Category: Native Species List

This is a photographic record of native wildlife and plant species we have found on our property.

Cranberry Heath (Astroloma humifusum)

Although Cranberry Heath is already on the plant species list, I initially misidentified it, and the post is not as specific as it should be.  Here are two photographs taken in June of a small Cranberry Heath plant growing alongside the dam. The red flowers are tubular, with a star-shaped opening.  The Latin name reflects this … Continue reading Cranberry Heath (Astroloma humifusum)

Red-Browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)

It has been a long time since I’ve had a new bird species to add to the A-Z  Native Species list, and small birds are hard to photograph, so I’m especially pleased to add the Red-Browed Finch.  Technically it was Richard who saw and photographed these birds. I was somewhere else and missed them.  Looking … Continue reading Red-Browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)

First Scented Sundews of the season

I’ve been watching the buds on the tiny Scented Sundew plants grow over the last week or so, and today I’ve had the good fortune to see the first flowers of the season.  Consisting of five white petals and stamens tipped in a clear yellow, these flowers are the definition of simple beauty. The leaves … Continue reading First Scented Sundews of the season

First Guinea Flowers of the Season

The first Guinea Flowers of the season are beginning to open.   Looking at the leaves, as well as the flowers, as far as I can tell these are the Erect Guinea Flower (Hibbertia riparia).  However, according to my field guides, the Erect Guinea Flower begins flowering in  September.  So I will check a few other sources … Continue reading First Guinea Flowers of the Season

Pink Common Heath (Epacris impressa)

Here are the photographs of the pink Common Heath flowers I wrote about in yesterday’s post. So far, I have only found one plant with pink flowers, but we have quite a few Common Heath plants with white flowers.   It always seems to be a race to photograph these flowers before the Swamp Wallabies … Continue reading Pink Common Heath (Epacris impressa)

Common Heath (Epacris impressa)

Common Heath flower spikes have been putting on a good show over the last couple of weeks. We have white Common Heath flowers on our property, but there are both pink and red varietals too.   When left alone by the Swamp Wallabies, the plants have grown somewhere between 30 cm and 60 cm high here, … Continue reading Common Heath (Epacris impressa)

Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor)

Last year, I photographed a Black-wing Currawong, which is a race of the Grey Currawong.   Here is a Grey Currawong for comparison. The Grey Currawong has light grey colouring, with black primary wing feathers and black around the yellow eye.  The bird also has white tips on the tail feathers, white tips on primary … Continue reading Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor)

Common Brushtail Possum

I can’t believe it has taken me almost two years to photograph a Brushtail Possum!  In urban areas, possums can be a pest, often living in the roof space of houses and feeding on prized garden plants.  Here, we never see them because they have their natural habitat and don’t really need to come near … Continue reading Common Brushtail Possum

Common Bottle-daisy (Lagenophora stipitata)

While not plentiful, we had a few Bottle-daisy plants in flower last Spring.  The photos below were taken at the end of October and mid November. Although a native plant to this area, compared to the showy orchids,  lilies, bluebells, native pea plants and goodenia, the Bottle-daisy flowers looked quite ordinary to me.  They seemed quite … Continue reading Common Bottle-daisy (Lagenophora stipitata)

Tall Saw-sedge (Gahnia clarkei)

Below the dam wall grows a large patch of a wild, long, wind-blown, grass-like plant with large black-brown seed heads.  It’s intimidating in some ways – the perfect hide-out for snakes and other creatures I’d rather avoid.   I walk around it, and never through it.  Always, it grabs my attention because there is something … Continue reading Tall Saw-sedge (Gahnia clarkei)

Two Joeys: An Update

Almost one month ago, I posted a photograph of a new pink joey’s face peeking out of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo pouch, with the promise of better  photographs to come.  Then the kangaroos disappeared for three and a bit weeks.  My guess is that the female sought out a more protected location for the first few … Continue reading Two Joeys: An Update

Austral Bracken (Pteridium esculentum)

