In celebration of wattle

In June and July when the days are short and the air has a frosty bite, the Blue Mountains bush erupts in a spectacle of golden yellow sprinkled through the understorey like splashes of sunshine.

The lure of the bottlebrush

When I visited a farm in November to survey the birdlife, I expected a tranquil afternoon in nature. But nature had other ideas.

Musk Lorikeet feeding in Callistemon citrinus

I walked onto the survey site to be greeted by clamour and movement everywhere. The cackling of dozens of Noisy Friarbirds filled the air with a chaotic din as they chased each other in and out of the bushes. Emerald green Musk Lorikeets scrambled through the foliage, randomly exploding into flight with breakneck speed and a sudden screech. Their young followed, calling wheezily, insistently. Wings fluttered and tails spread in an irresistible signal for their parents to feed them.

Some wildflowers of Western Australia

How lucky was I, being asked to guide a birding tour to the south-west of Western Australia in September this year. As it happens, the region is also famed for its rich and diverse flora, and we were visiting in the middle of wildflower season!