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happy to find this little guy in my yard. don't know how he allowed a macro but he did. couldn't quite get all of him in focus due to the aperture and poor light...
Another very cold winter day in Maryland allowed me some fun time with some coins, lightbox, and color prism. Hope you enjoy this series as much as I liked playing around with the light and angles of the light.
peace to flow
into you as
sunshine flows
into trees.
~ John Muir 🍂💛💚🍂
Tanawha Trail Bridge of Blue Ridge Parkway.
This photo shows a cozy café named "Bijou Bijou," located on a charming street in Grenoble. The café has a welcoming entrance with wooden doors and large glass windows, allowing a glimpse of the warm interior lighting. Above the entrance, there is a red awning with the café's name written in elegant letters.
Outside, there are several small tables set up with red chairs featuring white polka dots. The tables have a simple design with white marble tops, creating a stylish yet relaxed atmosphere. The arrangement suggests it's a great spot for enjoying coffee or a light meal outdoors.
The building's facade adds character to the scene, with light-colored stone walls and vibrant orange paint on the upper levels. Small balconies with black railings line the windows above, giving a touch of European charm to the setting. On one side, there is a wooden door that adds to the rustic appeal.
In the foreground, a single customer is sitting at one of the tables, engrossed in what appears to be reading or browsing on a device. The street itself is paved with stones, enhancing the quaint and peaceful vibe of this café corner.
RX_03705_20240523_Grenoble
This is a work in progress! A lifes work!! :-) acknowledging where I am...and where I want to be! living contrast....
The adult humpback whale is generally 14–15 m (46–49 ft) long, though individuals up to 16–17 m (52–56 ft) long have been recorded. Females are usually 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) longer than males.
The species can reach body masses of 40 metric tons (44 short tons). Calves are born at around 4.3 m (14 ft) long with a mass of 680 kg (1,500 lb)] The species has a bulky body with a thin rostrum and proportionally long flippers, each around one-third of its body length.[14][15] It has a short dorsal fin that varies from nearly nonexistent to somewhat long and curved.
Like other rorquals, the humpback has grooves between the tip of the lower jaw and the navel. The grooves are relatively few in number in this species, ranging from 14 to 35. The upper jaw is lined with baleen plates, which number 540–800 in total and are black in color.
The dorsal or upper side of the animal is generally black; the ventral or underside has various levels of black and white coloration. Whales in the southern hemisphere tend to have more white pigmentation. The flippers can vary from all-white to white only on the undersurface. Some individuals may be all white, notably Migaloo who is a true albino. The varying color patterns and scars on the tail flukes distinguish individual animals.[
The end of the genital slit of the female is marked by a round feature, known as the hemispherical lobe, which visually distinguishes males and females.[15][19]
Unique among large whales, humpbacks have bumps or tubercles on the head and front edge of the flippers; the tail fluke has a jagged trailing edge. The tubercles on the head are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) thick at the base and protrude up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
They are mostly hollow in the center, often containing at least one fragile hair that erupts 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) from the skin and is 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick. The tubercles develop early in gestation and may have a sensory function, as they are rich in nerves. Sensory nerve cells in the skin are adapted to withstand the high water pressure of diving.
In one study, a humpback whale brain measured 22.4 cm (8.8 in) long and 18 cm (7.1 in) wide at the tips of the temporal lobes, and weighed around 4.6 kg (10 lb). The humpback's brain has a complexity similar to that of the brains of smaller whales and dolphins.
The structure of the eye indicates that eyesight is relatively poor, being only able to see silhouettes over long distances and finer details relatively close. Computer models of the middle ear suggest that the humpback can hear at frequencies between 15 Hz and 3 kHz "when stimulated at the tympanic membrane", and between 200 Hz and 9 kHz "if stimulated at the thinner region of the tympanic bone adjacent to the tympanic membrane". These ranges are consistent with their vocalization ranges.
As in all cetaceans, the respiratory tract of the humpback whale is connected to the blowholes and not to the mouth, although the species appears to be able to unlock the epiglottis and larynx and move them towards the oral cavity, allowing humpbacks to blow bubbles from their mouths. The vocal folds of the humpback are more horizontally positioned than those of land mammals which allows them to produce underwater calls. These calls are amplified by a laryngeal sac.
This image was taken in Juneau, Alaska
“There is a great beauty in the little things.” Mehmet Murat Ildan.
The long days of lockdown are allowing me to edit photographs that, for lack of time, had been waiting on the hard drive for a long time. Not knowing when we can travel again makes me feel even more fortunate to have visited so many countries and even lived in some of them, like Italy. Although the situation in the transalpine country is improving, our plans to return in November will have to wait until who knows when. I had in mind to return to Italy once a year with my wife, to continue showing her some of the Italian places that I love so much and to continue photographing one of my favorite countries.
More than a year ago we were lucky enough to spend a few days on the Amalfi Coast, and on one of the dawns I walked through the Atrani road to just beyond the northern entrance to this town. With very little space available, I had to use my small mini tripod on one of the guardrails that separated the road from the edge of the cliffs. With almost no room for me, I sat next to the camera to wait for the sunrise. The morning woke up really cloudy, so in the end the blue hour was the best time to capture this less common sight of Atrani. A very small village, but really beautiful.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Hay una gran belleza en las pequeñas cosas." Mehmet Murat Ildan.
