Spirit realm appears here on earth
View allAll Photos Tagged Appeared
But a Christmas Eve snow
A day early this year...
___________
Even though we remain hovering right at the freezing point, early this morning big, fluffy, and wet snowflakes began to fall, continuing even now and providing a beautiful, fresh white accent to the landscape...the northwoods' annual celebration of the season. This shot, as with so many others over the years, taken from my deck.
[This is also the time of year at which I get confused as to whom I've wished Season's Greetings and to whom I have not. Forgive me if I repeat myself and, in the spirit of the holidays, be patient with an old man, accepting good wishes however often they may be repeated. It's the thought, not the memory, that counts. ;-))]
I spent 36+ hours over 3 sessions waiting for this bird, which appeared just the once for less than half an hour, mostly in the rain. Worth it though!
Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix
The wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains.
This warbler is strongly migratory and the entire population winters in tropical Africa.
It is a summer visitor to the United Kingdom, seen from April until August. It has declined there in recent years. It is now very rare in Ireland, where only one or two pairs are recorded breeding in most years, usually in County Wicklow.
Various factors associated with forest structure, including slope, forest cover, proportion of broad-leaf forest, canopy height and forest edge length, all influenced the occupancy rates of this declining forest species. Conservation measures are therefore required that provide and maintain the wood warblers preferred forest structure. There is also a preference for forest in the non-breeding season, however this habitat is declining in wintering areas such as Ghana. Despite the decline in forest habitats, there has been no change in number of wood warblers as it appears that this species can use degraded habitats, such as well-wooded farms. However, further loss of trees will likely have a negative impact on this species in the future
Ann Magnolias [?]
With beautiful four-inch-wide blossoms in striking shades of medium pink or reddish-purple, this is an elegant flower that blooms very early and gets up to ten feet in height.
Magnolia flowers belong to the Magnoliaceae family and have around 210 species. They’re considered as the most ancient flowering plants, appearing before bees did. Fossilised specimen of one type of magnolia dated 20 million years while another dates back 95 million years. [...]. It is believed that they have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. The flowers don’t yield true nectar but protein-rich pollen. www.homestratosphere.com/types-of-magnolias/
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow."
-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Treecreepers almost appear to defy gravity, as they work their way up a tree trunk & along the undersides of branches. I find them fascinating little birds to watch. The Males are also coming into song at this time of year & I love to listen out for them in the small patch of woodland near my home.
This tiny Wren appeared on the top of the bird feeder outside my window and immediately started singing in a huge voice. It had only just fledged and perhaps had not yet learned all the secretive behaviour typical of a Wren, which is usually heard rather than seen.
It stayed all morning and then came back in the evening.
Perhaps this was its first song? Regardless, it made my day.
This photo shows it larger than life-size - for comparison, look at the screwhead in the feeder.
Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.
#FlickrMonthlyPhoto #Joy
This little English sports car appears to be the Mark III version built in 1966-74. It's parked on Mittelstraße (Middle Street) in the Dutch Quarter (Holländische Viertel) of Potsdam. Its shiny black paint nicely reflects the clouds and houses around it. This is just one of the sports cars I admired in my youth but never owned. [DSC08224_lr_2000]
Thank you all for the clicks, comments and faves.
Young couple appeared to be returning into harbour at the close of day, but minutes later they made way after purchasing a case of beer. My guess is they lived or were staying close by, as small craft are not equipped to travel safely after dark.
The scenic, Steveston Heritage Fishing Village is a charming & ever so romantic fishing village that is situated in Richmond BC on the Mighty Fraser River
Canada
I 💖 Steveston
Thank-you for all the overwhelming support and many friendships.
~Christie by the River
** Best experienced in full screen
'Why be a copy, when you were born an original'
The sun appears to be cradled in snow.
Natural sunrays capture the icy edges.
West Coast Winter
British Columbia
Canada
Stay healthy, be kind
~C
Don't be a copy, you were born an original - Author unknown
Buildings of the business district "Red Hills". The construction took more than ten years; as a result, a business center, concert halls, a five-star hotel appeared here.
