Not so secret Valentine's Love Knot

Just coming back from locking the chooks in for the night, when in my torchlight I caught sight of a couple of lovers. Well it is Valentines Day and I guess being secretive they didn't expect to be caught out , but there they were out in the open having sex.

A pair of eastern Small-eyed snakes Cryptophis nigrescens mating just outside their hole in the rocks.

Flowers in the grass

While I was doing a bit of sappling removal from the front paddock that I burnt last June, I noticed that following the rain lots of wildflowers have started to bloom in amongst the short grass.

Rice flower Pimelea linifolia

 

Blue Murdannia Murdannia graminea

Buttercup Ranunculus plebius

Blushing bindweed Convolvulus erubescens

Yellow Star Hypoxis hygrometrica

Love Creeper Glycine tabacino

An insect first

Not the first time I have seen this beetle, but the species does have the distinction of being the first scientifically described insect in Australia, after Joseph Banks found it when collecting at Botany Bay, when he landed there in 1770 with lieutenant James Cook.

It is commonly called the Botany Bay Diamond Weevil or Diamond Beetle (Chrysolopus spectabilis) and is found throughout much of eastern Australia. It inhabits areas where Acacia species that are the main food source are found. The photo does not fully capture the brightness of the metallic blue/green markings that make this insect hard to miss.

Kite on a wire

After three days of wild weather which had torrential rain and gale force winds, today saw an easing and we were able to get outside, as did the wildlife that had been sheltering where ever possible. Although still a bit overcast and blustery all were making the best of the change. In the front paddock a Black Shouldered Kite found perching on the power line was a good alternative to hovering in the wind.

After Lewin

After seeing a wonderful exhibition of the works of J W Lewin in the National Library and then reading a book on his fascinating life, I was struck by how lucky we are to have had his works to give an insight into the nature of the early years in the colony of New South Wales.

Emigrating from London arriving in Sydney in 1800 he was the first professional naturalist, collector and artist  in the 12 year old colony.

He painted flora, insects, shells, birds, animals, aboriginals and landscapes of Sydney and the countryside visited with explorers.

He was the first print maker with commissions from many wealthy patrons in Sydney and back in England, where the fascinating nature of the colony was much in demand.

In 1813 he became the first person to print an illustrated book in Australia and that book " Birds of New South Wales" - if you have a copy will bring in the vicinity of $500,000. 

Unfortunately he became seriously ill and died at the age of 49 after only 19 years in Australia.

 I thought I should again feature one of the two Australian birds that are named in his honour.