Bright birds

This morning I took some pictures of the surviving rainbow lorrikeets in the red flowering gum tree. When they flutter down to drink on the dry grass of my back yard it seems impossible a bird so vivid green, bright blue and blazing red could possibly hide itself.

Look closely at the top left of these photos, however, and you'll see how beautifully they suit their chosen tree.

I couldn't get a photo that shows the intense blue and red of their plumage, the blue shows on their wing and tail feathers.

They remind me of the picture story book Where Is The Green Parrot? My children loved to point out the parrot on each page.

The birds will stay as long as the tree is in bloom, other pickings are sparse at the moment.


Every time I see them, they brighten my day.

Dark days

I've felt too sad the last couple of weeks to post anything. The horror of the bushfires. The continuing drought and unbearably hot weather.

Yesterday I found a circle of feathers by one of the waterbowls in our back yard - one of the beautiful little lorrikeets from the red blossoming gumtree next door, where a flock are taking refuge and feasting on the nectar in the flowers, was killed whle trying to get a drink.

I started a dark piece of work and sewed on it last night and this morning and began to feel like writing again.