The Watsonia is yet another S African native that has successfully migrated across the Indian Ocean to my home State. (And is also another one classified as a ‘weed’ here).
It is an annual and dies off in Summer but regrows from new bulbs each Spring . It has large long sword-like leaves (as do many members of the Iris Family) and tall (over 6ft/1.8m) flower stems that can produce a dozen or more flowers per stem from a single bulb.
The local Honey-eaters love them and can seem quite comical if three or more birds try to land on the one stem at the same time as the stalk makes a slow bend to the horizontal which then flings back upright as a bird flies off giving the remaining one a ‘slingshot’ 🙂
(Click on the pics to open in a new window and click again to see full size detail) 🙂
“Go on Ralph – Higher!”
link to:
Cee’s Flower of the Day – November 27, 2018 – Tulip
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love. ❤
BLob's Blog 
What a beautiful “weed”! I am a birder. I think if/when I visit Australia, I will just go crazy. Those honeyeaters are gorgeous. We have nothing like them in the US.
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We do have some doozies down here for sure, From Massive Emu’s and Vicious (deadly!) Cassowary’s through all kinds of Cockatoos and Cockatiels down to Splendid Fairy Wrens – and the odd penguin! 🙂
Those in the photo are New Holland (early name for part of Oz) Honeyeaters and are gorgeous – i have a couple of videos of them grouped around my birdbath – do a search on my blog for ‘Honeyeater’. 🙂
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Well, I learnt something today – I had NO idea you were in Australia.
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Could yer not tell from me accent, Mate?? 😉
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No, I missed it – silly me 😂
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No – you’re Good! – It’s just an affectation mostly, i was brung up proper in Stoke, Staffs till i was 11 when my parents had the good sense to move to someplace warmer. 😉 (Perth)
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Such an impact for a small flower 😀
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Interesting capture. The birds look so interesting climbing on this stem!
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I get a front row seat from my computer desk in the lounge room! 🙂 These little guys always make me smile.
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I am so grateful to WordPress for opening the world like this to me. I know I will never be able to travel to Australia, and your photos of the honeyeater and the watsonia are precious. I think we have watsonia here, but no honeyeaters!!! What a wonderful name for a bird. I will go back to your honeyeater blog pages.
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