Monthly Archives: April 2012

Feeding my inner sci-fi fan

Posted on Sunday, 22 April 2012 by

I was a big sci-fi fan at uni (guess it goes with the science curriculum), attending conventions and helping organise one or two, travelling interstate to visit other uni SF groups. I don’t read much fiction these days, although I … Continue reading →

Posted in Travels | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Insect days

Posted on Wednesday, 18 April 2012 by

The warm and sunny autumn days of the last couple of weeks (until yesterday) have brought out the insects. The birds were probably very pleased when the rain stopped and they could get a decent feed. I found a stick … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Lizards, Spiders | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Finally, a pheasant coucal

Posted on Sunday, 15 April 2012 by

Pheasant coucals (Centropus phasianinus) are all around my place – you can hear their strange call in spring, see them fly reluctantly across a paddock and, driving into town, see them lurch across the road. They seem to sit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds | Tagged | 3 Comments

An adventure in time (part 7/7)

Posted on Thursday, 12 April 2012 by

15 July 2008: Penzance No pirates in evidence, but we were in Penzance and staying at the Hotel Penzance, an award-winning boutique hotel for several years running  – a lovely site on a hill overlooking the bay, excellent facilities, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Travels | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Likin’ lichen

Posted on Saturday, 7 April 2012 by

Lichen looks like a plant but is not scientifically classified as one. It’s a combination of a fungus (which is not a plant) and an alga (also not a plant). The fungus supplies a place to live for the alga, … Continue reading →

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The Easter bilby

Posted on Wednesday, 4 April 2012 by

The bilby is a bandicoot-like creature that lives in the desert areas of Australia. It is listed as endangered for some of the usual reasons – feral cats and habitat loss. A couple of chocolate companies in Australia make chocolate … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals on land | Tagged | 4 Comments

Not kissing anybody under this lot

Posted on Monday, 2 April 2012 by

In Australia we have something like 90 species of mistletoe, unlike Europe which has only one (Viscum album), the one with white flower traditionally smooched under at Christmas. But in Australia we don’t have a tradition of kissing under mistletoe, … Continue reading →

Posted in Plants | Tagged , | 2 Comments