Black and white husky looking at the camera squeezed into a small dog bed.
Notes – 2024
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As the sun set on Christmas day we were treated to a great view of the mountains in north Africa.
Picture at sunset looking over hills and mountains in Spain (Europe), down to the Mediterranean sea and across to the mountains on the horizon just below the changing colour of thin clouds. The mountains on the horizon are on the Rif mountains of Morocco on the continent of Africa.
The advance party of one! Some of the early almond trees are starting to flower. By February the hillsides of the Alpujarra will be sparkling with the blossom from these trees.
A picture of an almond tree flower. Five rounded white petals with 5 green very small inner petals, splashes of pink at the centre. The flower is attached to a small branch with a flower bud coming off to the right.
A picture of two dogs, one white and one black and white, stood between two Olive trees. Through the gap in the trees you can see olive groves and a mountain in the far distance. Grey clouds are releasing rain in the distance.
Orchid season is starting 🙂 I found the first of the Sombre Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca) yesterday. They were living up to their name and were in the shade, this particular area gets no sun this time of year, they make it very difficult to photograph them. I've seen plenty of rosettes around and about so many more to come yet, some may get some sun and make a brighter picture!
A small thin green stem holding two Sombre Bee orchids. The background is blurred vegetation.
Can you spot the face in the mountains? It looks like a giant laying down. One from our walk on Tuesday.
At the top a light blue winter sky with high cloud whisking through it. Below the sky are lightly snow covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada. In front of those mountains are more mountains but one looks like a human face, side view. Still coming towards the viewer are forested hills and on the front left of the picture is a green pine tree.
Picture of a Sunday roast dinner on a white plate. Half a pint of beer behind.
The best vegetarian pizza I have found anywhere in the world came from La Cervecería in El Chalten, Argentina's Patagonia. There was no skimping on the veggies like every other veggie pizza I've come across. Each year I have visited it has been the same standard. To all restaurant owners who sell pizza, take note 😁
A picture showing a pizza full of vegetables. Broccoli, shaved carrot, sweetcorn are the main attraction. There is a pint of beer behind.
A beautiful new to us dog walk today. Four dogs and four humans very happy. The winter weather was perfect and in traditional style we ended the walk at a bar 🍻
A white dog playing in the water on the edge of a lake with a stick in her mouth. The sun is making the water glisten. Vegetation surrounds the lake. I don't know what happened to the top of her tail in the photo haha
Three people and four dogs walking on a dirt track above and to the side of a lake. The lake is blue with a few ripples on it. Trees and hillsides surround the lake, some wind turbines can be seen in the distance. The sky is blue.
A blue lake surrounded by hillsides covered in trees and shrubs. In for foreground a bit of grass and some autumn coloured shrubs.
A rubbish shot of one of the dogs, the husky, bouncing through the lake water. It's just his body and tail on the right of the picture haha
Rita often takes herself off to stand on top of things that give her some extra height to survey the goings on. Today on our walk she looked great against the Andalucian blue winter sky. She maybe 11 but she still believes she is the fastest dog in the world!
A white dog standing front on but head turned to the side. Mouth open from panting, showing her pink tongue. A very blue sky with white high wispy clouds. Either side of the dog are small bushes.
These guys always remind me of bandits 🙃
A small bird near the bottom of the picture. A Common Waxbill has a red eye stripe, red beak, white chin and cheeks, brown grey barred wings with a touch of red on the chest. The background is dark and blurred out.
Hair being blown horizontal by the wind in Patagonia. Behind the person are the jagged mountains of the Fitzroy group
At 2100m we found a handful of Gentiana sierrae flowering and some still in bud. These should not be flowering at the end of November.
A blue flower very low to the ground. Five blue petals and white centre. The flower is surrounded by green alpine vegetation.
A bee doing bee things 🐝
A bee flying towards a yellow flower from a mustard plant. The background is blurred with yellow and green from the same plants.
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A large green frog (Perez's Frog) sat on a black plastic tube above a pond. The frog has golden eyes with a black pupil. The whole shot is reflected in the water.
