HAGGLING

At the Camberwell Sunday Market.

This post is part of the "My Sunday Best meme"

PIGEON

A feral pigeon or rock dove (Columba livia), displaying iridescent green and purple neck feathers and reddish-brown wing pattern variations. This species is stout-bodied with short legs, a small head, and characteristic pinkish-red feet. Feral pigeons are common urban and suburban residents worldwide, highly adaptable and foraging primarily on seeds and scraps.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

WINTER SKY

 This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

SWEET VIOLETS

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MERRI CREEK IN CLIFTON HILL

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

YARRA RIVER, WARRANDYTE

The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River (Aboriginal: Berrern, Birr-arrung, Bay-ray-rung, Birarang, Birrarung, and Wongete) is a perennial river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river are where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches.

From its source in the Yarra Ranges, it flows 242 kilometres west through the Yarra Valley, which opens out into plains as it winds its way through Greater Melbourne before emptying into Hobsons Bay in northernmost Port Phillip. The river was a major food source and meeting place for indigenous Australians from prehistoric times. Shortly after the arrival of European settlers land clearing forced the remaining Wurundjeri to neighbouring territories and away from the river.

Originally called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri, the current name was mistranslated from another Wurundjeri term in the Boonwurrung language; Yarro-yarro, meaning “ever-flowing”.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING

Spring is coming early this year. We've had a glorious, warm sunny day today and in a walk around the neighbourhood, many of the Spring bulbs were out and some had already perished. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology officially declared an active El Niño event on June 16, 2026, marking the first time the pattern has been established in nearly three years. Driven by record-fast warming in the central tropical Pacific, current oceanic and atmospheric indicators point to a strong—potentially historic—event persisting through the rest of 2026 and into early 2027.

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

FACTORY

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

AUSTRALIAN RAVEN

This is an Australian raven (Corvus coronoides), about 45 cm long and characterized by glossy black plumage and a pale white iris. These birds possess all-black glossy feathers with greyish bases hidden underneath. Distinctive white irises surrounding a dark pupil, indicate an adult bird. Strong, heavy black bill and perching posture typical of the Corvus genus.

Australian ravens are exceptionally intelligent birds. Like other corvids, they possess a high brain-to-body mass ratio and cognitive problem-solving abilities that closely rival primates and young children. They have been observed actively shaping and using sticks to extract insects buried deep within tree bark. In urban areas, Australian ravens work together collaboratively to pull heavy plastic liners out of public rubbish bins to access food. They are also famous for stalking bushwalkers and successfully unzipping backpacks to steal snacks.

They can accurately recognize individual human faces and categorize them as either a threat or a friend. They can hold these memories—and potential grudges—for several years. They easily pass vital safety information down through generations, effectively teaching their young which specific neighborhoods or humans are dangerous to approach.

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

AEONIUM

These bright yellow, star-shaped inflorescences (clusters of star-like blossoms) are characteristic of a flowering succulent from the genus Aeonium (such as Aeonium arboreum), belonging to the stonecrop family Crassulaceae.

The insect resting on the yellow flowers is a Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). It has a long, slender black body that mimics the appearance of a wasp to ward off predators, though it lacks a stinger and is completely harmless. As adults, they are important, docile pollinators that feed gently on flower nectar. Their larvae are highly beneficial decomposers used globally to recycle organic kitchen and garden waste into rich compost.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DAREBIN CREEK

In winter, after rain.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

HERRING ISLAND

Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park is a 3.2-hectare artificial island on the Yarra River in South Yarra, about 3 km from Melbourne's CBD. It is Melbourne's only river island, famous for its environmental art sculptures, walking tracks, and free weekend summer punt service.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

WINTER SUN

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

TURKEY TAIL

This is a Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) mushroom, a common polypore found worldwide.It is characterised by its thin, fan-shaped, and colourful caps that resemble a turkey's fanned tail feathers

These fungi are frequently found growing in overlapping clusters on fallen hardwood logs or stumps. Trametes versicolor has a porous underside rather than gills and is a popular subject for foraging due to its distinct features and potential medicinal uses.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

HORSE, RELAXING

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

YARRA SUNRISE

Crack of a Winter dawn and the young rowers of the University Rowing clubs get ready to race in the icy water. Ah, youth! I'm content to photograph them wrapped in my warm coat and gloves.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

MOSSY SAXIFRAGE

Saxifraga x arendsii, also known as mossy saxifrage or rockfoil.The plants form low-growing, mounded mats of evergreen foliage.The specific variety shown is the "Early Picotee" type, which has pale pink petals that shade to a creamy white in the centre.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

RAINY NIGHT

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

SOUTH YARRA POST OFFICE

This distinctive "castle" building is the former South Yarra Post Office, a historic heritage landmark located at 162 Toorak Road. Designed in 1890 by architect A.J. MacDonald for the Public Works Department and completed by 1893, it is of an eclectic style: The rear of the building features a unique blend of Scottish Baronial, American Romanesque, and Art Nouveau design elements, making it resemble a miniature medieval fortress hanging over the train tracks.

It is situated directly adjacent to the South Yarra railway station cutting, visible from passing suburban trains (from which train this photo was taken). While it no longer operates as a civic post office, the red-brick building is legally protected under the local heritage overlay.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

GOTHIC

Standing on the corner of Queen Street and Collins Street in the City, are two impressive buildings, the former English, Scottish and Australia Bank and the former Melbourne Stock Exchange. Built between 1883 and 1891, the two were combined and renovated in 1921, and are now the world headquarters of ANZ Bank.

Designed by architect William Wardell and built in 1883-87, the ES&A Bank is the more restrained of the two, with high ceilings, lancet windows and a narrow spire. As well as ES&A's head office, it was once the residence of the bank's general manager. The former Stock Exchange was constructed shortly after and completed in 1891. Designed by William Pitt, its appearance is flamboyant, with gargoyles, stained glass and a rose window at the very top of the building.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

TARRAWARRA

At the Tarrawarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CATERPILLAR AND BUTTERFLY

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia. For protection against predators, this non-poisonous butterfly mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida, another swallowtail butterfly that obtains its toxic properties through its host plant, the Dutchman's pipe.

Papilio anactus is endemic to Australia. It was originally only present in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but due to the growing of citrus, a larval food plant of this species, in orchards, the species spread to South Australia in the late 1920s. Papilio anactus is not present on Kangaroo Island or elsewhere in Australia, as there are currently too few citrus trees. Sadly this butterfly is much less common than it once used to be. Dingy Swallowtail It also occurs on New Caledonia. There, it may be an introduced species or a vagrant.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme