Ticino
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Ticino
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
ABOUT THE PHOTO:
The photo above was taken this past May and shows parts of my garden and the surrounding hills just as the sun was setting after a heavy thunderstorm, which is when the light and the colors are at their most intense, most magical; it was one of those rare moments that usually only last for a few minutes (sometimes not even that), and you have to be quick to capture them.
The reason I like the photo quite a bit is that it shows a side of my country that is far less known to the people abroad than our snowy mountains and green meadows with friendly cows or the glitz of St. Moritz, Zermatt and Zurich: it shows you "my" tropical Switzerland 😊.
And the thing is, the spot in Ticino where I'm fortunate enough to own a vacation home - a tiny, 400-year old stone building only 70 meters from the Italian border - doesn't just look like it lies in the tropics: it actually sort of does, at least during the summer months.
With temperatures frequently in the mid 30s (Celsius) and a level of humidity that is high enough to make you break out in a sweat the second you leave the house, the micro-climate is not that dissimilar from what you might find in a rain forest.
The air can grow so heavy that people unaccustomed to it might feel like they have a hard time breathing (when friends of mine who originally are from Brazil visited me for a couple of days during a particularly hot period, even they struggled and told me they felt as if they were inhaling steam).
On the plus-side, this tropical micro-climate allows the people in our village to grow lemons, peaches, figs and kiwi fruits in addition to the more traditional apricots, grapes apples and cherries, and even palm trees like the one in this photo are a very common sight throughout the region.
Luckily our houses are traditionally built in a way to keep out the heat even during the hottest months, so the few remaining permanent residents of the village (around 40 people most of whom are over the age of sixty), find soothing cool as soon as they enter the thick stone walls of their homes.
The village itself is built on a rock that is surrounded by dense chestnut forest on all sides that stretches on until the horizon, only interrupted every now and then by a village, a vineyard or a small stream in a valley with a few fields.
So it's hardly a surprise that this tiny tropical paradise is a place where a great variety of beautiful insects, snakes and colorful lizards (that most people probably wouldn't immediately associate with typical Swiss fauna either) feel very much at home, and I feel incredibly blessed that I need only step outside and enter my garden to capture it with my camera 😊.
In case people are interested I might upload a photo that shows a bit more of our village one day, but for now I'll continue to stick with my beloved "creepy crawlies" (as some of my friends here jokingly refer to them) and continue to concentrate on nature, wildlife and landscape photos. 😉
I hope you like the photo and wish you all a wonderful weekend! Many greetings from Switzerland, and as always: let me know what you think in the comments 🙏 😊 ❤!
P.S. This is probably going to be my last upload in 2022, so HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!! 🎄💕🎉😃!!
Tessin
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Whole PHOTO SERIES about my garden on my blog: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/western-green-lizard-lacer...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
AUDIO (if you want to hear the sounds of my garden in the early morning): www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfoCTqdAVCE
ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
Partly out of fear to bore the Flickr community with too many lizard photos, I thought it would make for a nice change - yet in keeping with the main theme of my gallery - to give interested nature and reptile fans the opportunity to get a sense of the lacerta bilineata habitat where I photographed all the animals on this page.
So this is the second of a (as yet planned) series of pictures (if people like them there will be more) that will show you where all the reptile "action" took place: my garden in the beautiful community of Monteggio in the Malcantone region of the Ticino, Switzerland.
The pictures were taken over a period of over a decade, so there were obviously some changes in the garden during that time, but If you focus on the palm tree - which has grown considerably over the years but is visible in all the photos I plan to upload - you get a sense of the geography of the place.
In summer, which is when this photo was taken, the micro-climate in this particular area of the Ticino can be almost tropical in the sense that it's hot and very humid with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain, and I often refer to my garden (half-)jokingly as my "little Swiss rainforest". I guess you can see how animals - particularly lacerta bilineata and other lizards - would feel at home in this "tropical paradise" of mine :-)
Apparently - as I learned in the comments here on Flickr - the occurrence of this particular lizard species is a very good indicator that an ecosystem is intact, and my family and I always took great care not to interfere too much in our garden and let nature roam as free as possible.
In return, over the years we were rewarded for this "calculated inaction" with a wide variety of species of plants, insects, lizards and snakes visiting - or by now residing permanently in - our little nature refuge, some of which I managed to capture on camera.
As mentioned before, if people like these photos or are interested in other flora and fauna from my private jungle, I'll upload one every once in a while between lizards, so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing more of these or if I should stick to just reptiles ;-)
As always, thank you so much for your interest and feedback, stay safe - and have a great week everyone!
