South Maroota For Lunch.

Had lunch to day at friends place near South Maroota. Only a short stint at looking for plants in the late afternoon as most of the time was spent looking over there new building, socialising and relaxing, which was most pleasant.

Mirbelia speciosa  -   Purple Mirbelia.
This is a most colourful plant to see in the wild, as these were.
 

 

Dillwynia sp.

 

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

Also having lunch with us were: Brown Pigeon, King Parrot, Red-browed
Firetail plus others.

Brown Pigeon

 

Grey Shrike-thrush.

 

Common Bronze-winged Pigeon.

 

Native stingless bees making the most of a Gordonia (I think).

  

Catching Up on a Rainy Day. 19th July 2013

A rainy day, with thunder-storms predicted, kept me at home and indoors today.

To keep with the flora Friday theme I thought it might be a good time to update one of my other blogs, Sydney's Wildflowers and Native Plants. So here is a sample of the plants I added today.

 

Thelymitra ixioides  -
Spotted Sun Orchid, Blue Sun Orchid.
The sun was out that day.

 

The weather map this morning.

 

Prasophyllum elatum -  Tall Leek Orchid.

 

Podolobium ilicifolium  -  Native Holly, Holly Leafed Pea.

 

Hakea dactyloides  -  Finger Hakea

 

Philotheca buxifolia  -  Box-leaf Waxflower.

 

Bossiaea scolopendria

 

Prostanthera ovalifolia  -
  Oval-leaf Mintbush, Purple Mintbush.

 

THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN:

I still don't have a name for this little winter flowering bulb.




Violet

A double Jonquil.

Felicia amelloides  -  Blue Daisy, Blue Marguerite.




I'm sorry but that fur cap is just a little too small.
Magnolia

Azalea

Quarry Rd Dural 12th July 2013

Back to one of my favourite spots for today's outing hoping to find some new ground orchids but, I was only able to find one specimen with another in bud.

A nice sunny day, a couple of new species for me and a couple more I was finally able to put names to made it an enjoyable day.

Grevillea speciosa  -   Red Spider Flower.

 

Grevillea speciosa  -   Red Spider Flower.
Explodes like a fireworks display.

 



Gompholobium glabratum  -  Dainty Wedge Pea.
A new one for the list.

 

Hakea sericea  -  Bushy Needlebush.
The seed pod looking like some grotesque bug that would
bite your finger off.

 



Gleichenia rupestris  -  Coral Fern.

 

Tetratheca ericifolia  -  Black-eyed Susan.

 



Hakea gibbosa  -  Needlebush.
Another cute seed pod.

 



Lambertia formosa  -  Mountain Devil.
This is the July photo of this species.

 



Bossiaea heterophylla  -  Variable Bossiaea.

 



Lindsaea linearis  -  Screw Fern.

 



Fungi from today.

 



Styphelia tubiflora  -   Red Five-corners.
Another new one for the list.

 



Dampiera stricta  -  Blue Dampiera.

 



Leucopogon microphyllus. Small-leaved White Beard.
These tiny bearded gems are easily overlooked.

 



Boronia ledifolia  -
 Showy Boronia, Sydney Boronia, Ledum Boronia.
Finally bit the bullet and put a name to this one.

 



(not sure)
One of the peas in the Fabaceae family.

 



Dillwynia parvifolia  -  Small Parrot-pea.

 



Dillwynia parvifolia  -  Small Parrot-pea.
Another new one for the list.

 

TODAY'S  LANDSCAPE / HABITAT.

Aboriginal grinding grooves.

Aboriginal grinding grooves.

Your invitation to visit my new blog : Rust, Relics & Ruins. 

Bidjigal Reserve, Baulkham Hills. 5th July 2013

I was able to spend just a couple of hours in Bidjigal Reserve, after a farewell lunch for one of council's Bushland workers who worked out of the Baulkham Hills Community Nursery where I am a volunteer.

There are about 2 dozen terrestrial (ground) orchids listed as growing in this and the adjoining reserves, and I was lucky enough to find 3 of the winter/spring flowering ones.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Epacris sp.  (probably puchella, but hoping for purpurascens)
Could be 1 of 2, still finding out.

Epacris sp.
Pink form of the above.

Fruits of Elaeocarpus reticulatus  -  Blueberry Ash.

Acacia ulicifolia  -  Prickly Moses.

Acianthus fornicatus  -
 Pixie Caps, Pixie Orchid.
One of the terrestrial orchids.

Acianthus fornicatus  -  Pixie Caps, Pixie Orchid.  (as above)
One of the terrestrial orchids.

Lindsaea microphylla  -  Lacy Wedge-fern.

Heartwood and old flower-cone of Banksia serrata both have
a similar star-burst design.

Acacia linifolia  - Flax-leafed Wattle.

Acacia linifolia  - Flax-leafed Wattle.

+

How it got it's name,
Omalanthus populifolius  -  Bleeding Heart.



Persoonia linearis  -  Narrow-leaved Geebung.



Persoonia linearis  -  Narrow-leaved Geebung.
In several stages of pregnancy.

Pterostylis longifolia  -  Tall Greenhood.
One of the terrestrial orchids

Pterostylis longifolia  -  Tall Greenhood.
One of the terrestrial orchids.  (as above).

Acacia suaveolens  -  Sweet Wattle.

Today's fungi.

Pterostylis nutans  -
 Nodding Greenhood, Parrot's Beak Orchid.
One of the terrestrial orchids.

Pterostylis nutans  -
  Nodding Greenhood, Parrot's Beak Orchid.
Growing in 2 inches of leaf litter on large rock.
(apologies for the photo quality)

Pterostylis nutans  -  Nodding Greenhood Orchid

Drosera peltata  -  Pale Sundew, Shield Sundew.

TODAY'S  LANDSCAPE / HABITAT.

Red gum, lichen and moss.

Sydney sandstone bushland saved by being
too steep to build on by early developers.

Houses are behind me on the ridge tops.

'Phantom of The Opera'
Organ pipes and mask in rotting tree stump.

No soil so the tree root just oozes out over
the rock.

Viewed from other side.

And where the trunk flows over the rock,
nearly becoming one.

Unwanted 'wildlife?'.