Flower Friday – Oncidium Sharry Baby

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 16 Comments

Oncidium Sharry Baby - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Oncidium Sharry Baby – Photograph by Laura Lecce

This Friday I have chosen one of my favorite orchids to show you… which was terribly hard to choose because I have so many favorites for so many different reasons! This one is Oncidium Sharry Baby. Far from being the biggest or flashiest of orchids, I have chosen it because it smells amazing. Fittingly it is nicknamed the Chocolate Orchid, because that’s exactly what it smells like, and quite powerfully so. It flowered reliably for me every year at Christmas time (summer in Australia), and used to make a Christmas tree like explosion of flowers along a very tall stem. Every day on my balcony it smelled like someone was baking desserts and would make me crave chocolate! A wonderful orchid indeed… Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Oncidium Sharry Baby Spike - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Oncidium Sharry Baby Spike – Photograph by Laura Lecce

A Feast Of Salmon

March 2, 2016April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 12 Comments

Bear and the Hungry Bird - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Bear and the Hungry Bird – Photograph by Laura Lecce

It has been a life long dream of mine to see big fluffy bears in the wild. This may be due to the fact that Australia has absolutely no large mammalian predators (our biggest is the dingo, which is basically a gorgeous golden colored dog, we do however win with the scary reptiles). So I went to Canada during the season where bears are hunting salmon in the streams to fatten up before winter hibernation. It was truly a National Geographic experience. I went to a salmon hatchery on Vancouver Island which is known to attract the local bears.

Bears Hunting - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Bears Hunting – Photograph by Laura Lecce

I was able to watch the bears for hours, who were thankfully much more interested in the salmon than the tourists on the edge of the stream! They were so spoilt for food that they barely ate much of the fish before discarding the half eaten carcass, much to the delight of the nearby birds. It was a magical experience to be in the presence of such large and spectacular creatures such as these.

Bear - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Bear – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Unimpressed

February 29, 2016October 25, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 12 Comments

This is a dog we met while on a road trip in Costa Rica. Seeing a chocolate brown dog in front of an aqua colored wall, I just had to stop for a photo. There was only one way to describe the look on this dog’s face as he saw us pull up – utterly unimpressed. He was like a grumpy old man sitting on his porch wondering why the hell these damn tourists had to come to his country to pester him by taking his photo. In the end, no matter how much he looked like he hated me, I still love him!

Jesus Christ Lizard

February 24, 2016October 25, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 14 Comments

I believe that what I have photographed here is a green basilisk lizard, commonly found on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica. The adult males have three crests, one on the head, back and tail (which makes them look like a mini dinosaur). Adult females only have one on the head, and juveniles don’t have any. Despite growing quite large (up to 3 feet long head to tail), they are a skittish lizard, but this particular green beauty was quite comfortable hiding deep in the protection of these tree roots. Unfortunately for me, it made for some pretty uncomfortable and awkward photography half sitting/lying in some bushes and rocks on the edge of a steamy hot spring in my bikini. I think some of the other tourists thought I was a mad person photographing tree roots! Anyway, these lizards are also called Jesus Christ lizards for their ability to run across water, usually when spooked by a predator. Knowing that this is their best method of escape, they are often found in trees along the edges of a body of water. They are also great swimmers and can reportedly spend up to 30 minutes underwater. Click here for a very cool slow motion video by National Geographic of the Jesus Christ lizard running across water. Enjoy!

Black Intimidation

February 11, 2016October 25, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 7 Comments

Costa Rica is known for some of the most beautifully colored birds in the world. However, since I don’t own a telephoto lens, I rarely get to take bird photos unless the bird literally lands a few feet in front of me. For me, this particular bird will be forever associated in my mind with this beautiful country rather than the traditional toucan. These magnificently intimidating vultures could be seen no matter where we were, circling the skies all day, every day. This particular vulture was sitting on a farm fence post, his/her partner on the next one, both truly formidable in size and presence. Thanks to a rainy day, both had their wings fully spread to dry off their feathers. On the ground below them in the long grass, 5-6 wet chicks huddled together (and by chicks, I mean their fuzzy babies the size of medium chickens!). I would have loved to get out of my car and take a photo of the chicks too, but I envisioned my eyes being gouged out by the parents while they tear my scalp off with their talons. Needless to say, I stayed in the safety of my car, and left their chicks alone. A tribute to truly terrifying parents!

Vulture Parenting - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Vulture Parenting – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Spot the Clowns

February 4, 2016March 8, 2017 ~ laura lecce ~ 13 Comments

Watching clownfish swimming amongst a brightly colored anemone has always been a magical moment of any snorkeling trip for me. This photo actually has three of them, with the two smaller ones safely hiding amongst the stinging tentacles of their home, whilst the leader boldly sizes me up. Its very cute to watch, and always brings a big smile to my face (which usually means my mask fills with water and I momentarily drown). Common clownfish are seen in warmer tropical waters ranging from eastern Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. The fish in this photo call the waters around Malaysia their home. They are such a beautiful sight to see, that I get so very disappointed and angry to hear that their numbers are decreasing due to the demand of the pet trade. I can imagine for some, that it might seem nice to watch them swimming in a tank in your home, but isn’t it so much more exciting to spot them happily swimming in their home in the ocean?

Day Job

February 1, 2016May 18, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 7 Comments

Imagine your day job consisted of rebuilding your home from scratch every single day. That’s exactly what this crab, along with millions of other crabs are repetitively doing. They empty out their homes of the destruction the tide brings in with it each and every day. Some of these tiny little crabs get quite creative with their designs of rolled up little balls of sand. For this particular crab, he always exited his home on the right, and placed all the little balls on the left, and walked all the way around to place them on the outside, getting progressively further away from the entrance. Every single pattern of sand balls around the homes of these crabs looked different, as was each of their methods. Maybe they each have a plan that I cannot possibly understand. Has any individual crab ever tried to do it differently? Or each day, every individual repeats their own distinct pattern? I guess I will never know, but it always interesting to wonder.

Confused Blossoms

January 22, 2016April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 13 Comments

I took these photos in Charleston, South Carolina about 3 weeks ago. Sadly, the trees are confused, they think spring had arrived. Similarly in New York, all the trees have buds on them, even the magnificent magnolias in Central Park. Little do they all know, winter is still ahead of them. This week they have felt true winter temperatures for the first time this season, and this week will bring a large snow shower. Poor trees with their hopeful buds. They aren’t the only confused hopefuls, as even the bulbs planted in Central Park were climbing their way through the soil and peeking out. I hope the snow won’t destroy them too much, and when spring truly comes, they will rejoice with the rest of us!

Blossoms - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Blossoms – Photograph by Laura Lecce

King of the Aussie Bush

January 15, 2016November 22, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 17 Comments

Here is a photograph of my favorite Australian bird, the Kookaburra. The loud calling sound it makes is like boisterous human laughter echoing through the outback, mainly in the early mornings and approaching dusk. A skilled hunter, these birds prey on mice, snakes, small reptiles and the babies of other birds, and are fittingly called the Kings of the Australian bush. This particular kookaburra is very riled up, having just had a dispute with a fellow bird, which was perched next to him. Whatever the argument they were having… he definitely won.

Being Watched

January 7, 2016March 7, 2017 ~ laura lecce ~ 4 Comments

I love snorkeling. Mostly because the ocean floor feels like a completely foreign world, with so many interesting landscapes and weird creatures to explore. Every reef I’ve been to is quite different and unique in its corals and wildlife. Even the same reef can look different every time you look at it, with new creatures every day. Sometimes I feel as though the creatures are watching me as much as I am watching them, looking at me like I’m out of place. Large schools of fish will cluster around you, or swim past you like a large shimmering wall, wondering what you are. They give you just enough space, so that you could not catch them if you are a predator. Smaller fish, which live in soft corals and anemones are very defensive about their little garden. They will face you, and even get a bit aggressive if you get too close. I give them plenty of space in the hope that they know I am just there to watch. Its a truly fascinating world, and I hope to see much more of it in future explorations.