Longhorn beetles make a show

Its been quite hot lately and a trip around the yard looking for summer time creatures revealed the strange sight below

Erupting from the bark of an acacia was this strange form. Carefully removed it looked as below and was approximately 10 cm in length.

Interested i searched for what had emerged  and suspected a variety of Longhorn Beetle.

The next night this guy turned up on the doorstep.

Large and extremely aggressive this Longhorn Beetle is not to be messed with as it can pack a serious bite with those impressive mandibles.

With decent rain before the hot spell many insects are out not often seen and in numbers.

An interesting find worthy of a post.

In Memory of my friend Denis Wilson

For all of you that have enjoyed this blog over the last 10 years you should know that it all started due to the man pictured above.
Denis introduced me to blogging and nurtured my love of photography and the natural world.

As a naturalist with attitude he was not afraid to take on the big issues and was a champion of causes such as those to stop fracking and the preservation  of aquifers that supported fragile and rare environments.

Denis passed peacefully in the early hours yesterday after a long battle with leukemia.

Always upbeat and a fighter to the end he was a positive example and mentor to many over many years.

We continue in the memory of him and the example he set.  You will be missed Denis.

Primitive creatures battle in a desert Puddle

On a recent trip to the inland of Australia I was able to check out  some temporary surface waters around the South Australian and Northern Territory borders.

To my surprise I was able to capture a fierce battle between a horse shoe crab like creature and what I assume are two small predatory larvae.

As the waters do not last very long the race is on to grow and procreate with these tadpole sized players fighting hard to survive. I had been informed that the little horse shoe crab like creature had been found in ponds on top of Uluru after eggs had been blown in the winds with the smallest ponding of water enough to hatch them.

Devil's in recovery

Devil in Recovery

Since the discovery of the mouth cancer that has decimated over 90 percent of the Tasmanian Devil population back in 2009 moves have been made to ensure the continuance of this unusual marsupial.

 

The South East Peninsular is being used as a sanctuary to release disease free animals in an attempt to stabilise the wild population numbers. The land of the peninsular is separated from the rest of the island by a  man made canal used originally to hamper the escape of convicts.

Devil's will posture over food and occasionally this ends in nasty bites that can spread a transmittable cancer. This is one of only two types of cancer possible to transmit and it is done so through open wounds caused during a fight. The only other known example of such a cancer is transmitted dog to dog.

There may also be a feline strain though I believe it has not been substantiated yet.

Keeping track of animals released in the sanctuary is carried out by staff from UnZoo to monitor numbers and gain a better knowledge of this elusive and relatively unknown creature.

When in Tassie make sure you pay them a visit.

If and when the disease dies out in wild populations, the plan is to restock the island from the captive breeding programs. As not all animals in the wild will succumb it may take years to ensure that reinfection cannot occur and that the strain of cancer is extinct.

Warm Spring and a Hot Summer predicted

Winter has gone and been replaced with very warm Spring weather.

The blossoms are out giving enjoyment to all but hay fever sufferers.

Not must enjoyment is given in Spring should you cross paths with this guy pictured below.

The Australian Magpie nests at this time of year with both male and female very territorial of the nesting site.

If you find one in your yard the best thing you can do is cut your lawn.

The freeing of small insects and arachnids by this act makes you an instant friend.

A cold winter despite El Nino

The following shots were taken in the Australian Alps at the waning of the snow season.

Despite El Nino picking up, an event that causes drier periods in Australia generally, the snow falls weren't too bad.

These may be the last good falls for the next few years until the El Nino cycle is reversed giving rise to not just milder winters but also very hot and dry summers.

Autumn well underway

 Autumn is well underway with wet cold weather driven by powerful east coast lows giving snow above 1500m. Here hasn't been so bad with most of the extreme weather being coastal.

 

A shift in lighting has occurred with short spectacular evenings followed by crisp nights.

Here the moon rises above clouds, the scene tinted by the low sunlight, followed by an overview of Tumut in the NSW Southern Tablelands displaying Autumn colours.

 

 

Below is a case moth caterpillar.

Back in October I found a case moth caterpillar at the start of a late spring.

Both were advanced specimens with cases measuring around 20cm in length.

Both found at the opposing boundaries of winter.

 

 

 

With not much in the way of fresh greens left and a cold winter on the way these caterpillars have a few months before warmer weather affords new growth. They seem to have a number of suitable plant species producing leaves to eat. This may allow winter feeding though all food plants observed so far have been deciduous.

 

 

 

The end of Summer storms

With Summer gone and Autumn underway its a good time to reflect on the storms that passed on through and gave this storm chaser so much fun.

Here they are. Enjoy.

 

 

The following one was a beauty.

