iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Chives are generally expected to spend their lives improving potatoes. Occasionally, however, they put on flowers like these and become rather grand about the whole business. 🌿💜 🔎 Allium schoenoprasum 🌱 #FlowersOnMonday #NaturePhotography #Niedersachsen #botany

Two flowering heads of Allium
schoenoprasum (chives) rise above dense
green grass and foliage. The rounded flower heads are composed of many delicate, narrow, pale lilac-pink florets, with the right-hand bloom slightly larger and more fully open. Slender green stems support the flowers, while the surrounding leaves and grass blades create a lush, layered background. Fine hairs and tiny water droplets are visible on a diagonal stem in the foreground. Warm sunlight highlights the flowers and fresh green vegetation.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#FossilFriday 🧩🧩 Completing the picture! 🐚 Last week we looked at a fragment of Pleuroceras spinatum. 👇 Belows illustration shows where it fits: the outermost and youngest part of the ammonite shell, formed during its final stage of growth. #Fossils #Paleontology #Geology #EduSky

Graphic comparing a fossil fragment to a living creature. At the bottom, a grayscale photo shows a curved, ribbed ammonite shell fossil fragment. A white arrow and lines point upward to a colorful artistic reconstruction of the living ammonite, featuring a reddish-brown spiral shell and a squid-like body with tentacles and an eye extending from the opening.

Infographic illustration created and designed by Thomas Hammerich (including photography of Pleuroceras spinatum fossil fragment).

Living Pleuroceras spinatum illustration by Paleoartist & Scientific Illustrator Kōhei Futaka, X: @_HETAKA (License: Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International).

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

☀️ The last light catches... ...what the summer left behind. 🥀 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #NaturePhotography #Niedersachsen #wildflowers

Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle) in fruit on a sunny day. Several mature seed heads rise from a dense green meadow. The central seed head is sharply focused: a rounded crown of fine, silky cream-white pappus hairs catches the sunlight above the brown, dried flower head and spiny, reddish-brown bracts. Other fluffy seed heads fill the foreground and left side, some softly blurred. A partly developed, still spiny flower head is visible at upper left. Deep green vegetation and a dark tree line form a softly blurred background beneath a clear, vivid blue sky. Warm late-season sunlight illuminates the delicate hairs, emphasizing their texture and the plant’s transition from flowering to seed dispersal.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Do you remember… 🎶 🎶🎵 The 21st night of September? 🍁🍂 ...apparently, Rexy does. 🦖 🎶 🎶 🎵🎶 👇 Earth, Wind & Fire 🎶🎵 m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs06... #September21 #NightAtTheMuseum #Paleontology #dinosaur

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵 has a reassuringly ordinary appearance. It is yellow, abundant and quite content to grow where nobody planted it. 🌼 This is often how the most interesting plants begin their careers. 🔎 Jacobaea vulgaris 🌱 #FlowersOnMonday #NaturePhotography #botany #Niedersachsen #wildflowers

A dense cluster of yellow flowers of Jacobaea vulgaris (common ragwort) fills the foreground. Numerous daisy-like flower heads are grouped together, each with bright yellow, narrow ray florets surrounding a yellow, textured central disc. Some flower heads are fully open, while others are still developing or partially open. The blossoms are borne on slender, branching green stems with deeply divided, feathery green leaves. Several unopened buds are visible among the flowers.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Some 180 million years ago, this ammonite was swimming in the Jurassic sea. Today, it sits quietly on a wooden table. Apparently, this is what happens when you get dug up and meet a geologist. 🐚🦕 ⛏🤠 🔎 Pleuroceras sp. 📍 Bavaria, Germany ⚒ #FossilFriday #Ammonite #Paleontology #Geology

A close-up photograph of a fossil ammonite, probably Pleuroceras sp., resting on a polished reddish-brown wooden surface. The three-dimensional shell is preserved in silvery-grey mineralized material with dark brown areas of matrix. Strong, closely spaced ribs radiate across the curved whorl, creating a striking ribbed pattern. The outer edge appears to have a prominent keel. Parts of the fossil are broken or worn, revealing darker material beneath the pale mineral surface. Warm lighting emphasizes the relief and texture of the fossil and the wood grain beneath it.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Nature has excellent interior designers: white walls, golden carpet, green furniture... ...and a bumblebee thoughtfully inspecting the premises. Even I stopped for a look, and took this photo too. 🌼🐝 📷 16 Feb 2020, Kaikōura, NZ 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #Cosmos #NaturePhotography #NZ #botany