Los largos días de confinamiento me están permitiendo editar fotografías que, por falta de tiempo, se habían quedado esperando en el disco duro desde hace mucho. No saber cuando podremos volver a viajar de nuevo, me hace sentirme aún más afortunado por haber visitado tantos países e incluso haber vivido en algunos de ellos, como Italia. Aunque la situación en el país transalpino está mejorando, nuestros planes de volver en noviembre tendrán que esperar quien sabe hasta cuando. Me había propuesto volver a Italia una vez al año con mi mujer, para seguir mostrándole algunos de los lugares que tanto me enamoran y seguir fotografiando uno de mis países favoritos.
Hace más de un año tuvimos la suerte de pasar unos días en la Costa Amalfitana, y en uno de los amaneceres me dirigí caminando por la carretera de Atrani hasta un poco más allá de la entrada norte de esta localidad. Con poquísimo espacio disponible tuve que usar mi pequeño minitrípode sobre uno de los quitamiedos que separaban la carretera del borde de los acantilados. Sin casi espacio para mí me senté junto a la cámara para esperar la salida del sol. Las mañana se despertó realmente nublada, por lo que al final la hora azul fue el momento más idóneo para capturar esta vista menos común de Atrani. Un pueblo muy pequeño, pero realmente bello.
We can allow satellites, planets, suns, universe, nay whole systems of universes, to be governed by laws, but the smallest insect, we wish to be created at once by special act.
--Charles Darwin
There is combination of two photos (difference about 12 hours) - night sky, milky way photo and blue-footed booby photo. Both photos done on Isabela Island.
Southern Cross and Milky Way Dark Constellations of the Incas are visible on the photo. Also you can see red airglow (also called nightglow) - faint emission of light by a planetary atmosphere.
The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is a marine bird. The blue-footed booby is distributed among the continental coasts of the eastern Pacific Ocean from California to the Galapagos Islands down into Peru. The blue color of the blue-footed booby's webbed feet comes from carotenoid pigments obtained from its diet of fresh fish.
Interesting POV allows the scene to look as if there may be a problem. In reality Aberdeen and Rockfish GP18 #300 will turn to the right in the scene on the already thrown switch behind the hopper allowing the train to bypass the hoppers.
Thankfully, dry roads allowed just enough margin to nab a bonus shot of this eastbounder. Back in BN days the detector here identified the location as Charme with each passing train, just north of Prairie du Chien. Snow dust obscures the stacks farther back and pigs up front give this train the look of an old school zip. I'm not looking forward to winter but clear air and fresh snow can be a killer combination. December 20, 2024.
peace
to flow into you as
sunshine flows
into trees.
~ John Muir 🍂☀️🍂
Processed with VSCO with t1 preset
Passionate Vigilant
Clad in a pink coloring, this flea beetle is quite rare to find. There are barely (just a few) any pictures of this specific coloring of Asphaera in the Internet. I've managed to find similarly colored Asphaera on Google, but not one with these specific patterns, so if any registers exist, they are unknown to me. It could also be an Omophoita, but there is also no certainty on this. Flea beetles feed on vegetables, mostly crops. They possess powerful hind tibiae that allows them to jump really high, feature that got them their common name. They propel themselves when feeling threatened, and once in the air, they proceed to open up the elytra and fly away from potential danger.
Feeding type: Herbivorous.
Allow me, The bronze sculpture. One of Portland's attractions. It has been temporarily moved to undergo minor restoration.
The photographer must be absorbent--like a blotter, allow himself to be permeated by the poetic moment.... His technique should be like an animal function...he should act automatically. - Robert Doisneau
Posted (see below) the view heading in to Bighorn National Forest along Route 14 from the east side. This here is the view coming down and out of the national forest on the west side.
A great drive seeing all the varied terrain. Liked this section where you could pull over and see the switchbacks that allow for the change in elevation as you drive along.
Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord --Importance of memory--
Landschaftspark is a public park located in Duisburg-Meiderich, Germany. It was designed in 1991 by Latz + Partner (Peter Latz), with the intention that it work to heal and understand the industrial past, rather than trying to reject it. The park closely associates itself with the past use of the site: a coal and steel production plant (abandoned in 1985, leaving the area significantly polluted) and the agricultural land it had been prior to the mid 19th century
Conception and creation
In 1991, a co-operative-concurrent planning procedure with five international planning teams was held to design the park. Peter Latz’s design was significant, as it attempted to preserve as much of the existing site as possible. Unlike his competitors, Latz recognized the value of the site’s current condition. He allowed the polluted soils to remain in place and be remediated through phytoremediation, and sequestered soils with high toxicity in the existing bunkers. He also found new uses for many of the old structures, and turned the former sewage canal into a method of cleansing the site.
Design
The park is divided into different areas, whose borders were carefully developed by looking at existing conditions (such as how the site had been divided by existing roads and railways, what types of plants had begun to grow in each area, etc.). This piecemeal pattern was then woven together by a series of walkways and waterways, which were placed according to the old railway and sewer systems. While each piece retains its character, it also creates a dialogue with the site surrounding it. Within the main complex, Latz emphasized specific programmatic elements: the concrete bunkers create a space for a series of intimate gardens, old gas tanks have become pools for scuba divers, concrete walls are used by rock climbers, and one of the most central places of the factory, the middle of the former steel mill, has been made into piazza. Each of these spaces uses elements to allow for a specific reading of time.
