Butterspoon Sunday Flower Walk

There was a fresh northwester blowing on what would have been a scorcher, so we stayed in the wind.

But first, during the week, I took a short cut through the farms and saw two Blue Cranes strutting down the road in front. I switched the engine off and coasted down, because, between their legs, something else caught my eye, a baby! They struggled to walk through the undergrowth, but the baby had no problem. Down to the water, and away they went. I'm told the babies can swim straight out of the egg!

Mom, Dad and baby Blue Crane

Back to today, the Nymphaea nouchali take their time to open! It looks as though the dragonfly is prying it open!

Nymphaea nouchali and dragonfly

Erica longifolia, spent flowers under the new ones:

Erica longifolia

We followed our patterans to find the little Erica similis, and as expected, the flowers are finished. 

Erica similis

What is this bush with the green berries, turning now to red?

Unknown shrub with berries

Erica pulchella are all over, vividly pink.

Erica pulchella

Erica coccinea in its yellow form

Erica coccinea

This is a different Erica, the pink is lighter, but the flowers are more dense.

Unknown Erica

Also all over, these Lobelia tomentosa make splashes of violet in the veld.

Lobelia tomentosa

The Star-grass Ficinia radiata are turning brown:

Ficinia radiata

The Watsonia schlechteri stand out in the veld like British soldiers in the Boer War!

Watsonia schlechteri

Another Roella incurva!

Roella incurva flower

Jenny says the name comes from the leaves which curve inwards:

Roella incurva stalk

And what is this shrub? There are lots of them. We thought they were Wild Almond Brabejum stellatifolium but the flowers are wrong!

Unknown bush

We did our check of the Agapanthus walshii, all look well. Close to the plant with two flowers picked, I noticed that the Helichrysum bushes had been stripped of flowers, so I suspect it was human activity :-( A bee was busy on these.  

Agapanthus walshii

I found a third Erica obluqua very close to the other two we've found, but combed the area and found no more.

Erica obliqua

Pippa stopped to sketch another pair of A. walshiis, these are much paler than the others. Last year this was forest.

Pippa and Blondie sketching Agapanthus walshii

Meanwhile I went off to check on the Fire lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa in the cycle track. The leaves look fine and the rock we put there is protecting them, but we'll have to wait for their striking flowers yet!

Cyrtanthus ventricosa leaves

The wind was making this bush show the undersides of its leaves, which looked out of place. It was quite far off the road, but it seemed worth going to look:

Butterspoon, Rooi Els, Cunonia capensis

The 'Butterspoon' gave it away immediately! Cunonia capensis! We've seen them growing next to a river, but here in the middle of a dry patch is unusual. It must be about 600mm (2') tall now, and it's surprising we haven't noticed it before.

Detail of the underside of the leaves and spoon-shaped stipule

It has some growing to do to reach the five or ten metres it can grow to!

The dogs were ready for a swim by the time we got back!

:-) A