Category Archives: Animals

Gooseneck Barnacles

January 20, 2014Animals, Field TripGooseneck Barnacles, marineJoe Lipson

[Update] – The source of the pumice is likely to be from the 2012 Havre Seamount eruption 800km NE of New Zealand. The eruption of this undersea volcano produced floating rafts of pumice estimated to be up 26,000 km²! Thanks for the info Matt!

These shelled creatures are known as Gooseneck barnacles. They were covering the recently washed up pumice on Elizabeth beach. Many of them were still alive, you could see them extending their fan like fronds.

Pumice forms in violent volcanic eruptions with explosive ejections of magma that cool so quickly that they solidify with fine bubbles of gas throughout. The resulting rock is of such low density that floats on water. The volcano that this pumice came from must have been a long way away, nothing like that near the east coast of Australia.

Male Eastern Spinebill

December 2, 2013Animalsbird, eastern spinebill, male, Native, yardJoe Lipson

I’ve done a previous post on the Eastern Spinebill , I just wanted to share a new photo, this time of a male. As often seems to be the case in nature the male is more striking than the female, I guess they need to impress, and it’s not like they can buy a fancy car.

Male Eastern Spinebill – what a hansom devil

King Parrot

December 1, 2013Animals"Alisterus scapularis", "king parrot", bird, NativeJoe Lipson

Alisterus scapularis

The King Parrot is another common bird in the the area that I was oblivious to until recently. It was my next door neighbor that pointed them out to me. I reckon the name suits, they are a medium to large bird, 43cm in length, males have a striking red colouring over their head, breast and underside and have deep green wings. Females are the same size with similar colouring but with green heads.

King Parrots are frequent visitors to our yard, I had one land on my hand to eat some birdseed last week.

King Parrot sitting on my bike handle bar grip

Ant Fight! ( Sugar ant v. Black ants )

November 10, 2013Animalsants, black ant, Camponotus consobrinus, Ochetellus glaber, sugar antJoe Lipson

Camponotus consobrinus (sugar) and Ochetellus glaber (black)

I was taking the 2 boys for a walk down to the river on the weekend when we came across a lone sugar ant in the middle of a swarm of about 20 tiny black ants on a patch of exposed sandstone. At first it looked like the small black ants were teaming up to attack the sugar ant, but after watching them for a while it was clear the sugar and was not trying to get away, and was in fact chasing and attacking the much smaller black ants!

The black ants were fast, but the sugar ant was nimble, twisting and turning to catch the black ants in it’s large mandibles. Sometimes a black ant would latch into the sugar ants leg but it didn’t seem to cause the sugar ant much trouble, it would be kicked or nipped of in pretty short order. Eventually all the black ants were gone, all fled, and the sugar ant was left patrolling the rock. It was a good match up.

Sugar ants are common in the area, they’re found around the garden and in the bush. They are largish, around 20mm, but apparently they do not have a sting like some other ants, their bite can be felt but it’s not painful.

In Garigal

Observations in Garigal National Park