The site was designed with the idea that a grandfather, who might have worked at the plant, could walk with his grandchildren, explaining what he used to do and what the machinery had been used for. At Landschaftspark, memory was central to the design. Various authors have addressed the ways in which memory can inform the visitor of a site, a concept that became prevalent during Postmodernism.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landschaftspark_Duisburg-Nord
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We were not allowed to bring cameras into the show but I snuck my little girl camera in via my back pocket. I tried but really could not get any good shots, we were just too far away.
The concert was freakin fabulous and the BOK center is a state of the art place to see a concert as it is only 1 year old. Very nice not to have to drive to Dallas to see good shows anymore.
The first pic is me, my son Josh, his best friend Jerry whom I claim as son #2,I'm just glad I didn't birth him as he is a BIG boy, and my daughter-in-law Jennifer whom I adore.
All of us had a fantastic evening together and then when Don and I got home around 1:30 am he let me open my Birthday present. It's a 1969 vintage Dual turntable. I fell in love immediately, so since 9:00 this morning we have been listening to old albums I haven't heard in 20 some years. Yes, I am a HAPPY girl!!
Off to New Orleans tomorrow morning!
God I love birthdays with Don :)
© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of Sharon C Johnson/MyRidgebacks
Southbound ethanol train K616 with a former Conrail leader slows to a stop to allow the Morley pusher to connect before heading south to Duff Mountain summit.
Taken with a Raynox 150
This lens snaps on on any lens up to a filter size of 67 mm. I had It in front of my old Sigma 105 mm macro lens. It allows you to get much closer then the native lens. I have used it on most of my lenses. But since you are so close only manual focus is practical. The depth of field is also very shallow. This picture is actually a focus stack of 3 pictures taken at different focus point then merged in Photoshop.
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My Name is Bart Ros and I am a Landscape Photographer. Originally I started out as a Multimedia Engineer, but after years of working with digital media I also ventured into Photography and recently also Timelapse and video work. From A young age I have always been busy with drawing, painting and the dismantling of Radio's, TV and old Camera's. These technical and also design interests have led me to my current profession in which I try to combine the development of Websites, Graphical design, Digital Marketing a as well as my passion for Photography. Photography allows me to capture the world as I see it. shared with pixbuf.com
Managing to gaze into the open eyes of a snowy in daylight can be difficult, at best. Their sensitive retinas leave them squinting throughout most of the day… that is when they are not actually sleeping. But in the minutes before sunrise, when its rays lazily find their way above the horizon, the beaches and bays are eerily blue and the golden iris of the snowy glows with pupils as large as saucers. It takes luck! Luck finding a bird in a suitable place, luck having a cloudless sunrise, and luck finding an owl motionless enough to allow for a photograph in such low light. As luck would have it, we were -- quite lucky. It was a brief but memorable moment at twilight dawn, indeed. #SnowyOwls
© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of Connie Lemperle/ lemperleconnie
Link to Cincinnati Zoo..............
Also a new group to join for anyone who has Ohio Zoo pictures!
www.flickr.com/groups/ohio_zoos/
Also check out Zoos Around the World group!
www.flickr.com/groups/zoos_around_the_world/
I'm trying to enter a contest for the Cincinnati Zoo and can only use photos taken from June 29th to July 21st of 2008 so I'm limited on which pics I can enter. I'd go back to the zoo and get more pictures but its so hot here and I don't think I could handle the heat and smog. I would imagine the animals feel the same way and will be really taking it easy. It's a shame that they don't let you use pics from times when its cooler because your more apt to get better photos because the animals are more active. Oh well! Have a wonderful day everyone!
I was looking out over a vast wildlife refuge and wondering when they were going to begin allowing the ponds to fill with water? Seems like it takes them a bit longer every year. Then out of the corner of my eye I notice some movement. Yep, it was this little guy. He walked up on me and suddenly noticed me at the same time I noticed him.
I almost laughed because he tried to act nonchalant as if he had actually intended to meet me here at this exact time. He walked back and forth in front of me kicking the water and suddenly he began taking a bath. This was halarious, because it went on and on for at least 30 minutes. Even other birds started showing up and joining in. A Killdeer that I really wanted to take photos of, but I didn't want to do anything to interrupt this guy's performance.
He looked at me with those puppy dog eyes and it was as if we were already friends because he had no intention of stopping this little charade. Animals are so cool, I thank God for his absolute love for us that he has create this cornucopia of birds and animals just to amuse us. THANK YOU JESUS! ❤️❤️❤️
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
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My THANK'S to all Flickr friends who fave and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate it! ❤️
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This handsome toucanet is not shy at all! it allowed us to get pretty close and we were able to shoot it with short telephoto lenses!
This and many other striking birds found only in the neotropics awaits for us!