Photograph of a bumblebee feeding on a white Cosmos flower. The bee has a densely fuzzy black body with warm yellow-orange bands around the thorax and abdomen, and translucent wings with clearly visible dark veins. It is perched on the flower’s dense golden-yellow central disk, surrounded by numerous tiny tubular florets. The large white ray florets radiate outward, showing fine grayish veins and subtle creases. In the lower middle of the blossom the flower’s green, pointed sepals surround a rounded yellow-green developing seed head. Green foliage is visible surrounding the white flower.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#FlowersOnMonday needs flowers. Preferably bright ones. Preferably flowers that look as though they have arrived with their own lighting department. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘢 seems to have understood the assignment. 🌸 🔎 Lathyrus latifolius #NaturePhotography #botany #Niedersachsen

Close-up photograph of Lathyrus latifolius (perennial sweet pea, everlasting pea) flowering among grasses. Several vivid pink to magenta pea-like flowers are arranged along slender green stems. The large flowers have broad, veined petals, with darker purple-magenta lines radiating across the central petals. Some blossoms are fully open, while others are still in bud or beginning to unfold. Tiny droplets of water are visible on several petals. Fine grass stems and seed heads surround the flowers, with additional pink blossoms softly blurred in the green background, creating a natural meadow-like setting.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The days are shortening, but some flowers have evidently not received the memo. 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘥 still gathering sunlight wherever it can. ☀️🌼 🔎 Solidago gigantea 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #NaturePhotography #botany #Niedersachsen

A close-up shot focuses on a dense, cascading cluster of vibrant yellow flowers from a giant goldenrod plant, Solidago gigantea. The individual flower heads are tiny, fuzzy, and star-shaped, densely packed together to form a plume-like flower head that tapers downward against a soft, blurred background of green foliage and dark soil.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

🖖🎂🚀 Sept 8th, 2026 🍾 Star Trek turns 60. 🥂 Six decades of imagining humanity among the stars...and strange rocks along the way. Here’s to the fictional 'Elanin singer stone', real geology & curiosity as our guide to the unknown. 🚀🛰🔭 #StarTrek60 #StarTrek #Geology

A small, smoothly rounded, polished stone rests on a rough grey surface in bright sunlight. The stone is translucent milky white to pale grey, with numerous rounded brown, rust-red and ochre inclusions and bands that give it an intricate, almost planetary appearance. Its glossy surface reflects several small points of light, while its shadow falls to the lower left.

The stone is an Elanin singer stone, a fictional object from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 2 episode “Pen Pals” (1989). In the episode, Dr. Pulaski explains that an Elanin singer stone produces a different acoustic song for each person who holds it; it remains silent when held by Data because he is an android. Data later leaves the stone with Sarjenka as a keepsake after her memories of the Enterprise are erased.

Picture: Screenshot from the TNG "Pen Pals" episode, motified and newly arranged by Thomas Hammerich.

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A small piece of late summer, held briefly in the hand. Magenta petals, golden florets, and a quiet moment of colour against the green. 🔎 Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) 🌱 #FlowersonMonday #MagentaMonday #FlowerPhotography #botany

Close-up photograph of a vivid magenta-pink cosmos flower with eight broad, slightly overlapping petals. Each petal has striking pale pink to almost white radial stripes extending from the centre toward the tip, creating a starburst pattern. The yellow central disc is densely packed with tiny florets and surrounded by darker brownish structures. The flower is being gently held by a hand from below. The background is softly blurred green foliage and grass, with a few out-of-focus white and yellow flowers.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Wildflowers don't need to be rare to be remarkable. Dark mullein grows among ordinary meadow grasses... ...but its yellow flowers and purple-red stamens turned my walk into a small botanical discovery. 🌼🌿 🔎 Verbascum nigrum 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #wildflowers #NaturePhotography #botany #Niedersachsen

A close-up photograph of Verbascum nigrum (dark mullein), a tall wildflower with a slender, upright green flower spike covered in numerous bright yellow, five-petaled flowers. The flowers have distinctive reddish-purple stamens at their centers and bloom at intervals along the upper stem. Broad, textured green leaves grow lower on the stem. The plant stands among tall grasses and seed heads in a meadow, with additional grass stems in the background.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#FossilFriday ⚒ > "Abundant common fossils don’t need to be protected" < www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Reply to The Guardian article cited:

> "Abundant common fossils don’t need to be protected" <

A rather tragic view, as it seems to imply that all discoveries have been made and all questions answered.

Science is never a finished product. Scientific knowledge represents the best understanding available at a given time. And the conclusions we draw from it are necessarily provisional.

Today’s "common" fossil may be tomorrow’s key to answering a question we haven’t even thought to ask yet.

