Pin-cushion Hakea

The Pin-cushion Hakea (Hakea laurina) is a superb Australia Native Plant endemic to South-west Australia, however is grown widely throughout Australia and overseas.

The following photographs are of the flower of this small tree.

Meaning of the name: Hakea laurina

Hakea: after the 20th century botanist Baron von Hake.

laurina: because of the laurel like leaves.

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.

Superb Fairy-wren

The male Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) has been labelled as the “least faithful bird in the world”. The female may be courted by up to 13 males in a half hour period.

The Superb Fairy-wren is a small Australian Native bird (13 – 14 cms) and about 10 grams in weight. They are found south of the Tropic of Capricorn in eastern Australia.

Female Superb Fairy-wren

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.

Nature

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar:

I love not Man the less, but Nature more,

From these our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the universe, and feel

What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.”

(George Gordon) Lord Byron

Sky Gazing – Cirrus clouds over Lake Corangamite

Seed Heads – Backlit and glowing in the late afternoon sun

Windmill at Sunset, near Lake Corangamite

A Seat for Contemplation at Lake Colac

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.

Prickly Paperbark

The following photos are of an Australian Native Plant the Prickly Paperbark (Melaleuca styphelioides), which I planted in my front yard many years ago. This summer they were in full bloom giving me the best display I’ve ever seen from them.

Paperbarks got their name because the bark of these trees look like paper. Early settlers used the bark to light campfires when making tea. This gave them their nickname, “Tea Tree”.

With over 200 species of Melaleuca in Australia, only a few are trees. It is endemic to Australia, with Melaleuca forests, mainly in northern regions, covering some 6.5 million hectares.

These forests are important habitat for many birds such as egrets, herons, and spoonbills. Oils, e.g. Tea Tree Oil, come from the foliage of some species of Melaleuca.

Melaleuca derives from the Greek, melas (black) and leukos (white).

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.

Eucalyptus Flowers

The following photographs are of Eucalyptus  flowers of the Tuart tree (Eucalyptus gomphocephala). It is an Australian native plant and is endemic to Western Australia.

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.

April Photos

The year is going so fast! Already it is May.

The following photos are just a few from the month of April.

1 – Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)

Spotted Doves (aka Turtle Doves) were introduced to Australia and they have thrived in our cities. This photo was taken an urban Melbourne backyard.

2 – White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

I kept meeting this particular wader as it fed in the creek where I took my daily walk. White-faced Herons are a common Australian native bird which has also adapted to living in urban areas.

3 – Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops)

I snapped this bird in my backyard. I saw it sitting there preening, and was able to get close. It is just one of the many different varieties of honeyeaters that call my home, home.

Please Note: All photographs appearing on my blog were taken by me. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. If you would like to purchase a print please contact me by leaving a comment below with your order and contact details. I will then get back to you.