Butterfly closing up

The day before Christmas we were hiking in Porongorup National Park and came across lots of orange and brownish butterflies. I finally managed to get one sitting still, but it wouldn't open it's wings for us, a pity, as they were beautiful.

Speckled fly

Over the Christmas weekend we were hiking in the Stirling Ranges and on top of the Toolbrunup mountain were lots of flies and I made a few good shots of this beauty. It's only slightly bigger then a normal fly.

Green fly

This tiny green fly was very active but seems to enjoy me wanting to take a photo as it came back to the fig leaf every time. A beauty in green armor.

So different from the fat green flies I photographed a few years ago. Apperently this one is of the Dolichopodidae family or long legged flies.

Frog-like insect?

I was making a photo of my cherry tomatoes and didn't see this little insect until I checked the photos on the computer. Look how amazing this bug is with it's two feelers on the back and it's frog-like body. What is it??

Legless lizard

These little snake like reptiles are so pretty and at the same time funny with their tiny mini legs positioned along the body.

Huge grasshopper

Look at the amazing hindleg of this huge grasshopper wich was chased by Cooky, our cat. By the time I saw her chasing the poor creature it was already missing one of it's hindlegs. I quickly took the cat away to give it some rest but got a big scare when it hopped just passed my face, it was the size of my hand!

Moth

The cocoon changed colour and a tiny wrinkled moth came out of it. It was so cute and hairy like a little teddy bear with huge eyes.

I love trees

Today is National Tree Day and I love trees, there can't be enough trees around me! I was walking around Lake Claremont and they just had done some pruning work... with LOVE!

Mini Fungus

One morning I checked the worm farm and found the most beautiful tiny fungus growing on top of the wet newspaper. The ribbed top is powered with sugar cristals and they look so delicate.

Cocoon

Found this cocoon under the mulberry tree in our garden, looking forward to see the result as I am keeping it in a glass with leaves. It moves it's bum vigorously when I pick it up...

Seeding basil

My basil lasted this year from spring to winter and is still going although I left more than half of it going to seed. The green stems turn bright purple when finished blooming.

Blooming sundew

Blooming sundew near Victoria Dam.

Praying Mantis

This huge stick insect was slowly creeping on the leaves of one of the plants in our pond. On another leaf was a smaller version in green which was so aggressive it attacked the camera several times so I couldn't get it sharp on the photo.

Bees in hollow tree

We did a walk north of Perth over Easter, the Yaberoo Budjara heritage trail, and while having our lunch in a nice spot we discovered it was right next to a hollow tree with a huge bees nest in it...

Quokka

We went to Rottnest to enjoy the beautiful island which is of course not complete whithout a quokka on your path. This one was sitting along the road we cycled on the east side of the island.

New Zealand - Tarawera Valley

It was a rainy day when we visited the waterfalls in Tarawera Valley, and I understood immediately why the mosses where growing so good...

Young seagull

At Saint Heliers Beach in Auckland.

New Zealand - Still Water Beach

In Februari I was in New Zealand to visit friends. We went for a walk on Still Water Beach where I saw some beautiful seaweeds and other stuff. The seaweed is stuck to a shell which gives the impression they have roots like a tree.

Nest of spiders

Found this huge nest of baby spiders in the garden. The babies are not bigger than a pin head but I don't think I want to know how big they get when grown up... there are far too many of them...

Willy Wagtail

Willy Wagtail discovered the mirror in a corner of my garden and now thinks he is in love... he is there every day, from early morning to late afternoon.

Empty wasp nest

About a month later I checked the mean wasp's nest again and found it deserted so I cut it off and put the branch with the tiny nest, it's not bigger than a golf ball, in another where it won't hurt. Hope they'll build it up further as I won't mind a few wasps in the garden.
Look how pretty they made the nest chambers, one is still closed with a sticky stuff while others are long time open or still have the sticky corners of recent development.