Our great southern migration

  Our broccoli plants are apparently the favorite meal of the local caterpillars. The white cabbage moths (on wire screen below) are prevalent and have voracious young. The caterpillars are great at hiding on the stems and undersides of leaves. But the plants are still growing so fingers crossed.  Scott caught them around the radishes the other day. The radishes and turnips are producing way more than we can eat so hoping they stay over there and away from the slower producers.  Scott's bean crop is coming in now, as well, but those seem to have no natural predators.  We have been working on moving the potable water from one of the older plastic tanks into the other older tank, using a transport tank we rented from the Triangle Tool Library. Unlike the tandem trailer, this tank has seen limited use in the past few years.  Here it is getting gravity fed from the tan tank: and then emptying the water into the black tank: [These plastic tanks were displaced by the ...

  Even in the USA, school kids learn about the laughing kookaburra. The laugh is real, carries far and is so distinct it is unmistakeable! The old gum tree part seems to be a bit flexible (see below). The kids were traumatized by kookaburras in their youth. Somewhat akin to the seagulls in our zoos, a kookaburra swooped down and stole Casey's french fries as she was attempting to eat them. At least, that is how I remember it. These two kookaburras were attempting to create a nest hole in palm tree (not at all similar to a gum tree). They gave it up as a bad job. Look closely to see the two crammed into the space.  During this process, the pair would sit together on the power line. A few days after this, she moved to a different wire.  They don't really seem to be in charge of anything so I checked in why they are called "king of the bush". According to google, it is because they are the largest of the kingfisher family. Less fun.  There are definitely birds that clai...