.
Banded Damoiselle
joins a merry courtship dance
settles a moment
.
by Scooj
- It took me an eternity to find the female symbol (♀) but I got there in the end.
Banded Damoiselle
Tag: Nature
Common Twayblade
.
Unseen green on green
delicate flowering spike
overlooked orchid
.
by Scooj
Roman Snail
.
Roman artefact
also known as escargot
grassland survivor
.
by Scooj
- Roman snails are a naturalised species in the UK, thought to have been introduced by the Romans for food. This is the snail that is still prepared in France as ‘escargot’. However, some of the UK’s populations were decimated by people collecting them for cuisine or selling to such an extent that in 2008, the snails were given nearly total protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act in order to save the remaining colonies. (Taken from a rather interesting RHS article)
Common Spotted Orchid
.
On Leckhampton Hill
at home in limestone grassland
delicate orchid
.
by Scooj
7688. Willway Street – Upfest 2026 (11)
I haven’t seen anything by Bristol-based artist Sophie Long for an age, but if anything can get her out painting walls, it is Upfest. Renowned for her animal portraits, Sophie Long has surpassed expectations with this outstanding piece of a mother and baby gorilla.
Colour and drips are key elements that Sophie Long likes to incorporate into her work, and there is plenty of both in this piece. Her gorillas have the expression of love and compassion, but there is also a vulnerability here that speaks of the fragility of their existence in a human dominated word. Outstanding work from Sophie Long – you can see more of her work in this updated gallery.
Helman Tor
.
A rocky outcrop
drops to wet willow woodland
wind turbines turning
.
by Scooj
A welcome to England’s newest National Nature Reserve – Mid Cornwall Moors NNR
Birdsong
.
Warm sunny May day
a day-long birdsong chorus
nothing else matters
.
by Scooj
My singing heart
.
Swifts circle the air
screeching fair their arrival
for now all is well
.
by Scooj
7656. Ashman Road – Upfest 2026 (2)
This piece by Bex Glover is a beauty and a treat, and one of two pieces she has painted for Upfest 2026. Her work is right up my street, nearly always featuring a natural history narrative, painted in her unique style, usually steeped in her light blues, but in this instance augmented with a stunning deep red archway.
The piece has at its centre a stunning fox, beautifully presented, standing on a patch of grass and peering through the archway to a watery scene with a town in the distance, perhaps a depiction of old Bristol itself. A stunning piece for Upfest from one of our own artists.
Smooth Carrion-Beetle
.
Off at a canter
from one edge to the other
pathway exposure
.
by Scooj
Natural adventures 