Great Earthworks and Butcher birds

Grey Butcher Bird

Since we moved here, from the very first day it seems, I have heard the beautiful, melodious call of a mysterious bird I wasn't able to identify. Until this week! We have plantation forest to our east and another, almost ready for harvesting, sadly, to our south. These forests are home to many creatures, one of which is this mysterious bird, which I found out was a Grey Butcher Bird. I really thought it was going to be a rosella or parrot of some kind. But this humble little thing has such a lovely song, it's worth mentioning. Here is a recording of several: listen here In each state they sound slightly different. So lovely.

In other, exciting and long awaited news, - the mighty tree stumps are finally gone! Yesterday I spent 8 hours burning three of the biggest of the Macrocarpa stumps, the trees being were cut down many years ago. And today we heard a big machine coming up our road and guessed it was neighbour Rob bringing his massive excavator. YAY!

It's a bit of a mess, until we get all the stumps burnt and the ground levelled, but I am at last able to plan my garden and start collecting large rocks which form part of the wide steps leading down through the middle of the huge bed I'm building. It will be mostly lavender and Golden Diosma I think, with annuals and colour also. Can't wait!

 You can see video of Rob's clever work here: video