Old and characteristic buildings
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Innerdalstårnet is a 1,452-metre (4,764 ft) tall mountain, also known as the Matterhorn of Norway for its characteristic pyramidal shape. The summit can be reached with some scrambling, and the mountain is a very popular destination for rock climbing (and for photographers).
I'd walked along below the Edge to an area where Ian Bollen and I had found Ring Ouzels feeding on 14 April, but nothing was stirring in the cold and shade of this section of the Edge, before the sun got further round and higher. So I went back to the sunny SE end of the Edge and then slowly repeated the process.
I spotted Wheatears characteristically standing up on heather as before, I managed a few shots before this one was joined by a Meadow Pipit, decided it didn't like the company and found an alternative perch, further away.
Thanks for you faves and comments.
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
The osprey or more specifically the western osprey (Pandion haliaetus) — also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk — is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.
The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
As its other common names suggest, the osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It possesses specialised physical characteristics and exhibits unique behaviour to assist in hunting and catching prey. As a result of these unique characteristics, it has been given its own taxonomic genus, Pandion and family, Pandionidae. Three subspecies are usually recognized; one of the former subspecies, cristatus, has recently been given full species status and is referred to as the eastern osprey.
The Neckarfront is one of the most famous places and a heritage tourist attraction in Tübingen, Germany. It is an ensemble of multi-storey, gabled residential buildings on the Neckar river between the Eberhard Brigde over the river, and upriver the characteristic sight Hölderlinturm with the punt boat pier. This the southern side the houses share with the same still partially existing city wall. Overall the historic scenery above the Neckar river and the tower of the collegiate Church on top, behind the buildings are Neckargasse and Bursagasse. The address 16 Bursagasse is the Tübingen Room Theater "Zimmertheater Tübingen".
Upriver the Neckarfront is in direct sight as well as Alte Burse, Tübinger Stift and a row of inline houses along the Neckarhalde. It is dominated by Castle Hohentübingen.
Between Eberhardsbrücke and Hölderlinturm a pedestrian walk is along the Neckar front, beside a mighty wall. The walls summit is during summer a popular place for students.
The best view of the Neckarfront provides the Eberhard Bridge and the Platanenallee on the Neckarinsel directly opposing the river.
Burchell's (or Plains) Zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) has a characteristic shadow stripe that runs between the thicker black and white stripes. They are a southern subspecies of the plains zebra.
Londolozi Game Reserve, Sabi Sands, South Africa
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
Art - Texture
The most noticeable characteristics of the American red squirrel are the tail and the eye ring. The tree squirrel's tail is bushy and dark red with hints of a white outline. The eye ring is a thick, white circle around the rodent's black eyes. American red squirrels are about 12 inches and have grayish, red, or rust-colored fur with a white belly. Sometimes a black stripe can be seen on the sides.
Thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. On all my images, Use without permission is illegal
Dipper - Cinclus Cinclus
aka Water Ouzel
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.
They have a characteristic bobbing motion when perched beside the water, giving them their name. While under water, they are covered by a thin, silvery film of air, due to small bubbles being trapped on the surface of the plumage.
Dippers are found in suitable freshwater habitats in the highlands of the Americas, Europe and Asia. In Africa they are only found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. They inhabit the banks of fast-moving upland rivers with cold, clear waters, though, outside the breeding season, they may visit lake shores and sea coasts.
The high haemoglobin concentration in their blood gives them a capacity to store oxygen greater than that of other birds, allowing them to remain underwater for thirty seconds or more, whilst their basal metabolic rate is approximately one-third slower than typical terrestrial passerines of similar mass. One small population wintering at a hot spring in Suntar-Khayata Mountains of Siberia feeds underwater when air temperatures drop below −55 °C (−67 °F).
Dippers are completely dependent on fast-flowing rivers with clear water, accessible food and secure nest-sites. They may be threatened by anything that affects these needs such as water pollution, acidification and turbidity caused by erosion. River regulation through the creation of dams and reservoirs, as well as channelization, can degrade and destroy dipper habitat.
