Wildlife September 2011

[David Nicholson]

On the eve of approach of autumn....

Lovely picture Natalia

[David Nicholson]

I've only seen a swarm of bees some three times in my life, so it was quite dramatic when the third time occurred on the roof of our house! They spent about 15 minutes in a swirling ball outside our dining room window (great place to watch them from close up! Our dog outside looked a little more disconcerted) before they settled down on the roof and are now somewhere in the loft! One of Nature's great excitements.

They'd have a job getting into our loft, it's full of stuff that ought be chucked out but might come in handy one day!

[Lesley Cox]

I might try some of those salvia Lesley . I too prefer the tui call Anthony but they are so bossy and will push other birds out of the area .
My bellbird was at the flowers on our plum trees this evening

Steve I haven't been able to find seed on S. confertiflora but you can have a bunch of cuttings which are easy to root and also can have a plant. I did a few cuttings in the autumn and they've been outside all winter. I'll pot them this week as they're growing on strongly.

A most beautiful picture of the spider's web Natalia, with no tears in it. Better than a diamond tiara.

[Lesley Cox]

Roger's family used to have a crib (holiday cottage) at Kakanui, north of Dunedin and he said everyone really hated the little blue penguins as at night, they'd congregate under the deck and yell and scream and make appalling noises. Just as well they're protected as there would otherwise have been mass shootings.

[Anthony Darby]

I thought a crib was a small cot for a baby?

[Lesley Cox]

Well it can be, of course, one up from a basinette. But in Otago and Southland it's also what the northerners would call a bach but they pronounce it batch, which I can't do, having been brought up with JS, so I'm more comfortable with the southern "crib."

[mark smyth]

unbelievable macro photos of insects
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/

He uses a 28mm lens reversed - what ever than means - and a 2x converter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/2545298333/in/photostream

[David Nicholson]

I thought a crib was a small cot for a baby?

.... or a card game played particularly in Northern clubs and pubs.

[TC]

Signs of Autumn.  Our first Whooper Swans have returned from Iceland to their wintering area.  This is about 4 weeks earlier than usual.  Do they know something we don't know ?

[TC]

He uses a 28mm lens reversed - what ever than means - and a 2x converter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/2545298333/in/photostream
[/quote]

It means that you use a lens mount adapter for your camera body with a suitable sized filter mount fitted on the other side of the mount.  This is screwed into the lens and the lens, which is now reversed is mounted onto the body.  This enables the lens to be used about 1" or closer from your subject.  Optically, this will give better results than using extension tubes and is much better than a converter.  Standard lenses are computed to give their best result probably from about 5 feet to infinity.  If you want to know more about the subject try googling "close up camera lenses" as a starter.  The downside of using a lens this way is that it can only be used manually.  Automatic focusing and exposure are lost. 

[Anthony Darby]

I thought a crib was a small cot for a baby?

.... or a card game played particularly in Northern clubs and pubs.

Does that involve cheating?

[Lesley Cox]

My Ma and Pa and I used to play crib (cribbage) when I was small and no, it didn't involve cheating.

[Anthony Darby]

Cheats use crib sheets Lesley: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheat_sheet

[jandals]

Steve I haven't been able to find seed on S. confertiflora but you can have a bunch of cuttings which are easy to root and also can have a plant. I did a few cuttings in the autumn and they've been outside all winter. I'll pot them this week as they're growing on strongly.

Cheers . Will call in next time I go to town . Will phone first

[mark smyth]

Many tortoiseshell butterflies in the garden today. They like Colchicums better than Asters