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| Now a completely different sort of bird arrives: flocks of thousands of greedy grapers who have eaten their way through all the discarded and neglected vineyards and fruit trees of the area, and are now driven by hunger. | Currawong |
Even with nets it is nearly impossible to defend grapes against this assault. But hopefully they have all been picked by now. |
Satin bowerbird, female |
only a few diseased grapes are left behind |
Currawong |
Satin bowerbird female |
And the overlooked and discarded grapes are a last food resource before winter | Currawong |
Currawongs |
Satin bowerbird female |
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While the winery is going at full speed the vineyard becomes quiet. All we do this month is recover the bird nets and store them away for another year. | |
Jacky winter |
And then the marauding bird flocks disappear, and only our own vineyard birds remain. |  |
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This is the golden month when the vineyard rests. |  |
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All the work is done. |  |
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Croad langshan chicken has found a grape |
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The very last bunches of grapes still to be found are eaten. |
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The echidnas are still poking around the dead leaves, but will soon disappear and rest for the winter... |  |
| fungi appear over night.. |  |
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...and disappear again. |
A golden orb-weaver spider has grown to a huge size |
my favoured spiders and other predators vanish one by one... | juvenile mantis, less than an inch in length |
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| the leaves fall.. |  |
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..slowly the last glow of autumn is fading..... |  |
| ....the vineyard rests, to flower and yield grapes again.... |  |
NEXT YEAR ! |
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| © Sarsfield Estate |  |
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