A fishing competition allowed me to get these splashes of gold….
Category Archives: Other photos
Dung Collectors.. the Sewage Works of the Veld ..
The Dung Beetle. (the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.)
Dung beetles play a remarkable role in agriculture. By burying and consuming dung, they improve nutrient recycling and the soils.
Dung beetles can be broken down into four distinct groups, telecoprid, endocoprid, paracoprid and kleptocoprid. The endocoprids lay their eggs in a pile of dung, paracoprids dig down below a pile of dung, telecoprids roll the famous balls of dung and kleptocoprids steal the balls from the telecoprids.
The fun they have rolling a ball of sh…
Dung beetles completely rely on dung for food for both themselves and their larvae and will lay their eggs in the balls. The telecoprids will roll the ball away until they find a suitable place to dig a hole and submerge it. They will then go back to the original pile to roll another and then roll it back to the same hole placing it on top of the first ball. They may place three balls on top of each other like a sleeve of tennis balls before closing the top of the hole and then leaving the larvae to hatch, feed and change into their adult form.
And if a rock gets in the way..?? try to move it first and if unsuccessful move the ball….
Dung beetles (coprophages, which means faeces eaters – although some do feed on mushrooms and rotting vegetation), are the clean-up crews of the bushveld, able to carry off and scatter a pile of dung in an amazingly short time. The dung is buried in the ground where it decomposes, aerating and fertilizing the soil. The removal of dung also minimizes the number of flies, so these beetles are extremely useful in maintaining a healthy environment.
and does that not look appetising to a dung beetle larva.??
Ground Agama.. A lizard in the Kalahari..
The Ground Agama (Agama aculeata)
The Ground Agama is a species of lizard from the Agamidae family, found in most of sub-Saharan Africa.
Breeding males become blue on the sides of the head. So guess what, this little lad is breeding…
Agamas are active during the day and are often found scampering around to snatch up their favourite foods. They can tolerate greater temperatures than most reptiles, but in the afternoon when temperatures reach around 38°C (100°F) they will settle into the shade and wait for it to cool. Frequent fighting breaks out between males; such fighting involves a lot of bobbing and weaving in an attempt to scare the opponent. If it comes to blows, they lash out with their tails and threaten each other with open jaws.
If caught out in the open, agamas are able to run quickly on their hind legs to reach shelter. This little guy was in front of the camera.. and I looked to change a setting and when I looked back he was nowhere to be seen…
The next photo… he was gone… never to be seen again…
A Cactus.. in a Pot..
This cactus was growing in a pot at one of the Golf Courses we visited whilst in the Kalahari. The flowers only opened when in direct sunlight. I have no idea what cactus it is and anyone who knows … please tell me in a comment… I just loved this plant….
The centre piece of the flower is so intricate in design….
The Bagpipes.. The Benoni High School Pipe Band.
What is it about the sound of the Bagpipes that makes the hair on your neck stand up? Why did the Scots follow these sounds unabated into battle? What is it that makes certain tunes played on these instruments so haunting? I have no answers, but what I can say… I love this instrument…
Recently.. as in yesterday… the Benoni HS Pipe Band played a t a function I attended.. when they started to warm up, that sound drew me to where they were… This Band is the only South African band to have become World Champions, an achievement they managed at the World Pipe Band Championship in 2009 held in Glasgow. Needless to say they are and have been the South African Champions for 18 consecutive times… now that’s some record..
They have all the sounds and movements of a championship winner… and the drums and drummers, must rank high on anyone’s list… I just loved this band and will do my best to see them play again… I took some photos of them warming up and ..boy that bag with all those pipes sticking out looks like a hard days work to me…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 