Join me in my "Jewels of Ecuador" photo tour.
www.neotropicphototours.com/workshops/ecuador-2018/
Many thanks for your comments, faves, and follows :)
Juan Carlos
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©Juan Carlos Vindas 2019, All Rights Reserved.This image is protected by Copyright, and is not available for use on websites, blogs, videos, or any other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
© 2016 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott
Having an incredible amount of reach allows you to do some unique things with a lens. Zooming in on the moon as it rises is one of them. In this shot I've shot the moon at 600mm and cropped in a little over 50%, meaning that this is more like 1300mm of reach. I've got some cool shots of the moon in full light, but I wanted to share this more moody shots where layers of clouds are drifting in front of the moon. I've given this shot a little bit of a faded look in Exposure X2 to enhance the mood. It was still very yellow at this point, and I've tried to preserve that here. You can see more images that I've taken with the lens here: bit.ly/2dU7diG or view my first look video here: bit.ly/2dn7bBP
Technical Information: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5.-6.3 DI VC USD G2, Processed in Adobe Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, and Alien Skin Exposure X2 (use code "dustinabbott" to get 10% off)
Want to know more about me or make contact? Take a look at my website and find a lot of ways to connect
home alone 48...make of it what you will ;-)
This weeks message is "Go With the Flow"
A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived."
I had a different plan for this weeks photo, and it did not work out. I had this idea last night, and it also did not come out as planned. I became so frustrated with the details of the photo, and my inability to achieve the results I wanted, that i don't even remember what point i was trying to make. So, I begrudgingly accepted what I had and posted it. After sleeping on it the message became clear.
We cannot always control the events of our lives. even the little details tend to go awry. A zipper breaks, the road is closed, they are out of your flavor of ice cream, or you photo is not what you wanted. It is by accepting what comes our way, and going with it, that we will reach our destination.
So, I am not thrilled with the photo, but I get the message, and that is good.
Lesson 2
When all else fails, laugh at yourself!
© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without My Written Consent.
"You come inside out of the cold
On these short winter days
Breath like dragon-fire,
Eyes aglow..."
- extract: 'Mirrors and Furs'
written 31st Dec 2004
© Chris Elliott.
January morning wake up call, captured through window on old camcorder :-)
Best viewed on black background.
Watch the slideshow of Poetry set.
My inspiration: Words of Peace.
My flash allows me to illuminate subjects when the sun is behind them. In this case, it's sweet Julianne, who'd rather I give her pats than photograph her. She has a great beard, though it picks up burrs when she's foraging in weeds.
I had two things going for me. The full moon allowed me to get enough ambient light on the water, the rocks and the sculpture, "Spirit of the Sea". In these situations I don't even bother with autofocus (just zone focus and concentrate on framing and exposure time). The ship has slowed a little, but is still moving surprisingly fast into the channel. The second thing was that the ship would be relatively close to shore.
It was the perfect opportunity to capture the movement of the ship in the relatively short LE. I would have needed to put the ISO up to very high levels if I wished to freeze it entirely. But I was more interested in the light, especially that reflected moonlight on the water, and a shorter shutter speed would have made the sculpture and rocks less naturally visible.
The sculpture can be seen on the far left hand side. And it has quite a controversial story. From a distance it almost looks like an aboriginal warrior threatening the incoming ships with a spear. In fact it represents Neptune with his trident. It was designed by Aden and Karena McLeod and unveiled in 2009. But not before plenty of protests by locals over the nudity (yes this is Devonport) and the fact it was deemed culturally inappropriate. The bitterness was such the sculptors left the state and did not attend the opening. publicartaroundtheworld.com/public-art-in-australia/publi...
www.theadvocate.com.au/story/5335447/spirit-of-sea-visito...
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 1900s.
This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of prey species. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats.[3] This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles[4] and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.[5]
The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec.
Etymology
A jaguar at the Milwaukee County Zoological GardensThe word jaguar is pronounced /ˈdʒæɡwɑr/ or, in British English, /ˈdʒæɡjuː.ər/. It comes to English from one of the Tupi-Guarani languages, presumably the Amazonian trade language Tupinambá, via Portuguese jaguar.[6] The Tupian word, yaguara "beast", sometimes translated as "dog",[7][8] is used for any carnivorous mammal.[9] The specific word for jaguar is yaguareté, with the suffix -eté meaning "real" or "true".[6][9][10]
The first component of its taxonomic designation, Panthera, is Latin, from the Greek word for leopard, πάνθηρ, the type species for the genus. This has been said to derive from the παν- "all" and θήρ from θηρευτής "predator", meaning "predator of all" (animals), though this may be a folk etymology[11]—it may instead be ultimately of Sanskrit origin, from pundarikam, the Sanskrit word for "tiger".[12]
Onca is the Portuguese onça, with the cedilla dropped for typographical reasons, found in English as ounce for the Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia. It derives from the Latin lyncea lynx, with the letter L confused with the definite article (Italian lonza, Old French l'once).[13]
In many Central and South American countries, the cat is referred to as el tigre ("the tiger")
Taxonomy
The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, and clouded leopard share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old;[14] the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3.8 million years ago.[14][15] Phylogenetic studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is basal to this group.[14][16][17][18] The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved.