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Spear thistle brings the flowers, one bumblebee brings the visit. Between them lies an arrangement millions of years old: You bring the pollen, I'll provide the nectar And we'll both pretend the thorns aren't there 🐝🌸 🔎 Cirsium vulgare 🌱 #FlowersonMonday #NaturePhotography #Niedersachsen #botany

Close-up photograph of Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle) in full bloom in a sunny meadow. A large, golden-brown, hairy bumblebee hovers beside the purple-pink flower head, approaching the numerous narrow tubular florets. The tall green stem and flower head are densely covered with long, sharp spines and fine white hairs, creating a striking contrast between the thistle’s defensive armour and its delicate flowers. Several unopened or fading flower heads are visible around the main stem. Behind the plant is a softly blurred green meadow and a line of trees beneath a clear, vivid blue sky.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Why "Evening-primrose" ? Because Oenothera biennis opens its flowers in the evening... ...perfumes the air... ...and caters to nocturnal pollinators. Most flowers work the day shift. ☀️🐝 This one apparently prefers the night shift. 🌙🌼🦋 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #NaturePhotography #botany

Close-up photograph of Oenothera biennis (Common Evening-primrose) growing among grasses and other vegetation. Two large, bright yellow, four-petalled flowers face the camera, with prominent yellow stamens and a four-lobed stigma in the centre. Several elongated, pointed green flower buds rise above the blossoms. The upright green stem bears narrow, lance-shaped leaves. The background is softly blurred, showing a garden-like setting with green foliage, grasses and dry vegetation.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I had come to Whalers Bay to admire the geology. Then this fellow appeared, apparently to remind me that even the most interesting rocks occasionally need a supporting cast. Fair point. ☀️🌊 #WildlifeWednesday #Kaikoura #NewZealand #NaturePhotography

A New Zealand fur seal sits on a rocky shoreline at Whalers Bay, Kaikōura, New Zealand. The dark brown seal is partly in the shallow blue seawater, with its head raised and long pale whiskers clearly visible. One rear flipper is lifted beside its body, while the other flippers rest on the rocks. The foreground and background consist of pale, weathered carbonate rocks with cracks, small pools and patches of green algae.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A little yellow flower with rather revealing names: H. radicata from Latin radix: "root", apparently b/c this little plant takes its (extensive) roots rather seriously. Then s.o. looked at its hairy leaves and thought: 😸 🔎 Cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris r.) 🌼 🌱 #FlowersonMonday #wildflowers #botany

A close-up photograph of a single bright yellow flower of Hypochaeris radicata (cat’s-ear), centered on a slender green stem. The flower head consists of numerous narrow, strap-shaped yellow florets radiating outward in several layers, with fine orange-yellow details near the center. The background is softly blurred, showing dry, pale brown grasses and muted green vegetation.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

A dense patch of Hypochaeris radicata (cat’s-ear) growing in a meadow. Numerous slender green stems rise through dry, straw-colored grasses, bearing small yellow flower heads at different stages, including fresh blooms and brown, dried heads. Several white, fluffy seed heads are visible among the stems. At the bottom, the plant’s characteristic broad, deeply lobed green leaves form a low rosette beneath the taller flowering stems. Fresh green growth contrasts with the surrounding dry vegetation.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Drawing of Hypochaeris radicata. (Hypochoeris occurs as a variant/orthographic form in older literature)

Image: Wikipedia/public domain, reproduction of a painting by the Swedish botanist C. A. M. Lindman (1856–1928), from his book "Bilder ur Nordens Flora" (first edition published 1901–1905).

Modified by Thomas Hammerich

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:38_Hypochoeris_radicata.jpg

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

#FireNeedsFuel 🔥🌲 It’s tempting to blame the 2026 Gironde #wildfire on climate change & leave it there. But the landscape has a rather longer story: 19th-century drainage, vast pine plantations, uniform stands and a remarkable amount of fuel. Then came heat, drought and wind... 1/2 👇

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The California poppy opens its flowers in sunlight & often closes them when clouds arrive. Essentially a botanical version of checking the weather before getting out of bed. 🔎 Golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #CaliforniaPoppy #Botany #FlowerPhotography

Close-up photograph of a vivid orange California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) held between fingers. The large, delicate flower faces the camera, showing four broad, silky petals that transition from bright golden yellow at the edges to deep orange and reddish orange toward the centre. Numerous orange stamens with elongated anthers surround the dark central stigma. Fine radial veins and subtle texture are visible across the petals. The flower is set against a blurred meadow background with slender green grasses and several blue cornflowers, plus small purple and pink flowers.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

As a geologist, I’ve spent rather a lot of time looking at maps. But there is something quite different about watching the landscape itself pass by: the lines on the map become mountains, distant islands, the sea & a sunset - with no legend or scale bar required. #TravelTuesday #TravelPhotography

Vertical photograph taken from the side of a ship at sea during sunset. The ship’s dark-and-white exterior and metal railing occupy the left edge, with a projecting balcony or equipment platform silhouetted against the sky. The low sun is a bright white-yellow disc in a hazy orange-red sky, just above a distant, dark, low-lying island or coastline on the horizon. A long, shimmering path of reflected sunlight stretches from the horizon across the rippled sea toward the foreground. The water glows copper, gold and orange in the sunset light. The horizon is softened by haze, emphasizing the contrast between ship, open sea, distant land and warm evening light.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Monday looks a little brighter when it blooms in shades of pink. 🌸💗 Wishing you a beautiful start to the week! #FlowersonMonday 🌱 #Hydrangea #gardening #FlowerPhotography #NaturePhotography

