moonvoice (ravenari)

We had a fair bit of rain over the past month.
Not enough to fill the dams.
But enough to fill Bell's Rapids!


I really should remember that Bell's Rapids is only a ten minute drive from our front door. I always forget, because I'm so used to being a lot further from it.




( Putu, Glen and I went walking all along the riverbanks... )

Two today.

We went bushwalking in Koondoola this afternoon. The sun is setting late enough with Summer, that we could get there in time even considering Glen gets home late-ish. Thank goodness for the sun setting past 7.00pm even without daylight savings.

It's probably the most dreary time of year to go bushwalking, really. Especially if you go for wildflower identification. Aside from candle banksias and Nuytsia floribundas (and in Ellenbrook and the North end of Alex. Heights and Landsdale - Morrison featherflowers, or Verticordia nitens), there's not really a bevy of activity happening in the understoreys. Thankfully, the nectar dependent birds and butterflies do just fine with candle banksias and balga blossom stalks. You can see some candle banksias and Morrison featherflowers here, during last year's Summer trip through the suburb: http://moonvoice.dreamwidth.org/738905.html

But even so, sometimes you'll find a yellow Calytrix like this one. :) Calytrix are easily amongst my favourite native flowers, and are endemic to Australia. They come with the understandable, and wonderful common name of 'starflowers.' They are difficult to grow in many gardens (Verticordias are easier, and that's kind of saying something), but regardless; are stunning. The yellow one featured here flowers pretty much exclusively in Summer. In Spring however, they flower in hot pink, dull pink, violet, white and so on. They flower in profusion, and leave little flower skeletons once the petals age and drop off (you can see some in this photo). The flower skeletons last all year round, until the next year, usually.





We also saw a typical skink, wriggling its way across the grey-white lateritic sands.





There were more photos, but none turned out quite right. I had to adjust the overall focus of my camera for my new glasses (new prescription), and then took photos with my old glasses, so things that looked in focus with the lens, actually weren't, thanks to overall optical adjustments. I'll figure it out one day.

I missed Koondoola.

Daviesia divaricata





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