The arrangement of a spider’s eyes can be a valuable identification feature, wolf spiders have eight, arranged in three rows of four, two, and two. One photo can’t show them all, so here are two shots of the big individual still very much at home in the strawberry patch, spending many of the daylight hours sunning itself at the burrow entrance.

Showing the first two rows.

One eye of the third row.

From a big one to a small one, a Holoplatys jumper, pity about the background.

The Hakea laurina is in full flower and producing nectar for birds and insects. This little Boatman Fly, genus Pognortalis has been taking advantage, note the globule of nectar which it is apparently concentrating in a manner similar to some bees.

And on the Omeo Gum a cluster of green lacewing eggs.

For several months a Little Corella has been living in the garden, until fairly recently always on foot, and never on the wing. It has been making a comfortable living, supplemented by seed put out by the sympathetic humans from the house. It has always appeared healthy, and climbs a tree to roost for the night. Gradually it has become able to take off, at first flying for just a few metres close to the ground, and now it can gain enough height to land in a tree, nevertheless it still prefers to walk as it goes about its business. Whether this state of affairs has been caused by an injury that is slowly healing, or simply a loss of flight feathers is unknown, it will be interesting to see if it eventually gains full mobility and joins its free ranging comrades. Meanwhile, bird seed remains on the shopping list. Click to enlarge.