Much of my work involves exploring Phuket island and the Andaman coast region, but often I need look no further than my own backyard to see some weird and wild stuff.
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Lovely lily housing some little dancing bugs. |
We’ve had slithery visits from all kinds of snakes including a monocled cobra that made our yard its home for a time. The cobra certainly made for a fascinating spectacle out my office window — especially on the day it caught a rat! — but we arranged to have it taken away. Thought it might be nice for the kids to play outside without fear!
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Our tomcat was totally unimpressed with this beautiful baby boa. |
Plenty of bugs, bees and birds make their way through our yard, too. And each season brings a new burst of flowers. Sometimes a mango tree will shoot up from a pit I’d tossed out in the dirt, or we’ll suddenly have a big clump of Thai basil, presumably having sprouted from seeds dropped by some of the birds that flit through our trees.
Here’s just a selection of some of our backyard life and colour…
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This Asian koel makes a hell of a hoot — seemed to enjoy hanging out in our kratong tree. |
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Heliconias thrive year-round in the tropics, though they thin out a bit in dry season. |
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Cicada – bummer I didn’t get a clear shot – they make a screechy awful noise! |
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Foxtail palm seed, one of many strewn across the grass. Love the texture. |
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Millipede. These really come out in the rainy season. Harmless, thankfully! |
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My son testing out the sprinkler on a hot sunny day. Bamboo & coconut trees in the background. |
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Golden shower tree. Goes from drab dry to full bloom within a week or so. Amazing transformation! |
Ptyas korros. Indo-Chinese rat snake. Harmless. Common. Not a boa. No boas in Thailand. đŸ˜‰
Ok, good to know thanks! Quite a cute little thing, for a snake.