Two of a Kind 2

The Magpie  Pica pica
One for sorrow, two for joy,
Three for a girl, four for a boy,
Five for silver,six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told. Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird that's best to be miss.

 

 

I'm not suspicious, but was glad to see two Magpies high up in the tree tops, and not one!:)

The black and white colour pattern, and extreemly long tail, with a metallic sheen, unfortunately not seen in these poor images, make the Magpie unmistakable.
 
 

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS

The Blister Beetle

Mylabris Quadripunctata the scientific name, belongs to the family Meloidae, and is commonly called the Blister Beetle,
 
 

The Blister beetle lives in grasslands, meadows, and cultivated fields, where it feeds on pollen.
 

It is usually 10-15 millimeters, of cylindrical shape, and soft bodied, with the thorax being narrower than the head.
 

It flies from flower to flower, like a bee, and has a defencive secretion of a blistering agent, hence the name Blister Beetle.
   

This toxic liquid, oozes from the articulations, principally from the femoral-tibilal joints,
 

The poisonous chemical, which causes the painful blistering to the skin is called CANTHARIDIN.
 

Cantharidin is used medically to remove warts,and was used historically also as a major ingredient in dried or powered form in so-called love potions.I have posted one photo of this beetle already, when I still didn't know what it was called.I went back to the same place the following day and saw many more beetles, but didn't want to show more without knowing more about them. My thanks goes to Bob Bushell for giving me the ID, and to all of you who tried to help. It is very much appreciated. Although a little late I am linking up with Eileen on her meme Saturday's Critters.Do call in to see critters from around the world.
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

Tiled Entrance

 

Just one photo today. As I waited in the car for my husband to return from an errand, I looked out of my side mirror and saw this gate which is the entrace to a private residence and farm. Camera ever ready, I got out and took this photo. It's a slightly odd angle because we were parked on a slope and the trees kind of dominate the picture, but you can clearly see the Portuguese tiles and wide entrance. I'm linking this to Theresa's meme and if you want to see more fences from around the world, just click on the title of her post Good Fences at the bottom of this post.
GOOD FENCES

Egyptian Goose

The Egyptian Goose   Alopochen aegyptiacus 
It is a native of Africa, south of the Sahara, and the Nile Vally.
 

The Egyptian Goose has long legs, and feeds mainly up on dry land. They swim well but are heavy in flight. 
 

The Egyptian Goose has a chocolate-brown patch around eye. Both sexes are identical in plumagem, and they pair for life.   
 

Note the large white wing panel.
 

These photos were taken earlier in the year in the park. I didn't know much about them at the time, but have since learnt quite a bit. Something interesting about them is that the ancient Egyptians considered them sacred, and thats why the Egyptian Goose appears in much of their artwork.
WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS

Eight Spots.

I came across this  pretty red beetle with eight black spots the other day, but don't know what it's called. I have seen similar beetles with six spots, but never eight. It has wings, because I saw it flying. If anyone knows it's name, I would appreciate you telling me.
 

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

Cutting Cork

Cork Oak Trees.
Last week men came to remove the bark from the cork oak trees, which will be made into all manner of things.We have many such trees on our land, and some are situated on the slope just behind our driveway where you can see the balustrade.
    

Some are really tall, and I could only photograph the middle of this one. Cork oak are protected, and no tree is cut down.The stripping only takes place every 9 or 10 yrs, and is a highly specialized procedure. It is done by teams of men, useing only axes, as no viable mechanical method has yet been invented to do the job effectively.
  



Some of them lean over our driveway.
 

Another tall Cork Tree. This one is a huge tree.
 

This one is just plain sexy!:=)
 

There were about twenty men removing the cork, and large piles of it dotted the landscape when they had finished. It is used in flooring and insulation, as well as bottle stoppers for wine bottles, and many other things. I have a pair of cork wedged heeled sandles and girls, I can tell you they are so comfortable,it's like walking on air!
  

I love the look and feel of it, and saved some to put by our fireplace.
 

Cork oak landscapes store carbon, reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The trees store cabon in order to regenerate their bark, and a harvested cork tree absorbs up to five times more than  one that isn't.Their acorns provide food for the many squirrels and other creatures in the forest.
GOOD FENCES

Finch Family

 

The Greenfinch started to visit my garden for the first time last year, and have been here every day this summer. They can't seem to get enough of the peanuts and sunflower seeds I put out for them every morning.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS