Nature
grrlscientist | July 17, 2009tags: Tvärminne, zoological field research station, Finland, nature, image of the day
Wildflowers with beetle photographed at Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne Zoological field research station) in southwestern Finland.
[read more about it: English Suomeksi PÃ¥ Svenska]
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Can you name the species?
grrlscientist | July 16, 2009tags: Tvärminne, zoological field research station, Finland, nature, image of the day
Wildflowers photographed at Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne Zoological field research station) in southwestern Finland.
[read more about it: English Suomeksi PÃ¥ Svenska]
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Can you name the species?
bcohen | July 16, 2009I haven't been here much, but I did begin a new series over at McSweeney's called "Days at the Museum." It's a limited-run set of dispatches (summer-length, let's say) about research at the Smithsonian and related miscellany. Tuesday was the first one, called "Ronzoni All the Way Down."
This is the central image of the story, a fairly well-known portrait by the French Barbizon artist Jean-Francois Millet from 1857 called "The Gleaners":
And what is the story? I'll repost it in full below the fold. I'd bet it's fair to say it has the character of one of Lawrence Weschler's Convergences…
grrlscientist | July 15, 2009tags: Tvärminne, zoological field research station, Finland, nature, image of the day
Succulents photographed a few meters outside the doorway
to the apartment that I am staying in at Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne Zoological field research station) in southwestern Finland.
[read more about it: English Suomeksi PÃ¥ Svenska]
Image: GrrlScientist, 15 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Can you name the species?
grrlscientist | July 14, 2009tags: Tvärminne, zoological field research station, Finland, nature
Hornet Moth, Sesia apiformis: Hymenopteran biomimic.
Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne Zoological field research station) in southwestern Finland.
[read more about it: English :: Suomeksi :: PÃ¥ Svenska]
Image: Bob O'Hara, 15 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
This insect is sitting on my camera (to give you a sense of size). I would happily share all my gorgeous photographs with you (several of which were stunning), but my camera batteries died while I was photographing and didn't save roughly 100…
grrlscientist | July 14, 2009tags: Munkkivori, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
Another view of the woods right outside the door of the apartment building
where I am staying in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 12 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 14, 2009tags: Tvärminne, zoological field research station, Finland, nature
Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne Zoological field research station) in southwestern Finland.
[read more about it: English Suomeksi PÃ¥ Svenska]
Image: GrrlScientist, 14 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
The view from the dock (looking east?), just outside the cafeteria windows. It brings tears to my eyes, this place reminds me of my many happy times spent at the University of Washington's field research station in Friday Harbor, Washington state.
Tvärminnen eläintieteellinen asema
(Tvärminne…
grrlscientist | July 13, 2009tags: Munkkivori, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
A view of the woods right outside the door of the apartment building
where I am staying in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 12 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 12, 2009tags: Matajoki River, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
A view of an abandoned boat in the Matajoki river (in northern Helsinki, Finland).
Image: GrrlScientist, 6 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 11, 2009tags: River Vantaa, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
A view of a natural waterfall in a park near the River Vantaa.
This waterfall is in the same park that I showed you yesterday.
I believe I was in Vantaa (will check after my host returns),
in northern Helsinki, Finland, when I photographed this.
Image: GrrlScientist, 6 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 10, 2009tags: River Vantaa, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
A view of a park near the River Vantaa.
I believe I was in Vantaa (will check after my host returns),
in northern Helsinki, Finland, when I photographed this.
Image: GrrlScientist, 6 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 9, 2009tags: River Vantaa, Helsinki, Finland, nature, image of the day
A river flows through it.
A view of the River Vantaa. I believe I was in Vantaa (will check after my host returns),
in northern Helsinki, Finland, when I photographed this.
Image: GrrlScientist, 6 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
I've been telling you about how gorgeous Helsinki is, but mostly so far, I've shown you photographs of flowers. I hope you realize that I wanted to establish in your mind that it is warm and sunny enough here for flowers to bloom, but today, I just had to share a picture of the River Vantaa (…
grrlscientist | July 8, 2009tags: Potentilla fruticosa, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Is this a wild rose or a close relative?
"Goldfinger" or the Buttercup Shrub, Potentilla fruticosa.
Photographed alongside a roadway in Pitäjänmäki in northern Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
"Goldfinger" -- which has a wide variety of common names, such as the Goldfinger shrubby Potentilla, Shrubby Cinquefoil and my favorite, the Buttercup Shrub -- is a hardy and dense shrub with dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers that are roughly 1 1…
grrlscientist | July 7, 2009tags: Heartsease, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Heartsease is known by a wide variety of names, including the Wild Pansy, Ladies' Delight, Jump-Up-And-Kiss-Me, and Johnny Jump-Up, Viola tricolor.
Photographed on Seurasaari, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Native over large areas of Europe and western Asia, this is the ancestor of the modern pansy. I remember Heartsease from watching a live performance of Shakespeare's comedy, A Midsummer's Night Dream in London last year, where Oberon claims that the…
grrlscientist | July 6, 2009tags: Black-eyed Susan vine, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Mystery flower, can you name the species?
Black-eyed Susan vine, Thunbergia alata.
Photographed on Seurasaari, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
The Black-eyed Susan vine, Thunbergia alata, is a perennial climbing plant in the Acanthaceae family. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world.
grrlscientist | July 5, 2009tags: petunias, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
White petunias, Petunia x hybrida.
Photographed on Seurasaari, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 4 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
Petunias are trumpet shaped flowering plants that are endemic to South America. Botanically speaking, tobacco, tomato, potato, and petunia are all in the family Solanaceae. These popular flowers got their name from the French, which took the word petun -- 'tobacco' -- from a Tupi-Guarani language.
grrlscientist | July 4, 2009tags: buttercups, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens.
Photographed in Oulunkylä, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 3, 2009tags: Dahlia, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Dahlias.
Photographed at Rautatientori in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 3 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
grrlscientist | July 2, 2009tags: Daisy, Gardening, Horticulture, Botany, nature, Helsinki, image of the day
Daisy.
Photographed at Tarvaspää Café at the Gallen-Kallela Museum
near Tarvon Salmi in Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 2 July 2009 [larger view]. (raw image)
awild | July 2, 2009A while back, Mike Kaspari asked me if I might be able to produce an image that really captures the essence of the leaf litter ant fauna*. A conceptual shot that would be useful for presentations and the like. It wasn't immediately clear how to do this, as the leaf litter is a dark, dark place. Most of the inhabitants are blind. Not many photons there for a photographer to work with, and lighting it up with a flash sort of kills the native ambiance.
In any case, while in Florida I sat down with a charismatic Strumigenys trap-jaw ant and tried a few things. I came up with this:…