December 31st, 2011

This is photo #730 of my daily photo blog!
A happy Zebra family striking a pose at no extra charge...
Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2012
filled with love, joy and Blessings

December 30, 2011

It "Bee" lunch time... ☺
This miniature Rose grows on the fence. I could not make out what was happening behind the silk 'curtain' until I downloaded the photo. 

December 29, 2011

Preparing to fly
Pretty soon these seeds will be drifting away on the wind.
The weed is growing under a tree on the embankment beyond my house.
The light that filters through the foliage of  the tree caught my eye

December 28, 2011

Poetry in motion?
This Butterfly would not settle for a photo, so I decided to try and catch it in flight.
Much to my surprise only the wings were not in focus. 
If you click on the photo it should enlarge on your screen.
The movement of the wings add a rather eerie effect - one can see objects in the background that would normally be obscured.
This might be a Monarch, but I am not sure.  

December 27, 2011

Overcrowded
It might be a case of 'making hay while the sun shines' because more rain has been forecast.

December 26, 2011

This juvenile Glossy Starling was sitting in the rain crying for mother to bring it food.
Another visitor to the guava branch that I attached to the corner fencepost

December 25, 2011

While humans say "with tongue in cheek",  Giraffes have another point of view!
Wishing family, friends and followers of my blog a Blessed Christmas.
I have experienced problems connecting and uploading to facebook.

December 24, 2011

CMR Beetles are probably the most destructive insects I have ever come across....
They do make interesting photos because they are always chomping away at colourful flowers!
These are also Blister Beetles - toxic excretions cause skin irritation.

December 23, 2011

See No Evil
While moving a cement building block in the garden today, I was thrilled to find this chap!

"These strange animals with their very long front legs are known as whip-spiders or whip-scorpions. With animals like the romans, scorpions and ticks they belong to the class Arachnida, a group of animals all with eight legs. However, they are not true spiders as they do not produce any silk or venom. Scientifically they are placed in the order Amblypygi and they form a distinct group on their own. Their common name refers to the whiplike movements of their first pair of legs."

You can read more about them at: 

http://www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?PID=1&ToolID=63&ItemID=1776

December 22, 2011

Natal Francolin
These birds normally disappear into the grass as soon as the camera comes out.
I was quite surprised when this one let me park so close and even posed for the shot!
 I took a quick drive to the game reserve this afternoon - in at 16:30 & out at 17:30!
In that hour I saw plenty of  Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Warthog, Impala and a number of birds.

December 21, 2011

Buddy and Lulu
It would be hard to find a child that is happier with his Christmas present than Buddy!
It is very hot tonight & the ceiling fan is blowing at full speed.
Despite the heat,  there they are - still touching!
Always together & always up to mischief! My house will never be the same again!
They are so alike and it is such a treat to watch them play.
Lulu seems so tiny compared to Buddy, but at two months, she is really only half his age.
I seem to have forgotten how small Buddy was when he moved in. 
Despite her size, Lulu does not tolerate any bullying, is always in charge, and.... Buddy obeys her!
My baby boy - he has such a loving nature - flops down on my feet at every opportunity.
Aunty Muffin also loves them dearly, but reprimands them when they get too boisterous around her.

December 20, 2011

Smiling Terrapins
Love is certainly in the air!

December 19, 2011

This little bird looked like it was about to fall asleep!
It kept drawing the third eyelid over its eyes.  "Wisegeek" has very interesting information:

Many animals have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane. This clear eyelid can be drawn across the eyeball for protection from debris, prey, or the dryness of air, similarly to regular eyelids. Reptiles, birds, sharks, and some mammals evolved this extra layer of protection to keep their eyes moist and clean while maintaining visibility. The nictitating membrane is part of the conjunctiva, a mucus membrane. Usually, it resides in the corner of the eye when not in use. Humans' nictitating membrane is permanently folded into that corner; it's the visible pink nub. Most animals can control the haw, another name for the eyelid, by drawing it diagonally or horizontally across the cornea. When animals evolved to live out of the ocean, they had to develop a way to keep their eyeballs moist in dry air and free of particles in dusty wind. Predators, especially, cannot risk blinking their eyes repetitively, lest they miss a scurrying mouse or hopping frog. The nictitating membrane allows them full vision as well as the benefits of blinking. The owl, like other birds, closes its haw when flying at high speeds because the additional moisture improves their vision. Certain kinds of sharks also use nictitating membranes to keep from being stabbed by thrashing prey. Amphibious creatures such as alligators, crocodiles, and other reptiles use their third eyelid while hunting, or while not underwater.