A close-up photograph of vibrant pink hydrangea blossoms filling the foreground. The overlapping petals range from vivid hot pink to softer rosy shades, with tiny flower centers visible among the four-petaled blooms. Behind them are clusters of purple hydrangeas, deep green leaves, and stems softly blurred by shallow depth of field. Bright natural sunlight highlights the delicate petal textures.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I went looking for something interesting and - just guess - found flowers...again! 🌸😅 This seems to happen to me surprisingly often. ⤴️ please rotate! 🔎 Honeysuckle or woodbine, (Lonicera periclymenum) #FlowersOnFriday #Niedersachsen #wildflowers #nativeplants #NaturePhotography

Close-up of Lonicera periclymenum (woodbine/Wald-Geißblatt) flowering in dense woodland vegetation. A rounded terminal cluster holds numerous long, slender, tubular flowers radiating from a central point. The flowers range from creamy white to pale yellow, with older flowers becoming yellow. Long, delicate white stamens and curved styles extend prominently from the blossoms. Opposite green leaves and reddish-purple twining stems surround the flowers, with softly blurred green foliage in the background.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

You can spend years studying rocks and still occasionally encounter something that makes the rocks look rather ordinary. This #Galápagos land iguana has the colour, armour and general demeanour of a creature that remembers when the volcanoes were younger. 🦎🌋 #WildlifeWednesday #NaturePhotography

A large, colourful land iguana rests on a rough, dark volcanic rock. Its body is covered in yellow, brown and reddish scales, with a pale greenish-yellow head and prominent folds of skin around the neck. A row of pointed scales forms a low crest from the back of its head along its spine. Its powerful legs end in long, clawed toes, with one large forefoot resting prominently on the rock in the foreground. The iguana looks calmly toward the camera. Behind it are black volcanic rocks, dry vegetation and green leaves, creating a striking contrast between the ancient-looking reptile and its volcanic island habitat.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Somewhere between the blue sky and the rather determined thistle, Monday briefly forgot to be Monday. I consider this a minor miracle. 💙🌸 🔎 Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) 🌱 #FlowersonMonday #MagentaMonday #wildflowers #nativeplants #NaturePhotography

Close-up photograph of Cirsium arvense (creeping thistle) in bloom. A metallic green-and-bronze fly rests on the center of the vivid magenta-pink flower head, surrounded by numerous fine, threadlike florets. Slender green stems support the main bloom and several nearby, dried brown flower heads. Behind them, lush green vegetation is rendered in a soft blur beneath a bright blue sky.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

A meadow is really just thousands of small miracles pretending to be ordinary. Every now and then one of them politely asks for your attention. This is today's candidate. 🌼 🔎 Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #wildflowers #nativeplants #botany #NaturePhotography

A close-up photograph of a common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) wildflower standing among tall green grasses in a sunlit summer meadow. Creamy-white blossoms with bright golden-yellow lower lips cluster along a slender upright stem, while narrow leaves extend below. A tiny black ant is visible exploring one of the central flowers, adding a sense of scale and a glimpse of everyday wildlife. Bright sunlight reveals the delicate texture of the petals, and the shallow depth of field keeps the flower crisp against a softly blurred background of lush fields, distant trees, and a vivid blue summer sky, creating a calm and peaceful rural scene.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I imagine if you listened carefully enough, you might hear the faint echo of centuries... ...though it’s just as likely to be someone making coffee behind those windows. 📍 Kroken, Bergen / Norway 🇳🇴 #TravelTuesday #oldtown #Norway #streetphotography

A narrow cobblestone street in Kroken, Bergen, Norway, curves gently into the distance. On the right, traditional wooden houses in muted grey, pale green, and white stand close together, their windows reflecting nearby trees. Small potted plants, benches, and a wall-mounted lantern add a cozy, lived-in feel. On the left, leafy trees form a soft canopy, casting dappled light onto the uneven stones. The street leads toward a brighter opening with distant buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Picture (2019): Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

In the grand contest between asphalt and optimism, it is comforting to see optimism blooming first thing on a Monday. 🔎 Baldr's brow or scentless chamomile (Tripleurospermum inodorum) 🌱 #FlowersOnMonday #Niedersachsen #Wildflowers #NaturePhotography

Low-angle view of a small cluster of Tripleurospermum inodorum (scentless mayweed, also known as Baldr’s brow) with white petals and yellow centers growing out of a narrow crack between a concrete curb and an asphalt path. The flowers lean slightly outward into the light, surrounded by dry grass, soil, and small weeds. A metal railing runs diagonally along the curb, guiding the perspective into the distance. In the background, green trees and grassy landscape are lit by warm, golden early morning sunlight.