The wonderful and very vocal Southern Lapwing, possibly the Patagonian subspeices (chilensis/fretensis)? I need someone who knows more than I do to confirm or disagree with that. I like how this shot shows the spur on the wing just pointing through the back chest feathers. These can be used defending it's young or territory. Quite the feisty bird 💪
A wader bird, Southern Lapwing. Red eye, pink bill, black front of face and chest, grey head, bronze oil spill looking patch on the shoulders, white belly. Legs are pinkish grey. Standing among grassy dandelion patch.
We had an amazing encounter with a Bearded vulture (Lammergeier) yesterday in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Of course I had the small point & press camera rather than my usual birding lens and camera. The sky was awful for bird photography. But what mattered was the encounter. It's always so special when an unexpected wildlife encounter happens.
A Bearded vulture flying in the sky. Photographer looking up at the bird. The sky is a light grey colour. The birds is mostly brown with a wedge tail.
I guess this would have been good for but it's now Tuesday haha. Mt Teide on the island of Tenerife emerging from the calima taken from the island of La Palma.
A misty picture of a volcano coming out of the mist. Clouds above and clouds over the see below.
I swear Sooty thinks she is flying an alien spaceship 👽 She makes us laugh when she pops up like this 😅
A picture showing the head of a black cat popping out of a cream coloured cat bed. Behind the cat is a red leather chair.
11 years ago this beautiful bundle of craziness came to live with us, we named her Rita, she was/is the perfect addition to the pack ❤
Rita on her first day with us. A picture of a small white puppy sitting beside a bowl of water.
A picture of a white dog running and playing in the snow, snow is being kicked up. Rocks protrude through the snow at the top of the picture.
A wet dog walk this morning, that doesn't happen very often. Hoping those in the red alert areas stay safe. More crazy Spanish weather.
A Spanish village on a hillside surrounded by trees, mountains, wind turbines all looking very wet underneath a various shades of grey coloured sky.
These youngsters are practicing for when they become big boys!
A photo of two young male Ibex fighting. The one of the right is rearing up ready to class heads with the one on the left who is still on the ground.
A beautiful painting in the sky tonight.
The tip of a blade of green grass with a dew drop hanging from it, the dew drop has the sun reflected in it.
Happy 9th birthday to our beautiful Arko.
Showing a black and white husky walking towards the camera. Blurred out metal fence on the right and dry grass on the left.
Spotted near the Alhambra palace in Granada. The colours of these birds never fail to amaze me in their vividness.
A beautiful male Peacock stood in an open space with trees in the back ground. The bird does not have his tail raised.
Arko and the Sunset. Sounds like the name of a band 😂
A black and white husky with pale blue eyes looking at the camera with the sunset behind.
'I want to suck your blood' 🦇
Sooty doing her best impression of a vampire for!
A black cat with bits of brown in her fur looking at the camera yawning showing her two top 'fangs' and tongue out
The Housefly! Macro photography always fascinates me, you see things that you wouldn't otherwise give the time of day to.
A close up shot of a housefly. They fly has two red eyes, is black and grey with black hairs. It's wings are folded closed.
Where in the world am I? It certainly doesn't feel like Southern Spain, in particular Andalucia. We have gone from autumn to winter in the blink of an eye. The Sierra Nevada mountains are looking quite splendid in it's first winter outfit.
A view of snowy mountains thought an opening in the clouds. Show's the three highest peaks of Spain's Sierra Nevada. On the left Alcazaba (3371m). In the middle Mulhacen (3482m). On the far right Veleta (3394m)
A canal bridge with it's reflection in the canal. Autumn colours just starting on the trees which are also reflected in the water, fallen leaves on the tow path.
Another favourite of these four ❤️ The two youngsters on either end of the picture, Rita (left) is now 11 and Arko (right) is nearly 9. Khumbu (Siberian Husky) and Kyra (Leonberger) in the middle of the picture are no longer with us. How time passes so quickly.
