The Natural World

[Lifelinking]

Latest post of the previous page:

I sliced up the monster strawberry and gave all the old dears a piece, they said it was excellent, and I sold 6 boxes

capitalist

[Alan C.]

I sliced up the monster strawberry and gave all the old dears a piece, they said it was excellent, and I sold 6 boxes

capitalist

Cheek! My strawberries are cheaper than the Co-op (and better) I barely cover my costs.
And as I tell everybody "these strawberries were produced without the exploitation of any migrant workers" unless you count me.

[Lifelinking]

be afraid..... be very afraid...

Spoiler:

[Alan C.]

be afraid..... be very afraid...

Spoiler:

Trying to get this thread back on topic, a couple of weeks ago I got a most amazing photo of the sunset, taken around 11.30pm, It's on the computer somewhere, but can I find it...............can I hell (sorry if that expletive offends anyone clayto) I shall keep looking for it, and post it, should I find it.
I have this very bad habit of not assigning file names to things, it will be somewhere listed as "image 0010054**000321"

[Alan C.]

Meanwhile, for anybody that hasn't seen them, this is one of the standing stones of Stenness on Orkney, amazing!

That particular one is about three feet thick, How did they get them up there? And given the storm force 10 gales, How are they still standing?

[Maria Mac]

This wee birdie is entitled to look indignant. I rescued him from the jaws of one of my cats. Obviously he was very traumatised but the foot that looks injured seemed to be OK in the end and there were no other injuries. I put him on the fence to take a photo and he stayed motionless for a very long time - well over an hour - then he hopped along it and eventually flew away.

[Alan C.]

This wee birdie is entitled to look indignant. I rescued him from the jaws of one of my cats. Obviously he was very traumatised but the foot that looks injured seemed to be OK in the end and there were no other injuries. I put him on the fence to take a photo and he stayed motionless for a very long time - well over an hour - then he hopped along it and eventually flew away.

Cats are cruel, dogs are cool Good result though
On looking again, he does look a bit miffed.

[Alan H]

On looking again, he does look a bit miffed.

No wonder! As long as he doesn't return with his mates...





Came across the prequel...

Spoiler:

[Maria Mac]

Alan took these on the beach at Southerness on the Solway coast:

[Alan C.]

Time this thread had a bump, sunrise (6.20 am) on wednesday 3rd September, I didn't take the photo, but thought it worth sharing.

[Alan H]

Stunning! Almost makes we wish I lived up there...

[Alan C.]

Bumping this thread as it was way at the bottom of the page, and in danger of falling off
I've just watched this 20 minute video and found it fascinating, maybe you will too (or maybe not )

Science writer Richard Preston talks about some of the most enormous living beings on the planet.
I don't know if I'd call them "beings" (But what do I know) A very good talk anyway.

[getreal]

I take really crap photo's.
There was a dead whale on the beach at Irvine recently(where I walk my dog).

I didn't take any pictures.

[Lifelinking]

Hi Getreal, there is a story about it here. No pictures either. The story states the whale died at sea and was washed ashore.

[getreal]

thanks!

My friend said when she walked there the day after we saw it (which was the day it washed ashore--therefore the second day--keep up!) they had put red and white TAPE around it (a la police crime scene). Which was obviously then floating in the sea as the tide came in!

I have seen similar use of the striped tape on the beach after a storm, when they wound it around a big bit of concrete which had obviously been washed down from elsewhere. Again, as the tide came in.....

Why do councils do these crazy things

[Lifelinking]

So the fish know to keep away

[Alan C.]

A nice relaxing 4 minute video.
The sky in motion.

[Alan H]

Absolutely fascinating!

[duncolm]

Here's a question from a tour of New Zealand I did a couple of years ago....

How come New Zealand, with the vigorous hard man of the outdoors image it pushes, has the kiwi as its national emblem? The kiwi is a wimpy little bird which only comes out at night. Short of organising an expedition, you're only going to see one in a display behind glass. The lights are off and you spend 10 minutes getting your eyes used to the dark before looking at it, nervously poking about on a bit of fake bush floor. There's no talking allowed, because if you say boo too loudly it'll drop dead of fright! No wonder they nearly became extinct.

Now, if you're in the north west area of South Island you'll meet the weka. It's another flightless bird, but it comes with no shortage of attitude. The first ones I saw were at Punakaiki. There is a sign in the cafe there which says 'Customers are advised not to leave their meals unattended on outside tables as the management accepts no responsibility for the activities of local wildlife'. Looking out the door, there was a weka up on a table, dipping its beak into a half cup of cappucino someone had left behind.

That night there were a couple of wekas wandering about the campsite at Westport. A cat was stalking them, but they were more or less ignoring it, with a 'come on if you think you're hard enough' attitude.

The weka, definately deserving to be the symbol of New Zealand.

[Gottard]

From Top down:
1 SanBernardino, West side
2 SanBernardino, East side view
3 SanBernardino (CH), village, 1600 mt, 75Km from home
4 SanBernardino, village park, my son on the bridge
5 still SanBernardino, snow height along the village main road.

Comment: nice place to spend vacation.

[Gottard]

Home (on Como hills) on 6th Jan. 2009



Home, view from the back window on 6th Jan. 2009