Dippers are also sometimes hunted or otherwise persecuted by humans for various reasons. The Cyprus race of the white-throated dipper is extinct. In the Atlas Mountains dippers are claimed to have aphrodisiacal properties. In parts of Scotland and Germany, until the beginning of the 20th century, bounties were paid for killing dippers because of a misguided perception that they were detrimental to fish stocks through predation on the eggs and fry of salmonids.
Population:
UK breeding:
6,200-18,700 pairs
The most noticeable characteristics of the American red squirrel are the tail and the eye ring. The tree squirrel's tail is bushy and dark red with hints of a white outline. The eye ring is a thick, white circle around the rodent's black eyes. American red squirrels are about 12 inches and have grayish, red, or rust-colored fur with a white belly. Sometimes a black stripe can be seen on the sides.
Thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. On all my images, Use without permission is illegal.
A characteristic whistling in their wings led Meriwether Lewis to call them “whistling swans,” a name still in use. These elegant creatures - slightly smaller than our other native species, the Trumpeter Swan - nest on arctic tundra and visit the U.S. only on migration and in winter.
The witch tower in Treysa is a round tower and part of the city fortification.
The so-called witch tower dates from the 15th century. It is a late Gothic round tower with external access to the upper floor. Its protruding tin crowning is characteristic. It was part of the fortification of the lower town. It is the only largely preserved round tower in the city and once comprised four floors.
It was used in the upper part to defend the city gate and in the lower part as a dungeon. In 1609, a woman accused of witchcraft was held in the tower. Due to its historical significance as part of the medieval city fortification, it is listed as a monument. Its current location is the crossroads Steingasse/Rosengasse.
Pale yellow and blue rosella with characteristic white and yellow head. Endemic to the northern parts of eastern Australia where it may hybridize with other rosellas. Occurs in a wide range of open habitats, and mostly in pairs rather than large flocks. Reasonably common in suburban areas, although it can be hard to find. (eBird)
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One short encounter with this understated (compared to other) Rosella. We were looking for Corellas when this pretty bird popped up in the tree and gave us our one and only look :-)
Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.
Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).
The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.
The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,500 pairs
Bird characteristic of beaches and brackish wetlands, is irregular distribution but almost cosmopolitan. In Spain it is in the category of "vulnerable" due to the loss of its habitat and the discomfort it suffers during the breeding period on the beaches where it nests. for these reasons it was the bird of the year 2019 according to SEO Birdlife (Sociedad Española de Ornitología / Spanish Society of Ornitology).
Ave característica de las playas y zonas húmedas salobres, es de distribución irregular pero casi cosmopolita. En España se encuentra en la categoría de "vulnerable" debido a la perdida de su hábitat y a las molestias que sufre durante el periodo de crianza en las playas donde anida. por estas razones fue el ave del año 2019 según SEO Birdlife ( Sociedad Española de Ornitología).
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Nothing better to combat the cold of winter than a good cone of roasted chestnuts in those characteristic stalls in the city!
Antelope Canyon was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, deepening the corridors and smoothing hard edges to form characteristic "flowing" shapes.
A diferencia de la mayoría de las aves acuáticas, las plumas del cormorán no son completamente impermeables de forma que al mojarse aumentan de peso, esto les posibilita hundirse más y bucear con facilidad. Esta característica, junto con su capacidad pulmonar y la facultad de regular los sacos aéreos, les permite ser buenos pescadores submarinos. Una vez en tierra, deben extender las alas para secarlas. Por todo ello, el cormorán siempre me ha parecido un ave diferente.
A veces nos empeñamos en ser como todo el mundo, sin saber que, aquello que nos hace diferentes es también nuestra gran ventaja.
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Unlike most waterfowl, cormorant feathers are not completely waterproof, which causes them to gain weight when wet, allowing them to sink deeper and dive easily. This characteristic, together with their lung capacity and the ability to regulate air sacs, allows them to be good spearfishers. Once on land, they must spread their wings to dry them. For all these reasons, the cormorant has always seemed like a different bird to me.
