Thursday, November 6, 2014

Rainy days and birds...

It rained yesterday. 
It's been so dry over winter and spring that I'd almost forgotten about the wet season almost upon us.
But the rain did arrive and it was ever so lovely through my living room window...


...so I sat and stitched and reveled in the tap tap of rain drops and wind blown branches on the window behind Papa Smurf.


The downside of yesterday's rain was no opportunity to sit out on the verandah and bird-watch with my camera. 
However, over the last week I've had some special moments just after dawn with these special guys in the garden...






I love my bird visitors, but there is one who brings me a little more joy than all the others - the kookaburra!
On Monday morning I woke to the laughter of four kookaburras sitting atop our power pole...


I took heaps of photos and they seemed quite content to pose for me, except for one little guy, who decided to fly down onto the roof of our carport so he could watch me instead...



I think he's not fully grown yet, because he looked slightly 'un-groomed' and had no fear of me at all.
In fact, when I lowered my camera and began talking to him he flew off the carport and came straight over to me, landing just two feet away on the handrail of our front steps!
I was so surprised that I just stared at him, the opportunity for an amazing photo nowhere in my thoughts. When I gathered my wits again and lifted the camera to my eye he flew down from the railing onto the ground below me...


He watched me, I watched him. I talked to him, he just stared. 
Then he darted under the steps for a moment before flying out again and landing on the front gate.
He'd found some breakfast - a little gecko...


With one last 'smile' at me, he opened his wings and flew heavenward.


Definitely not the morning photo shoot I'd imagined, but boy was I blessed. 

As I turned to go back inside another little blessing met me - my first little lavender flower has budded. Sweet.



Rain, birds, lavender...and some stitching.
It's been a lovely start to November.

Have a beautiful day, dears.
hugs

10 comments:

Cindy said...

It's funny to think that you are going into summer, when we are getting colder by the day! Love that photo of the bird with the meal in his mouth. Perfect!

Christine M said...

Lovely photos, Jenny. I love kookaburras too. They haven't been around our place for a while now. Hopefully, they will soon.

Verna G said...

Love all your bird pictures. Much different than those in CAnada!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post. I felt soothed just reading it and looking at your beautiful pictures. I can remember singing the kookaburra song when I was in elementary school - and that was a LONG time ago. LOL

Kriza said...

Lovely pictures, as usual, you made my morning before starting to work :-)

I soooo loved kookaburras, in fact they were my very favourite birds, when we were living in Sydney. We often woke up tp their laughter, even though we lived in the middle of the city.

Thanks for this lovely post, Jenny, have a wonderful spring. Winter is just around the corner for us, but the weather has been unusually warm with temperatures of 18-20 C for the last couple of days, so I quite enjoy it. I cut off the my last of my lavenders last week... :-)

Kristina

Melody said...

Wonderful photos and a lovely way to spend a rainy day.

Thoeria said...

Another uplifting post Jenny :) I do love the summer rains - this part of SA has thunder and lightening storms throughout summer...mostly the afternoons and I just love the freshness and coolness it brings to the day!

cucki said...

lovely rainy day..
love all your pictures..
hugs x

Outback Craftaholic said...

Gorgeous photos Jenny. I love Kookaburras too and got a couple of wonderful photos a few years ago when we did a trip around Oz. Enjoy the rain. Cheers, Tracy.

Debora Hoffmann said...

Lovely photos and such a blessing to interact with the Kookaburra!