Imagine my surprise when we came home to see this strange looking bird in the garden. It is a Tawny Frogmouth * , a nocturnal hunting bird that looks somewhat like an owl. I have not seen one of them for many years and never in this garden.
I find them especially remarkable for this head-up pose they adopt (above) when they are trying to blend in with the branch on which they sit during the daytime.
I find them especially remarkable for this head-up pose they adopt (above) when they are trying to blend in with the branch on which they sit during the daytime.
Their mottled gray plumage really blends well with the bark or bleached dead-wood of many eucalypts.
On the first day I unintentionally disturbed the bird, which moved around the garden and I was able to take this front-on, eyes wide open, photo.
The bird reappeared two days later and I managed to take this photo in the early morning sunshine.
Earlier in the week I attended the monthly meeting of Ikebana International in Melbourne. Our guest speaker was an expert in the history of porcelain and ceramics. Members were encouraged to make an ikebana arrangement in a favourite ceramic vessel. I chose this 'swooning' vessel by Graeme Wilkie, in which I have arranged dietes leaves and a single alstroemeria flower stem. I was a little rushed and the result was not what I had planned.
At home I re-worked the arrangement and was happier with the result.
Notice the big difference in the arrangement by slanting the tallest line to the left and then loosely looping the ends of the leaves. I feel this is much more harmonious with the vase.
There are more photos from the meeting at: Melbourne I.I. meeting * .
Greetings from Christopher
12th March 2016.
* Click on the blue text for further information.
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