“Sea hare”

The beach was low tide and reefs were appearing. There were no crabs or small fish yet, probably because it was early in the season. There was a sea hare under the surface of the churning water. When it senses danger, it spouts a lot of purple liquid to blind its enemies. At this time, it appeared as laid back as a cow resting on a pasture. [April 2025]

Aplysia kurodai

潮が引いてあらわれた岩礁にいた、アメフラシ。刺激すると、目をくらますために紫色の液体を出します。たまごは、黄色く細い麺状の卵塊で、夏場に岩礁を歩いていると見かけます。

“White dead-nettle”

When I’ve visited to the temple located in the forests of Minami-chita, there were flowers of the white dead-nettles in the bushes under the cliff. In Japanese, they are called “Odoriko-so”. Odoriko means dancers. [April 2025]

Lamium album var. barbatum

雑木林に自生するオドリコソウ。街中でもよく見かける春の野草、ヒメオドリコソウよりも明らかに植物自体も花も大きいです。

“Spring snow”

In March there is snow in the fields and on the street. Thunberg’s meadowsweet has many small and white flowers on its branches. They are beautiful, like snow falling out of season. Most of ones we see are planted, but the native ones grow along the banks of mountain streams. [March 2025]

Spiraea thunbergii

街路や公園にも植えられており、春になると白い花が咲くユキヤナギ。雑木林と隣接する公園などでよく見かけます。ホシミスジの食草の一つです。

“Camellia’s path”

The camellia flowers were still in bloom on the spring wooded path. Camellias bloom in winter. They paint the winter forests a bright red. Camellia flowers scattered along the forest paths tell us that winter is over and spring has arrived. [March 2025]

Camellia japonica

知多半島の雑木林を歩いていると、必ずと言ってよいほど、ヤブツバキと出会います。冬に赤い花を咲かせて、春が近づくと、花ごとぼとっと落ちます。

“Aloe’s flowers”

Aloe was introduced from abroad during the Edo period. It was valued as a folk medicine and is often seen planted along the coast. In winter, when flowers are scarce, aloe flowers add bright colours to the landscape. [JANUARY 2025]

Aloe arborescens

「医者いらず」とも呼ばれ、民間薬として重宝されたアロエ。冬に独特なオレンジ色の花を咲かせます。南アフリカ原産というルーツに納得する色合いです。

“Red berries of Japanese roses”

Winter is the season when the berries of the grass and trees stand out in the field. Japanese roses had white flowers in summer. Now they are glowing their red berries in the winter afternoon light. Their colors are bright and beautiful.  [DECEMBER 2024]

Rosa paniculigera

夏に白い花を咲かせるノイバラの仲間には、ノイバラ、テリハノイバラ、ミヤコイバラなどがあります。この実は、ミヤコイバラ。実と托葉の形で見分けます。

“Butterfly crossing the ocean”

In October I visited a shrine on a hill by the sea in the south of peninsula. Two butterflies were flying over Eupatorium flowers. They come across the sea. In this area, those that have moved south have crossed over the Atsumi peninsula, and will now fly to Kii peninsula. Their pale blue wings were beautiful. [October 2024]

Parantica sita

海を渡る蝶として数千キロを移動することで知られている、アサギマダラ。知多半島はその通過地点でもあり、渥美半島から渡ってきて、紀伊半島へと移動していきます。

“Cricket in decaying tree”

In the lingering summer heat, I visited the forest on the beginning. The forest was first one visited for this observation five years ago. I walked up the hill in the forest and put my hands together in front of a small shrine. When I turned around, a cricket popped up in the grass. It was a cricket living in a decaying tree. I hadn’t met him yet, so I wonder if he had gone out of his way to come out and see me. [September 2024]

Duolandrevus ivani

クチキコオロギは、枯れ木の樹皮の裏などに生息しており、体長はエンマコオロギと同じか、少し大きいくらいのサイズですが、翅が短いのですぐに分かります。一年を通して、活動しています。

“Grasshopper singing loudly”

In September, I visited the fields where the crickets and grasshoppers live at night. When I got out of the car, I heard lots of the sound in the grass and rice fields along the railway. There were grasshoppers singing loudly over the sound of the running railway. They are only found here on the Pen. When I shone the light on him, he stopped singing and remained still for a while before leaping away into the grass on strong legs. [September 2024]

Mecopoda elongata

タイワンクツワムシは、海に近い暖かい地域に局地的に住んでおり、かつては愛知が生息地の北限とされていました。ジャッ、ジャッ、ジャッと短く切れる音で鳴き始め、ジャカジャカジャカ……と大きな音でにぎやかに鳴きます。

“Grasshopper singing in summer”

A grasshopper was found in the grass at a small shrine. Japanese katydid differ in shape between western and eastern Japan. Wing length vary from long to short. In summer, they are among the first to start singing in the grass. When autumn arrives, they stop singing and end their lives. [August 2024]

Gampsocieis buergeri

夏の鳴く虫の代表格、キリギリス。暑い夏の昼間に、草むらで「ギーース、チョン」と鳴いています。立秋が過ぎ、秋の鳴く虫があらわれ出す頃、生を終えて、その音は聞えなくなります。西日本と東日本では種が異なります。