ECLECTUS PARROT

The eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea and nearby islands, northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas).

It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism of the colours of the plumage; the male (photo here, below) having a mostly bright emerald green plumage and the female a mostly bright red and purple/blue plumage. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see eclectus parrots thought they were of two distinct species. 

Large populations of this parrot remain, and they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Some populations restricted to relatively small islands are comparably rare. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople in New Guinea as decorations.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

EQUINOX SUNSET

It is the Autumnal Equinox here in Melbourne and we are now officially into Autumn.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ZUCCHINI FLOWER

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DAWN IN THE PARKLANDS

At the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne, about 6 km from the CBD.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD

The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I.

It is an important tourist attraction in the region, which winds through varying terrain alongside the coast, and provides access to several prominent landmarks; including the nationally significant Twelve Apostles rock formations. The Twelve Apostles is a collection of miocene limestone rock stacks jutting from the water in Port Campbell National Park, between Princetown and Peterborough on the Great Ocean Road.

The apostles were formed by erosion: The harsh weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

AUTUMN'S ARRIVAL

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

AT DEGANI'S FAIRFIELD

A nice weekend brunch at the local meeting place...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WAITING...

Patiently for his master...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

UP, UP AND AWAY

We often have hot air balloons overhead in our neighbourhood as they use a nearby park as a launching ground. The balloons are a hit with both locals and tourists.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MORNING GLORY

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called morning glories, but this can also refer to related genera. Those formerly separated in Calonyction (Greek καλός, kalos, good and νύκτα, nycta, night) are called moonflowers. The generic name is derived from the Greek words ιπς (ips) or ιπος (ipos), meaning "worm" or "bindweed," and όμοιος (homoios), meaning "resembling". It refers to their twining habit.

The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, lianas, shrubs and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants. Ipomoea nil is a species of Ipomoea morning glory known by several common names, including picotee morning glory, ivy morning glory, and Japanese morning glory. It is native to most of the tropical world, and has been introduced widely. It is cultivated as an attractive ornamental plant in many places, and the descendants of garden escapees now grow wild, in some situations regarded as a weed.

This is a climbing annual herb with three-pointed leaves 3 to 8 centimeters long. The flowers are several centimeters wide and appear in various shades of blue, pink or rose, often with white stripes or edges or blends of colors. Common cultivars include 'Scarlet O'Hara', 'Early Call', and 'Rose Silk'.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme