Butterflies

European Painted Lady

The European Painted Lady is a very common butterfly during the warmer summer and autumn months. They gather in large numbers on our  Lavender bushes, frequent the Buddlieas and bask in the warm sun on the lawn, orchard grasses, dirt and gravel areas.

The photographs on the Lavender were taken early May, 2010, while the butterfly captured on the Buddliea was taken in March, 2011.

The European Painted Lady is a common garden butterfly throughout Albury, and up at least as far as Wagga to the north.

European Painted Lady on a Lavender bush.
European Painted Lady on a Lavender bush.
European Painted Lady on a Buddliea flower.
European Painted Lady on a Buddliea flower.
Plants

White Punk

White Punk fungus
White Punk fungus

Last June (2010) we noticed this monster growing out of an ironbark eucalypt about 3m off the ground. It’s known as a polypore fungus, Laetiporus portentosus, commonly called White Punk.

Judging from the surveyors staff we used to get a gauge on how far up the tree it was, the fungus would have been about 200mm high, and 200mm wide at the bottom.

It persisted on the tree for the rest of the year, only slowly deteriorating over time.

More information on this fungus and it’s traditional (and not so traditional) uses can be found on Australian Fungi – a Blog.

White Punk fungus
White Punk fungus growing out of an old tree wound site.
White Punk fungus
White Punk fungus from below
Photography

Smoke clouds

Autumn Smoke Cloud

In autumn, when the weather is suitable – not too windy and not too wet – the fuel reduction burn-offs and stubble burning starts across South Eastern New South Wales and North East Victoria. Many of these fires trigger the formation of clouds at the inversion layer if atmospheric conditions are right.

The colours of the forming cloud, including the characteristic smoke haze filtering the sunlight, and the stark contrast with the old dead ironbark tree caught my attention.