Ahead of me I could see the path heading up this hill. Not too steep and as the path winds up and down, it will not be too bad getting to the top will it? :)
Here the aloes get there flowers in the winter and this young plant was starting to shoot out its new stem.
Nestled against a crevase, the aloe and this unknown succulent compete for the sunny spot.
What a lovely rock!! I wondered what its history was in order to get uch nice stripes in it.
Somewhere along the way a Guinea Fowl had lost its feather. It was tucked away in the grass and looked so lonely but made a pretty picture surrounded by the greenery.
What an amazing find!! The only problem is that I do not know what it it!! It is very small, about 4mm in length and was hurrying along this rock for all it was worth. I could see the nose of some kind of caterpillar sticking out at the bottom and wondered if it was some kind of bagworm as I know they disguise themselves like this?
We have many species of Euphorbia here and this one is very common with it's stems growning up to about 20 feet in height. They exude a white sap which is poison and has been used to kill fish.
It was also shooting out new flowers. Some of these flowers only bloom at night and are pollenated by moths and bats.
Here the aloes get there flowers in the winter and this young plant was starting to shoot out its new stem.
Nestled against a crevase, the aloe and this unknown succulent compete for the sunny spot.
What a lovely rock!! I wondered what its history was in order to get uch nice stripes in it.
Somewhere along the way a Guinea Fowl had lost its feather. It was tucked away in the grass and looked so lonely but made a pretty picture surrounded by the greenery.
What an amazing find!! The only problem is that I do not know what it it!! It is very small, about 4mm in length and was hurrying along this rock for all it was worth. I could see the nose of some kind of caterpillar sticking out at the bottom and wondered if it was some kind of bagworm as I know they disguise themselves like this?
We have many species of Euphorbia here and this one is very common with it's stems growning up to about 20 feet in height. They exude a white sap which is poison and has been used to kill fish.
It was also shooting out new flowers. Some of these flowers only bloom at night and are pollenated by moths and bats.
I am jealous, this brings so many memories back of Africa, and particularly of the low veld in Zim where I often worked with my boss who was wild life research officer at the vet lab in Harare. Great post. Diane
ReplyDeleteHow I would love to spend a couple of days with you in the bush. You spot things that most of us would miss and you know what everything is. I think you should be the bush lady and not just the bug lady.
ReplyDeletethe feather is my favorite today, the cactus i had no idea they grew in Africa, the rock is very interesting. we have aloe growing in our yard, not this type but a little smaller. we used it for healing cuts and scrapes that will not heal, also on burns.
ReplyDeleteYou must be tromping around on old sedimentary deposits. Interesting cactus bloom, and whatever that crawling carpet is. Hope you made it to the top.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful pictures again! Lovely to look at summer, when we have already autumn here in Finland.
ReplyDeleteLove Päivi
Now that rock really interests me. I love fossils.
ReplyDeleteI thought the little "bag worm" was a fungus of some sort.
Love the Cactus too. I can't get them to flower though!
B.
I love your hikes Joan. There is always something new and interesting and even exotic or unknown. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you sebi.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane. I think it is time for you to come and visit here again. :)
ReplyDeleteI will take you with me anytime Joker, you are always welcome. :) I love everything about the bush but of course, the bugs catch my attention more than anything else. Sometimes there are not many around so I look for other things of interest.
ReplyDeleteWe have the most wonderful cati here Sandra. A great part of SA is desert or semi-desert.
ReplyDeleteMost aloes have medicinal properties and are very useful to have in the garden.
This area I did the walk in is amost in the center of town Gaelyn and so nice to have nearby. This was the first time I had been there but definitely not the last.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did make it to the top. :)
Hello Päivi. How wonderful to hear from you again.
ReplyDeleteOur seasons are the opposite of yours so I think a lot of people find it quite strange. :)
Bagworms are actually moths Becky. Strange but true. :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is too cold by you or maybe the one you have is the type which takes years to bloom. I know some of them take up to 5 years before the first flower appears.
You are always welcome to come with me on these hikes Ray. I think because I have such a wide variety of interests that I find almost anything in nature fascinating. :)
ReplyDeleteI found a surprise on my walk today too...before it rained...
ReplyDeleteOh? Sounds interesting Michelle. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't that succulent a Kalanchoe species? It's beautiful an it seems to be somehow related to the 'Desert Cabbage'.
ReplyDeleteI think it a Euphorbia Jose as it has a white milky substance which I do not think the Kalanchoe has. This plant is about 20 foot high and I know the Kalanchoe is a very small plant.
ReplyDelete