October in the paddocks

My dad used to have a phrase "After the Lord Mayor's Show." which he applied when a temporary magnificent event was followed by a return to 'normal'. It was a specific reference to the spectacle of the parade for the Lord Mayor's procession to the Guildhall being followed by a cart and a couple of guys with shovels cleaning up after the horses. 

After the brilliant display in the heaths of the East Gippsland coast our dry little tablelands block feels a little the same way.  At least until one starts to look a bit closer!

The 'peas' - ie members of the family Fabaceae - are beginning to flower.  I shall try to learn their specific characteristics.    The first specimen is Dillwynia sericea.
Note the small thin leaves, for comparison with those of Pultanaea procumbens.
Moving away from peas, our local Brachyloma daphnoides is now starting to flower after months of swollen buds.
While the earliest heaths (Melicrus and Leucopogon fletcherii) have petty much finished, as well as the Brachyloma, Leucopogon virgatus is appearing in large clumps. A detail shot is also included.

The greatest excitement was finding that our crop of Glossodia major has finally appeared.  I don't know if this was an 'overnight eruption' but the second image gives an idea of the density of the flowers in a couple of areas (perhaps 200 plants in total).
Also in the Orchid familyI found our first Diurus chryseopsis on the place this year.  It is just about 2 weeks after spotting one at Mulligans Flat.
This year I have noticed for the first time many flowers of (what I believe to be) Poranthera microphylla.
The warmer weather and increasing profusion of flowers is starting to bring the insects out.  Note the yellow pollen grains all over this native bee, on the petals of a Yam Daisy (Microseris lanceolata)
I also found this intricately patterned insect feeding on a Leucochrysum albicans.  I think it is a true bug, possibly a member of the family Orsillinae.
Finally I have begun to punish myself in attempting to photograph Eastern Spinebills again.  This one was astonishingly cooperative in exposing itself many times as it dined on a planted grevillea.  However the light was ungood so this was the best image to be collected.



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