Sunday 14 October 2007

Macro-a-go-go......

Nothing of any great event to report in the last few days - Just some physio, a spot of light job hunting, and a lot of armchair sport's viewing.

During the one sunny day this week (whichever it was) I did muster the enthusiasm to go as far as the back yard and take a few close up, macro photos of autumnal type stuff.

I'm guessing this is Belladonna or the "Deadly Nightshade". I can't tell for sure until the berries mature. There's certainly masses of it growing all along the wall between our path and nextdoor's garden. Good job no one has any kids!

CORRECTION: OK.....10 points for everyone who has been sniggering over my ignorance above!
Having just seen some Belladonna on "Ray Mears Does Blokey Stuff In The Woods" it's clearly not that plant. ( Which has bigger purple flowers.) Turns out, from a bit of intensive googling that it is Solanum Jasminoides or the "Potato Vine"...nonetheless it is still a part of the Solanum or nightshade famlily...so I wasn't as far out as I could have been. (man)


This chap is a Common Hoverfly.

Although there are several species that come under that general name, with very subtle distinctions in terms of geographical area and habits, the one thing that they have in common, is that they are all indeed, really frightfully common.








And despite looking like the skin of a some exotic reptile, this is actually a macro image of a grapevine leaf.

OK, so I boosted the colour of this one a bit in Photoshop.... So shoot me!.. I'm a photographer not a bloody botanist!





This however is definitely the slightly less
lethal cousin to the killer at the top of this post, the "Woody Nightshade" or "Bittersweet".

Not that I'd let that persuade me to try it though.











And this is a Cyclamen about which I know nothing.

It grows in a pot....In my yard.

......Did I mention I'm not a botanist?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pix, Greenmantle. I hadn't realised that you had a blog, too; it's terrific. I recognise the 'CityLink twitch'. I've been spending a fortune on kit recently, and the mere rev of their van engine at the door has me wobbling with 'boys toys' excitement. I'm such a sadster.

Mark said...

Hi Greenmantle,
Well you may not be a botanist but you are certainly able to get a good macro shot. I will be poping over to my local vineyard soon to get some leaf pictures (honest) they look like street maps up close.

Cheers Mark