Some interesting visitors to the farm.

Visitors to the farm? Yes, we get a few, but the ones I shall mention here are animals. (Yes, if you press the point, I know that humans are animals too, but when I say animal visitors I am sure you know what I mean)
So, yes, over the last few weeks we have had some interesting animal callers.

The Long-necked Tortoise.

We had a few days of constant rain, and lo and behold, just outside the house, a long-necked tortoise appeared.

Its shell was covered with mud and plant growth.

This shell needs a thorough clean!

...with neck extended.

When it had its neck fully extended it was about 100 cm from top to tail.....a long, long-necked tortoise.

But when it became aware of some pesky potential predator, (me, with camera) it adopted its self-protective pose, and pulled its neck into its shell....all the while giving me a Bronwyn Bishop "death stare"

...and curled into its shell. Note its staring eyes, checking me out.

I couldn't imagine where it had come from until I looked at the garden behind it.

There, amid the maiden-hair fern, was a hole about the size of my visitor.

How long it had been curled up there I have no idea.

That's the hole where the tortoise had been living....under the maiden-hair fern.

It wandered off when I wasn't watching it (it is not something you want to watch 24/7) and I have no idea where it went.  But I am glad that I saw it when it came out into the open.

The Echidna.

I have seen a few echidnas around the farm, and was lucky, one afternoon, to have my camera with me, when this fellow sauntered across our road.
It was a little fazed by my presence, and tried to hide its head once it reached the grass on the opposite verge. But then it decided that such a temporary measure was not perfect, and scurried off, on its little stumpy legs, deeper into the bush.

,

Yes, a good time to cross the road. No cars coming.

Burrowing into the nearby vegetation...to escape me.

Centipedes.

These appear quite frequently.

No,  no-one has been accidentally nipped by one. 

They really are quite lovely to see with their segmented body, and lots of legs! (one pair per segment)

This bloke was afraid of me, and tried to make itself appear insignificant!
As long as they stay OUTSIDE where they belong, I am happy to admire them.

Looks very healthy....lovely shiny exoskeleton.

Birds.

Yes, the Robins arrive every Winter. Apparently this area is the northern most boundary for their winter range. I don't spot them often over winter, but I love seeing them.

This is the female. The male's red breast is of a much brighter colour.

What an inquisitive look!

Kangaroos.

Just one of the many kangaroos which come across to the house at dusk and dawn. This one looks very young.

These are always with us.

At dawn and at dusk they come out of the nearby scrub, and into the vineyard. 

They eat rose buds, when they are in bloom, and new vine shoots when they are growing.

They graze on the grass over the winter months.

Quite often one of the females will have a joey in her pouch.

So that is a small taste of some of the wildlife visitors we see here at the farm. Enjoy!

Now it is WINTER here.

The last Blog showed the colours of Autumn in "our neck of the woods."

All of that glorious Autumn colour has gone, and the starkness of Winter is here.

And this season has its own beauty.

We have many nights of below zero degrees. The following mornings are magic.
Heavy frosts coat the ground, and any low-growing shrubs, with sparkling white.

The frost remains where the sun has not yet reached.

And you can also see frost remnants along the edges of our road.

Low clouds fill our small valley. They often hang around until mid-morning.

Visibility is low on misty mornings. The place seems magical.

The skies can be clear and blue....stunning

....or grey and threatening...but still magnificent.

The deciduous  trees are bare...having lost their Autumn leaves. Their starkness is beautiful to see, against the backdrop of the sky.

But now, half way through winter some of them are already forming buds, ready to put on their Spring greenery at the first hint of warmer temperatures.

Here is one of our Magnolia trees....the buds are forming now, and, as a bonus, the bird's nest is visible, sitting in a fork of some branches.

And a few birds visit the farm over winter. These add colour and interest.

Here is an adult Crimson Rosella, with the lighter coloured juvenile. (Platycerus elegans)

And a group (or is it a "flock"?) of Crimson Rosellas in a tree near the house.

This is a little difficult to see, but it is a Scarlet Robin.(Petroica multicolor)

I love the robins. They only come to this area in the winter months. Apparently this region is the northern most extent of their winter migration.
 Neighbours in the area all keep a look-out for the robins. And we tell one another when and where we have sighted them.   Much excitement over a very small, but beautiful, bird.

And some flowers are frost-tolerant, and grow through Winter, adding splashes of colour.

I shall finish this Blog with the following photos of the few flowers growing here over winter.
Enjoy our winter photo gallery.

Calendulas (G.Calendula) are so hardy, and so bright.

The purple of the Iris is eye-catching in the brownness of the rest of the garden.

Not much luck with our bulbs this year but the Jonquils put on a show for us.

A small growth of Pansies (Viola genus)

The violets have a deep purple colour. (Also Viola genus)