birds – Page 5 – don't confuse the narrator

feather brained

The village is running an ornithological photography competition.

mantis close-up of head and antennae. Probably Empusa pennata adult male

Sadly, although many birds visit the garden – blackbirds, hoopoes, azure-tailed magpies, jays, warblers, black caps, treecreepers… – not to mention the herons down by the river and the hawks and eagles who share our airspace, they all have a nasty habit of flying away before I can get my camera out, let alone focus it.

So unless I build a hide in the greenhouse and stalk what I think must be a pair of black redstarts who are nesting there, or set up the step ladder on the verandah and try and peer into the swallows’ neat adobe home, neither of which seem to be recommended courses of action, I don’t think I’ll be entering the competition.

I have, however, had a little more luck taking pictures of this marvellous creature with his spectacular feathered antennae. (Go on: click the photo and check him out close up!)
Continue reading “feather brained”

watch the birdie*

Bright plastic pegs
perch along the clothes line:
a flock of tiny parrots

(*Perhaps the post title should have been “wash the birdie”!)

bluebirds II

I’ve mentioned before the effect certain blue birds have on me: how they raise my spirits and how, for the (usually brief) moments that they are visible, I forget to do anything other than stand and stare.

This week, though, a jay has visited the vine regularly – I guess the grapes must be just about ripe – so I’ve had my camera to hand on my desk ready for when he appears.

Each morning
a jay visits the vine;
high above, cirrus
whisper of autumn

Normally, even if the camera is easily found, opening windows or doors startles any wildlife away before I can get a picture. But after the recent cleaning binge, I was able to take this photo through the window.

Windows cleaned
inside and out:
how bright the world looks!

Even so, if this is the best I can do, I think next time I’d better leave the bird photography to the experts and settle for recording the image in my memory rather than on my camera’s memory card.

where angels fear to tread

Adeje street 'carpets', Corpus Christi 2012, Tenerife

As part of the Corpus Christi celebrations, the town of Adeje in Tenerife decorates the streets with ‘carpets’ made from salt along the procession route.

I think the carpets are made using salt tinted with powder paint, which is spread over a big outline of the picture taped to the street.

Between the carpets are plainer stretches with stencilled patterns.
Continue reading “where angels fear to tread”

old poetry

It’s a bit disheartening to go away for a few days hoping to find new ideas only to realise that you have already written poems that correspond to almost everything you see. Sadly, that was what happened to me this week. Then again, it gives me an excuse to re-visit some older pieces.