Sea daffodils waiting for their hawk moths
Sea daffodils waiting for their hawk moths.
Sea daffodils waiting for their hawk moths
The Sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) is a Mediterranean plant which also extends out along the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, Spain and France. They typically grow on sandy soils such as on beach dunes near the sea. They flower in the summer, producing a stong lily scent which is most aromatic at night. The bulbs of…
A beautiful damsel in a lovely spot!
A beautiful damsel in a lovely spot!.
A beautiful damsel in a lovely spot!
The Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo meridionalis) is a European damselfy which likes small, fast flowing streams and rivers. The female has a metallic greenish-bronze body and brown or russet coloured wings. The male is even more striking with a metallic blueish-green body and blue wings. The males were much more flighty than the females when I…
New growth
The little things we take for granted, but on which we rely for food and oxygen!
Sea Holly
Sea Holly is a common component of beach-dune ecosystems in Europe. I love the subtle colour combination of spiky green leaves and the lilac-blue flowers. This plant says to me: ‘You see I have a lovely soft, blue flower, but come too close and I will spike you!’. Photographed in Galicia, Spain.
Flower of God
Flower of God.
Flower of God
I came across this lovely flower on a grassy promontory on the eastern side of a beach (Playa de Esteiro) in Galicia, NW Spain. It is a site above some cliffs, with lots of wild flowers. I had not come across this plant before, which was flowering in early July. It took me a little while to…
An antlion ate my ice cream!
An antlion ate my ice cream!.
An antlion ate my ice cream!
Well not really, but it’s a catchy title! Antlions live in sandy places like beaches, and eat ants and other insects which have the misfortune to slip and fall into their steep-sided sand pits. They might have a nibble at an ice cream! The adults are more civilised and feed on pollen or nectar. They…