Sometimes we insist on being like everyone else, without knowing that what makes us different is also our great advantage
The Agora of Perge within one of the most well-designed and planned cities of Roman Anatolian provides an example of this type through its plan and structural characteristics. The Agora positioned to the east of the Hellenistic Period Gate is surrounded by a wide stoa and there is a paved area surrounded by columned galleries. There are shops behind the galleries paved with ornate floor mosaics. Unlike the contemporary examples in Anatolia, the doors to the Perge Agora stores were arranged to open towards inside or outside alternatively. The entrances are in the centre of each of the porticos. The open area on the western side these structures was employed as a main entrance hall. Given the natural slope of the area, it is possible to say that the south side of the Agora was of two storeys.
The place termed the Agora (Bazaar) was subsequently called as the Macellum, as meat and fish as well as luxury goods such as perfume were sold here.
It was the second largest Agora in Turkey in terms of its size, consisting of three nested squares. The inner area measuring 51 x 51 m is of compacted soil. The tools of circular plan situated in the middle of this area could have been a temple, as at Side. However in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) period, water pipes were placed in the walls around the tholos podium and consequently this structure is thought to have then been employed as an agiasma.
Text Ref: Perge Museum
The Cathedral of Palermo is one of the most characteristic monuments of the city: visiting it is like leafing through a history book of Sicily.
It is the main place of worship in the city of Palermo and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its highly original mix of styles, with elements of Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Catalan and Gothic art, is a direct consequence of the presence of multiple populations that, over the centuries, have alternated on Sicilian soil.
The style of the twelfth century prevails over all, the Norman one, although the appearance of the church as we see it today is due to modifications and additions from the eighteenth century.
A highly suggestive experience is the visit of the roofs of the Cathedral, thanks to which it is possible to discover the artistic and architectural elements of the external walls of the monument and admire Palermo from above.
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Like North Falls further upstream, Middle North Falls has certain characteristics which one could argue give it an edge when comparing it to the park's main attraction, South Falls. Despite being considerably shorter, Middle North Falls is a markedly amorphous waterfall which changes physical shape in a very dramatic way as the volume of water in North Silver Creek changes. The 106 foot tall falls take the form of a narrow column of water during the summer months, funneled to perhaps 5 feet wide at most by a narrow runnel in the bedrock. With greater stream flow in the winter and spring months however, North Silver Creek sheets out across the 60-foot wide creek bed and turns the falls into a broad curtain of water, with part of the falls impacting on a twisting chute of basalt which then slides to join the more volumnous half of the creek in the plunge pool.
Middle North Falls is one of four waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park which features a trail which traverses behind the falling water. Unlike the other three, the trail leading behind Middle North Falls is a dead-end, constructed purely to allow access to additional views of the falls.
The Vujovic House is one of the most beautiful private objects in Cetinje. It was designed by the owner, self-taught architect Vlado Vujovic, and was erected in 1930. The house's style has characteristics of new renaissance with gothic elements. One of its most distinct features is the dome, which makes the house look like a smaller castle.
Sığacık is the coastal district of Seferihisar Town in İzmir, Turkey. It is located on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. The district as a whole preserves an overall outlook of a pleasant resort area bearing typical Aegean characteristics and it is estimated the population reaches the level of 150,000 people during the touristic season.
The Cathedral of Palermo is one of the most characteristic monuments of the city: visiting it is like leafing through a history book of Sicily.
It is the main place of worship in the city of Palermo and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its highly original mix of styles, with elements of Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Catalan and Gothic art, is a direct consequence of the presence of multiple populations that, over the centuries, have alternated on Sicilian soil.
The style of the twelfth century prevails over all, the Norman one, although the appearance of the church as we see it today is due to modifications and additions from the eighteenth century.
A highly suggestive experience is the visit of the roofs of the Cathedral, thanks to which it is possible to discover the artistic and architectural elements of the external walls of the monument and admire Palermo from above.
Birds of prey are fascinating and majestic animals. They can generally be defined as birds that feed on animals that they catch alive. Representatives of these two orders can be found almost everywhere in the world. Although these groups are distantly related, the behavioural and anatomical characteristics they share appear to be mainly the result of parallel evolution.
