Oh rats! I already used my dragonfly for the insects.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/KH5mnJ2.jpg[/img]
This is a terrible picture, but there were turtles swimming in the middle and a fish toward the left. I even caught a (blurry) dragonfly passing through.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/drNk9Vk.jpg[/img]
Here's another picture. If you look closely, you can see the fish swimming beneath the green plants.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/CTIAcCd.jpg[/img]
a few years ago, we had an above-ground pool
there was one year where the plumbing broke and it ended up becoming a sort of pond, and living in it we had tadpoles, tree frogs, water bugs, all sorts of things,
including one rather large six-spotted fishing spider! they were so cool and [b]so big[/b]
their long, thin legs and tiny hairs at the tips increases their amount of area they cover relative to their mass and allows them to stand on the water !
they're big and look kinda scary, but they're really harmless
these spiders are actually huge scaredy cats
this photo isn't mine ! unfortunately, i lost my photos of the one from then
[img]https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2019/3/2/t1-330233-fishingspider.jpg[/img]
a few years ago, we had an above-ground pool
there was one year where the plumbing broke and it ended up becoming a sort of pond, and living in it we had tadpoles, tree frogs, water bugs, all sorts of things,
including one rather large six-spotted fishing spider! they were so cool and
so big
their long, thin legs and tiny hairs at the tips increases their amount of area they cover relative to their mass and allows them to stand on the water !
they're big and look kinda scary, but they're really harmless
these spiders are actually huge scaredy cats
this photo isn't mine ! unfortunately, i lost my photos of the one from then
koi fish :D
[img]https://theponddigger.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/photo-2.jpg[/img]
koi fish :D
[img][url=https://imgur.com/6yk8YfE][img]http://i.imgur.com/6yk8YfE.jpg[/img][/url][/img]
(This fountain is at my carport. Beside it is a path shaded with olive trees that leads to the house.)
[img][url=https://imgur.com/2YvyZmq][img]http://i.imgur.com/2YvyZmq.jpg[/img][/url][/img]
The gentle fall of water greets Muheir at the entrance to their lair. The sound bathes their ears and erases the harsh tones of activity that surround them when they have to venture into the Clan's Gathering Glen. Here, they can breathe. Here, they are home.
Muheir:
[img][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=49104401] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/491045/49104401_350.png[/img] [/url][/img]
[img][/img]
(This fountain is at my carport. Beside it is a path shaded with olive trees that leads to the house.)
[img][/img]
The gentle fall of water greets Muheir at the entrance to their lair. The sound bathes their ears and erases the harsh tones of activity that surround them when they have to venture into the Clan's Gathering Glen. Here, they can breathe. Here, they are home.
Muheir:
[img][/img]
(I'm going to conflate pond and lake here cause that's what I've got to work with and I already posted my turtles for reptile day)
A few times at the lake I've seen a big bird hover, then dive at the water and fly up again - once I saw it come up with a fish in its claws! I will admit to unashamed stalking with binoculars to figure out what kind of bird it is. Not my picture because of course my osprey's never come close enough but here's a cousin:
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Osprey_mg_9605.jpg/170px-Osprey_mg_9605.jpg[/img]
(I'm going to conflate pond and lake here cause that's what I've got to work with and I already posted my turtles for reptile day)
A few times at the lake I've seen a big bird hover, then dive at the water and fly up again - once I saw it come up with a fish in its claws! I will admit to unashamed stalking with binoculars to figure out what kind of bird it is. Not my picture because of course my osprey's never come close enough but here's a cousin:
why does align right not work fit fit fit fit fit ok
Pond Life:
[columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=52066934]
[img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/520670/52066934.png[/img]
Firtwig wasn't [i]exactly[/i] hiding, she was just... exploring elsewhere for the moment. There had been entirely too much commotion in the meadow- she could barely hear herself think, and concentration was required for the spell she was attempting to weave. If it worked properly then the clan's food stores would last that much longer, and with summer already starting to draw to a close, every little bit would help.
Following a long overgrown trail, she came to a little pond, serene in its own manner, covered with lily pads and with algae growing along the banks. The stillness was soothing, and she closed her eyes to focus, calling on the natural energies around her and her connection with the Gladekeeper.
Long minutes later, it was done. She opened her eyes, and they landed immediately on a frog that had stopped on a lilypad at some point.
"Hello," she murmured with a respectful nod. She didn't [i]think[/i] it was a nature spirit but one never could be entirely certain. They only revealed themselves when they wanted to.
[i]Ribbit![/i] answered the frog, but a moment later a small black butterfly landed on its head.
"I'll take that as a good sign," she said. "Thank you!"
As she hurried off, she missed the sparkle of magic that shimmered across the small pond...
[/url][nextcol][img]https://i.imgur.com/opQBj0q.jpg[/img][/columns]
Pond Life:
Firtwig wasn't exactly hiding, she was just... exploring elsewhere for the moment. There had been entirely too much commotion in the meadow- she could barely hear herself think, and concentration was required for the spell she was attempting to weave. If it worked properly then the clan's food stores would last that much longer, and with summer already starting to draw to a close, every little bit would help.
