Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Pictures from the Book: Page 25

The feeding trays which used to be attached to the deck rail have long been taken down, but we still have visitors. I love the Crimson Rosellas. They are cheeky and friendly - but I have to admit I've not appreciated it much when they "help" me with the potted plants I've been keeping. Every so often they take a liking to something (or maybe it's a dislike?) and I'll find the plant has been thoroughly chewed. They never do enough damage to actually kill it (unlike the cockatoos, which have completely destroyed several things), but the plants end up looking maimed all the same.

At the moment I've got a handful of portulaca plants in a pot just outside the kitchen door. The rosellas have been nipping at them - snipping off an inch here and half an inch there. They don't actually EAT the plants, so I'm mystified as to what the point of this is. Maybe they are sampling it and deciding it's not "tasty". A few days ago I bought a small basil plant and temporarily set the pot in the planter between the portulaca plants. Since then there have been no more nibbles taken off. Hm.. is basil an effective "rosella repellant"? We'll see...

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