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Bird song ID app
six birds in sixty seconds
garden paradise.
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by Scooj
I heard some sweet birdsong this morning while I was washing up, so I went into the garden with the app (Merlin Bird ID, which I cannot recommend highly enough) and within a minute I had recorded birdsong from six species:
Great tit, Wren, Wood-pigeon, Carrion crow, Blackcap and Magpie.
Magical.
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A midnight fragrance
when the nighttime air is still
and daytime nectar
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by Scooj
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A billion billion
buried in our sandy shores
bivalve biomass
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by Scooj
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Sweet sibilant song
a robin busting a lung
pauses for replies
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by Scooj
It has taken me an eternity to stop and photograph this stunning nature mural by Carla James, something that has been on my ‘to do’ list for a couple of years at least. I managed to walk up to the spot just before Christmas whilst seeking out some presents for my family. I have only seen Carla James’ work once before, and that was at Upfest 21. Curiously enough, one of the presents that I bought for my son was a beautiful fish print by another Upfest artist, Rosie McLay.
Carla James has created a beautiful vision in which there is a seamless transition from a tropical reef below to forest foliage and airborne creatures. There is a calmness and huge sense of the balance of nature in the piece, with some lovely illustrations of turtles, fish, plants and butterflies. The central hummingbird is the link between this piece and her outstanding Upfest mural. Carla James’ website is a treasure trove, and her biography explains the connection with tropical and exotic scenes. At last, one I can tick off my list.
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No small gathering
a tree-full of goldfinches
some two score or more
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by Scooj
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Must do what we can
nature and climate crises
can do what we must
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by Scooj
Although Exeter doesn’t have quite the same volume of street/graffiti art on offer as Bristol, nor as many spots/locations, it does have one or two resident artists whose work can be found, if you keep your eyes open. One of these artists is None Here.
If you fins a street or area with street art bin Graffiti, it is highly likely to have a piece by None Here somewhere. His work is pretty much always nature-based, often featuring birds. His style is very recognisable, looking like illustrations, and I am not convinced they are painted using spray cans, but more likely paint brushes with sprayed backgrounds. This door is typical of the work I saw on my recent trip. I would say that None Here is the beating heart of the Exeter street art scene.
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Belting out a song
disproportionately loud
E. rubecula
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by Scooj
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Great intelligence
evolutionary star
World Octopus Day
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by Scooj
A little bonus gallery of Octopus pieces to mark the day:
Natural adventures 