On a delicate morning, with the early sun streaming through the garden precariously, the yellow sunbirds, and sparrows gather to preen themselves amidst the bauhinias, heliconias, honolulu creepers, gingers, peacocks and blue-peas. Yet it is in the midst of this peace and tranquility, that the battle for our hearts and souls continues. As Fr Josef…
(Mid-Week 47) After a morning of restless cacophony and chorus that ascended into an ethereal crescendo, amidst the hustle and bustle of parents…….. silence, serenity and peace. And the world was indeed a better place that day. (Week 47) A week after the weak chicks cried without a voice, the industry of the parents (and the…
(Week 47) A week after the weak chicks cried without a voice, the industry of the parents (and the scale of the grub) and the size of the nestlings have increased exponentially. The parent looks a little worn around the edges, but the pace of creation hurtles along towards the next major milestone – the…
The parents have emerged, as both take turns to feed the nestlings and to keep the nest warm. Here, a parent keeps a moment of vigilance on surrounding intruders before disappearing into the depths of the well-camouflaged nest in the bush. This is the crucial period for survival – humans can only keep a watchful eye from…
(Week 42) The Bauhinias are in fully perennial bloom – and they are joined by a rare flowering of an epiphytic pink phalaenopsis orchid on the adjacent black bamboo (Phyllostachys-nigra)in the garden. A rare beauty and a true blessing, four weeks to Easter Sunday. (Week 18) The first flowers. And more. The plant looks very jaded,…
(Week 4) Another two weeks has passed. The shoots are now proliferating in droves. Already, the first strand of a spider’s web has spun across the fledgling shoots, seemingly unaware of how short-lived the structures will be…… But Life does find a way. Elsewhere in the garden, a rare pink variant of the Peacock Flower…
(Week 2) Two weeks after a heavy (heavy) prune, new shoots emerging from this Bauhinia kockiana creeper. This climber is a native of the Malaysian jungle, and produces an abundance of orange and re-orange flowers.