The image highlights the resilience of wild plants thriving in harsh, urban edges.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

One can’t help but suspect the bumblebee knows something we don’t: that on a Friday, productivity is vastly overrated, and a quiet moment among yellow petals is really the only sensible plan. 🔎Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #wildflowers #NaturePhotography #Niedersachsen

Close-up photograph of a bumblebee feeding on a bright yellow bird’s-foot trefoil flower. The bee is seen from behind, its fuzzy black body and translucent wings sharply in focus as it clings to the flower’s petals. The flower has a pea-like shape with smooth, rounded petals in vivid yellow, slightly veined with darker lines. Several similar yellow flowers appear around it, some blurred in the background. The surrounding foliage is green with thin stems and small leaves, creating a soft, natural backdrop.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

It is a curious fact that the Eurasian oystercatcher, a creature designed for briny horizons and heroic tides, will occasionally set up home on next door’s roof. Perhaps it finds the oysters lacking, but the view acceptable. #WildlifeWednesday #UrbanNature #NaturePhotography #Oystercatcher

A black-and-white Eurasian oystercatcher, stands on the ridge of a weathered, grey-tiled roof. The bird has a glossy black head and upperparts, a white belly, and a long, straight, bright red bill. Its pink-orange legs are visible as it balances near the edge of the roof. The bird is bent forward, preening its chest feathers with its bill. The roof tiles show patches of lichen and wear, adding texture. A metal roof edge or gutter runs along the right side.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A single #foxglove, dressed in unapologetic magenta, appears to have invited the entire insect world into a row of rather luxurious, polka-dotted apartments. No reservations required, though one suspects the bees have standing bookings. 🌱 #FlowersonMonday #MagentaMonday #NaturePhotography #botany

Close-up photograph of a tall spike of pink foxglove flowers (Digitalis) growing in a sunny garden. Several tubular, bell-shaped blossoms hang downward along the stem, each a vivid magenta-pink with pale interiors densely speckled with dark purple spots. At the top of the stem, a cluster of unopened buds transitions from green to pink. The foreground flowers are in sharp focus, showing fine details like soft petal textures and tiny hairs, while the background is blurred (shallow depth of field). Behind the plant, a bright green lawn and mixed garden vegetation are visible, along with a wooden fence or shed wall to the right and a tree trunk rising in the distance. The lighting is strong and natural, midday sunshine, which enhances the saturated colors and creates soft highlights on the petals.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Two poppies, apparently mid-conversation, leaning in as if they’ve just caught the juiciest bit of garden gossip 🌿 “…have you heard about the foxgloves…?” 🌱 #FlowersOnFriday #Poppies #NaturePhotography #Bloomscrolling

Close-up photograph of two orange poppy flowers growing side by side in a garden. Each flower has delicate, slightly crumpled, tissue-like petals with a soft, translucent texture. The blooms face slightly toward each other, as if leaning in, with bright green central seed capsules topped by star-shaped stigmas, surrounded by a ring of fine, dark stamens.
The flowers are supported by long, thin, slightly curved green stems that rise from the lower part of the image. The background is softly blurred, showing a mix of green foliage and brown, dried plant material, suggesting a natural, slightly wild garden setting. In the lower left corner, out of focus, there is a small pinkish fallen petal on the ground, adding a subtle contrasting color.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

#TravelTuesday ⚓🧭 I peered through the ship’s porthole, which had thoughtfully collected every Arctic droplet in existence. And found Svalbard, where the scenery is less "landscape" and more "geological statement". Pure storytelling! #Svalbard #Arctic #Geology #NaturePhotography

View through a round ship’s porthole onto the forward deck of a vessel sailing in Svalbard. The circular metal frame encloses the scene, and the glassP is dotted with dried water spots and streaks, giving a slightly speckled look. In the foreground, the ship’s deck is painted light grey-blue and appears wet or recently washed. On the left side sits a large anchor winch with thick rope wound around it. Several cylindrical bollards and metal fittings are arranged across the deck, casting long shadows in bright sunlight. White railings and angled structures line the bow, and a red lifebuoy is mounted near the center-right.