Based on morphological evidence, British zoologist Reginald Pocock concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard.[18] However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies.[14][16][17][18] Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the European Jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the American Lion (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar.[18] Analysis of jaguar mitochondrial DNA has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records.[19Geographical variation
While numerous subspecies of the jaguar have been recognized, recent research suggests just three. Geographical barriers, such as the Amazon river, limit gene flow within the species.The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology, he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.[20]
Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized.[21] Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision.[22] A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited the exchange of genes between the different populations.[19] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the Colombian jaguars.[23]
Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat.[24] Seymour grouped these in three subspecies.[20]
Panthera onca onca: Venezuela through the Amazon, including
P. onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar): Coastal Peru
P. onca hernandesii (Mexican Jaguar): Western Mexico – including
P. onca centralis (Central American Jaguar): El Salvador to Colombia
P. onca arizonensis (Arizonan Jaguar): Southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico
P. onca veraecrucis: Central Texas to Southeastern Mexico
P. onca goldmani (Goldman's Jaguar): Yucatán Peninsula to Belize and Guatemala
P. onca palustris (the largest subspecies, weighing more than 135 kg or 300 lb):[25] The Pantanal regions of Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, along the Paraguay River into Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.
Physical characteristics
The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size and weight: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms (124–211 lb). Larger males have been recorded at 160 kilograms (350 lb)[26] (roughly matching a tigress or lioness), and smaller ones have extremely low weights of 36 kilograms (80 lb). Females are typically 10–20% smaller than males. The length of the cat varies from 1.62–1.83 metres (5.3–6 ft), and its tail may add a further 75 centimeters (30 in). It stands about 67–76 centimeters (27–30 in) tall at the shoulders.[27]
The head of the jaguar is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The size of jaguars tends to increase the farther south they are located.
Jaguar skull and jawboneFurther variations in size have been observed across regions and habitats, with size tending to increase from the north to south. A study of the jaguar in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast, showed ranges of just 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb), about the size of the cougar.[28] By contrast, a study of the Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal region found average weights of 100 kilograms (220 lb) and weights of 300 lb or more are not uncommon in old males.[29] Forest jaguars are frequently darker and considerably smaller than those found in open areas (the Pantanal is an open wetland basin), possibly due to the smaller numbers of large herbivorous prey in forest areas.[30]
A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming.[27] The head is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all felids capable of biting down with 2000 lbs of force twice the strength of a lion, and the second strongest of all mammals after the spotted hyena; this strength is an adaptation that allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells.[4] A comparative study of bite force adjusted for body size ranked it as the top felid, alongside the clouded leopard and ahead of the lion and tiger.[31] It has been reported that "an individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones".[32] The jaguar hunts wild animals weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) in dense jungle, and its short and sturdy physique is thus an adaptation to its prey and environment.
A melanistic jaguar. Melanism is the result of a dominant allele but remains relatively rare in jaguars.The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white.[27]
A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. The melanistic form is less common than the spotted form (it occurs at about six percent of the population)[33] of jaguars and is the result of a dominant allele.[34] Jaguars with melanism appear entirely black, although their spots are still visible on close examination. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, also occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats.[30]
While the jaguar closely resembles the leopard, it is sturdier and heavier, and the two animals can be distinguished by their rosettes: the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thicker lines and small spots in the middle that the leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs compared to leopards.[35
[edit] Reproduction and life cycle
Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful.[36] Research on captive male jaguars supports the year-round mating hypothesis, with no seasonal variation in semen traits and ejaculatory quality; low reproductive success has also been observed in captivity.[37] Female estrous is 6–17 days out of a full 37-day cycle, and females will advertise fertility with urinary scent marks and increased vocalization.[36] Both sexes will range more widely than usual during courtship.
Mother about to pick up a cub by the neckMating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infanticide; this behaviour is also found in the tiger.[38]
The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts.[39] They will continue in their mother's company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats.[29]
Social activity
Like most cats, the jaguar is solitary outside mother-cub groups. Adults generally meet only to court and mate (though limited non-courting socialization has been observed anecdotally[38]) and carve out large territories for themselves. Female territories, which range from 25 to 40 square kilometers in size, may overlap, but the animals generally avoid one another. Male ranges cover roughly twice as much area, varying in size with the availability of game and space, and do not overlap.[38][40] The jaguar uses scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark its territory.[41]
Like the other big cats, the jaguar is capable of roaring (the male more powerfully) and does so to warn territorial and mating competitors away; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in the wild.[42] Their roar often resembles a repetitive cough, and they may also vocalize mews and grunts.[29] Mating fights between males occur, but are rare, and aggression avoidance behaviour has been observed in the wild.[41] When it occurs, conflict is typically over territory: a male's range may encompass that of two or three females, and he will not tolerate intrusions by other adult males.[38]
The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). Both sexes hunt, but males travel further each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60% of its time active.[30] The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.
Hunting and diet
Illustration of a jaguar battling a boa constrictor
Illustration of a jaguar killing a tapirLike all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding only on meat. It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87 species.[30] The jaguar prefers large prey and will take adult caiman, deer, capybara, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, foxes, and sometimes even anacondas . However, the cat will eat any small species that can be caught, including frogs, mice, birds, fish, sloths, monkeys, and turtles; a study conducted in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, for example, revealed that jaguars there had a diet that consisted primarily of armadillos and pacas.[41] Some jaguars will also take domestic livestock, including adult cattle and horses.[43]
The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. It is an adaptation that allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles.While the jaguar employs the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey (especially the Capybara) with its canine teeth, piercing the brain.[44] This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar.[30][42] The skull bite is employed with mammals in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. While capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell and scoop out the flesh.[38] With prey such as smaller dogs, a paw swipe to the skull may be sufficient in killing it.
