The weather is uncomfortably hot at the moment and they have forecast a late afternoon thunder storm which we need to clear this oppressive air.  The heat does not deter the busy, minuscule working insects whether it be building nests or searching for nectar and pollen.

This Cabbage white butterfly [Pieris rapae] was obliging and posed for me for a little while. This butterfly is incredibly delicate looking with a lovely large dotted eye with  a hint of blue.  They are considered to be pests though and the caterpillars eat cabbages, cauliflowers, brussels sprouts and broccoli.  They are relative newcomers to Australia, believed to have arrived in the 1930s and are now found all over much of Australia.

There was a lot of activity going on where I saw lots of tiny tufted tyrant ants.  Well, at least I think that’s what they are and they look as if they have just started building a nest.

This guy was completely by himself and perhaps needed some “time out” from the colony – Native Paper Wasp Ropalidia revolutionalis

This critter is really tiny and every one I have seen is on an Allamanda flower.  I’m not sure what he is – some kind of katydid nymph maybe?

The flowers are blooming on the mock orange hedge and I liked the way the petals were curling in this one.

Just before I went back inside, I noticed a pair of my favourite pale-headed rosellas on the feeding bell but they are very flightly and took off to the fence as soon as they saw me but I managed to get one of the pair from a couple of angles.  The plumage on these birds is magnificent and they are such gentle, shy birds – I adore them and love to see them get their share of the seed bell when the lorikeets are not around.

Now it’s back inside before that thunder storm arrives.