A large, branchy green tree festooned with large white birds. Debris can be seen underneath, on the grass and paths. A street and houses can be seen behind the tree.

A close-up of the litter underneath the tree. Bunches of leaves, unmunched pale green round cones, munched cones, across grass and asphalt.

Here's the Afrocarpus tree in all its glory, decorated with sulphur-crested cockatoos. Underneath, you can see how much debris they drop while eating.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #parrots #BirdsOfOz

Sometimes it's easier to eat from the ground where bits of branches have been dropped.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #parrots #BirdsOfOz

Another shot of cockatoos munching on Afrocarpus cones. You can see that they are messy eaters, quite a lot dropping to the ground below.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #parrots #BirdsOfOz

Yesterday on our way to "lunch" on Beaumont Street around 4:40pm, we took the scenic route through Gregson Park. And were rewarded with cockatoos in the big Afrocarpus tree 🎉

It's a huge tree that has cones like beads, about a centimetre in diameter. Cockatoos […]

[Original post on aus.social]

Two welcome swallows are sitting on some strange metal construction that looks like it could be a handle for a roof ladder, or… who knows? Corrugated metal roofing underneath, clear blue sky above. The birds have white bellies, orangey-brown faces and heads, black wings, as seen from below.

Very kind of the Queens Wharf Hotel to provide this little perch for welcome swallows.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #BirdsOfOz

A wide flat concrete surface with edges curving in and out, framed by lawn. A boy is riding a scooter, a girl is riding a bicycle. At the far end, a man is walking, some clothing draped over an arm. A bicycle is parked at the edge next to two people sitting on the ground. The lawn leads to a car park with cars, a roadway, and the edge of the Hunter River. There are tall Norfolk Island palm trees along the roadway. To the left, there is construction hoarding. In the distance, the port infrastructure – docks, silos, cranes, a couple of ships.

One of the best things Newcastle Council has done is drain the pond at Foreshore Park.

It was always a nasty mess. No fish, no plants apart from lots of algae and a few weeds. Not pretty in any way.

Once drained, it has become a roller rink for kids of all sizes […]

[Original post on aus.social]

The surf might have been really rough but a bird's gotta eat. This black shag didn't seem to be at all bothered by it, and I saw it swallow at least one crash l catch while I was there.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #BirdsOfOz

[Video] Original post on aus.social

The surf might have been really rough but a bird's gotta eat. This black shag didn't seem to be at all bothered by it, and I saw it swallow at least one crash l catch while I was there.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #BirdsOfOz

A bit rough for a swim? Newcastle Ocean Baths looking more like rough seas this afternoon.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW

Three young men wearing helmets each sitting on a red Honda motorbike as used by Australia Post.

I see these guys riding their red postie bikes around Newcastle a bit. Caught them sitting still this afternoon down at Nobby's Head.

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #PostieBikes

Large white parrots with yellow crests are scrounging around on the ground under trees, munching on dropped cones (small round Afrocarpus cones). There's a large traffic sign facing away, showing only the bare metal back, across a footpath.

Another group of large white parrots with yellow crests is happily ripping up the grass under casuarina trees next to a footpath. There's the bare metal back of another traffic sign, a wooden lamppost, and houses in the background.

Please excuse photographs from the back of a bus, but this is what the north-west corner of Lambton Road and Bridges Road, New Lambton NSW is like in Autumn: parrots. Lots of parrots.

There's a bunch of Afrocarpus trees there, and sulfur-crested cockatoos love […]

[Original post on aus.social]

Rising Tide vandalises coal ship in Newcastle Rising Tide activists are continuing to make an indelible mark in their pursuit to spread their “message for change”.

"Climate Respect" indeed. Nice piece of irony.

newcastleweekly.com.au/rising-tide-vandalises-c...

#AusPol #NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #RisingTide

Two partial shelves with Mexican and latinx products. The lower shelf has 5 hot sauces from El Yucateco including jalapeño and habanero sauces; Tapatío; and some Crystal hot sauce. The upper shelf has various sauces / moles in jars and bottles.

Tapatío is a delicious hot sauce made in California, to latinx tastes. I used to be able to pick it up from Coles supermarkets, but they've dropped that line. Boo.

But at least Bibina at Warners Bay still has it, along with a great range of El Yucateco hot sauces […]

[Original post on aus.social]

Fassifern Stain to Strathfield Station. Central Coast & Newcastle Line. Allow up to 15 minutes extra travel time due to theft of signalling equipment at Cardiff. Trains will keep running through the affected area. For service updates, please check transport apps, information screens and listen to announcements.

Fucksake! "Theft of signalling equipment at Cardiff"!

#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #SydneyTrains #FuckSake

Original post on aus.social

Cane toads found in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. Oh, joy.

"A cane toad has been safely located and removed from a Glendale property following reports made to Lake Macquarie City Council and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
…
It comes days after two […]