Nature

This is the RAW procesed version of an earlier upload "Munch Bunch". More detail & subtle colours all round... RTE Evening News 18.8.09 My son noticed these little eating machines (also known as Birch Sawfly larvae, Cimbex femoratus, as I was to subsequently discover) which were systematically ingesting a leaf on one of the Silver Birches in our back garden last week with quite stunning efficiency. I was just about to flick them into infinity when I had two thoughts in quick succession - "Butterflies of the near future*?" & then - "Get your Crappy Macro Lens pronto!". The thought that they might be fluttering around the same garden reborn beautifully in a few weeks time spared them my rude interuption, even though they were lunching on one of my favorite trees. From my limited Zoology Tuition as a Science undergraduate many years ago I assume that this formation feeding confers a degree of added safety from predation upon these little fellas (it also happens to look funny too of course to us Homo Sapien Anthropomorphs). Whenever I (deliberately yet gently) touched one of them they would all simultaneously adopt the same arched back pose you can see above - presenting one bigger (more thretening?) bug as opposed to six individual little ones. Also, the bright coloration is a real giveaway - they are advertising the fact that they probably taste pretty bad too! I also wished I had a better (as in sharper) macro lens, but I got a shot of sorts anyway... *OK, so it turned out they were Birch Sawflies of the future but I'm still glad I clicked instead of flicked, then clicked them here onto flickr! Madama Butterfly www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6001083/... www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/birch-sawfly Explore # 8 on Sunday, August 2, 2009 Rush Hour at the Salad Bar

My son noticed these little eating machines (also known as Birch Sawfly larvae, Cimbex femoratus, as I was to subsequently discover) which were systematically ingesting a leaf on one of the Silver Birches in our back garden last week with quite stunning efficiency. I was just about to flick them into infinity when I had two thoughts in quick succession - "Butterflies of the near future*?" & then - "Get your Crappy Macro Lens pronto!". The thought that they might be fluttering around the same garden reborn beautifully in a few weeks time spared them my rude interuption, even though they were lunching on one of my favorite trees. From my limited Zoology Tuition as a Science undergraduate many years ago I assume that this formation feeding confers a degree of added safety from predation upon these little fellas (it also happens to look funny too of course to us Homo Sapien Anthropomorphs). Whenever I (deliberately yet gently) touched one of them they would all simultaneously adopt the same arched back pose you can see above - presenting one bigger (more thretening?) bug as opposed to six individual little ones. Also, the bright coloration is a real giveaway - they are advertising the fact that they probably taste pretty bad too! I also wished I had a better (as in sharper) macro lens, but I got a shot of sorts anyway... *OK, so it turned out they were Birch Sawflies of the future but I'm still glad I clicked instead of flicked! :) www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/6news_av.html?2596131 (You'll need RealPlayer installed to view the news clip above from Irish TV broadcast on 18/8/09 "Cavorting caterpillars") Rush Hour at the Salad Bar

www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/6news_av.html?2596131 (You'll need RealPlayer installed to view the news clip above from Irish TV broadcast on 18/8/09 "Cavorting caterpillars") Rush Hour at the Salad Bar

www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/6news_av.html?2596131 (You'll need RealPlayer installed to view the news clip above from Irish TV broadcast on 18/8/09 "Cavorting caterpillars") Rush Hour at the Salad Bar

Each Sawfly Larva is less than a cm long... www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/6news_av.html?2596131 (You'll need RealPlayer installed to view the news clip above from Irish TV broadcast on 18/8/09 "Cavorting caterpillars") Rush Hour at the Salad Bar

Looking above the upper lake at Glendalough towards the distant tree line high above the far shore. The mid October afternoon Sun was playing cat & mouse with the passing clouds. Everyone around me was looking down at the lake. I'm glad I looked up. Unprocessed jpeg.

Marrakech has a large feral cat population. Life for them is I suspect short, & often brutal. Some get lucky, like this guy soaking up the afternoon sun (& some momentary human affection) at The Koutoubia Mosque. Alternate Title- Purrfect Moment

Storks nesting on the Koutoubia Mosque's Minaret in Marrakech, Morocco. Everyone in the group I was in spent their time shooting the (to me) repetitive & boring (though admittedly intricate & sometimes beautiful) symmetrical tiles & mosaics & architectural features in the mosque. I went for birds (& a cat). :)