Charlie and the Nature Factory [Warning: Stunningly Beautiful Large Photo Images]

Liatris ligulistylis bloom with Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' in the background. This liatris is best for attracting monarchs, since they really seem to love the nectar from this plant. I have milkweed growing in my yard, the common which found itself there on its own, and the swamp or rose milkweed I grew from seed (I have purple, too). The common can be a real pest and spread by runners all over, but the swamp (Asclepias incarnata) is more behaved and clumps instead. The flowers are smaller but smell just as good as the common, and if you cut off the seed pods before they ripen it'll help keep the plant from spreading around the yard too much. I've only seen one monarch this year at my house and I hope it is a gravid female. I have enough milkweed and other nectar plants around. I've seen it land on my liatris, but I haven't been able to get a picture, though my mom did with her cell phone. I was hoping to see more monarchs, but they are becoming scarce anymore, sadly.

Beautiful photo, Tepelus. And I love your avatar.

So this was tonight's sunset. This is the view opposite where the sun was setting (the sky was perfectly clear to the West). VERY COOL.

That is gorgeous, PD! At first glance I thought it was waves crashing over rocks, then I thought PD doesn't live by the ocean..

Thanks. It was really cool, and so big I couldn't get it all in the shot - the peaks and tops of the clouds I mean. I took the panaramic above, and then a bunch of others (I made a collage of the whole storm rolling in out of the individual photos).


-Here's the photo-mosaic of the storm, so you can see more of it/how big it was.

Thanks, Lady MacBeth.

Parump, that sky is amazing.

Tepelus said:

...Parump, that sky is amazing.

Click to expand...

Thanks, it's always really cool when the summer rain clouds come creeping/looming over the mountain ranges.

PD, awesome photo. I love summer storms.

I have new photos from my somewhat recent visit to the zoo!



Sleepy komodo dragon.




Hungry black rhino.




Flamboyant flamingo.




Itchy elephant getting a good scratch.




The alpha male silverback drying off in the grass.




Giraffe enjoying the new enclosure.




Blowfish.

Wonderful photos, Lady V. I've heard the Pittsburgh zoo is doing good things for elephants and threatened species.

Snake encounter this morning.

Walked out into the garage this morning and a little head popped out, tongue came out, and it sniffed/tasted my shoe. I think I jumped a foot back. Lol.

-it's a Bull Snake, so me and the shovel carefully guided him/her out of the garage and back to nature.

Nice snake. Probably trying to keep from drowning in the rain.

Reminds me of a few years ago, hubby and I were housesitting for some friends in Sedona (it was a hardship, but they needed someone to water the garden). We were sitting in their front patio and I happened to glance over at hubby. I said: do *not* put your feet down. There was a snake under his chair. I just watched it, and it eventually slithered off somewhere into the rocks. Didn't have a rattle, but why take chances.

MM

Cool snake.

Great shot of the snake!

MaryMumsy said:

Nice snake. Probably trying to keep from drowning in the rain.

Reminds me of a few years ago...There was a snake under his chair. I just watched it, and it eventually slithered off somewhere into the rocks. Didn't have a rattle, but why take chances.

MM

Click to expand...

-chuckle, it's been drying out here.

And you can pick up Bull Snakes if you know how to get them behind the head. I've just never done it before and like you said, didn't want to get bit.

Local colour

Rainbow lorikeets! Trichoglossus haematodus is an ubiquitous bird in the greater Sydney area, and by successfully adapting to urban environments along the east coast of Australia is probably one of the most abundant parrots in the world. They are also completely fearless, inquisitive, and cheeky. This one landed on my balcony this AM as I was bringing in my undies:

OI WOTS UP?

I must be the bird whisperer, or something, because along came its partner. Male on the right (possibly).

WE DEMAND TRIBUTE, HUMAN.
Have some sliced kiwifruit, then.
WE REJECT YOUR PUNY OFFER OF KIWIFRUIT. WE DEMAND HIGH-CARB PROCESSED HUMAN FOOD.
No.

Stunning photos, Albedo! Man, what an incredible world we live in, to have something so colorful fly right up to your balcony.

And your running dialog cracked me up.

Lorries! I fed some at our aviary a couple of years ago.

Glad you like them! They're really ridiculously pretty birds.

There was a pair of corellas out there this morning! They flew off before I got my camera, though.

Albedo, those birds are incredible. Hard to believe they are wild. Thanks for sharing.

This was the best photo of the bunch of the eclipse this morning. My camera just isn't powerful enough for taking night sky photos and I have no tripod.

Great photo Tepelus. I was up early to see the moon, but the clouds had moved in.

Thanks! Stupid clouds, anyway. I was surprised it wasn't cloudy here. Seems to always be cloudy when cool stuff in the sky happens.

Tepelus said:

Liatris ligulistylis bloom with Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' in the background. This liatris is best for attracting monarchs, since they really seem to love the nectar from this plant. I have milkweed growing in my yard, the common which found itself there on its own, and the swamp or rose milkweed I grew from seed (I have purple, too). The common can be a real pest and spread by runners all over, but the swamp (Asclepias incarnata) is more behaved and clumps instead. The flowers are smaller but smell just as good as the common, and if you cut off the seed pods before they ripen it'll help keep the plant from spreading around the yard too much. I've only seen one monarch this year at my house and I hope it is a gravid female. I have enough milkweed and other nectar plants around. I've seen it land on my liatris, but I haven't been able to get a picture, though my mom did with her cell phone. I was hoping to see more monarchs, but they are becoming scarce anymore, sadly.

Click to expand...

Monarch are becoming scarce - in fact they are on the World Wildlife Fund's 10 most endangered species list (#8). I would like to plant some milkweed in my yard for them, but they do seem to be enjoying the hyssop, lantana and buddleia. I had 4 in my yard at once this last weekend and even caught a shot with 2 on the hyssop. (Will try to upload it soon.)

I also spent time at Clark Gardens recently. I was there for a photo contest awards ceremony (my photos didn't win but it was my first attempt to enter one, so I still consider it a win on a personal level) and took tons of photos. I hope to upload some soon.

And as always - awesome shots everyone!! WOW!

Awesome photos! Looking forward to seeing yours, pk.