Bram Esposito

Tag: Nature

  • Found out what AI couldn’t : knopper gall wasp galls

    Went back to the park today and found more of these strange seed pods (I now know they aren’t seed pods). I examined all the trees around, but nothing came up that I could link to these things. Only Oaks, Beeches, Tilia, Cypresses, Cherry Laurel, …

    Knopper Galls from an Oak, on a desk

    They’re galls from a wasp named Andricus quercuscalicis which is known to create Knopper Galls.

    I posted about my attempts to identify these with AI before, but Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and even ObsIdentify failed. After cutting one open, looking closely, sitting back to think, I researched galls on quercus and these came up. Happy to know.

  • Starry night

  • Happy Birthday, David!

    David Attenborough with a Lyrebird
    David Attenborough with a Lyrebird

    David Attenborough turns 100 today.

    Attenborough’s work has always been important to me. I’ve always looked forward to new episodes from his series. From the early expeditions to Borneo, to Madagascar with the Elephant bird egg, the dinosaur series, …

    It’s not only his work, but also his attitude towards his career that inspires me.

    Going on expeditions as a hunter for wildlife for zoo’s in the early twentieth century, that was the common way to appreciate nature. We’ve come a long way, that practice is no longer accepted. He reinvented himself into a television and documentary maker specifically.

    By the start of the 21st century he did not shy away from talking about climate change and the impact of humans on nature and the planet’s ecosystems. Even when that were uncomfortable messages to bring sometimes.

    Thank you, David, for sharing and for inspiring!

  • Spring is coming

    This week has brought us some real sunshine.

    Over the last months, different flowers tried to announce the end of winter, only to be covered by snow again. It’s been many years since we had a “real” winter like this one. But it seems like the sun is winning ground.

    I’m not complaining 😊