Sacred Kingfisher

 One day while we were staying in Canberra in November last year we put a picnic together and drove out to Namadgi* National Park. While we sat on a rock and ate our lunch this Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus held our attention. It sat on this, or nearby branches, calling 'kekekekeke' all the time. Periodically it spotted a tasty insect and flew down to capture it mid-air or low over the grass. It would bring the prey back to the perch, then drop down to a large knot hole on the trunk of the gum tree. The knot hole must have contained its mate and their nest.

*pronounced nah-madd-jee.

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A Weather Update from my friend Margaret, who lives in Toowoomba (about 50km from my parents): The weather here has been awful, I think it is the 3rd day of non stop rain and wind, yesterday I had to drive up and down Hume st a few times and there were tree limbs from the big gum trees broken off and lying on the road, some as big as 2 cars,as well as many bits of gum and campher laurel the size of a bathtub and leaves and twigs carpeting the asphalt.

The bloke next door to me had one of his garage doors blown right off and the people in the next street had their Boab tree blow right over and crush the fence.

The council trucks were like worker ants, the small ones  with crews pulling the branches to the footpaths and the big Muncher mulch trucks back and forth reducing the limbs to wood chip.

It was quite scary to be out driving in it but this area was without power from noon till 7.30pm so Dad's oxygen(uses it 24hrs) machine stopped without power and 2of  the 3 back up portable bottles were empty (3 hours supply each). The paramedics arranged for me to get some replacements from a nearby nursing home that had a big delivery on Friday.

The power was still out toward 5 pm and all I had in the house were a few candles and a small torch, so it was back out to K mart for a decent size lantern and batteries.

We had 144mls in the 24 hours 9am Sat to 9am Sun, would think we had the same yesterday,will check on Elders website later.

Diana just rang and said the creek at her place at Withcot is up and they can't get out, no idea how long they will be isolated. Grantham and Laidley had a lot of people evacuated yesterday as the flooding in some areas is as bad as 2011.

Bundaberg had some Tornados !!! on Saturday and there has been severe damage up there and flooding. TV has been focused with weather reports and constant updates.

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Meanwhile, here in Preuilly, the day has dawned bright and clear -- likely to be the only sunny day for weeks by the look of the prévisions météo.