As I focus on this Red Tail moth, it appears to be focusing in turn on my camera lens. Continue reading “Focus”
Once upon a time, not long ago and not far away, a White Starred Robin visited our garden pond. If I had the powers to understand the language of robins, what might I learn? Continue reading “The understorey: The tale of the White Starred Robin”
It wasn’t just a discrete little tap, tap, tap on the window frame, it was a very loud and insistent hammering. The first time I heard it early in the morning I thought what an inconsiderate visitor this is. It must be an emergency. Continue reading “A woodpecker at the window”
The appealing Wood Owl is one of the species of raptors that occur in our neighbourhood. Raptors are generally beneficial to us humans because they prey on species that, if their numbers get out of hand, can become problematic to us, in both urban and rural settings. Continue reading “Raptors, rat poisons and us”
Previously, I have highlighted birds that are daily visitors to our garden. By contrast the Bush Blackcap and the Swee Waxbill appear to be infrequent or very discreet visitors. Continue reading “Fleeting garden visitors: The Bush Blackcap and the Swee Waxbill”
Brightening up our mini-grassland this autumn are the seeded plumes of the Golden Bristle Grass. Not only do they catch our eye, but they also catch the attention of seed-eating birds. Continue reading “For the birds: Grass going to seed in the autumn garden”
I was photographing this Common River Frog in the small water feature in our garden. Imagine my surprise when it blinked! Continue reading “Surprise! The frog that blinked”
Unlike the emperor in the Hans Christian Andersen story, Emperor Moths are gorgeously clad with no need to hire any tailors, deceptive or otherwise. Continue reading “The Emperor (Moth) has new clothes”
Here is a serendipitous juxtaposition: a longhorned beetle on our patch of New Zealand spinach. I use the word serendipitous because it was unforeseen and opportune, and because serendipitous has a great positive ring to it. Continue reading “An unexpected guest: A longhorned beetle in the spinach patch”
