David Nelson's Photoblog
My photos of the natural world's inhabitants, juxtaposed with what I've discovered about them.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Miscellaneous update
Assuming there are still some people that either subscribe or occasionally check this blog for updates, I thought I'd provide a brief rundown of my activities recently.
Honours is all handed in and I'm awaiting my mark. My vague ambition for the next year or so is to see as much of Australia as possible (road trip!), do some volunteer work, and maybe think about what I want to do next (PhD? Work? Continue avoiding either?).
Since handing in I've been on some field trips - to the Simpson desert, the Warrumbungles and out to Wellington caves. I'll post some photos from the desert along with some comments in the near future.
I also have a backlog of photos (e.g. from the top end and some frogging trips here in Sydney) that I may get around to posting. ¶ Posted at 10:37 AM, 3 comments
Honours is all handed in and I'm awaiting my mark. My vague ambition for the next year or so is to see as much of Australia as possible (road trip!), do some volunteer work, and maybe think about what I want to do next (PhD? Work? Continue avoiding either?).
Since handing in I've been on some field trips - to the Simpson desert, the Warrumbungles and out to Wellington caves. I'll post some photos from the desert along with some comments in the near future.
I also have a backlog of photos (e.g. from the top end and some frogging trips here in Sydney) that I may get around to posting. ¶ Posted at 10:37 AM, 3 comments
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Coat of many colours
I'm back in Sydney! I have lots of photos from the top end that I'll probably throw up from time to time, though I'm rather busy for the moment with uni work.
Almost immediately after getting back I went for a trip up to the mid-north coast. On the way, picnicing at Karuah, I spotted this lovely moth.
A quick look on Don Herbison-Evans' site revealed what it was - Agarista agricola, 'Joseph's coat moth' (Noctuidae).
This one is a male - and it was very flighty though always returned to this creeper (I assume a food plant). It finally stayed put and I snuck up with guerilla stealth. A fraction of a second after I took this shot it was suddenly off again - this time because a female had turned up and he was in pursuit!
The pair fluttered around for a while though the female seemed to show no interest in her suitor. She did however lead me to another food plant in the area.
This vine was almost entirely defoliated, and I spotted the caterpillar below as well as a few of the same species that had only hatched recently.
Not great photos, happy-snaps only, though I was very impressed with the colouration on both the adult and the larval forms.
¶ Posted at
3:57 PM, 3
comments
I'm back in Sydney! I have lots of photos from the top end that I'll probably throw up from time to time, though I'm rather busy for the moment with uni work.
Almost immediately after getting back I went for a trip up to the mid-north coast. On the way, picnicing at Karuah, I spotted this lovely moth.
A quick look on Don Herbison-Evans' site revealed what it was - Agarista agricola, 'Joseph's coat moth' (Noctuidae).
This one is a male - and it was very flighty though always returned to this creeper (I assume a food plant). It finally stayed put and I snuck up with guerilla stealth. A fraction of a second after I took this shot it was suddenly off again - this time because a female had turned up and he was in pursuit!
The pair fluttered around for a while though the female seemed to show no interest in her suitor. She did however lead me to another food plant in the area.
This vine was almost entirely defoliated, and I spotted the caterpillar below as well as a few of the same species that had only hatched recently.
Not great photos, happy-snaps only, though I was very impressed with the colouration on both the adult and the larval forms.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Night Tiger
¶ Posted at
3:52 PM, 7
comments
This snake is a real beauty - it's the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis. You might recall it's the species that has caused ecological havoc on Guam where it's introduced. In Australia however, it's native, and up here in the top end we have the so-called 'night tiger' form.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Big, scary arthropods
Saw these two impressive creatures on the road last night.
Possibly this one could be called a bird-eating spider?
Scutigeromorph centipede:
¶ Posted at
9:29 PM, 5
comments
Possibly this one could be called a bird-eating spider?
Scutigeromorph centipede:
¶ Posted at
9:29 PM, 5
comments
Friday, December 14, 2007
Busy Buildup
The rains have only been tantalising so far - puddles form then dry up in the baking sun of the following day. Frogs breed only to have their progeny fossilised in mud as it dries. Lightning fills the horizon as a storm approaches, but it is reduced to nothing but a breeze by the time it gets here.
There are plenty of animals out and about but I haven't been too active with the camera so far. The sight of these blue-triangle butterflies today inspired me to grab a photo. ¶ Posted at 1:00 PM, 3 comments
The rains have only been tantalising so far - puddles form then dry up in the baking sun of the following day. Frogs breed only to have their progeny fossilised in mud as it dries. Lightning fills the horizon as a storm approaches, but it is reduced to nothing but a breeze by the time it gets here.There are plenty of animals out and about but I haven't been too active with the camera so far. The sight of these blue-triangle butterflies today inspired me to grab a photo. ¶ Posted at 1:00 PM, 3 comments
