EASTERN ROSELLA

The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island (notably in the northern half of the island and in the Hutt Valley) and in the hills around Dunedin in the South Island.

The eastern rosella is 30 cm long. It has a red head and white cheeks. The beak is white and the irises are brown. The upper breast is red and the lower breast is yellow fading to pale green over the abdomen. The feathers of the back and shoulders are black, and have yellowish or greenish margins giving rise to a scalloped appearance that varies slightly between the subspecies and the sexes. The wings and lateral tail feathers are bluish while the tail is dark green. The legs are grey. The female is similar to the male though duller in colouration and has an underwing stripe, which is not present in the adult male. Juveniles are duller than females and have an underwing stripe.

The diet of eastern rosellas mainly consists of fruit, seeds, flowers and insects. The eastern rosella is sometimes kept as a pet. These birds are desired for their beautifully coloured plumage. They are intelligent creatures, which can be trained to whistle a wide repertoire of tunes and may even learn to speak a few words or phrases. Rosellas can make good companion parrots; however, they require a great deal of attention and many toys to satisfy their need for social interaction and mental stimulation.

These birds sometimes won't adapt to life as a family pet. Hand-raised birds can be fully domesticated, but usually they turn out still wild. Usually, this species doesn't like getting “petted” or “cuddled” and can bite in response to this type of handling. Many people believe that rosellas are best housed in large aviaries that enable them to fly freely with minimal human socialization. Despite these difficulties, many people enjoy the eastern rosella as a beautiful but sometimes feisty pet bird.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

and also part of the My Sunday Best meme.

WINTRY LANDSCAPE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

URBAN ANIMALS

We live in a big metropolis of over five million people, and yet we are lucky to have many parks, parklands and nature reserves right in the midst of the urban area. Within walking distance of our house is the Darebin Parklands, which straddle Alphington and Ivanhoe, approximately 10 kilometres northeast of the City of Melbourne. Darebin Creek flows through the Parklands, to join the Yarra River, at Alphington.

Darebin Parklands comprises an area of approximately 40 hectares of urban bushland, containing much native flora and fauna. The park is highly accessible being both on a bus route and adjacent to the Hurstbridge railway line. The digital mosaic below shows some of the fauna inhabiting the park.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the All Seasons meme.

GRASS PARROT

The red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a common bird of south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Red-rumped parrots are slim, elegant, moderate-sized parrots approximately 28 cm in length. The male's plumage is a bright emerald-green with yellow underparts, a brick-red rump and blue highlights on the wings and upper back. The female's plumage is less vibrant, with pale olive underparts, dull green wings and back and blue-black wingtips. The characteristic red rump is only found in the male. Like many parrots, red-rumped parrots nest in tree hollows or similar places, including fenceposts and stumps. They lay 3-6 white eggs, Breeding usually takes place in spring (August to January), however, in the drier inland areas, breeding can occur at any time of year in response to rainfall.

Red-rumped parrots do well in aviaries and cages. They don't like to be in crowded spaces and will sometimes be aggressive towards other birds if they don't have enough space. Red-rumped parrots can also be hand reared, provided that they have a large cage and are taken out of their cage on a daily basis to prevent boredom, as it may result in the parrot pulling out its feathers to occupy itself. In captivity, if properly cared for, these birds will live from 15 to 32 years. Their green plumage provides such a good camouflage in ankle length grasses that they can hide quite effectively until the viewer is only 10–20 metres away. They spend a great deal of time feeding on the ground, and often call to one another with an attractive 'chee chillip chee chillip'.

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TREES

At the Darebin Parklands, in suburban Melbourne, Australia.

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and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

SPRING MORNING

 In the Darebin Parklands, suburban Melbourne.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

WILD LEEK

The three-cornered leek (Allium triquetrum) is an invasive weed that can carpet large areas very quickly because of its rapidly germinating seeds that quickly form a dense clump of leaves and flowers. Pretty though this three-cornered leek's white drooping flowersz may be, don't be tempted to pick it as a cut flower because it does reek strongly of an oniony smell! However, all parts of the plant are edible. The leaves and flowers can be added to salads, and the bulbs can be substituted for garlic.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SUNRISE

This post is part of the  Skywatch Friday meme.

NATURAL

Rock -> Bark-> Water: A layer merge with Photoshop.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DEWDROPS

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and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

FISH & FOWL

Scale & feather...

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and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DOG BATH

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and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

MOORHEN

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and also part of the Saturday Critters meme.

BIRD LIFE

A walk in the Darebin Parklands is always a good way to relax and find serenity in nature right in the heart of a large metropolis, such that Melbourne has become. Even more delightful is spotting of some birds during one's walk. Here are some that I spotted...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

From Top Right, clockwise: Indian Miner; Rainbow Lorikeets; Butcherbird; Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo; Purple Swamphen; Pacific Black Duck; Crested Pigeon; Bronzewing Pigeon; Willy Wagtail.

SEASIDE DAISY

Erigeron karvinskianus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Mexican fleabane, Latin American fleabane, Santa Barbara daisy, Spanish daisy, Karwinsky’s fleabane, or bony-tip fleabane. Erigeron karvinskianus is native to much of Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, and is naturalized in many other places, including parts of Africa and Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Chile and the west coast of the United States.

Erigeron karvinskianus was first described in 1836 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. The specific epithet refers to Wilhelm Friedrich Karwinski von Karwin, who collected the plant in Mexico according to de Candolle. It is a vigorous, spreading perennial plant growing from woody rhizomes to a maximum height of 15 cm. Its leaves are located along the stem, the basal leaves dying off as the plant bolts. They are sometimes slightly toothed or lobed near the tips. The inflorescences hold one or more flower heads which are each about 1 cm wide. They have golden yellow disc florets in the centre surrounded by a fringe of up to 80 white to pinkish ray florets.

Erigeron karvinskianus is cultivated for its daisy-like blooms, and is often confused with the closely related true daisy Bellis. It is frequently grown in crevices in walls or paving, where it rapidly spreads to provide a carpet of flowers. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It was used to colonise the concrete terraces of the football stadium (Estadio Azteca) built in Mexico City for the 1970 World Cup.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

AT THE PARKLANDS

With the lockdown restrictions due to the pandemic, our drives to the countryside have stopped rather unceremoniously. We are lucky to live within walking distance to the Darebin Parklands, so when the weather is fine, this is a marvellous location to take a walk in.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

MORNING

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DUCKS

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and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

SEASONAL SAMPLER

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.