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The Natural World

Any topic related to science can be discussed here.
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Lifelinking
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Re: The Natural World

#21 Post by Lifelinking » April 2nd, 2008, 10:42 pm

Latest post of the previous page:

If I may remark, I am loving the responses on this thread. Who would have thought we could have informative discussions about ladybirds and wonderful photographs of fuschias, ladybirds, butterflies and lichen all in the one place. The whole thing has been worthwhile if for no other reason than finding out there is a place called 'Muckle Flugga'! Thank you everybody.




L
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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Alan C.
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Re: The Natural World

#22 Post by Alan C. » April 2nd, 2008, 10:57 pm

Life
The whole thing has been worthwhile if for no other reason than finding out there is a place called 'Muckle Flugga'!
You didn't know about Muckle Flugga? Shame on you :wink: I would have thought it was as well known as John'O'Groats and lands end
Thank you everybody.
I hope this thread is going to continue, and that's not you "signing off". Lets have more photies please.
I like the butterflies, the first one has good camouflage, the second one I believe is a "Norwegian blue" :exit: ......................................................(Monty Python parrot sketch, sorry.)
Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers.

Maria Mac
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Re: The Natural World

#23 Post by Maria Mac » April 2nd, 2008, 11:16 pm

Gurdur is a great gardener (and photographer, evidently) and he has been known to dedicate flowers in it to his friends. A few years ago he dedicated this exquisite lily to me.

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Staf
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Re: The Natural World

#24 Post by Staf » April 3rd, 2008, 1:39 pm

Wisteria in California


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Maria Mac
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Re: The Natural World

#25 Post by Maria Mac » April 4th, 2008, 8:45 pm

The wisteria is beautiful. I wish I had pics of some of the houses in Greece that are covered in it.

I didn't take this pic of a seahorse myself but I just love it so much.

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Re: The Natural World

#26 Post by Lifelinking » April 5th, 2008, 2:34 pm

From the sublime, and the photographs above are sublime, to the er ..........



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(photo from BBC online News)


Apparently this petrified poo has provided evidence that people were living in the Americas earlier than previously thought.


The full BBC artticle provides the story in some detail.
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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DougS
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Re: The Natural World

#27 Post by DougS » April 6th, 2008, 1:26 pm

I look forward to hearing what the young earth creationists have to say about 14,000 year old poo.

In the meantime, more fabulous fungi....

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Re: The Natural World

#28 Post by Lifelinking » April 6th, 2008, 10:14 pm

Cool fungi DougS. Did you take those photographs yourself?
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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Re: The Natural World

#29 Post by DougS » April 7th, 2008, 5:13 pm

The first one was taken by another guy in our rambling group. The second and third were taken by my flatmate.

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Lifelinking
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Re: The Natural World

#30 Post by Lifelinking » April 13th, 2008, 2:22 pm

This wee chaffinch is a regular visitor to our garden.

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Re: The Natural World

#31 Post by Lifelinking » April 13th, 2008, 5:44 pm

And these rather lovely plants were photographed today next to the River Leven near Loch lomond. They are growing in very wet, boggy conditions.

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Re: The Natural World

#32 Post by Lifelinking » April 14th, 2008, 7:43 pm

I thought I would share one of my favourite walks with you. My wee pal Bruno and I set off from the car park in Balloch Country Park around 1pm today. The path winds through some very lovely parkland to the first uphill stretch where there is on occasion a steep drop away from the path that would require extra care if you were there with young children. The path leads across a small road into an area of managed woodland. The path in this area often runs adjacent to farmland where sheep are grazing. Dogs must be kept under control here, particularly during lambing season. The broom is gorgeous right now, with the yellow bursting out all across the landscape.

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Seeing this marks out the beginning of summer for me, and elicits fond childhood memories of holidays in the spring and early summer. The bitter sweet song 'The Yellow's on the Broom' is brought to mind. It tells how travelling folk in Scotland saw these yellow blooms as a signal to once more take to the road.

A quite steep wee section follows where Bruno had me laughing out loud when he accidentally flushed out a cock pheasant. The bird flew off unharmed and Bruno was understandably, extremely pleased with himself.

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Pushing on I noticed some fine specimens of 'bracket' fungi that I thought would add to the 'collection' on this thread.

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The path levels off then goes downhill for a while, and this is a very muddy stretch. The path soon improves however and you quickly find yourself arriving at a 'T' junction with a forest track. It really does not matter whether you do right or left here as the next section is a 'horseshoe' that takes you up hill and back down again. I took a right turn, and made my way along the track, through a gate then on uphill. I soon came across evidence that birds of prey are thriving in the area, with numerous pellets scattered around on the path. These are formed from the indigestible parts of prey such as bones, fur or feathers.

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I walked a little further up the hill and soon entered the most lovely forest path. The growth wass new, lush, vibrant. There were so many shades of green, sometimes contrasting and sometimes blending together, that the place seemed to shimmer with greenness. As I walked further up this path I knew what to expect, but my reaction as the Loch came in to view was uncontrollable, visceral. My camera cannot do justice to the landscape.

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Uplifted by the whole experience I continued walking, and followed the path downhill again through the woodland. I stopped in the wood and simply listened. Even my untrained ear could pick out at least four different species of birdcall. I felt marvellous. Recharged.

As I walked downhill I looked across and could see a family walking up the way I had just came. I felt a pang of regret that my family was not with me together with joy that others could experience this place.

Just before going through the gate leading back to the track, the path goes through a small bog. Looking more closely in to the water it soon became clear that the area is hoaching with life. This photograph shows some kind of 'water strider' insect on the surface and a tadpole swimming nearby.

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This is a Woodlands Trust path, and there is a considerable amount of information about it on their web site. For those of you within easy striking distance of Balloch, Loch Lomond I would recommend this as a most relaxing and delightful way to spend a few hours. Boots are pretty much a must at any time of year, and with some quite steep uphill pulls I would describe it as of moderate difficulty.
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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Re: The Natural World

#33 Post by Maria Mac » April 14th, 2008, 8:18 pm

Fab pics, L, thanks very much. And Bruno is SO cute!

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Re: The Natural World

#34 Post by Lifelinking » April 26th, 2008, 9:54 pm

Ach, I though I would give this thread a wee bump. We are used to all sorts of birds visiting our little garden, but we were pleasantly suprised the other morning to find this fine fella on the wall. Our first duck since we started living here in 1993.


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Re: The Natural World

#35 Post by Alan H » April 26th, 2008, 10:10 pm

Sunset over Key West
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Re: The Natural World

#36 Post by Alan H » April 26th, 2008, 10:14 pm

Some of the wildlife in a Key West aquarium.
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Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Re: The Natural World

#37 Post by Lifelinking » April 26th, 2008, 10:16 pm

what a lovely sunset
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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Re: The Natural World

#38 Post by Alan H » April 26th, 2008, 10:57 pm

Lifelinking wrote:what a lovely sunset
It was our first day in Key West. We had got our marriage licence (license?) that afternoon and were looking forward to our wedding.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Re: The Natural World

#39 Post by Lifelinking » April 26th, 2008, 11:33 pm

you old romantic
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Re: The Natural World

#40 Post by Lifelinking » May 4th, 2008, 5:56 pm

Some flowers cultivated by my green fingered wife.

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Anemones

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Tulips
"Who thinks the law has anything to do with justice? It's what we have because we can't have justice."
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Re: The Natural World

#41 Post by Maria Mac » May 9th, 2008, 11:09 am

A couple of pics taken off the NW coast of Shetland.

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