The House(s) of Fran_mart

I have recorded the stages of development in the breeding of the pair of frogmouths that roost in our Yellow Box ( Eucalyptus meiodora ) in an on-going post.    Today I just thought the chicks looked cute (in a malevolent sort of way) rather than needing to be recorded as a 'stage'.  So here are a couple of images. The first one was a tad tricky to take as I was being dive bombed by the Satan-spawn Pied Currawongs that are about to fledge their young in a nest a few metes further up the tree.  For the second shot I was pretty much embedded in an Acacia tree so the black bombers couldn't get at me so easily!

I have previously posted about watching for platypus from the suspension bridge over the Queanbeyan River.  I had a few minutes to spare in town today and took me camera with me. On arriving at the bridge a lady was walking across pushing a pram with a small child in it.  Another lady was at the end of the bridge with a camera; and a blue-heeler cross (aka a mongrel cattle dog). So I assumed the platypus watching position on the bridge checking all ripples moving upstream.  Suddenly there was a huge splash.  Bluey has decided to challenge a 4m long branch floating downstream. He failed.  Despite the big splash other denizens of the riven go on about their business. Looking West again I find that Bluey has worked out that his owners are heading off home, and has decided that the shortest way home is straight up the stream.  A squadron of Australian Wood Ducks decide to make sure he (I don't know why I assumed it was a male: probably because most femal...

Today the ANPS Wednesday Walkers went to the Cypress Lookout, about halfway up Mt Tennent in Namadgi National Park. It was a splendid outing with masses of flowers including a good range of orchids.  I will start with a view from the Lookout.  Please note this is the ACT, not Ireland! We have a basic rule when travelling that anywhere with a lot of green vegetation generally gets a lot of rain.  That has certainly been the case in the ACT this year and it was also reflected in the water running down a Creek near the Lookout.  I mucked about a bit trying to get some arty images: here are a couple of them. I guess the orchid fanciers will be wondering when I am going to get to the important stuff.  I haven't shown here the species of which I have put images from our own block , but here we go, starting with a couple of images of Thelymitra sp. Next up we have a Spider orchid ( Arachnorchis atrovespa I think). Right near the Lookout a 'rustyhood' was found...

The Stoney Creek Nature Reserve is located beside Captains Flat Road opposite Clydesdale Road in Carwoola.  The verge on the Southern side of the road (adjacent to private property) was vandalised by scraping but after a solid set of rains the Northern side of the road has hit its marks running. Driving past the most obvious plants are a patch of Calotis scabiosifolia var . integrifolia ! (Thanks Ros for the update.)  They mixed in with some Bulbine lilies: Proving that they are not too choosy,  the lilies also mixed with Leucochrysum albicans albicans var tricolor which are an officially endangered variety of daisy in this area.  The second image shows a native bee displaying interest in a flower and the third is a bud demonstrating the reason for the varietal appendation of 'tricolor!

Perhaps the title should have been "Flowering of Columbine"?  But that wouldn't have had the Oscar winning resonance.  Whatever, here are a few images of the Columbines (in Latin, Acquilegia ) growing in our garden.  I had thought they were intricate, but basically monochromatic flowers.  Obviously I am wrong (as shown by the final image, some varieties are polychromatic). Also beginning to hit its straps is a Wisteria.  This is, as far as I am aware, totally unrelated to Acquilegia but it is flowering now, and is pretty, so here is an image!

THE OUTING PLANNED TO YANUNUNBEYAN FOR SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO PROBABLE POOR WEATHER AND DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS. This is to hold my plans for the COG outing on December 4 2010. I suggest people meet to carpool at the Spotlight car park in Queanbeyan (see below for maplet) at 8am.  It would be good to minimise the number of cars because: Carbon footprint issues; Woolcara Trail is narrow and dirt so the less traffic the better; Parking is not always able to accommodate a large number of cars. If someone is able to to volunteer to manage that rendezvous I would join the convoy at the junction of Captains Flat Road and Briars Sharrow Road. Directions On leaving the Spotlight carpark head off towards Bungendore on the Kings Hwy and take the turn off to Captains Flat (approximately 4km on the right with a snazzy new roundabout).   After approx 14km, regroup at the junction of Briars Sharrow Rd and Captains Flat Rd. After a further 4km...

.. are never enough. After a very frustrating day yesterday when I couldn't find any of the 'specials' we'd located on Tuesday we set off again this morning and ticked off most everything.  We even got an addition: Hymenochilus bicolor , which Frances found close to Glossodia Central.  The distinguishing feature is the shape of the 'black bit' (known I believe as a labellum appendage) which is m-shaped rather than the T of H. cycnocephalus . Here is a picture. The next cab off the rank is a Diuris .  I have concluded that this is D. pardina , the Leopard orchid on the basis of several of the plants having 3 leaves and the colour of the stems.  As always I am open to correction! The first image is from this morning, looking from above the flower and has a nice effect of dew  - for once I had my camera with me at the required time. Next we have a front on shot in mid afternoon, followed by a group photo of several open flowers.  A couple of days la...