Arachnid allsorts

Over the years I have collected some interesting specimens on film but, believe it or not, earlier in my life I was terrified of spiders. It took a huge Rain-spider, curled up in the plug-hole in my bath, to cure me of my fear - or rather, a friend who, when called in to assist with the removal, pointed out that the spider could easily fit under my foot.

I have never killed a spider...caught plenty in glass jars inside and released them outside...and find it way more rewarding to photograph these eight-legged wonders, even though some could kill or even maim with a single bite.

Now to start sharing...

(If you can identify any, please feel free to share your knowledge in the comments)

      

Cormorant or Darter?

The African Darter Anhinga rufa differs from cormorants by its very slender, long neck and head, as well as its long pointed bill. When swimming, only the long neck and head are visible, which is why it is often referred to as 'snakebird'. It often glides in flight, with broad wings and a long, broad tail. 

Darters are also common residents of lakes, dams and slow-moving rivers; rarely coastal lagoons and estuaries.

Which makes this a Cormorant, based on location and general characteristics.

The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. These medium-to-large sized sea-birds are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters - indeed, the original ancestor of cormorants seems to have been a fresh-water bird, judging from the habitat of the most ancient lineage. They range around the world.

All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet. Some cormorant species have been found, using depth gauges, to dive to depths of as much as 45 metres.

After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun. All cormorants have preen gland secretions that are used ostensibly to keep the feathers waterproof.

Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue colour. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation. They typically have deep, ungainly bills, showing a greater resemblance to those of the pelicans', to which they are related, than is obvious in the adults.

http://simplyclover.tumblr.com/post/7805069471/this-cormorant-was-preening-prior-to-drying-in-the

Sources: Wikipedia and observation

Food from the garden...

  

Food from the garden...

Cucumbers - being picked 
as babies to make gherkins...
with the help of some dill and vinegar - YUM!


Cocktail tomatoes, 
indigenous and delicious, 
with the cutest, shy little flowers.

Combined with a little bunching onion, chillies, brown sugar and lemon....is it a jam, a relish, a chutney...?

dunno - but it's YUM!

The chillies range from small and hot 

to long, thin and a little sweet, 

there are also some jelapinos 

and for the first time...peppadew. 

Next are the other peppers - green, red and yellow.

Herbs and edible flowers...

There's Oreganum among the Chillies 
with a bit of lettuce here and there...

...while Nasturtium and Wild Garlic flowers and leaves add a totally unique flavour to any salad or stew.

The Rosemary, Thyme and Sage each grace a food garden, contributing to both cooking and healing.

Frogs

Family: Hylidae

Tree frogs

These little frogs use their very distinctive call when the rain is due with a joyous clamour during a downpour and an eerie call thereafter.

At home they love lounging in the rose buds and blooms or using the 5000lt rainwater tank as a 'loudspeaker'

Tree frogs belong to the amphibian family Hylidae. This large family, ranging from North America to as far as Asia, has a number of different species, varying from the Poison Dart Frog to the Waxy Tree Frog.

Butterflies

Papilionoidea

Butterfly

Afrikaans:Skoenlapper

Xhosa: Ibhabhatane

A butterfly is an insect that flies mainly during the day, of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other 'totally metamorphing' (holometabulous) insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal*. 
With large, often brightly coloured, scaled wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight, they are a fascinating member of the community. 

Grasshopper

Pyrgomorphidae

Gaudy Grasshopper

(Zonocerus elegans)

Pyrgomorphoidae is a super-family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera, commonly known as the gaudy grasshoppers, which contains 29 genera and at least 70 species and subspecies. This beautifully coloured grasshopper can be found throughout southern and even central Africa. It is named for its spectacular colouration and is poisonous, as are most of South Africa's colourful grasshoppers. 

Sunbird

Nectariniidae

Sunbird

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine* birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. Distributed throughout Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia the family also just reaches northern Australia. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings but they do not fly backwards, as their cousin, the hummingbird does. Most Sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but will also take insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Flower tubes that don't allow for easy access to nectar because of their shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Fruit also forms part of the diet of some species. 

                                                      

                                                  

The top photograph was taken right outside the front door on an Aloe Vera flower, a favourite with the Sunbirds. On the left is a Sunbird nest on the walkway to the reception of the Umngazi River Bungalows Hotel in the Valley - with twins! On the right is a Sunbird that was stunned, when it flew into the house, allowing me to cup it in my hand till it had recovered and flew off.