In the many years I've lived in Pine Mountain, I have never encountered any terrestrial (ground) orchids. The previous owner of our property informed me that, many decades prior, a colony of Pterostylis nutans (Nodding Greenhood Orchid) grew on a sheltered southern slope of our property. Today, this area is smothered in a mess of … Continue reading A Hunt for Ground Orchids
Year: 2024
Weeds, Toad-proof Predators, Musks and More
May 2024 was a dry month and I didn’t quite finish my planting before the soil became too dry to continue. I should be able to complete the last of my planting if we get one more decent rain event in June. In the meantime, I’ve been catching up on the weeds, which took advantage … Continue reading Weeds, Toad-proof Predators, Musks and More
Legless Lovelies
After the heavy downpour in February, we've had regular showers throughout late March and April: perfect conditions for kicking off the 2024 planting season. So far I've planted, with the help of a few friends, 360 trees. With another couple of hundred seedlings still waiting patiently to be inserted into solid ground, it will be … Continue reading Legless Lovelies
A Sticky Situation
This post has been a while coming, as Al and I spent most of February in the Land of the Rising Sun, checking out cranes, sea-eagles and fish-owls. After arriving home to a jungle of weeds, it has taken me three weekends of solid work to finally get back on top of it all. This … Continue reading A Sticky Situation
A Belated Big Day
My hectic work schedule prevented me from undertaking my usual Pine Mountain big day of birding on New Years Day this year. I intended to give it a go on one other weekend during January, but I had been lacking motivation. I knew I wasn’t going to achieve a big tally this year, on account … Continue reading A Belated Big Day