Wireless Hill – Pelican Yoga

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#3 of 3)

Published November 1, 2024 by Pelidoug

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#3 of 3)

In appearance, Lichmera indistincta – the brown honeyeater – is a strong contender for an “undesirable” title: Australia’s most plain/drab/nondescript honeyeater.

This species’ song, however, is widely considered the finest of any Australian honeyeater’s; clear recordings of it are here. (the second grab is the better one)

The pictured brown honeyeaters are young individuals who dine on pollen & nectar from plants that naturally occur only in southwest Western Australia.

However, brown honeyeaters are highly adaptable; they live across parts of all mainland Australian states and territories, except Victoria;

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#2 of 3)

Published October 31, 2024 by Pelidoug

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#2 of 3)

They are not at all closely related to Banksias, but so-called “grasstrees” – which are neither trees nor grasses – also sport spectacular “spikes”.

Each such spike is occasionally “clothed” with an enormous number of flowers.

A “grasstree” flower spike can soar two or more metres – sometimes straight-line vertically, sometimes contortedly.

All grasstrees are endemic to Australia; many species occur in very particular regions, but at least one kind naturally occurs in at least one of every Australian state or territory.

This post’s heroes are endemic to southwest WA.

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#1 of 3)

Published October 30, 2024 by Pelidoug

Wireless Hill – feathers & flower spikes (#1 of 3)

This little series celebrates a favourite place, as it was on Sunday, 27 October 2024 – our first fully-waking day after our return to home turf.

(coming soon to Pelican Yoga: a teaser-series devoted to two contrasting parts of Indonesia. One is very sparsely populated. The other is “our” planet’s most-populous large island )

”European” calendars suggest it is still springtime in Perth.

In fact, the world’s greatest substantial-city, entirely-natural springtime flower-show ended some weeks ago.

Here, however, some wonderful plants are in flower at any time of year…plants which naturally occur only in WA’s southwest.

This post’s hero is one of them.

Carnivore/ sexual deceiver (probably)/ bird-fanciers: Wireless Hill, Spring 2022.

Published September 14, 2022 by Pelidoug

Carnivore/ sexual deceiver (probably)/ bird-fanciers: Wireless Hill, Spring 2022.

Each of the headline’s descriptors applies to one or more of this post’s species – all blooming a deal less than a kilometre away from both a large shopping centre and one of Perth’s arterial roads.

For just about any “exceptional”, “extreme”, or “weird” form of flowering plant behaviour, southwestern Australia is the global hotspot.

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Birds, not bees: Wireless Hill, Spring 2022

Published September 12, 2022 by Pelidoug

Birds, not bees: Wireless Hill, Spring 2022

Unsurprisingly, southwestern Western Australia produces many different honeys, each deliciously distinct.

The most prized varieties are produced from rare, endemic species.

However, Western Australia’s southwest also has the world’s highest proportion of flowering plants that do not feed and/or seduce/deceive insect pollinators; these flowers (all, endemic species) favour birds.

(a few rely also/instead on particular, very small, also-endemic mammals)

WA’s floral emblem is bird-adapted.

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But birds are better than bees…

Published September 7, 2020 by Pelidoug

But birds are better than bees…

…at least if you are a Kangaroo Paw, seeking effective pollinators,

All Kangaroo Paw species primarily rely on birds; for them, bees are “useless”.

Kangaroo Paws are not alone in relying on vertebrate pollinators; in this respect, Australia’s southwest is the world leader.

And many West Australian plants that do rely on insect pollinators are “liars” – plants pretending to be “receptive” insects!

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Cat’s Paws are the bee’s knees

Published September 4, 2020 by Pelidoug

Cat’s Paws are the bee’s knees

…but bees are of little or no use to this – or any other – member of the Kangaroo Paw family!

A future post, coming soon, will explain why.

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Spring: uncommonly brief, unusually early

Published September 28, 2019 by Pelidoug

Spring: uncommonly brief, unusually early

The late September holiday weekend usually coincides with the peak of Perth’s annual springtime wildflower “explosion”.

Not in 2019: very low rainfall in August and September prompted many plants to flower early…or not at all.

At any time of year some things are in flower, but if you wish to experience Perth’s 2019 Spring wildflowers, head to places like this post’s destination very soon!

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Flower, decorated, Wireless Hill

Published September 17, 2018 by Pelidoug

Flower, decorated, Wireless Hill

How did this happen?

The answer, my friends, is…

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Wireless Hill: unplugged in 1968, flowerful now.

Published August 30, 2016 by Pelidoug

Wireless Hill: unplugged in 1968, flowerful now.

Garden City is a large, bland shopping centre. Inside, you could be anywhere. But an easy short walk away – “next door” – is a botanical wonderland that could be nowhere other than Australia’s southwest.

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