Bird Hyde

When the Wall Comes Down

What happens when a retaining wall no longer retains?
Well after weeks of negotiating and soaring oil prices, (Bricks are heavy to hall!) which seems to have doubled the price! Work has begun.

_{Thursday........}

Stage 1 Remove the top 3 rows of bricks and salvage for reuse in the garden.

(click on any image to see a larger view)

Next remove the rest of the crumbling wall to the top of the driveway for removal.

Stage 2. Discover what is hidden behind the wall !

Lots of rock and some corrugated iron and even the original for sale sign.

.......and now its raining, hope it doesn't collapse.
 

Friday.....

The sand, cement and bricks arrive.

 Oops.Not quite what I was expecting .

Saturday.......

Rob and his team arrived at 7am. By 9 they had set up, prepped the site and were ready to lay bricks...

Lets go......

A bit of a tight fit

It's 5 past 5 and time for the last two bricks,and a well earned Beer !!!


Ta ta.. A Flemish Wall

The site was cleaned up and the rubble taken away the next day.

Thanks boy , great job

Bar-shouldered Doves

The Blue Mountains have been very grey, cold, and wet for the past few days. So it was quite a surprise to see pair of Bar-shouldered Doves in the garden this morning. They were in the vege patch, which is awaiting some winter planting, by the time I found the camera,changed lenses and battery, they had moved under a waratah, not much of a snap, hopfully they'll be back tomorrow and I'll  be a bit better prepared. These are not a common species in the mid mountains, but their numbers see to be on the rise.

 
Bar-shouldered Dove

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Another trip to the Capertee Valley this week and the sighting of one of my favorite honeyeaters,the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.
 

I have only seen this species on our property on two occasions and then only 1 bird, this time there were 4. They really are beautiful and with a song to match. Their pink bill, blue eye and yellow cheek remind me of a toilet tissue add of the 1960's "Pink and blue and primrose too'

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters