View allAll Photos Tagged CLOSETONATURE
Sisters Rocks are a remarkable natural attraction located just outside of Stawell, a Victorian gold mining town in Australia.
Sisters Rocks form a huge cluster of massive granite boulders heaped in the bush alongside the Western Highway. These impressive rocks have captured the imagination of visitors for centuries.
Over the years, graffiti artists have left their mark on the rocks, decorating them with interesting pictures, slogans, and names. Opinions are divided—some see it as enhancing the attraction, while others feel it detracts from the natural beauty. Some of the graffiti even dates back to the 19th century, serving as a historical record.
Sisters Rocks were named after the three Levi sisters, who were among the area’s first settlers during the mid-1800s gold rush. To protect these unique granite formations, they were officially declared a protected area in the late 19th century, making them one of Australia’s earliest attempts at nature conservation.
The Northern Grampians Shire Council has taken significant steps toward reconciliation by agreeing to gift the site known as Sisters Rocks on the Western Highway near Stawell to the State of Victoria. This decision was made in consultation with the Barengi Land Council, which represents the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Jupagalk Peoples. The site holds immense cultural significance, with connections to creation stories and the wives of Bunjil, a creator in WJJWJ lore. By returning this land, the Council aims to protect its Aboriginal cultural heritage values and prevent vandalism or uses that conflict with those values and lore. The land will be secured for future generations of the WJJWJ Peoples. (According to COPILOT website)
This female magpie catches a worm / cocoon with the tip of her beak and flips it into her mouth...
This image is included in a gallery entitled "Stunning Bird Shots" curated by anandamoy chatterji.
This image is included in 6 galleries :- 1) "sunrise, sunset(2)" curated by Jenny Pansing, 2) "Excellent inspirational work" by steve wilkinson, 3) "Levers et couchers du soleil...#14" by Impatience_1, 4) "Mes coups de coeurs N°17. My favourites N°17." by cpenotgiraudeau, 5) "2020 03 30 Fahrradbote" by BAKAWI and 6) "Wonderful Landscapes and seascapes 3" by Glass Angel.
This image was taken upon my fifth visit to Red Bluff. It was a windless evening, Half Moon Bay was peaceful and calm. There were just enough clouds to put on a spectacular sunset.
Located in Black Rock, about 19 km from Melbourne, Red Bluff is a high (over 25 m), active cliff cut in poorly consolidated clayey sands, with harder sandstone beds forming a series of irregular ledges and benches at the base. The greater part of the cliff is an exposure of the Red Bluff Sand, this site being the type locality for that geological formation. (Sourced from Victorian Resources Online)
(Not explored)
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Canyons (cañones)" curated by Runa 59 and 2) "Arizona • Utah • New Mexico" by Humble Christ Follower.
The Grand Canyon (Hopi: Ongtupqa; Yavapai: Wi:kaʼi:la, Navajo: Tsékooh Hatsoh, Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon. (Wikipedia)
This was viewed from Mather Point, which is on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here, the sun rises just to the left of a pointed butte named Vishnu Temple, which lies on the North side of the river northeast of Shoeshoe Point.
Selected as "Photo of the Week" in NATURE'S GOLDEN CAROUSEL week 23 23/08/2019.
At low tide, sand dune ripples, star-fishes and other small features are exposed. A black dog happens to splash itself into the scene...
This is the other side of St Kilda Beach that I frequently roam. The St Kilda Pier is on the left hand side. Masts of yachts and boats are achored on the top left and the cityscape is in the top right distance. The abandoned bridge structure is a favourite perch for gulls and cormorants etc.
This image is included in gallery "mare 4" curated by Grisu.
The last couple of weeks or so the weather around Banksia Park Cherry Grove have been warm and wet, Spring has sprung early. The two remaining weeping cherry trees are near full bloom. A few cherry trees perished during the floodings last year.
This image is included in 2 galleries:- 1 "Nature's Bugs" curated by Tam Carney and 2) "Macro, Closer and Closer Photography" by Allard Coenen (Trampelman).
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'Bridge Falls'
Found this little bridge with the river running underneath up in the mountains in the Glens Of Antrim.
The flow of the river that day was pretty heavy and could happily have sat there all day just listening to it. I personally don't think there is anything better than being so close to nature and appreciating it.
Hope you like and as always please feel free to like, comment and or share my images.
Or if you would like to purchase any of my images please visit www.amandawadephotography.com
'The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world.' Georges Simenon
This image is included in a gallery "Stunning Birds Shots" curated by anandamoy chatterji.
Mr Kookaburra just blinks !!!
This image is included in a gallery "La Planète des oiseaux (207)" curated by Laval Roy.
