AUTUMN SUNSHINE

We've had a couple of very mild and sunny Autumn days, perfect weather for long walks in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

SOUTHERN DART

Ocybadistes walkeri, the greenish grass-dart, green grass-dart, southern dart or yellow-banded dart, is a type of butterfly known as a skipper found in eastern and southern Australia, with one subspecies found in the Northern Territory. The larvae feed on Dianella, Brachypodium distachyon, Cynodon dactylon, Erharta erecta, Panicum maximum, Pennisetum clandestinum and Thuarea involuta. This species was named after the distinguished English insect collector James J. Walker

The caterpillar has a dark brown head marked with a white wavy band on each side. The body is green. It usually rests by day in a shelter formed from rolled blades of its foodplant, and grows to a length of about 2 cms. To us, the caterpillar was indistinguishable from that of the related species Ocybadistes flavovittatus. Most of these caterpillars we found in Melbourne were Ocybadistes walkeri, and most of them found in Sydney were Ocybadistes flavovittatus.

The adults have dark brown wings with orange markings above. The undersurfaces of the wings have similar markings, but on a greenish yellow background, except for a dark patch along the hind margin of each forewing. The wingspan is about 2 cms. The dark grey patch on each forewing of the males, and the more convex margin of the female forewing, are the best means of distinguishing the sexes.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE

Sunrise from my window this morning.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ARGYRANTHEMUM

Argyranthemum (marguerite, marguerite daisy, dill daisy) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus are sometimes also placed in the genus Chrysanthemum. The genus is endemic to Macaronesia, occurring only on the Canary Islands, the Savage Islands, and Madeira.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

HIGH AND MIGHTY

The eucalypts are the tallest flowering plant in the world and they are native to Australia. Here they are seen in Mt Dandenong, about 50 km East of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SKYSCRAPERS

They build them higher and higher and higher...

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

AUTUMNAL MOOD

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

LOTS OF THOUGHTS

At the T&T market today someone was selling old pennies. On 14 February 1966, Australians woke to a brand-new currency. The decision to change from the Australian pound (with its awkward shillings and pence) to a decimal currency – the Australian dollar – was a pragmatic, economic one. Yet decimalisation became an opportunity for Australia to assert itself as an increasingly self-assured and forward-thinking country. The conversion was also a major logistical and public relations triumph...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

PIGEONS

Didn't mean to frighten them!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

AUTUMN AFTERNOON

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FIRST WATTLES

The first wattles have bloomed very early (or the last very late!) this year. However, it's not surprising with the crazy weather we've been having...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

TOADSTOOLS

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

TWILIGHT

View of the City across the Yarra River.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme

FALLING

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FLINDERS ST FLY-OVER

An early morning commuter train hurtling along the Flinders St flyover in the City.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

BLACK FIELD CRICKET

Teleogryllus commodus, commonly known as the black field cricket, is a cricket species native to Australia. They are significant pests to most plants in Australia and New Zealand. 

T. commodus belongs to the order Orthoptera, the family Gryllidae which are characterised by wings that are folded on the side of the body, chewing mouthparts and long, thin antennae. 

T. commodus has the ability to learn via the recognition of rewards. They are also capable of odour recognition and thus can be taught via odour pairing.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SAUDADE

Saudade is a word for a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent. Saudade comes from Portuguese culture, and it is often expressed in its literature and music. Saudade is described as a kind of melancholy yearning...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

BEGONIA

Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown indoors as ornamental houseplants in cooler climates. In cooler climates some species are cultivated outside in summertime for their bright colorful flowers, which have sepals but no petals. 

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

LADYBUG

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

VIEW FROM SOUTHBANK

View of Port Phillip Bay towards the southwest from Southbank.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

WELCOME AUTUMN

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

EASTER PYSANKY

Easter egg decorating is an important art form that dates back centuries. Known as pysanky, these Ukrainian Easter eggs shown below are decorated using the wax-resist (batik) method. Covered in stunning motifs often taken from Slavic folk art, you'll also find these decorated eggs in many parts of eastern Europe.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

HAPPY BILBY EASTER

Macrotis is a genus of desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores known as bilbies or rabbit-bandicoots; they are members of the order Peramelemorphia. At the time of European colonisation of Australia, there were two species. The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; the greater bilby survives but remains endangered. It is currently listed as a vulnerable species. The greater bilby is on average 55 cm long, excluding the tail, which is usually around 29 cm long. Its fur is usually grey or white; it has a long, pointy nose and very long ears, hence the reference of its nickname to rabbits.

Bilbies in Australia are associated with Easter and a great fund-raising effort to save the species from extinction comes to the fore during this time of the year, where the animal plays the role of Easter mascot, just as the Easter Bunny does in other parts of the world.

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE

WHO CELEBRATES IT!

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GOOD FRIDAY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

GERBERAS

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

EASTER ASTERS

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (formerly Aster novi-belgii), commonly called New York aster, is a species of flowering plant. It is the type species for Symphyotrichum, a genus in the family Asteraceae, whose species were once considered to be part of the genus Aster. Plants in both these genera are popularly known as Michaelmas daisy because they bloom around September 29, St. Michael’s Day.

The Latin specific epithet novi-belgii (literally "New Belgium") refers not to modern Belgium, but the 17th century Dutch colony New Netherland which was established on land currently occupied by New York state (as Belgica Foederata was the Latin term for the United Netherlands at the time).

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii grows in abandoned fields and wet meadows in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Numerous hybrids have been developed, such as the double, magenta bloom seen here, flowering in our garden at the moment. In the Southern Hemisphere, these are referred to as Easter Asters as they bloom around Eastertide.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SEASONAL

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Blue Monday meme, 

and also part of the Seasons meme.

CITY AT NIGHT

View of the City from Southbank.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

LEAF

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DUCKLINGS

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.