SkyWatch Friday - Tree Skies

Today we had our first really foggy morning – which for reasons far too stupid to reveal we refer to as being rather “Philish”.  Don’t ask, you’d never come back if you found out how stupid I actually am.

By the middle of the morning the fog had burnt off and my wife had phoned me at work to tell me she had just locked herself out of the house.  So, when I was at home rescuing her I took a picture of the clear blue skies and the last leaves of autumn hanging on for one last unseasonal flourish.

The picture reminded me of one I had taken a few weeks earlier when the trees were just gearing up for the change of season.  So, here is this week SkyWatch offering – Tree Skies.

You can find more skies at SkyWatch.

You can find the latest post on my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the Skies.

World Bird Wednesday - Australian Raven

This raven was sitting keep a very keen eye on our packed lunches outside the entrance to Kelly Hills caves on Kangaroo Island.  It was blowing a gale at the time, and we were glad to be under a roof to eat lunch – although it was interrupted by the arrival of a large spider and the frequent clanks of bits of falling wood hitting the roof.

The identification of Australian crows is, to say the least, fraught.  The most reliable feature is call, and this bird was ominously silent.  But based on a few features – but mainly the size of the neck pouch and the fact that other candidates are much less common, I think I’m going to plump for Australian Raven.

You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.  (If you have not had a look at my other blog yet, I’d really like you to visit!)

Enjoy the pictures.

Our World Tuesday - Buttermere

I had not intended to use these pictures here – but I came to the conclusion that I really rather like them!  They were taken the last time I visited the UK – it was a wonderfully mellow day that ended with a couple of pints as the sun faded.

These are shots of the fells that surround Buttermere in the English Lake District.  It was a really good walk, with “good” being defined by the quality of the company, the clarity of the light and the amount of chocolate eaten.   We also had a dog for company, which was both a novelty and a source of amusement.

I used these pictures in the latest post on my other blog – you can find the first half on my thoughts on migration here.  (If you have not visited my “other blog” I hope you can find the time to pop over and have a look)

You can find more pictures from around the world here at Our World Tuesday.

Enjoy the pictures.

Macro Monday - Garden Mantis

I think this is a Garden Mantis or Australian Green Mantis  - Orthodera ministralis – that’s largely based on the notion that it’s a common species.  This one was lurking on the wall outside my front door when I came home one evening.  They also seem to like hanging about on flywire doors – which tend to give you a bit of a shock if you meet them eye to eye.  The silvery object on the brick behind it is as egg case – once you know what  there are you start finding them all over the place.  My last encounter with one of these insects was when I found one walking up my sleeve as I was pulling out the one tomato plants.   Even if they are common I like them because they seem so alien!

You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday.

You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the screen.

Enjoy the close ups.

SkyWatch Friday - Living in the past / Thai Sky

At the very end of 1990 I spent the best part of two months is Thailand and Laos.  I had only ever been to the Republic of Ireland prior to flying through Bangladesh and Burma, to land in the heat and noise of Bangkok.  It was a bit of an eye opener – a real innocent abroad.

We followed the Mekong as it formed the border between Thailand and Cambodia and then between Thailand and Laos.  We stopped in towns that were a little off the tourist track, and attracted as much interests in the locals as we had in the things we saw.

We reached That Phamon late in November and the next day we wandered down to the river as the sun was rising.  The place smelt of freshly baked bread, with coffee thrown in for good measure.  We eat the bread and drank the coffee as the sun lightened the sky.  How can it be over 20 years since that morning?

You can find (more recent) images of the sky at SkyWatch Friday.

You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking the Paying Ready attention image on the RHS of this page.

Enjoy the skies.

World Bird Wednesday - Living in the past / Pileated Woodpecker

In early 2006 (how can it be over six years ago!) I spent a couple of weeks with a friend of mine in Ohio. I presented some workshops with him, spent some time in his school and spent more than a few hours watching the birds in his yard.  We were both teachers then – now he is occupied with busy retirement and I work in research.

As I have mentioned in more than a few comments on other people posts (sorry Gary!) we have no woodpeckers in Australia and I miss them.  Back in the UK there are only 3 species of woodpecker you can expect to see on a regular basis, and only two of those are common enough not to be considered a red-letter bird.  So a cracking black woodpecker, with a cartoon red crest, weighing in at about the size of a chicken was always going to attract my attention. 

These may not be the best pictures I have posted, but they do hold a special place.  I hope you enjoy them.

You can find more birds from around the world at World Bird Wednesday.

You can find the latest post to my other blog by clicking on the Paying Ready Attention image on the RHS of the page.

Enjoy the birds.