Peagna, frazione di Ceriale, fu dimora di antiche e nobili famiglie quali i Girardenghi, i Genta e gli Arduini. Caratteristico è il suo borgo medievale di cui troviamo notizie negli Statuti del 1288.
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Peagna, a hamlet of Ceriale, was home to ancient and noble families such as the Girardenghi, the Genta and the Arduini. Its medieval village, of which we find information in the Statutes of 1288, is very characteristic .
♫Haydn / Artur Balsam: Sonata No. 13 in G, Hob. XVI/6 - Allegro - ♫
An unmistakable bird with bold patterns, Black-necked swans are characteristic and majestic inhabitants of southern South Americas wetlands. They are easily distinguished by their immaculate white body feathers that contrast sharply with their velvety black head and neck. The bill is blue-gray in color and has a noticeable, double-lobed scarlet-colored knob, called a caruncle, at its base. The eyes are surrounded by a thin white line which goes along the sides of the head to the rear. Males and females are similar in appearance, though females are generally slightly smaller. The juvenile does not have a caruncle, and has a head and neck that is more brownish-black, with varying amounts of brownish-tipped and grayish-flecked feathers.The Black-necked swan inhabits southern South America, from Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands northwards to Paraguay, central Chile, and southern Brazil. It lives in a wide variety of freshwater and saline habitats such as shallow coastal regions along the Pacific Ocean, estuaries, inland lakes, lagoons, and marshes. Particularly important are places that are rich with submerged aquatic vegetation.
Gynandromorphism occurs when an organism has both male and female characteristics. They can be "bilateral" in which one side is female and the other male or "mosaic" in which there is a blending of traits throughout the organism. The mosaic form is much rarer.
Last year I was hiking the trails in Elkridge, Maryland and saw several Zabulon Skippers nectaring on some thistle in peak bloom. I walked closer and saw a skipper that I did not recognize. It’s funny how your brain tries to process what you are seeing for the first time. It took me a few seconds to figure out that this butterfly was, in fact, a Zabulon Skipper. But what a skipper it was! It had both male and female characteristics. I have seen rare gynandromorph photos of Swallowtail butterflies with one side female and the other male but this one showed a blending of traits throughout. For example, the underside of a normal Zabulon male skipper is yellow orange with several small brown spots and the female is dark brown and purple gray with a white-edged coastal margin. This one showed the dark brown color and white-edge of the female along with the yellow orange markings of the male. I have never seen anything quite like it. I started taking photos from all angles.
Upon returning home, I emailed Harry Pavulaan, a world-renowned butterfly expert and friend, with photos of my find. Harry’s response, "In a nutshell: WOW. Gynandromorphs, in this case a mosaic gynandromorph, usually are only noticed in Swallowtails and species where males and females look quite different. But what makes this one yet more significant is that it’s a skipper. I have never seen or heard of a skipper with mosaic gynandromorph features. You may be the first to document this, though it’s possible there are older reports of bilateral gynandromorphs out there."
After later investigations and subsequent emails, it turns out that this Zabulon Skipper may be the only North American Skipper ever documented with mosaic gynandromorphism.
A short article appeared in the "Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey, Volume 10 Number 2, April 20, 2022" (Pages 9-10). If you are interested, the article has more photos of this amazing butterfly, and the link is below:
lepsurvey.carolinanature.com/ttr/ttr-10-2.pdf
Explored October 22, 2022
The land between rivers Lek and Merwede is a fantastic area to discover by foot, bike, boat, skate or boat. The Alblasserwaard polders are filled with windmills in a characteristic Dutch landscape which reminds us to the fact that this land is below sea-level
In the Alblasserwaard polders there are many trails by foot, skate or bike. Many interesting places can be visited like pittoresque Nieuwpoort, local history museum 'de Koperen Knop', the many cheesefarms and offcourse the world famous Kinderdijk windmills.
Dipper - Cinclus Cinclus
aka Water Ouzel
Double Click to view
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.
