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.