Following a long overgrown trail, she came to a little pond, serene in its own manner, covered with lily pads and with algae growing along the banks. The stillness was soothing, and she closed her eyes to focus, calling on the natural energies around her and her connection with the Gladekeeper.
Long minutes later, it was done. She opened her eyes, and they landed immediately on a frog that had stopped on a lilypad at some point.
"Hello," she murmured with a respectful nod. She didn't think it was a nature spirit but one never could be entirely certain. They only revealed themselves when they wanted to.
Ribbit! answered the frog, but a moment later a small black butterfly landed on its head.
"I'll take that as a good sign," she said. "Thank you!"
As she hurried off, she missed the sparkle of magic that shimmered across the small pond...
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[img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/535612785263116288/583809693101719561/image0.jpg[/img]
Neat little newt friend I found online!
Neat little newt friend I found online!
[b]Pond Life[/b]
Reusing one of my photos from a previous year because I lived in place with a lot more critters then.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/AUgChBe.jpg[/img]
TURTLES!
Pond Life
Reusing one of my photos from a previous year because I lived in place with a lot more critters then.
TURTLES!
[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=26619286]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/266193/26619286_350.png[/img]
[/url][/center]
As today's challenge required the participants to all go to the same area of the garden, there had been a steady, carefully maintained trickle of dragons visiting the decorative pond throughout the day so as to avoid scaring the local wildlife with one big stampede.
Grasshopper mingled a bit with some of the other waiting dragons close to the beginning of the path that led to their shared objective until a drake emerged from the trail and nodded at him. Understanding the signal, the fae gave his goodbyes to those he'd been chatting with and made his own way towards the pond.
As soon as he arrived at the small pool of water his attention was taken with a remarkably tall, white bird standing in its depths, seemingly focused on the fish swimming below the surface. Grasshopper immediately stilled lest he scare the creature and briefly wondered if it had been there while the previous dragon was, then dismissed the thought in favor of simply watching the bird. Like him it remained nearly motionless, apparently too fixated on its own task to spare him any notice.
After a few minutes spent in silent observation, Grasshopper realized it was time for him to leave and let another dragon take their turn visiting the area. Slowly and quietly he withdrew from the edge of the pond and began the journey back to the waiting group of dragons.
[url=https://imgur.com/LcIatcm][img]https://i.imgur.com/LcIatcm.jpg[/img][/url]
[center]~~~[/center]
(I realize I'm stretching the category here a bit, but I couldn't resist using this picture of what I think is an egret that I saw at a nearby lake once. The lake was unusually shallow at the time, as you can kinda see by the marks on the far bank.
Clicking on the photo links to a larger size too, given how small the bird is at this distance.)
As today's challenge required the participants to all go to the same area of the garden, there had been a steady, carefully maintained trickle of dragons visiting the decorative pond throughout the day so as to avoid scaring the local wildlife with one big stampede.
Grasshopper mingled a bit with some of the other waiting dragons close to the beginning of the path that led to their shared objective until a drake emerged from the trail and nodded at him. Understanding the signal, the fae gave his goodbyes to those he'd been chatting with and made his own way towards the pond.
As soon as he arrived at the small pool of water his attention was taken with a remarkably tall, white bird standing in its depths, seemingly focused on the fish swimming below the surface. Grasshopper immediately stilled lest he scare the creature and briefly wondered if it had been there while the previous dragon was, then dismissed the thought in favor of simply watching the bird. Like him it remained nearly motionless, apparently too fixated on its own task to spare him any notice.
After a few minutes spent in silent observation, Grasshopper realized it was time for him to leave and let another dragon take their turn visiting the area. Slowly and quietly he withdrew from the edge of the pond and began the journey back to the waiting group of dragons.
~~~
(I realize I'm stretching the category here a bit, but I couldn't resist using this picture of what I think is an egret that I saw at a nearby lake once. The lake was unusually shallow at the time, as you can kinda see by the marks on the far bank.
Clicking on the photo links to a larger size too, given how small the bird is at this distance.)
colorful chaos
[b]Pond Life! (Thursday)[/b]
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UwpFAhc22rs/T_F1U3nnJ8I/AAAAAAAAAHw/oOS_PYMobtY/s1600/L_berlandieri-26794.jpg[/img]
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=48290050]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/482901/48290050_350.png[/img]
[/url]
Asur steps forward with a huge grin on her face. "Oh! I see these frogs in the small pond swimming around the lilies. More often, I hear them during the spring and summer at night. Sometimes they get a bit noisy, but Mother has always told me that their songs are an indication that all is in balance in our garden. If we seem to have too many, Gwenol, our cook, will come catch some and prepare them as a special dish for the Guardians and Bogsneaks of the clan."
Pond Life! (Thursday)
Asur steps forward with a huge grin on her face. "Oh! I see these frogs in the small pond swimming around the lilies. More often, I hear them during the spring and summer at night. Sometimes they get a bit noisy, but Mother has always told me that their songs are an indication that all is in balance in our garden. If we seem to have too many, Gwenol, our cook, will come catch some and prepare them as a special dish for the Guardians and Bogsneaks of the clan."