Beyond the bow, calm, deep-blue Arctic water stretches toward rugged mountains. The surrounding landscape is stark and treeless: steep, dark rock slopes rise sharply from the shoreline, with patches of snow clinging to ridges and higher elevations. In the distance, jagged peaks and small glaciers or snowfields are visible under a clear, vivid blue sky.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

A small, feathery masterpiece. #MakeAWish Equal parts elegance and quiet determination to turn up everywhere. #FlowersonMonday 🌼 🌱 #Dandelion #nativeplant #NaturePhotography

Close-up of a dandelion seed head (white puffball) standing upright on a single thin stem in a grassy field. The spherical cluster of delicate, feathery seeds is sharply in focus at the center of the image, with fine radial filaments creating a soft, airy texture around a slightly darker core. The background is blurred green grass, providing contrast and depth, and suggesting an outdoor lawn or meadow setting. The lighting is natural and even, highlighting the intricate structure of the seeds.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

In a world of green, one flower dares to dream in pink 🌺 #FlowersOnFriday 🔎 Rose Campion (Silene coronaria, formerly known as Lychnis coronaria) 🌱 #bloomscrolling #gardens #NaturePhotography

A close-up photograph of a vibrant pink wildflower (Rose Campion (Silene coronaria, formerly known as Lychnis coronaria) in bloom, centered in the frame. The flower has five broad, slightly notched petals with fine, darker pink veins radiating outward from a pale, almost white center. The middle of the flower shows a small opening with delicate pollen visible. Surrounding the bloom are lush green leaves; one prominent leaf in the upper left has a serrated edge and a visible brownish mark along its surface. The background is softly blurred greenery, which helps the bright pink flower stand out as the focal point.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

A penguin stands, as penguins do, upon a rock that has clearly been waiting several million years for just such an appointment. The geology, one suspects, thought itself in charge until wildlife arrived, waddled in & quietly took over the premises. #wildlifewednesday #antarctica #polarwildlife

A close-up photograph of a Gentoo penguin standing upright on a rocky, snow-dusted landscape. The penguin is centered in the frame, facing slightly to the left, with its head tilted down and eyes partially closed, giving a calm or sleepy appearance. It has a black head with a distinctive white stripe that curves from above the eye across the top of the head, a bright orange beak, and a white belly contrasting with its dark gray-black back and flippers. Its feet are orange and rest on a rough, brown-pinkish rock surface.

In the background, slightly out of focus, are other penguins: one partially visible on the left edge and another on the right, lying low against the ground with its head turned sideways. The environment appears cold and overcast, with muted colors and a pale, snowy backdrop. The overall scene captures a quiet moment in an Antarctic penguin colony, with the central bird prominently occupying the rocky terrain.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Stumbling upon #Bremen Cathedral at night. Two serious-looking spires, a big solemn square, & the whole scene looking like it hasn’t changed much since the Middle Ages... ...only now with better street lighting and fewer plagues. #TravelTuesday #oldtown #TravelPhotography

Black and white nighttime photograph of Bremen Cathedral (Bremer Dom) in Germany. The iconic twin spires of the historic cathedral dominate the scene, rising dramatically against the dark evening sky over the large cobblestone market square. People are strolling across the square, some in small groups. To the right stands a modern building with large glass windows, contrasting with the Gothic architecture of the cathedral. Streetlights illuminate parts of the scene, creating a moody, atmospheric feel.

Bremen, November 2016
Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Despite their height, #hollyhocks don’t require staking, which feels faintly irresponsible of them. They simply stand there, 8 feet tall, in the wind, apparently confident that gravity is a problem for other species. ...somehow it works! 🌱 #Bloomscrolling #gardening #NaturePhotography

A close-up photograph of a tall hollyhock plant with several large, open pink blossoms. The flowers have delicate, slightly ruffled petals with darker magenta centers that fade into lighter pink toward the edges. Yellow stamens are visible at the center of each bloom. Surrounding the flowers are green buds at various stages of development, some still tightly closed. The plant’s stems are upright and slightly fuzzy, with textured green leaves that have a soft, velvety appearance. The background consists of a red brick wall with gray mortar lines, providing a contrasting, rustic backdrop that makes the vibrant pink flowers stand out. Natural sunlight illuminates the scene, highlighting the fine details of the petals and leaves.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Small flowers, sunny centers. 🌼 #FlowersOnFriday 🔎 Erigeron annuus aka annual fleabane, daisy fleabane or eastern daisy fleabane. 🌱 #invasive in Europe #Niedersachsen #biodiversity #NaturePhotography #gardening

A close-up, macro-style photograph of small daisy-like wildflowers with bright yellow centers and thin, delicate white petals radiating outward. The central flower is in sharp focus, showing fine detail in the clustered yellow disk and slightly uneven, narrow petals. Two other similar flowers appear partially in the frame, one at the top and one at the bottom, both slightly out of focus, creating a soft depth-of-field effect. Slender green stems and narrow leaves run diagonally through the image. The background is blurred with natural green and earthy tones, emphasizing the flowers’ gentle, sunlit appearance.

Flowers are Erigeron annuus which is native to North America and Central America. It is a herbaceous plant that grows between 50cm (1.64ft) to 100cm (3.28ft) tall, sometimes reaching up to 150 cm (4.92ft). The stems are upright and usually branched at the top.

