Botany Nerds Ahoy

I bet U were ticked off , to not get it off , in Guy Fawkes and plant some seeds , seeds .

Gosh , I would be .

With a name like that , U would think U were " On a Guran " , but rooted by the paralizing ticks .

The beautiful Bush ,can sure bite U , on the bushy tail .

Sprout wrote:

Wonderful. Thanks, love the information you provide in this thread.

Sprout . Hi mate, hope ya well.

I love that we all dig it, the more we are exposed to our biological wonders in this country, the more we learn , the more we chat, the more people become interested an inadvertently the better we can appreciate what we have and what we need to protect and care for.

It simply starts with slowing down habitat destruction. All the best. AW

Pop Down wrote:

I bet U were ticked off , to not get it off , in Guy Fawkes and plant some seeds , seeds .

Gosh , I would be .

With a name like that , U would think U were " On a Guran " , but rooted by the paralizing ticks .

The beautiful Bush ,can sure bite U , on the bushy tail .

PopDown. Hi fella.

A big TICK of approval for your fun writings and verses.

Your life is like sands through the hour glass,

‘So These Are The Days of Your Lives’.

How good is giving birth to live young.

I don’t dunno, what’s that itchy lump behind my ear?AW

Here’s one for you AW. Coastal heath on the weekend on the North coast was in full bloom, lots of boronias, peas and the flannel flowers just starting up as well. This one was a bit different though, like a large native pea type flower?

Distracted wrote:

Here’s one for you AW. Coastal heath on the weekend on the North coast was in full bloom, lots of boronias, peas and the flannel flowers just starting up as well. This one was a bit different though, like a large native pea type flower?

Distracted. Hi mate.

My first impression is Gompholobium huegelii , Glory Pea, they have abnormally large flowers. Fabaceae family , pea flowers, legume, nitrogen fixer. They occur up and down eastern seaboard, alas, in all states of Oz. in the habitat you described, widespread here in Victoria. AW

Edit. Seeds, glory days, I’m back baby !!!

Seen plenty of those in the coastal heath.
Full spring flowering in effect here.

Spring in the heath starts first week of Aug here.

freeride76 wrote:

Seen plenty of those in the coastal heath.
Full spring flowering in effect here.

Spring in the heath starts first week of Aug here.

Freeride76

Hi mate, hope you’re well. Same down here, I’ve got a botany excursion this coming Sunday, Anglesea Heath, Great Ocesn Road, very much looking for to seeing some gems.

Did you ever receive the book Marine Plants of Australia I sent you ?
It arrived in Swellnet office Kingscliff Dec 15th last year. Ben Matson said he’d get it to you. All the best. AW

Haven't got it yet AW- must be still with Ben.
Thanks so much though- something to look forwards too!

Just on the lizard chat. We've got a creek running beside the house and a duck bath down the side of the house.
Lovely habitat for eastern water dragons.
I built a little gang plank out of the bath because juveniles could get stuck in the bath and drown.

Found this little fellow on the gang plank and thought he was dead- frozen still and lifeless.
I bought him inside and put him inside this ugg boot.

Few hours later, he came back to life and poked his head up above the parapet. Released him into some suitable habitat.

freeride76 wrote:

Haven't got it yet AW- must be still with Ben.
Thanks so much though- something to look forwards too!

Just on the lizard chat. We've got a creek running beside the house and a duck bath down the side of the house.
Lovely habitat for eastern water dragons.
I built a little gang plank out of the bath because juveniles could get stuck in the bath and drown.

Found this little fellow on the gang plank and thought he was dead- frozen still and lifeless.
I bought him inside and put him inside this ugg boot.

Few hours later, he came back to life and poked his head up above the parapet. Released him into some suitable habitat.

Good stuff mate, well done you.
Beautiful reptile, you are very fortunate to have them. Believe it or not, I’ve gotta do the same here at home, I’ve got many a little pond or water bowl, periodically I find frogs dead because they can’t get out of the water, especially if the ambient air temperature is very low.
Don’t you love the biological world!!!!. AW

