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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.

Sydney Wildflowers - Autumn/ Winter

The many and varied banksia aside, I would have thought the Autumn/ Winter Sydney bush flower scene would be relatively quiet as the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop. However, I have been amazed at the amount and variety of pretty flowers scattered around the heaths and  forested areas here in Sydney at the moment. Below are just some of the Sydney bush flowers now on display:

Clockwise from top left: 1) Red Spider Flower 2) Mountain Devil 3) Clustered Scented Myrtle 4) Mauve Wax Flowers 5) Sunshine Wattle 6) Red Fivecorners and 6) Needlebush

Asleep under a Native Fuchsia pagoda

Asleep under a Native Fuchsia pagoda. I could think of nothing nicer really.

Portrait of a Young Powerful Owl

It was very nice to meet an adolescent powerful owl the other day. He was very intense. About a year and a half ago, possibly his mother/ father was seen in the very same location. The mother/father powerful owl was head and shoulders bigger than this young owl (maybe 65 centimetres/ 26 inches tall)! Around the same time, I heard a local powerful owl (maybe the mother/father) hooting in the backyard - it was incredibly loud! It sounded like someone yelling "WHOO - HOO!!!" through a megaphone! They are not called "powerful" owls for nothing. 

Sydney Icons

Late November Sydney icons as follows: Flannel Flowers, a swamp wallaby (and suspected joey in pouch), an industrious echidna digging for insects,a Manly Beach pine, Yellow Tea Tree, and Grevillea.

Freddy Spends the Day Inside

Freddy spends the day inside even though it's a lovely spring day outside.

Out and about early August

Fountain in Martin Place, parrots in The Australian Museum, native somethings in the wildflower gardens, Queen Victoria in Queen's Square Sydney city, ornamental purple and white cabbage - y things in Hyde Park.

Frederick in a bamboo grove

This is Frederick enjoying a little R'n'R in a bamboo grove.

Lionel and the Cherry Blossoms

This is Lionel relaxing in the garden under the cherry blossom tree after watching the march between Argentina and Nigeria.

Aloft in the Orchard

This is Bertrand and he is being held aloft in the orchard by his friend Albert. Bertrand likes being held aloft in the orchard as he can get a good look at the oranges and enjoy the perfume of the blossoms.