Category: Posts

Spittle Bugs …

Published on by FJBLeave a comment

Well, every day brings something new …

I have a beautiful Medinilla which is flowering at the moment. The blooms are a delicate pink, developing to deep purple and burgundy berries.  This morning I discovered that something had deposited what looked like big blobs of foam on the branches.

DSCN6942 (1280x960)

When I Googled “white foam” I learnt that this is a symptom of several nasty medical conditions which thankfully I don’t have. And when I added “plant” to the search string I discovered … Spittle Bugs!

DSCN6959 (960x1280)
Spittle Bug on my little finger

It seems that the nymph stage of this little bug lives within a white, frothy secretion that resembles spittle (hence the name). The nymphs shelter and feed beneath this foam. The spittle is formed by air being taken into an abdominal channel and then expelled through the excreta, forming bubbles. I once knew someone who could do something similar with their eyes … a very disturbing party trick!

When you remove the spittle you discover a tiny pale yellow insect with big black eyes and a huge nose.  I’m hoping I get to see the adult stage …

Discovering fungi …

Published on by FJBLeave a comment

It’s Autumn, and at first glance it looks like nothing much is happening in the garden, but if you don’t mind crawling around on your hands and knees you’d be surprised at what you find …

DSCN6748 (1280x960)
Maybe a Marasmiellus ?

If I said that this one might be a Marasmiellus, you’d think I know something about fungi and I don’t, so I won’t !

DSCN6821 (1280x960) DSCN6824 (1280x960)

Apparently there are over 13,000 described species of fungi in Australia, but including those species not yet discovered there are over 250,000.  OK … so how does that work ?  I think I’ll stick to frogs  … trying to identify fungi, as fascinating as they are, might send you quite bonkers !

The lonely frog …

Published on by FJBLeave a comment

The frogs have suddenly gone quiet.  Even the reliable little Dwarf Tree frog is silent.  Maybe it’s because the nights are slightly cooler, or maybe they are all waiting for a huge thunderstorm.  Or perhaps it’s just that they have finished their “frog business” for the season.  Who knows.

DSCN6758
The Lonely Frog

The last few nights there has just been ONE lonely frog, sitting on the edge of the pond quietly “quacking” every now and then.  It’s last frog species to arrive, the Great Barred frog.  The one that really shouldn’t be there according to his habitat requirements. Perhaps that explains his lack of enthusiasm?  I’ve pointed out to him that my pond is not exactly the Frog Hilton for the female of his species and that he needs to put in a bit more effort if he hopes to attract a mate any time soon.

We are both hopeful …

The Mango War …

Published on by FJBLeave a comment

There’s a battle going on in the garden… It’s between the fruit bats, rats, bower birds and me.  And no prizes for guessing who loses and gets the leftovers!

DSCN6662 (1280x960)
The spoils of war!

This year has been particularly good for mangoes.  Spring was quite dry so there was no problem with fungus and due to an un-discovered leak in my main water pipe, the tree was provided with a generous (and expensive) underground water supply.

You’d think that my chances of scoring a few mangoes would be pretty high … but so far the score is:  me just three – wildlife probably fifty.

So I’ve netted a small section, and I patrol daily.  But somehow they beat me every time, invariably taking the one mango that I had decided would be ready to pick TOMORROW, they eat them unripe, and they even eat them through the netting.

RSCN6665 (1280x960)
Two Satin Bower Birds discussing strategy …

 

I don’t mind sharing with the wildlife, but when I hear the bats squabbling enthusiastically over my mangoes as I lie in bed at night I get a bit cranky!

Satin Bower Bird tucking in to a mango
Nearly ripe mangoes …
Eaten through the netting