NATURE NOTES: Duke St 2003-2017

2002

Fiery Skimmer dragonfly Orthetrum villosovittatum Dec 02

2 days later we saw female & male Fiery Skimmer dragonflies at our fish pond Dec 02


Eastern Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii Dec 02

These water skinks are plentiful around our fish pond. They can grow to 25cm and are sought by green tree snakes.
2003
Brushtail Possums continue to inhabit our house, these days sleeping on a carport beam or in David's workroom. The wire in the photo was to deter them from getting into our roof space. One particularly large male was seen spreadeagled against our side deck, gnawing at the weather boards. He was trapped and relocated. We used gutter guard in the gap between our deck floor and the lattice walls, a brick in the corner above and these measures have stopped more intruders.
We occasionally see Ringtail possums and were upset when pruning of a Backhousia destroyed a drey. However, they keep being electrocuted as they travel on overhead lines.

Brushtail Possum Jan 03

Australian Brush-turkey sun-bathing Jan 03

Channel-billed cuckoo in hoop pine next door Jan 03


Golden orb weaver Nephila spp. Jan 03

White-faced heron on pool fence Feb 03

Herons and egrets have been seen occasionally over the years and a few fish have been eaten. None observed since we put a small shade over the pond.

Northern green jumping spider Mopsus mormon Feb 03

Tusked frog Adelotus brevis Feb 03

These frogs were commonly seen in and around our fish pond for some years. David saw a fight between 2, resulting in one 3-legged frog. In April 2018, David retrieved one from our swimming pool, which may have survived.

Damselfly Ischnura heterosticta Common Bluetail March 03

White-crowned snake Mar 03

Hoya australis Mar 03

Antlion Lacewing Myrmeleon sp. Mar 03

Twig spider Poltys sp. on clothesline Sep 03

Brown Huntsman Spider Heteropoda jugulans Oct 03

Lepidozamia peroffskyana Dec 03

David started documenting the growth of this cycad now and continued photographing its progress. Not sure when it was planted.

2004

Eucalypt planthopper Platybrachus sp Jan 04

Female Fiery Skimmer dragonfly Orthetrum villosovittatum Sept04

Some of our garden plants, all still growing well.

Orchid Jan 04

Strelitzia Jan 04

Mr Lincoln and Perfume Delight July 04

2005

Lepidozamia peroffskyana Jan 05

Male water spider Dolomedes facetus Jan 05

Feb 05

Brush-turkey chick under our eaves Apr 05

Photos below of Mopsus mormon Northern green jumping spider Nov 05

Acrophylla titan Phasmid on Rulingia salviifolia Dec 05

Above is the fruit of our Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), a beautiful tree which sadly grew so large that it impeded our access to the clothesline and threatened the fish pond, so it had to go. Photo taken Nov 05.

2006


Davidsonia pruriens Jan 06 No fruit until we got native bee hives.	David makes excellent plum jam now.

Male Tectocoris diophthalmus Cotton harlequin bugs on Brachychiton bidwillii pod May 06

David documented the decline of native Polites paper wasps in our house from 2004 to 2007. By April 2007, he recorded only 3 wasps and the presence of geckoes in our compost bins (looking for different tucker?). We have not seen the wasps since then (now it is 2018) but Asian geckos have increased in numbers both inside and outside the house.