Saturday, August 16, 2014

Ashen camouflage

.
A few days ago I wrote about the recent fire in part of our town's eucalyptus grove down in the wadi.
 Well, it turns out that the black ash on the ground helps in camouflage!


See anything?


Enlarge the photos with a click or two.
Can you find at least 13 partridges in the first picture?! 


Here is a shot from last spring, when green leaves and flowers were still to be seen after the rainy season.

Whenever I startled these funny birds in the Jerusalem Hills, they would always run and hide or run fast and take to the air.
Here in friendly Meitar in the Negev, wild animals are laid back and calm, as if they know from experience that no one will hurt them.
.
More about the hogla ( Hebrew for partridge)  at my post on Deir Hajleh [literally, in Arabic, the monastery of the partridge].

Linking to Camera Critters.
.

16 comments:

  1. They certainly blend in with the ash. What a beautiful bird!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is much easier to see the bird in the clear...

    ReplyDelete
  3. This borders on unreal! Incredible how they were hidden right in front of our eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for showing us LIFE in the land! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cloudia, yes, after 6 straight days of ceasefire it is welcome that thoughts turn back toward life.

    VP, the bird got separated from its companions. Hard to believe it actually almost stopped and posed for me.

    Nonnie, William, agreed! Thanks for your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This bird is a real artwork of nature. Beautiful.
    Mira

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great photo, hope you're staying safe over there.

    ReplyDelete
  8. They certainly do blend in. They are beautiful birds.
    Stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  9. They sure do blend in the ashes. Nice shots of all.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I counted - almost missed those two closest partridges! They certainly are pretty birds, if a little comical too. I wonder what they are finding so fascinating among the ashes to eat?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Friends old and new, thanks for stopping by!

    Birdman, I'm sure we have them, but I have never seen a pear tree in Israel. Anyway, you wouldn't find a partridge in a pear tree.
    See this from Wiki:

    "Daedalus was so envious of his nephew's accomplishments that he took an opportunity, when they were together one day on the top of a high tower, to push him off. But Athena, who favors ingenuity, saw him falling and arrested his fate by changing him into a bird called after his name, the Perdix (partridge). This bird does not build its nest in the trees, nor take lofty flights, but nestles in the hedges, and mindful of his fall, avoids high places."

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great capture at the bottom. Such a beautiful bird!

    Dina, thanks for your care. I'm a little better but everytime I use the keyboard (I feel I shouldn't do it...) I have to put some ice on the shoulder. I definitelly can't type with my left hand! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks very similar to the Chukar Partridge on the slopes of Mauna Kea on the Big Island and Haleakala on Maui.

    ReplyDelete


Thanks for your comment!
Comment moderation is on so I will see any new comments even on older posts!