Kangaroos and Emus

Butterflies & Dragonflies -Northern Territory.

The following  five images are taken at Limmen NP. NT. This a Common Crow butterfly. There were thousands of them sheltering from the heat. There were many more butterflies flying around here than I have ever seen before, it was like a fantasy land. All taken in September 2011.

  These are Chocolate Argus butterflies, male and female. Elsey NP. NT.

In the insect world females are often bigger because eggs are larger than sperm and  much more goes into making the egg. 

 Dragonfly - Graphic Flutterer, Limmen NP. NT.

 Dragonfly - Red Arrow, Elsey NP, NT.

 Dragonfly- Black-headed Skimmer, Elsey NP. NT.

 Dragonfly, Lorella Springs, NT. This is likely a female or a freshly emerged male. In the dragonfly world the males are usually the more colourful.

 Wasp, Elsey NP, NT. I think this is a Paper Wasp.

 Spider, maybe a St Andrews cross spider, underside. Limmen NP. NT. (I know, not an insect but close enough to be placed here) The reinforcment in the web serves not only to strengthen it but to also give larger creatures something visual so they dont walk or fly into it. It  is called a stabilimentum. Apparantly it also gives off UV light, possibly to attract smaller prey.



Australian Wildflowers September 2011

The following pictures are some of the more common wildflowers I found during September travelling through the states of Queensland (Qld), Northern Territory(NT), NewSouthWales(NSW) and Sounth Australia(SA). I dont know what most of them are called but will add info when I find it.  I have added the location where I found them. 

Sturt National Park(NP) NSW.- pea family

Lorella Springs, NT.

Lake Pinnaroo, NSW. 

Lake Pinnaroo, NSW. Cassia. This family of plants is common in the Northern part of Australia.

 Eyre Peninsula, SA.  very prickly succulant

 Lake Pinnaroo, NSW. These dried grassed provide food for birds like finches that live in the area.

Diamontina NP, Qld. Cassia

Many Australian plants have this sort of silver green covering, helps protect them from the harsh envoronmental conditions including drastic changes in temperature day and night, Taken Diamontina NP. Qld.

 Eyre Peninsula, SA.

Darwin area, Nothern Territory, Kapoc flowers and fruit.

This is the trucnk of the Kapoc tree, the flowers are above.

 Kakadu area NT, this is a seed head of a Lotus water lilly. The seeds are edible and have been eaten by the indigenous people of the area for 1000s of years. The photo is about actual size.

 Coroborree Billabong, NT. Lotus waterlilly.

Elsey NP. NT. palm trunk

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Katherine area, NT. Snowflake water lillies

 Lorella Springs, NT.

 Limmen NP, NT.

 Limmen NP, NT.

 Katherine area, NT.

Calvert River, NT. I thin this is locally called a flame tree, Seems to live up to its name. 

 Lorella Springs, NT. The common local name for this is turkey bush. The petals have fallen off and it strll looks beautiful.

 Lorella Springs, NT. pea family.

 near Darwin, NT. These waterbirds, Jacanas spend almost their whole life on the lilly pads. They walk over them rather than fly and they even sleep on them. These birds only survive where there are alot of water lillies. They have very long toes.

near The Woomera SA.

near The Woomera,SA.

Eyre Peninsula, SA.

Coorong,SA.

 Darwin, NT. Flame tree.

 Katherine area, NT.