Moscow International House of Music (building on the right) is a modern center for the performing arts, which has no analogues in Russia. This is an independent production association that organizes performances by Russian and foreign symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, instrumental soloists, opera and ballet artists, theater, jazz, pop and folk groups.
The dome of the House of Music is crowned with an emblem in the form of a treble clef-vane 9.5 meters high; by Zurab Tsereteli. The most complicated roller mechanism allows such a heavy construction to rotate according to the principle of a weather vane. The composition is made of stainless steel; its center - key and leaves - covered with gold leaf.; V trekh zalakh kompleksa – Svetlanovskom; Kamernom i Teatral'nom – provodyatsya kontserty i spektakli; krupnyye mezhdunarodnyye forumy i tvorcheskiye vechera; prezentatsii i prazdnichnyye shou; konferentsii i korporativnyye vstrechi.; Svetlanovskiy zal (rasschitan na 1699 mest) — bol'shoy filarmonicheskiy organnyy zal MMDM; nazvannyy v chest' vydayushchegosya russkogo dirizhera Yevgeniya Svetlanova. On prednaznachen dlya provedeniya kontsertov klassicheskoy i populyarnoy muzyki; a takzhe krupnykh festivaley i konkursov. Zal oblitsovan sibirskoy listvennitsey; schitayushcheysya luchshim v mire «akusticheskim» derevom; Развернуть; 574/5000; In the three halls of the complex - Svetlanovsky; Chamber and Theater - concerts and performances; major international forums and creative evenings; presentations and holiday shows; conferences and corporate meetings are held.; Svetlanov Hall (designed for 1699 seats) is a large philharmonic organ hall of the MMMD; named after the outstanding Russian conductor Evgeny Svetlanov. It is intended for concerts of classical and popular music; as well as major festivals and competitions. The hall is lined with Siberian larch; considered the best “acoustic” tree in the world.
** Image d'archives : juin 2018 **
Le Bruant jaune est un passereau vivement coloré. Le mâle en plumage nuptial arbore un plumage jaune et châtain roux du plus bel effet. Cette espèce est connue pour son chant décrit localement par plusieurs mots qui ne font que rappeler le rythme et ne sont qu'une pâle imitation du véritable son émis par l'oiseau.
Le Bruant jaune est largement répandu à travers la majeure partie de l'Europe, avec quelques populations partiellement migratrices ou dispersives après la reproduction. Il fréquente les zones cultivées et les pâturages boisés, les lisières des forêts et les landes de bruyères.
Le Bruant jaune est menacé par la destruction de l'habitat et sa population semble décliner, mais actuellement, l'espèce n'est pas globalement menacée.
Image prise derrière un filet de camouflage et dans un milieu naturel .
PS : Un grand merci à toutes celles et ceux qui choisissent de regarder , de commenter et d'aimer mes photos . C'est très apprécié , comme vous l'avez constaté , je ne répond plus directement suite à votre commentaire juste pour dire en fait " merci et bonne journée " , mais en retour je passe laisser une petite trace chez vous sur une ou plusieurs de vos éditions .
*******************************************************************
** Archive image: June 2018 **
The Yellowhammer is a brightly colored passerine bird. The male in nuptial plumage sports a yellow and reddish plumage of the most beautiful effect. This species is known for its song described locally by several words which only remind the rhythm and are only a pale imitation of the real sound emitted by the bird.
The Yellowhammer is widely distributed across most of Europe, with some populations partially migratory or dispersive after breeding. It frequents cultivated areas and wooded pastures, forest edges and heather moors.
The Yellow Sparrow is threatened by habitat destruction and its population appears to be declining, but currently the species is not globally threatened.
Image taken behind a camouflage net and in a natural environment.
