Monday 6 December 2010

Amazon Best of 2010 Customer Favorite

I'm thrilled to announce that my novel THIN BLOOD has been named an Amazon Best of 2010 Customer Favorite. It's unreal to think that not only is it the only Australian (I think) ebook in the top 100, but that I'm in such esteemed company as the likes of Harlan Coben, Lee Child, James Patterson, Tess Gerritsen, Mary Higgins Clark, Kathy Reichs and many more NYT bestselling authors.

THIN BLOOD TRAILER

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Sawfly Larvae

Thank you to Don Herbison-Evans for identifying these for me: http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/none/sawfly.html

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Out to Impress

SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO COURTSHIP

Monday 8 November 2010

Eastern Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina Longicollis)

We don’t why, but this is the second time an Eastern Snake-necked Turtle has laid – or tried to lay – her eggs in the rock-hard clay driveway next to the house.

“Nests are constructed in clay soils by exuding copious quantities of cloacal fluid…

Nests are constructed by drilling in the sand and earth using the feet, eventually creating a circular hole. Nesting occurs in spring or early summer (November or December). Females usually lay one clutch of eggs annually of between 6 and 23 eggs. The volume of C. longicollis eggs is between 4.0 to 6.7 ml. The eggs are an ellipsoidal spheroid shape. Incubation time is approximately 3 to 4 months after which the embryos cut out of the shell using a nasal ‘tooth’.”
James Cook University

At the top of third photo, you’ll see car tyres on concrete – that’s the carport. That’s how close to the house the turtle is laying her eggs.



Thursday 4 November 2010

Pollen-laden Honey Bee

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Down by the Dam

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Raindrops on Rosebuds...

Saturday 30 October 2010

Nature the Artist

Friday 29 October 2010

Thursday 28 October 2010

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Reflections of a Farm Dam

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Spring Flowers

Monday 25 October 2010

Love is in the Air

Thursday 21 October 2010

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos’ Handiwork

I thought you might like to see some of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos’ handiwork:

Monday 11 October 2010

At a Bend in the Driveway

LOOKING TOWARD THE ROAD
The drought has broken. For the first time in years, the dams are full and everything is so green and lush that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was another region.

I took these two photos standing at a bend in our driveway: one looking down the drive toward the road, the other looking up the drive toward the house. If I remember, I’ll repeat the photos at the height of summer.

LOOKING TOWARD THE HOUSE

Saturday 9 October 2010

Pacific Gulls (Coffin Bay SA)

From the archives: May 2009 Coffin Bay, South Australia

Juvenile Pacific Gull
Adult Pacific Gull


Friday 8 October 2010

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos



 A family of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos arrived this week and proceeded to decimate our wattle trees to get at the wood-boring grubs deep in the branches and trunks.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Pink and Grey Galahs

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Eucalyptus Flowers


Like many related plants, the conspicuous parts of the flowers of the majority of the species are the stamens, the male parts of the flowers. These surround the central stigma which arises from the flower's ovary. In Eucalyptus and Corymbia the petals and stamens are fused into a cap called an operculum which covers the flowers at the bud stage. As the flower opens the cap is shed. It is, in fact, the operculum which gives Eucalyptus its name (eu, well and calyptos covered). –  Australian Native Plants Society

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Monday 4 October 2010

Friday 1 October 2010

Thursday 30 September 2010

Grevillea

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Fungal Art?

Monday 27 September 2010

Sunday 26 September 2010

Friday 24 September 2010

Thursday 23 September 2010

Crimson Rosella (Gipsy Point VIC)

Vicki handfeeding her new friend