catching up, loving it all as always.
Awesome work Freeride, love those little dinosaurs.
The wallum flower fest should also be in full effect right now in the Sunny Coast area, I saw some pics of my Hovea the other day, a purple favourite and always one of the early ones to bloom. Shame they can be so short-lived.
Latest botanical adventures have been through the Cape Hillsborough area - another stunning part of our east coast, one particularly favourite beach discovered, tiny wave potential, perfect 0.5-1ft peelers rolling in. Interesting steep mountainside background, and a small dunal veg community I havent encountered before - a pure Hoop Pine overstorey, Pandanus mid-storey, and ferns and beach cherry understorey (Eugenia reinwardtiana - nice edible fruit on that one). Stunning.
Some really interesting geology on the headland at Haliday Bay, nice birdlife observations on the sandflats at Ball Bay (one of those examples where you got to quietly observe, plenty of fast-moving little plover-like birds scampering around - blink and you'll miss them - AW, you might know what these could be?), pied oystercatchers, sea eagles...
and today did the trek up towards Eungella - Finch Hatton Gorge. Beautiful. But it turns out this area is another proposed QLD Gov pumped hydro site. Damn it! crazy, lots of destruction will follow if this goes ahead, iconic platypus is threatened. Seems it's in full swing, property buybacks going on, community opposition also in full swing. Lots of protest signs around. check it out if this interests you
https://www.saveeungella.com.au/

GreenJam wrote:

catching up, loving it all as always.
Awesome work Freeride, love those little dinosaurs.
The wallum flower fest should also be in full effect right now in the Sunny Coast area, I saw some pics of my Hovea the other day, a purple favourite and always one of the early ones to bloom. Shame they can be so short-lived.
Latest botanical adventures have been through the Cape Hillsborough area - another stunning part of our east coast, one particularly favourite beach discovered, tiny wave potential, perfect 0.5-1ft peelers rolling in. Interesting steep mountainside background, and a small dunal veg community I havent encountered before - a pure Hoop Pine overstorey, Pandanus mid-storey, and ferns and beach cherry understorey (Eugenia reinwardtiana - nice edible fruit on that one). Stunning.
Some really interesting geology on the headland at Haliday Bay, nice birdlife observations on the sandflats at Ball Bay (one of those examples where you got to quietly observe, plenty of fast-moving little plover-like birds scampering around - blink and you'll miss them - AW, you might know what these could be?), pied oystercatchers, sea eagles...
and today did the trek up towards Eungella - Finch Hatton Gorge. Beautiful. But it turns out this area is another proposed QLD Gov pumped hydro site. Damn it! crazy, lots of destruction will follow if this goes ahead, iconic platypus is threatened. Seems it's in full swing, property buybacks going on, community opposition also in full swing. Lots of protest signs around. check it out if this interests you
https://www.saveeungella.com.au/

Greenjam. Hi mate. Thanks heaps, nice post, hope you are well.
You are an intrepid biological traveller at present, foot loose and fancy free, that’s the life.
Birds re the mud flats, could be many species, stints, sandpipers, plovers as you stated. Need a keen eye, good spotting scope and a numbers clicker, makes for easy counting when there’s hundreds or thousands of small birds, you just push your clicker device instead of having to mentally count them.

Eungella I visited there last year, beautiful place , got to see the Eungella Honeyeater, uncommon, watched loads of platypus and so many other birds.
I clearly remember, October, beautiful and warm to hot heading up there, free camped in the bush two nights, freezing, below zero mornings, windscreen covered in ice.
My most vivid memory was the omnipresent smell of Cannabis wafting through the National Park on a daily basis.

I’m doing a big heathland walk this coming Sunday, should have plenty of photos for next week.

Go well, all the best. AW

Nice one gents.

Have a botanical query for you AW, will post up photo in morning.

seeds wrote:

This may be the first music clip on this thread.
To all the avian aficionados
https://youtu.be/HJnbmUnNNYo?si=RaW9H-sYWJNyDkDP
Maybe thread title needs a fauna and fungi addition

Seeds. That was good.

Fauna and Fungi, we can dig it, don’t we visit those topics sometimes .

Anything biological is in my ‘wheel house’. Hope you’re well. AW.

freeride76 wrote:

Nice one gents.

Have a botanical query for you AW, will post up photo in morning.

FR76. No worries. I’ll await in anticipation.

I’m out now, gotta Bird Zoom meeting, 7.30pm. AW

Bird Zoom meetings?, Too many Galahs for me AW. ;)

tubeshooter wrote:

Bird Zoom meetings?, Too many Galahs for me AW. ;)

Tubeshooter. Hi mate. Good stuff, birds are very smart as we know.

The Parrots, Lorikeets, Cockatoos , Rosella, Macaws etc are the second most intelligent group of birds, only second to the Corvids- Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jays etc.

Birds are way smarter than we previously thought.

Here’s a photo I took of an Olive Backed Sunbird in Malanda, FNQ, nesting under a roofed pergola on the cable of fairy lights, its nest is illuminated by one of the lights.
Not so dumb after all. AW

AlfredWallace wrote:

Sprout wrote:

Wonderful. Thanks, love the information you provide in this thread.

