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Self-collected Calyx and stem of Hexacrinites humei. Story of its identification via flickr is in the comments below.
Good reason to keep visiting Enterprise, NWT. Stop at Winnie's Gift Store, say "hi" to Winnie for me and ask for directions to the Devonian fossil reef.
DSC_0290GPPstrtn1CEhgh
taken inside the Museé d'art et d'histoire Baron Gerard
For maximum effect, click the image, to go into the Lightbox, to view at the largest size; or, perhaps, by clicking the expansion arrows at top right of the page for a Full Screen view.
Don't use or reproduce this image on Websites/Blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
© All Rights Reserved - Jim Goodyear 2017.
Collected and delivered this PTO driven corn dryer( teagle thermo blast) it had not beeen used for 14 years with in 30 mins at new home it was working .
While the host is away the Epeolus will play. This is E. autumnalis, collected by Jessica Rykken in Massachusetts. It does not gather pollen. Rather, the female sneaketh into the nest of a Colletes while it is out gathering more food and inserts its egg into the wall of the nest. Later the egg hatches and the larva slaughters the host egg or larvae and if more than one little parasite is in the nest, well the last to survive the fight wins. It would make an excellent soap opera. Kelly Graninger took the picture.
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All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200
Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats
You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:
Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Marylandhttp://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf
Basic USGSBIML set up:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY
USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4
PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:
ftp://ftpext.usgs.gov/pub/er/md/laurel/Droege/How%20to%20Take%20MacroPhotographs%20of%20Insects%20BIML%20Lab2.pdf
Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:
plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU
Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:
Contact information:
Sam Droege
sdroege@usgs.gov
301 497 5840
Collected by Noel Pavlovic who provides these tidbits. Larinus planus, a biocontrol weevil, for Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) that is infesting the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). At the Indiana Dunes, it only infested late blooming flowers, but in Wisconsin it infests 40% of the heads and destroys a large substantial portion of the seeds. We are wishing to understand better the impacts of the three weevils on the demography of Pitcher's thistle. Photographed by Amber Reese.
Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile
Collected the Blinds from the London Bus Museum today , just need a working bus to fit them to now....
Often referred to as the most photographed house in Central Oregon. The following description and history was collected and written by Theresa L Peterson, not myself.
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The History of the Charles E Nelson House of Dufur, Oregon
copyright - Theresa L Peterson - all rights reserved.
The "Nelson" house is arguably the most photographed house in Central Oregon, certainly in Wasco County. It takes the viewer by surprise when it comes in to view, sitting alone in a little swale along Emerson Loop Road, beaten and tattered to the point of collapse, but still somehow it remains standing. Even in its precarious position it is still stately . Out of place in the middle of a wheat field but yet it belongs, as a testament to the past.
There is definitely something special about this particular house that makes it much different than the dozens of other abandoned homes in the Dufur area that were built by homesteaders that came and went at the turn of the 20th century. You know just by looking that it is still filled with the hopes and dreams of those who filled its rooms. Lured by promises of a better life, single men and families came by the thousands to Oregon and to the rolling hills south of The Dalles for free land. All they had to do was live on it for 5 years and show improvements and it was theirs. It seemed so easy but it was anything but. The successful ones were able to bear the incredibly hot dusty summers where the threat of a lightning storm often meant wildfires that would take their livelihood in minutes and cold, windblown winters that might lock them snowbound in their drafty homes for days if not longer, and kill their livestock. Many of their descendants still farm the hills near Dufur. Those that could not soon left for better climates, selling their homestead dreams to another dreamer or an established rancher who made the country work for him.
Perhaps it was this dream that made Robert Lowe (1858-1939) and his wife Isabella (Cochrane) Lowe select this plat of land to homestead. Both natives of Scotland, they came to America as small children and lived in Albany, NY where they met and Robert made his living as a boiler maker. They were married in 1882. Soon they started to dream of going west.
In 1892 Robert received the patent for the land the house sits on from the U.S. government. They started with nothing but the raw land and lived here until 1903 when they decided to give up their homestead and move to Portland where they lived until they passed. Both Robert and Isabella are buried in the River View Cemetery in Portland.
In 1903 Sylvester V. Mason and his wife Mary bought the homestead for $4500. Sylvester had moved from New York state as a single man to the area around 1900 and had already taken up farming. He soon found a wife and they moved in with their new born son, Nicholas and had a second son, Charles in 1906. They sold the property in 1906 and went on to build a large wheat operation near Boyd. Charles is buried in the Rice cemetery.
