Who's Been Digging in My Yard?

The first clue that something was digging in our garden was the poor upturned native raspberry bush that looked like it had been scratched out of the ground. The second clue was the distinct scratching noise coming from up the back near the magnolia. A third clue wasn't needed because I found the culprit. An Australian Brush-turkey chick!

Brush Turkey chick up a tree.

We see Brush-turkeys (or Scrub Turkeys as they are sometimes called) often around here. Their huge leaf litter mounds, raked up for the female to lay her eggs in, are a common sight along the paths we walk in our neighbourhood. Those impressive mounds are quite the feat; keeping eggs at a constant temperature thanks to the efforts of the male bird. 

Impressive Brush-turkey mound in the park near our house.

Once those eggs have hatched though, the chicks are to fend for themselves. This Brush-turkey chick was doing that quite efficiently, scratching at the ground with quite long claws, and pecking up tasty morsels.  When it felt we were getting a bit too close though, it flew up into our neighbour's lilly pilly hedge. 

The adult male Brush-turkey. 

(The owner of that impressive mound in the park.)

Australian Brush-turkeys are protected native birds. They can do a fair bit of damage in a garden with all their raking and scratching so we are hoping this chick doesn't decide to live here permanently. There are things one can do, such as laying wire mesh down under mulch, to try to deter them  but once a Brush-turkey has decided to build a nest in your yard, they can be pretty persistent. 

We haven't seen this little chick since it flew up into the hedge but I'm keeping an eye out for tell-tale signs of its presence! 

Meg

A Birthday Bookmark

Over the weekend, I stitched a sweet little gift for the most gentle and beautiful and resilient person I know. My Mum! She will celebrate another birthday soon and I wanted to make her a special little present to wrap up with my love. So, I made this:

 The little fabric bookmark I made for my Mum sits atop a beautiful book.

This little fabric bookmark, made using a free download embroidery pattern from the very talented Jenny of Elephantz, took just an afternoon to make. A bookmark makes the perfect gift for someone like my Mum who is an avid reader. I chose brightly coloured threads as I know my Mum loves these colours but Jenny's exemplar shows how lovely this little bookmark is when stitched in softer hues. The flowers and tiny strawberries on the co-ordinating fabric are like those in my Mum's beloved garden and the bird represents all those feathered friends that visit and who are welcomed with delight. Lastly, there's that special word, "Mum". 

 The stitching on my Mum's gift.

A soft fabric marker for tucking into the pages of a book. A sweet and simple handmade gift for someone I love. The kind of gift that I feel fits in with the simple and slower life I'm crafting here. Do you make handmade gifts too?

Meg

Bold and Bright Zinnias

Our sub-tropical Summer can be a harsh season. Temperatures can soar, heatwaves can last for days on end, high humidity can leave one drenched in perspiration from just thinking about gardening (or any other active outside pursuit). It may be too dry with little to no rain, leaving the grass crunchy underfoot and everything gasping for a good drink, or storms will roll through in the afternoons bringing rain and cooling relief from the heat and humidity of the earlier day. 

Summer's light here can be harsh too;  bright, strong light that makes one squint and reach for sunglasses when just looking out the window! In the garden, that kind of light can seem to leach the colour from delicate, softly-hued flowers. So I find that it is the bold and bright colours, of blooms like these Zinnias, that seem to reflect Summer's light rather than being turned drab and lacklustre by it. 

Bright pink.

 Deep yellow.

Bold orange.

Milky cream.

Deep pink.

Sweet salmon.

Ruffled red.

Started as tiny seeds, and thinned out as they grew, these colourful and cheerful flowers are such a delight. I can see them from my kitchen window as I'm doing the washing up which makes me smile (the Zinnias, not the washing up;) It is amazing to me that such tiny seeds have all that vibrant colour within. Just add soil and water and sunshine!

A little bud hints at the colour within.

In bloom and so colourful!

Up close ... a native bee in the centre of a Zinnia bloom.

I love these bold and bright flowers. My tiny native bees and visiting honey bees love them and I'm sure you would love them too if you have room for some Zinnias in your Summer.

I hope you have a bright and happy weekend.

Meg