24 November, 2008

Moth

It looks like this tiny moth, who was resting on the olive leaves, has feathers on it's wings...

22 November, 2008

Rocket

About six weeks back I've sown rocket salad in our veggie patch and ate a lot of fresh spicy leaves since. And today some of these tiny plants are blooming!

Redback

I was cleaning my Jarrah outdoor setting today and was very happy that I used the broom to get rid of all the spider webs underneath as I discovered several redbacks protecting their huge eggs. All three of them are safely removed to a more remote corner of the garden and the chairs are shining with oil. Redbacks are pretty poisonous by the way and the female eats her husband while mating.

21 November, 2008

Poppy

Beautiful poppy's blooming at the verge in Peppermint Grove.

Green

The tender green color of brand new leaves which color the streets of Perth at the moment just like the Jacaranda trees which are blooming all over the place.

19 November, 2008

Bee in flower

This bee is covered in powdery pollen as he is crawling deeply into the flower.

17 November, 2008

Chicken

Sjaantje is already an old chook, over four years ago I rescued her, with her sister Bep who died about four weeks back, from a lay farm. The last couple of weeks Sjaantje is having a revival, laying eggs every day as if she is a spring chicken again... Isn't she pretty?

16 November, 2008

Another tiny beetle population

Friday when taking those gorgeous photos of the fly and the wasp, here under, I als came across this bunch of tiny beetles in the proces of doing something weird. They were so tiny that I could hardly see what happened. The leaves of the vine were crowded with these tiny creatures struggling to change into red from black or opposite. On another leave was already a bunch in a further state of exchange and I am very curious to know what they are. As a few days later I can't find them anymore... So if you know, please let me know too.

Insect eggs?

I suspect this are the eggs for the tiny little beetles I've photographed the same day. The eggs are smaller than a pin head, and I wish I had a better camera in these cases...

15 November, 2008

Motorbike frog

A while back, somewhere in June, when my friend Sal went oversees, she donated five motorbike frogs to my garden from her glass house. I was so happy with them and very disappointed that I hadn't seen them since. Until today! Five months later! This little guy seemed to be very happy to snuggle into the palm of my hand and stay there for a while while I felt six years old again. As a kid I loved frogs, I could play with them for hours and I suppose you never loose that...

14 November, 2008

Flies and wasps

I was bored this afternoon after a late university party last night so I took every excuse to go into the garden into the sun instead of assessing the huge pile of student work... And I caught these flies/wasps on camera, they look so perfect! Insects are so beautiful although some are pretty annoying too. The shiny one is a blue bottle fly, a member of the Calliphora species. Can't find the wasp species... if you know please comment!

Berries

Unfortunately not edable...

11 November, 2008

Wild Hibiscus?

This Hibiscus lookalike flowering scrub was blooming in Yanchep Park last weekend.

10 November, 2008

Flowering Grass Tree

Busy bees and other insect are swarming these flowering stalks of this grass tree in Yanchep National Park last Saturday. The prickly 'leaves' keep me on a distance when I want to take a sniff to satisfy my curiosity if the flowers smell nice. So I still don't know... I've attached this photo of me standing next to the grass tree in the prickly scrub so the proportions of this plant are clear. And this is an average size, not that big yet. There are far bigger examples available, but not blooming as beautiful as this one.

09 November, 2008

Kangaroos

A few pretty kangaroos on our path during the Ghost House Walk Trail in Yanchep National Park yesterday.

Bobtail lizard

The Bobtail lizard is a member of the Bluetongue lizard family and this one we met along our hike in Yanchep National Park yesterday. It's a weird thing with huge scales on the body and it's triangular head and tiny legs.

Pigface

This yellow succulent flower, the Carpobrotus edulis, or locally know as Pigface, is growing normally on coastal sand dunes but here it was blooming in the woods of Yanchep National Park, although the Indian Ocean is not really far, I've never seen it anywhere else besides along the beaches...

08 November, 2008

Yellow hairy caterpillar



Today in Yanchep National Park we came across this yellow hairy caterpillar on a stump. I've given up finding information as it's impossible. But this always keeps nagging, what kind of beautiful butterfly it will be? Or will it turn into a very ugly brownish moth?