Part 14: Finale number 2 – maybe

Well.......following in the footsteps of those two famous singers, Nellie Melba and John Farnham, I obviously don't know when to stop and just keep coming back with additional observations and snippets of interest (to me anyhow) about nature, wildlife, and climate effects IMBY! So here goes with the next instalment.

As the dry season morphed into the 'build-up', the green-ant tree co-operated with me by expelling all the green ants and their nests, along with its leaves, in its annual total leaf-drop. By mid-September not a single leaf remained on its branches – it looked bereft: naked, spiky and quite unattractive.

Raking up the crumpled, mottled, leathery, brown fallen leaves (being stung all the time by the displaced ants) and bagging the leaves (at least three extra-large garbags per day) was a necessary daily chore as the tree shed its previous year's coat. Then suddenly, almost miraculously, small brilliant green baby leaves began to appear on all the spiky twigs of the bare outstretched branches. By the end of October the whole tree was awash with new foliage – sans ants.

A variety of birds would flit through the open branches picking off any foolhardy returning insects, and, as the summer sun crept lower into the southern sky, the leaves slowly grew to normal size. The shade created by this tall, now ant-less tree seemed to be appreciated by birds, animals, garden plants – and humans as well!

As my garden took shape and began to benefit from this extended shade, more lizards, butterflies, grasshoppers and so on soon appeared – each species unwittingly presenting themselves as a delectable dinner for another larger, more aggressive species. (Such is life!)

Having festooned the lower branches of 'the tree' with shade-loving hanging baskets; draped the partly shaded fence with potted orchids; planted colourful shrubs in decorative pots placed strategically across the lawn space, it was pleasing to see how this cool, green ambience was brought right up to the patio area and seemed to cool the inner lounge room.

As for the regular and temporary visitors of the bird world, they are all still here with a couple of new additions. Each morning for the last two weeks, a band of corellas fly in, amazingly silent, and peck diligently under a specific seed-bearing tree. Once replete, they perch in a row on the top rail of the nearest fence, nod to each other, riffle their short crests, and then take off as a squad for the next food bowl.

The hard core troop of about fifteen permanent ibis continually patrol around and around this whole enclave, endeavouring to keep the area free of all unwelcome insect intruders. They have voracious appetites which need constant feeding. In fact one brave ibis has staked his claim to my garden and regularly chomps down on any grasshoppers, worms, centipedes, spiders and other edible delights from the insect family that have the temerity to invade my space. I think he regards this as just foraging for hors d'oeuvres before setting out for real chow time with his pals.