I don't think that sawfly, likely Allantus viennensis is resting in a comfortable position. In fact, it reminds me of bugs infected by zombie fungus, which I think should be rather referred to as an entomopathogenic fungus. I will keep monitoring. Fungi are having the time of their lives this season, just ask my apples... #biodiversity#insects#parasites#inthegarden
Little beauty on the left/on top is a wasp, in the Ancistrocerus genus, possibly A. nigricornis which lives around houses making mud nests. The other one, instead, appears to be Nomada flava, a cuckoo bee of mining bees. #biodiversity#inthegarden#ontheplot#insects
Grevillea 'Dorothy Gordon' flowering in the local nursery (Tilba Tilba, NSW) - good to see some excellent, larger plants of this distinctive hybrid in stock (and in flower) from local growers. Features both attractive flowers and foliage plus responds well to pruning and can be used as a striking native screen with a regular cut. Sometimes described as a G.beadleana hybrid but is apparently G. sessilis x G. paradoxa (according to the breeders). Definitely worth a spot in east coast Oz gardens (without heavy frosts) - not sure if it's available in other countries.
The common starling, also known as the European starling in North America and simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird.
It has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year.
A highly social species, starlings live in groups that can sometimes number several thousand or even millions of individuals.
It is also known for its vocal abilities, which enable it to imitate with great precision the vocalisations of other individuals, whether of the same species or not, as well as non-biological noises from its environment.
Common imperial blue / imperial hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras) on today's first gardening job ... pretty widespread species in eastern Australia well known for its mutualistic relationship with Iridomyrmex ants.
Carrington Falls Grevillea - Grevillea rivularis - endangered NSW species with a very limited population in the wild. I've ended up with several plants in a paddock, presumably seedlings from an old stock plant. Foliage is pretty prickly which is probably why it's rarely seen in nurseries - with many cultivated plants actually x acanthifolia hybrids (like 'Carrington Cross'). G. rivularis is also said to be one part of the well known 'Bronze Rambler' hybrid (crossed with 'Poorinda Peter').