Tag: Australian Native Insects

I did a bit of hibernating during the middle of the day in February. The mornings were quite pleasant, then the heat of the day arrived, in the low to high 30’sC, and the humidity usually crept up to around 60%. This went even higher if it had rained the day before which didn’t happen very much. This February there was 38mm in total for the month, whereas last year it was well in excess of 500mm. Actually as I write, a storm is brewing like yesterday. Unfortunately yesterdays .5mm was disappointing.

Most of these photos are from around my place. My trips to town I usually continued my quest for window shades for Ludwigs Monday Windows or it was too hot and I scampered home or sat in an air-conditioned cafe. The opening photo is from a cafe where I was having a coffee waiting for my car’s registration inspection to be done.

Some of the other February photos have been sprinkled through other posts so this post isn’t as long as some of my other monthly wrap-ups..

I guess I better give you your song to listen to as you scroll through while looking at the things I discovered in February.

A rainy morning in town. Water drops making patterns on the marble windowsill

I looked out of the door of my office when a Carpet Snake came past in the late afternoon. I know I should have warned you but aren’t patterns and colours just the wonderful on this two metre hard working snake. Unfortunately I had just set some traps on the verandah over the past few nights and caught three Black Rats. I guess their scent was still on the verandah boards.

The resident Laughing Kookaburra on his lookout tree in the front garden. I love watching them as they scan the garden and suddenly drop onto the ground to grab whatever unsuspecting creature happened to move at the wrong time.

A Blue-faced Honeyeater wonders if a better snack may be found over there.

Haven’t seen a Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike around my place for a while then this one turns up and hung about for a few days. Their colours and patterns are lovely. This one was sitting on the edge of the bush and I took the photo from my verandah.

It is always a delight when the Grey-crowned Babblers come into the garden trees to look for insects under the bark. They do quite a good job of bark peeling on their quest. There is a constant chatter while foraging so you always know when they are around. Have a listen – from greamechapman.com.au

The Grey-crowned Babblers live in family groups of between four and twelve so it’s common to see a couple of Babblers digging away together on the same tree. One will call another over and they systematically dig under the bark. Instead of withdrawing their beaks, they flick their heads upwards sending bark flying.

Yes I did try to get an action photo but failed miserably. These two were fun to watch. At one stage the one at the top decided that there was better food where the other one was and just sat on top of him. A bit of get off, no I’m holding on scuffle took place until one of them went elsewhere

The Rainbow Lorikeets are a bit cheeky peeping through the window to see what I am having for breakfast.

This is the first time I have seen a Red-browed Firetail Finch getting nectar or something from the Grevillea. Most times they are hopping along the grass eating seeds and any unfortunate insect who happens by.

I think the Yellow-faced Honeyeater caught me sneaking with my camera while he was enjoying the yummy Ornamental Ginger flowers.

It’s all hands on deck when the Cassia flowers in January. This year the full flowering didn’t happen until February and then the tree was full of bees. The Metallic Green Carpenter Bees are the big fellas among the flowers, while the tiny Stingless Native Bee flies in to get his share

I can’t resist Teddy Bear Bees when they come around to see if the Red Pentas flowers have anything to offer.

This poor old Tree Begonia has had a hard life. Always munched by possums mainly, then, as the Bangalow Palm died during the drought of 2017-19, large fronds dropped on it which broke it almost to ground level. Then I was doing a bit of a garden tidy when I managed to break the whole top off once again.

Here are the first flowers since it was planted probably over fifteen years ago. It is sort of protected by a surrounding of Calathea plants which have decided that that part of the garden is where they are going to really settle,

I have no idea what the Bottlebrush trees are doing. Some of the trees are having another flowering now. I love this soft pink Bottlebrush flower

While all the Flame Trees in town had a spectacular flowering, my poor tree managed to pop out a few bracts of flowers

The Chinamans Hat plant has flowered since it was planted three years ago. I actually thought it was a Butterfly Bush so now I’ll have to get a Butterfly Bush cutting or plant. I would like the pink one I posted for Cee a few days ago that was in the Art Gallery Garden.

I did a Cee’s FOTD post of the Cape Blue Water Lily in the Art Gallery Garden from another angle. This is the whole flower from a different angle.

The Art Gallery Garden also had a lot of the Feverfew flowers

Again, the light on the Art Gallery Garden made the White African Daisy stand out

The Gardenias in my garden also had another flowering in February when it looked like they had finished for the year.

Both of the Pavonia Hastata hibiscus bushes have flowered for the first time this year as well. Such a tiny flower with so much detail going on. the petals are 25mm or one inch

After a few rainy day hot days, there weren’t as many fungi appearing as I had hoped. I did find this one on a morning walk about the garden with another nearby.

I did manage to get away to Ballina for a couple of days. I was keen to get to the sand bar in the Richmond River to see if the Eastern Curlews were still about. They migrate, after breeding, from Russia and NE China to Australia in September and leave Australia in February/March.

“These amazing migrations are among the most awe-inspiring journeys of the natural world, with birds covering tens of thousands of kilometres each year,” he says. One bird, banded in Victoria, was next reported from Yakutyia in Siberia, 11,812 kms distant.” – Dr Fuller

Just strolling the sand bar looking for small crabs and molluscs.

I just love the layers looking across the sand bar towards the far bank of the North Arm of the Richmond River.

While in Ballina I was staying near Lighthouse Beach. I have seen the top of the lighthouse from a few places but have never gone up to the Richmond River Light, as it is officially known and I expected it would be like a regular lighthouse.

You may have seen the black and white version of the lighthouse earlier this month. It has to be the smallest. cutest lighthouses ever and yes it is still active.

While on a walk in the afternoon, suddenly there was a rustling in the undergrowth. A Brush Turkey wandered out from the dunes, then another, then another and another. As I walked along, they followed me. When I stopped, they looked nonchalant. I suspect someone is feeding them.

Anyway. here is a shadow selfie with my four new friends – until they found out I didn’t have any snacks.

I enjoyed sitting on the breakwall watching the various passers-by. There were the exercisers running or walking up to the end and down again, young mums pushing strollers, people on bicycles either fun or exercise, holiday makers and a bloke who gets around on a mobility scooter. Every time if I am there in the afternoons, I see him and say g’day and have a chat.

In the late evening, just as the sun is setting, the fishing trawlers head out for a nights fishing.

I just love how you can see all of the craters of Our Moon. Not a full Moon but it was quite bright.

As the Moon is up, it’s time for me to say goodbye to Changing Seasons for another month. I really do like to know if you have a favourite photo. Which one is yours?

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently, though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.

For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

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