These two photos seemed to call out for the use of the slider.
Gecko on a heliconia flower
Category Archives: Plants
Butt out
When I got home from work yesterday afternoon, the sun was shining, the mock orange was blooming, and the bees were busy. So I took some photos, the last one of which was the top one, which is posted in response to Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge (see more responses here).
That photo is unedited for the challenge, but the bottom one shows how I’d edit it, mostly involving a crop to remove some dead space and put the bee in a better place.
Bottlebrush flower and House Sparrow
I was surprised to see this House Sparrow feeding on this bottlebrush flower. I usually see them snapping up fallen food at outdoor restaurants or squabbling over bird seed thrown out by sympathizers.
Lesser Grass Blue Butterfly
A Lesser Grass Blue Butterfly (Zizina otis) feeds on a Blue Heliotrope (Heliotropium amplexicaule) flower.
Plant shapes
The current Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Shapes.’ See more responses here. Since I just paid another visit to Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, I thought some flower and foliage shapes would be appropriate. In the top photo, round lily pads float in the garden’s pond.
The squares show the coils within coils of a Hapu’u fern, a distinctly-shaped anthurium, the familiar curves of an orchid against a large, angular leaf, and the geometric precision of a Guzmania ‘Limones’ bromeliad.
The rectangles start with the distinctive shape of beehive gingers, then large, tropical, heart-shaped leaves, and the sinuous shape of a colorful heliconia.
The bottom photo shows feather-shaped leaves that even look like feathers!
For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.
Rosy-faced Lovebirds
I was on an early morning walk at Kawaihae when my camera started flashing red indicating that my battery was about done. On the way back to my car, I noticed these two Rosy-faced Lovebirds in a Royal Poinciana tree, trying to get the better of one of the long seed pods. These birds are also known as Peach-faced Lovebirds and have considerable color variations.
I liked how they took it in turns to try and get to grips with the pod and have a nibble, and I was glad my battery lasted long enough to capture the encounter.
Ruby red images
This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Ruby Red.’ See more responses here.
The top photo shows a Crown of Thorns sea star, which feeds on coral, though not to a problematic extent in Hawaii.
The second photo illustrates a definite problem. When I stopped by the Harbor House restaurant at Honokohau, these were the only two Kona Brewing taps available. I was told the company has discontinued their Castaway IPA, which, if true, is a sad state of affairs, it being by far their best beer in my humble, but completely correct opinion.
The bottom three show a Gold Dust Day Gecko on a torch ginger, a Budweiser (not my beer of choice) sign at the Harbor House, and what I think is a Western Blood-red Lady Beetle.
Mangoes in the rain
After a recent downpour, the mangoes on the tree in the front yard were left wet and glistening and dripping with raindrops.
Graham's Island 