Bracken is  easy to overlook when compiling the A-Z Species Index because it is always there. Some people think of it as a weed, but it is a native Australian plant. I can appreciate the beauty of its fern-like form, and the various colour variation as it proceeds through the life-cycle.     It also provides great cover for … Continue reading Austral Bracken (Pteridium esculentum)

Small Mosquito Orchid Part 2

Here is a photo gallery to more clearly show the Small Mosquito Orchid (Acianthus pusillus).  This follows an earlier post  “Small Mosquito-orchid or Tiny Gnat Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)”  and several useful photography tips from Mary McAvoy.  Thank you Mary! The plants in the photos below range from about 2 cm high (the leaf) to 5 or … Continue reading Small Mosquito Orchid Part 2

Is this a Helmet Orchid Bud?

I’m calling on my knowledgeable friends here.  Thanks to some extremely helpful advice from Mary McAvoy (see her blog here)  I was able to photograph this tiny orchid reasonably clearly.  I’m not sure, but I think it may be a Helmet Orchid.  Can anyone verify this? The leaves are the same size as the Small … Continue reading Is this a Helmet Orchid Bud?

Scented Sundew Leaves

Scented Sundew flowers began to appear in August, last year.  As is my habit, I photographed them, identified them, and posted the photos on my blog. Prior to that, I must have walked past hundreds of Scented Sundew plants without even knowing they were there.  Once identified,  never forgotten – well, not easily forgotten anyway.  I … Continue reading Scented Sundew Leaves

Small Mosquito-orchid or Tiny Gnat Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)

We’ve been here for two Spring seasons now.  Each time, my friend BJ has told me we’re too late to see the Helmet Orchids.  She was able to identify some that had finished flowering, so I know they are here.  Yesterday I decided to get out my Orchid book and see when the Helmet Orchids … Continue reading Small Mosquito-orchid or Tiny Gnat Orchid (Acianthus pusillus)

Granny Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)

We found this moth in October 2013. It seemed quite willing to sit still while we photographed it. Since then, I’ve been trying to work out the species.  Most of the moth identification websites I’ve found seem to be organised around the scientific names of species, so if (like me) you don’t know what you’re … Continue reading Granny Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)

Blue Stars (Chamaescilla corymbosa var. corymbosa)

  I photographed Blue Stars in September 2013, but when I look back at  2012 photographs,  I have included it in the October Wildflowers series.  In any case, we seemed to plenty of them in Spring, and they did flower across both months. Initially I thought this might be a member of the Lily family,  but the … Continue reading Blue Stars (Chamaescilla corymbosa var. corymbosa)

A Very Tiny New Face

The Eastern Grey Kangaroos were absent over the drier parts of Summer and early Autumn. Now that it has rained and fresh green grass shoots are growing, they are back.  Last year’s joey is growing fast, and now he is almost up to his mother’s shoulder when they both stand up. We knew the female was carrying … Continue reading A Very Tiny New Face

Button Everlasting (Helichrysum scorpioides)

I found these Button Everlasting flowers in October and November.  The plants were growing in transition zones between the grassed areas around the house  and the bush.  One plant was growing IN the lawn.  This makes me wonder if they are naturally occurring or if they have been planted.  The previous owners did plant some native species … Continue reading Button Everlasting (Helichrysum scorpioides)

Kookie on a Foggy Morning

From time to time I’ve mentioned the Kookaburra without a tail we often see around the house. We’ve affectionately dubbed it Kookie (we don’t know if it is a male or a female).  Here is a photo of Kookie on a foggy morning, sitting on the stump just next to our decking. Kookie has found … Continue reading Kookie on a Foggy Morning

Tiny Greenhood (Pterostylis parviflora)

Yesterday during a visit, a very sharp-eyed friend pointed to something that looked to me like a small blade of grass and said “Oh look!  A little Greenhood.”   The other Greenhoods we have had growing here seem to appear in late Winter, or early Spring, so I was a little doubtful, but took a … Continue reading Tiny Greenhood (Pterostylis parviflora)

Fruit of the Black Anthered Flax Lily

In October of last year, I posted photographs of a Dianella (the  Black Anthered Flax-lily).  After the flowers finish,  berries form on the plant.  These are strikingly beautiful and much more noticeable than the flowers.