May was a busy month for me as I had a lot going on, so I didn’t get as much opportunity to take photos of the visiting wildlife like usual. So here is a short list of some of my backyard visitors.
KookaburraLadybirdEuropean Honey BeeType of grasshopperA type of mothHoverflyA type of mothA type of flyGrey Butcherbird
This is my participation in a monthly event called Wildlife Wednesdays hosted by Tina of My Gardner Says… You can see the wildlife visitors of other participants here.
This is my last Wildlife Wednesday post for awhile, and I won’t be posting as often as I usually do for a bit. Due to a significant change in my personal circumstances, I have left the Gold Coast in Queensland and moved permanently to Launceston in Tasmania. I am starting a new life on my own here in Tassie so please bear with me while I settle in to a new job and new surroundings, and I hope to be back online regularly soon posting my wildlife experiences in Tasmania.
I was somewhat busier than normal in April so didn’t have as much opportunity to take many photos of the wildlife visitors, so I only have a few to share with you on this occasion.
Here are two sulphur crested cockatoos, eyeing me off and walking up and down the veranda, probably wanting to have a chew on the wooden railing when I’m not looking!
Two sulphur crested cockatoos up to no good
I saw quite a lot of these grey butcherbirds, which upset the pied butcherbirds so I was an audience a number of times for some aerial combat between the two species. Lots of noise and flicking of wings but I didn’t notice anyone actually getting hurt.
Grey butcherbird
There were so many rainbow lorikeets around, word must have got out about our feeding station.
Rainbow lorikeetsA loving pair
They would gather in growing numbers in the gum tree by the house squawking and carrying on and then continued the din while they ate up the feed in record time.
There was lots of nocturnal activity from the regular brushtail possum visitors. There was plenty of trampling along our roof, running up and down the veranda, screeching and hissing coming out of the darkness, and in the mornings tufts of possum fur would be seen.
Here’s one of the quieter times. I shot this quick video through a glass sliding door so as not to disturb them.
This is Sassy and her joey.
And here’s George in a gum tree (complete with a bush cockroach!).
And then Mummy possum came to visit. Mummy is the loveliest possum ever. Interestingly, she did not have a joey this year. She has to be at least 9 years old and maybe too old to breed now.
When I noticed her at the door, I tried to go out with some peanuts but she wouldn’t let me as she was after the food so I had to put the container in front of her and start to gently push her away from the door so I could get out.
And then our old cat Basil woke up and came over to see what was going on. The container of nuts was shoved outside real quick and the door closed!
When I put the cat away in a room and was able to get outside without letting the possum inside, I put some nuts out for her to eat and she let me pat her for a bit. She is such a gentle creature.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my backyard wildlife visitors.
This is my participation in a monthly event called Wildlife Wednesdays hosted by Tina of My Gardner Says… You can see the wildlife visitors of other participants here.
The paper bark tree, Melaleucaquinquenervia, is in the same tree family of Myrtaceae as the eucalypt trees. I only have the one paper bark tree on my acreage property.
A paper bark tree on my property
The paper bark tree grows to around 20 metres tall. These trees are found along the Australian mainland coastline from Sydney up to the top of Queensland.
Paper bark trees love moisture and can be found in swamps and along river banks as well as on roadsides and parklands.
The bark of this tree is quite unusual. It is creamy-white and grey in colour, is flaky, and feels, well, papery.
The paper bark has flowers that are cream in colour and resemble bottle brush flowers. The flowers are enjoyed by many birds, insects, and flying foxes.
Flowers on the paper bark tree. (Photo from Wikipedia)
The moisture contained in the spongy outer layers of bark of the paper bark tree protects the inside trunk during fire.
I hope you liked my mini series on some of Australia’s magnificent trees that are in my backyard. If you missed any, you can check them out below –
The spotted gum tree, Corymbiamaculata, is a slow grower and can get to 45 metres tall. They are found along the east coast of mainland Australia. Nearly half the trees on my acreage are spotted gums of varying sizes.
Just one of the many spotted gum trees on my property.
Gum leaves hang downwards to prevent loss of moisture and minimise exposure to the sun.
The spotted gum has a smooth bark that is creamy-white in colour. The old bark which is grey, falls off in patches, and this is what gives the tree a mottled or spotted appearance.
You will often see spotted gums in parklands as they are good providers of shade and protection against wind as well as being a good home for wildlife.
The bark on one spotted gum on my property clearly shows the scratches of possums who traversed the tree to use the possum box.
The spotted gum has small white flowers that are enjoyed by nectar eating birds and possums. The leaves are also a food source for koalas.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Eucalypt trees make up 75% of the tree population in Australia.
The grey gum tree, Eucalytus punctata, is native to South East Queensland where I live. It can grow as tall as 35 metres. I have a few of these trees on my acreage property.
A grey gum tree on my property.
The trunk of the grey gum has patchy colours of white and grey, with orange patches showing new bark.
The fruit of a gum tree is called a gum nut.
The old bark peels off in long ribbons and is often seen caught in tree forks. There is usually a large pile of shed bark around the base of the trunk.
The flowers provide a food source for nectar eating birds and possums as well as the grey headed flying fox. The leaves on the grey gum are also a tasty treat for koalas.
Grey gum flower. (Photo from Plant Native)
This particular grey gum has lots of scratches of different sizes on the trunk, from the base all the way up the tree as far as I could see. Koalas? Possums? Goannas? The tree obviously gets plenty of use.
The red bloodwood tree, Corymbiagummifera, is found along the east coast of mainland Australia from Victoria up to South East Queensland and can grow up to 45 metres tall. I have two of these trees growing close together on my acreage property.
Red bloodwood gums on my property.Same trees from another angle.
Many species of eucalypt live for more than 250 years.
The bark of the red bloodwood is light grey and rough, cracked and scaly.
The red bloodwood gets its name from the blood red resin that appears when wounded.
The tree has clusters of white flowers that are popular with nectar eating birds and possums, while the gum nuts are favoured by cockatoos, and the sap is a food source for gliders.
Red bloodwood flowers. (Photo from Wikipedia)
Eucalypt flowers do not have petals. The entire flower consists of stamens. The blooms come in many colours – white, cream, yellow, red, orange, pink and green.
The tallowwood tree, Eucalyptusmicrocorys, is a fast growing gum tree and can grow as tall as 60 metres in height. These gums can be found along the Australian east coast from Newcastle in New South Wales to Maryborough in Queensland. I have a number of these trees on my acreage here in SE Queensland.
One of several tallowwood trees on my property
Every eucalypt tree has eucalyptus oil in its leaves which is highly flammable and means they catch fire very easily. Many eucalypts are dependant on fire for regeneration as they have underground tubers, hidden buds under the bark, or seeds that will only germinate after fire.
The bark of a tallowwood is a reddish-brown colour revealing orange underneath and is flaky and soft. If you press your fingers on the bark it feels spongy.
The white flowers of the tallowwood are enjoyed by bees and nectar eating birds as well as flying foxes and possums. Koalas also eat the leaves of the tallowwood.
Tallowwood flowers on a tree near my house
Just about every home in Australia has a bottle of eucalyptus oil in the cupboard, which is not surprising because of its numerous beneficial properties – antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, anti inflammatory, decongestant, relieves muscle aches and pains, stimulates blood flow for mental activity, and a natural bug repellent.
My Wild Australia 