PUT aside, for a moment, David Attenborough telling you all about the Amazonian rain forest and the canopy. Consider the humble Holly Tree. I have one of these outside my back door and have watched, for the last two weeks or so, rather an amazing bit of life – or biodiversity as they call it these days.
There’s still one red berry left from last year’s blossoming on the tree – most of those were consumed by a gang of wood pigeons dsperate for a tree nosh up while the Holly was berried up big time.
Last week the Holly started to blossom – just a week or so before, a stack of bumble bee queens of different species were hunting a hole in which to raise their brood.
Three – nay four things happened after the blossom. Honey bees, bumble bees and wasps started to get very interested in the blossom. The honey bees and bumble bees were there for one reason, to collect pollen. The wasps were there for one reason too, to calmly examine the blossom, stings a-ready, to paralyse any creatures they could take back to the nest to feed the grubs.
The blossom has been falling for the last two days and the berries have been forming, so the insects have done their work, by and large. But today I saw a wasp still hunting for small insects on the blossom buds, its sting a-ready. It stumbled into a very very small spider web, and I saw the very very small spider thinking that perhaps it had a catch. Both predators backed off.
I have seen larger spiders deal with much larger wasps before, many years ago. The spider easily won by spinning vast sheets of its interweb. But this time of year, the spiders ain’t fat enough to spin vast sheets.
Meanwhile, also in Oxford, here’s a picture of an old piece of stone in memory of Prince Albert, Victoria’s consort, standing in front of an even older piece of stone, a dinosaur of some kind. Ω
* I haven’t yet mentioned the unique North Parade/Violin Shop blackbirds yet. But I will, I will…
Be thankful for every pigeon, Mike. Holly is a notorius pest. It thrives as undergrowth promulgating saplings rigorously and choking all other woods. Holly trees can get quite large.
Woodpecker woods is full of the prickles. My great grandmother used to harvest the Holly and sell it to the rich folks at the farmer’s market (16 miles away by mule) along with Poppies (who knew the heroin?). She was school teacher who got her a mail order husband and bought enough land to make a bale of cotton.
I’ve been stuck among the prickles many a thyme.
Now Juniper, there is a tipplier berry! I like Bombay Sapphire and tonic. I fear it may come to be quite expensive.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1269217/Is-English-gin-peril-Juniper-berry-bush-disappear-50-years.html
Doesn’t matter, really. I only owe 127B more payments on these lurvely plastic shards with shiny birds on them. So no use crying over any lack for specious spilt swill.
To think! I may never have to swig a proper pint!
In the least, the pigeons carry on.
Nice view of Oxford, like HOME library Museum, ancient egypt, Huge Tail & sauve leatherd’ Gent. Seems Flowers come out several times with Rain & High heat for Day.
Tolerating Wasps’ Is NOT Smart. Find nest & BLAMO, no More Hornets….
Do Comics Still Carry, 20 LIVING Rattlers’ For 18Pence. Think of Great Love & Intrest. Send some to Karlsrattles.
drashek good. There Like mexican Hat Dancers, with cha cha gourds.
Just as fast as I
Could from the
West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the bad-lands of
New Mexico.
I fell in love
with a Mexican girl.
Night-time would find
me in Rosa’s Cantina
Wicked and evil
while casting a spell.
Just for a moment
I stood there in silence
I had but one chance and that was to run.
Out through the back door of Rosa’s I ran,
Out where the horses
were tied.
I caught a good one.
It looked like it could run.
Up on its back
And away I did ride.
__Marty Robbins
http://www.gravatar.com
After registering with a valid email address for a link back I could easily upload a 48 X 48 square icon downloaded from a google image search.
It is possible to edit the image in paint. Bad thing is one image active at everywhere dot gurl. Change it on Monday and everywhere she goes.
You must upload it to your avatar gallery and also set it in your profile too.
You must also delete temporary internet files in IE.
I chose an image based on the movie:
V for Vendetta
good show! The character is based on Guy Fawkes.
That got rid of that pink swatch identicon. I don’t wear pink or orange.
Maybe I’ll switch to Tequila!
Avatar Is Ancient, Used to express complex thought or story, like blackbirds in pie is avatar of sorts.
Avatar or Avatāra (Devanagari अवतार, Sanskrit for “descent” [viz., from heaven to earth]) refers to a deliberate descent of a deity from heaven to earth, and is mostly translated into English as “incarnation”, but more accurately as “appearance” or “manifestation”.[1]
The term is most often associated with Vishnu, though it has also come to be associated with other deities.[2] Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara
‘Ole King Coe, Push King Onto Reader & Get Buyer. Most Avatars are of Miraculas Nature & Religion. Picture tells thousand words & in 13 letter India, Avatar could be reminder of many common belief.
drashek Vice Squad Chairmen.
You obviously spend far too much time out there smurking fargs :)