Superb Parrots at Moorlands

Quick visit to Moorlands and was lucky enough to find a family of Superb Parrots.

Flowers and chickens

The garden is springing into life despite the return to winter type temperatures, hope they dont last!

Have one waterlily bud.... watching closely, pics soon.

Meantime the flannel flower looks wonderful and just keeps on keeping on.

The irises are flowering, my first, love the colour and scent is heavenly - good rubber band staking tie eh?

Kiwi and Peanut are sisters, the babies are from eggs from both of them, Deano is the daddy-o, he's such a looker.

The Garden at Wedgewood

Life has been very hectic lately, it was very pleasant to pause a while and take in the garden at Wedgewood today, the bird life abounds and spring is definitely in the air.

White Eared Honey Eater

Blue Wren

A young Gold Finch, well disguised on the pebble path

Grey Shrike-Thrush, not a name to attempt at speed!!  LOL!!

Galahs, landing at the feed table, and in the paddock beyond the garden.

Eastern Rosella, from a long way away.

There are lots of flowers in the garden, but I had the big lens on, so couldnt really do them justice, the blossom is looking wonderful.

The whole morning's activity was supervised by Charcoal, a tough job, but someone's got to do it!!

There were lots of other birds too, crimson rosellas, swallows, and all sorts, but photos of them will have to wait for another day.

The Garden, budgies and Terra Cat

The garden is starting to 'spring' into life and is looking gorgeous.  The quince tree is in bloom, and looked much better about 4 minutes before I took this shot - had to go get the camera and by the time I got back the light had changed.

The protea is looking brilliant.

As are the flannel flowers.

This is an Isopogen, very structural, might use this pic in a piece... soon-ish!!  LOL!!

We have 6 baby budgies, 4 grey, 1 sky blue and 1 violet.  I am keeping the violet one (third from the right).  They are the product of grey x violet mating, and violet mum died a week before they fledged.... 6 babies, what was she thinking!  In the middle of the perch is the green/blue spangle boy.

And finally a 'just for fun' shot - Terra (cotta) Cat has a millipede for a mouth!!  Arky arky.

Moorlands

Last month my friend Janet and I planned to visit the Canberra Quilters show.  I left home a day early and was lucky enough to spend it at Janet and Vinces' farm, Moorlands, at Dalton.

The farm is 2 700 acres and has about 1300 sheep, this year with about 2000 lambs.  So many have twins, some have triplets and one even had quads!!  I asked Vince why there were so many multiple births this year, and he said he'd like to put it down to good planning, good pasture management and good stock, but looking around, he said, seems everyone else in the neighbourhood has achieved the same thing!!  LOL!!

This year is the first time in 10 (?) years that the region has received 'average' rainfall.  The pastures looked lush and green.

Janet and Vince have mostly Texel sheep, who have very characterful faces and are the best 'eating' sheep.  Woolworths wont buy anything that has Texel in it's pedigree, because the meat is darker - and since they are all about 'the look' they only buy the lightest red meat-ed sheep - if you're buying your meat at a supermarket, time to make a change in favour of taste!!

Moorlands is a bio-dyamic farm, and markets it's fantastically flavoursome lamb directly.  Check it out at:

www.moorlandslamb.com.au

I had a lovely time checking out all the mothers and babies, the Plymouth Rock chicks I hatched for Janet have grown up, one boy, one girl, the dogs and 'interesting' stuff on the farm.  A great day out :)

More Modern Game chooks

These are some of our Modern Game chooks,

Ginger Pile coloured girls (Iced) Vovo and Ginger (Nut)

Our darling Black Tailed Wheaton girl Poppy - very hard to take a pic of her because she is always right in your face!!  Loves being picked up.

And the enormously handsome Hugo - Silver Birchen.

Ziki and her little brood

Ziki is doing very well with her little brood of  3 chicks, 2 are Australorp x and 1 is Barnie x.  I think there are 2 pullets and a roo, but time will tell.  Zik is getting used to motherhood!!