Thursday 26 March 2015

DESKTOP 603 - PROTEA 'PINK ICE'

Protea 'Pink Ice' is a hybrid of P. susannae x P. compacta. It is an attractive, shrub 2 x 2.5 metres, with grey-green leaves and deep pink flowers in winter and spring. It prefers full sun and well-drained soils. Tolerates frost (-5˚C) and extended dry periods once established. Excellent hedge or screen and cut flower. Good container plant.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Saturday 21 March 2015

DESKTOP 598 - MULLUM MULLUM CREEK

Mullum Mullum Creek is a creek in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the main watercourse of the Mullum Mullum Valley, a tributary of the Yarra River and Yarra Valley. For tens of thousands of years it was used as a food and tool source sustainably by the Wurundjeri people, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung language group.
 

It is one of the only watercourses lying within urban metropolitan Melbourne that is surrounded by native and regenerated bushland for almost its entire length, and is a significant remnant ecosystem in Melbourne. Around 80,000 people live in the creek's catchment area. The remnant bushland across its length provides habitat for significant species such as platypus, rakali, koalas, powerful owl, nankeen night heron, white-winged chough and yellow-tailed black cockatoo.
 

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

DESKTOP 595 - JABIRU

The Jabiru, also known as the Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) is the only stork found in Australia. With black and white body plumage, glossy dark green and purple neck and massive black bill, it is easily identified from all other Australian birds. The legs are long and coral-red in colour. The female is distinguished by its yellow eye. Immature birds resemble adults, but the black plumage is replaced by brown and the white plumage is duskier. The Jabiru is restricted mainly to coastal and near-coastal areas of northern and eastern Australia. Throughout the monsoonal areas of northern Australia, it is still widespread, but fewer numbers appear southwards to eastern Australia.
 

This distinctive black-and-white waterbird stands an impressive 1.3m tall and has a wingspan of around 2m. The species Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus comprises two subspecies, E. a. asiaticus in India and south-east Asia, and E. a. australis in Australia and New Guinea.
 

This post is part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

Monday 16 March 2015

DESKTOP 593 - YARRA RIVER

This is a view of the Yarra River near Dights Falls in Abbotsford, an inner suburb of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme.

Thursday 12 March 2015

DESKTOP 589 - PERSIAN VIOLET

Exacum socotranum or Exacum affine or Exacum gracilipes, known commercially as the Persian Violet, is a species of plant in the Gentianaceae family. It is endemic to Socotra islands of Yemen. Its natural habitat is rocky areas. A small herbaceous biennial plant with dark green, ovate leaves. The small purple flowers have a yellow centre with fragrance. It is endemic to Yemen. Its natural habitat is rocky areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the species is currently critically endangered due to housing development in its habitat.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Saturday 7 March 2015

DESKTOP 584 - SCULPTURE

Detail of Neil Taylor's sculpture, "Theoretical Matter" (1999-2000), at Heide Gallery, Melbourne.

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme.