Stripes in the swan plant - a most welcome Monarch caterpillar

Almost hidden - white, yellow and black stripes - I had begun to wonder if I would see any this season...

A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar surrounded by its food, the leaves of a swan plant.  Swan plants belong to the milkweed family, so called because of the milky sap, and they are often planted here specifically to provide for the very fussy Monarch caterpillars.  They feed almost exclusively on milkweed plants in order to get cardenolides, a type of cardiac glycoside, which they accumulate in their bodies.  Apparently this is required for successful pupation and transformation into the beautiful butterflies.  It is also a toxic substance - these plants are not for human consumption! 

In the small beastie world dramatic and eye-catching appearance often signals a kind of "eat me if you dare" message and generally means that being noxious to eat is their survival strategy.  Unfortunately for the Monarch cat (as enthusisasts call them), accumulating a toxic substance in your body doesn't stop some wasps, soldier bugs and the odd praying mantis from eating you.

Monarch butterflies are self-introduced to New Zealand - they appear to have island-hopped on the way and were first recorded here in 1873.  Their feats of flight are amazing.  And their severe decline in their native North America and Mexico is alarming.  So - having inspected a few swan plants and failed to see any sign of Monarch caterpillars this summer, it was a real treat for me to catch a glimpse of this one and a few siblings, all looking quite plump and close to pupating.

Milkweed or the Asclepiadoideae is a large family of plants with only a handful available in NZ. It is the host plant for the Monarch butterfly, which lays its eggs on the plant, and then the caterpillars begin to eat the leaves.

It is named for its milky juice, which contains alkaloids, latex, and several other complex compounds including cardenolides. Some species are known to be toxic. However, do not get the plant family confused with plants such as dandelion, sow thistles, portulaca and Euphorbia species etc. – all of which also have a milky sap.

- See more at: http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/species/monarchs/monarch-host-plants/milkweed/#sthash.198sgwKl.dpuf

Red algae (seaweeds) - not always red and not weedy

Names can be a problem.  Seaweeds are really important to our survival - producing half the oxygen we breathe, for a start.  But although "weed" is a term used for aquatic plants with no negatives implied, the word is more often used to describe problem plants - unwanted, bothersome ones that turn up where we don't want them and compete with the ones we do want.  And weedy can mean a bit pathetic, feeble. 

But put on a lightbox, the beauty of these overlooked plants is evident.

Plocamium microcladioides, I think, with characteristic side branchlets in alternating series of three.  Yes, it is this red naturally.

Polysiphonia strictissima with its lovely feathery looking branches and soft fine tips.  And yes, it is a red alga too - but the colour can vary from reddish brown to rich crimson, fading to yellow-brown.

A small sample indeed - there are about 900 seaweeds in New Zealand, many as yet not even named.  There is so much to explore and learn about the world around us!

A busy buff-tailed bumblebee on purple heliotrope flowers

I do enjoy bumblebees - their big hairy bodies and apparently slower flight give the impression that they are much calmer than the zippy focused honey bee.  And their movements can appear rather comical and awkward - they do seem to bumble along.  This one has been busy - it has collected a large clump of orange pollen on its hind leg, in what is often called the "pollen basket."

In addition to the pleasure I get from noticing and photographing, I enjoy learning new things. 

I didn't know that bumblebees belong to the genus Bombus (I love how that name fits them) and they come from the Northern Hemisphere and South America.  They were introduced here - four species of bumblebee were brought to New Zealand in 1885 and 1906 specifically to pollinate red clover, the first time any country imported an insect for this purpose.  The large earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is the most widespread species here.  It is also called the buff-tailed bumblebee.  So that is what this one is, and why the stripe on the end of its hairy abdomen looks paler than I expected! 

Another pleasure - the wonderful vanilla-spice scent of the purple heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens), which comes from Peru and is also called cherry pie plant.  I have never had a cherry pie, so don't know what it would smell like.  But these flowers smell lovely to me. 

The bee also seemed to find these flowers very attractive - I had a happy time watching its bumbling busy-ness, a feeling that is very familiar to me at present.

Weird clouds at sunset - pink and lenticular

Dramatic and a bit spooky - at sunset last night.

Lenticular clouds (altocumulus lenticularis) catching the pink from the sunset and looming over Island Bay.  Their distinctive shapes are often likened to alien spacecraft - the more circular ones look like the classic "flying saucer."

These dramatic clouds usually arise from the impact of mountains or hills on the flow of a relatively moist air-stream - they behave a bit like speed bumps in the road, causing a kind of bouncing up and down movement of the air flow which is sometimes called a "gravity wave."  The clouds form on the upside of this wave flow as the rising air cools.  Other phenomena such as tall thunderclouds or winds created by a front can also act as barriers which set off this wave-like air movement, but are a much less common cause of lenticular cloud formation.

