weeks later , the trees  stand and the people wait for our meeting.

So even on a smaller scale here in Melbourne Australia we see politicians and bureaucrats trying to walk over communities with a lack of respect and no transparency.

People power in Australia have an anthem called “From little things big things Grow” Sometimes our politicians need to remember it. If you have time please listen to this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAONlfoNVuY   sung by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody , two living music legends in Australia.

passing parrots

easy food

colourful feathers 

passing by

We have been putting seed sticks in a tree at the front of our house mainly for the Crested pigeons who have appeared in earlier blogs. The sticks are sold as parrot and budgerigar sticks however the Pigeons believe the manufacturers have left them off the labels.  Three days ago  these two Crimson Rosellas began turning up. Its amazing how they can detect the location of this food as they fly in the vicinity. We have been hearing Eastern Rosellas  and noticed  a pair feeding  in street trees near our back yard. These Crimsons are not as common around our suburb, they are more a country/hills and mountains bird. The top one is an adult and the bottom one a juvenile, notice the mottled green plumage that is missing from the adult. Its an unusual combination but most likely a mating pair, the age difference may not be too much , anyway thats just a guess. The parrots are all nesting or looking for sites. This pair have turned up regularly late morning and mid afternoon for 3 days. The crested pigeons have vacated the tree to feed and clean up what drops to the ground as the Rosellas feed.  The adaptability and intelligence of our birds in Australia is amazing. They also quickly learn to trust humans , the pigeons come to my call and follow me around on the ground like tame chickens.

Spring arrives

on a walk

richness of nature

early spring

On our last walk in the Bendigo Regional Park two weeks ago  where Charlie loved to roam we began to discover the early signs of Spring, mainly the first native Orchids, other small indigenous plants in flower, Bendigo Wax Flower , Wattles blooming and increasing bird activity. These images show from top, a curious Dusky Wood Swallow, a small plant yet to be identified and a beautiful native orchid that we think is a Blue Caladenia. Both these flowers are about the size of the tip of your little finger. I was only carrying my 150-500 telephoto for birds so the flowers are captured macro style on 500 at a distance of about 2 metres, something I had not tried before.

This is my contribution to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with RICH this weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

 

blossom beckons

sing or feed

such zest for blossom

flowers win

sing or feed

such zest for blossom

flowers win

These scenes from last Spring remind us that early signs of buds forming mean the nectar and blossom feeders will soon be out and about singing and feeding.

The top and bottom pictures are a Little Lorikeet and the bird in the middle is a New Holland Honeyeater. They were sharing the same dinner table, a flowering gum, when I took the images.

This haiku/image combination is my contribution to RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 106-sing & flower. You can visit this entertaining haiku sharing site where Ronovan the celebrated American author sends his weekly challenge to the poets of the world here; https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-106-singflower/ 

Also this post contributes to the 52 week PHOTO CHALLENGE, with ZEST this weeks word challenging a talented group of photographers from across the globe. Visit this challenge at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge/ and find this weeks sharing on Wild Daffodil’s Home page.

birds before jewels

for colour

diamonds and pearls lose

to rainbows

Give me a few minutes of watching Rainbow Lorikeets messing about like this pair a few nights ago than worrying about the insurance value of a diamond ring or string of pearls.

This haiku is my contribution to https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-94-diamondspearls/

where haiku poets from around the globe spin their art of words and imagery.