The next owners were looking for a different type of new beginning. James Leroy Holgate was from an old pioneer family of Oregon. Born in 1859 in Benton County Oregon he later moved to Junction City. In 1883 he married the first cousin of President Herbert Hoover, Clara Hoover, but in 1906 in what must have then been a scandal, he divorced his wife of 23 years and immediately married Anna Case. Anna had also divorced her husband and together the newlyweds suddenly had family of 7, with the children's ages ranging from 21 to 6 years. They got a mortgage for $5500 and started their new lives together. The house must have been bustling with activity. Sadly the happiness was cut short when Anna died in 1910 only 4 years after they moved in. James ,not letting any grass grow under his feet and a big brood to care for married again sometime before 1912. This time Hattie was her name. James and Hattie eventually moved to the Portland area. Details of what happened to the children are hard to find except for this interesting note. According to the book "History of Wasco County" by Wm. H. McNeal (1953), Bert, Anna's son, who was one of the children who moved in when she married, is buried on the property. He is not. He lived a long life, died in 1976 and is buried in the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Perhaps it is another child but it seems odd that their mother would be buried in a cemetery while the child would be buried on the ranch. We'll probably never know who or if anyone is buried there.
In 1912 James and new bride Hattie put the property under contract to William Fulton for $6000 and moved to The Dalles. Mr. Fulton paid $1200 and agreed to deliver the first 1/2 of all the crops of any kind to an agreed warehouse before Oct. 15th of each year until the balance was paid with 8% interest. Mr. Fulton also agreed to pay the taxes AND continue to insure the house for $2000. (So we know the house is standing as of 1912). As near as I can tell this contract was successfully completed in 1915..however there is warranty deed for the property dated in 1917 between William and A.B and Lizzie C Carlock of Multnomah County. Mr. Fulton paid $3795. for the property in this document. I have not been able to find any reference to Mr. and Mrs. Carlock buying the property . * I'm not sure if Holgate transferred the contract or lost it in a poker game...more research needed here. The Fulton's lived in the house and worked the land until 1926 when it became the birthplace of yet another family's dream. This time the new family stayed...for 78 years.
Long before Charles E Nelson handed over his $10 and "other good and valuable considerations" for the house and land on Emerson Loop, the seeds were sown and the roots ran deep for his love of the land near The Dalles. His grandparents, both of Wigtownshire, Scotland, James and Elizabeth Nelson had come America with their two youngest of 11 children, David Dalziel and daughter Janie, arriving in San Francisco in December of 1879. Wasting no time they came to The Dalles the following February where they claimed land on Dutch Flats. For a while they were the only settlers in this area, the only road being an old Indian trail and very rough terrain. They made a lasting home there and daughter Jane married William Harriman a rancher who later became a county commissioner. James and Elizabeth are both buried in the Eight Mile Cemetery.
Son David, married Joanna (Joan) Stewart in July of 1893 in the home of the bride at Mt. Hood Flat. She was also a native of Scotland and had moved with her parents to the area. They took over the farm on Dutch flat and had 3 children there, a son who died a birth and two daughters. They sold the farm and moved to a ranch on Emerson Loop Road. In the 1910 census they are shown with 5 children including 9 year old son Charles. Their neighbors, just down the road, are the newly married James and Anna Holgate and their collective children. Perhaps some of them were playmates to Charles. In the 1920 census, Charles is still working as a hand on his father's ranch but saving his money...and keeping an eye on the place down the road.
In 1926 Charles set his eyes upon Miss Ormaly Walton and was smitten. Before he made her his wife though he needed a place of his own, so in September of 1926 he bought the house that would later be known as the Nelson House. There is no way of knowing what the Other good and valuable considerations were in the contract but in any case Charles and his new bride would have a home to start their lives together in.