December 18, 2011

Hitching a ride?
I have searched for an ID on these but cannot find anything like it.
Somebody said last year that they lay their eggs in the soil where Amaryllis are planted.
This might be true, because here it is feeding on an Amaryllis plant

December 17, 2011

This interesting Caterpillar was brought to me on Monday.
(Thank you Marelize!)
Today was rather hectic and I did not get a chance for photography.

December 16, 2011

The Acacia Trees are in bloom! A splendid sight....

December 15, 2011

Diederik Cuckoo
The sad calls of this juvenile bird has carried on for a number of days.
The host "foster mother" has probably stopped feeding it. I reckon it does not like wasps ;-)
For the regular readers of my blog: this happens to be the dead guava tree that I fixed to the corner fence post after it was cut off and discarded by one of the groundsmen. Bird traffic is back!
It is such a pity that the light was not too good today. Hopefully I will get the opportunity again on a brighter day to take a photo that shows the beautiful bright green of this bird.
This is a female because her throat has a touch of brown, although it can not be seen in this photo.

December 14, 2011

Lulu arrived today!
As you can see - Buddy is totally smitten with his future wife...
Looking at the photo below one can't really blame him!

Lulu arrived beautifully shaved and looking ever so cute.
She made herself at home and really enjoyed helping Buddy with re-spreading the grass cuttings as it was being raked up!

December 13, 2011

Looking out my back door...
The Lesser Striped Swallows are building a nest under the eaves in the courtyard.
They have become very tame and frequently sit on the washing line. 

December 12, 2011

Lazy Lizard
This is how I feel after the scrumptious staff lunch - sincere thanks to all who made this possible.
(all I need now is a comfortable log to settle on!)

December 11, 2011

Beautiful Butterflies feasting on the flowers of a Butterfly Milkweed.
Also known as Balloon Plant, Hairy Balls or Cotton Bush 

December 10, 2011

Impala Portrait
(she begged me for a head shot - it seems that her figure is not what it used to be)
We spent the day in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve today.
Sightings on today's list include Rhino, Giraffe, Zebra, Gnu, Kudu, Impala, Nyala, Buffalo,
Elephant, Warthog and Wild Dog - and of course an abundance of birds.

December 9, 2011

Rain! What a change it makes to our world, yet we tend to take it for granted.
Let us make an effort to conserve and not to waste.
This flower is of the same plant as the one that I posted on the 5th.

December 8, 2011

Hello! My name is "Bacon". I am a new-born Warthog.
My human Mommy found me in the road and is doing a great job taking care of me.

My eyes might not yet be open and my umbilical cord has not fallen off.......

......BUT - I have already have teeth!
Bacon is being fostered by one of the teachers at school.

December 7, 2011

Perfect brush strokes
This is where I found yesterday's spider. There is no sign of him today.

December 6, 2011

This little Lynx Spider was looking so pretty on a bright orange Gazania.
It ran as soon as I came near & I caught him as he was heading down the back of a leaf.
The resulting photo nearly landed in the bin, but then I decided that I liked it!

December 5, 2011

A delicate wild flower cropped to accentuate the detail of the stamens.
How meticulous is our Creator!

December 4, 2011

Buddy is 4 months old and beginning to look like a Mini Schnauzer.
The heart shaped nose says it all - a lovable creature.
 He is a VERY busy boy - it took about 20 shots to get this one!☺
Buddy is a "Black & Silver". I had already ordered Lulu when he unexpectedly became part of the menagerie.  When Lulu was born (the only girl in the litter) she also happened to be Black & Silver! She arrives next week and I wonder what my house is going to be like then?? It already has the 'minimalistic' look:  everything that is not puppy-proof has been rolled up, moved to a higher spot, packed on top of the furniture or chewed! Another week and I will be home during the day.
A month of puppy training and pee-pee parade is high on the to-do list!

December 3, 2011

Scurrying across the concrete - at first I thought it was a cockroach of sorts,
but an extreme closeup showed an Armadillo-like insect.
It might be related to a Woodbug, although it was very flat.