PS: A big thank you to all those who choose to look at, comment on and like my photos. It is very appreciated, as you have noticed, I no longer respond directly to your comment just to say in fact "thank you and have a good day", but in return I will leave a small trace with you on one or more of your editions.
last night appeared to be very overcast and yet we decided to venture to the shore of Ullsfjorden fjord to take some long exposures and we found that above the flowing clouds was a beautiful Northern sky to admire with occasionally stars showing and green lights showing through. Standing there in this silent immensity puts many things in life into the real perspective: all our self-built worries and preoccupations appear to shrink into little or nothing when witnessing the grand scheme of nature.
The morning shoot was a washout from rain and fog - on my way back to the road dripping wet this last minute scene appeared and made me smile
This rainbow appeared at dusk, after a dramatic storm. It was also my Mom's Birthday. I like to think it was her way of saying she is doing well in Heaven above.
Worldwide Plaza, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown Manhattan
Of course, I love the Judy Garland version, but the rendition by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole always gives me goosebumps:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I
IMG_1458 (3)
Yellowhammer - Emberiza Citrinella
The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern subspecies is partially migratory, with much of the population wintering further south. The male yellowhammer has a bright yellow head, streaked brown back, chestnut rump and yellow underparts. Other plumages are duller versions of the same pattern. The yellowhammer is common in open areas with some shrubs or trees, and forms small flocks in winter. Its song has a rhythm like "A little bit of bread and no cheese". The song is very similar to that of its closest relative, the pine bunting, with which it interbreeds.
Yellowhammer males learn their songs from their fathers, and over the course of time regional dialects have developed, with minor differences to the conclusion of the basic song; all are mutually recognised by birds from different areas. Each male has an individual repertoire of song variants within its regional dialect; females tend to mate with males that share their dialect, and prefer those with the largest repertoires.
The pine bunting and yellowhammer are so closely related that each responds to the other's song. The male yellowhammer's song is more attractive to females, and is one reason for the dominance of that species where the ranges overlap.
Yellowhammers of the British and Irish race, E. c. caliginosa were introduced to New Zealand by local acclimatisation societies in 1862, and soon spread over the main islands. They sometimes visit New Zealand's subantarctic islands, although rarely staying to breed, and have reached Australia's Lord Howe Island on a number of occasions. At the beginning of the 20th century, this bunting was seen as a serious agricultural pest in its adopted country.
Populations of yellowhammer have also been introduced to the Falkland Islands, and South Africa.
The yellowhammer is a bird of dry open country, preferably with a range of vegetation types and some trees from which to sing. It is absent from urban areas, forests and wetlands. Probably originally found at forest edges and large clearing, it has benefited from traditional agriculture, which created extensive open areas with hedges and clumps of trees.
Populations have declined in recent decades in western Europe, including the British Isles, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy. The yellowhammer is a red-list (severely declining) species in Ireland and the UK In eastern Europe, numbers appear to be stable, although the trend in Russia is unknown. Changes to agricultural practices are thought to be responsible for reduced breeding densities. The introduced population in New Zealand has been very successful, with breeding densities much higher than in the UK.
A Blue Jay waits patiently for some seed to appear. These guys dominate the food chain on our lakefront, except for the squirrels of course!
Sundogs can appear as bright coloured patches each side of the sun. Hexagonal plate shaped ice crystals in high cirrus clouds glint sunlight like jewels to produce the prismatic colours. atoptics.co.uk/halo/dogfm.htm
Lake Winnebago is a huge lake, 30 miles long and 10 miles across. It's also a productive fishery and attracts anglers all year long. In this image, a lone individual on foot is pulling a sled for ice fishing gear. The person is a long way out on the frozen lake appearing to be near the horizon a bit left of center.
I took the photograph from the trail on the breakwater wall that protects Millers Bay in Menominee Park, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
JA234983m
...and I raced out outside with new energy!
Gerbera jamesonii blooms. Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2x macro lens. Despite how this might look, the histogram remained within bounds ;-)
Messier 97 (top) and Messier 108 (bottom) in Ursa Major are two celestial objects that appear to be close to each other but in reality are separated by an immense distance in space.
