Another example of how Gaudí found inspiration in nature. The iron railing of Casa Vicens in Gràcia, Barcelona based on the Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis), Europe’s only native palm.
Author: Nick
Ravens released in Barcelona
We very much enjoyed taking part in the release of two young ravens in Ciutadella park by the wildlife group Galanthus last August. These juvenile ravens, of unknown precedence, had been captured in the streets of Barcelona and taken to a wildlife recovery centre. A few weeks ago they were still flying over the zoo, where they have taken up residence. On the left with the raven-proof gloves Eduard Durany. On the right, Albert with the smile. More here
Midwife toads calls
Just under 4 minutes mini documentary about midwife toads in the open air Teatre Grec in Montjuïc, recorded on my mobile last April and a mere 15 minutes walk from Les Rambles.
A bit of an experiment. First effort at sound recording and nature commentary. Listening back a little paused in the comments. As Lucy Brzoska pointed out to me, there’s a Sardinian warbler there too.
Scarlet elf cup and orange peel
Scarlet elf cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea) and orange peel fungi (Aleuria aurantia). The former on a dead twig by a stream on Collserola, January, the latter, favouring disturbed ground, on a rubble path on Montjuic, December.
Barcelona parakeet nest
A parakeet nest abandoned for the winter in a Plane tree on a Barcelona street. Some of these nests are huge, tottering perilously over the streets weighing more than a tonne, though this one is much smaller.
Gaudí’s marine tiles
Antoni Gaudí’s work was deeply inspired by the natural forms of the Mediterranean and its wildlife. Here, his famous pavement tiles (1904-06) along Passeig de Gràcia decorated with octopuses, anominites, seaweed and brittle stars laid out sinuously on a sandy floor. The hexagons are perhaps based on honeycomb or more appropriately given the marine theme on a turtle shell.. Image from Museu de Catalunya.
Lace bugs
The commonest tree by far in Barcelona is the London plane (Platanus x acerifolia), a hybrid of Turkish and American ancestors. It is tolerant of atmospheric pollution which it deals with by constantly shedding its flaky bark – itself a way its wild relatives combat parasites. Peel off their bark and you may find tiny Sycamore lace bugs (Corythucha ciliata), gorgeously intricate under the magnifying glass, although these pests suck on the tree’s sap and lead to its early death.
“Corythucha.ciliata.1” by I, Sarefo. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Emil Adolf Rossmässler in Barcelona
The German naturalist Emil Adolf Rossmässler visted Barcelona in March 1856 on his study trip around Spain. Here he expalins why palm trees were still struggled in the city. Coming at the end of the so-called Little Ice Age temperatures were still too low.
Palm trees still do not trust Barcelona. On Palm Sunday I found thick ice in Pedralbes at midday in the shade of a house. [Elsewhere] in the botanical garden, a date palm struggled even though there was a protected corner. From “Recuerdos de un viajero por España de Emil Adolf Rossmassler”
See aslo The tallest palm tree in Barcelona
The tallest palm tree in Barcelona
The tallest palm tree in Barcelona is considered to be a 27-metre which stands outside the Centre Cívic Can Verdaguer in Nou Barris. It is 119 years old is a Washingtonia robusta originally from Mexico-Calaifornia
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Stripeless tree frog on Montjüic
A Stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis) found in the Jardins de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, Montjüic. January, 2014.