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Bees Here Now

Lots of Spring flowers in the Sydney bush at the moment and lots of accompanying bee interest. Below are photos that I managed to take of these busy creatures: the quite spectacular glossy green native bee beauty - the peacock carpenter bee, European honey bees and the mini stingless native bees.  

Merry Christmas etc!

I send my good wishes to one and all with my gif that features: two (native Australian) Peacock Carpenter bees (that I was very fortunate to see in person on one of my bush walks!), a posey of flannel flowers, two sprays of gum blossoms and a coastal banksia. 

Sydney Flora and Fauna

From top right clockwise: Gum Blossoms, a Black Swan, Native Fuchsia, A Pelican, Red Spider Flower, A Little Cormorant, Tea Tree Blossoms, another Pelican, and Flannel Flowers in the centre.

Flannel Flowers

My drawing of one of Sydney's (and New South Wales' for that matter) prettiest bush flowers: the Flannel Flower.

What's on in Sydney...

Mother ducks teaching their ducklings how to forage, Kangaroo Paws, Spoonbills, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Flannel Flowers.

Out and About in Sydney in September/ October

Lots of firsts over the past couple of weeks! I visited West Head, more than likely for the first time, because boy! you wouldn't forget that view in a hurry (although I can't believe I haven't been there before). It's absolutely the most astounding view I've seen in Sydney for a very long time. Then there was finally visiting the Manly/ Queenscliff Wormhole, which has been on my 'to do' list for a while. It was everything I'd hoped it would be: a rough 110 year old hand crafted sandstone tunnel that goes through the rocky outcrop headland between Queenscliff and Freshwater beach. Following on from that there was the close encounter with a very young echidna who foraged about for food just in front of me and then came over and inspected my foot in a very enchanting manner. Other than that, there has been masses of wildflowers and plenty of birds building nests and singing.

Above, all fairly self explanatory: Mountain Devils very fit and out at the moment, flannel flowers, pink spider flowers and bees, a young active echidna, another variety of wattle, a pretty planting of white and purple statice accompanied by maroon daisies in a local park, a lady duck and an elegant white egret.

Below: red bottle brush, the 100 plus year old wormhole dug by local fishermen apparently. One of my favourite buildings in the city - the Grace Hotel. Did you know that this terra cotta clad art deco gothic beauty was used as a Pacific base by General Douglas MacArthur in the Second World War and has an escape tunnel in the basement that leads all the way to Circular Quay? I was lucky enough to see the entrance to the tunnel one Open Sydney in addition to the fabulous pent house that includes space in the fancy tower you see in this photo. Finally: bachelor buttons, sometimes also known as pinnk buttons - still going strong in parts of the bush around Sydney.    

Early Spring Bush Blossoms in Sydney (Part II)

Amazingly enough, there are still many more Spring bush flowers that can be photographed and identified. Below are a couple more that I have come across on my travels.

Left to right from top: 1) I have only ever seen two of these white flowering bushes and they were standing next to each other! I'm guessing it is a Crowea/ wax flower of some sort, 2) Wiry Bauera/ Dog Rose 3) two photos of the native irises out at the moment. The darker purple iris I've blogged about previously (the Short Purple Flag), but the paler purple iris on top is called the Leafy Purple Flag or Wild Iris, and I only came across it recently. When seen in person they are very distinctively different types of purple, which I'm not sure you can gauge here. 4) Pink Matchheads/Heath Milkwort, 5) I see this upright white flower cluster in various bush parks a lot, but have been unable to find a name for it!  6) the tiny but perfect (and in some parts abundant) Lesser Flannel Flower.

Early Spring Bush Blossoms in Sydney

Here are some (yes, that's right - some!) of the Spring flowers that are blossoming in the Sydney bush. It is by no means a comprehensive gallery, as there are many that I have not included. I feel pretty certain I will be an updating who's who in the bush flower scene in a week or two. Meanwhile... 

Clockwise from left to right: 1) A pink boronia - but uncertain of the exact type. My money is on it being a Pinnate Boronia. 2) An Austral Indigo (a pink pea), 3) a pale yellow gum blossom, 4) a mauve wax flower, 5) Short Purple Flag/ Fragile Iris - these are absolutely everywhere is some parts of the bush and are especially eye catching as they tend to cluster around the bush paths in a very fetching manner, 6) Blue Dampiera which is really quite abundant also along paths in attractive electric blue clusters, 7) the tiny and delicate Slender Violet Bush, 8) the small but all of a sudden (like just today) everywhere Violet Kunzea.

Clockwise from left: 1) Large Leafed Bush Pea, 2) Smooth Parrot Pea, 3) a maroon Boronia (which I only see in one particular sandstone heath), 4) Slender Sun Orchids, 5) Fine leafed Bush Pea, 6) Coast Coral Heath, 7) Pink Wax Flowers. 

Clockwise from top left: 1) the beautiful Waratah I photographed a week or two ago opening up as the days get warmer, 2) Red Spider Flowers absolutely everywhere - I had thought they had had their season, but no they seem to be only just starting! 3) Grey Spider Flowers also really only just hitting their stride, 4) the very delightful and showy Rose Boronia or Sydney Rock Rose that I only see in one location, 5) a mumma sooty swamp wallaby with a joey in her pouch - OK not a flower, but anyway... 6) the pale green Common Chloanthes which actually flowers for most of the year, 7) an erect Guinea Flower, not to be confused with the Bundled Guinea Flower I blogged about in July, 8) the Narrow Leafed Hovea. Phew!

Most of this info I got from my trusty Cronin's Key Guide (Australian Wildflowers) by Leonard Cronin, and the very comprehensive Sydney's Wildflowers and Native Plants blog which helped out when I couldn't find something in Cronin's book.

The Bush is Alive...

...with the sound of buzzing. Particularly popular this fine Spring are the pretty pink wax flowers.

Waratah Blossom

I was lucky enough today to have my very first wild encounter with the beautiful New South Wales State floral emblem: the Waratah. Its scientific name is Telopea speciosissima. The Australian National Herbarium explains that Telopea comes from the Greek telopos meaning "seen from afar", and speciosissima comes from the latin for 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. The common name 'waratah' is from the original Eora people. Seeing a wild waratah in the bush was on my wish list, so I was totally thrilled when my companion pointed it out to me on a walk today!    

Information from the Australian National Herbarium.