Charles and Orma were married in March of 1927 and moved in. There was 1 bedroom downstairs and 3 upstairs. Heat was created by a Globe Hot'nTot parlor stove in the front room of the house and a big Monarch cooking stove in the kitchen. There was also no insulation, no indoor plumbing and no electricity. Outside there was a barn for the cattle and the horses that Charles particularly enjoyed, a machine shed, wood shed and a chicken house. Water was supplied by the windmill that still stands today. There may have been a small Delco electrical system on the farm by 1930. In the 1930 census, the question "Do you have a radio?" is answered yes, but grid power didn't come for many years. Two daughters were born to the couple. Rosemary to whom we owe the wonderful details of the house and what it was like to live there and her younger sister Charlene. Rosemary was born in 1931 as the great depression began. It hit the area very hard and Charles worked not only his own land but other ranches in the area as well, often moving his young family with him. Rosemary went to the Fairfield School which was across the road from the house. She went there from 1st through 5th Grades. She was the only student in her grade and about 8 students in total at the school. Eventually students were sent to The Dalles and the school burned a few years later. The property the house sat on was a small acreage. Charles often rented other ranches to grow wheat and the family moved to the larger ranch to be with him. During WWII Charles cared for a neighbor's property while the owner's son was at war. After the war the family came home. In 1946 the REA finally came to the area and installed proper electricity. Joanna was excited and there was 2 things on her list that she wanted. A real refrigerator and an iron. The house still had no running water nor insulation. It was hot and dusty in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. In 1949 they left the house for the last time and it has remained empty since. Rosemary married and after the passing of her parents inherited the property and the house. Over the years the house has been often vandalized and used for midnight parties. It's location makes it very hard for the neighbors to watch over it. I asked her about the popularity of the house to photographers. She laughed and remarked how she wished she had a dollar for every time someone stopped to take a picture of it but she is glad people enjoy it. She sold the house and property in 2004 to the current owner and hasn't been back since but has fond memories of Dufur, the way of life there and the old house.
Who built the house? I'm betting on the Holgate's and a planned trip to the tax assessor should prove it out. He was a man of means and needed a big home for his many children. The architecture also fits with 1906 and in the following contract to Fulton he expressly required that the house be insured for $2000. A lot of money in 1912. It is called the Nelson house due to the longevity of the Nelson family's ownership. Ask a local resident for the Holgate or Fairfield house and you will get a blank stare. Ask for the Nelson house you will get an immediate response and directions.
So what is it about that house that draws everyone to it? To me it invited people in, strangely even in its condition it still does. It still expresses a promise of good things to come .
Theresa L Peterson 8/28/2015. I will update if more information comes to light.
Information for this article came from county and homestead deed records, grave records, published books on the history of Wasco county, family histories found on Ancestry.com and U.S. census records.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to the Wasco County Clerk's office who helped me sort through the deed records and lift the heavy books for me when my injured shoulder wouldn't let me. I would also like to thank the many new friends and descendants of the above mentioned families and neighbors who helped by allowing me to use family photos and by directing me to more information. Most of all I would like to thank the most lovely lady who called the grand old house her home. Thank you so much, Rosemary Nelson Wyatt. You made the house come alive with your vivid memories.
NOTES: Some people have put forth that this may have been a Sears "kit" house. I think it would be doubtful as this house is not in either the Sears nor Aladdin catalogs but only an inspection of the type of wood used inside would prove it out as those (and other Midwest companies) only shipped oak or pine not the fir that so many old homes had in them. Gordon-Van Tine Co was in Chehalis, Washington but didn't ship from there until after 1915.
*Per family lore J.L. was "pretty cantankerous and ....couldn't count cards either"
Åkersberga, 2019. Limited Edition of 5 prints
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Lake Viren, Åkersberga, Sweden.
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Found Materials
Lake water, reeds, pine bark minerals, sand.
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How do I do this??
Minute amounts of water, windfall samples - organic and mineral - are collected from the very landscape depicted within each picture - and chemically bonded with the film over 12 months. The result: a developed film and unedited, printed images that are somewhere between a classic photograph and a totally abstract image, depicting the interaction between fundamental chemical elements present at each place & time, representing a more visceral and literal experience of being present in landscapes in a constant state of natural or unnatural flux.
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(C) Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved. Process Patent Pending.
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******** Next Exhibition! ********
Keep watching for news on the next years upcoming exhibitions!
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See & browse more at www.michaelrawling.com/fine-art
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Saatchi Gallery: Buy this limited edition artwork from:
saatchigallery.michaelrawling.com/
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Or commission me via direct message.
