DESKTOP 3329 - EXIT WINTER, ENTER SPRING

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DESKTOP 3328 - FEATHER MOSS

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.

DESKTOP 3326 - THE PACE OF NATURE

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

DESKTOP 3325 - DIAMOND VALLEY VIEW

Diamond Valley is an outer suburb of Melbourne. Far enough from the City to be like being in the countryside, yet near enough to be near all the big city amenities, conveniences and services.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3323 - SPRING SKY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3321 - WATTLES

Wattles in bloom in Melbourne, by the shores of a suburban creek.

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

DESKTOP 3318 - SPRING LANDSCAPE

Spring landscape with a carpet of yellow Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3314 - GREENHOUSE

The tropical plant greenhouse in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

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.

DESKTOP 3311 - SUNSET

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3310 - CRESTED PIGEON

The Australian native Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes).

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3309 - SUNSET ON THE YARRA

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3308 - COTYLEDON

Cotyledon is one of some 35 genera of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae. Mostly from Southern Africa, they also occur throughout the drier parts of Africa as far north as the Arabian Peninsula. Ten of its species are mostly confined to South Africa, where unlike Tylecodon, they occur commonly in both the winter and summer rainfall regions. They may be found on coastal flats and rocky hillsides, or as cremnophytes on cliff faces. Their decussate, evergreen leaves are very variable in shape, even within some species, but the flowers are, apart from colour, very similar.

They are popular garden plants, drought-tolerant, highly decorative and can bloom prolifically. In some regions they are garden escapees and may be considered a weed.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DESKTOP 3307 - LICHEN

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.

DESKTOP 3302 - DAWN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3298 - FRUITING

 Decorative berries and fruits on ornamental plants provide food for birds and animals in the garden.

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

DESKTOP 3282 - FOG DOG

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3281 - SUNRISE

"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise." - George Washington Carver

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DESKTOP 3276 - SUNBURST

A taste of Spring today as we had sunshine and a temperature climbing to the mid-teens.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DESKTOP 3275 - COCKATOO

The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, and New Guinea and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. A highly intelligent bird, they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.

 

In Australia, sulphur-crested cockatoos can be found widely in the north and east, ranging from the Kimberley to as far south as Tasmania, but avoiding arid inland areas with few trees. They are numerous in suburban habitats in cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Except for highland areas, they occur throughout most of New Guinea and on nearby smaller islands such as Waigeo, Misool and Aru, and various islands in the Cenderawasih Bay and Milne Bay. 

 

This bird has a total length of 44–55 cm, with the Australian subspecies larger than subspecies from New Guinea and nearby islands. The plumage is overall white, while the underwing and -tail are tinged yellow. The expressive crest is yellow. The bill is black, the legs are grey, and the eye-ring is whitish. Males typically have almost black eyes, whereas the females have a more red or brown eye, but this requires optimum viewing conditions to be seen.

 

Their distinctive raucous call can be very loud; it is adapted to travel through the forest environments in which they live, including tropical and subtropical rainforests. These birds are naturally curious, as well as very intelligent. They have adapted very well to European settlement in Australia and live in many urban areas.

 

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 3274 - SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme