Surrounded by Rocks: An Exploration Series, Chapter 5

Nightjar is here to share the next chapter of her series.

Chapter 5 – East Hill: Flora

There is quite a lot of biodiversity on the top but what you see will of course depend on the time of the year you visit. Spring would be more interesting, and we would be looking for wild orchids, wild peonies (Paeonia broteri) and honeysuckles. In November we must content ourselves with the late crocus (Crocus serotinus)…

… and the autumn buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus).

Some plants have berries now, like the wild jasmine (Jasminum fruticans)…

… or the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna).

And seedcases of the grey-leaved cistus (Cistus albidus) make me want to come back in Spring for their pink flowers with yellow centers.

The next chapter will be the last here and we will just enjoy the views and see the hill we will explore next, on the other side of the village.

A Trio of Summer Roses

It’s summer down under and these delightful flowers come from Lofty who says,

A trio of roses rescued from our garden before they got burned by the summer heat.

Thanks, Lofty.

Surrounded by Rocks: An Exploration Series, Chapter 4

It’s time for Nightjar’s next chapter.

Chapter 4 – East Hill: Fauna of the Present

We have reached the top of the East Hill and so has this weevil, which found the perfect place to sunbathe. There aren’t many insects around this time of the year (November), visiting in spring or summer would certainly be better for insect watching purposes.

[Read more…]

Speedwell, Veronica

The last bloom of Nightjar’s early winter flowers series and it’s a beauty.

Thanks, Nightjar. It’s been lovely to have so much sunshine and colour at this time of year.

A Field of Marigolds

I thought that Nightjar’s sunny Marigold photo from yesterday couldn’t be beat, but today she’s sent us an entire field of bright yellow Marigolds. I love the way the focus fades and the flowers start to look like bright yellow balloons bobbing in the breeze.

Thanks, Nightjar

Marigold

A gorgeous, bright yellow Marigold from Nightjar’s series of photos, Early Winter Flowers from Portugal. This photo even a wee visitor taking advantage of all that sweet, sticky pollen.

Thanks, Nightjar.

Hawkweed

Another of Nightjar’s beautiful winter flowers from Portugal.

Gorgeous. Thanks, Nightjar.

Portuguese Geranium in winter

Another early winter flower from Nightjar. The colour and light in this shot are enough to melt my cold winter heart.

Thanks, Nightjar.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland: part 7

A few final images of the Winter Wonderland. It is long gone now, being more of a brown yucky marshland now (I love our woods, but right now the smell of the stale water is often not too nice).

©Giliell, all rights reserved
More needle ice

©Giliell, all rights reserved
Frozen berries

The last one is an interesting one. I did not get the bird I was trying to shoot, but I ended up with a damn interesting picture.

Early winter wildflowers

Something special from Nightjar,

These photos are my new year gift to you and also to everyone at Affinity currently dealing with a dull winter. The mild Portuguese winter is, as you can see, full of life and colour, and even if I can’t share the sun and temperatures with you I can at least share the sights. I hope they bring you some happiness.

Thank you, Nightjar. My winter remains dull and your flowers are a welcome gift.

Bird of Paradise

I think that every week should start with flowers. They’re cheerful and they have the power to make you stop for a second or two and maybe even take a deep breath before heading into a new week. Our flowers on this Monday come from DavidinOz and they are indeed breathtaking.

Bird of Paradise and Sturt Desert Pea. The pea is the Floral emblem of South Australia. SA exports a lot of flowers, but we cannot sell the desert pea to Japan as the Japanese think the “eye” is watching them.

Thanks David. We all appreciate the blast of colour and cheer.

A December Rose for Christmas

Nightjar sent in some wonderful photos of flowers from her December garden, including this rose that I saved for today. Thanks Nightjar, it’s a lovely gift for everyone.

A moment of calm for a busy Monday

Nightjar has sent in some exceptional photos of the flowers that have persisted until December in her garden. We saw a few of those flowers last week, but I saved some for today because everyone should have flowers on a busy Monday.

[Read more…]

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Surrounded by Rocks: An Exploration Series, Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – East Hill: Flora

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A Trio of Summer Roses

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Surrounded by Rocks: An Exploration Series, Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – East Hill: Fauna of the Present

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Speedwell, Veronica

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A Field of Marigolds

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Marigold

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Hawkweed

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Portuguese Geranium in winter

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Walking in a Winter Wonderland: part 7

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Early winter wildflowers

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Bird of Paradise

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A December Rose for Christmas

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A moment of calm for a busy Monday

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Chapter 5 – East Hill: Flora

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Chapter 4 – East Hill: Fauna of the Present

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