Well, old man Winter arrived in the tropics this past week. He bought some seriously cold nights and early mornings, and some gorgeous sunrises.
Mid-week it was down to between 7 and 9 deg C (44 - 48 F). That is COLD for the tropics. With very low humidity levels and dewpoints below 0, it was really, really, really cold. Usually, our overnight winter temps don't get below 10 C. The electric blanket had a workout, and the winter PJs and dressing gown and woolly socks all came out of the closet. I even wore a jumper to work three mornings last week!!!! Of course, it was off by mid-morning as the mercury rose to a more comfortable 22 - 24 C (71 - 75 C).
Aside for the change in temps., the conditions have remained the same. It's dry season and the skies are usually bright blue and fairly clear. I spend quite a bit of time watering garden beds and potted plants these days.
This weekend as I strolled around moving sprinklers or watering with the hose, I spotted ...
Out on the courtyard garden there was
In my new garden beds near the carshed,
Elsewhere, there are flowerheads on ...
I usually spot quite a few birds as I wander around the garden and this weekend has been no different.
The Forest Kingfisher is always a delightful sight.
I spent quite a while watching this little Willy Wagtail doing a jig around the yard this morning. Such a mesmorizing performance!
What a great post, filled with so much color and sweet flying friends.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week ~ FlowerLady
Thanks Lorraine, it was a terrific weekend and I enjoyed quite a bit of time spent outside in the garden. It's always enjoyable seeing the various birds that come and go here.
DeleteHello, what a beautiful post, from the gorgeous sunrise, lovely flowers and the pretty birds. Lovely collection of photos. Enjoy your day and the new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you visiting, thanks Eileen. I do so love this time of the year here in the tropics. It's the best time for tending the garden. It's fantastic having such great birdlife company too.
DeleteThat is cold for up there. We are feeling down here too and it doesn't even warm up much during the day. It is dry and cold to be out watering. I'm having a constant battle with the hungry wallabies. Your garden is looking as beautiful as ever.
ReplyDeleteYes we had a bit of that arctic blast that was sweeping up the east coast. The temps did rise a fair bit through the day though, so I didn't have to wear a jumper for long. It's now back to the usual winter temps. Hungry wallabies have turned our front and side yards into something that resembles the face of the moon. There are huge holes everywhere as they dig up the ground searching for edible roots.
DeleteYou have got fantastic colour in your garden. Always admire your birds and wildlife. A lovely, ethereal shot of streptocarpus, Polygala looks very exotic. It is amazing how many beautiful flowers grace the gardens at this time of winter. You have got wonderful Geraniums, never know if it is Geranium or Pelargonium, In a way it is still fun to blog, perhaps one can make later a book with blurb or something similar.
ReplyDeleteThere's always a little colour somewhere in the garden, although at this time of the year when the dry season is at its height, there's really only a few blooms on one plant at any time. Apart from some of the potted plants, like the Petunias, it's hard to find anything covered in blooms right now.
DeleteI've learned that the plants I used to call Geraniums are definitely Pelargoniums. True Geraniums don't grow here in the tropics. I tried growing one a couple of years ago, but it never took off. The Pellies though just adore the heat and humidity here.
How wonderful to have blooms all year even winter...
ReplyDeletelovely flowers, Bernie, and great photos. Such an impressive array of birdlife. The only one familiar are Pied Currawongs that also visit my garden. I love the sky photos and the colour and shape of the Polygala that I'm also unfamiliar with. Not sure if it's a native or not ...
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny how your winter is normally not below 10 degrees at night – and we had nights last week, mid-summer where it dipped just below 10 degrees! Well, that’s unusual for us in July so perhaps the whole world had a chilly few days last week. We are back to more normal 15 at night and 25-28 during the day. Perfect :-)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your winter blooms, many of them are known too me as they grow here, as opposed to your summer blooms :-)
Hope you have a good weeek in the garden!
A fabulous array of birds and flowers, Bernie!
ReplyDelete