Sprout . Hi mate, hope ya well.

I love that we all dig it, the more we are exposed to our biological wonders in this country, the more we learn , the more we chat, the more people become interested an inadvertently the better we can appreciate what we have and what we need to protect and care for.

It simply starts with slowing down habitat destruction. All the best. AW

Sprout. Hi mate.

I thought you maybe interested in these photos.

2020 at home here in VIC.

Blue Tongued Lizard in a complete black morphology. As we discussed the other day, organisms often reflect where they live and their phenotype show us that. AW

( genotype is your internal genetic makeup, what you look like on the inside, phenotype is what you look like on the outside, your appearance)

Chunky blue tongue!

Winters now seem mild enough for red-bellied blacks to be active through the entire period.

Saw my first "summer" snake (whip snake) the other day.

After a week of warm, tropical derived rain and air we've got a mosquito hatch out, which is the earliest I've ever seen one.

I'm concerned after this rain and with warm, humid days ahead we will see the first major Ixodes (paralysis tick) hatch out.

freeride76 wrote:

Chunky blue tongue!

Winters now seem mild enough for red-bellied blacks to be active through the entire period.

Saw my first "summer" snake (whip snake) the other day.

After a week of warm, tropical derived rain and air we've got a mosquito hatch out, which is the earliest I've ever seen one.

I'm concerned after this rain and with warm, humid days ahead we will see the first major Ixodes (paralysis tick) hatch out.

Freeride76. Morning.

Not wrong, a big guy for sure. Bergman’s Rule on full display (the further you move away from the equator and head towards the poles, larger animals become).
All to do with heat loss ratio to body surface area. For example, an Indonesian Orange Bellied Flowerpecker is a small bird with a certain amount of sustained body heat, if it were to fly to a cold climate, the small amount of self generated heat would simply be lost to the cold environment that envelops it).
This black blue tongue, I’ve seen it regularly in a dry woodland near home. Impressive that’s for sure, healthy with no parasites evident.
Yes, climate is changing there is no doubt, you and I are noticing subtle changes to organisms we’ve been observing for years
Global birds at present are shrinking in size( see Bergmans Rule and extrapolate the cause). All the best . AW

Wow, I'd be questioning if it was a bluey if I saw one that dark, now I know, thanks AW.

Friends in the veterinary industry are copping a lot of tick related cases already, it never really stops here, but they're all saying it's early and bad this year. Get your pets on tick prevention, it's otherwise a horrible and costly affair.

Pets are on Sprout- I wish there was one for human beings.

Funny you post that too FR, found this little one in the laundry attracted by the Mrs kombucha? Back in the yard looking less than impressed. We used to 'wear' them on our shirts in primary school like little pets they wouldn't move. Now I realise they were probably shit-scared poor things haha.

Hello AW

In case U have missed the big news , 4 Collingwood supporters , Daicos has released a new Cologne .

Not sure what it smells like , but it does Attract Native Animals , apparently .

Daicos Smelly Magpie Bush , maybe .

The G will have , ALL Pie supporters smelling the same , next Friday night .

The members will even reek of it :) .

A Father Day present !

Sprout wrote:

Wow, I'd be questioning if it was a bluey if I saw one that dark, now I know, thanks AW.

Friends in the veterinary industry are copping a lot of tick related cases already, it never really stops here, but they're all saying it's early and bad this year. Get your pets on tick prevention, it's otherwise a horrible and costly affair.

Sprout. Hi hope you’re good.

Thanks, that’s interesting indeed. Further ramifications of heating the planet, for all animals.

It’s often said that the rapid rates of sexual activity/reproduction tries to keep one step ahead of parasitism in the tropics. AW

hey seeds

Great to hear reports from The Bush .

Bloody mozzies and ticks !

Only an AW type , could "like" , those guys imho .

At least the Turkey , is not a Cassowary , as U have to B real wary of those , they DO the Chasing .

Only Bird that likes killing humans , really !

Maybe cook a Turkey , on a rotisserie , on a tarp , as well , during the day , less mozzies ?

I am wondering what type of Summer , we will have .

Usually , at this time , I think it will be a Hot one and good surf .

Who knows ?

Good luck , with the Natives .

Pop Down wrote:

Hello AW

In case U have missed the big news , 4 Collingwood supporters , Daicos has released a new Cologne .

Not sure what it smells like , but it does Attract Native Animals , apparently .