Straw-necked ibises are large birds, around 59–76 cm (23–30 in) long, with a bare black head and a long, downcurved black bill. They have a distinctive, highly iridescent plumage, which can appear fairly uniform dirty dark brown in indifferent light; the wings are dark, with an iridescent, multicoloured sheen in sunlight. They have a shiny blue-black back, with a metallic purple, green and bronze glow, and a dark collar. The upper neck is white, as are the underparts and the undertail; their legs are usually red near the top and dark grey toward the feet. Adults have straw-colored feathers on the neck, giving the bird its common name. Their wingspan is about 100–120 cm (39.5–47 in) and weight is generally 1.1–1.5 kg (2.5–3.5 lb). (Wikipedia).
This couple met at a flower hedge, and started spiralling up soon afterwards. I felt privileged to watch the pair of little Cabbage Whites flutter and shimmer against a clear blue sky.
This series has been taken on a cloudless Autumn afternoon within a second or 2. This is a very heavily cropped image.
This image is included in a gallery "EL MARAVILLOSO MUNDO DE LOS ANIMALES LCXXX." curated by Lagarto (miguelitoiglesias21).
This couple met at a flower hedge, and started spiralling up soon afterwards. I felt privileged to watch the pair of little Cabbage Whites flutter and shimmer against a clear blue sky.
This series has been taken on a cloudless Spring afternoon within a second or 2.
IMG_0767 #TIMETRAVEL #RECOLLECTIONS #CLICKNWALK #NOFILTER #ONTHEGO #HEREANDTHERE #QUICSHOT #KODAK #EASYSHARE #FUNTIME #CLOSETONATURE #MEANWHILEINCANADA
This image is included in a gallery "PAISAJISTICA" curated by A.R.R.E.
St Kilda Pier has been the centre of recreational activity in St Kilda since the 1850s. Both the old shed at the pier entrance and the pavilion at the end are part of Victoria's heritage.
St Kilda Pier's History dates back to 1853 when the St Kilda Pier and Jetty Company constructed a wooden jetty to assist the early settlers in unloading timber, building materials and firewood to St Kilda. Not long after its construction the small jetty fell victim to a stormy Port Phillip Bay and was washed away. Various forms of piers were constructed at St Kilda in the 1800s as the demand for a larger pier grew with the ever increasing trade to and from the area. Since then the St Kilda Pier has grown to its present size, with the most recent concrete section constructed in the 1970s.
The historic St Kilda Pier Kiosk was built in 1904 and has undergone several renovations in its time. Tragically, the Kiosk was devastated by fire on September 11, 2003. Original drawings from 1904 were used as the basis for the kiosk's reconstruction in 2005 and now a new era has begun for the kiosk. The St Kilda Kiosk has become a symbol of St Kilda, a place of seaside fun, relaxation and romance. In many ways it offers the same simple pleasures. So take your time to look around and reflect.
A quiet Winter morning, the bay is as still as a pond, the mild sun is trying to shine through thick clouds and mist, even seagulls are lazy to show up.
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "into the night - in die nacht - dans la nuit - out of the dark ..." curated by Matthias Huber and 2) "Sunset/Sunrise 24(702)" by DAN VARTANIAN.
HMVS Cerberus (Her Majesty's Victorian Ship), shown here in silhouette, is a breastwork monitor that served in the Victoria Naval Forces, the Commonwealth Naval Forces (CNF), and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1871 and 1924. Built for the colony of Victoria under the supervision of Charles Pasley, Cerberus was completed in 1870, and arrived in Port Phillip in 1871, where she spent the rest of her career. The monitor was absorbed into the CNF following Federation in 1901, and was renamed HMAS Cerberus when the navy became the RAN in 1911. By World War I, Cerberus' weapons and boilers were inoperable; the ship served as a guardship and munitions store, while carrying the personnel of the fledgling Royal Australian Naval College on her paybooks.
In 1921, the ship was renamed HMAS Platypus II, and tasked as a submarine tender for the RAN's six J-class submarines. In 1924, the monitor was sold for scrap, and was sunk as a breakwater off Half Moon Bay, which is about 19 km south east of Melbourne. The wreck became a popular site for scuba diving and picnics over the years, but there was a structural collapse in 1993. There have been several campaigns to preserve the ship (one of which is ongoing), as she is one of the last monitors, the only surviving ship of the Australian colonial navies, and one of only two surviving ships in the world with Coles turrets. (Sourced from Wikipedia)
I opened up my blinds to see the sunset the other night and I saw this praying mantis moving around on the window, so I rushed to get my camera, and it aligned itself perfectly with the setting sun.
BTW not Photoshop
Also for those who do not get the title look it up on google, or yahoo, etc.
24/52
This image is included in a gallery "Stunning and thrilling shots of horizons and skylines 347 photos" curated by frankie veldhoen.
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is a jagged range of more than
70 knifelike peaks in eastern China’s Anhui province. The region's low-hanging clouds, distinctively shaped granite rocks and twisted pine trees have been subjects of numerous classical paintings and poems. Cable cars provide access to several peaks, and steep paved trails with thousands of stone steps snake past many of the range's famous viewpoints. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations. Bright Top is one of the good places for viewing sunrises and sunsets.
