2017 Potential Bee Calendar – & ladybirds and butterflies

Bees on flowers – all sorts of flowers (& bees) – and lady birds and butterflies.

There were hundreds (literally) of photos to choose from. This is a small selection.  I will probably look at others as well.

Bees on lavender:

 

 

bees on native flowers:

 

 

 

 

bees on native blossom:

 

 

bees on garden flowers:

 

 

bees on feral flowers:

 

butterfly and ladybirds

 

2016 Wildflower Calendar – Long List

This is the ‘long list’ for a potential 2017 Wildflower Calendar.  They are pictures from suburban Perth, in conservation areas, parks and verge gardens.  They are all native wildflowers and I am going to have a hard time choosing!

 

I have no doubt forgotten some, but it is primarily from these I will choose 12 – or 14 (counting the cover).  aren’t I going to have fun!

Blue Devil:

 

Verticordia:

 

 

 

 

Hakea:

 

Milkmaids:

 

Petrophile:

 

Lechenaultia:

 

Fringe Lily:

 

Orchids:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Big Blossoms:

 

 

Grevillea:

 

Bottlebrush types:

 

 

Native daisies:

Various:

 

 

 

 

 

 

MtLawleyShire’s hunt for Wildflowers #2: peas, paws and pretties

The second in a post of flowers from the reserve in the northern suburbs.  There were so many flowers! I wonder if I will have time to return before they all fade.  It is getting warm and sunny in teh coming week and many of the flowers will fade with teh warmth.

These are commonly called ‘milkmaids’ – they are everywhere, on long delicate stalks.  So very pretty!

  

Cats paws – sort of like kangaroo paws, but much smaller, lower to the ground, but isn’t their colour glorious!

 

Here are the more iconic kangaroo paws.  they just glow in the sunlight!

 

some odd ones – & I do not know their names:

 

 

I believe the first of these is called a tassel flower and comes in blue as well.  Very pretty, especially when they are scattered throughout in quite large numbers.  The second I think is a type of myrtle and it’s almost finished, but so very pretty and delicate.

 

This is called a pimela.

The first two of these are definitely the same flower, the third is not, but they are all beautiful.  I should really know their names, shouldn’t I 🙂

 

Now – the peas – of various varieties and I know none of them 🙂 they grow on bushes of climb over things.  they are all rather tiny and come in so many colours!

this first one is common even in people’s gardens. Called a native wisteria.

I would love to get more photos of this one.  It is very striking!

But this one?  It’s face is colourful enough…

 

but from the back it is astonishing!

 

I hope you enjoyed this small selection.

In the coming days, I will post more wildflower photos from MtLawleyShire and other areas.

 

MtLawleyShire’s hunt for wildflowers #2: orchids, lilies, triggers and devils

This is the first of two posts of flowers from another bush reserve in the northern suburbs of Perth.  It was the first sunny day of this remarkable Spring and I walked quite a few kilometres around the area, delighting in all the flowers.

There were so many donkey orchids!  I do love these, so bright.  The grow on tall stems and lie flat with their delightful faces up to the sun and when you see them in large groups, they are like a golden wave.  I couldn’t get a decent photo of that but here are some examples:

  

  

 

 

 

trigger plants – these are tiny, thing little things, like stars on the sand.  And just as numerous so you can’t really walk into their midst because you’d crush them:

Cowslip orchids – they are fading, sadly.

These made me whoop out loud!  Fringed lily.  It’s the first time I had seen one, and aren’t they lovely!

 

Now this – this is a purple (obviously!) enamel orchid.  They are not large flowers, but not as small as you’d think and their colour makes them stand out in striking contrast to the plants around them.  They too are fading, but there are some here that look pretty good.

Yes – this is a flower – that tall spike is the flowering spike of the grass tree.  It also gives you an idea of the bushy surrounds.  Managed, yes, but being restored to something that resembles the area’s native flora.  The sounds of the birds was astonishing.

And this – this is a blue devil.  The picture on the left is before it opens, and then – open.  Isn’t it glorious!

