The rain continues

 A good amount of rain has fallen in our area since late November.

Last night it was accompanied by unusual lightning in the form of "bursts" within the clouds that seemed quite limited in area lit though very charged.

Strong wind gusts accompanied this storm and it was this wind that afforded me the following two shots.

They are of a hive of European Bees that were living within a hollow branch.

Although the weather was still quite cool, there were 100 or so "sentries" keeping a cloud around the immediate area. 

I am trying to get the swarm collected by resident apiarists and have yet to get a reply at the time of this post..

The last two weeks have been damp enough to allow the emergence of  fungi, some of which I have pictured below.

This lovely yellow bracket type is quite small and was growing from an old wagon wheel.

 Immediately above is a type of Puff Ball measuring around 3cm diameter.

The cup like fungi pictured below I have seen in the rain forests of the Southern Highlands, though was a new find for me here on the far south coast.

These small Puff Balls started brownish, though quickly went orange, as in the next shot, deflating as the slightest sunlight and warmth approached.

Fun time for Fungi

All the rain we have had over the last month has seen an explosion in the number of fungi of late.

Fields that were inundated have seen a number of forms sprout forth.

While the variation is nothing like the profusion I have seen at places like the Robertson Reserve, with many species per metre squared, I feel it worth documenting nonetheless.

The local bushland may have further groups to photograph as cooler, damper and darker conditions lead us into Autumn.

Humid weather sparks fungal growth

Humid weather following rain has brought forth a variety of fungi this week and, since it has been a while, I thought a couple of posts on these strange and varied lifeforms would not go astray.

These varieties pictured below are particularly fond of the litter at the base of pine trees, so it is no surprise that I saw them amongst pine bark chips today.



Looking quite decayed, these flies thought it a good place to reproduce.




This form has also appeared after the rains.



Seems that the weather is just right for fungi of many types.

Aliens arrive

Its official..Aliens have arrived!
These shots of crop circles taken today are proof positive of extraterrestrial intervention.



Well, not exactly :)
These strange shapes in the lawn I believe to be caused by spiders



These "nests" are between 300- 800mm in diameter, and kill the grass within the tangle of web.




In the morning dew I have seen such webs from spiders before, though never to such effect.
I feel that a mass of spiderlings have hatched somewhere in the centre and have spread out.
I am not 100% sure on this...and am open to correction :)

So, no need to call the "men in black", 'cause the aliens are terrestrial after all :)

UPDATE 04.02.09:
I have had a few confirmations, along the lines of the comment by Denis Wilson, that the growth is of a fungal nature.
The "outbreak" occurred after heavy rain and humid conditions.
The circles have not grown any larger since this original post, though the grass has died fully, and green regrowth is spreading from the centre.
Very strange.
I have another yellow fungi that has appeared in the garden that is most unusual, and will try to do a post on it today.

Birds and the Bees

Spring, especially in an area where the seasons are so pronounced, is a time to get into the act of reproduction while the food sources and climate support the raising offspring.

These pictures below are of Reproduction of two sorts.

The insects are male and female, requiring sperm from the male to fertilise eggs within the female.....whereas the snails are asexual (each being effectively male and female ).

This means that they supply 1/2 of the genetic material needed and both produce young (lay eggs).

The snail below is of the same species, though shows colour differences to those above.

It is redder in appearance and, if I had the time, would be interested to cross snails of both colours.

It would be interesting to see the ratio of light to dark snails, and mixed shells, through this method of reproduction.

...and if you have ever wondered what a bumble bee looks like compared to a regular bee....wonder no longer

....of course, all the regular predators are out taking advantage of the increased food sources.

...and even a little fungi.

This bracket fungi is similar to its Australian counterpart, though was very white and seemed of much denser composition. This is possibly due, in part, to differing climatic conditions from those I have observed in detail in places like Robertson Nature Reserve ( see previous posts).

I would like to wish Denis Wilson and his colleagues much success with their fungi exhibition being held at Robertson NSW Australia. Perhaps a few pics of the exhibition Denis?

Summer Break

I thought that I should take advantage of the inclement weather of recent days to get into posting a blog or two. The break over Xmas/new year (hope you all had fun) was quite productive photographically and, with photographer Petra Sing on visit from Europe (pictured below), I was able to snap many Gigs of material.

The following shots are a collection on insects, arachnids, reptiles, and fungal forms.

These were taken at a number of areas over the holiday break.

I hope you enjoy this eclectic mix of summer pics, with more to come as I get to process them.

A year of Blogging

Today is the anniversary of this blog, and to celebrate I am going

to say little and let the photos speak for themselves.

As a site devoted to the natural world, the following photos reflect

the wonders that surround us all if we just take the time to have a look.

Take the time to care for this world of ours.

It is a truely amazing place