Flora and Fauna

All photos: Siw Haugnes. Photos can be used, if source is given.

Oh yeah, it's April 2011, spring is here. Insects and spiders are out for a walk. Flowers blossom and other plants turn green. Wasps, spiders and most birds escaped the camera's lens. Others got caught. 

To the right you can see the Mansion's pet, the lizard Sol.

Below to the right, some of the blue common hepatica we saw. In Norway it's important to know that the Hepatica nobilis is protected. It's forbidden to pluck the flowers and to dig up it's roots.

Anemone hepatica blossoms a few, short weeks in spring time. But oh, so pretty.

Tussilago farfara or coltsfoot is another flower showing up for spring. It sort of illuminates springtime and makes me happy.

Hairy cattle and sheep were lining up so we got a good look. The sheep run free in summer, and makes it essential to have a gate to your porch.

You will not find me calling these animals clean...

The cattle look a bit like Highland cattle, but the horns bends more. The sheep we saw are most definitely not Dalasau. Does anybody know their breed?

Swans and ducks have returned to the lake. We tried to make them coming closer, bribing them with apple cores, but no.

Along a track we found an anthill, having been deformed during the winter. On the top, a lot of ants were gathering.

Why do they do this? Is it to protect eggs and larva?

In the anthill we saw a smaller lump with lots of ants. Neat?