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#instacool #instaart #film #modernart #35mm #artgallery #artcollector #chemical #art #artoftheday #filmsoup #alchemy #instagood #creative #contemporaryart #conceptualart #nophotoshop #nofilter #surreal #artwork #filmdestruction #experimentalfilm #landscape #artistsofinstagram #artistoninstagram #fineart #artist
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Macro series of rocks collected along the shorelines of Yakutat, Alaska. (A gift to me.) I don't know what any of them are, so help would be most appreciated identifying them.
Baer's pochard (Aythya baeri) is a diving duck found in eastern Asia. It is a resident bird in North and Central China, formerly bred in southeast Russia and Northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India. Baer's pochard is a monotypic species. The holotype was collected in middle Amur.
It has a distinctive black head and neck with green gloss not present elsewhere in Aythya. While in poor light, it is likely to look completely black. It is very similar and closely related to the ferruginous duck, and they were previously considered to be a single species; Baer's pochard is differentiated by its white flanks when floating on the water, as well as its larger size and longer, more rounded head.
Its breeding season varies by latitude and environment. The nest, built from sedges, reeds and other plants, is placed among emergent vegetation, usually in shallow water or on small islands or ridges. Its clutch size ranges from 5 to 14. Males usually take on sentry duty, and females take on the responsibility of incubating.
Baer's pochard was once a common species in its range, but is now very rare. The number of mature individuals may be less than 1,000, and its population is still declining. Hunting and habitat loss are considered to be the main reasons. This species has been classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, and listed as a first-class protected animal in China.
Taxonomy
Baer's pochard was first scientifically described in 1863 as Anas baeri by Gustav Radde in his book Reisen im Süden von Ost-Sibirien. The epithet and English common name commemorate the Baltic German naturalist Karl Ernst von Baer. It is also called eastern white-eye, Siberian white-eye, Baer's white-eye and green-headed pochard. The holotype was collected from a small flock in middle Amur during the breeding season. In 1929, when British ornithologist E. C. Stuart Baker studied the birds of British India, he treated Baer's pochard and ferruginous duck as conspecific. However, Chinese ornithologist Tso-hsin Cheng treated them as two distinct species, as they had breeding grounds which did not overlap, and he had seen no evidence of hybridisation. While the species was long thought to have arisen from eastern populations of the ferruginous duck, American ornithologist Paul Johnsgard says its behaviors suggest it may instead be more closely related to the hardhead.
American ornithologist Bradley Curtis Livezey published a phylogenetic study based on morphological data in 1996, in which he proposed his view on the relationship among Tribe Aythyini. Baer's pochard, ferruginous duck, hardhead and Madagascar pochard are classified in subgenus Nyroca (the "white-eyes"), intrasubgenus relationship is unclear, but the ferruginous duck was suggested to be the sister group of Baer's pochard. The subgenus Aythya (the "scapu", including New Zealand Scaup, ring-necked duck, tufted duck, greater scaup and lesser scaup) is the sister group of subgenus Nyroca. The subgenus Aristonetta (the "redheads", including the common pochard, canvasback and redhead) is the sister group of all other pochards.
Two molecular phylogenetic studies on Anseriformes or Anatidae were published in 2000s, some mitochondrial genes were sequenced, but Baer's pochard was absent in both of them. The mitochondrial genome of Baer's pochard was sequenced and published in 2021. Molecular phylogenetic studies determined the relationships among Baer's pochard and other closely related species:
Tribe. Aythyini
Aythya
Baer's pochard Aythya baeri
Tufted Duck A. fuligula
Common pochard A. ferina
Redhead A. americana
Netta
Red-crested pochard Netta rufina
Asarcornis
White-winged duck Asarcornis scutulata
Description
The Baer's pochard is 41–47 cm (16–19 in) long with a 70–79 cm (28–31 in) wingspan. The male is slightly larger, weighing on average 500–730 g (18–26 oz), wings lengthed 18.6–20.3 cm (7.3–8.0 in), tail at 53–60 mm (2.1–2.4 in), and culmen at 38–44 mm (1.5–1.7 in). Relatively, the female weighing on average 590–655 g (20.8–23.1 oz), wings lengthed 19.1–20.5 cm (7.5–8.1 in), tail at 51–64 mm (2.0–2.5 in), and culmen at 40–44 mm (1.6–1.7 in). Both male and female's tarsometatarsus lengthed 33–34.7 mm (1.30–1.37 in).