The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. The cat will walk slowly down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers, and are probably a product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels.[38]
On killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at the neck and chest, rather than the midsection. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders.[38] The daily food requirement of a 34 kilogram animal, at the extreme low end of the species' weight range, has been estimated at 1.4 kilograms.[45] For captive animals in the 50–60 kilogram range, more than 2 kilograms of meat daily is recommended.[46] In the wild, consumption is naturally more erratic; wild cats expend considerable energy in the capture and kill of prey, and may consume up to 25 kilograms of meat at one feeding, followed by periods of famine.[47] Unlike all other species in the Panthera genus, jaguars very rarely attack humans. Most of the scant cases where jaguars turn to taking a human show that the animal is either old with damaged teeth or is wounded.[48] Sometimes, if scared, jaguars in captivity may lash out at zookeepers.[49]
[edit] Ecology
[edit] Distribution and habitat
The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years[24] and it has been an American cat since crossing the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene epoch; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat.[23] Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil.[50] The countries included in this range are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (particularly on the Osa Peninsula), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States and Venezuela. The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.[2] It occurs in the 400 km² Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, the 5,300 km² Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, the approximately 15,000 km² Manú National Park in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² Xingu National Park in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range.
The jaguar can range across a variety of forested and open habitat, but is strongly associated with presence of water.The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as the Grand Canyon, and as far west as Southern California.[45] The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential.[51] On February 25, 2009 a 118 lb Jaguar was caught, radio-collared and released in an area southwest of Tucson, Arizona; this is farther north than had previously been expected and represents a sign that there may be a permanent breeding population of Jaguars within southern Arizona. It was later confirmed that the animal is indeed the same male individual (known as 'Macho B') that was photographed in 2004 and is now the oldest known Jaguar in the wild (approximately 15 years old.)[52] On Monday March 2, 2009, Macho B, which is the only jaguar spotted in the U.S. in more than a decade, was recaptured and euthanized after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure.[53]
Completion of the United States–Mexico barrier as currently proposed will reduce the viability of any population currently residing in the United States, by reducing gene flow with Mexican populations, and prevent any further northward expansion for the species.[54]
The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1,000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2,000 km northward. Ice age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as Missouri. Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal.[55]
The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of South and Central America, open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest;[30] the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian pampas, the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States.[2] The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3,800 m, but they typically avoid montane forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes.[30]
Substantial evidence exists that there is also a colony of non-native melanistic leopards or jaguars inhabiting the rainforests around Sydney, Australia. A local report compiled statements from over 450 individuals recounting their stories of sighting large black cats in the area and confidential NSW Government documents regarding the matter proved wildlife authorities were so concerned about the big cats and the danger to humans, they commissioned an expert to catch it. The three-day hunt later failed, but ecologist Johannes J. Bauer warned: "Difficult as it seems to accept, the most likely explanation is the presence of a large, feline predator. In this area, [it is] most likely a leopard, less likely a jaguar."[56]
Ecological role
The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems.[28][57] However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species undergo population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects.[58] However, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists.[59]
The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the cougar, the next largest feline of the Americas, are often sympatric (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size.[60] This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes;[28] while both are classified as near-threatened species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution.
[edit] Conservation status
Jaguar populations are rapidly declining. The animal is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources,[2] meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. The 1960s saw particularly significant declines, with more than 15,000 jaguar skins brought out of the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade.[61] Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society reveal that the animal has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18%. More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal.[50]
The major risks to the jaguar include deforestation across its habitat, increasing competition for food with human beings,[2] poaching, hurricanes in northern parts of its range, and the behaviour of ranchers who will often kill the cat where it preys on livestock. When adapted to the prey, the jaguar has been shown to take cattle as a large portion of its diet; while land clearance for grazing is a problem for the species, the jaguar population may have increased when cattle were first introduced to South America as the animals took advantage of the new prey base. This willingness to take livestock has induced ranch owners to hire full-time jaguar hunters, and the cat is often shot on sight.[29]
The Pantanal, Brazil, seen here in flood condition, is a critical jaguar range area.The jaguar is regulated as an Appendix I species under CITES: all international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited. All hunting of jaguars is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Colombia, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, the United States (where it is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), Uruguay and Venezuela. Hunting of jaguars is restricted to "problem animals" in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, while trophy hunting is still permitted in Bolivia. The species has no legal protection in Ecuador or Guyana.[24]
Current conservation efforts often focus on educating ranch owners and promoting ecotourism.[62] The jaguar is generally defined as an umbrella species — a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected.[63] Umbrella species serve as "mobile links" at the landscape scale, in the jaguar's case through predation. Conservation organizations may thus focus on providing viable, connected habitat for the jaguar, with the knowledge that other species will also benefit.[62]
Given the inaccessibility of much of the species' range—particularly the central Amazon—estimating jaguar numbers is difficult. Researchers typically focus on particular bioregions, and thus species-wide analysis is scant. In 1991, 600–1,000 (the highest total) were estimated to be living in Belize. A year earlier, 125–180 jaguars were estimated to be living in Mexico's 4,000 square kilometer (2400 mi²) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with another 350 in the state of Chiapas. The adjoining Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, with an area measuring 15,000 square kilometers (9,000 mi²), may have 465–550 animals.[64] Work employing GPS–telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 square kilometers in the critical Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests that widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of cats.[65]
On 7 January 2008 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall approved a decision by the George W. Bush Administration to abandon jaguar recovery as a federal goal under the Endangered Species Act. Some critics of the decision said that the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is to be built along many of the cat's typical crossings between the United States and Mexico.[66]
In the past, conservation of jaguars sometimes occurred through the protection of jaguar "hotspots". These hotspots were described as Jaguar Conservation Units, and were large areas populated by about 50 jaguars. However, some researchers recently determined that, in order to maintain a robust sharing of the jaguar gene pool necessary for maintaining the species, it is important that the jaguars be interconnected. To effect this, a new project, the Paseo del Jaguar, as been established to connect the jaguar hotspots.[67]
Fonte-Wikipedia.
