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The days are long now, and the nights short. |
Frogmouth is in its sleek summer coat. |
| Lifting foliage wires to support the growing canes is an easy task when done at the right time. There is a lot of walking involved, however and if the vines grow faster than we can follow it suddenly becomes hard work. |  |
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Flowering now comes to an end and little berries form. They are of even size when pollination and fruit set have been good. |
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Few and uneven 'hen and chicken' berries form when wind and rain have interfered with pollination or if the vines are short of certain nutrients. |  |
By now the caterpillars have done their worst: every caterpillar has eaten a few leaves! |
denuded cane with vine moth caterpillar |
caterpillar of the grape vine hawk moth |
vine moth caterpillar in defence |
a predatory shield bug has killed a vine moth caterpillar |
They are big and fat now, but very few survive to become butterflies and moths. |
a vine moth caterpillar has been killed by a predatory shield bug |
caterpillar of the grape vine hawk moth |
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus) visiting vineyard weeds.
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Some of the beautiful creatures to be seen. | Australian Grapevine Moth (Phalaenoides glycinae) |
Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) |
A rare visitor, blown in from the north: Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus) |
Common Brown female (Heteronympha merope) |
Australian Grapevine Moth (Phalaenoides glycinae)
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Most of them just visit the vineyard but their caterpillars live on other host plants. | Common Brown female (Heteronympha merope) |
And some of their deadly enemies. |
Predatory Shield Bug (Cermatulus nasalis), a vicious killer of wine moth caterpillars. |
Cream-spotted Ichneumon (Echthromorpha intricatoria).  |
Cream-spotted Ichneumon (Echthromorpha intricatoria).  |
Australian Garden Orb Weaver ( Eriophora transmarina) |
Spiders are very interesting creatures and on closer observation lose their alarming aspects. |
Six spined Christmas or jewel spider (Austracantha minax). |
And yes, I get bitten from time to time, and it is as bad as a mosquito bite! |
A Badge Huntsman Spider (Neosparassus diana) lurking in a folded vine leaf. |
| And watching spiders is much more fun than shoot thinning. | Garden wolf spider, (Lycosa godeffroyi) |
a native dung beetle (Onthophagus pentacanthus). A welcome helper with soil management and fly reduction. |
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This is also the time when our tortoises are found wandering through the vineyard, burying their eggs in moist soil. |
One of the many robber flies with its prey |
Towards the end of the month the shoots suddenly become blunt and growth slows down. The vine canopy has reached its mature size and shape. Hyacinth orchids, (Dipodium punctatum) are in flower. |
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| A rare visitor: red winged stick insect. It hatched on a white Stringybark tree. |  |
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| © Sarsfield Estate |  |
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