Week in pictures
1st to 7th January, 2018
Click to enlarge, and then 'hover' to read more about each image
These large(ish) honeyeaters are here all year, but never in big numbers. This bird is mid-moult ... note the new flight feathers growing in.
Leioproctus bees are important pollinators of Geebung (Persoonia spp.) They pry the anthers apart to expose the pollen, and effectively transfer pollen between plants.
Reed Bees (Exoneura sp.) are very small bees belonging to one of the 'long-tongued' bee families, Apidae. They are generalist feeders and often take pollen or nectar without necessarily providing effective pollination.
The calls of these Summer visitors are quite distinctive, as is their habit of tail-twitching when they land.
This species - aptly named Colluricincla harmonica - provides arguably the most musical song in the forest. This particular bird appears to be an adult female.
This very young bird is quite different in appearance from the adults, and will not attain its mature plumage for three years.
These stunning little Summer migrants are driving me crazy this week. They loudly announce their presence, but jump, twitch and fly such that photographing them is proving a real challenge. I will persevere.
Another bird that is a photographer's nightmare. Sittellas move through the canopy in large, cheeping flocks, working their way up tree trunks and along branches in search of insects. Even our guide book describes them as 'hyper-active'.
One of our largest bull ants, Myrmecia simillima. Although Myrmecia species live in colonies, each worker forages alone. They kill their prey with a sting, and are reported to have the most potent venom of any insect.
A new species for our home list - Angular-wing Lacewing (Periclystus circuiter). And large, at 40mm! This particular species belongs to the group of Neuropterans famous for their 'antlion' larvae - predators that construct sit-and-wait pit traps for unwary ants and other small insects.
Order: Neuroptera
Yet another new addition to the home list, and yet another Lacewing! Nymphes myrmeleonoides is active at night, resting beneath vegetation during the day. The larvae are active hunters and live amongst the leaf litter, not in sand pits as antlions do.
Order: Neuroptera
These skinks are typically about 11cm (head & body) plus the tail. They live on and around a rocky section of the forest. Their pretty patterns of spots and stripes blend in surprisingly well with the lichen.
Liopholis whitii
A female Austrolestes leda, emerging from her pupal case just a short distance above the surface of the pond. The larvae of damselflies are aquatic predators.
Order: Odonata
These small, long-legged damselflies typically perch, for extended periods, on pond side rocks or vegetation. They are unusual among dragonflies in that they typically rest with their wings spread, not folded.
Austroargiolestes icteromelas
During Summer, in the late afternoon, large numbers of these native bees gather to roost atop the stems of sedges or other low-growing plants. In the morning sun they become increasingly active and gradually fly off, one by one. These two were among the last to leave their overnight commune.
Lipotriches australica (Family: Halictidae)
There is something delightful about Rose Robins. They are tiny, secretive, large-eyed - and males are a beautiful pink! This new fledgling has just a single pink breast feather ... so far.