Great gladiator
conical dust arena
jaws at the ready.
by Scooj
Tag: wildlife
Goose Barnacle
Attached to flotsam
a curious crustacean
and filter feeder.
by Scooj
- Occasionally one can be lucky enough to see these fascinating creatures washed up on driftwood. They really are most unusual.
- I like the name, because if you switch the words you get barnacle goose, which is great wordplay. I test myself regularly to see if there are any other such animal names that can be transposed in this way. I haven’t found one yet. (Sadly there is no such thing as a monkey spider…for example.)
- It was named because it was thought (before such things were understood) that barnacle geese were created from them as their nests and chicks were never seen in Northern Europe. The goose barnacle has a long ‘neck’ and the main part of the body resembles a head and beak.
Zebra
Conspicuous stripes
infectious, inflected bray
grazer of the veldt.
by Scooj.
- The challenge of choosing an animal and then writing a haiku about it is actually much harder than I thought it would be.
Pangolin
Peculiar beast
sporting ‘globe artichoke’ scales
and sixteen inch tongue.
by Scooj
- I challenged myself to write a haiku about the first animal I could think of. I think I might make this a series…any suggestions welcome.
Uplifting
.
At West Wittering
on the beach with my eyes closed
a sweet skylark sings.
.
by Scooj
1323. Upfest 2017 (133)
Sophie Long is an established artist in Bristol whose wildlife pieces with stunning drips are well known to those who look out for such things. I recently posted her fabulous shark piece in Cheltenham road which I walk past pretty much every day.
This upright orangutan is rather beautiful and conveys so well the sombre disposition of these incredible creatures. we are reminded of our evolutionary closeness to them and our utter disregard for their environment. Orangutans have become an emblem of despair, but also of hope for the future. This fine piece would sit comfortably on any naturalists wall.
1322. Upfest 2017 (132)
At last year’s Upfest, 23 Magpies had a board all to herself, rather than her usual wheatpastes dotted around the place on utility boxes and lamp posts. I am a big fan of her work and am the proud owner of one of her small creations.
This work at Upfest is a clever piece of artwork purporting to be a National Geographic cover. A nice political message up front and lovely illustration, which chimes very much with the National Geographic house style. Packing a punch and an evocative image.
1313. Jessop Underpass
I have known about this wonderful piece by Loch Ness for an age, but never managed to get near enough to photograph it. It is ever so slightly off the main drag, and too far away for me to reach it in a lunchtime walk.
It is a classy piece from this fine Bristol artist who combines colours and form to great effect. Many of his older murals feature monsters, but more recently he has worked on these wildlife-themed imaginary beings which transform from anumal into pattern and design.
I happen to think that this is a particularly fine example of his work, and really should have brought it to your attention sooner. I will try to do better.
House sparrow
House sparrows twitter
from gutters and garden shrubs
warming tepid hearts.
by Scooj
Lucky charm
One…two…five…seven…
nine goldfinches together
in our silver birch.
by Scooj
Natural adventures 