*My monthly newsletter is called Fairy Wren Cottage Postcards. It is usually sent to the inbox of everyone who subscribes, but until I find a new service provider for my newsletter (my old provider wanted to start charging me $40 per month), I’ll post it here.

If you are new here, welcome – this is a safe, inclusive space where kindness is the currency.

 

 

Birds in the Garden.

June has been the loveliest month for bird spotting in the garden. Branches laid bare, we get the full effect of birds flitting through the garden and coming in to land. Living at Fairy Wren Cottage for fifteen years, we have seen generation upon generation of chicks hatching, becoming parents, and raising chicks themselves. Perched ever so closely, there is a familiarity and fondness between us humans and our feathered friends.

Four Green Parrots swooped over Michael today as he was making a new garden bed. They were on their way to the Campbell Russet apple that props up against the Henhouse. It’s a late fruiting apple and the branches are slowly emptying, but there is still plenty of fruit to entice the birds back for a feed each day. Deliberately planted for its late apples, we only take half the fruit and leave the rest for the birds on these colder Winter days. New Hollanders, Fairy Wrens, Silver Eyes, Thornbills, Blackbirds, Green Parrots, and the odd juvenile Wattle Bird that clumsily navigates it’s way on to the apple tree; it squawks, partly to announce its presence and partly, I’m sure, in absolute surprise that it landed at all.

Last week it was absolutely delightful to see a single Common Bronzewing Pigeon stroll down the driveway. Taking its time, taking in its surrounds, and then it disappeared. Two days later our Common Bronze Wing Pigeon friend returned, but this time with its companion in tow. Like an elderly couple out for a Sunday stroll, these two darlings waddled along. They would pause and look back, wait for each other to catch up when the other started to lag behind – it was adorable. As Liliana said, they might be classed as “least concerned” and not endangered and called “Common”, but they deserve to be protected as everything is of concern.

 

Photos: Honeybee “helping” Michael shift a small Crabapple. The elderly ducks in the Back Orchard. That’s Myrtle sitting down. The girls in the garden; Myrtle is at the front.

 

Duck news:

In early June we answered an advertisement on Gumtree and by mid morning found ourselves weaving our way through the valley and up a narrow bitumen road that soon turned to dirt with no guard rail, a long drop off one side, hair pin turns and a driveway that took some manoeuvring. Luckily, the trip wasn’t for nothing and we bought home a sixteen week old duck – she was being sold as a breeding pair with her father. Needless to say, as soon as we got home they were separated straight away and the drake is in a different area of the garden until he goes to his lovely new home in a couple of weeks. I made the purchase for the young duck. She is sweet natured, a social butterfly, worships Honeybee, and we called her Myrtle. She is at that lovely young ducky stage, where she gets tired while trying to keep up with the older ducks and has a little sit every now and again. Seeing Myrtle plop to the ground mid mouth full and continue grazing, neck out stretched and reaching for grass, such joyful little duck  idiosyncrasies to see. Myrtle’s soft downy duckling feathers are found around the garden as she moults and her colouring comes through stronger each day.

 

 

House Keeping.

In my May Postcard I had mentioned taking time away from social media and seeing you in early Spring. But, on reflection, I would really like to do my  third year of  “Moment in the Day” Series during the Wintertime. I love this time of year, the ethereal beauty, the bare bones of the garden, grey skies all the shades of silver. Hearing the home matches being played on the local football ground. On these cold still days the noise of the football siren travels, cutting through the air it reaches us as we potter about the garden. It reminds me of childhood days in the small country town that I grew up in.

As you know, Liliana helps me with all things technical. She has finished her Uni exams, caught up on some well needed rest, read lots of books (she has read 56 books so far this year) and this week we are looking at the newsletter and setting up my online shop.

A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking with Analiese Gregory. Season 2, Episode 1. My Michael is in this episode – he made the bespoke kitchen and island bench for Analiese’s new restaurant. It is the first time we have seen the series; a bit surreal to see my husband on the tv! (You can watch the episode on SBS on demand.)

I have been thinking about this quote a lot:

“I will never apologise for embracing joy and beauty – even when the world is falling apart – because joy and beauty are my fuel for activism.” Karen Walrond.

 

 

Moment in the Day Series.

This will be my third year.
Midwinter and I’m craving the everyday beauty that isn’t in your face like Springtime blossom, the abundance in the garden during Summer, or the golden light in Autumn.
For me, this time of year is all about looking for the little treasures. The beauty is still there, it’s about taking the time to see it. Hone your senses to take notice, it is so easy to get swept up in the day to day and feeling flat with everything going on in the world.
The cool air on your cheek. Grey skies become all the colours of silver. The tiniest snowbells catch your eye as you walk through the garden gate. Watching Apricot the Buff Orpington hen drinking; in those moments it is like a lesson in mindfulness.
In 2023 it was for the month of May, in 2024 my first day of the series was on the 5th July, and for 2025 I started on the 1st July.

Will you join me? Whether it is recording a photo on Insta, writing about it when you journal, or maybe it is taking a mental note when you notice the everyday beautiful moments around you.

I’ll be sharing my Moment on Instagram and in a blog post.
A moment captured during the day, calming, peaceful, that captures my heart.
A moment in the day, uplifting, something positive, as we are deep into the colder months of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Thank you for being here – it is lovely to be writing and taking photographs again.

Much love from the garden.

Jude x