Collected Works …
… not of mine, I just take the pix.
In no particular order … but the order they arrived in.
Butcherbird, so called for their practise of skewering or hanging ‘meat’ prey up to cure or dry. That hook on the point of the beak is for tearing up its prey.
Flower of the tomato. Would still be growing and fruiting if I hadn’t removed it in favour of the butterfly bush it shares a pot with recovering through the winter sunshine.
Ant, farming a field of mushrooms. Or just wandering in time.
Colourful fly inspecting his field of fungus. There’s forms of life everywhere engaging with other forms of life.
Spider – don’t recall its name. Casting a loose web under a cloudy sky. Not an easy mouthful for a hungry bird, with those thorns. And red would be a warning too, ‘eat me at your peril’.
Looking good, 0ne of my friendly Kookaburras …
Another one, another day, another picture.
Goanna, Eprapah remnant rainforest. She watched me a while before taking off up a tree. Powerful claws for climbing. … I’ve heard say, if one runs at you thinking you’re a tree, lie down quick to avoid those claws. … But how to know what it’s thinking? If it’s running at you it’s thinking you’re a tree to climb up … if thinking they do at all.
Red flower in the garden. Striking colour against the black of night. Found in the forest, now living well in my garden.
Another flower, found out in the bush, not a native, an escapee. Has a place in my garden too.
And another escapee, also found out in the bush or forest, now in my garden. Stingless bees love it, and it flowers two or three times a year here.
My oft mentioned Crucifix orchid, also in the garden. A native I think. This one has a few bugs in it, if you look close.
Begonia, yet another garden dweller, over six foot tall now. I like to colour in the garden, nourishment for the little creatures is part and parcel. Love to watch them come and go.
Picked an orange from the tree a bit early, staked it in the garden to see what may come. Here’s one egg laid, we’ll see what may be.
Seagull down by Victoria Point jetty, searching out crabs in shallow water.
Also at the jetty, a fearless magpie … foraging for what may be.
It suddenly turned to winter here in Brisbane, from mildly warm to downright cold overnight.
But it also went from constant wet and cloudy to dry and sunny, so no complaints. Just facts.
© Mark Berkery … Click on those pictures for a closer look …
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Nature's Place 
Incredible beauty, wonderful pictures! As it seems your garden is a refuge for escapees :-) One more beautiful than the other. I wouldn’t wait to find out if the giant lizard is a great thinker ;-) The spider is amazing. Never saw something like that before!
Thanks Almuth.
All escapees are welcome here – all others were escapees once.
The nativists are appalled. A pall is what we get when we attach to notions or things.
Life is what it is. There’s peace in seeing deeply enough into that. No problem. 👋
A pall is what we get when we attach to notions or things – so true!
How absolutely wonderful these photographs are, Mark. Perhaps I should know, but surely you make some living out of photography too? You capture nature so beautifully. And your spare words to go with the photographs is just the right touch … “has a place in my garden too …”
Thanks S… Not a living, I sell photos in frames at weekend outdoor markets and maybe cover costs – little enough I haven’t had the need to count.
Wow, wow! What a gorgeous array of photos, Mark. You capture nature beautifully. And your spare words. Thank you for this balm in this chaotic world.
Thanks Susan. :-)
That spider is terrific!
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Love your breathtaking photos Mark, and your words are always thoughtful and good to read. Thank you. I also love that you have so much colour in your garden, all enjoyed by native insects – it’s so important to provide for them. Apparently the crucifix orchid you show isn’t a native but it is beautiful. Not if it’s this one – Epidendrum ibaguense,
(Reference: https://www.gardeningaustraliamag.com.au/crucifix-orchid/ )
Love that beautiful spider too – like you, I don’t recall its name, but it might be one of the Jewel Spiders?
All the very best.
Thanks A… Yes, that’s the one, not a native then. So many escapees to be found in the local bush. 👋