"Build-Up" Season and Kookaburra Crash
By bushbernie
10 comments
It definitely feels like the “build-up” season these days. That’s what we call the period before the arrival of our wet season. The days are very hot and humid and there is light isolated and sporadic showers of rain. During “build-up” we usually experience thunderstorms, but that hasn’t happened just yet.
This morning started with a dreary grey sky and around mid-morning the garden was showered with a short-lived drizzle of rain.
Before the rain arrived, my hubby and I were sitting on the back verandah having a cuppa when a young Kookaburra flew at a rate of knots into the screen door next to us.
Can you spot the hole left after the bird slammed into our front screen door? The poor Kookaburra was obviously shocked but flew off before we could do anything to help.
The screen door now has a beak-sized hole.
During my wandering today, I noticed
- A land snail slithering along the pavers in my shadehouse. I see different looking land snails every now and then at my place. They are not in the least bit destructive and I rather enjoy spotting them out and about laying their silvery snail trail.
- My Combretum constrictum (commonly known as the Thailand Powderpuff) has risen from the dead and I’m seeing its spiky red flowers once more. The original plant died off about three years ago now and I thought that was that! But lo and behold, it’s sprung to life about 1 metre away from where the original shrub lived.
- The Calibrachoas continue to flower and I particularly love this one.
- I’ve finally spotted the yellow blooms on the Allamanda cathartica (known as the Yellow Allamanda) growing over one corner of the pergola. This poor climber lives in an extremely poor spot and sometimes I think it’s given up and gone to heaven, but it keeps on surviving. I don’t know how!
- My pink Ixora in one of the front garden beds is absolutely covered in blooms right now
and the butterflies, like the Orchard Swallowtail, are feasting on the nectar.
This is a male Papilio aegeus (Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly).
27 Nov, 2024
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Comments
Thanks Meadowland. We'll have to replace the screen mesh, but that's not a huge job. We had bought what we thought was the toughest mesh but a kookaburra flying at great speed proved us wrong!
27 Nov, 2024
ouch, bet that smarted a bit. At least with it being a kingfisher it has a sturdy bill and skull.
its great when plants you think have lost haven't disappeared.
27 Nov, 2024
What an interesting blog. I'm so happy that the bird was able to fly away. It must have wondered what had happened to it..like hitting an invisible pillow! I love that pretty Calibroacha..lovely colours. And I always love to see a beautiful butterfly :)
27 Nov, 2024
Seaburngirl, I'm sure the poor kookaburra felt the impact as it wobbled a bit in flight as it took off. We did see it later in the day eating a grasshopper so I'm sure its beak is okay.
Cottagekaren, we've never had a kookaburra attempt to fly through any of our doorways before so I'm not sure why it was flying about so close to our house. I don't think it will every try that again!
27 Nov, 2024
Interesting blog Bb. Thanks for sharing your lovely plants & wild life. Glad the bird was ok
28 Nov, 2024
Thanks Feverfew.
30 Nov, 2024
Bernie, I am really enjoying reading your blogs, they certainly show us Brits just what flourishes in your part of the world.
12 Dec, 2024
So glad you're enjoying my view of the world Shirley. I feel the same way about all the other gardens and places I see here on the opposite side of the world. It's fascinating to me.
12 Dec, 2024
I agree with you ... :o)
14 Dec, 2024
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What an interesting blog BB..poor little Kookaburra...Will you be able to patch up the small damage or will it require a new screen door?
Those land snails would be very welcome here as a replacement for the destructive type we battle against here.
The Swallow tail is beautiful.
27 Nov, 2024