A fortnight ago the forest was just beginning to stir. The first signs of spring flowering were evident but it was a relatively modest display.

This has now suddenly changed. A score or more of different types of plants is now in full bloom, filling the forest with colour. And the insects are back!

The flowers

Having recorded flowering times of individual species across the years, it is clear that there is a stereotypic flowering sequence. For example, Pink Beard-heath (Styphelia ericoides) always blooms before its close relative Lance Beard-heath (Leucopogon affinis). Each plant probably responds to a particular combination of day length and temperature.

Certain species have flowered much more strongly this year than previously. The reasons for this are likely many and varied.

Lance Beard-heath bushes resprouted from burnt stumps after the January 2020 fire. They have now regrown to a mature size and show the same level of flowering typically seen before the fire.

Other bushes, such as Pink Beard-heath and Lesser Guinea Flower (Hibbertia calycina), regrew from seed after the fire. There are now many more individual plants of these species than before the fire – they are typical ‘fire-responders’ – and all of these plants have flowered strongly.

The insects and spiders

In parallel with this burst of flowering activity, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of insects in the forest.

Two weeks ago, the only insects to be seen were honey bees and small clouds of hovering midges. Now, a host of native bees and flies crowd around the early spring flowers, searching for a feed of nectar. The bee maven (aka Kerri) has given a detailed account of the interplay between these insects and the flowers.

The following photo gallery illustrates some of the other insects (and two spiders) we’ve seen in the forest in recent days. Flies and wasps are particularly well represented.