Nothing very exciting by way of photograph this week, just a patch of Common Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha which I found several years ago growing among the street paving in Pinner. It was around 150mm across so had clearly been there for quite some while. It is showing a good crop of gemmae cups (which can release new offshoots when hit by raindrops) and just an odd sexual body (top right but you’ll need the full sized image to spot it), which from its shape suggests this is probably a male plant.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Common Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha Pinner, September 2010
This week’s photograph was taken some years ago at Lyme Regis. All along the seafront promenade there are these delightful lamp standards based on ammonites in recognition of the Jurassic Coast. They are unusual, well designed and a rather nice touch. Oh and they are almost always adorned with seagulls.
Click on the image for a larger view on Flickr Lamp 2 (with Seagull) Lyme Regis; July 2006
This weeks photo is of our friends John and Midori, who we met for lunch when they were passing through London last week. They are on one of their rare visits to this country to see John’s family. John, originally from Norwich, has been teaching English at universities in Japan for around 30 years; he was one of the founder members of the Anthony Powell Society. John is also a world expert on the traditional music of Okinawa — he blogs at The Power of Okinawa — so when he semi-retired a few years ago it was natural that they moved to Okinawa, the semi-tropical Ryukyu Islands at the very southern extremity of Japan. They were living in Kobe at the time of the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995.
This week’s photograph is one from my perambulations of the Romney March Churches in Kent. Well actually this one, East Guldeford just outside Rye, is just in East Sussex; it is the only of the of the Romney March churches which isn’t in Kent and the only one not in the Diocese of Canterbury.
These are the Arms of Richard de Guldeford (died circa 1507) patron of St Mary’s, East Guldeford. They are on the north wall of the church and may be contemporary with the building of the church (consecrated 1505). The photo was taken during the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust members’ tour in July 2010.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Guldeford Arms East Guldeford, July 2010
In this week’s photograph you get four for the price of one.
Four shots of the same tiny insect. It was probably a member of the Braconidae, possibly Apanteles glomeratus or as the body looks “waisted” one of the Ichneumonidae. Head and body about the size of a British black ant (so around 4-5mm?). Antennae and ovipositor are each roughly the same length as the body. Legs definitely reddish. It liked walking about (it was quick too) making it quite a challenge to photograph.
Click the image for larhger views on Flickr Ichneumon Fly? Greenford; July 2009
This week a photograph from the archives; it was taken in October 2011.
I see a Green Woodpecker going through the garden a couple of time most years. But this guy (yes, probably male) was on our next door neighbour’s lawn and back then this was the third or fourth time I’d seen him visiting over a period of 2-3 weeks. One day I watched him for 45 minutes, quartering the same area repeatedly, so it must be very rich in ants. Taken at a range of 20-25 yards from the study window with my biggest lens and still this is a small crop from the middle of a frame.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Green Woodpecker Greenford, October 2011
This week’s photo was taken last October when Noreen and I travelled on the paddle-steamer Waverley from London (Tower Pier) to Southend. This guy was one of the passengers. He was totally oblivious to me sitting on deck less than 10 feet away taking his photo. I don’t know how he was warm enough in just a t-short at 9AM on a cold foggy morning. I ask you, what does he look like?!
Click the image for a larger view Plonker River Thames, October 2013
This week’s photograph was taken last summer while sitting outside a pub in London’s Covent Garden. The guy spend quite some minutes ferreting around his pockets while making mobile phone calls, it appeared all in aid of paying for parking his motorbike. It was street performance at it’s best — completely impromptu!
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Contortionist Covent Garden; August 2013
This week, just a little reminder that Spring is on the way despite the current gloomy wet weather we’re having in the UK. No story, just a nice photo.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr Reed Kew Gardens, June 2008
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
