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"Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~Henry James
Unusual black & yellow stripe petunias nestle upon a variegated hosta leaf in my back yard.
Our Daily Challenge ... hidden gems.
This beautiful male Sacred Kingfisher was back today, and while I watched, he caught a grub and a largish insect in my garden and sat on the gate while he ate them.
Kingfishers have long beaks and tails and a small body. From the tip of the beak to end of the tail they are 19 -22 cm long, but they are very similar in shape to their much larger relative, the Kookaburra.
According to my bird book they live in all parts of Australia but no-one I asked has ever seen one in the wild. I remember seeing them in the country as a child but this is a rare sighting just here so this combined with their iridescent opal colours makes me think they are "hidden gems"
Edible, in spite of its prickles and unappetising odour, the Prickly Lettuce is the closest wild relative of Cultivated Lettuce. There is archaeological evidence of its use in ancient times, for example by the Egyptians, but this may have been for its soporific properties rather than as food. It is not native to the British Isles and was first recorded in 1632, but it is now fairly common, at least in the South and Midlands - and still spreading.
Thank you for looking - HMM!
The Flickr Lounge-Patterns In Nature
These tendrils are growing along side my driveway. They belong to the Wild Grape plants. Not sure what plant the seed pods are from.
the starling murmuration last night at Tring Reservoirs was very different from my first experience when the birds were right overhead. Instead they were on the horizon throwing a variety of shapes which produced an amazing series of images that, being human, we were all trying to assign specific objects to - this one looks like a flying squirrel (or some spreadeagled mammal) to me..
Macro Monday: Patterns in Nature
I found this new shoot of a pine tree on a nature walk in Yosemite National Park. I didn't notice the small inscet until I was processing this image!
Image is about 7 cm (2.75 in.) on the long edge.
Fern Garden, Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Possibly Dryopteris x complexa (a hybrid between D. affinis and D. filix-mas).
The transient beauty of the coast is intricately intertwined with the captivating patterns that emerge in the sand, crafted by the relentless forces of wind and wave. These natural sculptors shape the shoreline, leaving behind ephemeral masterpieces.
As the tides ebb and flow, they orchestrate a delicate dance with the sand. With each advancing wave, the water gently caresses the shore, carrying particles of sand along its journey. As the wave recedes, it relinquishes its cargo, depositing the grains in a meticulous arrangement. This cyclical process, repeated countless times, creates intricate patterns that stretch along the coastline.
The patterns left behind by the retreating tide mimic the ebb and flow of life itself. Swirling ripples, reminiscent of a miniature desert landscape, emerge as the water recedes, their graceful curves and undulating lines transforming the beach into a living work of art. The patterns are at once orderly and chaotic, with intricate geometrical formations intermingling with whimsical curves and asymmetrical shapes.
The wind, a silent artist in its own right, adds its touch to the sculpting process. As it sweeps across the coast, it whispers secrets to the sand, coaxing it to dance in its invisible embrace. The wind's gentle touch lifts fine particles from the beach, carrying them aloft in an intricate ballet. It sculpts the sand into delicate ripples, resembling the soft undulations of fabric.
The interplay between the wind and the tide results in an ever-changing landscape. The patterns shift and evolve, shaped by the combined forces of these elemental sculptors. Ripples become miniature mountains, rising and falling in a transient topography that mirrors the larger contours of the surrounding coast. Each gust of wind and every advancing or receding wave leaves its mark, etching new patterns and erasing old ones, in an eternal cycle of creation and destruction.
These ephemeral patterns serve as a reminder of the impermanence of existence and the transient nature of beauty, as each passing moment alters the landscape, erasing what once was and creating something new. The sands become a canvas for the symphony of time, a tangible reflection of the ever-changing nature of our lives.
The beauty of these fleeting patterns lies not only in their visual allure but also in the emotions they evoke. They inspire a sense of wonder and awe, inviting us to pause and appreciate the intricate designs that nature creates with such effortless grace. The patterns speak of the interconnectedness of all things, the harmonious interplay between the elements, and the constant flux that defines our existence.
In these patterns of nature, we find a profound lesson: that life, like the shifting sands, is ever-changing, and that true beauty lies not in permanence but in the appreciation of the fleeting moments that grace our journey.
For Crazy Tuesday - patterns in nature
The curving patterns of these fungi remind me of sea shells - 86/125 pictures in 2025
40/100x in the natural world
On tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon. In the Navajo Nation Reservation area in LeChee, Arizona, United States.
The weather started out challenging on our 5th day, so why not head to the beach?!
"Nature does not turn out her work according to a single pattern; she prides herself upon her power of variation."
--Seneca the Younger