In many parts of Europe, including Germany and Switzerland considered an invasive neophyte. It is classified as invasive because it can form dense populations and compete with native vegetation, particularly in semi-natural grasslands: produces many small wind-dispersed seeds, tolerates a wide range of soils, colonizes disturbed ground quickly and can behave as an annual or biennial plant.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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Reposted by ⛏ Thomas Hammerich

Liv Junqueira @junqueiraliv.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

This is fantastic! Read the Alt for details. ❤️❤️

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

#wildlifewednesday This orangutan reminds me that nature’s best moments rarely arrive with an announcement. They simply peek through the leaves, look mildly surprised & make me wonder who is really watching whom. ...I've been watched! #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Borneo

A reddish-orange orangutan sits high in the dense green foliage of a tropical forest, partially hidden behind tree branches and leaves. The animal grips a slender tree trunk with its long arms, its face visible through the vegetation as it looks toward the camera. Its shaggy fur contrasts with the bright green leaves surrounding it, while sunlight filters through the canopy, creating a lush jungle atmosphere. The image captures the orangutan’s natural arboreal habitat with branches, vines, and thick vegetation filling the scene.

Picture taken at Camp Leakey, located in the rainforests of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. It sits inside the protected Tanjung Puting National Park. The camp was founded in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas as a research center to study wild orangutans and a sanctuary to help formerly captive orangutans return to the wild.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

In the Schnoor, the streets are so narrow you half expect the buildings to apologize as you pass. A place where time dawdles, cobblestones gossip, and every corner looks faintly like it’s plotting to charm you. #TravelTuesday #Bremen #Oldtown #TravelPhotography

A narrow, cobblestone alley in the historic Schnoor (medieval street in Bremen, Germany) at night, lined with tightly packed, crooked old houses. Warm yellow light spills from shop windows and street lamps, reflecting on the wet stones. On the left, a row of small outdoor tables sits empty against a wall, while hanging signs, one reading “Restaurant” and another “Lilliput”, jut out over the walkway. A few people stroll in the distance, adding life to the quiet, intimate street. The buildings have steep roofs and timber or brick facades, giving the scene a cozy, medieval atmosphere.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Eine schmale, gepflasterte Gasse im historischen Schnoor bei Nacht, gesäumt von dicht stehenden, leicht schiefen alten Häusern. Warmes gelbes Licht strömt aus Schaufenstern und Straßenlaternen und spiegelt sich auf dem nassen Kopfsteinpflaster. Links stehen mehrere kleine Außentische entlang der Wand, während hängende Schilder – darunter „Restaurant“ und „Lilliput“ – über die Gasse ragen. In der Ferne gehen einige Menschen entlang und beleben die ruhige, intime Straße. Die Gebäude mit steilen Dächern und Fachwerk- oder Backsteinfassaden verleihen der Szene eine gemütliche, fast mittelalterliche Atmosphäre.

Bild: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

🔥🔥🔥 #FireNeedsFuel 2026: here we go again! New season of 🔥🌳🔥 in #Portugal    #Eucalyptus plantations: an introduced #nonnative #invasive tree that promotes & spreads thru #wildfire 👉 left pic: locations of 🔥🌳🔥 👉 right pic: Euca🌳-distribution Changes in #biodiversity #ecology have consequences!

Screenshot of Google Maps showing severe wildfire alerts in Portugal. A large red flame icon marks the 'Vouzela wildfire' (updated 1 day ago) in northern Portugal, with additional red fire markers visible. The bottom information panel details a 'Severe fire' in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, from satellite sources, updated 3 hours ago, with an estimated 25 square kilometers burned."

Map of the Iberian Peninsula showing the distribution and expansion of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations. Pink areas represent E. globulus stands from 1990–1996, while blue areas show stands from 2006–2007. The map highlights heavy concentration along the western coast of Portugal, with a north arrow, scale bar (0–200 km), and legend. The caption reads: 'Distribution and dynamics of Eucalyptus globulus stands in the Iberian Peninsula between 1990-6 and 2006-7 (Portugal and Spain, respectively).'"

Reference:
"DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL ESTABLISHMENT
OF EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA:
INSIGHTS INTO PROCESSES AFFECTING PLANT ESTABLISHMENT"

ERNESTO JOSÉ RODRIGUES CARDOSO DE DEUS

THESIS PRESENTED TO OBTAIN THE DOCTOR DEGREE IN
FORESTRY ENGINEERING AND NATURAL RESOURCES, 2019

Universidade de Lisboa

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Various parts of #hollyhocks have been used historically as food & in traditional medicine: leaves in dishes, flowers for teas, roots in poultices. It is, in short, a decorative plant that suggests beauty need not come at the expense of flavour. 🌱 #EdibleFlowers #Flowers #Gardenhistory #Botany

Vintage botanical illustration of Althaea rosea (hollyhock) showing a central flowering stem with large deep red blooms and textured green leaves, surrounded by detailed scientific drawings of floral structures, seed pods, and cross-sections of reproductive parts on a clean white background, labeled in Latin.

