Something A Little Different..

....and probably cranking up the debate about feeding wildlife again!

I first saw this young Shingleback lizard about three weeks ago as it was walking up from the house dam.

We had an encounter again on Saturday 31st October. This time it had taken up residence in my back door garden. Ignoring common sense but noticing it was looking a bit 'thin on it' I dropped a little 'care package' of fresh minced pet meat (chemical-free) which disappeared almost before it touched the soil!

Last Saturday, I noticed it bolting up a path on the northern side of my house while I was moving a hose. I might well have watered it but who is to know. It came round the corner of the house towards the back door and again, I felt a little pang of pity so I brought out a small bit of banana.
This is what happened in seconds!

(Click images to enlarge)



Applying the Sniff Test




Passes Taste Test



Now for the Scoff!

Tiliqua rugosa.

I will probably pamper this little guy whilst it wants to live in my garden but only once a week. The rest of the time it can earn its keep by reducing my snail population! :-)

I checked a couple of Herp. sites just to be sure I was feeding the right kind of food. Some fruits, leafy vegetables (not Iceberg lettuce, apparently) and fresh mince meat. I think I read they can eat grated carrot, but if it wants that on the menu, it will have to grate its own! Tinned pet food is a no-no.

A comment from one of the Herpetology websites I visited stands out in my mind. They are little PIGS apparently !! :-)

Thelymitra ixioides & Friends

We had some warm weather a couple of weeks ago so I took advantage and went on the Sun Orchid trail again.

Denis has an excellent post on Thelymitra species here .

(Click images to enlarge)

Thelymitra ixioides on the wrong side of the sun for optimum photography, hence they are a bit "hot" ! :-)

This, I think, is the Common Rice Flower, Pimelea humilis. There was quite a little colony of them growing in the block containing remnant vegetation about 50 metres from my house. No orchids this year, unfortunately, but I have seen Petalochilus there in the past.

Leptospermum myrsinoides or Heath/Silky Tea Tree.


This Pimpernel, a small member of the Primulaceae family is classed as a weed but not a rotten one, apparently. I found lots of it adding a lovely splash of blue and red colour to my walks during October.

Anagallis arvensis