That doesn't mean I'm a total hermit. Spent Saturday morning with the Mt Barker Bush Action Team removing a bunch of obnoxious weeds on the north-eastern flank (gorse bushes, bridal creeper). I dug out 4 more large clumps of bridal creeper - may it die 1002 deaths.
Did I mention it was warm too? Seems like the long winter is breaking at last. The forecasters are predicting a hot summer; Alice Springs is already in the high 30's (Celsius) and is now over 150 days without rain - unusual even for them!
It's Spring, and the best parts of working on the summit are the wildflowers and the birds. The native lilies are amazing at the moment (no photo does them justice), the acacia paradoxas are still blooming (much to the delight of the birds), native orchids are cuddling together in shy clumps, and there's a host of other tiny flowers amongst which are the stackhousia and bulbine bulbosa (native leek). And two special ones I'm watching closely...I'm hopeful of a repeat of last year...
Birds: The visual bird count was low due to the high winds (the birds move down the mountain), but I did see thornbills, rosella, y/f h/es, babblers, and currawongs and (I think) the bronze-winged pigeon. I HEARD more thornbills, wrens, spineys, RBFs, shrikeys, pardies, fantails, golden whistlers, clogs, ravens, kookaburras.
And The Crows lost their semi-final by five points...Bugger!
More walking for this week. Amidst the edits.
Happy writing
Bo
x
PS Today's photos courtesy of Mother Nature and Spring!