Category Archives: Flora/Fauna

Ibis drinking in the Botanical Gardens

Thursday 30th January 2013, 10.05am (day 524)

Ibis, Botanical Gardens, 30/1/13

 

When I first came to Brisbane in 2011 I remember seeing an ibis wander down the main shopping street and thought, cool, how exotic. Very shortly I realised that they occupy the same ecological niche as pigeons in other cities, and are basically a pest. But they look quite good, with that curved beak and white plumage.

I do like the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane, a beautiful park nestled in the curve of a river, but I couldn’t wander through it today and enjoy the sun, because it’s closed because of storm damage. You get a small sense of the amount of debris that is around by looking behind the bird. This shot is taken through the perimeter fence, with a big zoom (x50 at least), hence the slightly strange depth of field: but I like the effect.

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Monkey family, City Park, Nairobi

Saturday 12th January 2012, 4.30pm (day 506)

Monkey family, 12/1/13

First day in Nairobi. It’s only 5.30 as I post this but there’ll be no more photography today – flashing a digital camera around on a Saturday night in downtown Nairobi probably isn’t an advisable tactic. Anyway, the photo of the day has clearly already been won. Note the babies clutching to the chests of two of them (centre and right). The City Park in Nairobi was actually full of these critters, and probably the locals treat them as pests, but like the squirrels in public parks in the UK, they know when they’re on to a good thing with the tourists.

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She’ll be back soon

Monday 24th December 2012, 11.55am (day 487)

Upset dogs, 24/12/12

Last-day Christmas food shopping at the Co-op in Hebden Bridge today. These four dogs (the fourth one is a tiny shrivelled black curly thing, hiding in the background with its red-coated hindquarters just visible) were desperately awaiting the return of their mistress outside and yapping an endless yap that reverberated through the whole store. OK, I don’t know 100% that the owner was female, but I dunno, just a guess.

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Tree and steam

Wednesday 12th December 2012, 12.05pm (day 475)

Steam tree, 12/12/12

It was the MA: DTCE graduation today but although it was a nice event, this was the best photo of the day, the 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12th year, marked by this tree getting a steam bath from a nearby vent.

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Frosty morning

Sunday 2nd December 2012, 11.30am (day 465)

Frosty morning, 2/12/12

Stayed below freezing all day today, the coldest day since Moscow back in March. Beautiful weather however, a glorious winter’s day. These brambles have made a break for freedom above a stone wall up the road from our house.

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Seagulls, Hebden Bridge

Friday 23rd November 2012, 11.40am (day 456)

Seagulls HB, 23/11/12

In Northern England it’s never possible to be that far from the sea, but here in Hebden Bridge we are about as far as you can get. Nevertheless these seagulls seemed to wish to make the old bridge their home this morning. Of course, what they don’t know is that I’m the Hebden Bridge Seagull in these parts (see the Brighton & Hove Albion thing).

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Rook on the old bridge

Tuesday 16th October 2012, 3.20pm (day 418)

Rook, 16/10/12

Very little opportunity to take photos of anything today, due to spending almost all of it sat at home working. Just as well this rather butch-looking bird was perched on the old bridge in town when I went to pick up Joe from school, therefore.

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Sad dog, St. George’s Square

Sunday 7th October 2012, 3.50pm (day 409)

Sad dog, 7/10/12

I guess dogs can have a long day, and feel tired at the end of it, just as we can. It was a decent, sunny day today, it’s been a good weekend for me in various ways, but though I don’t share this animal’s feelings, I do sympathise.

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Reeds and millpond

Saturday 29th September 2012, 3.40pm (day 401)

Reeds, 29/9/12

Taken just past the halfway point of a walk undertaken from my parents’ house this afternoon. The leaves are well and truly turning here and I did get a couple of good photos of autumn colours but this one I like because it seems less a picture of foliage, and more a picture of a moment, a burst of light captured by the water and trapped there.

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Agricultural produce

Sunday 16th September 2012, 1.40pm (day 388)

Apples and keys, 16/9/12

Been a good weekend for celebrating nature’s bounty. After the rare wildlife of yesterday, more commonplace flora today. Yet, with a decent blackberry harvest from the garden and verges as well, there was tonight’s pudding, further proof that the best things in life are free.

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