黃山位於中國安徽省南部黃山市境內。黃山古稱黟山，南北長約40千米，東西寬約30千米。黃山素以「奇松、怪石、雲海、溫泉」四絕聞名天下。那72峰、24溪、2湖、3瀑，峰峰奇特，溪溪曲折、極盡天下山水之美，更聚名山大川之勝。黃山最高峰是蓮花峰，海拔1860米 ，位 於黃山中部、站在玉屏樓向前望去, 猶如一朵含苞初放的蓮花, 峻峭高聳, 仰天怒放。晴天從蓮花峰頂可遙見江西的廬山和似帶的長江。黃山三大主峰之一的天都峰，與蓮花峰爭雄對峙。它位於黃山東南部，人稱無上之「都會, 海拔1829米、從玉屏樓至天都峰約15千米，其間有黃山最險峻的峰嶺，峰上的石樓，坡度都在70度以上；尤以中途的鯽魚背最險。黃山上觀日出的地點很多, 尤以光明頂最負盛名。
Frosone / Hawfinch/ Coccothraustes coccothraustes
(from my window!)
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The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Currently there are eight apostles left but the name remains significant and spectacular especially in the Australian tourism industry. The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh and extreme weather conditions from the South Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks were the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles.
On a fine day with mild sunshine and gentle breezes, sea gulls may circle around those stacks and even come close to greet you. On another cold, miserable day, strong gusts and showers may howl and test your determination whether to quit or stay on to witness the grandeur of Nature at work.
This image was taken shortly after sunset, on a relative mild day.
This image is included in 2 galleries:- 1) "beauty 2" curated by Fairy Duff and 2) "Best of Australia and Tasmania" by Radoslav Besenyi.
The Three Sisters is the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark. Located at Echo Point Katoomba, around 2.5 kilometres from the Great Western Highway, this iconic visitor attraction is experienced by millions of people each year.
The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone.
The character of the Three Sisters changes throughout the day and throughout the seasons as the sunlight brings out the magnificent colours. The Three Sisters is also floodlit until around 11pm each evening looking simply spectacular set against the black background of the night sky.
Each of the Three Sisters stand at 922, 918 & 906 metres tall, respectively. They are actually over 3000 feet above sea level! The Wall of Kings is in the far left while Mount Solitary is just not far beyond to the right.
The Legend is that " The Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe.
These beautiful young ladies had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.
The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a major tribal battle.
As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed. As only he could reverse the spell to return the ladies to their former beauty, the sisters remain in their magnificent rock formation as a reminder of this battle for generations to come.
(Sourced from BluemountainsAustralia.com.au)
This image is included in a gallery "Nature Abounds..." curated by Kathy (kfocean01).
A stone throw's distance before reaching the 12 Apostles is a sightseeing stopoff called Gibson Steps. Reaching the beach surface via 86 steps, two huge limestone stacks, referred to as Gog and Magog by locals, are towering into the sky at an arm's length. Surveying these stacks at such a close distance, visitors are easily "dwarfed" if not enthralled.
Gog and Magog are names that appear in the Old Testament and in numerous subsequent works, including the Book of Revelation and the Qur'an, sometimes indicating individuals and sometimes lands and peoples. Sometimes, but not always, they are connected with the "end times", and the passages from the Book of Ezekiel and Book of Revelation in particular have attracted attention for this reason.
Gibson Steps --- originally built by the Aborigines, subsequently maintained by Hugh Gibson of the Glenample Homestead, are a steep and slippery flight of rocky steps, giving access to a wild, kelp-covered beach beneath the 70 metre cliff. According to Alison Dods of Parks Victoria, Gog is the male and the larger stack, whereas the smaller one is Magog and is the female.
From this camera angle, only Gog is visible; Magog is being obscured by Gog. Beyond the stacks is Indian Ocean.
This image is included in 5 galleries :- 1) "Beauties with Wings-6" curated by V. Vasant Kumar, 2) "Brilliant Birds 2" by Chiradeep,, 3) "Feathered Creatures IV" by Annette LeDuff, 4) "Gifted With Flight" by Lena Dezaneka and 5) "EL MARAVILLOSO MUNDO DE LOS ANIMALES LCXXXIII.THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ANIMALS LCXXXVL." by Lagarto (miguelitoiglesias21).
The galah (/ɡəˈlɑː/; Eolophus roseicapilla), less commonly known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is an Australian species of cockatoo and the only member of the genus Eolophus. The galah is adapted to a wide variety of modified and unmodified habitats and is one of Australia's most abundant and widespread bird species. The species is endemic to mainland Australia. It was introduced to Tasmania, where it is now widespread, in the mid-19th century[6] and much more recently to New Zealand.