Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River (I hope her hands have allowed her to participate this week). Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. Today I am staying at home. Autumn is finally, blissfully here.
I am revelling in the tuberous begonias on our veranda.
I liked this dainty insect too - but my ignorant self is clueless about what it is called.
I am also, as always, loving the birds who visit. The corellas are regulars and they bring their families which is an incredible privilege. However, a young corella is very, very far from musical as the short video I attached will show. A few years ago we saw an adult firmly rap a whinging youngster on the top of its head. It was silenced and inside we (quietly) cheered.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River (I hope her hands have allowed her to participate this week). Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. Today I am staying at home. Autumn is finally, blissfully here.
I am revelling in the tuberous begonias on our veranda.
I liked this dainty insect too - but my ignorant self is clueless about what it is called.
I am also, as always, loving the birds who visit. The corellas are regulars and they bring their families which is an incredible privilege. However, a young corella is very, very far from musical as the short video I attached will show. A few years ago we saw an adult firmly rap a whinging youngster on the top of its head. It was silenced and inside we (quietly) cheered.
Lol. I believe I’d have to close the windows on that sound. The flowers are gorgeous. The birds, so pretty.
ReplyDeleteMarie Smith: The sound transcends closed windows. And when we have two or three begging younsters the sound is almost deafening.
DeleteI think I am going to buy begonias in may when we start gardening. Yours are lovely!
ReplyDeleteAnd the birds... those I can not buy!
As for the insect... I looked it up... it is a cranefly.
: )
Caterina: I 'found' tuberous begonias a few years ago, and now the front veranda is filled with them. Sadly I suspect you could buy our corellas.
DeleteAnd thank you re the cranefly.
Weiße Blüten finde ich sehr schön.
ReplyDeleteNoke
Noke: We do too, and for a few years we had a white garden where the all of the blooms were white.
DeleteI love love LOVE your beautiful begonias. And I listened to that strange song on the video and see what you mean. :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: Aren't the begonias lovely? That song says gimme, gimme, gimme. And goes on and on and on. I am not surprised that the adults give in and feed the complainer. I wasn't surprised at the firm rap on the noggin either.
DeleteBeautiful begonias and birds...You are so lucky. Very warm here today and AC on fritz...
ReplyDeletee: I am so sorry to hear that your airconditioner has failed. And hope it can be fixed quickly. We are (finally) having warm days and cool nights which are very welcome.
DeleteThat little insect looks like a Crane Fly but I could be wrong. That first pink flower is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteMary Kirkland: You are right about the cranefly. Thank you to both you and Caterina. I really like all of the begonias.
DeleteYay for Autumn and all your gorgeous flowers!
ReplyDeleteI don’t know what those are called but I’ve always known them as mosquito eaters.
The young squawk and whinge no matter what species they belong to. ;)
River Fairchild: It the crane fly does eat mosquitoes it is welcome - but will probably starve. A lack of 'squitoes is about the only positive thing I can say about the drought.
DeleteYou are right about the young 'uns. They make their prescence felt...
Your begonias are beautiful, EC....making your verandah a wonderful area to enjoy and relax on.
ReplyDeleteI hope the coming week is a relaxing one for you. These cooler temps are very welcome. Cuddles to Jazz :)
Lee: Thank you. I have a busy week ahead (or at least until Wednesday). Hopefully after that serenity will return.
DeleteI hope you and your furry masters have a great week.
Your begonias are beautiful! I think the pink is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteMildred Ratched: If I HAD to choose a favourite I lean towards the two tone numbers.
DeleteI was thinking, looking at the initial photos, What a lot of begonias. Then I was, what a lot of begonias! I do like them.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: My obsessional self likes begonias a lot. I have resisted and not bought any more. For a while.
DeleteWhat an awful noise. At least it does develop into something bearable. A crane fly. I never knew its name either and I did think they looked a bit bitey.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: It is a horrendous noise isn't it? And very penetrating.
DeleteThe birds and the flowers are both very pretty.
ReplyDeleteJamie Ghione: Thank you. The flowers are blissfully quiet too.
DeleteLife is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSandi: It is. Very beautiful.
DeleteThe corellas are beautiful, I've never seen one before. Wow.
ReplyDeleteThe insect looks like a dragonfly a little.
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman: We get two types of corellas here (long and short-beaked) and welcome them. They rock blue eye shadow, but their voices are less pretty. And the whinging youngster's voices are even worse.
DeleteThe begonias are stunning. You obviously take very good care of them! Do they move inside for the winter? They wouldn't survive outside here.
ReplyDeleteOnly a mother corella could love an offspring which produces that noise - and deal with it efficiently... On my visits to Aussie I have always been astonished at the loud voices of your birds, especially early in the morning :)
Alexia: The begonias stay out all year round. They lose their leaves in winter but reappear in the spring. So many of our birds are lovely, but decidedly not musical.
DeleteYour begonias are amazing, EC. Each blossom is like a bouquet all on its own. And your veranda is a bit of heaven with all the plants.
ReplyDeleteI see you've had the crane fly identified. We get so many of those in the fall - they drift inside no matter how fast we try to shut the door. Then I have to try to catch them before the cats do, and put them out the door before their family members slip in.
That corolla looks quite pleased with his own voice :)
jenny_o: The begonias are a delightful welcome home sight.
DeleteI don't recall seeing a crane fly before, and fortunately Jazz showed NO interest.
The corella was pleased with itself. And went on. And on. And on some more.
Corella, not corolla - sorry for the misspelling - I've done it before in replies but I think I caught it the other times :)
Deletejenny_o: Not a problem. I knew what you meant and have to admit to being a truly woeful proof reader myself.
DeleteYou have beautiful flowers, and obviously a very green thumb.
ReplyDeleteThe insect looks very similar to what we call a damsel fly, but as others have noted, it's also called a crane fly.
Your story about the corella made me laugh, it seems the desire from parents for peace and quiet is universal among the species.
messymimi: There are some plants for which I have a brown thumb. So brown I have given up even trying to grow them. The begonias are set and forget plants and thrive on the veranda - which makes me very happy.
DeleteI'm glad that you are finally having cooler temperature and your Begonias are so beautiful. I plant some every year by my gazebo as they get partial shade there. They have such pretty blooms.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you will have to play some music to drown the noice the baby Corella makes. It's a noisy baby. lol.
Hugs, Julia
Julia: I think only drums would drown out the baby corella.
DeleteAren't begonias lovely? These come back every year and I always welcome them. So much.
I have never met a begonia that I did not like and I have never seen a bird on your blog, Susan, that I have not been amazed at. New Zealand and Australia seem to have all other countries beat when it comes to fowls.
ReplyDeleteStarting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Thank you. I too, love begonias. Mind you, there are birds the world over I lust after. Hummingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, owls, birds of paradise, chukahs...
DeleteJust love tuberous begonias, they are ever so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMargaret-whiteangel: They are aren't they? And relatively easy to grow which is a win.
DeleteYour begonias are outstanding! Prizewinners, all of them. The delicate insect looks suspiciously like a mosquito with dragonfly wings.
ReplyDeleteRiver: Geo. tells us the crane fly is also called a Mosquito Dragon. A name I like. A lot.
DeleteAre the begonias in full sun or do they get some daily shade? My teeny tiny front porch gets the full glare of the sun all day and the heat that goes with it. Probably I shouldn't try begonias there.
ReplyDeleteRiver: The begonias get MUCH more shade than sun. None of them get more than an hours direct sun in a day and most of them less than that. So no, your porch doesn't sound like the spot for them.
DeleteHere we call crane flies 'mosquito hawks' or 'mosquito dragons' even though they don't eat mosquitoes or, more importantly, humans.
ReplyDeleteGeo.: Mosquito Dragons is a wonderful name for this delicate charmer. Many thanks.
DeleteBeautiful flower shots! Funny: Michael Caine came up after the bird on the video.
ReplyDeleteBill: I wonder how Michael Caine would feel about being a follow-up act for a young corella.
DeleteLate to the party, as usual. So you already know about the crane fly.
ReplyDeleteI love those begonias and has some gorgeous ones in London, A bit too hot and humid here.
But our rain (sorry! has sent ALL plants into a late blooming frenzy, even things that normally die down now.By the end of the month I hope to be done with the pruning...
dinahmow: Gardening is never, ever done. Pruning/weeding/planting/redesigning... Which is both a plus and a minus.
DeleteThe begonias are very happy on our front veranda and the vandal bird show no interest in them. Which is a win.
Dear EC
ReplyDeleteA lovely rainbow of begonias (well, nearly) to brighten up the morning. For such a lovely looking bird, that noise is horrible!
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: The begonias brighten every day for me. Such a delightful splash of colour.
DeleteAs an adult the corella shriek isn't musical either, but is much easier to hear (and more short lived) than the youngster's insistent whinge.
Life would be so wonderful if I could spend just a few hours on your bright and colorful veranda with a glass of lemonade and a really good book. It would be the perfect mini-vacation, and I promise I wouldn't overstay my welcome(lol) Your veranda is truly breathtaking! Hugs...
ReplyDeleteRO: I hope you can some day - though you would probably be put to work in the garden.
DeleteBeautiful, beautiful pictures. As I said before, you live in such a wondrous place. OMG. Those flowers. So gorgeous.
ReplyDeletemxtodis123: The pots for the begonias live on the veranda all year round. For much of the year they are empty but I start to smile when the leaves appear, thinking of the beauty to come. The leaves are lovely too.
