I discovered this beauty at the very edge of the forest. Sadly it is the only one of its kind that I have seen this year. They used to be common.

Unusually for a butterfly, the female does not lay her eggs on the leaves or stem of the caterpillar's food source (in this case violets), but instead one or two meters above the woodland floor in the crevices of tree bark close to clumps of violets.

When the egg hatches in August, the caterpillar immediately goes into hibernation until spring. Upon awakening, it will drop to the ground, and feeds on violets close to the base of the tree. The caterpillar usually feeds at night, and usually conceals itself during the day away from its food source, but during cool weather will bask in the sunny spots on the forest floor on dry, dead leaves. It will pupate amongst the ground vegetation, and the adults will emerge in June.

Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps Cristatus

The great crested grebe has an elaborate mating display. Like all grebes, it nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set relatively far back and it is thus unable to walk very well. Usually two eggs are laid, and the fluffy, striped young grebes are often carried on the adult's back. In a clutch of two or more hatchlings, male and female grebes will each identify their 'favourites', which they alone will care for and teach

Unusually, young grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost at hatching. The adults teach these skills to their young by carrying them on their back and diving, leaving the chicks to float on the surface; they then re-emerge a few feet away so that the chicks may swim back onto them.

The great crested grebe feeds mainly on fish, but also small crustaceans, insects small frogs and newts.

This species was hunted almost to extinction in the United Kingdom in the 19th century for its head plumes, which were used to decorate hats and ladies' undergarments. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was set up to help protect this species, which is again a common sight.

The great crested grebe and its behaviour was the subject of one of the landmark publications in avian ethology: Julian Huxley's 1914 paper on The Courtship‐habits of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus).

Population:

UK breeding:

4,600 pairs

UK wintering:

19,000 individuals

Try To Ramen Calm

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Thanks for the visits, faves and comments its greatly appreciated.

Brian Piccolo Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Adult female

The flycatchers perch on the fences looking for bugs; they fly off and come back further down the fence.

Fort Lowell Park

Tucson, Arizona

Distinctive stocky waterbird. Adult is dark gray overall with a white bill and forehead shield. Immature has a pale breast and a duller bill that becomes brighter white with age. When walking on shore, note big feet with lobed toes. Inhabits both freshwater and brackish marshes, lakeshores, and riverways; occasionally on saltwater. Breeding pairs aggressively territorial but nonbreeding flocks can number in hundreds. Unmistakable throughout much of range, but compare with very similar Red-knobbed Coot in areas of overlap. Calls are diverse, and include various high-pitched squeaks, squawks, and shorter, more clipped notes. (eBird)

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I was not expecting to find out that the Eurasian Coot is a year-round resident of Australia. In fact, it has a huge range across Europe, Asia and Australasia. We saw them several times, but this was the only time one was close enough photograph.

Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.

Adult (Northern)

NEW!

THE WOLF IS BACK!

Close-up 📷

• Hair: f u o e y - Bruno Hair V1 - Bruno Hairbase [V1] 04 - Black @Mancave

Male Gadwall resting on an inland lake near the Dollard, Dutch Wadden Sea.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

Adult

Family: Spoonbills

Stick Marsh

Indian River County, FL

2016/03/23

ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S28505663

Two firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus): adult on the right and a nymph on the left.

Dwa kowale bezskrzydłe (Pyrrhocoris apterus): imago po prawej i nimfa po lewej.

Adult

Large, long-legged bird shaped much like a heron. Gray body, sometimes with intense rusty staining. Adults have red crown. Often in large flocks at migration and wintering concentration points. Favors marshes and agricultural fields where they eat primarily grains. In flight, neck is outstretched, unlike herons with tucked necks. Snappy wingbeats. Listen for far-carrying bugling call. (eBird)

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A surprise find for an early Spring morning. This small flock of Sandhill Cranes flew up the river on their way to their breeding territories a little further north.

Shirley's Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. April 2023.

An adult Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) rests in the woods on the edge of a rocky ledge at the entrance of Glendale Cove off Knight Inlet on the west coast of Canada.

We were on a wildlife tour, primarily for Grizzly Bear, with Tide Rip Grizzly Tours out of Telegraph Cove on the northeast tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

It is a boat tour which holds about 10 people and you are out for most of the day. If I remember, it is about 90 minutes travel to Glendale Cove but you never know what you may encounter. In this case, it was their first Mountain Lion observation and we had about 5 minutes as it patiently observed us and the surrounding area before disappearing into the woods.

It is something I will never forget, thankfully with some photos to remind me of that once in a lifetime observation.

4 June, 2013.

Slide # GWB_20130604_0706.CR2

Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.

© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.

I love this image for the backstory. This one landed on this wee branch as the wind blew and took what seemed like minutes to steady himself. I guess I'm a bit silly for finding so much joy in that LOL

HELP: I'm trying to embed an image into a comment box without the image being public. Is that possible?

Bud, hopefully you can see the EXIF data ;D

Bucks County Pa.

Many thanks to all who take the time to view, comment and faved my images. Enjoy the day.

An couple immature eagles (all brown about 2 years and the one with white head and some white in chest about 4 years), keep a look out for fish as they migrate North for the summer.

Last of the Eagle images for year!

Adult

France; Île d'Oléron, Pointe de Chassiron 11/9/19

Medium-sized oropendola of montane forests. Evenly olive-green, with a dark eye and pale bill. Smaller than the similar Russet-backed Oropendola, with a darker olive head. Weaves hanging nests in small colonies, and is found most frequently around forest edges and flying above the canopy. Song is a variable jumble of liquid whistles and pops; listen also for its loud “chak” call notes.

Manu Road, Peru. October 2018.

Spain; Torrevieja, Alicante 14/3/22

Spain; Murcia, Los Alcazares 7/9/21

details

WRONG - ASPENDOS - chair+pufic+rug+table+TV wall - ADULT @Equal10

...Mutresse... Dobby Cats Gacha-@Arcade

Spain; Murcia, Los Alcazares 15/9/20

Spain; Escalona, Murcia 16/5/22

I was quite surprised to see this guy doing his dance-walk routine and he didn't seem to mind me being nearby.

Erie Canal Pittsford, NY

France; Les Landes (23) 1/4/21

Had an amazing morning at the beach. The shore was covered in birds migrating. So many it was tough getting an uncluttered shot. I spotted this Adult Peregrine Falcon way out in the distance and waited till it got closer. It did and this shot is uncropped. I check my lens and it was just short of 30 feet away. I got shots of two adults today. I think this is the same one Bob and Judy got the other day and Lynne got a few years back. It is registered in Wildwood, NJ

Stone Harbor Point, NJ.

Spain; Murcia, Los Alcazares 7/9/21

Piezodoros lituratus or Gorse Shieldbug. (Previous year Adult) emerging after its winter hibernation.

France; Brenne 28/11/22

Ringed Plover - Charadrius Hiaticula - adult

Ardmucknish Bay - Scotland

As always I extend my sincere gratitude to all who are kind enough to comment and fave my photos or even stop by and just have a look. It is very much appreciated.

DSC_7080

Photographed in Skagit County, Washington. IMG_5017

Spain; Alicante, El Hondo 17/2/22.

A scarce El Hondo bird now the landfill site has closed.

Adult

Thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.

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