Cherie's Place » Science & Nature

Meadow Walk at Attingham

CherryPie — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:50:42 +0000

The weather was glorious on my recent volunteering shift at Attingham Park, perfect weather to explore Ismore Meadow afterwards. The meadow is accessible for a few weeks in summer until the grass is cut for hay by the tenant farmer around mid-July.

As I returned from the meadow some deer treated me with their presence. Such a joy to see.

Mexican Red Knee Tarantula

CherryPie — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:36:37 +0000

The Mexican Red Knee lives on the Pacific Coast of Mexico in dry forest and desert habitats

Whe threatened they will not hisitate to flick hairs from their abdomen using their back legs. We call these ‘urticating Hairs’ and they can cause itchiness, swelling respiratory issues if inhaled.

Female Red Knee tarantulas can live to by as old as 30, whereas males rarely live past 10 years old.

Their diet consists of insects, frogs and the occasional mouse.*

*Information from a signboard next to the Tarantulas

Malagasy Giant Chameleon

CherryPie — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 23:05:43 +0000

The Malagasy Giant Chameleon is native to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.

They are the largest chameleon in length and the secon heaviset in weight. Although their typical diet is insects their large size also enables them to eat small birds and reptiles.

Chamelons are famous for changing colour. However, this colour change is used more for temperature regulation and social signalling than camouflage.

Koi Carp

CherryPie — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 01:23:49 +0000

The butterfly in the final photo of my previous post was perched looking over the Koi swimming below.

Butterflies

CherryPie — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:37:15 +0000

A few of the many varieties of butterflies that flutter around Stratford-upon-Avon butterfly farm.

Cherie’s Place – Thought for the Week

CherryPie — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 22:34:38 +0000

I seem, like everything else, to be a center, a sort of vortex, at which the whole energy of the universe realizes itself. Each and every one of us, not only human beings but every leaf, every weed, exists in the way it does, only because everything else around it does. The individual and the universe are inseparable.

Alan Watts

Cherie’s Place – Thought for the Week

CherryPie — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 22:44:08 +0000

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.

David Attenborough

Cherie’s Place – Thought for the Week

CherryPie — Sun, 05 May 2024 22:52:52 +0000

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars… and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers – for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.

Osho

Malta National Aquarium

CherryPie — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:55:51 +0000

The Malta National Aquarium has 51 tanks including reptiles, insects and amphibians, amongst others, Mediterranean fish, including fish commonly found in Maltese waters together with replicas of historical artefacts that one can find in the seas around the Maltese islands.

The main tank of the aquarium houses species from the Indo-Pacific Ocean, including black tip sharks, zebra sharks, leopard sharks, bamboo sharks, rays, eels and other exotic species. The main tank is approximately 12 meters in diameter and has a walk-through tunnel that allows visitors to experience the fish at a much closer range.

All tanks are expertly themed to replicate the underwater environment.

Pretty Flamingo

CherryPie — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:38:43 +0000

On our recent visit to Slimbridge we failed to find the advertised Pelicans but were happy to see all six species of Flamingo (not all captured on camera) residing in their separate watery locations.