Now here’s a thing I hadn’t seen before – a very large webbed nest up high in an Aleppo pine tree. Was there some form of large spider building these? For there were three similar to be seen on the same tree, each one about the size of a rugby ball or football. When we…
When I was writing about the wildflowers and plants of Hvar, I intended to include a couple of photos of mosses. I was greatly taken with the feathery green clumps I’d seen on shady walls and paths through the local woodland. However, having worked hard to identify the flowering plants, I was completely intimidated by…
With the lower level of light in December and January, I’ve been noticing more textures and patterns as we’re out and about on the local trails. The slanting sun is great at picking out the underlying structures and surfaces in a cool, muted colour palette. In this vineyard, for example, last year’s growth shows as…
This past month we’ve been exploring some of the pathways that connect villagers to their fields. These are old routes criss-crossing the Stari Grad Plain, some wide enough for an ox cart, others narrow and winding for walking, perhaps donkey-width. They make perfect hiking trails, especially on autumn days when the sun is not too…
More properly, I should say a bug hotel, with an annexe for bees. As we’ve expanded our range of garden plants this year, we’ve been visited by more bees. Over the long, dry summer, they especially seemed to enjoy drinking the water from the saucers of our large pots. To help, we added a special…
After watching the nest remotely for a few days, I was thrilled to catch sight of a chick take flight from the nest and land on the nearby light. That was Saturday 23 June, at 8:26am. The new fledgling was fed by a parent there, looked around for a while and returned to the nest,…
Our little swallow chicks are still on the nest, although there’s been plenty of flapping going on. We’ve taken to watching them on our nestcam, as they go very still and flat when we open the door. Not so interesting to watch! Here are a couple of photos, though, to show what a difference a…
To get a good photo of a butterfly, ideally it comes to us, and is considerate enough to land peacefully while we grab the camera! This guy visited us at the Artichoke wine bar in Jelsa while we were having lunch. Not one I’d seen before, with yellow markings on a very dark upperside. Trouble…
Our little chicks are developing rapidly into miniature versions of their parents! Their wing feathers are almost completely in, although the tails are still stubby little markers for the graceful long forked tails of adulthood. As I stand quietly in the shade of the opposite doorway, one of the parents checks me out carefully. No…
A quick update on our Barn Swallow nestlings, as I’ve just been outside to check with the zoom lens. They certainly are growing fast and look much more alert! It’s now very clear that they have their eyes open and feathers are growing. And is that a tinge of russet colour? I can tell from…
Go Hvar 
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