I have to say I miss the songbirds of Europe. No melodious song thrushes or blackbirds here. I believe there are songbirds in Aus, just not here. Its the dawn squawk. The ravens here have a peculiar cawing – elements of UK crows but often ending with a diminishing aaaaaaah that sounds like one of those cheap cow noise makers – you know small cylindrical things you turn over and they make a kind of mooing sound. The sulphur crested cockatoos have a really raucous squawk too. Not to mention the pink and grey galahs. And don’t get me started on the magpies. A haunting fluting sound that some love but around here they call all night, in a repeating pattern every few minutes. Apparently its about the time they start to breed and no longer “sing” at night but commence dive-bombing passers by with those wickedly sharp beaks that Wallis has learnt to be wary of. And lets not forget the kookaburra!
Below are some pictures and sound samples. Try clicking on them all to get an idea of our dawn “chorus”.
Australian Raven
Pink and Grey Galahs
Magpie
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Kookaburra
Araluen Tulip Festival
Less than an hours drive away from Perth is the Darling Range, within which lie what is locally referred to as the Perth Hills. Deep in these hills lies Araluen Botanic Park. Each year they have a Tulip Festival where we went to see some tulips.
It was towards the end of the season and whilst some tulips were going over most were still showing as swathes of gaudy colour. Some wild flowers like bottle brush, kangaroo paw and banksia, but mostly tulips.
We four drove there early(ish) last Wednesday – me plus Delia with Fran and Barb. The weather was beautiful – neither too hot nor wet which has been the trend recently.
We had taken a picnic, and decided to walk uphill then back down before finding a place to enjoy Delia’s delicious sandwiches. There were quite a few people and I am sure that were it not for covid it would have been teeming.
A great day about which I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
