And the bush has friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him, In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended, And at night the wonderous glory of the everlasting stars.

Banjo Paterson (1889)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Winter is ending.

Well, winter is ending as the fungi in the Jarrah forest are disappearing. I am normally on the lookout for animals, but you just can't ignore the wildflower show that is just starting. I did work in the state herbarium for about six months after finishing my biology degree, mainly in the plant indentification unit, so I do like my plants as well. I love getting to know plant-animal interactions.
































At this time of year a lot of the native peas start to flower. I'm always interested to know what native insects must pollinate them at this time, as it's still quite cold and wet. I believe native bees (as well as introduced honey bees) are the main pollinators, but whatever insects they are, they must have some resistance to the colder temperatures of early spring.







































1 comment:

Wilma said...

Love the pea flowers. That yellow, orange, red combo is hard to beat. It will be fun to watch you post spring as we begin to experience autumn!