Oops this amateur botanist has done it again

Last week we were visited by MrB’s eldest daughter, and as she enjoys walking we took her on one of our favourite walks in the hills. The skies last week (unlike this week) were cloudier than we had hoped and it was still a little bit early for the lavender, cistus and gorse. However to my delight there was plenty of other flora out in flower, which resulted in me spending as much time crouching down in the undergrowth with the camera in macro mode as I did walking.

However despite having strong words with myself last November and a couple of years ago about taking measurements and ‘botanical’ shots as well as artistic ones, I seemed to have totally forgotten all about that last week. Well not completely as I am getting better with multiple shots but there is much room for improvement if I am to avoid the identification headaches I had with some of my photographs from the walk. All of the following I struggled with and/or are still struggling with. Can you help Marie, Jo and Jude?

It isn’t always my fault of course I forget to take a good botanical shot. Sometimes the elements conspire against me (wind and sunlight) and then there are the plants themselves. Far too many like to grow up or down steep slippery slopes, and when you are meant to be walking rather than spending time in the undergrowth it can become an issue. Especially if you are also birding as you stroll. No wonder MsB ended up being a mile or so ahead of us at one point!

I am improving though and best of all I am even beginning to remember some of the flora which I have identified in previous years. I’ll never however remember it all, there are simply too many wildflowers here in the Algarve. These were all taken on the walk last week, and I didn’t photograph everything.

It truly is beautiful in the Algarvian hills even on cloudy days and even before the cistus and lavender is in flower. There is always be something new to identify and something old to test the memory. If only I could remember though to use the tape measure I diligently carry around with me and to take both types of photograph!