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Friday, September 4, 2009

WINTER RIBBONS, SPRING FEATHERS


Rainbow last week.
Unfortunately all of these shots were
taken through a dusty, study window.
Time to Spring clean!

Crimson Rosella yesterday
Platycercus elegans

Taking a dive for nectar
in the Grevillea

22 comments:

steven said...

alaine - that's through a "dusty" window?!!!! what a beautiful bird alaine - that's amazing!!!! lucky you. steven

alaine@éclectique said...

Steven, the bird life here is just that, amazing! I just sent the dog outside with a bone but he kept running back to the door. I looked up and saw a Hawk 'taxiing' off with the bone. Pooch was most indignant!

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

My goodness Alaine - you truly live in paradise!!

That is really a unique rainbow shot and the vivid colors of the bird are stunning.

Thanks so much for sharing these pics.

Delwyn said...

Hi Alaine

how lovely to see this bird that we don't have...what a colour combination- quite regal.

I see that Kiri te Kanawa is in AU - will you be going to hear her?

Your rainbow is unusual looking like a hill itself...

Happy days

alaine@éclectique said...

Hello Bonnie, sometimes the rainbow is even flatter than that - phenomenal.

alaine@éclectique said...

Delwyn, I didn't know Kiri was here. No, I'll just have to content myself with her CDs and YouTube faves. Melbourne is two hours away.

Eleanor said...

Dusty window or not, the view is lovely and that bird is spectacular. I thought the crested barbet (indigenous to South Africa) was magnificent but your bird gives him a run for his money. The crested barbet is spotted, striped and mottled all in one little bundle of feathers. Thank you for the useful tip about using fillers on one's blog in between more lengthy posts. I thought it is a good idea. Especially to keep up the momentum of blogging which I tend to lose at times. Greetings from South Africa!!!

Susan said...

Wow, your winters are short! I wish ours was only that long! They seem to drag on forever here.

Don't your eyes bleed sometimes from all the beauty that surrounds you and seems to change on a daily basis?!! lol I think I would have to go look at something ugly every once in a while just to remind myself how lucky I was!

steven said...

alaine - remember . . . your friends in the northern hemisphere are counting on you and delwyn to keep the colour, the lushness, the sunshine, the greenery coming through the winter months ahead!!!!! a hawk!!! i watch those boys hovering over our house here looking for something to eat. but they have never landed on our property. lucky you!! steven

Unknown said...

Hi Alaine,

Your rainbow makes me think that the pot of gold can't be far from your driveway! And the bird is beautiful, such vibrant colour and blue is my favourite!

BTW, I think I heard that Kiri is retiring next year?

Tracy said...

Dust, Alaine...what dust? All I see is pure magic! :o) That rainbow is so intense in color..and look so low along the horizon...amazing! So is your crimson feathered-friend...Thank you for this joyful post! Happy Weekend ((HUGS))

Ruthie Redden said...

Alaine, i am loving the colours of this post both rainbow & bird, stunning. our nearest city is 2 hours away also. have a wonderful weekend x

alaine@éclectique said...

Eleanor, thanks for visiting from South Africa! I went and had a look at the Crested Barbet and was awestruck by it's wonderful colours. My hubby's away at the moment and I have the job of throwing the crumbs and seed. This morning we have sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs, crested pigeons, king parrots, a butcherbird and a currajong hanging about. It's a delight every day.

My goodness, it seems like eons ago that I mentioned my 'fillers'; they certainly relieve the anxiety! Cheers from Oz and nice to talk to you.

alaine@éclectique said...

Hello Susan, we've had a very mild Winter; it's a worry. I think that now that we're a bit older (I'm in my Autumn years according to Delwyn!), we tend to notice the beauty around us more so, as we're not racing around, rushing off to work and running children here and there!

alaine@éclectique said...

Hi Tracy, hope you've had a nice break! Yes, the rainbows across the road have fascinated us for ten years. It would be spectacular to have one that followed the shape of that mountain! Happy weekend!

alaine@éclectique said...

Hello Ruthie, it's so nice to see colour now that Spring is here, although my tour around my garden a while ago proved that the colour is there in our Winter. I have freesias coming up everywhere; I'll pick a bunch of perfume for the kitchen today. It would be nice to have this property closer to the CBD so that we could take in these concerts.

alaine@éclectique said...

Hello Steven again, we'll keep the colour coming to warm you in the cold months ahead, promise.

It's probably the same Hawk that swooped me last year. I took some photos after it and a pigeon smashed into a window. I'll try to find them but it was 5pm at night and the photos weren't very clear, I might have deleted them.

alaine@éclectique said...

Hi Derrick, I think the sight of a rainbow is reward enough but it would be nice to find the pot of gold!

No, I haven't heard that about Kiri but I wouldn't be surprised, as she's 65 now. When Delwyn mentioned yesterday that she was here for a concert, I went to my YT favourites and listened again to 'In Paradisum'. Then I got sidetracked and had an afternoon concert of Emma Kirkby, Janet Baker, Renee Fleming, more of Kiri and Lucia Popp!

Cheryl Cato said...

The crimson rosella is beautiful and so is the rainbow! I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow that close to the ground. The dark hill in the background really makes it stand out. If this is looking from your home you have a beautiful view!

T. said...

I've never seen a rainbow slung so low in the sky....absolutely stunning photo! More, please!

alaine@éclectique said...

Hi Lizzy & T, the rainbows are always low slung over there, don't know why. We do have a great view, in the valley looking up. I've always wanted to live up high looking down!

Unknown said...

incredible beautiful bird! never seen before!