They have a characteristic bobbing motion when perched beside the water, giving them their name. While under water, they are covered by a thin, silvery film of air, due to small bubbles being trapped on the surface of the plumage.
Dippers are found in suitable freshwater habitats in the highlands of the Americas, Europe and Asia. In Africa they are only found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. They inhabit the banks of fast-moving upland rivers with cold, clear waters, though, outside the breeding season, they may visit lake shores and sea coasts.
The high haemoglobin concentration in their blood gives them a capacity to store oxygen greater than that of other birds, allowing them to remain underwater for thirty seconds or more, whilst their basal metabolic rate is approximately one-third slower than typical terrestrial passerines of similar mass. One small population wintering at a hot spring in Suntar-Khayata Mountains of Siberia feeds underwater when air temperatures drop below −55 °C (−67 °F).
Dippers are completely dependent on fast-flowing rivers with clear water, accessible food and secure nest-sites. They may be threatened by anything that affects these needs such as water pollution, acidification and turbidity caused by erosion. River regulation through the creation of dams and reservoirs, as well as channelization, can degrade and destroy dipper habitat.
Dippers are also sometimes hunted or otherwise persecuted by humans for various reasons. The Cyprus race of the white-throated dipper is extinct. In the Atlas Mountains dippers are claimed to have aphrodisiacal properties. In parts of Scotland and Germany, until the beginning of the 20th century, bounties were paid for killing dippers because of a misguided perception that they were detrimental to fish stocks through predation on the eggs and fry of salmonids.
Population:
UK breeding:
6,200-18,700 pairs
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Hepatic Tanager is the most widely distributed Piranga tanager, ranging from the southwest United States south to northern Argentina. Its English name is based on the liver-red color of the adult male from the northern part of the species' range; however, its scientific name, flava, meaning "yellow," derives from the original description, which is based on a female from Paraguay. These names reflect both a characteristic of the genus Piranga, marked sexual dichromatism, and the broad range of coloration, habitat, and behavior encompassed within the Hepatic Tanager as currently recognized.
Even though the Hepatic Tanager is currently considered one species, much evidence, including a recent study of molecular genetics, indicates that up to 3 species could be recognized, corresponding to the 3 groups of subspecies combined long ago. These groups and their respective species names are the Hepatic Tanager (P. hepatica) of montane pine-oak forests from the southwestern United States to Nicaragua, the Tooth-billed Tanager (P. lutea) of forest edges in foothills and mountains from Costa Rica to northern and western South America, and the Red Tanager (P. flava) of open woodlands of eastern and southeastern South America.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/...
Coucher de soleil à Saint-Raphael
A 65 km de l’aéroport de Nice Côte d’Azur, située entre Cannes et Saint-Tropez, Saint-Raphaël est une station du littoral méditerranéen implantée au pied du superbe massif de l’Estérel. La ville de Saint-Raphaël, dont le centre-ville est en bordure de mer, se divise en différents quartiers, véritables sites touristiques qui présentent tous leurs caractéristiques et leur personnalité : la vieille ville, le centre-ville, les ports, Valescure, Boulouris, Le Dramont, Agay, Anthéor et le Trayas.
65 km from #Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, located between #Cannes and Saint-Tropez, Saint-Raphaël is a resort on the Mediterranean coast at the foot of the superb #Esterel mountains. The city of Saint-Raphaël, whose city center is by the sea, is divided into different districts, real tourist sites that have all their characteristics and their personality: the old city, the city center, the ports, #Valescure, #Boulouris, #Dramont, #Agay, #Anthéor and #Trayas.
#cotedazurfrance #cotedazur #frenchriviera #sunset #sunsetlovers #sunsetphotography #sunrise #sunriseoftheday #picoftheday #photooftheday #hello_france #tourisme #travel #visitvar #saintraphael #saintraphaël #jmlpyt #photography #explore_regionsud
#visitfrance #visitlafrance
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
♂️ Piranga flava, now Piranga lutea
(Tooth-billed Tanager / Cardenal Montañero)
Hepatic Tanager is the most widely distributed Piranga tanager, ranging from the southwest United States south to northern Argentina. Its English name is based on the liver-red color of the adult male from the northern part of the species' range; however, its scientific name, flava, meaning "yellow," derives from the original description, which is based on a female from Paraguay. These names reflect both a characteristic of the genus Piranga, marked sexual dichromatism, and the broad range of coloration, habitat, and behavior encompassed within the Hepatic Tanager as currently recognized.