Lacerta
Labyrinth Spider | Agelena Labyrinthica | June 2021 | Monteggio, Switzerland
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
ABOUT THE PHOTO:
This beautiful labyrinth spider did me the courtesy of positioning itself in a ray of sunlight coming through the leaves of the plants in my garden where it had built its sophisticated (and judging from the remains of prey that were visible as lovely "home decorations" everywhere: highly effective) web.
I know, most people don't like spiders, and I must admit for the better part of my life I wasn't exactly too comfortable around them either. But what I love most about macro photography is that it's rapidly changing my perception of the tiniest creatures in my garden: viewed up close, they suddenly have a face - literally - which made me aware of them as expressive beings with a "personality" in a way I wasn't before.
Before, even though I've always been a "nature nerd", with regards to the tiniest insects and spiders in my garden I was a typical Homo Sapiens sapiens I guess. While it's easy for our species to sympathize with bigger animals whose biology more resembles our own and whose expressive faces remind us of our own emotions, we at best behave like ignorant, indifferent giants towards the smallest creatures that share our world, and at worst we see nothing in them but pests or scary, alien-looking monsters we try to extinguish wherever we find them.
Let's face it: we are a highly irrational species. We pay money to go on safaris and are - rightly - fascinated by large predators such as a pack of lions lurking in the high grass; we call those the "kings of the animals" and hold our breath in sheer excitement when we see the pack suddenly attack and gorily devour an antelope (which is nasty business: it's not uncommon that the prey already gets its belly torn open while it's still alive); yet the micro equivalents of those lions hunting prey in our gardens we view with disdain or are repulsed by.
So, to anyone viewing this photo whose first immediate reaction is disgust, I say: try to replace your fear or repulsion with a little fascination for the "micro lions" in your own backyard. Then get a macro lens and go on a garden safari; chances are you'll find a world of hidden beauty that is every bit as fascinating and rewarding for a photographer as any tropical jungle or African savannah ;-)
ABOUT THE SPECIES (from Wikipedia, slightly abbreviated by me):
Range And Habitat
Agelena labyrinthica build flat plate surface webs connected to funnel-shaped retreats similar to labyrinths, which are typically constructed between low lying grass and vegetation. These spiders are fairly common in Europe and Central Europe, and are typically concentrated in areas near forests and low lying vegetation, as well as in dry grassland.
Description
Agelena labyrinthica has a body length of up to 18 mm (0.71 in). It has approximately 25 trichobothria per walking leg. These hairs help the spider detect prey that has been caught in its web, or even prey that is near enough to cause vibrations in its web. The trichobothria hairs essentially act as a long-distance sensory system for A. labyrinthica that helps them detect prey with great accuracy and speed.
Spatial Perception
Having to travel between its sheet web and its funnel shaped retreat, A. labyrinthica have shown signs of detour compensation that allow the spider to orient itself and navigate even in complete darkness. Using its eyes to quickly navigate its web, A. labyrinthica is able to detect the plane of polarized light present, and position itself relative to it in order to maintain its orientation. A. labyrinthica also relies on its idiothetic orientation, as well as directional cues such as gravity, to gain its bearings no matter where it is.
My favorite place for the game with time and aperture in the Verzasca Valley near Lavertezzo/Ticino/Switzerland.
Danke für deinen Besuch! Thanks for visiting!
bitte beachte/ please respect Copyright © All rights reserved
Stitched HDR- Panorama 7 shots at 7 exposures
More details of stuctures can be seen in the 2048 version...
The orginal-print is 35 cm x 85 cm at 300 dpi.
Vigevano (Pv) - I colori del Ticino alla Lanca Ayala in una rara e splendida giornata di sole a Novembre.
The Sosto (2,220.6 m) is a mountain of the Swiss Lepontine Alps, overlooking Olivone in the canton of Ticino. It lies south of the lake of Luzzone and west of the Torrone di Nav.
“Valle di Blenio, solare, splendente, calda come l’ospitalità della sua gente…”
Il Sosto è alto 2220 m slm, è fra le montagne ticinesi più conosciute e appartiene all’iconografia di Olivone
© Non utilizzare le mie immagini senza il mio permesso .
© Do not use my images without my permission .
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Grazie mille a tutti per le vostre visite e commenti !
Thank you all for your visites and comments !
For further information see my page:
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
20180610
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
The Holy Wood of Mergugno is unique in Switzerland. It is home to an abundance of mountain laburnum, a small tree that reaches a venerable age. It profoundly permeates the atmosphere of the place, especially between May and June with its large, very fragrant yellow-gold flowers.
www.ticino.ch/en/itineraries/details/Mergugno-in-the-yell...
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.
Leica M-P & Elmarit-M 28mm
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my written permission.
© Toni_V. All rights reserved.