Chalk-dusted Lilies

An old lady I knew told me that in the 1930s and '40s florists used to sell white lilies dusted in coloured chalk, to make colours other than white. It meant that there was a greater range of decorative colours to choose from, and, apparently, they did look very pretty.

I don't know if florists would still do this, as plant breeding has come a long way in half a century. So many colours and shapes are now available. So many cultivars and hybrids, etc.

Do they still sell those dyed blue and green carnations? I haven't been to a florist shop for so long, now. It's lots of fun putting food dye into some water, and watching a white carnation change colour. You can even slice the stem, vertically, and have two (or more!) separate stem sections in different food dye colours. Lots of fun for children to learn about osmosis.

Rat'snest Blog

A few years ago, I observed a blackbird in my loganberry vine had abandoned its nest after a couple of failed attempts to do some hatching.

Amazingly, a short time after, I observed that a rat had moved into that nest--he was somehow able to climb along the chicken-wire fence and up some old dead branches.

What was quite astounding to me was that he/she actually built a roof for that nest, and turned it into a little home. Talk about Wind in the Willows, and Beatrix Potter.

Of course, blackbird nests are well-made pottery of clay and dung mixed with sticks--like good wattle-and-daub walls should be. The roof of the rat's nest was a simple one of thatched sticks and twigs; perhaps some fibres and paper, too. I don't now recall. But I was, at the time, very impressed with its innovativeness and creativity; its recycling ability.

I once read that rats use brightly coloured ''found objects'' to decorate their homes and burrows with, and this is absolutely true. Once while cleaning up a shed, and finding rat burrows in the earthen floor, I found neon-coloured plastic clothes-pins, and some long-deflated children's balloons that I'd forgotten about. Also, too, some brightly coloured papers and metallic foils and things; coloured buttons. They are certainly innovative home-makers, and must be given credit for same. Clearly, human beings did not invent interior decorating. The "gene" for it is carried by rats, as well.

Rats also practice the best hygiene they are capable of, and make sections of nest with shredded paper that they set aside especially for use as a toilet area.

Rats are to be admired!

Superb Fairy Wrens--Nocturnal

Some months ago, now, I was sitting up late--after midnight--one night, in the dark, and looking outside the window. By the outside light, in the branches of a pear-tree, were some Superb Fairy Wrens.

Instead of being asleep, like normal little wrens, they were on "night duty''--busily darting about and catching insects attracted to the glow of the lamp.

It's interesting that they adapted to the high tech electric lifestyle, making use of it for nocturnal hunting expeditions. Surely, without electric light, they'd've been fast asleep?

Willie Wagtail, though, is always busy and active, on brightest moonlit nights, singin' "sweet pretty creature!''; but I wouldn't know if he's hunting for insects or not.

I know sparrows are able to make use of high tech, too, and gather fibreglass fibres from my garage skylight to use as nesting material.

Currawongs Eat Prickly Pears!!!!

Today I was surprised to see a strange purple dropping in the bird bath. On closer inspection I eventually realised it was a piece of purple prickly pear fruit.

This means that the currawong who ate it had cleverly managed not to get any cactus thorns in its tummy. Prickly Pears are an introduced species. I have to credit any bird who could manage to carefully eat around the thorns. I guess this shows a native species has adapted to an introduced species?

I really like eating prickly pear fruits, too, but the thorns are what make them so troublesome. Even wearing heavy welding gloves to pick them, one still ends up requiring the tweezers!!!!!!

Autumnal Bloggery

God, autumn has been so beautiful, these past weeks.

Drought-resistant autumn trees include:

• Chinese Pistachio--Flaming reds and orange colours. Quite fantastic.
  
• Desert Ash--Yellow leaf display.
  
• Claret Ash--Dark red leaf display.
  
• Gleditsias--Yellow leaf display.
  
• Robineas--Yellow leaf display.
  
• White Cedar--Yellow leaf display.
  
• Golden Rain Tree--Flaming reds and orange and yellows. Quite fantastic.
  
• Osage Orange--Golden yellow leaf display.
  
• Tamarisk--Yellow leaf display.
  
• Crepe Myrtle--Orange leaf display.

Currawong Garden

Well, lots of currawongs have been visiting, lately.

Their droppings in the birdbaths reveal much about their diet, and how dependent they are on exotic species:

• African Boxthorn berries
  
• Pepperina tree seeds
  
• Canary Island Dates
  
• (Chinese) Privet berries

On other occasions I have espied some native species:

• Kurrajong seeds
  
• Mistletoe seeds (I think!)

I put out apples for the blackbirds--every day of the year--so they sing sweetly for me; but when the currawongs arrive in large number, the bigger birds get the lion's share--so the blackbirds miss out for a while. Currawongs quite enjoy apple, and can easily fly off with a half of one, keeping it all for themselves. Sometimes they accidentally drop a half apple on my garage roof, which can be quite an amusing event.

African boxthorn are a very important food source for parrots, as well. I think that if people poison them out, as a noxious weed, then they should at least plant something else--say wattleseed--to replace the bird food that goes missing.