[exislegirl]

Thought you might be interested to see a few snaps from the garden where I live This first lot are of Birdwing butterflies and assorted plants/flowers:

Birdwing Butterflies



Cycad


Double Alamanda


Frangipani


Bromiliad


Swamp Bloodwood



Natalie

[exislegirl]

And this lot are of various Fungi I've found around the garden:




The fungi in the two photos immediately below are quite tiny... the largest being about the size of a 50c piece:






These are huge... the largest standing about 30cm tall:




Natalie

[Mystic]

You have some very nice shots there. especially like the crispness of the frangipani shot. Those little star shaped fungus are great, I came across picture of them in a book not too long back and thought how nice it would be to find some. Very next day I was at Guide Falls in the north and they were everywhere.

What kind of camera gear are you using?

[exislegirl]

Hello Anna, my 'camera gear' is nothing fancy... just a cheap Sony 5.1 mega pixels Cyber-shot w/ 3x optical zoom, and hand held (without a tripod). Bought it about 4 1/2 years ago to take photos of my glass collection, but now use it everywhere.

The friend with whom I will be traveling, has a good camera - a Nikon D80, with 70-300 zoom lens, and an 18-135 zoom lens... so hopefully we will get some good shots while in Tassie. I used it when we were in NZ about a year or so ago, and loved it. Took lots of photos out the window while moving along the road, and nearly all turned out great.

Natalie

[Mystic]

You did extremely well on that frangipani with the Sony. Sounds like the Nikon has a good wide angle and zoom, so I really look forward to your shots down here.

[Shane V]

Some really gorgeous shots there Natalie. I really like the Butterflies. beautiful colours and detail. Well done on all shots. Looking forward to hearing about your trip and seeing your shots also.

[exislegirl]

Took a wander around the garden yesterday afternoon, when we had a momentary break in the rain... rain... rain!

As usual, my camera turned to the flowers:

Geisha Girl:


Purple flower:


Red flowers bunch:


Thorny red flowers:


Xmas weeds:


And then a few other bits and pieces around the yard:

Green Ants nest:


Pool of water in leaf:


Splash of colour:


Resident Curlew:



Natalie

[Shane V]

Very nice images Natalie. I particularly like the purple flower, love the colour and the droplets, and also the curlew, it looks a bit like a sparrow on stilts . well shot

[Mystic]

Great shots Natalie. That is definitely one strange looking bird. I agree with Shane's description of it.

[dave]

great shots Natalie, poor little birdie looks a bit worse for wear, love the flowers

[exislegirl]

Hello Shane, Anna & Dave, he is a rather odd looking bird... and his voice is even more weird. In Aboriginal folklore, the sound they make (a long drawn out mournful cry) - usually at night, is said to be the spirits of lost (dead) children trying to find their way back. The curlew is quite large - probably about the size of a wet chicken. This one lives on the patio outside my back door most of the time - he doesn't like getting wet or getting too much sun.

While I was away on holiday, I left the back door open so the cat could go outside to sit on her chair during the day, and the albino possum and the curlew took that as an invitation to come inside. The floor was a mosaic of curlew poop and discarded feathers, and the possum left a deposit of pellets on the kitchen bench. Lol - the joys of living in the tropics!

Natalie

[dave]

umm!! they are also known as "the orgasm bird", the cry resembles "OHHHHH........YYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!! just thought I would let you know,............. naughty step this way is it?? yep thought so!! anyone wants me you know where I am!

[exislegirl]

Just a few more flowers from the garden:


Pawpaw Flowers:


Tomato Red coloured Flower:



Natalie

[Mystic]

Nice pics. Also good to see another person with similar botanical skills to me naming flowers by colour

[Shane V]

Gorgeous Natalie. They are pretty

[exislegirl]

Lol Anna, I'm definitely not a horticulturist - far from green fingers... I have black fingers!

Glad you enjoyed them, Shane.

Natalie

[bandi]

Great shots Natalie! I wish I had a garden like that... I wouldn't have to spend so much time crawling around the bush! That green ants nest looks huge!

[exislegirl]

Thanks Anthony! The bush is right on ones doorstep on Maggie... the place is teaming with life - and most of it seems to be constantly trying to get inside my house.

Natalie

[exislegirl]

A few more shots from my wander around the garden and up the side street along side the house.


Flowers:














Wildlife:










Fungi:












Natalie

[Shane V]

WOW Natalie, a vast aray of flowers, bugs and fungi there. All very nice shots. Love the grasshopper, particularly. Well shot