I’m pleased that several readers sent in photographs for the first time. One of them is Donn Ingle, who sent two dozen or so photos, many of them plants. He introduces himself this way:
My story, quickly. I live in Betty’s Bay on (not quite) the southern tip of Africa. I’ve been taking arty pics of my surrounds for a couple of years. I’m not trained in any science, so the nouns (see file names) of things may well be off. I am more than fortunate to be here among the fynbos and I hope you enjoy the photos.
Aloe abstracts liquid light:
Moss:
Aloe penguin and chick:
Phylica pubescens [“featherhead”] with a fly:
Restio sparkscape:
Edmondia sesamoides, sewejaartjies (“everlastings”), at day’s end:
And for the birders who must have their feather fix, we have two lovely shots by reader John Crisp in Ethiopia:
Here’s a pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) after a successful dive on the edge of Lake Tana, Ethiopia.
Head on:
Profile:
Very good. The fly looks like a member of the family Tephritidae.
Looked that up on images, some quite beautiful flies there. A few seem to mimic spider’s legs, from certain angles.
I was thinking in the genus Rivellia (family Platystomatidae), but I don’t know the South African fauna. :p
What plucky little things those are. I think you’re close. I can’t find one with that curly pattern on the thorax.
Me neither. And I don’t have a list of the species known from there. :/
The thorny pictures are far out!
I love how the bird looks like he’s showing off his catch. Yum!
I’ve never seen a kingfisher actually with a fish!
Maybe you’ve only seen pauperfishers, then?
b&
The Restio sparkscape looks like a sedge?
I broke out my copy of “Restios of the Fynbos” (Dorrat-Haaksma/Linder) and looked it up:
Sedges: Inflorescence not at tip of culm, culm solid (often triangular), leaves and leafsheaths tightly clustered at the base of the culms.
Restios: Infl. at the tip of the culm, culm mostly solid, leaves without blades, at nodes.
I’m in restio country here – and it’s glorious! – so I’m fairly sure that “sparkscape” is a restio.
The closest I can find to an id is either: (Genus, I think) Hypodiscus or genus Thamnochortus.
Many, many sedges have inflorescences at the tip of the culm. Genera Scirpus, Carex, Trichophorum, Eriophorum, for example.
Ah, all right. I do not stand on solid ground here. I’ll keep this in mind and read some more. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the great photos from Africa!
Great macro shots Donn.
That is quite a large fish for that Kingfisher; it probably weighs as much as the bird. lol!
Thank you to Donn Ingle and Jerry for these wonderful images of South African plants. I dream of visiting the fynbos some day. Thanks to d also for the plant ID work! Yeah, nice bird too. 🙂
Thank you. You’re very welcome to visit.
We’re in a widespread fire-season right now, boy am I smoked-out, but come July and the rains — there’s going to be an explosion of life that has not been seen for almost twenty years. Can’t wait. Come see the fynbos then.
I was going to say Best. Picture. Ever. when I saw the one of the moss, but then I got to the Featherhead with fly, and now I’m not so sure.
Thanks for the great photos!
Gorgeous photos. Love the Kingfisher. I also especially love the moss photo: I find it mesmerizing, like looking at an alien landscape and an alien lifeform at the same time.
Great plant photos! I thought, “This is my favorite1” and saw the next, thought the same thing, repeat.
Is it just me, or do a couple of these photos capture a feminine eroticism recalling that of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings?
Indeed. It’s a very private affair, to get close to a flower — the grand purpose of whih is just such attraction. Perhaps I’m as good as a huge bee; a bumbling one.
🙂
Well done, sir!
Thanks for the good words. My little camera and I thank you, and our gracious host!
I love the moss, makes me think of a fiord.