Native bees plus a host of other insects have been extremely scarce in the garden this season, with one exception. Blue-banded Bees which have been hard to find for a couple of seasons at least have been quite numerous, visiting the vanilla lily plants which are allowed to run rampant in a raised bed just for this species. A chance but welcome encounter was this Megachile maculariformis, working over the flowers of a Westringia fruiticosa, just two photos were obtained, but more can be seen here, taken on the same shrub five years ago.

As noted in a recent post, the garden adjoining the front verandah was being monopolised to a great extent by several Noisy Miners, and to be candid they were starting to become a bit wearing with their constant noisy aggressive behaviour. Then, as sometimes occurs, a Brown Goshawk set up camp in the Lightwoods across the road, with a view to patronising the garden restaurant. Its first meal was unfortunately one of the semi-resident Common Bronzewings, the remains of which were found on a raised garden bed with the usual scattering of feathers. Then a day or two later a scattering of grey feathers was found nearby, followed by the realisation that the Noisy Miners had gone, obviously coming to the conclusion that it was no longer a safe place to be. Peace has now descended, and one can sit and enjoy the New Hollands and Superb Fairy Wrens going about their business without a care in the world, their soft contact calls music to the ears.