Nature Switched On - 2011 February 16 to March 9

Practical Ecology

Nature Switched On

in the Pyrenees the first 10 years

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gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
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>> 2011 Mar 21
<< 2011 Feb 5

a S T A M M E R project

2011 February 16 to March 9

During a photo-safari along the shores of a reservoir a friend and I found some interesting driftwood. Promoted to the status of 'found art', a collection was installed in our zone.

Simple (half-)cut tree stumps can be remarkably expressive and offer nice opportunities for lichens, moss and insect life.

A kind of proto crocodile.
9 Mar 17:10

Half rotten tree stump in the edge of the oak wood.
9 Mar 15:43

Badly or half cut stumps, as in this image and the following ones, have interesting features.
9 Mar 15:56

9 Mar 16:54

9 Mar 16:47

Not driftwood but just an impression of what lichens and moss (it seems to go in this order) can do with a pine stump in the shadow after about 4 years.
20 Feb 10:14

This one, in front of the greenhouse, we called swimming trunks and serves as a seat with side table.
9 Mar 16:57

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The next images show different kinds of drift wood objects. The white-bleached and sometimes burnt-black colour adds to a surrealistic impression. N.B. the wood wasn't carved or painted by any means.

The unicorn.
9 Mar 15:40

Deadly wounded swine.
9 Mar 15:44

Approaching fingers.
9 Mar 16:48

Swimming trunks with black deer.
9 Mar 17:15

Snake in a niche of the greenhouse.
9 Mar 16:06

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Not drift wood but found in an abandoned factory, this looks like some kind of shrine. I converted it to a nest box, drilling a hole on the other side.

Inside there is an assortment of spaces for all kinds of animals and perhaps a small statue of the Buddha or St Francis of Assisi.
9 Mar 16:07

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On the right a photograph of what seems like a ruin of some kind of eco-cathedral. It stands at the foot of the iron structure with the mini rock garden. The autumn rains have washed it partly away, showing the intriguing interior.

Other earth-made structures can be found by the hundreds on the iron chairs in the centre of the zone.

On close inspection they appear to be the 'mummies' for the larvae of another kind of mason wasp.

Made of clay and sand with different compartments for the larvae of a mason wasp.
20 Feb 9:49

Numerous mummies on the iron chairs, especially on the south facing side.
20 Feb 10:26

The Sedum anglicum and Sempervivum tectorum of the iron mini rock garden had a hard time this winter.
20 Feb 9:52

Close up of the mummies (about 5mm long) on the iron chair, showing different layers and some openings.
20 Feb 10:23

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During this winter there were many days when there were colonies of thousands of tiny brown-red sow (?) bugs floating on the surface of the filter pond. They seem to be the only living animals in or on this grey water and their origin is still a mystery.

Floating colonies of tiny bugs on the surface of the filter pond.
20 Feb 9:54

Close up, with a spider probably predating on the bugs (<2mm).
20 Feb 9:58

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Little by little I start to set up the vegetable garden again. I divided and replanted some shrubs and took away the straw from the vegetable beds and piled it up in the northern part with the berry shrubs. A thick straw layer on a vegetable bed in early spring is not recommendable for two main reasons: it prevents the soil from warming up and it is an ideal hiding place for snails and slugs.

A cutting from Ribes odoratum showing its exceptionally vigorous sprouting.
16 Feb 16:04

Taking away the straw cover in the vegetable garden.
The green vegetable on the right is kale, which has started to produce again.
9 Mar 16:01

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
map
>> 2011 Mar 21
<< 2011 Feb 5