Nest of pain

I realised when looking through my observations that there was one fairly common species found on our property that I had not recorded and I had been carefully avoiding getting too close to in the past few days.

Jumping Jack Ants Myrmecia nigrecincta have a nest not far from our front door in a garden

where I have been working. This species is one of the smaller Bulldog Ants of which there are some 90 or so species in Australia, but what they lack in size they make up with aggressiveness. If the nest is disturbed they will swarm out and attack any intruder delivering extremely painful stings, which for a small proportion people provoke an allergic reaction that for a few has proved fatal.  

 

This species is found in woodlands, open forests and rainforest along the east coast of Australia from north Queensland to Victoria.

Swallowtail and the river

We had a visit from a butterfly that I had not previously seen at our location, it was very distinctive with bright colouring but I didn't have the camera and didn't think to use my phone.

However I did look it up in my reference book and identified it as a Macleay's Swallowtail, although disappointed I missed getting a photo.

As chance would have it the following day I saw a butterfly on a bush near where I was working and dashed over to see if I was in luck. Very pleased to see that I was and I did think to use the phone this time managing to get three photos before it fluttered off.

Two were hopeless and one looked OK but the distance and blending in with the bush it was hard to see without heavy cropping.

 So not the best but enabled definite confirmation as a Macleay's Swallowtail Graphium macleayanus macleayanus. It is one of the smaller swallowtails with a wingspan of about 8cm in the PAPILIONIDAE genus of the 17 found in Australia. It is found from mid Queensland through NSW and Victoria to north and eastern Tasmania

Not far north of where we live is the Macleay River and I wondered at the naming of the butterfly and the river. My research found that both were named after Alexander Macleay who at the time of naming around 1814 was a world renowned entomologist and chairman of the Linnean Society of London.

He later emigrated to Australia together with his extensive insect collection which he used to found the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney where his collection is still. 

Pre-season bout

Very cold weather at present and  a a couple of male Eastern Grey Kangaroos together with a couple of females were relaxing in the sun out of the wind. Two males roughly the same size means tests for dominance are often called for and these guys had a short bout.

 Heads back away from sharp claws they push, grasp and kick, but apart from a glance the females show a lack of interest.

 

 

A final strong push and the bout concludes as the challenger gives way and decides perhaps another day when a bout might be more serious.

 
Back to relaxing and facing away so as not to offer another challenge today.

Power pole portrait

Sightings of the resident Wedge-tailed Eagles are quite regular at present and today I was fortunate to find one perched on one of our power poles and it stayed long enough for me to get a nice portrait.

 

Honey Gem for an energy boost

The Grevillea Honey Gem in the garden outside the office is very popular with nectar loving birds, due to the ample nectar supply. I have noticed that in the late afternoon it is a regular stop for many birds to get an energy boost for the night.

The honey eaters are the main visitors but wrens, thornbills and other smaller birds also visit.

Today Eastern Spinebills and Striated Thornbills made it their stop for the evening top up.