Quarry Road Dural. 28th December 2013.

Found two out of the three targeted species today, but in the progress scored a bonus. Christmas Bells and  Hyacinth Orchid were 2 of the 3 with the missing one, once again, was the Snake Orchid, found one with seed pods but no flowers. The bonus was a second species of Hyacinth Orchid.

A surprise was finding a white Tetratheca (Black-eyed Susan) as these are usually pink.

Blandfordia nobilis  -  Christmas Bell.

Scaevola ramosissima  -  Purple Fan-flower, Snake Flower.

Angophora hispida  -  Dwarf Apple, Scrub Apple.
Looking sad but still colourful  after flowering.

Angophora costata  -  Sydney Red Gum, Smooth. Barked Apple.

Acacia linifolia.  - Flax-leafed Wattle.

Persoonia pinifolia  - Pine-leaf Geebung.

Petrophile puchehella - Conesticks.

Tetratheca ericifolia  -  Black-eyed Susan.

Tetratheca ericifolia  -  Black-eyed Susan  (white).
This was the first time I had seen a white flowered plant as they are normally pink.

One of the Mistletoes.   The sticky fruit was not as nice as some I've tried.

Dampiera stricta  -  Blue Dampiera.

Lambertia formosa  -  Mountain Devil. 

Dipodium punctatum  - Hyacinth Orchid, Christmas Orchid.

Dipodium variegatum  -  Slender Hyacinth Orchid,  Blotched Hyacinth Orchid, Spotted Hyacinth Orchid.

Caesia parviflora  -  Grass Lily.

Grevillea buxifolia  -  Grey Spider-flower.

Banksia serrata  -  Old Man Banksia.
Fallen seed cone with a new seedling. 

Lomatia silaifolia  -  Crinkle Bush.

Eucalyptus haemastoma  -  Scribbly Gum.
Scribbles are cause by a moth larvae. 

Hybanthus vernonii  -  Erect Violet.

A collection of Scribbly Gums in the afternoon sun.

This battle-scarred Scribbly Gum is sill hanging on after I first photographed it some 28 years ago.

TODAY'S  LANDSCAPE / HABITAT. 

Wiggly lines/tracks on rocks are where native slugs have eaten off the algae.

Snake Plant, Hyacinth Orchid, Crinkle Bush, Flannel Flower, Match-heads, Christmas Bells.

Hakea and rock shelf with grinding grooves (hidden).

Grass Trees and boulders.

Sydney Red Gum and scattered Eucalypts.

Photographing plants in the wild does have its dangers.

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

Copper-tailed Skink.

Camouflaged larvae on Lesser Flannel Flower.

Double Drummer Cicada, responsible for all the noise on the videos.

One of the Orb-web spiders.  Ambush or Triangular Spider  -  Backobourkia heroine.

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One of the 'stink' bugs.

Little Eagle (?)

St Andrews Cross Spider.

A pretty fly.

I thinks it's an ant.

In the past I have seen Peacock chicks crossing the road near where I saw this proud male strutting his stuff along the roadway.

Peacock.

No Outing Today (Fire in the Bush) 20th December 2013.

Had to tidy the place up for Christmas, and it was too hot (37 C).


Some Australian flora has developed a resilience to bushfire and sometime even needs fire to prosper.

Fire damage to Scribbly Gum.  All looks OK from one side but just a little charred on the other, will still live for ever.

 

Fire damaged Scribbly Gum. I first photographed it in 1985, and in 2010 its still going strong even though there's not much thickness to it.

 

Epicormic growth gives this Eucalyptus sp. a new start.

 

New growth from lignotuber also is a backup.

 

Lobelia dentata flowers soon after a fire has cleared away other ground plants.

 

Epicormic growth gives this Old Man Banksia a new start.

 

The Home Garden on Black Friday.

To warm to go far and too many things to do at home, so it's another 'let's see what's in the garden' on a Black Friday (Friday the 13th) episode.

Salvia micophylla  -  'Hotlips'.

Banksia serrata  -  Old Man Banksia  (native in the Sydney region).

Commelina cyanea  -  Scurvy Weed  (native in the Sydney region).
The leaves of this plant were eaten by the first settlers to ward off scurvy as they had no fresh fruits.

A 'lacecap'  type Hydrangea.

Epacris longiflora  -  Fuchsia Heath  (native in the Sydney region). .

Angophora bakeri  -  Narrow-leaved Apple   (native in the Sydney region).
Flowers on the tree and one that's fallen in a birdbath.

This was a Tulip Flowered Geranium but has reverted back to one of the parent flowers.

Grevillea juniperina  -  Juniper Grevillea.
An endangered plant local to the Sydney region.

Geitonoplesium cymosum  -  Scrambling Lily  (native in the Sydney region).  

Veronica plebeia  -  Trailing Speedwell, Creeping Speedwell  (native in the Sydney region).

Melaleuca thymifolia  -Thyme Honey Myrtle  (native).

Callistemon viminalis -   'Hannah Ray'  (native). 

Streptocarpus  -  Cape Primrose  (Lynn's collection).

Grevillea venusta  -  Byfield Spider Grevillea  (native).

Austromyrtus dulcis  -  Midyim, Midgen Berry  (native).

Crowea exalata x salinga  -  'Festival'  (native).

Philydrum lanuginosum  -  Woolly Frogmouth  (native water plant in the Sydney region)..

Male and female parts are fused together on this corn plant.

Arthropodium milleflorum  -  Vanilla Lily  (native in the Sydney region).

Banksia robur  -  Swamp Banksia  (native in the Sydney region). .

Justicia carnea  -  Jacobinia, Flamingo Flower, Brazilian Plume.

Bursaria spinosa  - Blackthorn, Sweet Bursaria  (native in the Sydney region)..

TODAY'S  LANDSCAPE / HABITAT. 

Over looking the frog pond to 'settlers' garden in the back yard.

The rest of the backyard east of 'settlers'.

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

Don't recall seeing one of these cicadas in the yard before.

Male King Parrot.

Rainbow Lorikeet.

Laughing Kookaburra.

Channel-billed Cuckoo, summer visitor from the north.