Spectacular lenticular formations are often photographed on tall mountains like Mt Shasta in the USA.  Here on Wellington's south coast we don't have any tall mountains but we do have a great combination of frequent strong winds and nearby low mountain ranges - a good nursery for these interesting clouds.  A compensation for the recent turbulent weather.

An elegant thug - Lonicera japonica

Seen in the early morning, glowing in the shadows of a dense hedge - elegant white flowers and buds.  Alas, they belong to an introduced plant which is so successful at spreading and taking over that it has achieved a position on the New Zealand Pest Plant Accord as an unwanted species.

A very vigorous vine - Lonicera japonica, or Japanese honeysuckle. 

The paired flowers turn a creamy yellow as they age and are followed by little black berries.  Birds enjoy the berries then spread the seeds far and wide.  But that's not all - it is a climbing plant but also an effective groundcover, and the shoots root and take over more and more ground.  The flowers have a lovely fragrance and can look quite beautiful when seen close up.  But if you step back, you can see the thuggish nature of this honeysuckle.  Despite being in dense shade in a thick hedge this plant was looking well on its way to taking over. 

Fortunately there are many climbers with scented flowers that are better behaved.  So we are not left bereft if we get rid of plants with such aggressive tendencies.  And there is a helpful booklet that lists some of our native plant options, with regional variations - Plant Me Instead .  A great resource!

Colouring up - sunset and streaky clouds (cirrus radiatus)

The high streaky clouds - cirrus radiatus - tonight caught the light of the sunset (the sun was setting to the right and behind the viewer) and made a lovely pink sunburst pattern over the Orongorongos. 

Looking across Island Bay - you can see the beach and the fishing boats and the closest arm of the island, Taputeranga - towards Baring Head.  Everything is in the pink! 

Looking right, closer to the brilliance of the setting sun, the colour in the clouds is more intense.

Cirrostratus clouds - a bright abstract of pinks, golds, oranges and soft blue.  A summer sunset and promise of another lovely day.

The clouds are clearing over Island Bay - again

A new year and familiar patterns - another southerly front is clearing beyond Taputeranga and out to sea beyond Baring Head.  Summer so far has delivered a lot of unsettled weather and vivid contrasts - warm northerlies, cold southerlies, bright sunny days and bleak grey ones.

Never boring, but some consistent warmth would be a treat!

Summer mist over Island Bay

We are getting plenty of summer rain due to repeated collisions of warm moist air from the north with the cool southerlies.  Swirling mists also form, around the hills and along the coast.  In the late afternoon there was a pattern of pale blues - clouds softening the sky and mist shrouding the view across Island Bay beyond Taputeranga to Baring Head, giving an air of mystery - what lies beyond?  is the route safe?  (Whenever I see mist swirling around the jagged rocks of Taputeranga I think of how this island was a refuge for people of Ngati Ira, sheltering there from danger that did in the end overtake them.)

All of this seems to me an apt reminder.  The year is almost over.  What we all do is important for the future of this good earth and the life it supports.  Our view of the future is misty, but we can have some awareness about our impact right now.  Are we prepared to focus on this, to take notice and really see?  How conscious are we of the route we are taking?  Are we clear about the choices we are making? 

We can hope for safety, that we can find a way to care properly for our precious planet.  But there are hazards - we can become befuddled and not see what is around us, in the way that the mist obscures the sharpness of the rocks.  For me the mist is a dramatic reminder to have clarity of intention - caring for life and the earth that supports it - and to have this intention act as a compass to guide me.

Bristly but calming - blue borage

It is oddly stressful at the end of the year with preparations for Christmas and other festivals plus summer holidays for students and a lot of workers.  It all suggests that we will be having a great time.  And many people are.  But there are lots of pressures too and it can be hard to just quietly enjoy the season.  Time for some calming I think, and the blue flowers of borage do it well for me.

Borage (Borago officinalis) flowers have a delicacy that contrasts with the bristly appearance of the plant - the white hairs are very prominent on the stems and buds.  The leaves are edible and taste quite like cucumber but they are a bit too hairy and textured for me to use in that way.  The flowers are also edible, and quite charming in a salad or floating in a drink.  My childhood recall is that they turned from blue to a bit pink in lemonade, like litmus, but that could just be a fanciful reconstruction.  I think I might make some lemonade and see what happens.

Christmas crimson - bougainvillea this time

I just made a brief visit to Auckland where the warmer, more humid, and less windy climate fosters lush and vibrant plant growth.  Ah, the trees!  And more Christmas crimson (or carmine perhaps?)...

Bougainvillea in flower - this close-up shows the tiny true flowers in clusters of three, surrounded by brilliantly coloured bracts.  A splash of colour for our summer Christmas.