29 February 2016

TAKE SIXTEEN C

Monday's Critters.



In honour of the 'leap' day.. &*>

The Giant Hedge Grasshopper ... or Valanga irregularis (Acrididae)

It was about four inches not including the antennae.

28 February 2016

TAKE FIFTEEN c

MOONdays



Outside my window, last November...

27 February 2016

TAKE FOURTEEN c

Saturday Symmetry



Tile 'parquetry' in the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney.

26 February 2016

TAKE THIRTEEN c

"The future will either be green... or not at all."
(Bob Brown)


25 February 2016

TAKE TWELVE c

It's the Last Thursday of the month. Again...



Yes, lead crystal Christmas decor... ultimate decadence. 

24 February 2016

TAKE ELEVEN c

Wings on Wednesday -
YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in photographing birds.



Mentioned the magpie last week; the sweet morning caller of OZ.

They are very intelligent birds (as are their cousins the butcherbirds and the currawongs) and will often become quite tame.

23 February 2016

TAKE TEN c

Shipping by...



Out little local fishing vessel got a bit of a surprise one morning... As did I. Watching Eilidh Ann, spotted the little navy runner boat and then 'whoosh', up it came...!!!

22 February 2016

TAKE NINE c

Monday's Critters



It was tiny - about one centimetre...

Tmesidera rufipennis (Meloidae)

21 February 2016

TAKE EIGHT c

SUNdays



Well... it's winter, still...

20 February 2016

TAKE SEVEN c

Saturday Symmetry



This building on Queensland's Gold Coast gave me the total space-outs...

19 February 2016

TAKE SIX c

"Things are beautiful if you love them."
(Jean Anouilh)


18 February 2016

TAKE FIVE c

Thursday's bring something outside the square... This is Alcantrarea Imperialis, a giant form of bromeliad.





17 February 2016

TAKE FOUR c

Wings on Wednesday -
YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in photographing birds.



A lot of you were taken with the Aussie Butcher Bird last week... that was an adult. This is the juvenile, in its fledging feathers. They have a beautiful, throaty warble not unlike their cousins, the Australian Magpie. For those who wondered about the hook on the end of the beak; these are insect eaters (though occasionally small lizards) and the hook is used to pull bark from trees and other such activities. Their name comes from the habit of hanging their prey from fencelines or thin branches.

16 February 2016

TAKE THREE c

Shipping by...

Mein Schiff 4, TUI Cruises, 2015 Valetta

15 February 2016

TAKE TWO c

Monday's Critters



The Orange-shouldered Hawk Moth, NSW. Australia

14 February 2016

TAKE ONE c

SUNdays



Not to labour the point, but there was really rather a lack of the big yellow orb on my OZ trip.... very disappointing! There was lots of  glare though, suggesting the thing was there, somewhere, up behind... This shot was taken from a speeding train through some extraordinarily filthy glass... One of the Glasshouse Mountains... 'Tibrogargan', to be precise.

Kinda romantic. Close I get to it on this day at least!

13 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX b

Saturday Symmetry...

and yes, you read that heading correctly - it's a leap year after all!!! End of TAKE's third year of blogging and not a day missed. Here's to another 365 in the C series!



This spiral stair case is under the dome of Queen Victoria Building, Sydney city centre. The place was built in 1898 and was originally offices and market stores... now it is 'up market' with designer shops and galleries and eateries.

12 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE b




"Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely."

(Buddha)

11 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR b

Thursday again... watch ....



On Burleigh Beach, QLD's Gold Coast, this lady's stance caught my imagination - and the Fudge's lens.

A bit of soft-focus and trim and voila! a postcard from OZ.

10 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE b

Wings on Wednesday -
YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious in photographing birds.



The Australian Grey Butcherbird. 

09 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO b

Shipping by...


Taken on that same take-off pass of Botany Bay as last week's, only on a wider angle. Here you see the ship from last post and also one under way, accompanied by a number of tugs. That was all the shipping I managed to lay lens on in the Great Downunderparts this visit!

08 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE b

Monday's Critters


As proof of how cool and wet it was on my OZ trip (Nov-Dec), was putting the house rubbish out the door and found this fella on the wheely- bin.

Yup, that's a leech.

Revels in the very fine name of
Gnatbobdellida libbata.

07 February 2016

THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY b

SUNdays



Nothing beats being aloft when the sun sets...

06 February 2016

THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE b

Saturday Symmetry



Nature comes up trumps on the symmetry. Again.

05 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT b

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot. Others transform a yellow spot into the sun."
(Pablo Picasso)


04 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN b

Thursdays are the anything goes days...



One small detail from the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney City Centre.

03 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX b

Wings on Wednesday -
YAM's take on the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright hilarious of photographing birds.



Noisy Friarbird.

Spotted this one up high at Noose, Sunshine Coast, QLD. Had the lens at full-stretch again!

02 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE b

Shipping by...



As the jet lifted from Australian soil, we looked down upon Botany Bay; at last I got a tanker in my sights again!

01 February 2016

TAKE THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR b

Monday's Critters



As stick insects go, this is quite small...