A dainty moth

Tipanaea patulella (2), originally uploaded by boobook48.

We were meant to be searching for frogs around a dam at Bambra but I got distracted by the beautiful little white moths flying around the rushes and grass.

They were Tipanaea patulella. Apparently the caterpillars bore into the stem of rushes.

PS I tried out something new for this blog - I uploaded the photo and comments from my Flickr page. It was easy peasy. (Except I see that the original photo title comes up in tiny font underneath the photo which I don't think is really necessary, and the tags didn't come across either.)

PPS And I've just discovered that when you click on the photo to view large it takes you straight to my Flickr page where you have to click on the 'All sizes' option.

A bearded orchid

The references state that this beard-orchid flowers through the spring into January but it was a bit of surprise when we found one last weekend at Bambra. Actually Barry, the birdwatcher, spotted it while we, the botanists, were sitting next to it at lunch time. Luckily we weren't actually sitting on it.

It's the Purple Beard-orchid Calochilus robertsonii, and it is quite common in this district. We had the reference books out trying to turn it into something unusual but didn't succeed. It's beautiful of course, what orchid isn't?

Dragonflies and damselfies

Last week the insects were flying in the long and lush grass on our farm at Homerton, including these three. (I really will have to buy that dragonfly book.) Maybe one of you, my fellow bloggers, will know what they are. Update: The second one is possibly a teneral (i.e. newly emerged) Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata, and the first and third Metallic Ringtails Austrolestes cingulatus. Thanks D.

And today at Bambra these little beauties were patrolling a dam (the same one mentioned in my latest tweet - in the bar at right). Update: I think this damselfly is a male Ischnura aurora (Coenagrionidae).