The second annual marine bioblitz was a blast. Organised the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie, with the help from UNSW staff and PhD students. Local school students are invited to explore the rockpools and surrounding coastal flora and fauna. I am always impressed by the connection and curiosity many of the students show during their time among the rockpools. It is great to help create that connection if they haven't had the chance before!
Thomas @thebeachcomber Mesaglio emotes and gives 100 teenage and younger students a rousing speech to get them all enthusiastic about nature and biodiversity. (I later told them that you don't have to be quite as hairy to be a pro-level naturalist, but the camera around the neck is completely necessary).
Despite it being late in the season (and a marine focus bioblitz..) I was excited by some of the butterflies still fluttering about and occasionally landing for a photo. Quite a few new ones I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting before! Just for fun, see if you can find the two in this gallery that are not butterflies..
From top left: This Glasswing (Acraea andromacha) was saved by a Nature School student from drowning in a rockpool, they dried their wings on her face and flew off! Yellow-spotted Jezabel (Delias nysa) this observation made all the sweeter because Thomas has not seen this one yet. Hairy-line Blue (Erysichton lineatus). Large Purple-line Blue (Nacaduba berenice) laying their eggs. First not butterfly - meet Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (Spoladea recurvalis). Orange Palm Dart (Cephrenes augiades). Sometimes they do not land and you just have to be lucky to get the required features in a blurry image like this one - Large Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe). Narrow-banded Awl (Hasora khoda). And... the second non-butterfly! Wanted to put this one in as they're so radical in colouration and name - meet Ronaldothrombium - a member of the Family Trombidiidae True Velvet Mites
This birds nest fungi was a highlight. Cyathus sp.
And this Stinkhorn fungus clearly wants some attention too.. Phallus multicolor.
The full range of observations from Port Macquarie can be seen in the iNaturalist project here.
For some reason, Thomas took an unfortunate tumble down a cliff but fortunately no bones were broken.