Animals - Talkingthailand

The Reptiles’ Place in the Symphony

Last year, I published A Symphony of Nature: Discovering the World’s Beauty – a visual journey through the wonders of our planet. From birds and butterflies to the sun and the moon, my book contains a collection of photographs that celebrates the beauty of life and the artistry of the natural world.

Each chapter explores a different element of nature, inviting you to pause, reflect, and immerse yourself in the captivating symphony of colours, shapes, and textures that nature so generously provides.

Reptiles are fascinating creatures with a diverse range of species. They are cold-blooded vertebrates that typically lay eggs and have scales covering their bodies. Lizards and geckos are some of the most commonly known reptiles. They come in various sizes and shapes, from the tiny gecko to the large Komodo dragon. Snakes are elongated reptiles without limbs. They have specialised scales on their bellies to help them move.

A Reptiles’ Place in the Symphony is unquestionably theirs.

The images shown did not make the final cut of my book, so there are many more to see.

A Symphony of Nature is available to buy on Lulu.com:

A Symphony of Nature: Discovering the World's Beauty

You can also find the photographs featured in my book on a variety of products in my shop:

morrisophotography Shop | Redbubble

I hope you enjoy this series. Peace and Love, G x

Symphony of the Mammals

Mammals are a diverse class of animals known for their unique characteristics and vital roles in ecosystems. They are incredibly diverse, with over 5,000 species ranging from tiny shrews to massive whales. Mammals have adapted to live in a wide range of habitats, from oceans to deserts to forests. A Symphony of the Mammals is a record of just some of the mammals I have photographed both in the UK and abroad.

The images shown did not make the final cut of my book, so there are many more to see.

A Symphony of Nature is available to buy on Lulu.com:

A Symphony of Nature: Discovering the World's Beauty

You can also find the photographs featured in my book on a variety of products in my shop:

morrisophotography Shop | Redbubble

I hope you enjoy this series. Peace and Love, G x

A Symphony of Shells and Sea

Crustaceans may not be the most glamourous creatures, and they often slip beneath our nature radar, but they’re still part of what makes up the wonder of the nature world.

Crustaceans are a fascinating group of arthropods that include familiar creatures such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. They belong to the subphylum Crustacea and are found in a wide range of environments, from the deep ocean to freshwater habitats and even on land.

I don’t have many photos of them, but I did manage to capture some crabs scuttling across a beach in Krabi, Thailand.

A Symphony of Shells and Sea follows the crabs of Krabi getting on with their day!

I zoomed in to see these 3 crabs marching towards the mudskipper
who was minding its own business!

A Symphony of Nature is available to buy on Lulu.com:

A Symphony of Nature: Discovering the World's Beauty

You can also find the photographs featured in my book on a variety of products in my shop:

morrisophotography Shop | Redbubble

I hope you enjoy this series. Peace and Love, G x

Finding Nature

Last year, I took another walk around Sywell Country Park, but this time it was all about nature and finding the birds, insects, and flowers.

It was June, so it was much greener than before and I could feel the warmth from the sun on my skin.

The first feathered friend I saw was this Coot with its white frontal shield. Fun fact: Back in the day, the featherless shield gave rise to the expression “as bald as a coot.” (Wikipedia)

This one has found something to balance on.

Whilst trying to photograph this delicate dragonfly, I got the plant in focus instead – I think it’s a Stinging Nettle.

There are lots of flowers dotted around – like this daisy.

Although Hogweed is pretty to look at, it’s best not to touch it as it can cause blisters and scars in humans! (Wikipedia)

This bee doesn’t seem bothered.

Another beauty, but also very toxic, is the lovely Foxglove. Fun fact: In the past, myths had it that foxes wore the flowers on their paws to silence their movements as they hunted – hence ‘fox’s glove!’ (Wikipedia)

It’s quite hard to take photographs of things that move, but this Long-tailed tit sat at the top of this tree just long enough.

As did these two-silhouetted birds.

A family of swans swam passed – the mother looking back to check the cute little babies are all there.

Then, they head off towards the reeds and out of the open – there were buzzards circling overhead!

