Standing on the rails of the round bit of the railing, gives these gulls a bit more space from passers-by.
It even allowed a couple of them to tuck their beaks under their wings for a bit of shut-eye.
But there's nontheless a kind of uniformity about these smart looking gulls - they are standing in formation with their best foot forward!
I have tried before to identify New Zealand lichens, but there is no handy identification guide. David Galloway's Lichen Flora of New Zealand, is way too technical for limited understanding, so I guess we'll just have to admire these as lichen-landscapes!
However, I am reasonably confident that this is Teloschistea chrysophthalmus. Comparing another photograph on the Forest lichens website. Of course, matching photos is probably a silly way to identify things, but never mind. And of course, Chryso- means golden coloured.
The grey 'spread-out' foliose form is what I habitually call Parmelia, which in a NZ context probably means its in the Parmeliaceae family, rather than the genus per se.
The brown bumps - are tree trunk scars - typical of most Prunus species, but particularly noticeable on this ornamental flowering cherry-tree. It was here when we moved into the house, so we have no idea what variety it is. Dunedin has plenty of these pink cherry trees, in public spaces as well as private gardens. Spring is early this year, and already there are three or four blooms. Elsewhere in town some of the early flowering pink rhododendrons are in flower, leastways those that are sited in choice sunny positions.
In throwing together my remarks on the Natural History of Creation, I shall propose to myself two or three objectives, to which I shall endeavour as much as possible to limit your attention.
In the first place, one object I have in view will be to show that in the History of Creation, the history of all that has been created, whether of the mineral, the vegetable, or the animal kingdom, there has been PROGRESS; - that all creation has commenced in comparatively simple forms, and that these have gradually become more complicated. In the second place, I wish to point out that this progress of creation in the three kingdoms of nature has had prospectively in view the welfare and the happiness of ma. In the third place, I shall endeavour to point out to you that man’s spiritual nature or reason is obedient to the same law of progress, or may be brought under and viewed from the idea of progress.What we mean by progress, as applied to Natural History, is something different from the ordinary use of the term. It involves two ideas: the idea first of time – of a series of events, taking place in time; and secondly, the idea of the relation of certain imperfect creations, organisms, beings, to some more perfect – ideal type.
Quotation from: The Natural History of Creation By Edwin Lankester, 1848
One lunch-time we went to have our sandwiches in a handy carpark with a view! The local red-billed gulls clearly know the spot well. The leader of the pack calls in others ...
one of whom dances on our car bonnet. In the background can be seen part of the latest of Dunedin's public sculptures - a row of over-sized molars.
And a second perches on the roof of another car, whose occupant was also having their lunch.
It didn't take long for the canny gulls to realise sandwiches were for human consumption only, so they flew off in disgust.
