This was not the weekend I had planned nor was I expecting. I started photographing on Friday afternoon when I again had to go to Westfield Woden Shopping Centre so I decided to walk back home while taking photographs. The weather on Saturday, while cold, was fine enough to photograph around Red Hill Nature Reserve. However, on Sunday morning there was rain and I was wondering if I would get out to Mount Taylor Nature Reserve. Happily I did. Monday, a public holiday in Canberra, no such luck, it was bleak; wet and cloudy for most of the day. I think the bad weather made it harder to see birds over the weekend as they had either gone or were trying to find ways to minimise energy loss in the face of the colder temperatures. The kangaroos I encountered on Mount Taylor on Sunday were drenched with rain but their fur coats appeared thick, probably providing needed insulation. Rain drenched birds would be cold but would also find it harder to fly. Sorry, there are no bird photos below but there are kangaroos, spiders, insects, landscape and one dinosaur skeleton (photographed in a museum). I hope you enjoy the photographs.
Autumn leaves in Woden
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 47mm, f/8.0 and 1/40 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
The undulating road leading to the Federal Golf Club
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 23mm, f/11 and 1/5 SEC])
Below are some patterns from the burnt bark on a dead tree
A Parmeliaceae Lichen on a burnt tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 49mm, f/11 and 1/13 SEC])
An Old Man’s Beard Lichen on a burnt tree surrounded by Cap Lichen
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 55mm, f/11 and 1/5 SEC])
Bullen Range under low clouds seen from Mount Taylor
(Four shot panorama on a Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 45mm, f/16 and 1/320 SEC])
Mount Tidbinbilla in focus, with the cloud casting shadows on the range
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/13 and 1/320 SEC])
Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) are plentiful around Canberra. They are easily found in the reserves that are interspersed throughout the suburbs. The first photograph shows one kangaroo from a mob I encountered on Red Hill on Saturday. As I approached all the kangaroos stood up to stare at me. I tried to avoid looking at them so I would not spook them. They continued to stare at me as I lowered my camera bag, they even remained still as I sat down to steady my camera. However, as I started to zoom my lens with my hand, they were off. A kangaroo almost bounded into me. It came from slightly down the slope, not knowing why the mob was moving, tried to go straight across the open area I had found the roos in. That course had it coming straight at me. Fortunately in realised soon enough so it darted off in a different direction.
On Sunday, I went to Mount Taylor as the rain was clearing. The kangaroos I encountered, the second photograph below as well as the one that heads this post, appeared wet. Their fur was very thick and appeared warm as they did not look to be cold. They did not try to move into the emerging sunny areas as the skies cleared of clouds. Some kangaroos were on the higher slopes. They demonstrated their jumping is not just good on the flat, kangaroos can also use that form of locomotion to climb up a hill.
A female Eastern Grey Kangaroo hopping away on Red Hill Nature Reserve
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 176mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])
Two juvenile Eastern Grey Kangaroos on Mount Taylor after heavy overnight rain
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/40 SEC])
I am very sorry, the picture of a Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is really bad quality. I took it on Saturday night as I was descending Red Hill. I noticed these four reflective orbs, low down at the main fork of a tree. As I approached they shot up the branch as there were two Sugar Gliders. One was higher than the other but both were upside down keeping me under observation. They stayed where they were in the tree as I tried to get a photograph of them. Unfortunately, I was trying to use my macro photography flash but the camera could not find enough contrast to auto focus and the night-time ambient light was too low for manual focus.
A very poor image of a Sugar Glider in a tree on Red Hill at night
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Friday afternoon again saw me walking back from Woden. I again took the opportunity to find subjects to photograph. One of the wonderful creatures I came across was this Venomless Spider (Philoponella congregabilis). It was in an ornamental bush in the Woden Cemetery. Upon looking closer I realised there were other similar spiders throughout the bush.
A Venomless Spider on a plant in the Woden Cemetery on Friday afternoon
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 43mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This White-tailed Spider (Lampona spp.) was crawling around some brick work. It was under the web seen in the photograph and occasionally on top of it. It eventually moved out from under the web to walk across the brick work. These spiders have a bad reputation in Australia for being linked to a “skin eating” condition caused by their bite. However, academic research has cast serious doubts on this link with no reliable evidence being uncovered for the link. A bite from this spider will still hurt but a person’s skin will not disappear in a horrible ulcer.
