Category Archives: Flora/Fauna

Jan 01 2020
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Salt lick

Tuesday 31st December 2019, 10.55am (day 3,050)

Salt lick, 31/12/19

It’s been four years since I even tried to go out for the bells on New Year’s Eve and have stopped seeing it as a particularly ceremonial day. So let’s see a small cur licking what nourishment it can off the ground as a (possible) metaphor for the year as a whole. Or whatever… Happy New Year in any case.

My favourite photo of 2019? This one of Clare and Joe at the volcanic outburst of Hverir in Iceland. An extraordinary place, and the shot is also very pleasing — one of those times when I just noticed the chance for a good long zoom that for once stayed in focus and worked out.

Dec 24 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Five geese

Tuesday 24th December 2019, 11.05am (day 3,043)

Five geese, 24/12/19

These geese entered my viewfinder then began all lining up at the side of the canal for no reason I could establish for a minute or two. Then I realised they were getting to the side because a narrowboat was coming down. So these guys/geese are probably just looking irritated because they had to shuffle out of the way. Still, it could be worse — many of their relatives will be on dinner plates tomorrow.

Tagged , , , , , , ,
Dec 21 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Pigeon battalion

Friday 20th December 2019, 1.20pm (day 3,039)

Pigeon battalion, 20/12/19

A veritable battalion of pigeons, in tidy military formation (well, most of them), line up on the roof of the White Swan for the next instalment in the ongoing pigeon/duck war. Recent infiltrations must have provided promising intelligence. The person in the hat walks over the bridge all indifferent, but I have been observing.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Dec 16 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Chilli flower

Monday 16th December 2019, 1.15pm (day 3,035)

Chilli flower, 16/12/19

Enough of this greyness. Let there be blues! And greens! And a flower! All happily grabbing a dose of afternoon sunshine on the comfort of our window sill. Destined to be habaneros, if all grows as it should.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Dec 12 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

The dragon watches

Wednesday 11th December 2019, 3.15pm (day 3,030)

Celtic dragon, 11/12/19

2019 has had a number of interesting work trips, at least, but this is the last of the year; my second visit to the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) conference, which as it always is, is being held in the highly corporate Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport, south Wales. This hefty dragon sculpture stands somewhere in the complex, looking out over the M4, in case any passing motorists were tempted to wonder what country they were in. A sensation I am starting to sympathise with, in fact.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Dec 11 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Winter blossom

Tuesday 10th December 2019, 3.05pm (day 3,029)

Winter blossom, 10/12/19

Today was one of those grim December days where it never seems to get light at all. Ragged and shadowed though it is, this winter flowering cherry blossoms at this time each year in its little courtyard under this fire escape, and does its best to lighten the gloom.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Nov 30 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Farewell to the Kayu Arum

Friday 29th November 2019, 11.30am (day 3,018)

Kayu Arum flowers, 29/11/19

The last picture from my week in Indonesia, and the fourth one to be taken in the grounds of the Kayu Arum hotel, this time by the swimming pool. Yes, it would be nice if the blue line at the top were parallel with the rest, but hey. This blog is not a commercial venture so any endorsement I offer of a place or company is purely based on my own opinions — and this was a damn fine hotel, peaceful (once the weekend family groups had departed, anyway: and the early morning call to prayer was done), beautiful gardens, good food, etc. etc. If you’re in Salatiga I highly recommend it. Indeed I recommend the place as a whole; I haven’t had face-to-face engagement with a non-Indonesian all week, and feel my life has been better for it. Time to head home, however. Until the next trip.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Nov 28 2019
1 Comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

In flight

Wednesday 27th November 2019, 12.10pm (day 3,016)

Butterfly in flight, 27/11/19

Yes, I know, that makes two insects in a row. But despite visiting the temple of Borobudur today (impressive…) and an Indonesian football match (esoteric…) — I can’t avoid using this one. How often does one capture a butterfly not only in flight, but in focus. I’m rather proud of this picture.

Incidentally this is taken at least 5,000 feet (1,600m or so) above sea level, at the Ketep Pass, east of Borobudur.

Tagged , , , , , , ,
Nov 26 2019
1 Comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Local insect life

Tuesday 26th November 2019, 8.20am (day 3,015)

Scary ant, 26/11/19

Was determined to get a picture for today that wasn’t one I could have taken at home, or indeed just about anywhere else in the world. And, for sure, we don’t get critters like this in England. I woke up yesterday having been covered in bites from some man-eating insect or other while I slept: it won’t have been this one, but looking at those mandibles, I’m thankful for small mercies, at least.

Tagged , , , , , , ,
Nov 21 2019
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Mancunian squirrel

Thursday 21st November 2019, 12.20pm (day 3,010)

Manchester squirrel, 21/11/19

This squirrel and I were both out for a lunch break on campus today. He (or she) was busy gathering materials for the winter — I was trying to avoid work as much as possible. (But only for that 20 minutes.)

Tagged , , , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →