Belly botany and Table Mountain (nature pics)

[F8L]

Often times I've heard people remark of the childlike wonder that comes over them whenever they enter a natural setting. They gaze about swinging their head to an fro to take in the horizontal scene,with an occasional glance upwards to scan the horizon in hopes of viewing an eagle or splendid tree top. Less often do people kneel down or better yet lay on their bellies to search for life dwells below their ankles....

This is a day in the life of a belly botanist and here are a few pictures to describe what we have been missing by restricting our view to things over 2' tall and 3' away.

Frying Pan Poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa)


Common Blue butterfly


Pipevine?


Ohh fair lichen how little we appreciate the services you provide for us


Kellogg's Monkeyflower (Mimulus kelloggii)


More......

[efusco]

I was just thinking a day or two ago "Wonder if F8L's been doing any shooting". Your work is dramatically improved. I think there are a couple compositional quibbles that we could debate, but your attention to lighting and critical focus is markedly improved. Watch the sharpening (may be the software of this or the host site I acknowledge) as they're all just a little overdone.

I'm impressed, thanks for posting more work.

[F8L]

Purple Owl's Clover (Castilleja exserta)


Shoot I forgot its name.


Same plant


White Hyacynth (Triteleia hyacinthine)


Bird's-eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor ssp tricolor)

[F8L]

California Newt (Taricha torosa)


Baby newts still in the egg sacs

[F8L]

Thank you Evan, that really means a lot!

I kept hearing your voice in the back of my head while trying to take these shots but I was on a trip and they don't like me lingering over a subject for too long because I fall behind so I am super rushed! I even had the professor come looking for once while I was lost chasing pipevine swallowtails that were trying to mate. Hahaha