On Pentecost Sunday, the delicate petals of the heliconia psittacorum peep through its languorous leaves, accompanied by the slender strands of a spider’s web nestled against the morning light. The earth has a natural ebb and flow which we can rhyme with to find peace and solace from the pedantic frenzy that would otherwise consume…
There is a quiet solace in the sleepy air that envelops a tropical afternoon at the year-end, when the weather is cool and kind, the soft skies are heavy with clouds and the rain drives in gentle or sharp torrents, Here, the sleeping dog lies, bolstered by the faith that with evening, her proverbial daily…
On a delicate morning, with the early sun streaming through the garden precariously, the yellow sunbirds, and sparrows gather to preen themselves amidst the bauhinias, heliconias, honolulu creepers, gingers, peacocks and blue-peas. Yet it is in the midst of this peace and tranquility, that the battle for our hearts and souls continues. As Fr Josef…
On a mild January morning, the female Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis) applies herself diligently to the business of collecting nectar as her mate keeps her company with watchful eyes and chirpy delight. Thus runs the kingdom of the tropical garden, a never-ending kaleidoscope of flora and fauna providing sounds, sights and the odd surprises, as…
The male Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis) is shown here on the Red Button Ginger, with its confident dawn roost and throaty calls while the female is demonstrably more flighty and darts around rapidly whilst feeding on the Heliconia psittacorum. (Lumix GX85; M.Zuiko 40-150mm January 2018)
The bright red flowers of the South American Costaceae species Costus woodsonii (Red Button Ginger), competes with the Heliconias in the garden for the Sunbird, with its nectar-feeding beaks, to pollinate its flowers. In their native America homeland, it is the Hummingbirds that does the work. (Lumix GX85; M.Zuiko 40-150 mm) (Convergence evolution) …