In the huge palm located outside Mike & Judy's bedroom balcony, there is a lot of bird activity going on these days. I don't know whether the lorikeets have a nest hidden away, but they have been very chirpy. Daniel says he imagines this isn't the time for hatching babies, but maybe lorikeets have more than one batch a year.



The masked lapwing I photographed this morning is most assuredly a junior, judging by his fluffy feathers. I wonder where mum and dad are, as we haven't seen them for a long time.

Cormorants swimming and drying out....

Can you tell from the views how cold it is here? Winds of 40 km/hr. whipping up a mean chill....

"The Ville" from across the Bay, taken on our bushwalk through the Reserve last Sunday....

On a brisk but otherwise beautiful Saturday afternoon, Peter Love and Grace were married by a marriage celebrant. The harbour bridge, opera house and BridgeClimb on-lookers created a dramatic backdrop, and a sprinkling of old HAI interns were in attendance....Peter & Grace flew off early this am. for a 5-wk honeymoon in the Kimberley.

Why would a duck want to be 3 stories up on the top of a tall sawn-off tree? Maybe to see what the fishing was like?
He/she appears to be a rather cute junior....

After about 5 or 6 years, this bouganvillia of mine is finally happily blooming - probably because of all our rain.



Not any mystery why this plant is nick-named "little boy" plant.



5-yr. old bromeliad, which doesn't need soil to grow....



Pony-tail plant flower



These camelia blooms are as big as your open hand....

A few photos from Daniel's 60th birthday party held last night. Faez's finger food more than satisfied everyone's appetites, and a mud birthday cake sealed the bargain, for those still a bit peckish, accompanied by chai.There were lovely speeches and dancing to music of our era. Daniel was very happy, with no qualms about a big round number....

There must be so many interesting activities happening all the time on our little Bay. But, at the time and place my camera is pointing, it often looks very quiet. Today however, this cormorant was busy fishing, and the trick was to catch him in the rare moment he came up for air.....

Some of the fauna we saw at Mitchells Island this weekend: Eastern rosellas, owl, oyster catcher, ???, and trainer and race horse....

Queens Birthday rainbow at Mitchells Island....

This is what I look like 18 hours after dental surgery. Can you tell which side was done?
I now have two implanted posts where i had two extractions. It'll take 4-6 months for the sites to heal and then I'll
have new bridges installed. In the meantime, I think I look quite pleasant with a closed-mouth smile :)

We see a lot more of the lorikeets coming to our Balcony Bird Deli when the weather has been rainy. Maybe their normal feeding grounds are too wet? We keep a stock of apples just for them....

Fogged in this am. and then a little clearing occurred. Then, drippy colours running off the canvas into brown waters.

Saturday night dinner with Rod and Lesley and of course Jordie....