Today the prompt for Carpe Diem is caterpillar today, and after a little thinking I decided to write a little haibun, to complement the haiku.
Closest to timberline in the Scandinavian mountains the vegetation is dominated by birch, growing in low gnarled almost bush-like proportions. There they withstand the harsh climate, with long cold winters, and a summer where the sun never sets. The birch forrest form a beautiful almost jungle-like echo system. Filled with rich flowers bloome and animals of all kind.
gnarled mountain birch
survivor in the north
caterpillars feed
But every now and the the peppered moths grows in quantity, and massive amount of caterpillars eat all the leaves from the birches. With their locust-like appetite they can even kill trees that have withstanded challenges of nature for a multitude of years. Traces after such a year can be still be seen after many decades.
caterpillars feed
forests are defoliated
locusts of the north
February 25, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Educational and poetic. Really interesting. Enjoyed reading
Thank you.. The pictures were taken last summer.
Informative and very well done.
Cheers!
JzB
Thanks 🙂
Powerful little ‘critters’ ~ spot on haiku ~ ^_^
Thank you. And you could almost hear them chewing.
We had gypsy moths that could defoliate a small tree in a few days. Thank goodness they disappeared! Enjoyed this Gaian very much!
Thank you 🙂
Haibun
same problem here in New England…I try killing all the moths I can….I’d rather have the trees
I think that when you have this amount it doesn’t really help. These things are sometimes just happening.
I’m always amazed that such little creatures, in great quantity, can cause such devastation.
Searching for Caterpillars
It’s scary.. but they are hungry
Great work Bjorn…images, words and learning married. Thank you 🙂
Thank you 🙂
great haibun
Thank you 🙂
One thing I love about blogging is that it has opened a world of information, things that I never knew, existing in far corners of globe, come running and blink on my screen for my attention.
Lovely haiku and thanks for this bit of information.
Informative, thanks for sharing Bjorn!
Hank
I like the picture of the locusts of the north.
Bjorn … this is a treat … what a wonderful haibun. Thank you for sharing this with our haiku community.
Very informative and a beautiful set of haiku to go with.
i really like this haibun – as educational as colourful.
Thank you