Bolca

Dear Friends
GeoMorfo continues through the collections of the Civico Museo i storia Naturale in Verona. Interesting and very suggestive is the journey that is possible to do through the 20 millions years old Paleo tropical lagoon of Mount Bolca:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Bolca , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolca
a Paleo site not far from Verona.
Salutations
Giancarlo

The Multiple Natures of Giuliana Cunéaz

Dear Friends
unexpectedly, at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Verona :
http://portale.comune.verona.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=754
I met the Multiple Natures of Giuliana Cunéaz: http://www.giulianacuneaz.com/glc/ .
which, in my opinion, have the properties to project the visitor deep into her surreal world and into the surreal genesis of life as can be appreciated by the following images which worth more than thousand words. Please, have a look and tell me your opinion.
Salutations
Giancarlo

 

 

GeoMorphology

Dear Friends
I was lucky in Verona the Saturday of Eastern of having the time to visit GeoMorfo:
http://portale.comune.verona.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=41029
at the International Photography Center of "Scavi Scaligeri":
https://serviziinternet.comune.verona.it/scaviscaligeri , 
which I estimate certainly successful in providing, as it promise, a comprehensive vision of the most curious natural phenomena on our Earth. The following few images, I hope, permit you to appreciate this vision.
Salutations
Giancarlo

Bee or not to bee

Dear Friends
awakening the nature is well demonstrated by the work of pollination that many insects have initiated, as I remarked the day of Eastern, during my walk on the hills near Verona. Me and you, we are certainly able to recognize common bees, wasps, bumblebees  and hornets, but I will be greatful if someone of you can help me to identify the special "bee" you can see in the images. Thank you very much  in advance.
Giancarlo

- Thank you very much Alexei for your feedback:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemaris_thysbe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bG3i-JsZS0&feature=youtu.be&t=39s

 

Lyrids on Munich

Dear Friends
although quite discretely, but largely awaited by meteor radio fans, last Monday the Lyrids' meteor shower (Apr 16 - Apr 25, peak activiity on Apr 22) began investing our Earth. The EurAstro Radio Station (EARS) located at the premises of the Radio Society here in Munich and operated by myself has started collecting of radio echoes generated by the disintegration of the Lyrids.
EARS is based on the principle of the meteor scatter:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorscatter
using the beacon of the radar Graves near Dijon (FR):
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/GRAVES_French_Radar_Surveillance_Facility.html
at the frequency of 143,049 MHz.
On the pictures the curved traces are radio echoes from air-planes on Munich and the vertical traces are radio echoes due to disintegration of Lyrids at the contact of the Earth's atmosphere.
Salutations
Giancarlo

 

Awakening of nature - the bee swarm

Dear Friends

The recent blog post by Giancarlo on the awakening of nature (http://m-polo.blogspot.de/2014/04/awakening-of-nature-in-munich_13.html) has been experienced by myself as well as warmer weather is spreading over Europe.

Usually April signals the changeover from the colder temperatures of winter to the hotter summer months and especially in Malta where the increase in air temperature is not linear over the whole of spring but rather sudden.  The months of April-May-June are known for the formation of swarms from honeybee colonies and a very early swarm formed last Saturday 12/04.  Swarming is a natural phenomenon of honeybees whereby the bee colony (containing tens of thousands of bees) divides itself roughly 60-40% and the larger part leaves the hive together with the existing queen.  These try to find a new place where to set up a new colony.  The remaining 40% can form another swarm (or more, depending on the amount of bees and the weather).  They are able to rear a new queen if there are suitable young larvae in the hive.  Being interested in apiculture I find this a fascinating phenomenon, you can read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarming_(honey_bee) and I can suggest two good books 

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9267.html

and 

http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/book/978-3-540-78727-3

In the case below I was called to assist in removing a swarm from the branches of a tree in the cloister of a priory at Mdina.  The swarm was captured in a small nucleus box and then it was taken on the roof of the convent.  I will inspect it after a few days to see whether a new colony is able to form.  A good indication will be if forager bees carrying pollen are seen entering the hive.

The priory is of historical significance as it dates back over 350 years and it is the place from where the revolution against the French occupation of Malta started in 1798.  There is also a vertical sundial on one of the cloister walls.

The priory also houses a beautiful church (http://www.carmelitepriory.org/the-priory/the-carmelite-church/ ) which can be experienced online from:

http://www.360cities.net/image/the-carmelite-priory-church-mdina-malta

Saħħa

Alexei

Bunkerologie in Rosenheim

Dear Friends
after Inka having about half an hour to wait from a train to Munich, my walking brought me on a desolated  recently dismissed industrial site. Because of the barriers and the closed doors it was not possible to enter in the sheds and to collect information about the industrial production developed and the possible remains of  machinery. However in leaving the site I discovered a bunker (47° 51'0.4" N; 12° 6'49.9" E) of the last WWII hidden by the vegetation.  Due to its poor and hasty construction it is evident that it should be ascribed at the latest phases of the war and it is not evident if it is a standard type, i.e.Regelbau: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regelbau. The entrance, preserving the original security door, is unfortunately obstructed and it was not possible to document the state of the interior.
Salutations
Giancarlo