Daicos Smelly Magpie Bush , maybe .

The G will have , ALL Pie supporters smelling the same , next Friday night .

The members will even reek of it :) .

A Father Day present !

PopDown. Hi pal.

Nick Daicos with that fragrance, ‘no flies on us’ but Morteins will dig it. Young folk, they’ll wear anything that smells, good or bad.

Just go to A Splendour In/On The Grass Festival and you’ll get what I mean.
AW

seeds wrote:

And so begins the yearly battle with the nest building male scrub turkey. Spent the morning laying tarps out and chasing him off.
Early in the season too. Must be the warm weather and rain. Mozzies are out and about here also last couple of days.
Was about to head off for a wave then saw andy mac, sprout and spooky’s reports. Maybe I’ll climb the mountain instead.

Seeds. Hi mate. Hope you guys are well.

Sounds like a battle, as you know, they can move a shitload of organic matter.

All those mozzies is a bit of a worry. All the best. AW

Sprout wrote:

Funny you post that too FR, found this little one in the laundry attracted by the Mrs kombucha? Back in the yard looking less than impressed. We used to 'wear' them on our shirts in primary school like little pets they wouldn't move. Now I realise they were probably shit-scared poor things haha.

Sprout. Cool photos of the reptile that’s been drinking Kombucha, all those empties being stored in a Bunnings basket you’ve nicked from the store. Good stuff.AW

Hahaha wondered if anyone would pick the questionably procured Bunnings basket (one of three). The daddy long legs have turned up early now too. Like you said, all these little signs of climate change.

seeds wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

seeds wrote:

And so begins the yearly battle with the nest building male scrub turkey. Spent the morning laying tarps out and chasing him off.
Early in the season too. Must be the warm weather and rain. Mozzies are out and about here also last couple of days.
Was about to head off for a wave then saw andy mac, sprout and spooky’s reports. Maybe I’ll climb the mountain instead.

Seeds. Hi mate. Hope you guys are well.

Sounds like a battle, as you know, they can move a shitload of organic matter.

All those mozzies is a bit of a worry. All the best. AW

He was with his missus this morning.
I’d run him off, flip the tarps to re lay them fresh.
He was pathetically scratching onto the tarps this arv when he came back.
His missus was no where to be seen. She’s probably “later loser”
Shouldn’t speak too soon!

Seeds. Hi mate.

Can I ask who wins your battle with the Brush Turkey each year. You or him ? AW.

seeds wrote:

I do. Once I was told about the tarp trick. It works.
After all, el cunto mucho has to present a good nest for his lady. I’m just preventing that.

Before La Niña this spot was exposed, dry and hot right through spring and no place the devils parrot would nest.
Four years ago I woodchipped a big mulch pile.

Then La Niña hit and next wet spring the carrot cake of carrot cakes arrived with a half made mound ready to go.
He won for a couple of years but now……….

https://youtu.be/5NlQiQfC4zQ?si=F5eipWoFe9DmoDGK

You made me laugh twice, the Devils Parrot and Caddyshack.

I can imagine you out in ya little shed conjuring up plans to oust him.
No waves here, clean in the morning but tiny.
Been very mild, 24c in August WTF. AW

seeds wrote:

That is warm for down there.
25 here today and a bit humid. 28 tomorrow apparently.
No Ekka westerlies for us this year.

I’ve never heard of Ekka until now. Coincidental winds, not a phenomena , from the West that blows in Winter. AW

29 here, beautiful one day perfect the next, spent yesterday morning at Cairns Botanical Gardens, wow, the day before at Daintree forest and Mosman Gorge and today at hippy central, Kuranda. Saw the butterfly sanctuary, Koala gardens, crocs, snakes, lizards, spiders, insects, birds, mammals and heaps of brush turkeys. Snorkelled on the GBR and visited the Cairns aquarium.
I'm all natured out, seen enough rainforests to last the rest of my life.

seeds wrote:

Sounds pretty damn good old dog. Nice part of the world this time of year. It was a bit wet and windy in May but still had its moments.

Aah, the ‘serenity’.Nice photo BTW. AW

Yan Wirring Mirr Loop.

A wonderful walk in Anglesea Heathlands, Victoria’ most diverse and species rich region. It’s simply superb.
Sunday 18th August. Photos on iPhone 8.

Highly recommend to anyone, Spring is right on our doorstep, orchids and a plethora of terrestrial plants, flowering and ir about to flower, birdlife was exceptional also.

Loving the spring weather and all the blooms. Nice pics Alfred, will have to do that walk.