In the garden of Linnaeus

Bubble bees moving among the flowers in the herb garden of the former University of Harderwijk, filmed for new friends who I met recently at Imaging Nature II: Andre (NZ), Susan and Tarsh (WA). It was really nice to meet some artists and philosophers where interested in questioning science from within the discipline. I would characterise this thinking as an interest in acquiring and disseminating knowledges, that include scientific observation and categorisation, through the poetics of visual arts. (just to reduce an complicated argument to two sentences...)

House guests

Now that the weather is pleasantly warm we open the back window wall of the house in the evenings. This has meant an increase in the number of house guests.
The moth that camouflages with the kitchen tiles:

Our long term guest: the insect who loves the blinds in the lounge room and makes a strumming sound like a cricket in our ears while we watch TV:

One of the most beautiful moths I have ever seen. His camouflage of a new lillipilli or gum leaf was a bit of a waste in our kitchen:

And this house guest who arrived very late last night attracted to the lights in the living room and who couldn't find his way out. He flew around the room bumping his body in the ceiling making a dull thud. He sure is one big moth! He sound of his thumping work me up a few times last night so I was very keen to liberate him from the living room this morning. Not before getting some photos though!

garden wonders

Flowering Lillipilli Casade; the Swamp Banksia with it's massive production of flower candles; a strange cocoon, which feels very light and papery - any ideas?; and the biggest surprise- a stick insect! Maybe Ctenomorpha chronus? suggestions welcome! He was hard to photograph.

UPDATE: the cocoon is a Praying Mantis egg, which will hatch with lots of little nymphs. Thanks R.M for the info! Further update: In this very windy weather we have getting of late the cocoon disappeared.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Vanessa Berry also recently had an very amusing encounter with a stick insect in Sydney.