February 2017 A time of change that was, will be no longer and that which may be...... well no point in talking about that which doesn’t exist.  As often happens a Cabbage tree has moved on......... although there is hope for a sprouting at it’s base.  It’s been an odd summer, nothing seems quite right, not particularly warm just pleasant, confused would be a word to use and it’s not just the writer............. sigh. On the gardening front the Passion Vine Hoppers are starting to appear, it hasn’t rained in a while and black death looms ahead, despondent huh?  Well maybe but the afore mentioned hoppers are about to become a feature, not so much in themselves but through that they express, to put it politely.  They main infest the undersides of the tree ferns in such vast numbers they rain bug S**t on everything below, not noticeable in it’s self but then the “black doom” appears thanks to some fungi or other that feeds on the sky droppings.  Tree ferns don’t do so well having the life sucked out of them with little moisture available to replenish. Every year around this time the Waxeyes turn up in a great flitting flock ransacking the place for insects to feed on such and in particular Passion Vine Hoppers.  This year is  a little different in that the local Sparrows have obviously noticed and learnt as there is now a mob of them that forages with the Waxeyes either by directly feeding under the leaves or grabbing the hoppers that have leapt to saftey on the ground....... hah! and let us not forget the Blackbirds underneath frantically following the flock for a feed. It truly is a spectacle to behold when the area becomes alive with birds that everything just seethes with movement.
Win some lose some
Mid month and there I was trying to capture a decent photo of the latest sculpture (seen below) when in one of the photos was a distant face peering  through the trees.  A very eye catching pottery sculpture by Jovan from years ago.  It sits waiting on the Sculpture Walk amidst the Nikau’s, by that one featured in last months post.  Skilfully done it just begs the question who? what? as it sits guarding the way.
Okay so here it is then, 3 weeks into February, and it rains a treat almost until it was no longer a treat no more, sigh shovelling gravel back up the paths again here we go. In the aftermath, mid-morning, I managed to get a photo of Heather’s second most favourite bird, (Kereru is first), looking somewhat disheveled and maybe searching for a dry place to sleep all the while being reasonably tolerant of being peered at.  The nights here are filled with the calls of the Ruru, not often seen but always there.  Huhu Beetle season is a good time though as the beetles are big (matchbox sized) and they mindlessly beat themselves against the windows of any lit rooms easy easy prey for the Ruru
A few days prior to the Ruru showing, another sculpture was started, it’s quite big and has a rather intense feel to it.........
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February 2017 A time of change that was, will be no longer and that which may be...... well no point in talking about that which doesn’t exist.  As often happens a Cabbage tree has moved on......... although there is hope for a sprouting at it’s base.  It’s been an odd summer, nothing seems quite right, not particularly warm just pleasant, confused would be a word to use and it’s not just the writer............. sigh. On the gardening front the Passion Vine Hoppers are starting to appear, it hasn’t rained in a while and black death looms ahead, despondent huh?  Well maybe but the afore mentioned hoppers are about to become a feature, not so much in themselves but through that they express, to put it politely.  They main infest the undersides of the tree ferns in such vast numbers they rain bug S**t on everything below, not noticeable in it’s self but then the “black doom” appears thanks to some fungi or other that feeds on the sky droppings.  Tree ferns don’t do so well having the life sucked out of them with little moisture available to replenish. Every year around this time the Waxeyes turn up in a great flitting flock ransacking the place for insects to feed on such and in particular Passion Vine Hoppers.  This year is  a little different in that the local Sparrows  have obviously noticed and learnt as there is now a mob of them that forages with the Waxeyes either by directly feeding under the leaves or grabbing the hoppers that have leapt to saftey on the ground....... hah! and let us not forget the Blackbirds underneath frantically following the flock for a feed. It truly is a spectacle to behold when the area becomes alive with birds that everything just seethes with movement.
Mid month and there I was trying to capture a decent photo of the latest sculpture (seen below) when in one of the photos was a distant face peering  through the trees.  A very eye catching pottery sculpture by Jovan  from years ago.  It sits waiting on the Sculpture Walk  amidst the Nikau’s, by that one featured in last months post.  Skilfully done it just begs the question who? what? as it sits guarding the way.
Win some lose some
Okay so here it is then, 3 weeks into February, and it rained a treat almost until it was no longer a treat no more, sigh, shovelling gravel back up the paths again here we go. In the aftermath, mid-morning, I managed to get a photo of Heather’s second most favourite bird, (Kereru is first), looking somewhat disheveled and maybe searching for a dry place to sleep all the while being reasonably tolerant of being peered at.  The nights here are filled with the calls of the Ruru, not often seen but always there.  Huhu Beetle season is a good time though as the beetles are big (matchbox sized) and they mindlessly beat themselves against the windows of any lit rooms easy easy prey for the Ruru.