Flora & Fauna

Posted by Julia

Each morning, weather permitting, I like to go for a jog or a hike and take in our surroundings from the highest vantage point accessible.  On these short trips I observe the abundance of wildlife and have come to notice how certain insects have preferences for specific plants.

One of the more common and is what I think is the fig beetle.  They stand out with their large proportions and smart metallic green jacket, they can fly too..

Amongst all the weird and wonderful plants some really stand out whether obvious or surprisingly subtle:

Butterflies seem particularly camera shy and I've spent a lot of energy trying and failing to photograph the large colourful varieties.  The smaller, less exotic ones seem happier around a camera so I settled for these..

There is a staggering abundance of olive trees on every island we visit.  Some are cropped short for harvesting while others are left to their own devices and grow tall and proud.  One thing that ties them all together is the curious twists and tangles they form as the grow with no apparent care for sunlight or gravity.  Their roots penetrate deep down allowing them to thrive in the most inhospitable terrain.  They grow very slowly and each seems to develop individual character as the years pass.

It's not just the flora that we come across, there is quite a diverse range of fauna too..

Bumblebee is also now a full member of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  Thank you Ed for putting us onto them!
Find out here here.

Up next... dolphins!