I think we’ve had these images before, but since naturalcynic expressed dismay at the lack of close ups of the condor, here’s the next smaller bird I have to offer: Norbert, a European griffin vulture. According to one of the falconers he takes a much more direct approach to food than “waiting until you drop dead”.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
I personally think his feather collar is just so posh.
I present a triune of lizards for your eyes. For some of you, a lizard may be no big deal, but I come from a land where lizards are rare, and the only ones we have are tiny and brown (but very cute!).
Lizard number 1 was hiding out in bright sunlight on some flat rocks, when I nearly stepped on it.
See if you can spot it:
I am invisible…
The dramatic reveal below the fold…
More fun than fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack and I haven’t really wandered too far from home this week because fibromyalgia and damp weather don’t get along, but that just gives us a chance to check out the changes in our own neighbourhood. These mushrooms for example weren’t here earlier this week. Must be all the rain we’ve had. I’m not familiar with this variety of fungus, but they look to me like more fun than fungus.
A wee birdie.
At Amnéville they built a “Medieval Arena” to show their birds of prey, which has the advantage of high ramparts that allow them to fly even larger birds.
There’s going to be more pics, but the first bord was my absolute favourite because how can you top a South American Condor?
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
Most of the cornfields around us have been cut down and readied for spring, but there are always a few farms that leave the stalks insitu over winter. I’m not a farmer and have no idea why, but today I was grateful to find something/anything that wasn’t a dirt bare, wet brown field.
The last rose of October, ©voyager, all rights reserved
October roses are always a welcome sight, but this bright pink beauty is the last one left in my garden. There are no new buds left and the plant is getting ready to go to sleep for the winter. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could sleep through winter. I have enough of a fat pad to survive hibernation for a few months and it might be nice to avoid the days upon days of darkness and cold. On the other hand, I would also miss Jack pouncing like a cat into snowbanks and making happy faces full of frost. Winter is Jack’s favourite season. He loves the cold and would stay outside for hours if only someone stayed with him. He has been known to crawl into the creek when it’s full of floating ice and drift downstream with a look close to ecstasy on his face. Jack’s fur is very seal-like. Only the outside hairs get wet and even when he’s been in the water for an hour the downy hairs below stay dry. He also has a bit of a fat pad and a big buoyant chest and, like all labs, his feet are webbed. The boy is built for swimming in the cold and he loves it.
Ah…that’s better. See what I did there? I just gave myself a reason to look forward to winter. I promise I’ll share pictures so you can have a reason to look forward to winter too.
It’s damp and drizzly again and while I might not like the weather there are certainly things that thrive when it’s moist outside. Fungus for example. Jack and I haven’t been to the forest in a few days and I was surprised to see this big bright piece of flaming fungus grown so large in 3 days. I swear it wasn’t there on Friday. It fits right in with the October colours all around it, but I didn’t expect to see fungus in a frilly orange party dress.
Flaming Fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Pretty orange frills, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Oversized kittens
Ready?
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Look, look, I’m climbing a tree!
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Fuck, I actually climbed a tree.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Thank goodness. Mum said if they have to call the firefighters again I’m grounded. Literally.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
These incredible photos were sent to us by Avalus. The first time I saw them I just sat there scrolling back and forth taking in more and more detail. The first shot is all about camouflage, but after that it’s all about standing out. It’s a wonder filled study of a beautiful creature. Avalus says,
this encounter I found the most impressing. It was a really large dragonfly, just sitting on a mossy patch of sidewalk in the botanical garden of my University. She did not mind me in the slightest and I could take pictures from a few centimetres away.
She did stick her abdomen in the moss repeatedly, so maybe she layed eggs? There was a pond-flowerbed maybe 20 cm away.
The finger is for size, I did not touch her.
As you can see in picture 11, it is a beauty and a beast (if you happen the be a insect)!
Avalus, thank you so much for sharing.
libelle 1, ©Avalus, all rights reserved
This dose of extreme animal cuteness comes from David in Oz who says,
And now for something completely different, I give you the white kangaroos of Bordertown. (http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2015/08/19/4296371.htm)
Shot these pics a week ago, just in time to catch a joey with mum. Enjoy
Well, they certainly are something completely different and I can’t stop smiling at the photos. In the second to last picture it looks to me as if mama has heard a rude word and is gently covering her joey’s ears. Thanks for sharing, David.
©David Brindley, all rights reserved
Last year we didn’t really have too much of an autumn show of colour. Instead, most trees just went from green to brown to leafless. This year, though, autumn is glorious and all the trees are wearing their best, bright party dresses. Jack and I invite you to join us as we stroll around our neighbourhood and look at all the pretty October colour.
Just starting to colour up
OK, it’s just one more spider, but (s)he’s beautiful. This one came to us from Avalus who says,
I found this spider in August when I was riding home from work under the lit handrail of a pedestrian bridge. She had many moths woven in silk hanging just under the rail, so it seems she picked a good spot. She did not like the flash too much. I think it is a common orbweaver (Kreuzspinne – “cross spider” in german).
Photos are below the fold. The detail in the second shot is outstanding. Thanks for sharing, Avalus. [Read more…]
This week’s Friday Feathers come from Nightjar who writes this:
These sanderlings briefly landed in front of me during a relaxed walk on the beach, understandably I was not carrying the 500mm lens with me. I took these with the 50mm, and then I cropped and cropped some more, and then I pretended I meant to compose the images like this all along because sand and seawater are pretty too. :D
I completely agree that the composition IS beautiful and I sympathise with “if only I had the other lens”. I am wondering, are sanderlings related to starlings?
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved