FLINDERS ST STATION

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

TASMANIAN DEVIL

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii;) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now confined to the island of Tasmania.

The size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is related to quolls, and distantly related to the thylacine.

It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites per unit body mass of any extant predatory land mammal. It hunts prey and scavenges on carrion.

In 1941, devils became officially protected. Since the late 1990s, the devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has drastically reduced the population and now threatens the survival of the species, which in 2008 was declared to be endangered. Starting in 2013, Tasmanian devils are again being sent to zoos around the world as part of the Australian government's Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET IN THE COUNTRY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

WONGA WONGA VINE

Pandorea pandorana, commonly known as the wonga wonga vine or wonga-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is native to Australia, Malesia and the southwestern Pacific region.

It is a woody scrambler or climber with pinnate leaves, juvenile leaves differing from those of mature plants. The flowers are tubular or funnel-shaped and white with purple markings and the fruit are capsules containing winged seeds. It is easy species to germinate and is a popular garden plant.

Common cultivars include the yellow-flowered Pandorea 'Golden Showers', the white-flowered P. 'Snowbells' (shown here), and the pinkish P. 'Ruby Belle'. The wood was used in making spears for woomeras in the Central and Western deserts.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

BOLTE BRIDGE, MELBOURNE

View of the Bolte Bridge in Melbourne, spanning the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour in the Docklands precinct to the west of the Melbourne CBD. Construction took three years from 1996 to 1999 and cost $75 million.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

ON THE FARM

Idyllic spots aplenty in pastoral Gippsland, in the Southeastern part of Victoria.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

AUSTRALIAN BIRD LIFE

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

QUIET CITY

There are some moments in the City when a surreal atmosphere descends on it, and there is an almost post-apocalyptic feel in the air. Here is a morning view where Winter is deciding to leave and Spring to come in, the people hiding it seems...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

MALLARD DUCKLINGS

The Mallard or Wild Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.

The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SEPTEMBER BLOOD MOON

A blood moon is a term for the reddish appearance of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. Sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters the blue light and allows longer-wavelength red light to pass through and reach the Moon, giving it its characteristic crimson colour.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FLOWERING PEACH

Bonita Joy Flowering Peach (Prunus persica 'Bonita Joy'). Spring is here!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

YARRA VIEW FROM CREMORNE

I took this photo from a moving train in Richmond, while crossing the Cremorne Railway Bridge over the River Yarra looking towards the west and the City. Although we are barely into Spring now, most of our native trees are the evergreen Eucalyptus, and our climate is mild enough to give us this type of view, during the cold winter months. We still have quite a lot of natural reserves of native vegetation, especially in many parklands associated with the Yarra. These pockets of indigenous flora and fauna are worth preserving in our City for the future generations...

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

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

YESTERYEAR

A lovely period home in Heidelberg, a Melbourne suburb with much green space and beautiful homes.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SUNBATHING

Enjoying a little Spring sunshine...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

CONTRAIL SKY

Spring blossom, blue skies and a speeding jet up high. See the bee?

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DAFFODIL - 'COOL FLAME'

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

BY THE POND

Still looks wintry by the large pond at the Darebin Parklands...

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

WINTRY SKY

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING IS HERE!

First day of Spring in Melbourne today and the weather has been a Melbourne mixture, as usual. However, the flowers have already started to bloom and the gardens are starting to look very attractive!

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

Flowering aloes, three-cornered leek and wattle.