• Our Trust For Nature Covenant (1/13/2021) - Before you watch the video below, here is our journey: In August 2013 when we moved into our beautiful bushland property, I knew nothing about native flora and fauna. A new camera, the time to explore our bushland in detail and the curiosity to find out what I had photographed led to this blog. Over … Continue reading Our Trust For Nature Covenant
  • Autumn Wasp Orchid (Chiloglottis Reflexa) (4/10/2020) - We have been watching a patch of orchid leaves for years. Each year they grow rich and green and full of promise, then curl up without flowering. We thought they looked like Bird Orchid leaves, as they showed up in that ‘bow-tie’ formation in a reasonable sized colony. This year, I am delighted to say, … Continue reading Autumn Wasp Orchid (Chiloglottis Reflexa)
  • hedge-wattle-flowers-leaves-thorns Hedge Wattle (Acacia paradoxa) (1/6/2018) - Over the years we have been here, I have photographed many plants which are waiting to be identified.  I first photographed Hedge Wattle in 2013 when I spotted a spindly branch dotted with yellow flowers in front of a tree I was trying to capture.  In October 2017 I found another specimen of Hedge Wattle … Continue reading Hedge Wattle (Acacia paradoxa)
  • Mysterious-natural-find Another Puzzle: What Is This? (1/19/2017) - I had the opportunity to go walking up the back in the bush yesterday. The sun reflected off an object laying on the ground which seemed vivid green.  Seeking this, I found a leaf covered with a cluster of large spherical attachments – too large for eggs, so presume they must be some kind of … Continue reading Another Puzzle: What Is This?
  • pink-and-purple-sky-on-sunset-through-tree-silhouette At Last – Autumn Has Arrived (3/1/2016) - It has been a long dry Summer this year.  I notice my last post was dated in October 2015, so I have missed telling you about the end of Spring and the entire Summer season. (Oops – sorry about that.) In Australia, the El Nino weather pattern meant a hot, dry Spring followed by an even … Continue reading At Last – Autumn Has Arrived
  • Mist-among-trees-with-sunshine-in-the-foreground Catching Up (10/14/2015) - Most of the time,  confining this blog to what happens on our property of fifteen acres works well. There is certainly a lot to photograph and research.  Over the past year I have been doing many more things which take my focus away: involvement in the community and trying to progress my artwork being two major focal … Continue reading Catching Up
  • unidentified-skull-laying-on-ground Unidentified Skull (5/16/2015) - I found this skull on the grass on the side of the property that fronts onto a road.  As far as I could see, there were no other bones in the vicinity, suggesting that the rest of it had been carted off for food. Or maybe the head had been carted off to our place by … Continue reading Unidentified Skull
  • shot-of-unidentified-plant-seed-head-or-bract Mystery Plant – Help Please! (12/30/2014) - A couple of weeks ago, I came across a mystery plant which I had not noticed before. As I often do, I took a couple of quick snapshots to take inside to identify the plant.  Once I have identified a plant, I then go out and take more photographs if it is an interesting species. … Continue reading Mystery Plant – Help Please!