Even though the Hepatic Tanager is currently considered one species, much evidence, including a recent study of molecular genetics, indicates that up to 3 species could be recognized, corresponding to the 3 groups of subspecies combined long ago. These groups and their respective species names are the Hepatic Tanager (P. hepatica) of montane pine-oak forests from the southwestern United States to Nicaragua, the Tooth-billed Tanager (P. lutea) of forest edges in foothills and mountains from Costa Rica to northern and western South America, and the Red Tanager (P. flava) of open woodlands of eastern and southeastern South America.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/...
The Cape Buffalo is the largest sub-species of the African Buffalo. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head referred to as a "boss". It is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous animals on the African continent, and according to some estimates it gores, tramples, and kills over 200 people every year.
The African Buffalo is not an ancestor of domestic cattle and is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Its unpredictable temperament may have been part of the reason that the African buffalo has never been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the water buffalo. Natural predators of adult African buffaloes include lions, hyenas, large crocodiles and humans. (Wikipedia)
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker sitting on the buffalo's head is a bulbul-sized olive-brown bird that sports a diagnostic red-tipped yellow bill, a red eye without an eye-wattle, and a pale buff rump. Small groups occur in savanna and farmland, where they require large wild ungulates and domestic stock to forage on; they clamber agilely over host mammals, gleaning ticks, mites and other ectoparasites, and occasionally drinking host blood. As they fly between large mammals, they give a distinctive sizzling-crackle call. (eBird)
Queen Elizabeth II National Park, Uganda. February 2017.
Das Sony Center ist ein Bauensemble am Potsdamer Platz im Berliner Ortsteil Tiergarten des Bezirks Mitte, das von dem Architekten Helmut Jahn gestaltet wurde. Der Architekt Helmut Jahn, Geschäftsführer des Chicagoer Büros Murphy/Jahn, hat mit dem Sony Center einen Komplex mit sieben Gebäuden auf einem rund 26.000 m² großen Grundstück im Bezirk Mitte entworfen, die Bauzeit betrug drei Jahre. Bereits am 20. Januar 2000 wurde der Entertainmentbereich des Centers eröffnet, die Eröffnung des gesamten Komplexes fand dann am 14. Juni 2000 statt. Angeordnet in einer charakteristischen dreieckigen Form bietet das Sony Center Platz für eine Kombination aus Arbeiten, Wohnen und Unterhaltung.
The Sony Center is a building ensemble on Potsdamer Platz in the Tiergarten district of Berlin, which was designed by the architect Helmut Jahn. With the Sony Center, the architect Helmut Jahn, managing director of the Chicago office Murphy/Jahn, designed a complex with seven buildings on a plot of around 26,000 m² in the Mitte district. The construction period was three years. The entertainment area of the center was opened on January 20, 2000, and the opening of the entire complex took place on June 14, 2000. Arranged in a characteristic triangular shape, the Sony Center offers space for a combination of working, living and entertaining.
Website: roquesgallery-photography.co/
The Cathedral of Palermo is one of the most characteristic monuments of the city: visiting it is like leafing through a history book of Sicily.
It is the main place of worship in the city of Palermo and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its highly original mix of styles, with elements of Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Catalan and Gothic art, is a direct consequence of the presence of multiple populations that, over the centuries, have alternated on Sicilian soil.
The style of the twelfth century prevails over all, the Norman one, although the appearance of the church as we see it today is due to modifications and additions from the eighteenth century.
A highly suggestive experience is the visit of the roofs of the Cathedral, thanks to which it is possible to discover the artistic and architectural elements of the external walls of the monument and admire Palermo from above.
Whilst not the biggest of the major glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park, Spegazzini Glacier is a hugely impressive sight, if for no other reason than the sheer size of its wall, which can tower as high as 135 metres (440 feet).