 

Autumn temps were evident from the first of March with a cold winter on the way perhaps.

Summer temps were actually lower her than last year where 2 weeks solid above 40C and some midnights at 30C tested all. roll on Winter and good snow.

 



Morning journey

Although not here often I do call past and post occasionally.

I hope  that Christmas was good for those that celebrate it and that  those whose New Year comes soon have a prosperous one.

Here is a small vid for those who keep a wonder of nature in their hearts despite a busy world.

Cheers.

John Butler talks about Fracking.

John Butler talks about Fracking.

Canberra 2014

John discusses the methods behind fracking and how this fracking can give more than just coal seam gas.

This practice is ruining your environment. Stop fracking now.

Autumn storms at last with thoughts sent to North Qld

Well I've been waiting for an Autumn storm for a while that would put on a bit of a show.

This wasn't  what I've been waiting for though it wasn't too bad for a start.

This was taken in the South West of NSW at Tumut.

The weather has been wet Australia wide lately with cyclone Ita making news tonight.

My thoughts go out to those in its path and stay safe guys.

Things are cooling down with a cold wet winter becoming a distinct possibility.

Back after the heat

Little did I know the fun we were in for over summer back in late October at the time of my last post.

With over 2 months of searing heat consistently reaching the mid 40's in the Celsius scale and some nights still 30 Celsius at midnight the skies were free of birds and creatures great and small retreated to whatever haven they could find from the relentless temperatures.

It was within this oven like environment I found myself and awaited for more than the industrious ants and my dying garden to shoot. 

Autumn has brought some relief and some needed rain ( I think we had about 10 mm total over summer)

so I am back at it.

Considering how rare the following scene has been I shall start with this. Storm clouds bringing much needed rain and helping bring back life to all.

Still awaiting the big thunder storms to produce some good lightning shots.

Just may get a chance before winter sets in.

Finds while doing a little gardening

The frosts have stopped at last and so a little gardening was planned this afternoon.

Two interesting creatures were found in the process of cleaning up for planting.

The first is a Case Moth ( pictured below).

This little guy is of the family Clania Lewinni - the stick case moth an, although it favours gum leaves was found munching happily of a Raspberry bush.

Below is an arachnid ( and one of my favorites)

It is a Wolf Spider and this is crowded commuting taken to the max.

The mother will carry these spiderlings on her back and is most protective of them.

It was difficult getting this shot as she was very camera shy.

The weather continues to warm with storm chasing the flavour of the month.

Hopefully I will have some good lightning shots posted soon. 

  

Back in time for Spring

Well I never intended to have such a lengthy hiatus in posting, though I'm back with some macros in time for Spring.

 

A burst of hot weather and a little rain has seen an explosion of colour and the insects haven't been to far behind. A great time for a few macros.

 

 

This ladybird was on the hunt for a few aphids

 

 

No need for sprays even with this sort of infestation.

Within a week most will be cleaned up by the various predators.

 

As golden sunshine replaces cold and icy winds, frosty mornings and pleasant days are on the increase.

 

Look forward to a new burst of postings to follow.



Tall Trees

The following are shots from my recent trip to the "Sugar Pine Walk" just out of Tumbarumba in Laurel Hill. These pines have been let go wild and give an idea how grand nature can get if we give it enough time to reach its potential. While not exactly redwoods, an experience nonetheless.

Light shows, rain and Wasps

Good rain at last after a long hot dry spell and temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius.

This picture as this latest storm approached .

The rain also afforded a little nest building for this formidable looking wasp. 

With its head down and tilting its body in a "head stand" position it rolled large balls of mud.

Flying off , it returned at minute long intervals all afternoon to repeat the process.

A very cagey and private creature, I have not yet been able to locate the nest.

As it returns to the same position continuously to collect mud I will attempt a video of this soon.

Xmas eve storms 2012

Its been a great year for photography and the huge storms that lashed NSW Australia on Xmas eve were no exception. Here is an animation of the build up and light show that has been compiled from the sequential shots taken that day.

Have a great New Year and see you for more in 2013. 

Macro Explosion

A burst of hot days has seen an explosion of insect life.

Having moved to a new area I am presented with many new creatures to photograph.

Here is a small collection of some of my most recent macro shots.

With the new macro configuration giving good DOF and colour rendition/ sharpness the fun is just beginning

We still haven't had a good lightning storm here, though with all the warm weather it is only a matter of time.

Those storm chases amongst you keep an eye out.

Sixth Birthday

Today is the sixth anniversary of my blog and I'm on the move and unable to post much. It is the first time I have mobile blogged though. Here are a few shots of my new stomping ground that promises a new range of nature to capture from massive storms to the smallest of creatures. I hope you have enjoyed the last six years. There's much more to come.