Few from this weekend

[moloch05]

This is a great time of the year to be out in the field. The herps are once again active and the spring flowers are a lovely sight. Here are photos of a few animals and flowers from the Wollongong area this past weekend.

I have watched what I think to be the same Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) for three years now. I saw it yesterday for the first time this season while I walked in the hills. This male is tame and if I move slowly, it will allow be to sit and watch it from about a meter away. The dragon is looking pretty drab at the moment. Later in the season, the red will intensify. I wonder whether it is preparing to shed? It loves the succulent annelids that are common in the surrounding wet eucalyptus forest.

Here are a couple of shots of what I think to be the same lizard back in Feb of this year. It was much more brightly coloured at that time:

I found a Marsh Snake (Hemiaspis signata), the first for the season.

I found Flat Spiders (Hemicloea sp.) again today and took more time to obtain better photos than before. These are such bizarre spiders that look as if they have encountered a rolling pin. Their egg sacs are equally flat.

I watched these insects for awhile. I think that they are some sort of bee rather than fly since I can see two pairs of wings on the one that is feeding.

I love the symmetry of the Rice Flowers (Pimelea linifolia):

Waratahs (Teleopea peciosissima) are one of our most beautiful flowers.

Spotted Sun Orchid

Pea

Others:

Regards,
David

 

[tooninoz]

Once again, great pics David. The photos of the Waratahs are beautiful, as are those of the bees (?).
cheers

 

[Chrisreptile]

The Water Dragon seems to be the same animal looking at the photos (markings and scales etc).

Awesome photo's again

 

[Acrochordus]

Great stuff, nice Hemiaspis signata.
Thanks Tim.

 

[herpkeeper]

top pics as always David, love the colours in that second water dragon

cheers HK.

 

[fine_jungles]

Great pics mate , that red is so intense , good stuff

 

[Sock Puppet]

Great pics as usual, it's good you can get so close to the EWD. I've tried before but you can usually only get so close before they stop pretending to be a branch & take off. Nice waratahs too, I've got my first waratah flower coming out in my garden woo hoo

 

[zulu]

re Few

Such good quality pictures,i like those of the water dragon especially!

 

[Banjo]

Great quality pictures. Good work.

 

[James..94]

Awesome pics well done

 

[reptilefan95]

What a lovely specimen!

 

[redbellybite]

great shots ..and GREAT all I need, flat spiders that look dead, and NOT!!!!.......now I will never be able to even feel all comfortable around what I think is a dead spider ....

 

[moloch05]

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback.

tooninoz,
After looking at the photo more, I think that the insect on the flower is some sort of bee/wasp (2 pairs of wings) but the green insect buzzing nearby may be a dipteran. I only see one pair of wings. The fly hovered like this and followed the wasp from plant to plant. It always stayed about the same distance away. I have no idea what it was doing.


Tonsky,
I will take more photos of the waratahs when there is full sun up on the escarpment. There are several plants in flower and they are really stunning. How many years did you have to wait for your first flower?



I took more photos today of the annelids. These worms are abundant beneath rocks or logs within the forest. I tried to take a photo of the worms when they were spraying but I could not capture it. In the second photo below, there is a collection of water on the body of the smaller worm. It would briefly spray each time that I touched it with a stick.

Regards,
David

 

[ryanharvey1993]

nice pictures david that warratah is stunning, also your swamp snakes are such different colour to our local ones. I have also found those squirty worms in a littoral rainforest near me, under lots of logs years ago, havnt been back as they cleared most of it. I really enjoy these reports, I have a 3rd trip for around christmas going to lightning ridge again aswell so will have a load of pictures, plus getting a new camera so will have 2 to use.

thanks.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Great pics David, like usual you captured your subjects beautifully.
The bee / insect pic..pretty cool mate, i think it's a hover fly but then i could be wrong.
Also like the flat spider and egg sack pics

 

[gecko-mad]

nice, its turning out to be a good season

 

[Sock Puppet]

Tonsky,
I will take more photos of the waratahs when there is full sun up on the escarpment. There are several plants in flower and they are really stunning. How many years did you have to wait for your first flower?

I've got 2 waratahs, a white & a red (Shady Lady) both in pots. Had them both about 18 months, no sign of a white flower yet, but my first red one is just opening now (nowhere near as advanced as the ones in your pic), the bud has been on the plant for months. My white/green "Bush Diamond" kangaroo paw flowers are opening too, & my rock orchids are in bloom, it's time for the native flowers to do their stuff! Just waiting on the bottle brush & lilli pilli to kick off now.