A tiny Dolophones sp. wrap-around spider seen recently.
Spiders within genus Dolophones are native to this country and if you can find them when that amazing camouflage is at play, they are usually seen at rest against tiny twigs and branches, blending perfectly both in regard texture and form; the ventral surface of the body is concave to allow a 'maximum wrap-around' effect.
Female 10 mm body length.
Link to facial shot: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/48525600342/in/photol...
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Tags: australian wrap-around spider australian spider spiders of australia australia nsw new south wales dolophones araneidae aranae arachnid invertebrate fauna spider macro macro photography nature macro nature photography spider photography australian orb weaver spring spring in australia tiny spider unique spider wrap-around spider in explore explored explore
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The bright, bold and eye-catching centre of a native angular pigface flower.
Carpobrotus glaucescens is a prostrate, creeping succulent that has long trailing stems. It has thick, fleshy, smooth leaves up to 10 cm in length which are triangular in cross section.
The flowers are initially daisy-like in appearance, 5 cm in diameter. There can be up to 300 stamens and ten styles.
This species is found growing naturally in coastal areas on sand dunes along the New South Wales and Queensland coast.
The fruit tastes similar to salty apples. The fleshy leaves may also be eaten, either raw or cooked and the juice of the leaves can be used to relieve burnt skin or to soothe stings.
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Tags: carpobrotus glaucescens angular pigface caryophyllales aizoaceae native australian flora australian plant plants of australia flora botany flower macro australia nsw new south wales flower close up nature macro macro photography bright pink petals spring spring in australia coastal plant dazzling flower eye-catching flower succulent plant flower detail nature botany macro stamens flower anatomy spectacular flower edible plants bright and beautiful
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A female Opisthoncus sp. jumping spider with her prey. Family Salticidae.
She is around 10 mm length.
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Tags: jumping spider with prey time to eat opisthoncus jumping spiders of australia australian jumping spider jumping spider macro salticidae arachnid araneae arthropod invertebrate fauna arachnology yellow jumping spider garden jumping spider macro photography nature macro nature photogaphy spider photography australia nsw new south wales spring spring in australia hunter with prey snack spider behaviour predator prey hunter explored in explore
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The National Tobacco Company building was designed by J.A. Louis Hay after the 1931 earthquake that destroyed so much of the town of Napier on New Zealand's North Island.
The design mixes Art Deco geometry with Art Nouveau ornamentation. New Zealand native raupo bullrush roses have been carved into the entrance and the sides of the building.
The process of using simple geometric forms enlivened with applied decoration gives reference to Joseph Maria Olbrich's Secession Hall Building in Vienna - see link to my image below:
www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/26626965279/in/album-...
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Tags: architecture napier art deco new zealand pink art nouveau building door entrance design National Tobacco Company Building J.A. Louis Hay historic building raupo roses gerhard husheer in explore
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I happened to look up and saw an area within the clouds that was colourful and pretty. Like a horizontal line. The area was high in the sky and this lasted around 4 minutes.
I thought initially this phenomenon was irisation by diffraction - but after some research/reading, I believe this to be a circumhorizontal arc segment (common name fire rainbow, although nothing to do with either fire or rainbows). An optical phenomenon that belongs to the family of ice halos formed by the refraction of sun or moonlight in hexagonal plate-shaped ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere, typically in high cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.
The segment seen, has the appearance of a large, brightly spectrum-coloured band (red being the topmost colour) running parallel to the horizon.
I learned that brightly coloured circumhorizontal arcs occur mostly during the summer and between particular latitudes. The sun has to be at an elevation of 58° or greater, (it was at 68 at the time of shot), there must be high altitude cirrus clouds with plate-shaped ice crystals, and sunlight has to enter the ice crystals at a specific angle. This is why circumhorizontal arc is a relatively rare phenomenon.
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Tags: atmospheric optics iridescent cloud colour spectrum meteorology sky clouds photometeor diffraction optics australia nsw new south wales ice halo circumhorizontal arc optical phenomenon circumhorizon arc rare optical phenomenon in explore spring rare optics
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