The Spegazzini glacier is one of the bordering glaciers between Argentina and Chile after the Agreement to specify the route of the limit from Mount Fitz Roy to Cerro Daudet in 1998 . The lower section of the glacier is located in Argentina, in the Lago Argentino department of the Santa Cruz province . Its source is in Chile, in the province of Último Esperanza in the Magallanes region . It is protected by the Bernardo O'Higgins and Los Glaciares National Parks.
It has an area of 134 km² and an average width of 1.5 km . The glacier originates from the South Patagonian ice field and flows eastward, reaching the Spegazzini arm of Lake Argentino . Its main characteristic is the great height of its front, which reaches 135 m, making it the highest in Los Glaciares National Park and one of the most important. The vegetation around it produces a marked contrast of colors, produced by glacier erosion, humidity, wind and the sun.
It owes its name to the botanist Carlos Luis Spegazzini , who was the first to study the local flora.
The glacier is fed by the Mayo Norte and Peineta glaciers. In addition, it has the peculiarity of not showing signs of retreat, which is a phenomenon common to large glaciers.
📍 Los Glaciares National Park, El Calafate, Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers. Jasmine can be either deciduous (leaves falling in autumn) or evergreen (green all year round), and can be erect, spreading, or climbing shrubs and vines. Their leaves are borne in opposing or alternating arrangement and can be of simple, trifoliate, or pinnate formation. The flowers are typically around 2.5 cm in diameter. They are white or yellow in color, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish. The flowers are borne in cymose clusters with a minimum of three flowers, though they can also be solitary on the ends of branchlets. Each flower has about four to nine petals, two locules, and one to four ovules. They have two stamens with very short filaments. The bracts are linear or ovate. The calyx is bell-shaped. They are usually very fragrant. The fruits of jasmines are berries that turn black when ripe. Jasmines are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Eurasia, Australasia and Oceania, although only one of the 200 species is native to Europe. Their center of diversity is in South Asia and Southeast Asia. A number of jasmine species have become naturalized in Mediterranean Europe. For example, the so-called Spanish jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum) was originally from West Asia and Indian subcontinent, and is now naturalized in the Iberian peninsula. Jasminum fluminense (which is sometimes known by the inaccurate name Brazilian Jasmine and Jasminum dichotomum (Gold Coast Jasmine) are invasive species in Hawaii and Florida. Jasminum polyanthum, also known as White Jasmine, is an invasive weed in Australia. 19565
Two konik horse foals which live free in a large natural reserve. These adorable two were playing together very close to us, and it was such a joy to watch them. In the background you see the characteristical landscape at the North Sea Coast of Schleswig-Holstein.
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Its characteristic teetering motion has earned the Spotted Sandpiper many nicknames. Among them are teeter-peep, teeter-bob, jerk or perk bird, teeter-snipe, and tip-tail.
This Mama White Tail Deer is taking in the view as its twin fawns wait and do their thing just looking cute while they wait. -
The deer's coat is a reddish-brown in the spring and summer and turns to a grey-brown throughout the fall and winter.
The White Tail Deer can be recognized by the characteristic white underside to its tail. It raises its tail when it is alarmed to warn the predator that it has been detected. An indication of a deer age is the length of the snout and the color of the coat, with older deer tending to have longer snouts and grayer coats.
This was taken in Rockyview County, Alberta, Canada near Cochrane.
Odocoileus virginianus
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Diglossa cyanea (Masked Flowerpiercer / Picaflor enmascarado)
The masked flowerpiercer grows to a length of about 15 cm (6 in). The adult male is deep ultramarine blue with a dark mask. The beak is large, black, and upturned, with a characteristic hook on the tip of the upper mandible. The iris is bright red. The female is similar in appearance but altogether duller.
The masked flowerpiercer is endemic to the Andes in South America where its range extends from Venezuela and Colombia, through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. It inhabits montane forest, cloud forest, secondary forest, scrubby woodland and forest edges, at altitudes between about 2,000 and 3,500 m (6,600 and 11,500 ft).