July is the month for wattles and the block is studded with yellow. While the garden is vibrant with all of the colours of Grevillea blossoms against the grey skies. The damp conditions give rise to quite an array of fungi - nothing that I fancy nibbling on though - So, for winter colour in your garden, plant Australian natives - for you and the birds.
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First opportunity to get out and check the garden for damage - in particular branches that might have fallen on young plants. All in all not too bad. Then the obligatory game of pick-up-sticks. Two of these trailer loads for the fire. Spotted this rather large roo grazing in the paddock behind the block. Looks like a Red Kangaroo but it's very close to the coast for them.
I think the LW nest might have succumbed to the extreme weather - haven't heard the female calling from there, she's just out and about as usual. There'll be plenty of nectar-yielding flowers soon, along with the usual competition. The block is the grip of a vigorous cold front and the camera's been inside for a few days, but this blockhead ventured out today to do some weeding between showers and found another creature out in all weathers - a native bee. While the Western Honey Bees are all tucked up warmly in the hive with plenty of stored tucker, the native bees are obliged to fly out for food. The majority do not live in hives, as such, although may share communal nesting areas. I think it was a type of Leafcutter Bee I saw today. The only two native bees I've managed to photograph here (and have identified) are this Green and Gold Nomia: and this Blue Banded Bee. With so many honey bees the natives are hard to spot.
If you're in Australia and interested in finding out which native bees live near you - or maybe you fancy buying/building a bee hotel - try the Aussie Bee website. The Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana) is in glorious bloom and really is an ornamental tree all year round, with its attractive silver/grey foliage. A word of caution, though, if you're thinking of planting one - this tree is native to a very small area of southern NSW (Cootamundra-Wagga Wagga) and is becoming a pest plant in other states/territories (and other countries). In the ACT it's listed as a significant environmental weed.
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