DeleteThose insects are known as "Daddy-long-legs" (obviously!) and are always accompanied by a loud scream "Get it out of here!" and much arm waving. Those corellas are lovely but that is definitely not a musical bird call. Although I'd love to hear them in person cos that would mean I'm in Australia!!!!!
ReplyDeleteShammickite: Our Daddy-long-legs are spiders. And are less shrieked at than most of our spiders. Are you planning a return to Oz anytime soon?
DeleteYour flowers and the birds in your photos are such a beautiful sight on this dreary Sunday morning. I have a few plants on my deck this week, but nothing so lovely as your begonias. If I could grow them and forget them, I would really love to have some.
ReplyDeleteGlenda Beall: The begonias are set and forget plants here. They get watered when we are removing evidence of the bird's incontinence and very little other attention.
DeleteYour begonias are super amazing.
ReplyDeletemshatch: Thank you. I love them, and wait for them to bloom with anticipation.
DeleteYour flowers are amazing. I love all the colors. We have 2 bird feeders and a hummingbird feeder and it's so much fun watching all the birds.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: A hummingbird feeder? Green eyes. We spend a LOT of time each and every day watching the birds.
DeleteThat bug looks like what we'd call here a Daddy Longlegs. Those youngsters are annoying, worse than a human baby screaming in a fit I think, unless you are the sleep deprived human babies parents. Beautiful beautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteStrayer: As I said to Shammickite our Daddy Longlegs are spiders. The corella sound is dreadful isn't it? We have had up to three or four youngsters complaining at once and the sound is horrendous. And penetrating.
DeleteIs that insect a mosquito hawk? Not sure if they are native to your country, or if there's an analogous species. Long-legged winged bugs that are handy for keeping pest insects down.
ReplyDeleteJohn Wiswell: I learned that the names vary the world over. I like the mosquito hawk and mosquito dragon names a LOT. Crane fly (which is I gather what we call them) doesn't have nearly the charm.
DeleteWow - so pretty!!! We're just losing our snow here and waiting for spring to do its thing. I loved your flowers!
ReplyDeleteJemi Fraser: Thank you. I hope your Spring is well on her way. I am enjoying Autumn (and looking forward to Winter).
DeleteLovely begonias. And I agree with Shammickite that I would like to be in Australia even if I'd have to listen to unmusical baby Corellas. Our young birds are not pretty sounding eithter. We have some young owls sounding like babies being murdered. Not much Woo-hoo about them.
ReplyDeleteUglemor: You have owls? Colour me a little envious. I very rarely see them, and love them. The young of most species are insistent and demanding in a less than pretty way.
DeleteMe encantala poesia hace mucho que escribo gracias por compartir.
ReplyDeleteTe mando mi blog por si deseas criticar.
Besos.
http://anna-historias.blogspot.com/?m=1
ANNA: Thank you. I will be over to visit you shortly.
DeleteThere are many children who need a rap on the head, I find. And I am guessing there are many adults who would quietly cheer ... how is it that Nature always gets it right :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol
Andrea @ From The Sol: How lovely to see you here. I hope you are going well - and yes, there are indeed many people (of all ages) who I believe would be the better for a firm rap on the head.
DeleteI love the flower photos. I can't wait until flowers start to bloom here. It's been so long and spring seems to be slow this year.
ReplyDeleteTruedessa: Our summer was very long and ugly and seemed to go on for way too long, so I understand your longing for Spring. I hope it arrives for you soon.
DeleteLove the flowers on your veranda. The corellas are beautiful, but I must agree - their song lacks musicality.
ReplyDeleteHope you are well.
Myrna R.: Thank you. The young corellas sound worse than their parents (who are also not musical). They are welcome to visit though.
DeleteAnd such a colorful theme.
ReplyDeleteAuthor R. Mac Wheeler: I am a big lover of colour.
DeleteOh WOW..I love those gorgeous begonias!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think the insect is a crane fly (daddy long legs). We get lots of them in the late summer and early autumn here too.
Those corellas are beautiful...we don't have them here, so your wonderful photos are really appreciated!
Thank you so much for sharing!!😊😊
Wishing you a super day.
Much love and hugs ❤❤❤
Ygraine: You are right about the crane fly and I wonder how it is that I have never noticed them before. Thank you so much for your kind words about the begonias and the corellas.
DeleteI hope your health woes are diminishing. Quickly.
Wow, my dogs went nuts over the bird sounds. But you should hear the guinea fowl that we listen to all day long. Very annoying.
ReplyDeleteGrannie Annie: Our next door neighbour's dog goes nuts over the corella complaints too.
