Purple Swamphens

Regular visitors to our garden are the Purple Swamphens.

They particularly love to stop off on their way through our yard to have a dip in the birdbath.

In sunlight, their plumage shines with an intense blue sheen.

......doing a little dance

Another one joins in for a dip.
I just love watching the antics of these colourful birds.

Sandi x

Wattle Pigs

One of my favourite little bugs are the 'Wattle Pigs'. It is a type of weevil (Leptopius).

As it's name suggest these guys feed on our native wattle tree leaves.

A kid friendly bug that doesn't bite and is fairly slow moving.

Wattle pigs have a bumpy hard shell covering their wings.

 

........and are well camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings.

Keep your eyes peeled, you never know what you may find in your garden.......

Happy bug hunting,

Sandi x

A Curious Caterpillar

Look at all those long hairs covering this little caterpillar.

It was quite a sight walking along.
** now identifed as the caterpillar of the  Lichen Moth Cyana meyricki  courtesy of Don Herbison-Evans from the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House.

Sometime later.........
Aha! That's what all those long hairs are for -
 to weave a protective shelter whilst it is pupating.
So neatly built.
What a clever little thing!

Sandi x

**Edited 24th June to add this photo
Photographer Dr David Britton, Australian Museum

This is what the little hairy caterpillar turns into!

Beautiful!

It's not easy being green

Having a cuppa on the verandah, I noticed a frog (trying to be inconspicuous) hiding amongst the agapanthus leaves.(photo taken in april) This little beauty is a 'Graceful Treefrog'.

It is amazing how they cling to the leaves with their padded toes.

I love the way they sit with their legs all neatly folded in.

Can you see Mr Roo in the background? He is quite used to me running off to get the camera to photograph the wildlife for the blog.......

Cheerio for now,
Sandi x

It arrived with the wood

A big centipede came with our load of  winter wood.
Luckily we were wearing gloves at the time. These guys can give you a nasty bite. In the photo above, the head end is on the left.

Here it is heading for the safety of the wood stack. Hope we don't see it again!

We have had some brilliant winter weather these last few days.
Lovely sunny days and cool, cool nights - just perfect for sitting by the fire in the evenings (with wine glass in hand).
Cheers,
Sandi x

Disappearing photos

Don't know what seems to be happening with the photos. The post looks ok when it is put up, but next day, half the photos are missing???!!! It's very frustrating. Hope this problems sorts itself out soon.
Cheerio for now,
Sandi x

Buzzy Beez

A frequent visitor to our gardens are the native 'blue banded' bees. They are slightly bigger and fatter than a honeybee. These bees are attracted to blue flowers. The flower featured here is a hedgehog sage.

 

 

This one (above) is sipping nectar from a mauve plectranthus flower.

Blue banded bees are capable of buzz-pollination, which is a method they use to vibrate the pollen from flowers. Industry is trialling them as pollinators for tomatoes in greenhouses.

 

It's nice to see these bees bumbling about in the garden.

Sandi x

Lovely Ladybirds

Some ladybird beetles for you today.

The first one is a 'tortoise shell', or 'netty' ladybird.

Isn't it's shell glossy - just like is has been polished.

The '28 spotted Potato Ladybird Beetle'. Sometimes an agricultural pest - as it eats potato (and other solanum species) plant leaves. I usually leave them if I see them on my potato plants. They can chew the leaves - I'll have the potaotes!

A 'Fungus-eating Ladybird beetle'.

And lastly, this unidentified one.....lovely!
You might just see one in your garden.....

Cheerio,
Sandi x

Jezabel

Look what I found yesterday - a 'common jezabel'  (Delias nigrina).

It was happy enough to sit on my hand and be photographed. 

As the name suggests, they are quite a common butterfly and are regular visitors to our garden.

 

Their caterpillars feed on mistletoes.

 

Cheeky!

(Poking it's tongue out!)

Cheers,

Sandi x

Spotlighting

Last night I did a little spotlighting. As you do......
 I could hear this guy nearby the house. They have a loud distinctive call - 'wark, wark, wark'.
 It is a 'Great Barred Frog'.
 Look at all those wonderful stripes!

Here's one I photographed previously in the daytime. These frogs are quite large.
They like to hide in the leaf mulch and are found along streams in rainforest or tall open forest.

Over in the pond garden was a 'Striped Marsh frog', laying a batch of eggs, before the temperature starts to cool down for autumn.
Quite a common frog here. They make a 'pop' or 'tok' sound. Sometimes there is an orchestra of marsh frogs in the pond.

Do you have frogs in your garden?

Cheers,
Sandi x

Got Lllegs

Mmm...what can it be?

An unusual button perhaps?

 

It's got legs!! and lots of them!

 

A millipede of course!

Don't poke this one too much with a stick - it emits a pungent smell! Phew!

Cheerio for now,

Sandi x

Dragonflies

I don't know the name of these dragonflies. They have brilliant markings.

This one looks like it is riding the flower (mexican sage). Giddyup!!

Cheers,
Sandi x

Bug on a Stick

Hi - di - ho .....and away we go,
 hang on to your sticks, bug spotters, here is the very first post.

 

This is a longicorn beetle.
 They are sometimes found on windows at night, attracted by the light. Their  larvae eat rotten wood - nature's little recyclers.

 These beetles have very very long antennae........

and a cute little face!

Cheers,
Sandi x