VISITORS

The last few days have been windy, about the only weather I find unsettling, but there's been no shortage of out-to-lunchers.




Actually, these are men who lunch, 2 males and not a girl in sight. Only the males have that incredible unmissable orange head.




He's an Australian King Parrott (Alisterus scapularis) feeding on the seeds of the just finished flowering Sydney Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia). Wattles are in the Fabaceae family and seed pods are a big Fabaceae thing.

These are inquisitive but cautious birds, will hand feed, return to the same feeding place each year, will fluff up for the camera



and I'm ready for my closeup now Mr de M.

Meanwhile, with the dogs suitably distracted, the Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), very elegans indeed, has time off from soup can photo shoots for new grass roots...yummo.




You may remember our wild eyed songster the Satin Bower Bird. He's still a courting close to the house, tossing of his descending scales with his usual abandon and feeding on grass grubs - he's no vegan this guy.




Overseeing the general scena, who would you think - the first and last laugher on an old wattle branch over the bird bath.



Someone you don't see very often around here is his cousin, the small compact Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea), all beak for drilling a nest in the side of creek beds, or in this case, our dam.

I found one dead, limp and broken necked, under a window into which it had flown full throttle deluded that what was behind it was in front; the past is not the future. A suitable and solemn burial was had, nearby the dam, where his mate



was seen a few days later. Do they grieve?