Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora) — sorry, Monk Parakeet / Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus), having lunch

The other day I bumped into this lovely feral Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora) — I stand corrected: it's actually Monk Parakeet / Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus), perched on the branch of a jacaranda tree, nibbling at the morsel of bread it had previously swiped from local pigeons.
Monk Parakeet, aka the Quaker Parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) is a species of parrot (genus Myiopsitta). It's native to the temperate to subtropical areas of Argentina and the surrounding countries in South America. Self-sustaining feral populations occur in many places, mainly in North America and Europe.

Examining the loot.

Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora)
Monk Parakeet / Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) 
looking at the morsel. (© LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Spring Picture Postcard. Flowering Trees — Mimosa (Acacia dealbata)

Once again yellow mimosa trees in my street are in full bloom, giving off sweet fragrance. So here's my small homage to this splendid tree.

Mimosa, Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) flowers.
(© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Seashells

Obviously, I still enjoy playing with seashells, which includes piling them one upon another and making them float.

Drifting seashells
(© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Life In Inanimate Things. Objects.

Ancient artisanal tools and objects retain the warmth of human hands that manufactured them. Simple machines have always fascinated me, they work without any secondary energy source, rarely fail and are more reliable than modern gadgets. As a child I used to tear down old mechanical appliances such as clocks to look into their inner workings and played with wheels, cogs, pinions and springs, or whatever was inside them. Clock wheels made especially good spinning tops — devices that make you wonder at physical laws. I still keep some of them.

Simple machine. (© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Backgrounds and Textures.

If you just take a look around you'll see a lot of textures, and macro photography
 — the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can't be seen with the naked eye — opens new horizons.

String theory (inside the Trembling Aspen tree fluff)
(© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Life in Inanimate Things. Light and Shade in Still Lifes.

Lighting can change the mood of the scene or, in this case, still life.  The same still life can express different atmospheres depending on the lighting.
Rather gloomy.

Still life with honeycomb candle.
(© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)

Medieval Fortress.

Wandering about an old castle  you can discover curious nooks and crannies.
The walls of this gloomy old crypt must be soaked with sighs and prayers.

Inside an old crypt
(© 2011 LightColourShade. All rights reserved)