Corellas and Australia Day

 

The scene above greeted me when I stepped out of the side door of our bedroom at 6 am yesterday morning, to turn our pool pump on. A tall, golden grevillea sits beside the fenceline to our neighbours. It is a shrub that beckons the lorikeets and honey eaters, but I have rarely seen a corella in it. What was also amazing was that they were feeding so quietly. No raucous squawking at all. I stood and watched and snapped photos for about half an hour. Mean while, our neighbours thought someone was trying to break into their home. Their bedroom is adjacent to the tree and with so many birds sitting on their colour
bond roof, [zinc and aluminium] their claws were making quite a racket.

I took myself to the pergola to watch them on the opposite side of the tree. Alas, my camera battery was flat so these images are from my Iphone.

They appeared very contented with the seed of the grevillea, but suddenly, en masse, they departed to visit our neighbours citrus and palm trees.

I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where I live, and to pay my respects to the Elders past and present.

Monday 26 th January is Australia Day. Many call it Invasion Day as this was the date in 1778 that the first fleet arrived at Sydney Cove. 

Australia Day celebrations date back to 1808, but it only became an official public holiday in 1994. Many want a broader conversation about how - or when - Australia should commemorate its national identity. I am fully in favour of changing the date.

Several friends joined us for an Aussie cuppa / morning tea on Sunday. Anzac biscuits in the Gumnut Baby cake tin. My poor effort at making lamingtons. Iced, Vo Vo's - a traditonal Aussie bought biscuit, now ten times smaller and thinner. Vegemite flavoured crackers  in the shape of Australia with cheese and tomato. Note thow I placed my mini tomato to represent Tasmania.

Late afternoon my lovely friend Joc popped in, bringing a special bunch of native Australian flowers. Native flowers always last a long time in a vase, but as these are actually a cardboard arrangement, I will be enjoying them for quite some time.

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