PS. I awoke to discover that this had become another ‘hit’ for me on Flickr. Obviously I was pleased.
Tag Archives: nature
Nature Wallpaper: Sharing
Before I share my ‘Sharing’ wallpaper with you, please allow me to share the following image with you…
I suffer for my art, you know. Despite the fields and paths of rural England appearing benificent, don’t be fooled. For all the waving grasses and spirited swathes of clover, there are always brambles laying in wait amongst them for unwary picture-snappers like me. Bastards.
So, anyway, on to the subject of this post. I put this picture up on my Flickr page. In the first 36 hours it received about a hundred hits and a couple of ‘faves’. Then, whilst I slept blissfuly, trying to ignore my itching shins, the picture went ape-shit. By the time I posted this version of the picture here, the original had already gained over 3700 hits and a hundred ‘faves’. Someone likes it. I hope you do. It is quite nice…
Nature Portrait: The Unpleasant Penis Plant
Ye Olde English name for this abomination of nature is Stinky Bell-End. Most apt. Actually that’s not true: but it’s the sort of name country folk used to give strange plants in the olden days. Names such as Witch’s Dildo, Wobbling Willy, and Grandma’s Lollipop. That’s not true either, by the way…
Rural Wallpaper: Sunset Daisies
Nature Wallpaper: Scary Alien Bug Things
I couldn’t quite accept that these creatures originated in the English countryside, so gave them a wide birth…
Wallpaper 639: The Breakfast Sentinel
Every morning, before breakfast, I shuffle to my garden shed to feed the wild birds in my garden. The first to arrive is Jacques, the Robin, who flutters in front of me like an inebriated humming bird, demanding access to perch upon my hand and pick through the tit-bits I have for him. Then, as I emerge fully, and begin to place the food upon the various feeders in my quince tree, the resident crow starts calling to the other birds from my roof – announcing that breakfast is served…
Why it has taken on this role, I have no idea: but the pigeons and jackdaws seem particularly pleased that it has.
The Lightning Tree
And just to prove it, here’s a version of it that I’ve fiddled with…
That will have to get used in an Earplug Adventure.
Nature Wallpaper: A Warm Evening in May
Tooty Gets His Nuts Out
There are two Robins that vie for supremacy in my garden. A rather neat and spic and span fellow (Loser) and a somewhat bedraggled example (Winner). Every morning, when I go out into the garden to refill the bird feeder (my late wife did it religiously, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint her), Winner arrives immediately; gets in my way; and generally demands breakfast, which I’m always glad to supply. But he does have to work for it. Here he is, waiting on the bird table…
Having set up the camera to capture the moment, today I went into the shed to fetch some nuts for him. Winner – the undoubted ‘top dog’ Robin in the local area – became impatient, and immediately hopped aboard the handy perch…
…and proceeded to watch my every move. Flitting over to the fence…
…he awaited my outstretched hand, which he knew was full of nuts. And, as usual, he flitted back; checked me out…
…hovered for a moment; snatched a nut; then scooted for the sanctuary of the tree…
This is his modus operandi. He touches down for a nanosecond, then puts as much distance between himself and I as he can – usually disappearing into an adjoining garden to devour his catch. He’ll do it as many times as I’m prepared to stand there, like a lemon, with an aching arm stretched out in front of me…
But I know that when he’s off over the fence, Loser grabs his opportunity with both feet. There he is, look – watching over my shoulder…
This is when he slips in unnoticed. More often than not he may get chased off by Winner, but when I feel his little talons grip my fingernails…
…for me he’s the real winner. After all he gets the time to select the best nut in my hand. And if he’s feeling choosey, he might even take a meal worm. Yum!
Nature Wallpaper: Dead Giveaway.
A lesson that all female deer should learn early in life: stop waving those bloody ears around, and no one WILL SEE YOU!
Wallpaper 636: Soft Arboreal Shadows
Nature Wallpaper: Sharing the Sunshine
This has become one of my rare ‘hits’ on Flickr. Nice.
Nature Portrait Gallery: The Gnarled and Convoluted Beech
This was shot with an early digital camera, from 2000, with a mere 4 megapixels. I think it did a good job. Whatever happened to Kyocera – apart from manufacturing laser copiers, that is?
Nature Wallpaper: The Little Yellow Guy
Here’s a simple wallpaper for you…
Should you elect to download it, this is how it might look on your computer…
Nice, innit?
Nature Wallpapers: Listen and Survive / Going Hungry
Whilst out and about in the Hampshire countryside, I chanced upon a common, everyday encounter between two disparate (but linked) species. It ended well for one of them, and gave me a couple of nice wallpaper shots….
I know I shouldn’t have, but I could help myself from giving the rabbit an edge. I gave the fox a cheery wave.
Nature Wallpaper: First Signs of Spring
Nature Wallpaper: Precipitous Dangling
Nature Wallpaper: A Bright Day in Summer
This is how it might appear on your computer…
Rural Portrait: Stone Cold Morning
Nature Wallpaper: Why We Should Record the Images of the Natural World Around Us
In February of 2015 I took this photo of a rookery in my street…
For the next seven years I watched (unconsciously. I might add) as the trees grew taller and wider, and the rookery expanded – to become the birthplace and nightly roost of hundreds of huge black birds. Then, a few days ago, several light trucks and a huge crane rumbled into town. Hours later the mighty rookery was reduced to this…
and this…
We’re very good at destroying natural habitat. We keep saying “Oh, this must stop.” But in the past couple of years I’ve seen so many mature trees felled – and not all of them diseased Ash – that I wonder if there isn’t some sort of conspiracy at large. For every tree planted by well-meaning people, how many established habitats are pulled down by those who couldn’t care less about the future of this planet or who just want to make a fast buck? Way too many, I fear. After all, with so much arable land in the UK being turned over to house building at an alarming rate, more land for growing crops or keeping animals has to be found somewhere, doesn’t it? There’s no profit for anyone in ancient woodland. And who gives a shit about Badgers and Willow Warblers anyway! So I think it’s best that we record what we have, while we still have it. It won’t last. Then we can hold these pictures up and say “That’s what we rid ourselves of: how has that made this a better world?”
Nature Wallpaper: Layers in the Light
Nature Wallpaper: The Tiny Hunter
Nature Wallpaper: Frost in the Morning Sun
Winter Wallpaper: Winter Arch
Nature Wallpaper: Autumn, Meet Winter
Nature Wallpaper: Bright December Foliage
Nature Wallpaper: The Crimson Mass
This makes a very nice wallpaper. You should click on it, this instant, and download it with utmost alacrity.
Portrait of Nature: Poised and Ready for Action.
Well, running away in a blind panic, that is…
Rather Nice Wallpapers
It’s a shame that so few of my ‘wallpapers’ are downloaded by my readers: they really are quite nice. Look, this is how a couple of them appear on my laptop…
So, if this sort of thing floats your boat, so-to-speak, simply visit any of my ‘wallpaper’ posts; click on the picture; and download it.
Here’s the Gravity Whelk at full throttle picture (above). It’s titled ‘Hot Exhaust’…