Happy New Year 2013

Here we are in 2013! let's hope it doesn't fly quite as quickly as 2012....many of my friends felt the past year galloped when we would have preferred a quiet and steady walking pace instead. Yet who knows, there may well have been people who found the year a drag and certainly, certain parts of the world where mayhem and unforeseen disasters occurred ,would now be hoping for a peaceful and more predictable year ahead and we would all agree with that and wish it so for them.

Just a while ago we had a young honey eater which we call a "Greenie", fly into the window and stun itself. I was able to revive it with water. Poor little thing was very distressed so I put it outside on the fishbowl to recuperate.They are interesting little birds as they will fly from the fig tree into the big pond and out again into the Holm oak on the other side. The bigger wattle birds will do the same thing. Unlike the New Holland honey eater which is rather raucous, the greenies have a gentle song.
The other bird which has re appeared this morning is the Black faced cuckoo shrike. They make a  little churring sound. Because they are nomadic we only see them on occasions and so their distinctive sound is noticeable when they return. And now , just this very moment the grey thrush is singing its 'Here I am' song. We haven't heard her for a while either. The Frog mouths are in the Pepper tree this morning but only two of them. You can't tell whether they are the young or the parents.
We have had a few visitors over the holiday period which is always good. My niece from Sydney called in with her brother( my nephew) and my sister arrived as well on my birthday.We had a simple lunch together and then moved into the Studio as some of my friends arrived as well to wish me Happy Birthday. It was a lovely afternoon and everyone admired the aquamarine pendant Brian  commissioned our local silversmith to fashion out of the stones he'd bought in India some years back.
This afternoon we had my brother and friend arrive and then Brian's eldest son came over from Strathalbyn where he was staying with his in-laws. so a great start to the New Year!!