Picture: (public domain) from Wikipedia & modified by Thomas Hammerich

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:K%C3%B6hler-s_Medizinal-Pflanzen_in_naturgetreuen_..._Plate_19_-_clean.jpg

From: Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen (Köhler’s Medicinal Plants), Plate 19
Subject: Althaea rosea Cav. (hollyhock)
Type: Chromolithographic botanical plate, Germany, late 19th century (c. 1887–1898)

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

In the #Victorian language of flowers #hollyhocks were assigned ambitions of their own: 🌸 for gentle affection, 🔴 for passion (of course), ⚪ for virtuous ambition, 🟡 for cheerful optimism, and darker shades for mystery or mild existential drama. 🎭 🍿 🌱 #Bloomscrolling #FlowerPhotography

Two blooming pink hollyhock flowers with yellow centers and dark purple radial stripes, set against a red brick wall with green fuzzy leaves and buds visible.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Zwei blühende pinkfarbene Stockrosen mit gelben Zentren und dunklen purpurnen radialen Streifen vor einer roten Backsteinwand, mit grünen behaarten Blättern und Knospen.

Bild: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

If you ever wonder why #hollyhocks persist despite their fragility, watch them in summer. Bumblebees treat them like a vertical buffet. Large open flowers = easy access nectar = constant insect attention. Survival, it turns out, is often just good hospitality. 🌱 #Bloomscrolling #FlowerPhotography

Close-up of a deep burgundy hollyhock flower covered in raindrops, with a bright yellow and pink center, surrounded by green leaves and buds, set against a softly blurred garden background during rainfall.

Picture: courtesy of Lisa
@lisaldtk.bsky.social

Nahaufnahme einer dunkel bordeauxroten Stockrose, bedeckt mit Regentropfen, mit leuchtend gelb-pinkem Zentrum, umgeben von grünen Blättern und Knospen, vor einem weich verschwommenen Gartenhintergrund im Regen.

Bild: Lisa @lisaldtk.bsky.social

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Once established, #hollyhocks are enthusiastic self-seeders. You plant one. You get more. You stop planting. You still get more. The plant has a relaxed attitude toward property boundaries. Neighbours call it "that thing from your #garden is everywhere now" 🌱 #NaturePhotography #Bloomscrolling

Bright pink hollyhock flowers with yellow centers growing against a red brick wall, surrounded by green leaves and tall stems with buds.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Leuchtend pinke Stockrosen mit gelben Blütenzentren wachsen vor einer roten Backsteinwand, umgeben von grünen Blättern und hohen Stängeln mit Knospen.

Bild: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

#Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) Technically biennials, they spend year one building patience (basically a leafy rosette & doing underground work) and year two erupting into floral skyscraper fearlessness. Botanically: mallow family. Practically: vertical optimism. 🌱 #Bloomscrolling #NaturePhotography

Vibrant magenta hollyhock (Alcea rosea) in full bloom with a yellow-orange center, green leaves, and flower buds on a tall stem, photographed against a red brick wall.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Leuchtend magenta-farbene Stockrose (Alcea rosea) in voller Blüte mit gelb-orangem Zentrum, grünen Blättern und Knospen am Stängel, vor einer roten Ziegelwand aufgenommen.

Bild: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Meet the most important plant in your garden (or the most hated one). 🦋 Nettle (#Urtica) = a butterfly hotspot! 👉 ~5 brush-footed #butterfly species in Europe depend on it 👉 ~30+ #Lepidoptera species (incl moths) use it. Nettles are #biodiversity gold! #nativeplant 🌱 #nature #NaturePhotography

A close-up, top-down view of a vibrant green stinging nettle plant growing amidst other dense green foliage. The nettle’s serrated leaves and fine, stinging hairs on the stem are clearly visible.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

Eine Nahaufnahme einer leuchtend grünen Brennnessel von oben, die inmitten von anderem dichten grünen Blattwerk wächst. Die gezackten Blätter und die feinen Brennhaare am Stängel sind deutlich zu erkennen.

Bild: Thomas Hammerich

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⛏ Thomas Hammerich @thammerich.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#FlowersOnFriday feels better with pink #hollyhocks 🌸 Not just classic cottage garden charm. They had a practical job too: 🔎 In rural EU/N.Am C18th-C20th #gardens planted around outhouses/privies, growing tall enough (2–3m) to screen them from view while adding a splash of colour 🌱 #Bloomscrolling

Two large, soft pink hollyhock flowers in full bloom on a tall green stem, with delicate ruffled petals and yellow centers. More buds and lush green leaves are visible against a red brick wall in the background.

Zwei große, zartrosa Stockrosen in voller Blüte an einem hohen grünen Stängel, mit fein gerüschten Blütenblättern und gelben Blütenzentren. Weitere Knospen und üppige grüne Blätter vor einer roten Backsteinwand im Hintergrund.

Picture: Thomas Hammerich

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