  • two-terrestrial-orchid-leaves-on-moss-covered-ground Mind Shifting Moments 1: Ecosystem (7/15/2014) - As we approach the two-year mark, I want to document some of the ‘mind shifting’ moments that have occurred since we moved in.  I think I am substantially a different woman from the one who lived in the centre of the city two years ago.  The topic I have selected for this first post is Ecosystem … Continue reading Mind Shifting Moments 1: Ecosystem
  • Duck Wing Predators: (2/1/2014) - Occasionally when I am out walking, I come across finds like this: I will never know how each particular bird or animal died (we’ve also found two possums – one ring-tail, the other a brush-tail) but essentially there are five possibilities: The animal died of natural causes A native predator killed it (owl, eagle etc) … Continue reading Predators:
  • Moss Nature’s Carpets – The beauty of moss (8/18/2013) - In the last month, quite a bit of rain has fallen.  I’ve noticed thick carpets of moss, lichen and other tiny ground covers growing thicker and richer in colour.  At the moment, I don’t know the names of the specific species, but over the next few weeks I will do some research and try to … Continue reading Nature’s Carpets – The beauty of moss
  • Blue Stars October Wild Flowers – Part 3 (7/1/2013) - Thank you to KMS who left a comment on my Cranberry Heath post, including a link to the VicVeg website. What a fantastic breakthrough. This wonderful website allows me to search by flower colour, location within Victoria, and type of plant (herb, tree, shrub etc) meaning, I have finally been able to put names to … Continue reading October Wild Flowers – Part 3
  • Heath at Enfield Stepping Outside the Boundary Fence (6/22/2013) - Apart from the occasional ‘self-sufficiency’ post, I try to keep the focus of my blog to the land outside our house, but inside the boundary fence.  However, the native heath flowering in the Enfield State Park is so beautiful, I thought I would share it with you.  We just happened to be driving past on … Continue reading Stepping Outside the Boundary Fence
  • Soil Analysis by Anthill (6/14/2013) - Last week, I noticed a very sculptural looking lip around the entrance to an ant nest.  It took me by surprise.   Shortly after moving in, I had  just stopped noticing anthills. We have so many of them they become unremarkable.  On this day, I was actually looking for fungi and flowers, but there was something … Continue reading Soil Analysis by Anthill
  • Kangaroo Food Playing Detective: Rainfall, Kangaroos, and the Lack of Native Flowers (6/9/2013) - Being new to this area, I don’t have a history of seasonal changes. What’s normal for these parts?  I simply don’t know.   When we arrived here in August 2012, the land abounded with native flowers, including ten species of native orchid flowering at one time.  This continued in early and  mid Spring, then as the … Continue reading Playing Detective: Rainfall, Kangaroos, and the Lack of Native Flowers
  • Sunset reflecting off tree Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting – Momentarily Glorious (6/8/2013) - Momentarily Glorious … I wonder at the promise of a parched sandy landscape and one tiny orchid leaf waiting for rain to unfurl sensuous silken blooms … the fleeting moments of a violet sky calling corella flocks to roost somewhere other than here trailing sounds of raucous joy from North to South then silence until … Continue reading Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting – Momentarily Glorious
  • Fungi After rain comes: More Fungi (6/6/2013) - The rain has stimulated a range of fungi to grow.  I have not had time to research any of them, so at the moment, I can only write about where they were found.  See the captions beneath the photos for this information. If you know about any of these mushrooms, I would love to hear … Continue reading After rain comes: More Fungi
  • Rainclouds through the trees Rainclouds through Sunshine (6/5/2013) - I’ve always been drawn to images which show a hillside, or a tree, in full sunlight with dark, threatening clouds in the background. There is something in the combination of bright green and thunderous grey that appeals to my sense of colour.  The vivid contrast of sunshine and darkness  is also a metaphor for life, … Continue reading Rainclouds through Sunshine
  • Fungi Strange Fungi (5/31/2013) - I know absolutely nothing about wild fungi other than most of them should not be touched!   Recently there has been enough moisture to allow these strange rounded fungi to begin showing up along bush paths, and even near our front gate.  approximately 10cm across, they are easy to see, and always in the same shades … Continue reading Strange Fungi
  • Native Orchid A Tiny Native Orchid (4/13/2013) - We have been trying to identify some of the small birds which hide in the undergrowth and treetops.   Among the methods we use is to sit in the bush listening for their calls.  Yesterday, while doing this, Richard spotted our first Autumn Native Orchid.   So far I have not been able to identify it precisely, … Continue reading A Tiny Native Orchid
  • Native plant What a difference a little rain makes! (4/7/2013) - We haven’t had a lot of rain, but in the last few weeks, we’ve had scattered showers here and there over a number of days. Measured in millimetres, it wasn’t very much, but measured in newly growing native plants in the bushland, it has been extremely valuable water in our crunchy dry bushland.  For a … Continue reading What a difference a little rain makes!
  • Bushland Colours and Textures (3/21/2013) - Last weekend, we had a family gathering, including two guests from England.  As we walked around the bushland at the back of our property, it began raining.  The rich red colours of the bark were so striking when wet, it grabbed our attention.  The artistic side of our brains began thinking of things to do … Continue reading Bushland Colours and Textures
  • Tonal Landscapes (1/29/2013) - If you are an artist, I’d value your opinion on the suitability photos in this post for a tonal landscape painted in oils.  I have not painted since I was a teenager and my skills are very limited. A good friend of mine suggested I start by doing tonal landscapes where the focus is on … Continue reading Tonal Landscapes