December 2, 2011

It was rather windy when I arrived home quite late today.  There was not a bug in site!
As I was trying to photograph these lovely little flowers I spotted this Plume Moth nearby.
It is called a Plume Moth because of the feather-like wings.
Because of the wind and rather bad light, I took a number of photos, hoping to get a good one.
 I could not choose between these two - I think the moth was showing off....

These pretty little flowers are actually weeds - I do not have the heart to pull them out!

December 1, 2011

And to kick off the Festive Season.....
A Happyface "wooden-soldier-head" Beetle feasting on a Dandelion flower!

November 30, 2011

A last over-the-shoulder glance at November before we plunge into December!
A Red-winged Starling male proudly showing off his beautiful colours.
The female has a grey head and neck.

November 29, 2011

A Laughing Dove enjoys the green grass after all the lovely rain that we have had.
The many stray cats seem to have moved on and the birds are quite relaxed now.
This photo was taken through the lounge window.
I am pleasantly surprised that there are no reflections against the glass

November 28, 2011

Peek-a-boo!
I will be hunting the rest of this shy spider down over the days few days!
It was quite large and colourful for a Jumping Spider - but the eyes are a dead give-away.
Spiders tend to get used to the camera once they see that you mean no harm.

November 27, 2011

Not feeling on top form so this photo was taken from the front porch. The Prickly Pear grows against the fence - I have never measured the distance between the front fence and the house - my guess is that it is probably about 1,5 to 2 meters away.  I had the camera set up on the tripod and zoomed in to take a photo of the Beetles,  when a Bee decided to pop in to complete the picture!
My Canon Powershot SX130 has proved to be "Nifty" indeed! I was so surprised at the detail - right down to the texture of the petals, stamens and even the pollen grains.
(How I wish I could take the credit for the settings!)

To all the followers of this Blog:
I appreciate your visits and am thrilled to have had over 700 page views this month - the best month so far!
Thanks for being part of it - it really makes it all worth while!
(I might even consider a 3rd year of daily photos!)

November 26, 2011

Paradise Fly Catcher
My friend Pat and I have been trying to get a photo of this bird for weeks!
It is a rather flighty little chap and always seems to be partly obscured when perched.
Today it settled briefly in the umKhuhlu tree at the end of my garden - I only had time for one shot.
Zoomed to the max, with the focus on the bird not as good as what I would have liked it,
but a pretty picture nonetheless.  It feels like a trophy - can't wait to show Pat!

November 25, 2011

Make hay while the sun shines!
We had a slightly drier day today - for the first time this week!
It is said that due to La Nina, we can expect a very wet holiday season ...

November 24, 2011

It is still raining here, so I opted for a photo on the front porch.
The African Violet is always in bloom - the little flowers are so delicate and textured

November 23, 2011

Rain, rain and more rain.
Crab Spiders are magnificent creatures - the middle set of eyes could just as well have been nostrils!

November 22, 2011

Hats off to Nifty (my Canon SX130is) for this photo!
It was a cold and cloudy day with very little photo opportunities.
Hoping for a bird to perch on the Guava branches in the foreground,
 I set up the camera on the porch and waited....
This Lilac Breasted Roller appeared and seemed to have a lot to say to the floodlights on the other end of the tennis courts below my house. While it circled and investigated every nook and cranny,
it gave me the opportunity to zoom in and for a few shots.
A pity about the Guava branches in the foreground - but it somehow gives a lot of depth to the photo.
I just love the splash of colour in the distance!

November 21, 2011

A strange hairy little beetle paid us a visit at school today. (not a very keen model though!)
Late this afternoon we had thunder and lightning and then 15mm of rain paired with heavy wind.
It is still windy but the rain has stopped. More rain is forecast for this week.

November 18 - 20, 2011

Catching up after 3 days away.
We travelled South on Friday to help pack up the contents of Aunty Kay's house.
It poured with rain ALL weekend. 

The persistant rain and being busy certainly did not supply many photo opportunities

My cousin has exactly the same camera as mine. She complained that she can't take macro shots & we compared settings. After I had adjusted the settings and gave her a few pointers, she took this photo of her ring and was very pleased with the result. We realised later that it was actually my camera that she had used!  That still makes it "at maggiez lenz", right???   

An early morning shot of a young bird on an old wall.
It was still pouring with rain and this photo was taken through the window from within the house. 

Not a word of truth on Lynette's cute t-shirt!
 She cooked a scrumptious family meal - enjoyed by all!