Friday, January 2, 2015

Around The Home Garden. 2nd Jan 2015.



Santa brought me a new Canon SX60 HS (point and shoot bridge type) camera for Xmas so this is a bit of a practice run to work out what does what.
Although not a DSLR, I'm trying it out using more of the manual settings, and that's where all the 'head scratching' occurs. The one big improvement I've noticed over the old (SX10) camera is that the blue in the flowers show more, those from the older camera the blues would be washed out in full sunlight. Also, the pinks don't seemed to be as washed out.



Click on photos to enlarge.


Brassia verrucosa  -  Warty Brassia.
Orchid native to Central and South America.



Banksia Robur  -  Swamp Banksia.       (native)


Felicia amelloides  -  Blue Daisy, Blue Marguerite.


Crinum pedunculatum  -  Swamp Lily.     (native)

Bursaria spinosa  -  Sweet Bursaria, Black Thorn.     (native)

Phalaenopsis  -  Moth Orchid.

Epacris longiflora  -  Fuchsia Heath.   (native)

One of the Pelagonia's.

Flowers of Oregano.


Leaf-cutter Bees have been making good use of our Abelia x grandiflora (Glossy Abelia).


Salvia uliginosa  -  Bog Sage.

Salvia uliginosa  -  Bog Sage.

Hymenocallis sp.  -  Spider Lily, Sacred Lily Of The Incas.

Zephyranthes grandifolia  -  Rain Lily

Fuchsia

Polka Dot Plant  -  Hypoestes sp.

Brillantaisia nitens  -  Tropical Giant Salvia.

Leaf of a Tree Bogonia.

Goodenia ovata  -  Hop Goodenia  (native)

Plectranthus sp.,  local native.

Flowers of Lucerne that self-seeded from lucerne hay mulch.

Commelina cyanea  -  Scurvy Weed    (native)

One of the Salvias.

Crowea exalata x saligna  -  Crowea 'Festival'   (native)

Geitonoplesium cymosum  -  Scrambling Lily   (native)

Flowers and fruits of Ardisia crenata  -  Coral Ardisia.

Wahlenbergia sp.  -  Native Bluebell.




FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.


Red-bellied Black Snake  (poisonous)


An Eastern Water-skink 'planking' near the pond.

Noisy Miner, a native species that drives away all the other smaller
(and some larger) native birds.

One of the Hawk Month caterpillars hangs upside down on a native grape.

Adult Grey Butcherbird. Uses hook on beak to pull apart prey it jams into tree forks.

Dragon Fly, depositing eggs into pond.

St Andrews Cross Spider

Dragon Fly

A small Damsel Fly.


Common Crow Butterfly on Sweet Burseria.    (native)



Camera:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

12 comments:

  1. Hi Bill, Happy New year, great pressie from Santa, these photos came out pretty clearly. I learn so much whenever I look at your blogs. What an impressive variety of flora and fauna in your home garden. I've planted some sweet bursarias, but they're so slow growing I don't know when they'll flower and start being a butterfly magnet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,wishing you a great 2015. Thank you for the compliments, it's nice to know that someone enjoys the photos. It has only been this summer that I have noticed a butterfly on the bursaria (which flowers here at Xmas), there have always been flies, wasps, beetles and sometimes bees.

      Delete
    2. How old was the bush before there were flowers?

      Delete
    3. I can't say for sure, but at a guess, and asking at the nursery (where I volunteer) should flower at about 2 years.

      Delete
    4. good, hopefully mine will flower soon ...

      Delete
  2. Dear Bill, I've nominated you for the Liebster Award. There no obligation or rush to join in, but I enjoyed the process and it's a good way to meet more bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your photos are beautiful. I have to get a new camera. My old one died. The spring on the battery door does not close tight, therefore I get the message, "change batteries". It was a Canon Power Shot A20000 IS
    I'm looking for something to take better photos. I will research your new Canon. take care

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thel, firstly my apologies for the delay in replying. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and by now, no doubt, you have been trying out a new camera. I found that the SX60 doesn't take the best photos in the world (a little tweaking with editing makes a difference) but its versatility is great.
      It's been nearly 12 months since I updated this blog but hope to get back into it next year.
      Regards, Bill

      Delete
  4. Hi Sue, thank you for the nomination. I've just been researching the award and It looks like I have a bit of thinking to do (which I find hard to do most times) but I'm petty sure I will follow it through. As there is no rush I will wait for a cooler day to give it some more thought, my computer room gets fairly warm and this can make decision making a little tense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I look forward to your production, Bill, whenever you do it.

      Delete
  5. Well I think your photos are just brilliant. Such clarity and great colour. You shared some really beautiful plants in this post. I particularly loved your Salvia and all the terrific looking natives. What a great selection. I didn't get as excited over the sight of the Red-bellied Black or that Noisy Miner bird. Horrid the pair of them. Loved the dragonflies though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bernie for your very generous comments. I suppose when you take plenty of photos some will turn out ok.
      The Salvias are long flowering and the native bees love them, I'm starting to spread them more around the gardens. The snake reappeared on Saturday (24th) after a 2 week absence.

      Delete