Four dogs (a white mix, two black and white Siberian huskies and a Leonberger) sitting on the hillside looking towards the camera. Mountainside behind with a pale blue sky and clouds.
Hitching a lift!
A photo taken from inside a car of the windowscreen showing a grasshopper hitching a ride with the road and snow mountains behind with blue sky and white clouds.
View from today's walk. The villages of Capileira and Bubion sitting below the clouds.
Two Spanish white villages of Bubion and Capileira sitting on the mountainside below cloud level. On the other side of the gorge is a hillside of trees and terraced fields.
over Lanjarón just now. Autumn is always great for bringing colours to the sky.
Sunset over a Spanish village. Orange colour to the sky and orange hue to the picture
A view of a Griffon Vulture flying below the photographer. The head of the vulture is read as it had recently eaten. The view below the vulture is blurred out trees and hillside.
The land of the dragons. Who'd have thought the Canary island of La Palma would be home to dragons. This very handsome one is known as Gallotia galloti ssp. palmae, also known by the nickname "barba azul" bluebeard, I think we can see why!
In front of a blurred background is a side on view of the front half of a brownish/greyish/blackish lizard. The lizard has a golden eye with a big black pupil, a blue throat and blue and yellow dots going down the side.
Sooty likes to hide behind the laptop when it's open but gives herself away sometimes 😂
Black and white picture of a black cats paw popping around the sides of the laptop while hiding herself behind the laptop.
I sure miss this pack. Kyra (Leonberger) and Khumbu (Siberian Husky) on the right of the picture are no longer with us. The two youngsters on the left are now 9 and 11 years old. How time passes so quickly.
A picture of 4 dogs on the right side and the full setting moon in a blue sky on the left. Lots of vegetation surround the dogs. Three dogs at the back, one sitting black and white husky, one sitting white mix and one standing sandy coloured Leonberger. Sitting in front of the Leonberger is a black and white husky.
Eristalinus taeniops, a species of Hover fly, also known as the Band-eyed Drone Fly. What fabulous eyes it has 👀
A hover fly species resting on a small flower. The background is green and blurred out. The hover fly has amazing striped eyes.
As the sun was setting it looked like another world with the thin clouds starting to move in front of it.
Autumn is definitely on it's way. Misty rolling hills on this mornings dog walk.
Rolling hills enveloped in mist
A pink lilly type flower called the Turks Cap standing amongst grass and other wild flowers
These roses in a friends garden smell gorgeous.
A rose stem from bottom left with a red rose not fully open in the centre to top right of the picture. Behind the rose is blurred out greenery.
Bumped into this little lady while watering the apple trees this morning.
A praying mantis perched on dead grass stems. She is the same colour as the grass. There are a few green leaves behind with some red berries. It's a side view, she has her front far leg raised and is looking towards the camera
Woke up to find these two like this, Sweep snuggling into husky Arkos tail ❤️
A tortishell coloured cat snuggled into the tail of a black and white husky dog. Laying on a bed.
This sweat Northern Wheatear won't be around in the mountains much longer as the seasons start to change and it heads off somewhere warmer for the winter.
A small bird with it's back to us looking over it's shoulder stood on a dark rock with a blurred out background. The bird is a Northern Wheatear.
It must be autumn as the autumn crocus are flowering now over the lower hillsides.
Purple autumn Crocus flowering among the brown pine needles of the forest floor.
The first Saturday of September every year marks International Vulture Awareness Day, uniting thousands globally to raise awareness about vultures' importance and the urgent need for their conservation. This is a picture of Griffon Vulture that I took close to home. Vultures: vital guardians of the natural world, not just mere scavengers. Find out more about vultures https://vultureday.org/vultures/
Picture of a Griffon Vulture flying in front of a rock wall. The bird is eye level with the photographer.
On the morning after our night out in the mountains recently the first light was just hitting a herd of Spanish Ibex. This male was lit up in all his glory.
A male Spanish Ibex making his way through the picture from right to left. Behind him are rocks. In front of him is blurred. The Ibex, the rocks, the thistles, grass, everything is versions of the same colours, they blend into their terrain perfectly.