before the bay of palma awakens, the day murmurs its arrival through the whispers of dawn. clouds part like curtains unveiling a stage, rays of light cascade, each a gentle touch on the slumbering sea. the silhouette of the distant mountains stands as the eternal audience, witnessing the slow brightening of the world. it’s a serene symphony where each element plays its part in harmony, the sea reflecting the sky’s moody hues, the land a dark contrast to the awakening sky. in this quiet hour, time pauses, allowing the earth to inhale the promise of a new day, a subtle interlude before life resumes its pace.
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"No more plagiarism, we want more security on Flickr!"
Bursting into summer!
Thank you for your kind comments, invitations and faves - they're much appreciated :-))
My inspiration: Words of Peace.
I start a new set at Flickr a very lengthy series Ajmer Urus 2009 , 3 cards of 4 GB each.. shot in two days , I had a 16 GB card too, but I did not use it, the reason being photography is totally banned within the precincts of the Dargah..
Permission is given on the whims of the Dargah authorities..the criteria of color is important ..racism exists in Holy Places too..
I applied for permission, presented my Press Card , my Pan Card two photographs, but as you see I dont look like a photographer so it was turned down as the Dargah authorities give permission to a white man first, the Indian photographer is deemed a terrorist according to the mind set of the people in charge..dogs and Indian photographers are not allowed at the Ajmer Sharif Urus..
My Belgian photographer friend was lucky enough to get the permission.
I have continuously stayed at the house of Peersaab Fakhru Miya Hujra no 6 my host, benefactor and patron every trip that I made to Ajmer Urus from 2005 to 2009, ..and I have shot Ajmer with the sincerity of my soul and Ajmer is my pictorial gospel, of the Message of Peace as expounded in love and brotherhood by the Holy Saint Khwajah Gharib Nawaz Moinuddin Chishty Al Sabri.
I call this Tablike Khwajah Gharib Nawaz..his message of humanity, this is the only Shrine that has millions of pilgrims from all over the world..no bar on caste color or community ..Hindus throng to seek the Holy Saints blessings you ask for a single wish he extends it to your unborn child too, such is the bounty of the Khwajah Gharib Nawaz.
I am not an adherent of Sufism,but I am touched by the Holy Saint who beckons me year after year, I am going through very bad times in my business this trip was not happening, but he pulled me across ..I shot for two days that made a moment seem like a life time.
I hold no grudge towards the Dargah authorities , but I would like to display my inner hurt publicly so one can read in black and white, as in some cases Indian photographers are allowed at the Dargah with cameras and arc lights only if Katrina Kaif comes in as she generates the hoopla for commercialism in spirituality.
This is Truth as I see it..and it should hurt those whom the cap fits..
81669 pictures at display on my Flickr photostream, of all religions I have shot , is my testimony as a blogger showing you a world within the narrow corridors of another world.
This year I shot the Hijras . I shot the Malangs at the graveyards of Char Yar, I shot the Bawas of Char Yar.,.I shot the gemstone markets, the beggars, Dhai Din Ka Jhopda, and on the last day shot a Mehfil on the eve of Chatti on the terrace of the house of my host Peersaab Fakhru Miya Hujra No 6 one of the specil spontaneous events was the Whirring Dervesh of Ajmer a sight you normally dont see in public but at privately..
I had traveled barefeet and remained barefeet till I reached Mumbai this morning at 7 am..my feet bled , I could barely walk, but I knew I would overcome the frailty of my flesh.I removed shards off glass in the evening from my tortured feet, and I did not carry my diabetic medicine or my insulin syringe at Ajmer , I felt if I come to a Spiritual Healer like Khwajah Gharib Nawaz why must I carry medicines , his love and affection protected me at all times.
I have a vardan of Hijras they cross my path at all times ..I must mention this significant detail..
I was boarding the train for Ajmer I was accosted by Hijras of Gharib Nagar Bandra ..and when I got off at Bandra Terminus I met hijras from Bombasy Central, who touched my feet and asked me to bless them..
Metaverse
it is not religion
But a racist system that
I curse .
wounds on my soul
an inner angst I nurse
humility the only currency
to reimburse
spirituality sometimes
is bartered for a purse
Hi All!
A marvelous photo shoot at St. Andrews Lock and Dam and lucky me! The gate was open which allowed me to walk down the stairs and get fairly close to these young Pelicans. This was exceptionally nice because I operate with a 70-300 mm lens. The youngsters were drying off and preening in the early morning sun. I chose this image to introduce you to how I began my day.
American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhyncos
I truly appreciate your comments and views. THANK YOU! Have a happy day!
