Winter Solstice 2011.

[Jack Williams]

Actually, our most "wintery" of weather happens shortly in August.
Although the sun is beginning to swing more south, the planet is still lagging and cooling.

New page, new view..

[Sarongman]

Although the sun is beginning to swing more south, the planet is still lagging and cooling.

That is so true! We here have had such a warm, wet winter, that the apple orchardists, in Stanthorpe, are praying for a fairly prolonged chill in August so that the trees will have enough "hibernation" time to set a good fruit crop.

[Jack Williams]

Well It's been quite balmy really, for winter. The news tonight reckoned it has been the warmest winter here on record! How are the apples fareing in Oz Sarongman?

Spring is still about a week away, but the Blackbirds have already just about fledged a chick in the vines just outside my kitchen window, The Magnolia is in full bloom, and a bulb in my little garden by the steps has come out with a bunch of wonderful flowers, just opening. I'll put up anothe pic when they are fully out.

[Jack Williams]

Here is the Magnolia in full bloom.

[Uncle Al]

No leaves on the Magnolia tree
My Magnolia is loaded with leaves and white blossoms.
I've never seen a RED Magnolia before. Quite nice

Uncle Al

[skirted_in_SF]

Probably an Asian magnolia. Many of them bloom on bare branches and have big, and some fragrant, flowers from deep pink through white. The arboretum here in SF has a large collection.

[Sinned]

We have three butterfly bushes in our garden and we have had hundreds of butterflies around - mainly the common cabbage whites, peacocks, small swallowtails and red admirals. But a joy to see nonetheless. To sit in the garden and have butterflies land on your t-shirt or skirt for a short time is just heavenly.

[Jack Williams]

Yes, it flowers first, then gets around to leafing up. Very bushy in summer.
Everything is racing away early here after a very mild winter. The news the other day said it was warmest winter on record..

[Jack Williams]

Hi Sinned, you got in while I was anwering a junk phone call.
Yeah, we do get the dreaded cabbage white butterflies here too. They don't worry me because I get my cabbage from the supermarket! But we get lots of Monarch butterflies here. They need the Swanplant bushes. I grew a couple of those some time ago, but the caterpillors ate them to bare stems!
A native tui bird landed on my hat one day while I was reading the paper on the porch in the sun! I couldn't believe it. I shook my head and it took off. It was suprisingly heavy.
They sometimes nest in the bigger trees I have. They feed on nector, and are around a lot at present as the big flame tree (from South Africa) is in flower. Soon my native Kowais will be in flower, and they love those. I wake up to their calls at present. Really nice.

[couyalair]

Iit's the other end of the season here, of course. I had not noticed the passing of time -- very steady daily temps around 30° for weeks now -- but this morning, I suddenly realized that the house martins had gone. Ever since spring, there have been hundreds of them swooping around, a fantastic aerial ballet, and, I suppose, gobbling up the flying insects; then suddenly, not one to be seen. It's almost as if there had been some cataclysmic event that had wiped them out. Sad.

Martin

[Jack Williams]

I was thinking today that I should have a go at more swanplants. You have to raise them from seed under a mesh cage untill they get big enough to withstand the Monach caterpillars, which are really big.
We get the English birds around here a lot, Sparrows, Thrushes and Blackbirds. There are also quite a few little Finches, colourful with yellow on the wings and red on the head. A bit smaller than a Sparrow. Not sure where they are from, but we have the early settlers to thank for the English ones. Which would not be allowed these days! Colourful Rosettas have quite recently made it over from Australia, to the consternation of certain members of officialdom. Perhaps our climate is now warmer and suits them better than it used to..

[Sinned]

We have uncovered a few elephant hawkmoth larvae this year. They're quite bit larger with big "eyes" at the front. Would be quite juicy for a bird of the size of a starling or more. I relocated them to the butterfly bushes and if the birds can spot them they can have them. We have no vegetables growing at our home but we are thinking of maybe growing some next year.

[Jack Williams]

Very nice sunset this evening:
First day of Spring.

[Jack Williams]

The Orchid is opening up nicely:
I don't think it's ever flowered before.

[Kirbstone]

Very pretty, Jack.

I see your sunshine is coming on apace.

T.