Keeping calm and carrying on

Our stay in Canberra continues.  On the morning of 13 December we went for a walk around Commonwealth Park.  For the first time in about 6 months we found it unblocked off!  I expect NCA feel we should be grateful for this, rather than urging Ken Behrens to support candidates for any office who include abolition of NCA in their platform.  Unless said candidates are from Clive Palmer's mob or are Zed (who should be put last).

Anyway here is a photo of a fence free park.

I'm not sure if this counts as a fence or not, and cannot work out why it is there.  Perhaps the workers fell insecure without some access preventing material, and this is trying to wean them until the drug-fests concerts start again in 2022?
The fruit bats are back!
I was quite impressed with this image of one in flight as it was taken with my phone.
I thought this is a NZ Christmas bush.  I am now advised it is a Feijoa (thanks Sandra).
Later in the day I went to Kellys Swamp where bird diversity was low.   As the eBird comp this month is to put up 50 rated photos I took a few - all rated '1'.  I won't waste your download limit with the others!
On 14 December we headed off for a walk around Reid.  This started by crossing Glebe Park where some bonsai seemed to have happened.  Presumably as a result of a windstorm.
Sort of missed a statue.
Across Cooyong St another branch had taken a dive.
Taking the route along Currong St we found a pleasant lights installation. I am surprised that a jobsworth hasn't found a regulation this is breaking.
The owners of the property don't have completely good taste!
After the walk I went to play croquet at the Canberra Club.  I was somewhat surprised to find a huge AFP presence at the adjacent Hyatt Hotel.  Then I realised it was looking after the President of South Korea who'd come to press ScuMo's flesh.  They all took off just after I had arrived, with the motorcyclists in particular giving it plenty up Commonwealth Avenue.

In the afternoon despite the heat, and me being mentally knackered after a croquet match, we went for a stroll from Campbell Park.  There was less shade than we were expecting .
Lots of eucalypt blossom!

Surprisingly, much of the yellow blossom in this image is NOT St Johns Wort.  There was a lot of Xerochrysum viscosum and Chrysocephalum sp. in there.
 A Dusky Woodswallow!
I am pretty sure this is Arthropodium fimbriatum, the Nodding Chocolate Lily.  Trying to check that out showed IMO conclusively that Plantnet (NSW and ACT) is wayyyyy behind Flora of Victoria> 
Frances found the biggest patch of these we have ever seen (this is just after the track moves away from the fence).
The back end of a Black-faced Cuckooshrike



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