©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved
“The Douro valley has a microclimate allowing for cultivation of olives, almonds, and specially grapes important for making the famous Port wine. The region around Pinhão and São João da Pesqueira is considered to be the centre of Port wine, with its picturesque quintas or farms clinging on to almost vertical slopes dropping down to the river. Many of these quintas are owned by multinational wine companies and are worth a visit.
Traditionally, the wine was taken down river in flat-bottom boats called rabelos, to be stored in barrels in cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto. In the 1950s and 1960s dams were built along the river ending this river traffic. There are nine dams on the Portuguese Douro alone making the flow of water uniform and generating hydroelectric power. Now Port wine is transported in tanker trucks.
Recently, a prosperous tourist industry has developed based on river excursions from Porto to points along the Upper Douro valley. Boats pass through the dams by way of locks.”
Jim Honey, Wellesley Clarrington
Taken at No cannibals allowed!!!!!!, Apparition Wood (53, 32, 1009)
Thanks to the haven of gorgeous wonders that is Doves Farm, here we have a gluten-free, brown bread flour that is at once easy to handle and completely delicious. For those of you who like to prepare and blend (even grind) your own flours - and I will join you, eventually - I have listed the flour ingredients in order of largest amount first but for now I must allow your experience (or intuition if you're new to blending) to be your guide when it comes to relative proportions. It is my intention to contact Doves Farm, organic farmers and cultivators of home baking, regarding the reverse engineering of product components for home use. In my mind I group such things as knowledge of organic farming, recipes and ingredients with the free software movement but who knows which of my favourite gluten-free-product-producing companies share... well, anything. A topic for a post to the upcoming blog, perhaps.
Currently, I'm making this for one (I miss you, BooBoo) so...
Handmade, gluten-free, brown bread pitta
Ingredients:
about 100g Doves Farm Brown Bread Flour
(components: rice, tapioca, potato, maize, sarrasin & carob flours, sugar beet fibre, xanthan gum)
generous pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil (olive, vegetable and sunflower all work well) + a few drops for the pan
between 60ml and 90ml semi-skimmed milk
Utensils:
a 1lt glass mixing bowl
a metal fork
a metal tablespoon
a small wooden spoon, about 1½" x 2" (~4x5cm) at the bowl part
a shallow dinner plate, preferably glass without raised rim,
though any portable, flat, glass or marble surface will do
a large (at least 9" (23cm) diameter) shallow frying pan or skillet
flat metal spatula or pizza slice
a bread knife
(no scoffing at utensil specification, please. It's important!)
Method:
1. put the flour in the mixing bowl
2. add the pinch of salt, then a tiny bit more for luck ;-)
3. mix lightly but quite thoroughly with a metal fork
4. give the bowl a little tap to level the flour
5. measure each tablespoon of oil and drizzle over the flour
6. mix the flour and oil with the fork until small spheres of various sizes are formed
7. using the metal tablespoon, scrape any residual flour+oil from the fork into the bowl
8. add a little of the milk and with the back of the wooden spoon begin gathering the mixture together with circular movements, first around the inside wall of the bowl, then through the centre of the mixture. When it looks a bit dry and starts to separate, add a little more milk and repeat, making sure that with each sweep of the spoon you transfer sticky mixture from the bowl surface to the dough
9. mix and gather the dough quite loosely into a sticky ball. It should only take about four or five tablespoons of milk (about 2-2½fl oz (60-75ml)) to achieve the correct consistency
10. dust a big pinch of flour over the top of the dough and another into the bowl around its base
11. roll the ball around in the flour with the back of the wooden spoon until the dough is covered with flour. At this point you can form the dough into more of a sphere by pulling it in various directions up the sides of the bowl with the back of the wooden spoon but don't press too hard into the dough as this will expose the sticky part and cause the sphere to split
12. pick up the ball and form it gently with your hands. Doesn't it feel nice? 8-)
13. dust the plate or flat surface with flour and place the ball in the centre
14. with the flat palm of your least dexterous hand, begin flattening the ball, little by little in the following way: press with the palm, then with your hand still on the dough, pinch the edge with the thumb of the same hand to help keep the edges of the emerging circle from splitting. Rotate the plate or surface a little with your dexterous hand and repeat. When the circle is about 5" (12cm) diameter, carefully lift the dough and dust more flour underneath. Replace the dough, dust a little flour over the top and continue, now working from the centre outwards to carefully expand the circle, keeping the surface as even as you can. Continue until the dough is roughly 3/16" (4mm) thick (thin!) and about 8" (20cm) in diameter
15. oil the surface of the pan. I do this by adding a few drops and spreading it all over the surface with my hand. Well it works! Place over a medium (or just below medium) heat
16. while the pan heats up for about a minute, carefully slide the pizza slice under the dough, bit by bit, rotating the plate as before to ensure no part of the circle is sticking
17. slide the dough circle into the pan, give it a bit of a shake to centre and cook for about four minutes each side
After three minutes or so air pockets will start to form and expand. It is at this point you know you did your mixing correctly and will ultimately have somewhere to stuff the filling of your choice. A little scorchin' is desirable so don't worry if your pitta has a few dark marks on it; they taste good!
Let your finished pitta cool a little before cutting it across the middle, then carefully open up each half with a bread knife.
Voi - là!