M97, known as the Owl Nebula, is a planetary nebula located inside our own galaxy at about 2,500 light-years away and has a diameter of about 2 light years. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and it was included in the famous catalogue of Charles Messier as entry 97. Two prominent dark spots inside the nebula give the appearance of an owl’s face.
A planetary nebula is formed by the expanding shell of gases blown off by a dying star at the last stages of its life. The expanding shell is heated by the radiation of the central star (a very faint 16th magnitude star in this case) and it glows mostly in green light of oxygen atoms. The nebula will completely disperse into space over the next several thousand years, while the central star will cool and fade away over the next several billion years.
The estimated age of the Owl Nebula is about 6,000 to 8,000 years.
Galaxy M108, the Surfboard Galaxy, is harder to see in a telescope than M97, because its light is spread out over a larger area. It happens to lie near the same line of sight as M97 but is located at about 45 million light-years away. M108 is an edge-on spiral galaxy, heavily obscured by dust. It was also discovered by Méchain.
Technical Info:
Telescope: Orion EON 80ED refractor, F = 500 mm, f/6.25
Camera: Canon EOS 600Da
Mount: Vixen Sphinx
Filter: none
Guiding: 80/400 Skywatcher refractor - SkyWatcher SynGuider
Light frames: 6 x 5 mins (total: 30 mins), ISO 1600, Custom WB, calibrated with darks.
Date: 26 April 2022
Location Bortle scale: 4
Software: DSS, Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom classic.
(777 Motors) / K9-1400
(Odiren) / Sam Leather Vest @TMD~Ends 30th November
(Cult) / Murder Rings @TMD~Ends 30th November
(Rebellion) / Toby Kicks Spitfire ED @TMD~Ends 30th November
Thanks to my love ❤Gara❤ for her support in this photo
You can visit his flickr at credits
More info in 4lementshs
Cats are everywhere in Morocco. They live harmoniously with humans, but rather than pets, they are neighbors. many of them are associated with a particular shop or business. People often feed them, but they do their part by keeping the neighborhood free of pests. They appear in a huge variety of colors and patterns, but there are more ginger, calico, and tortoiseshell cats here than in many other places where cats have the run of the place. In Islam, cats are appreciated and considered clean; they are welcome in homes, shops, and even mosques.
Let's face it now, it isn't everyday we see a genuine example of anti gravity anywhere let alone in agarden is it now? Yet here we have it along with the evidence, and not just any garden - it's in our garden! I know, it's incredible, but its not for sale so don't even go there.
The only other example I can think of is those UFO things that keep turning up on people's phones, but as folks don't believe in those, that makes this little baby unique does it not.
I'll tell you something else, it's totally silent, doesn't make a sound and you can pass your hands all around and underneath it like one of those stage magicians - it doesn't seem to mind. Nor, does it limit itself to any one flowerbed, oh no it moves with it's whims not just the sun, hot border in the morning, vegetable patch in the afternoon - it even followed me into the house one day!
A couple of days after taking this very photo, my wife and I had to pop to the garden centre (we were looking for something inter dimensional) and this little baby kept pace with us for an entire kilometre. It was only as we turned out of our road and my wife put the pedal to the metal that we thought we had lost it - I say 'thought' because when we pulled into the car park at the garden centre about 10 miles away there it was! I don't think anyone else saw it for it was hovering about 50 feet in the air directly over the compost bags, as it did so it slowly rotated and as the sun caught its petals it appeared to change colour - just like one of those bona fide UFOs that don't exist, and when we got home an hour later, there it was, sunning itself next to the garlic. I know, I know, it's incredible, but it isn't for sale so don't even go there....
Fynn and I almost can't believe that 2019 will be history soon. Compared to other years 2019 has been quite kind to us. Despite all his health issues, Fynn has done rather well and we had no major disasters. All in all we have reason to be grateful.
On the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, these penguins appear to be trying to decide what to do.
