Gardenia actinocarpa hybrid
Although we have already posted some information on Gardenia actinocarpa there is a follow-up story……………..
We have two plants growing in tubs on our verandah, so that we can maximize our enjoyment of their delightfully intense perfume. The two verandah plants both produce only female flowers. Both our plants continually set seed which surprised us as they are the only Gardenia actinocarpa growing on the property. So where did the male pollen grains come from? At first we thought that perhaps the seed would be infertile. However, we were able to germinate a few seed and we grew a couple of very healthy, sturdy plants that eventually flowered themselves - beautiful white flowers which have a lovely perfume, not quite as intense as the female parent but the flowers are dramatically larger with a 90mm diameter when fully opened.
Grey Whistler
Grey Whistlers don’t have any particular ’look-at-me’ traits but they are delightful little birds. I think of them as having a rather pleasant personality (perhaps a somewhat anthromomorphic description) as they quietly hunt for insects without any apparent aggressiveness towards other insect hunters. They have a sweet, almost tentative call that sounds to me like it is not quite complete. We see them on their own or in pairs and sometimes in mixed foraging groups.
Nesting activity
A pair of Large-billed Gerygone are once again taking advantage of a branch arching over the Spring-fed Ponds on which to construct their nest. They made a start about 4 days ago -
I noticed one of these delightful little birds busily pulling at some silken thread that was holding two leaves together (possibly a retreat constructed by one of our many Jumping Spiders)
and watched it making a start on the nest. A very clever design with a sloping verandah which shields the occupiers from our heavy tropical downpours, it looks remarkably like a bit of flood debris caught on a branch. The birds enter the nest by flying up under the sloping verandah. I’ve been watching the building progress over a few days – Read more »
Like this:
Cool green theme for a hot day
Today the temperature rose dramatically but the humidity remained low, a breeze was blowing and it would have been enjoyable weather if it hadn’t been for the smoke haze from the extensive fires on the Atherton Tablelands. As an ex-resident of country Victoria I particularly dislike smoky, hot, dry days.
After spending a beautiful (and productive) morning in the garden I went looking for the Barred Cuckoo-shrikes I could hear – they were feeding out-of-sight in a large fig tree but I had a happy time observing the Double-eyed Fig-parrots that were much lower down in the same tree, along with Fig Birds and Yellow Orioles. The melodic calls of the Yellow Orioles seem to increase in frequency as the weather warms until they become a background to our summer days.
Mud, mud glorious mud ……….
The last few months of dry, windy weather has been quite a contrast to last year’s seemingly endless ‘wet’. The windy periods usually ease off later in the afternoon – a delightful time to be enjoying the outside.
Some of our shallow ponds are mere puddles and there are lots of exposed bank which can make for some interesting sightings – many not captured on camera owing to hands being full with other equipment!
This Keelback or Freshwater Snake (Tropidonophis mairii), one of many that we have recently sighted, is of the typical colouration that we see in our area. Read more »
Shades of Pink
There are occasions during the year, especially the wet season, when the green shades of the tropical rainforest are broken only by occasional bursts of colourful new growth. However, in the past few months we have been enjoying many colourful flowers - I was very pleased to find such a healthy Floscopa scandens covering the newly exposed muddy bank of this little pond; I planted it here about two years ago but it has taken a while to become established. The bottom of the pond is covered in Marsilea mutica, an aquatic or terrestrial fern. Allen wrote about Floscopa here so I won’t repeat his words.
Another interesting plant discovery has been Costus potierae Read more »
Warming up
After a few months of dry and cool weather, including some nights that were actually quite cold, the air temperature is beginning to rise. Brown-backed Honeyeaters (Ramsayornis modestus) have returned to breed and some nest construction has already commenced with our stands of Paperbarks (various Melaleuca species) providing their favourite nest building material. Metallic Starlings (Aplonis metallica) are increasing in number as they also return from their northern wintering grounds with nest renovations already underway in their traditional nesting tree high on the ridge. Read more »
Rifling fruit
Fine weather, lots of time outdoors but hands full of gardening tools so not many opportunities recently to spend time with a camera.
There are however, many birds to enjoy while working outside – the Double-eyed Fig Parrots frequently call as they fly through the garden, they are quiet when feeding and only announce their presence as they take to the air. They seem to be mainly feeding on Cheese trees (Glochidion species) and there are plenty of them around. Metallic Starlings are increasing in number (early again this year) as they return to commence their nest renovations in the large Ficus species on the hill.
Mixed flocks foraging for insects include Rufous and Grey Fantails (winter birds for us) along with Little Shrike-thrush, Spectacled Monarch, Grey Whistler, Fairy and Large-billed Gerygone and Victoria’s Riflebird. There are also great numbers of Brown Cuckoo-Dove enjoying the fruit of Bleeding Hearts (Homolanthus populneus) and the pictured Victoria’s Riflebird was feeding with them. Although the Riflebird spends a lot of time probing under bark looking for insects and grubs with that tremendous bill it also enjoys fruit. In fact just prior to this photo it was sharing a ripe banana with a Macleays Honeyeater – one fruit had fallen on the ground when the bunch was picked and it took the birds only a few minutes to notice it.
Casting off the old….
…skin and although I sometimes fantasize about a total skin renewal, this post is about snakes. I’ve written about Carpet Pythons in a previous post ‘Keeping Warm’ but this particular Carpet Python (Morelia spilota), resting on some mown grass near one of our ponds, was just starting to slough its old skin. Read more »
Boodjamulla – Lawn Hill National Park …. Part 2
Although we’ve been home for more than a week it has taken a little while to settle down to writing and we have had the distraction of family visiting as well – that’s enough excuses! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and have many treasured memories, not always accompanied by a photo! The following are a few of my favourites.
Barbara
Allen
