The Monarch Butterfly program initiated by Lee (Partner) has been hugely successful. This photo today is testament to that. It has been below zero on a number of occasions lately and somehow they survive. It really is incredible noting how small and frail they are. Obviously, nature has found a way. Good one nature!
If folks would like having Monarchs flitting around their gardens all it takes is growing Milkweed bushes where that is legal and preferable and Googling for clues on what to do next. Hint: the caterpillars are voracious eaters and soon decimate bushes if there is not enough to go around.
Monarch on a lavender bush
Monarch on Lavender ss.JPG (119.84 KiB) Viewed 4636 times
Re: Backyard critters, great and small
Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2023 3:25 pm
by Irrev-Black
Magpie swooping season's early in the ACT.
Climate change or whatever, our butcherbirds have been grabbing handouts for the littlies for more than a month.
The Phantom wrote: ↑Sun Aug 13, 2023 1:49 pm(SNIP)
If folks would like having Monarchs flitting around their gardens all it takes is growing Milkweed bushes where that is legal and preferable and Googling for clues on what to do next. Hint: the caterpillars are voracious eaters and soon decimate bushes if there is not enough to go around.
This species is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and Western Australia. It is a common weed of pastures, disturbed sites, waste areas and roadsides and is also found in natural areas (i.e. wetlands, waterways, open woodlands and grasslands).
Red-head cotton bush (Asclepias curassavica) was recently ranked among the top 200 most invasive plants in south-eastern Queensland, and it is mainly a concern in riparian areas and wetlands in this region. In Western Australia it has been found growing in reasonably intact bushland as well as disturbed urban bushland, from Carnarvon to Mandurah.
The Phantom wrote: ↑Sun Aug 13, 2023 1:49 pm(SNIP)
If folks would like having Monarchs flitting around their gardens all it takes is growing Milkweed bushes where that is legal and preferable and Googling for clues on what to do next. Hint: the caterpillars are voracious eaters and soon decimate bushes if there is not enough to go around.
This species is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and Western Australia. It is a common weed of pastures, disturbed sites, waste areas and roadsides and is also found in natural areas (i.e. wetlands, waterways, open woodlands and grasslands).
Red-head cotton bush (Asclepias curassavica) was recently ranked among the top 200 most invasive plants in south-eastern Queensland, and it is mainly a concern in riparian areas and wetlands in this region. In Western Australia it has been found growing in reasonably intact bushland as well as disturbed urban bushland, from Carnarvon to Mandurah.
Yes, I agree and that is why I mentioned where it is "legal and preferable". It is up to those intending to plant such bushes to check to see if they can escape. For instance, our area has a low rainfall and the plants cannot escape. We monitor the situation regularly in case we have fucked up.
On the other hand, Monarchs are in decline so giving them a helping hand is something we do.
The Phantom wrote: ↑Sun Aug 13, 2023 1:49 pm(SNIP)
If folks would like having Monarchs flitting around their gardens all it takes is growing Milkweed bushes where that is legal and preferable and Googling for clues on what to do next. Hint: the caterpillars are voracious eaters and soon decimate bushes if there is not enough to go around.
This species is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and Western Australia. It is a common weed of pastures, disturbed sites, waste areas and roadsides and is also found in natural areas (i.e. wetlands, waterways, open woodlands and grasslands).
Red-head cotton bush (Asclepias curassavica) was recently ranked among the top 200 most invasive plants in south-eastern Queensland, and it is mainly a concern in riparian areas and wetlands in this region. In Western Australia it has been found growing in reasonably intact bushland as well as disturbed urban bushland, from Carnarvon to Mandurah.
The milkweed referred to here may not be Asclepias curassavica but balloon cotton bush Gomphocarpus physocarpus (or Gomphocarpus fruticosus as you go further south).
Re: Backyard critters, great and small
Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2023 6:06 pm
by stylofone
A mob of urban roos near Ngunnawal, ACT. This was my last walk before my move to the south coast. There's a good roo population at my new place too, but I don't need to leave home to see them, they hop right past my house.
“It’s that time of year again,” reminds Ned Snow of Lilyfield. “My neighbourhood koel is back from wherever he’s been for the winter, announcing his presence for the past two mornings around 5:30am. Are others too engrossed by other topics to report, or am I just ‘lucky’?
Re: Backyard critters, great and small
Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2023 10:39 am
by stylofone
Mother and joey, literally in my backyard this morning.
Re: Backyard critters, great and small
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2023 11:12 am
by Irrev-Black
The night before last was "All Hares, All the Time", and I mainly noticed them because I had to review security footage so I could see what was driving the dog crazy.
I'm now looking at last night's archived stuff, to see what set Dog off a few times, and 0133's street-facing camera yields a huge shadow cast under the streetlight, crossing the pool of light below, plus a tantalising glimpse of leg or wingtip at the top margin of view.
The screenshot's nothing much to show, but it may be a Powerful Owl. We've got a few nest trees in the vicinity, and I often see larger critters which are almost certainly their leftovers.
Here's one I prepared earlier...
2015-07-15-kooka+owl.jpg (21.19 KiB) Viewed 4576 times