These coots chicks were sticking close to each other – the lake must seem like an ocean to them!

This bird flew away at the exact moment I took the photo!

But, this dunnock and duck looked straight at the camera lens!

It’s always a pleasure seeing nature at her finest!

Do you enjoy finding nature as much as I do?

Peace and love 🙂

Something old, something new!

Last week, I published ‘Another Day, Another Walk’ and this week I am publishing ‘Something old, something new.’ The same walk a few months apart and this time I walked further and took the long way back home.

On my walks around the town, I may take the same or similar photos, but I always manage to find something new to capture.

And, after many years away from my hometown, I really enjoy exploring it!

Trees and water, buildings and wall art, birds and animals, graffiti, bridges and flowers are all things that I am drawn too and can’t myself taking a few photographs!

What are you drawn too?

Summer Leys Nature Reserve – Revisited

I wrote about Summer Leys Nature Reserve a couple of months ago, but I actually went there for the first time in 2019. In June, 2022, I went back and enjoyed another walk there – this time taking photos of the animals and birds that use the reserve as their home.

We’ll get to the creatures in a minute, but here is a reminder of how lovely the reserve itself is.

I visited in the summer again and as you can see, the fields, flowers, plants and trees are in full bloom.

Now to the animals and birds which is what took me back to Summer Leys in the first place.

The first thing I spot is this butterfly resting on a leaf. I am not sure, but I think this is a Polygonia c-album – a species which is common around the UK (Wikipedia). Insects are notoriously difficult to photograph, but this one was kind enough to rest long enough for me to capture it.

As I wander along the path, I come out into open fields where these sheep are grazing or having a rest – oblivious to me watching them.

There are also a few Highland cattle at the reserve. These grazing animals help keep the grass short throughout the year

Close up of one of these huge beasts. Good job my camera has a long lens on it!

A much smaller mammal, the grey squirrel is a resident of the UK and can be seen everywhere from parks to reserves like this one. I love watching them scamper around.

There are so many birds to be seen here too like this bullfinch.

And this Long-tailed tit (you can just about see it in the trees).

The reserves gives the birds a little helping hand with these birdfeeders. If you stay quiet and in one place for a short amount of time, then more will come – like this Blue tit.

And this Great tit.

As a walk around, I see a flash of movement in the bushes and managed to capture this cute little fellow – I believe it is a Willow Warbler.

I think it’s great that places like this are dedicated to looking after the wildlife.

There are also different kinds of habitats for every species to have a chance of success!

No matter how big or small you are!

If you are ever in the area, I recommend a little walk around Summer Leys Nature Reserve, it’s a great spot for wildlife watching and getting back into nature.

Peace and Love.

Nature Up Close

I love experiencing nature up close. It’s not always easy to photograph birds and squirrels because they don’t sit still much, but I managed to capture these images of our furry and feathery friends as they busied themselves foraging, eating, chilling and preening!

Things that Will Make You Feel Good in Australia!

During these COVID times, we are all restricted in what we can do! But, nothing is stopping you doing some of things I did in Australia! These experiences made me feel good – I hope they make you feel good too!

Byron Bay, New South Wales

For those who live close to Byron Bay, it’s easy to enjoy this beautiful spot with long golden sands, stretching for miles and crystal clear blue water lapping the shoreline. And to those people, I am slightly envious!

Take a walk to Cape Byron Lighthouse with stunning views out to sea. The walk from town will blow the cobwebs away and, if you’re lucky, you might just see dolphins and turtles from your vantage point – a magical experience and one that’s guaranteed to make you smile! Or, experience the thrill of horseriding on the beach. It’s a fabulous activity to do, especially when you can ride along the beach with the wind in your hair, the pounding of the hooves in your ears and the salty air bringing happy tears to your eyes! If neither of those things appeal to you, simply wandering along the beach feeling the sand under your feet can beat the blues any day!

