Birds, Bees, Snakes, and Spiders

1. Lowland Copperhead Snake  (Austrelaps superbus) in Backyard

A family member sat down by our small pond to look for frogs only to find that a few feet away this Lowland Copperhead snake (Austrelaps superbus) was doing the same thing. I grabbed the camera to get a few shots. In the video you can see two frogs escape from the snake. It was fascinating to watch it as it slowly checked every nook and cranny among the pebbles. This is the condensed version. I was actually watching it for around half an hour. Please ignore the fact that my pond level is low and that is is taken over with Azolla :-)

(  Lowland Copperhead Snake - Click the play button)

2. Jumping Spider (Helpis minitabunda)
 
This Jumping Spider (Helpis minitabunda) was on a Cymbidium orchid in my backyard. It is known as the Threatening Jumping Spider.

(Jumping Spider - Click the play button)

3.  False Black Widow / Cupboard Spider - (Steatoda grossa)

Variously known as the Cupboard spider, the Dark comb-footed spider, the Brown house spider and the False black widow. It is related to the infamous Red-backed spider and the Black widow spider. I caught this one running across my kitchen bench. After a short photo shoot I released it in the garden.

  ( False Black Widow / Cupboard Spider - Click the play button)

4.  Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis)

Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis)  at Calverts Lagoon, Tasmania. See if you can spot the poor wee one legged one. Hope you don't find the music too annoying but to me it just seemed to fit. :-)

  (Red-necked Stints - Click the play button)

5.  Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

The European, Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) was first found in the Tasmania in 1992. It is now well established in much of the state in both urban and natural environments. These were filmed in my backyard. They are also known as the Large earth bumblebee.  I was in a silly mood when I chose the background music. Hope you enjoy it.

  (Buff-tailed Bumblebee - Click the play button)

Thank You!
Since September I've gone from about 12 subscribers on my YouTube channel to over 160. Thank you all very much for your support and encouragement. If you have not yet subscribed please consider doing so, as not all of my videos appear on this blog. If you are logged in with your google account you simply need to use the YouTube/Subscribe button below.

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Australian Fur Seals, a Magpie, and a Cactus Flower Time Lapse

1. Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) at Stanley

At Stanley in Tasmania there is a small rocky island known as Bull rock. It is a haul-out or resting spot for hundreds of Australian fur seals. We went on the Stanley Seal Cruise to get a closer look.

( Australian Fur Seals - Click the play button)

2. Australian (Tasmanian) Mapie (Cracticus tibicen hypoleuca)
 
There are thought to be nine subspecies of the Australian magpie. The subspecies once known as the White-backed magpie has itself been split into five. According to Wikipedia, Cracticus tibicen hypoleuca now refers to a small white-backed subspecies with a short compact bill and short wings, found on King and Flinders Islands, as well as Tasmania. Some refer to this as the Tasmanian Magpie.

(Tasmanian Magpie - Click the play button)

3. Time Lapse of a Cactus Flower Opening

This is my first attempt at a flower time lapse. The cactus is, I believe, Echinopsis schickendantzii. If you are not into flowers then you may enjoy watching the caterpillar at the left. I didn't notice it until I watched the video :-)  This is the same cactus that I posted a couple of weeks ago. It got a second lot of flowers so I thought I'd try and get a time lapse. I learned a lot along the way like making sure I have a spare battery charged up :-)

  (Cactus Time Lapse - Click the play button)

Thank You!
Since September I've gone from about 12 subscribers on my YouTube channel to over 160. Thank you all very much for your support and encouragement. If you have not yet subscribed please consider doing so, as not all of my videos appear on this blog. If you are logged in with your google account you simply need to use the YouTube/Subscribe button below.

I hope you enjoy the video.

 Click the button below to subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Linked to Saturday's Critters
Linked to Wild Bird Wednesday