White-taiied Spider on brickwork
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This Flower or Crab Spider, possibly Tmarus cineraceus was on this slender plant on Red Hill on Saturday night. Again, the reflection from its eyes attracted me. I saw the glow from its eyes, which I assumed were from a Wolf Spider, but was confused as it was coming from half-way up a plant. I figured it may have been just a water drop. I was happy when I saw this tiny spider poised on the plant. It looks like it has seen better days as it has lost a leg from each side.
A Flower Spider, which is missing a leg on either side, at night on Red Hill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
There were also a number of small Orb Weavers but I was unable to find out the species.
One of the Orb-weaving Spiders on Red Hill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
The other Orb-weaving Spider
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa sp) was in a burrow near a stump. It did not come further out of the burrow, nor did it withdraw further inside.
A Wolf Spider at the entrance to its burrow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This black Portuguese Millipede (Ommatoiulus moreleti) is distinguished by the spike on its tail. This milipede is an inadvertently introduced species that has taken off in numbers. This individual was at eye level on a small sapling. It initially had its head further up the trunk, with its body vertical. These creatures were first recorded in Adelaide in 1953 and since then have spread across the country, possibly through secondary infestations. Their numbers spiked in the 1970s as they have entered an ecosystem where their main predator is not present. Since then their numbers have declined although there can be local infestations of large numbers.
A Portuguese Millipede on a tree at Red Hill at night
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 38mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Another introduced insect is the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), which was introduced into Australia on purpose almost 200 years ago for local honey production. These are common across Canberra as well as most of southern Australia. This one was visiting a flower in the Woden Cemetery on Friday afternoon.
European Honey Bee extracting pollen from a flower
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 48mm, f/8.0 and 1/40 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I believe this is a nest of Coconut Ants (Papyrius nitidus). I saw this on Saturday morning. These ants have an interesting relationship with the Small Ant Blue Butterfly. The larvae are cared for by the ants as they secrete liquids as waste the ants can use. The ants get their name because if they are squashed they smell like coconut oil.
Coconut Ant nest
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/8.0 and 0.5 SEC])
This Hover Fly (Melangyna sp.) was in a garden I was passing by on Saturday morning. It was not flying like a typical hover fly but going directly from plant to plant.
A Hover Fly on an ornamental plant in a garden
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])
This Common Bark Moth (Ectropis excursaria) was flapping its wings as it made its way across the ground to the tree it is on in the picture. It continued to flap its wings very quickly as it climbed before coming to rest on the bark as seen in the picture. I am unsure what it was doing with its flapping behaviour.
A Common Bark Moth at the base of a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I cannot identify this caterpillar. This insect was on a fly screen. I had noticed it crawling up the fly screen earlier in the day and later on when I had my camera, saw it was still on the fly screen, although facing downwards, but not descending. I noticed what I believe was silk in the photograph near the head of the caterpillar. I thought it may be getting ready to build a cocoon but after checking on it for a few days there was no cocoon not had it moved its position.
A caterpillar on a fly screen with silk on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I came across this case of a Faggot Case Moth (Clania lewinii) on Red Hill when I was walking around on Saturday night. It was well camouflaged on the tree. I only saw it as I was trying to photograph an Orb Weaver spider on the tree. The single, or sometimes two, longer stick as part of the case is an indicator it is a Faggot Case Moth. The caterpillar stays in this case, using it as protection, before it will eventually use it as a cocoon.
Faggot Case Moth
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
OK, this is not quite the wildlife I had in mind when I started this blog but when I visited the National Museum of Australia (NMA) on the Saturday, I could not help but take a photograph of the Muttaburrasaurus langdoni in the entrance. This is a cast of a skeleton discovered in Queensland in 1963. The Queensland Museum originally constructed and displayed it before the NMA purchased it for display, more to tell the story of its discovery.
A cast of a Muttaburrasaurus langdoni discovered in Queensland
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 18mm, f/16 and 1/10 SEC])