 

I hope you have enjoyed this part of Part 2.  Next one coming…

MtLawleyShire’s hunt for wildflowers

First – I must apologize to all who read this. I cannot interact with other blogs.  I can reply to comments, but can’t do anymore than that.  I don’t know what the problem is, it keeps occurring on this blog and is a damn nuisance.  And the WordPress people can’t seem to fix it either.  I will keep trying though.  and I do look at your blogs.

 

First – despite the cold and the rain, this has been teh best season for wildflowers in one of teh parts of teh world that is rightly famous for its wildflowers.  and this year, I went looking for them in more than my usual haunts.  There are/will be posts from Kings Park and Hyde Park, but this year, I took myself and camera further and to more different places.

This post is from a tiny area of remnant and conserved Banksia woodland in MtLawleyShire itself.  Banksia woodland is what the natural area is like, and though there are no photos of banksias in this post, there will be in others.  It is a tiny area, perhaps half a hectare, but the ‘friends’ of this area are doing wonderful work in replanting and caring and maintaining all the plants.

And I found flowers.  Wonderful flowers!

Spider orchids:

This was the first time I had seen a spider orchid let alone photographed one.  I was delighted, despite the awkward angle!

 

  

 

Cowslip orchid – I have more photos of these in later posts, and again, this was the first time I had seen one.

Donkey orchids – again, there will be more photos, but I love these.  This is the first time I had seen them and so difficult to photograph!

 

This is affectionately called the ‘salt and pepper’ flower

This is a type of pea – there are so many varieties.  There are bushes of this little flower and I have more examples from other places.

Banksia flowers – or ‘fruit’

I don’t know what these are, but they are buds and I haven’t yet seen their flowers.

This, I believe, is dampiera – a cousin of the beautiful blue leschenaultia which will be in later posts.

 

I have no idea what this is apart from totally intriguing!

 

I don’t know what these delectable little things are, apart from pretty 🙂

 

 

And this? A ‘naughty’ plant – a weed, but it was the only one that held a bee still enough for long enough 😀

 

I hope you have enjoyed this first of the ‘wildflower hunting’ posts.  There are more to come 🙂

 

Charlie the cat and the tale of his tail

Oh it’s a beautiful evening!

 

So peaceful.

Ah – that feels good.

The gentle routines of taking care of ones self.

But something’s not right.

What is it?

Ah!  What’s that behind me?

Come here – out from under my feet!

You can’t get away!!!

No – no you are not getting away!

Ha! I have you now!

What are YOU laughing at!!!!!

MtLawleyShire: Photo Challenge: Earth

The daily Post Challenge: Earth http://<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/earth/”>Earth</a&gt;

the beauties of the earth are many and everywhere – in the very small:

 

 

In the tiny & industrious:

 

in flowers, small:

 

Australian natives:

 

classic:

 

exotic:

tree blossoms:

 

the beauty of autumn:

birds:

 

 

to the very large – storm clouds:

 

and the magnificence of sunsets:

I hope you enjoyed my response to the Weekly Challenge.  I am looking forward to viewing yours 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more raindrops in MtLawleyShire’s garden

It was wet for the last few days.  A delight – rain!  The rain was persistent, but light, so there wasn’t that much.  Enough, however, for gathering raindrops.

Jasmine leaves in light and shadow:

  

 

 

 

even enhancing a dead leaf:

on jasmine tendrils:

   

 

 

on spider plant flowers and buds and the dangling dead ends:

  

these could be ear rings! :

 

 

on bottlebrush leaves and twigs:

 

and on leaves of a nameless but much loved potted tree:

Now, if there was more rain….

Birds against a MtLawleyShire sunset

These are taken of clouds in the eastern sky –

pigeons flocking against the light of storms clouds building at sunset:

the colours are slightly enhanced, the photos ‘noisy’ but I liked the effect:

and teh structure of the clouds was amazing:

and ibis flying against softer clouds to the south-east:

The Ravens of Matilda Bay

The tea rooms at Matilda Bay have been remodelled and for a while, it seemed that there would be no visits from the birds, but then – some ravens came.

They sat a while in the flame tree:

a couple chatting:

eyeing the pickings below:

  

they sat in chairs backing onto the river, becoming silhouettes:

 

calling to others about the food:

walking the fence:

Then it was onto an abandoned table:

 

 

is it any good?

shall we use this for chips or something else?

You looking at me???

 

I love the ravens 🙂