Things to do in Australia — Image by adrimarie / Pixabay

Belair National Park, South Australia

Only 13 km from Adelaide’s city centre, Belair National Park is a place of natural beauty – that in itself may keep your stress levels at bay! There is lots to do here – biking, walking, horseriding or orienteering. You could do what I did and take a picnic and spend time with your family – the kids will love the play areas! Belair is also a photographer’s candy shop with plenty of opportunities for you to snap away! You’ll find a wide variety of flowers and trees and lots of wildlife too – if you’re walking you might come across kangaroos and emus. And, look out for koalas resting in the trees above.

Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide

Not far from Adelaide, Cleland Wildlife Park is probably the best wildlife park I have ever been to in Australia. Over 35 hectares of bush-land, you’ll have the company of kangaroos, emus and wombats which roam freely around the park. It’s a relaxed environment with animals all around you. You can get quite close the animals, as they are adapted to the park setting, which means you can feed them too! It’s said that petting animals releases feel-good hormones! Visiting Cleland makes for a lovely day out – take your time exploring and enjoy the animals and the calm surroundings.

Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne

After a very sober New Year’s Eve, surrounded by thousands of people in Melbourne, I took a welcome trip to the Dandenong Ranges. If you love nature, you’ll love this place! Tall Mountain Ash trees form the forest all around you and, apart from the odd walker or runner, it feels like you have it all to yourself. It’s so peaceful there with only the sounds of nature to accompany you, it’s such a nice feeling away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

1770, Queensland

Another natural beauty is the town of 1770, so called because it was in the year 1770 that Captain James Cook and the crew of HM Bark Endeavour made their second landing on the eastern shores of Australia. A perfect beach for running, walking or just chilling out. Do some surfing, have a picnic, or go on a boat trip, but if you just want to relax, 1770 is a great place to take in the views and just be – something we all could benefit from now and again.

These were only a few of the places I visited when I was in Australia and I remember every one made me feel good. Just being out in the fresh air, walking among the trees or along the beach put a smile on my face. 🙂

For more travels around Australia, check out these posts..

10 things not to miss in Australia

Travels Round Australia- Australia Zoo

Travels Round Australia-Perth

Travels Round Australia- Sydney

Peace and love!

The Best of Chulachomklao Fort, Bangkok

Whenever I take photographs, I usually take a lot. And when I mean a lot, it can sometimes be over 100 shots. I just can’t help it, especially when I go somewhere that I find interesting. There’s always some angle or colour, animal or bird, bridge or reflection – anything that catches my eye.

When I am writing posts for Talkingthailand or Morrisophotography, I go through all the photos I have taken from a particular day and group them into “post pics,” “best pics,” “black & white” etc. Apart from the main subject I am writing about, this process gives me ideas and inspiration for other posts.

Photography is a very subjective thing. What I class as “the best of” might be quite different to what you think. That’s what makes it interesting don’t you think?

With that in mind, here is my compilation of the Best of Chulachomklao Fort, in Bangkok.

Do you take a lot of photos when you go somewhere? What do you do with them?

5 Quotes by David Attenborough That Will Make You Love The Natural World

He has been called the greatest broadcaster of our time and for over half a century David Attenborough has been bringing the natural world into our living rooms with TV programmes like “Life on Earth”, “The Trials of Life”, and “The Blue Planet” – fascinating insights into the flora and fauna on Earth through incredible cinematography and storytelling.

I have always loved watching these documentaries and David Attenborough is someone I could listen to forever. His soothing tones mesmerise as he invites us into the lives of the amazing animals and plants that we share this planet with. Ever gently but with a serious undertone, he also warns us of the impact of human society on the natural world.

This man is loved by all and over the years has received many awards and much recognition for his work – as well as having 15 species of plants and animals named after him. He is a true inspiration and his passion for the natural world seeps into our hearts every time we watch him doing what he loves.

Quotes by David Attenborough that will make you love the natural world — David Attenborough at the Great Barrier Reef/ Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Here are 5 of David Attenborough’s best quotes of all time:

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.
An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.
People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure.
I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it still unexplored.
It’s about cherishing the woodland at the bottom of your garden or the stream that runs through it. It affects every aspect of life.

What is your favourite David Attenborough quote?