DeleteWe see the same insect here in N. CAlif. Wish we saw your birds! Lovely flowers, and gratifying to think of you in cooler temps, Dear <3
ReplyDeleteCloudia: The cooler temperatures are bliss. The days are still warm, but the nights much, much cooler.
DeleteLove the flowers, brightness. And I love the Corella, what a dream.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: A very noisy dream.
DeleteSo many beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteHena Tayeb: Thank you. I am in planting for spring mode at the moment and hope that in a few months the yard (front and back) is a sea of colour.
DeleteBelíssimas flores para o outono - imagina à primavera!... Grande abraço! Laerte
ReplyDeleteSILO LIRICO - Poemas, Contos, Cronicas e Outras: Welcome and thank you. I am in the middle of planning and planting for Spring and I hope for an explosion of colour.
DeleteWhat a lovely video of the corella. Such a pretty bird and the insect was pretty too with those lacy wings. Gorgeous flowers and I loved the look of your porch area. A great place to sit for sure. Your garden must be glorious!
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Thank you. The garden is a work in progress. Always. The corellas are indeed beautiful, particularly when quiet.
DeleteAutumn is there and spring is almost here. Nothing like a lush veranda!
ReplyDeletejono: I hope your Spring gets a move on, allowing you to revel in it as I am revelling in Autumn.
DeleteBeautiful Flowers
ReplyDeletepeppylady (Dora): Thank you. We like them too.
DeleteHurray for autumn and cooler weather! As always, your photos are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteLady Fi: A huge hooray for autumn. And thank you. From a photographer of your calibre that is high praise.
DeleteYour verandah makes me wish I was a gardener!
ReplyDeleteI love corellas, especially when I see a whole flock playing together
kylie: I have a huge weakness for corellas too. Like cockatoos and galahs I am SURE they have a sense of humour.
DeleteThis gardener has (again) bitten off more than she can chew. I am in the midst of planting hundreds of bulbs for a spring display, and spreading a huge mountain of mulch.
Those begonias are gorgeous. Love your walkway.
ReplyDeleteLook at those darlin birds.
The trailer was fun.
Thanks for sharing your wonderland.
Sandra: I am so glad that others enjoy the begonias as well.
DeleteWhile I love our corellas, the whine of the youngsters sets my teeth on edge.
Heh. I think all whining youngsters have that affect.
DeleteSandra: Yup.
DeleteI think your veranda looks lovely and your begonias are beautiful, what lovely colours they are.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video of the corella.
Enjoy your week, it's going too fast for me, but I have enjoyed spending time with family.
All the best Jan
Lowcarb team member ~Jan: You are so right about the week (and indeed the year). I am glad you were able to enjoy family time.
DeleteLove both the flowers and the birds. Just beautiful, like taking a walk in paradise.
ReplyDeleteRasmaSandra: Thank you. I hope that paradise involves a little less work...
DeleteWhat wonderful images! I have literally thousands of unpublished photos on my iPhone. I may have to participate in this challenge sometime.
ReplyDeleteMy son once had an insect similar to the one in your photo land on his leg and shed its skin, then fly off. He reckoned it thought his leg must be part of a tree. We still have its shed skin in an empty glucose testing strip container.
Thank you for visiting me at Horror Harridans writing Sisterhood. Your comment made me smile!
The Real Cie: Welcome and thank you. It would be wonderful if you could join Sunday Selections - the more the merrier. How amazing that your son was taken for a tree.
DeleteHave a grand day.
ReplyDeleteSandra: Thank you. A busy, and I hope productive, day ahead.
DeleteGracias por aceptar mi blog y no decir que mierda de idioma es este cuando encuentras poemas no escritos en castellano o en otro que no es tuya.
ReplyDeleteTe lo agradezco mucho.
ANNA: IT was a pleasure to visit your blog and read your poem. I am sure that those who speak your language get the full beauty, but I enjoyed the translation anyway.
DeleteCreatures of the wild will always delight but even they have limits which I guess gives us much to be grateful for when a parent says "enough little one" and taps its sprog on the head, lol.
ReplyDeleteSpacer Guy: I think that 'enough' is not said often enough (including in our species).
DeleteYay! Corellas! That teen/baby needed a rap on his head or some sort of discipline and he got it.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: He/she also got fed, which is what the complaints were about.
DeleteHi EC - beautiful begonias; screechy corellas ... are they worse than seagulls I wonder?! And am glad you found out it was a crane fly ... gorgeous photos ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: I think the young corellas are MUCH less musical (and noisier) than our silver gulls.
DeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
Wow EC, your garden is breath taking!!! I truly mean that! I can't stop laughing, about the young corella getting hit on the head! LOL! Telling him to be quiet! LOL! Thanks for the laugh! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteMagic Love Crow: That young corella had been going on and on. And on and on. Inside the house my teeth were gritted. I was so grateful to that parent. Hugs.
Delete