Native wildlife often rely on tree hollows for shelter and a place to raise young. We have so many interestingly shaped tree hollows, and I’ve just started to photograph them. I’ve called this post ‘Part 1″ because I’m sure there will be a follow-up with more!
Tag: Photography
Predators:
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:
An Injured Red Wattlebird
Today the light was eerie (click here for photos of the sky). I took the camera out to capture the colour of the sky, and wandered onto the jetty without looking. A fluttering sound caught my attention, and I turned to see what I thought was a fledgling Red Wattlebird running up and down the … Continue reading An Injured Red Wattlebird
Fruit!
In Australia it’s mid Summer and the fruit is beginning to ripen. We are not the only ones to notice. Swamp Wallabies and parrots also have their eye on the crop, and are much faster than we are at taking advantage of ready to eat fruit! Last year we had bountiful crops that seemed to … Continue reading Fruit!
The Rorschach Tree
What do you see in the fork of this tree? For me it could be the face of an old man or the head of a lion, but I am sure there are many more interpretations. Comment below to tell me what you see! Rorschach Rorschach Rorschach
Western Bronzehood Orchid (Caladenia iridescens)
Commonly referred to as a Bronze Caladenia, this tiny orchid is difficult to spot. It really blends into the background! However, we were lucky enough to find a couple that were flowering toward the end of October. According to David L Jones “Native Orchids of Australia” the blooms only last from two to five … Continue reading Western Bronzehood Orchid (Caladenia iridescens)
Iridescent Feathers – the Straw Necked Ibis Returns
The Straw-Necked Ibis must have thought the food worth a return visit, for it was back again this morning. Still solitary, it was sharing the bounty with two ducks, two Corellas, a kookaburra and a flock of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos. My best guess is that there is some kind of burrowing larvae hatching at this … Continue reading Iridescent Feathers – the Straw Necked Ibis Returns
Red Beard-orchid (Calochilus paludosus)
I’ve saved a special orchid for Christmas. We only had one of these growing – at least, we only found one. Even then, we would have missed it without our friend’s sharp eyes. At the time the bud was just on the point of opening. We staked it and visited every day to see it … Continue reading Red Beard-orchid (Calochilus paludosus)
Weekly Photo Challenge: One
Sometimes, words seem unnecessary.
A Gallery of Wet Bark
This post is inspired by Jan in England, who likes to use the Australian bush colours for weaving projects. We’ve had quite a bit of rain recently, which really brings out the colour of fallen pieces of bark. The moss, plants and leaf litter add more texture and colour into the mix. If you’re a … Continue reading A Gallery of Wet Bark
Battling a Reflection: Superb Fairy Wrens
This morning I noticed two Superb Fairy Wrens chattering right outside the window between the deck and the dining room. Repeatedly they would fly to perch on a gardening tool leaning on the glass to chatter and scold. At first I thought it was me they were warning away. Later in the day, with a … Continue reading Battling a Reflection: Superb Fairy Wrens
Pale Vanilla-lily: Arthropodium milleflorum
We’ve had Chocolate Lilies flowering for a few months now, so it was exciting to finally see some Pale Vanilla-Lilies. I’ve seen photographs of the flowers in field guides, with their fluffy purple and white stamens. They have fascinated me for months. It turns out that the flowers are actually very small. The field guide … Continue reading Pale Vanilla-lily: Arthropodium milleflorum
Dragons in the Garden
Gardening in the hot Summer weather can spring a few surprises on those who are not paying attention… like the odd reptile sheltering in the weeds. Luckily for me, it wasn’t a snake. Also, fortunately, I had come across two Jacky Dragon’s previously – thanks to the cats – so I had already researched them, … Continue reading Dragons in the Garden
White-Throated Treecreeper
I’ve been so focused on finding Australian Terrestrial Orchids over Spring that I haven’t really been looking out for new bird species. Yesterday, I was still hunting for flowers when a bird landed on a nearby tree. Its habit of climbing up and around the tree trunk looking for insects alerted me to the possibility … Continue reading White-Throated Treecreeper
A Privilege to Watch
I couldn’t believe my luck this morning, when our regular Eastern Grey Kangaroo allowed her joey to suckle right in front of the study window. She just stood there for twenty minutes or so while the joey (otherwise independent) put her mouth into the pouch for a feed. Unfortunately, a car noise disturbed them, and … Continue reading A Privilege to Watch
Fishing for Yabbies
These two White Faced Herons were fishing in the dam today. We often wonder what lives beneath the surface of the water. Not being fisher-person’s, we don’t really know the tell-tale signs, and we don’t own the right equipment to attempt to fish in it. A photograph of one White-Faced Heron holding a yabby proves … Continue reading Fishing for Yabbies
X is for Xanthorrhoea!
Last year I wrote a post about Xanthorrhoea, using my only reference guide at the time to try to determine the species. A few comments suggested I had incorrectly named the plant as Xanthorrhoea Resinosa when it was more likely to be Xanthorrhoea Minor. The feedback was probably correct. However, by the time I could check, the flowers … Continue reading X is for Xanthorrhoea!
Light and Shade
The texture and colour of bark continues to fascinate me. Often the colour of the bark on a single tree can change, depending on the time of day, whether it is sunny or shady, and how intense the light is on a particular day. I love the contrast in colour and texture in this shot, … Continue reading Light and Shade
Cheeky Cockatoos!!
For the last week or so, this is what I have seen through my study window: Update: I just took these two photos, which I am adding to the post – even better than the one I originally used! Now, back to the original post! Somehow, this Sulphur Crested Cockatoo has figured out that … Continue reading Cheeky Cockatoos!!
Tiger Orchid: Diuris sulphurea
We are lucky enough to have clumps of Tiger Orchids. These beautiful, often large, flowers really attract attention with their bright yellows, browns and blacks. A ‘cousin’ of the Donkey Orchid, the Tiger Orchid shares the two large upright lobes. We have Tiger Orchids in all of our main micro-climate zones. They are growing … Continue reading Tiger Orchid: Diuris sulphurea
Magpie Breeding Season – Hold Onto Your Hat!
For the past six weeks or so, I haven’t been able to step outside the house without a sturdy hat. Breeding magpies are very defensive, and they will dive-bomb anything they perceive to be a threat, including innocent humans. Unfortunately, their aggressive habits have driven off some of the other breeding birds, such as the … Continue reading Magpie Breeding Season – Hold Onto Your Hat!
Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)
Over the last few weeks I have taken a swag of photos of Australian native flowers, including more Australian Terrestrial Orchids. Rather than post a gallery of them here, I’ll post them one by one, and build these posts into a plant index. Today, I’m going to focus on the beautiful Spotted Sun Orchids. Many … Continue reading Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)
Hairy Caterpillar
I found this very hairy caterpillar a week or so ago. This morning, I thought I might identify the species, but I can’t find an exact match. My best guess is that it belongs to the ARCTIIDAE family, otherwise known as ‘Woolly Bears’. In Australia, there are quite a number of ‘Woolly Bears’ so I wasn’t able … Continue reading Hairy Caterpillar
Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)
These Donkey Orchids were a cheerful addition to my daily walk. We had a patch of around five or six plants in a three meter radius in a transitional position between dry bushland and a grassed area. While they were not densely packed together, I found it interesting that they were all growing in … Continue reading Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)
Fifteen Acres 