There appeared to be plenty of good foraging on this buggy, seaweedy stretch of beach, but these two semipalmated sandpipers, part of a mixed flock that also included least sandpipers and a few semipalmated plovers, didn't seem to want to share. Southern Maine
It appears this speed boat was not as good as 007’s. It couldn’t escape all the bullets being shot at it.
It is not a cigarette boat ...more like a cigar boat, I think.
This barn appears to have been patched up many times over the years. The roof, the sides, the additions. It all makes for a unique look. The dusting of snow adds a nice touch as well!
Harrison County, Indiana
------
(I'm back from a short break - slowly trying to catch up!)
I planted several milkweed bushes a couple of weeks ago to help Monarchs on their migration. To my delight, I've seen several stopping by. This one was shy, and every time I approached, he retreated. He appeared to watch me from a tree, waiting for me to leave him in peace. So I did.....
Widespread hummingbird, but often overlooked. Appears mostly green with a solidly dark blue tail. If seen in good light, note reddish base of bill and (for male) strong bluish sheen on throat and breast. Female identifiable by extensive green spotting below. Occurs in a variety of habitats including river edges, abandoned plantations and second growth, and patches of savanna woodland. Feeds on nectar and defends patches of flowers from other hummingbirds. Male is similar to male Blue-tailed Emerald but is larger, lacks forked tail and has bluish cast on underparts. Female is somewhat similar to Glittering-throated Emerald but has uniformly spotted breast.
Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad. February 2016.
This greater flamingo appears to be a highly talented dancer. Here his attitude reminds me of the Pasodoble dance. What a guy!
Please respect my copyright. No use of the photo without my expressly permission.
And: I don't like Comment-Codes, "awards", or such groups. Because of that, Comment codes, "Awards" and invitations in such groups will be deleted. There is an Explanation at my profile.
So, if you want to say something about my photo, it will be really appreciated, no matter if it's about liking or some constructive criticism. Your own thoughts and words will mean much more to me than a universal-text.
Also please don't post pictures in the commenting-area. You could post them much better in your own photo stream. ;-D
Catnip can be quite invasive. It appears in all kinds of places in the garden (even in winter), to the delight of the cats and the annoyance of the gardener. Sethi immediately discovered this new one, growing on the garden path. Sorry Sethi, but this catnip plant will have to go !
A very young Brown Pelican appeared to be on a collision heading with my kayak before it pulled up short in pursuit of schools of gulf menhaden on Horsepen Bayou last month. Although there is a major pelican rookery only about 20 miles away on South Deer Island in Galveston's West Bay, I have never seen them come to the bayou to feed before late fall or winter so this early visit was quite a surprise. Canoe Boy (AKA Jerome) has a theory as to why.
yes is a pleasant country:
if’s wintry
(my lovely)
let’s open the year
both is the very weather
(not either)
my treasure,
when violets appear
love is a deeper season
than reason;
my sweet one
(and april’s where we’re)
e.e. cummings
Thanks a lot Frank Busch for encouraging me to mess around with "spooky stuff" like lightroom ;-) and trying portraits... You're a great support and a wonderful friend!
September 3pm hour. A mesmerizing treasure trove of golden sunshine sparkles appeared in the water as I was walking around Ventura Harbor. Then in the fresh ocean breeze, along came a stand-up paddleboarder, unencumbered and uncluttered. After swirling through the sparkles like a lightweight nomad, he turns and looks back. I wonder if he saw the same thing I did. Anyway, it looks like he was freely enjoying the afternoon and I hope he goes home happy.
To be here was such a treat. I wanted a picture with boats for my 'Hours' picture because I was born in September in the 3pm hour on what is now 'International Talk Like A Pirate Day', so it worked out well. Arrr, Matey!
September is so lovely and it will transition into Fall before we know it. As Summer fades, it leaves its door open just a little...
Thank you again for your patience, my Flickr friends. I'm still off and on for awhile longer.
For the hours
More about thehours
✽