Yes we do love to be beside the seaside. Wild it can be, but for holiday purposes those of us who are relatively well-heeled prefer it to be domesticated, and so we import urban comforts and infrastructure, profoundly altering the nature of the coast. Continue reading “The suburban seaside”
I found this photo of seagulls and terns when writing my post on the suburbanisation of the seaside. It was taken last year at a beach in the Western Cape, South Africa. Continue reading “Weekly Photo Find: Birds on the shoreline”
This well-known South African plant probably needs little introduction as it is cultivated in many countries across the world. I was surprised to learn that it is the floral emblem of the city of Los Angeles. Continue reading “The iconic strelizia”
As the Weekly Photo Challenge series has come to an end, I thought I’d still like to post a single photo each week, alongside one of my usual posts. Continue reading “Weekly Photo Find: Red-headed Finch”
The Processionary Caterpillars are out in full force again this autumn, providing easy pickings for this female African Emerald Cuckoo. Continue reading “African Emerald Cuckoo feasts on hairy caterpillars”
Well, it is a surprise that the Weekly Photo Challenge comes to an end this week. Over the years this series has in itself been a favourite, and it has inspired and connected many bloggers on WordPress. Continue reading “New horizons”
The autumn air has a special clarity and the sunlight a special golden quality. At this time of the year butterflies and other insects are particularly noticeable. Continue reading “Clarity in autumn: Insects and other discoveries”
These two young elephants were jousting near a water hole. As they pushed and shoved they often raised their trunks and twisted them together during their good-natured wrestling. Continue reading “Trunks playfully twisted”
My next-door neighbour told me about these mantids in a rose bush in his garden. Three of them have taken up residence in a pink-flowering rosebush and have been there for over a week. Continue reading “In the pink: Flower mantids in the garden”