Breeding male has a black head and neck with green gloss, white or paler yellow eyes, blackish-brown back, dark chestnut breast, white or light chestnut flanks and a short and low tail. The green gloss on its head is unique among Aythya. While it is likely to look completely black in poor light. Female has a dark brown head and neck that blend into the chestnut-brown breast and flanks. Eclipse and first-winter male resembles female, but retain the white eyes, while female has brown eyes. Both male and female have wide white speculum feathers, white vent-side, dark-grey bill, black nail and dark-grey tarsometatarsus.
It is similar to its close relative, the ferruginous duck (A. nyroca), both have white vent-side and iris in males, black nail, and wide white speculum feathers. Although Baer's pochard is bigger, has a longer head, body and bill. Unlike the ferruginous duck's tall and triangular head, Baer's pochard has a more rounded head and a flatter forehead. The white part on the belly extends to its flanks in Baer's pochard, which is visible when floating on the water, while the ferruginous duck has a smaller white part on its belly. The female Baer's pochard has a distinctly bright chestnut spot at the lore, which is absent in ferruginous duck.
Baer's pochard is usually a quieter duck, but during its courtship display, both sexes give harsh graaaak. Females may give kura kura kura and males may give kuro kuro at other times.
Distribution
Baer's pochard traditionally bred in the Amur and Ussuri basins in Northeast China and the southeastern Russian Far East. In recent years, it has also colonised North China and Central China. It winters in most areas south of the Yellow River in China, Taiwan, Japan, Bangladesh, India, North Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, and occasionally appears in Bhutan, South Korea, Philippines or Pakistan as a rare vagrant. It leaves its wintering grounds by mid-March and returns to them by mid-October or early November.
The species has become extremely rare in its traditional breeding areas, and since 2010, there have been no confirmed breeding reports in all sites north of Beijing. However, the numbers recorded during the breeding season are smaller than those recorded in winter, so there may still be unknown breeding sites. For example, there are some doubtful breeding reports in the Chinese part of Lake Khanka, the Russian part of Lake Khasan, and the Muraviovka Park [ru]. Since 2012, new breeding sites have been discovered in several provinces of China, including Hebei, Hubei and Jiangxi; the latter two cities are far from traditional breeding sites in the Amur and Ussuri basins.[1] In these new breeding areas, warmer climate conditions provide a longer breeding season (about twice as long as in the Amur and Ussuri basins) which allows birds to lay a replacement clutch if their first clutch fails. Baer's pochard is no longer migratory in central and eastern China.
The wintering grounds have also contracted significantly in recent years. Since at least the winter of 2010-2011, Baer's pochard no longer winters in any site outside mainland China, except as a vagrant. In its wintering grounds in mainland China, the population has also declined severely, by more than 99%.
Behaviour and ecology
Baer's pochard is a shy species, that inhabit open, slow-flowing lakes, swamps and ponds. It breeds around lakes with rich aquatic vegetation, nesting in dense grass, flooded tussock meadows, or flooded shrubby meadows. In winter, it forms large flocks on large and open freshwater lakes and reservoirs with other pochards. It has strong wings, and can flyor walk at high speeds. It is also good at diving and swimming, and can quickly take off from the water when threatened or disturbed. In migrating season, they form small groups of more than 10 or dozens of birds, flying at low altitudes in wedge-shaped formations. During winter, Baer's pochard sleeps during the day, leaves for unknown feeding sites with other ducks in the dusk, and returns before dawn. Little is known about their diet beyond aquatic plants, grass seeds and molluscs.
Breeding
Baer's pochard appears to have a monogamous mating system, at least within a breeding season. In traditional breeding grounds in northeastern China, Baer's pochard gathers in gaps in the ice before it completely thawed. After the ice season, it gathers on the large, open lakes. They breed from mid-to-late May. While in Fuhe Wetland in Wuhan, Hubei, Baer's pochard gathers in large groups on the open lakes before breeding season. It is divided into small groups in mid-April, in which they will courting and mating. During courtship, the male swims around the female, repeatedly nods his head up and down. When other males approach, it swims toward them quickly to drive them away, but there is no violent fight between them. The female also nods her head in response. When the male approaches, the female straightens her neck and lowers her head to the water. He then climbs onto her body and bites her nape feathers to mate. After the mating, the male and female leave the flock for nesting.
Baer's pochard's nest is circular cylindrical, located among emergent vegetation, usually in shallow water or on small islands or ridges. The nest is made of sedges, reeds and other plants collected from the immediate vicinity, lined with a layer of down. Its clutch ranged from 5 to 14, with an average of 9.7. Males usually take on sentry duty at about 10 meters from the nest during hatching. Females leave the nest to forage 2–3 times a day, usually during 6:00-20:00, and lasted for 27–240 min. They cover the eggs with nest materials during forging, and place them onto their back when coming back. If water levels are elevated by heavy rainfall or human activity, females increase the height of the nest to avoid flooding. During the hottest days, females often stand on the nest and shelter eggs from the strong sunlight, whilst allowing circulation of air around them. Females also take water into their plumage and use it to cool the eggs. The incubation lasted for 23-26 days.
Studies have shown that the nest survival rate[note 3] of Baer's pochards is about 14–45%, and each clutch may lose one to nine eggs. About 20-30% of eggs hatched successfully, and 3–16 young fledged per nest. There are three major reasons contributing to the failure, including nest desertion (abandoned by parents), nest predation (mainly by Siberian Weasels) and flooding. The proportion of these causes varies among years. In addition, most of the breeding sites in Wuhan are Crayfish farms, the farming work and eggs collection may also be hindrances.
Biological interaction
Incomplete inter- and intra-specific brood parasitism were found in Baer's pochard. In Xianghai National Nature Reserve [zh], Baer's pochards could parasitize gadwall and common pochard, and may be parasitized by common pochard. In Wuhan, Baer's pochard shares breeding sites with cotton teal, eastern spot-billed duck and mallard. Interspecific brood parasitism was not observed. Intraspecific parasitic was found in Wuhan. If caught, the parasite will get attacked by the host.
Baer's pochard has hybridized with lesser scaup, common pochard, ferruginous duck, New Zealand scaup, chestnut teal and wood duck in captivity. Ferruginous duck was observed displaying to Baer's pochards several times in China and South Korea. Some individuals showed mixed characteristics of common, ferruginous and Baer's pochards, so they may be currently hybridising in the wild. The Baer's pochard has declined sharply in recent years, but the ferruginous and common pochard has expanded their breeding grounds, and even to the core areas of Baer's pochard's, which makes the hypothesis possible.
The research on its gut microbiota showed that the richest microorganism phyla of Baer's pochard are Bacillota, Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota, which were consistent with those of the domestic goose, duck and chicken. The gut microbiota in diarrheic Baer's pochard is low in diversity, and the species were also significantly different from healthy individuals. Most species in reduced numbers are thought to be intestinal beneficial bacteria.
Threats and protection
Baer's pochard was once a common species in its range, but is now very rare. Mature individuals may be less than 1,000. According to records in China, there were 16,792 wintering individuals from 1986/87 to 1992/93, but only 3,472 from 1993/94 to 1998/99, and only 2,131 from 2002/03 to 2010/11. Bangladesh had more than 3,000 in 1996, India had more than 1,400 in 1995 and 1997, Myanmar had about 500-1,000 in the 1990s, and 596 were counted in 1998 in Thailand. While by 1999/00-2004/05, only 719 were counted in all wintering grounds except China, and only 48 individuals in 2005/06-2010/11. In China, hunting and habitat loss were considered to be the main threats. From 336 to 4,803 pochards were hunted annually in Honghu, Hubei from 1981 to 1997; in areas near Rudong County, maybe 3,000 are hunted every year. The wintering grounds have been significantly changed due to water pollution, fishing management, changes in aquatic plants, and the changing ecology of many wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain. Factors in breeding and migrating grounds may also have contributed to its decline. The global decline shows no sign of slowing or stopping.
Baer's pochard was formerly classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. Recent research has shown that its numbers are decreasing more and more rapidly, and it was consequently uplisted to endangered status in 2008. In 2012, it was further uplisted to critically endangered. In 2014, the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) drafted the Baer's Pochard Task Force and it was endorsed in Jan 2015. Baer's pochard was listed as a first-class protected animal in China by 2021. In 2022, media reports state that the first captive population in China was established in the Beijing Zoo, with totally 54 individuals. It is planned to be further expanded and used for reintroduction.
A study published in 2022 showed that most breeding sites (81.8%) and suitable habitats (94%) are not located in protected areas, and overlap with large cities. Current protected areas may be less effective for the conservation under predicted global climate change, closely coordinated cross-border cooperation would be critical for Baer's pochard
In common with all other Vulcans, she was constructed by A V Roe & Co. at its Chadderton, and Woodford plants, and made her first flight, lasting 95 minutes, from Woodford on August 23rd, 1962. After four further test flights, XL426 was collected by an RAF crew and entered service with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton on September 13th, 1962.
The Scampton Wing (Nos. 27, 83 and 617 Squadrons) were at the time in the process of equipping with the Blue Steel stand-off missile. From September 1961, all aircraft delivered to these squadrons were specially modified to carry the new weapon, which was loaded, semi-recessed, in the Vulcan’s bomb-bay.
In 83 Squadron markings (MAP/E Taylor)In December 1962, Wing Commander (later Group Captain) John Slessor took over command of 83 Squadron from Wing Commander (later Air Commodore) Ray Davenport. John Slessor selected XL426 as his personal aircraft for his three-year tour, and she proudly bore the squadron commander’s pennant painted below her cockpit. On September 10th, 1963, whilst returning from Goose Bay, Canada, John Slessor flew XL426 to RAF Scampton in 4 hours 5 minutes - an unofficial record, pre-Concorde, for a crossing of the North Atlantic at that time.
In April 1964, the centralised servicing was introduced at RAF Scampton, meaning aircraft were no longer assigned to individual units, but instead were ‘pooled’ and assigned to squadrons on a day-by-day basis. XL426 was flown by all three squadrons of the Scampton Wing, which was now was fully operational with Blue Steel.
With the transfer of the nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy in 1969, Blue Steel was withdrawn and the Scampton squadrons were assigned to the tactical nuclear and conventional bombing roles.
Individual unit allocations were resumed in January 1971, and for the next 10 years, XL426 spent most of her time with 617 Squadron, although she also had brief spells with 27 Squadron and 230 Operational Conversion Unit, which had moved to RAF Scampton from RAF Finningley in December 1969.
In 1981, XL426 had the dubious distinction of being the 298th and last Vulcan to undergo a major service at RAF St Athan. Completion of the service was marked with a formal hand-over ceremony at which Air-Vice Marshal Richardson, RAF Support Command, and RAF Waddington’s Commanding Officer, Group Captain Warrington, both signed for the aircraft. Also present was Warrant Officer John ‘Bob’ Shillings, one of XL426’s first crew chiefs when she had entered service with 83 Squadron back in 1962.
617 Squadron disbanded at the end of 1981 and XL426 was transferred to 50 Squadron at RAF Waddington, making the short flight south to join her new unit on January 4th, 1982. 50 Squadron became the last Vulcan squadron, operating six aircraft as air-to-air tankers until the Vulcan was finally withdrawn from operational service in 1984. XL426 was not converted to a tanker, but was one of three Vulcans retained by the squadron as a B2 to act as a crew trainer, helping to take some of the weight of flying off the shoulders of the already overstretched tankers. She had also been used as a trials aircraft as part of the Vulcan tanker test programme in 1982. XL426 was one of four Vulcans that took part in the Falklands Victory Flypast over London on October 12th, 1982 (although XL426 herself had not played an active role in the war itself). On March 30th, 1984, XL426 had the ultimate accolade of performing 50 Squadron’s last display, in the hands of Squadron Leader Joe L’Estrange, at the squadron’s disbandment ceremony at RAF Waddington.
Withdrawal of the Vulcan from operational service did not, however, spell the end of XL426’s flying days. Very much aware of the Vulcan’s tremendous public relations appeal, and already committed to a number of air displays appearances in the upcoming 1984 season, XL426 was kept airworthy (along with XH560 in reserve) for air display purposes. The two aircraft formed what became known as the Vulcan Historical Flight (later the Vulcan Display Flight - VDF), staffed initially entirely by volunteers. Under the command of Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Bill Burnett, the Flight and XL426 gave their first display at No IX Squadron’s Standard Presentation Parade at RAF Honington on May 23rd, 1984.
The Flight went on to give more than 50 displays during the course of the 1984 season, and it was agreed to continue displaying XL426 into 1985. As the 1985 season progressed, a close eye was kept on XL426’s flying hours, as the time when she would require another major service was rapidly approaching. Plans were put in hand to replace her with another aircraft and, eventually, a replacement aircraft -XH558 - was found (retrieved from the fire dump at RAF Marham) and XL426 gave her final display at the RAF Coningsby Open Day on June 14th, 1986.
XL426 was put up for sale during the summer of 1986 and agreement was reached with a French consortium for her purchase. Meanwhile, the VDF was temporarily relocated to RAF Scampton to allow runway resurfacing to take place at Waddington, XL426 making the short flight back to her former home on July 27th. The French deal subsequently fell through and XL426 was sold to Roy Jacobsen, who had purchased another Vulcan (XM655) two years earlier. XL426 was delivered to her new owner at Southend Airport on December 19th, 1986, following a 20 minute flight from RAF Scampton. On arrival at Southend, XL426 had amassed 6236 hours flying time, having made over 1800 separate flights.
Roy Jacobsen had ambitious plans to operate XL426 as a civilian display aircraft, under the auspices of an organisation he had formed called the Vulcan Memorial Flight. XL426 was entered onto the British civil aircraft register as G-VJET and approaches were made to a number of potential sponsors. However, the sums required to carry out the necessary servicing work and finance the aircraft’s ongoing operation could not be found and XL426 remained dormant at Southend. In 1990, local enthusiasts formed the Vulcan Memorial Flight Supporters Club (VMFSC) to help promote Mr Jacobsen’s continuing efforts to return XL426 to the air, and to also take care of the aircraft’s continued preservation.
The VMFSC took over ownership of XL426 in July 1993 and subsequently re-formed as a registered charity, the Vulcan Restoration Trust.
DUBOURG-NOVES, P. (1964). Guyenne Romane. Zodiaque - La Nuit des Temps 31.
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Habakkuk, who was active around 612 BC, was a prophet whose oracles and prayer are recorded in the Book of Habakkuk, the eighth of the collected twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. He is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Almost all the information we have about Habakkuk is drawn from the book of the Bible bearing his name, with no biographical details provided other than his title, "the prophet". Outside the Bible, he is mentioned over the centuries in the forms of Christian and Rabbinic traditions, but these are dismissed by modern mainstream scholars as speculative and apocryphal.
Almost nothing is known about Habakkuk, aside from what few facts are stated within the book of the Bible bearing his name, or those inferences that may be drawn from that book. His name appears in the Bible only in Habakkuk 1:1 and 3:1, with no biographical details provided other than his title "the prophet." Even the origin of his name is uncertain.
For almost every other prophet, more information is given, such as the name of the prophet's hometown, his occupation, or information concerning his parentage or tribe. For Habakkuk, however, there is no reliable account of any of these. Although his home is not identified, scholars conclude that Habakkuk lived in Jerusalem at the time he wrote his prophecy. Further analysis has provided an approximate date for his prophecy and possibilities concerning his activities and background.
Beyond the Bible, considerable conjecture has been put forward over the centuries in the form of Christian and Rabbinic tradition, but such accounts are dismissed by modern scholars as speculative and apocryphal.
Because the book of Habakkuk consists of five oracles about the Chaldeans (Babylonians), and the Chaldean rise to power is dated circa 612 BC, it is assumed he was active about that time, making him an early contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah. Jewish sources, however, do not group him with those two prophets, who are often placed together, so it is possible that he was slightly earlier than these prophets.
Because the final chapter of his book is a song, it is sometimes assumed that he was a member of the tribe of Levi, which served as musicians in Solomon's Temple.
The name Habakkuk, or Habacuc,[b] appears in the Hebrew Bible only in Habakkuk 1:1 and 3:1. In the Masoretic Text, it is written in Hebrew: חֲבַקּוּק (Standard Ḥavaqquq Tiberian Ḥăḇaqqûq).[ This name does not occur elsewhere. The Septuagint transcribes his name into Greek as Ἀμβακοὺμ (Ambakoum), and the Vulgate transcribes it into Latin as Abacuc.
The etymology of the name is not clear, and its form has no parallel in Hebrew. The name is possibly related to the Akkadian khabbaququ, the name of a fragrant plant, or the Hebrew root חבק, meaning "embrace".
Tradition
Habakkuk appears in Bel and the Dragon, which is part of the deuterocanonical Additions to Daniel. Verses 33–39 state that Habakkuk is in Judea; after making some stew, he is instructed by an angel of the Lord to take the stew to Daniel, who is in the lion's den in Babylon. After proclaiming that he is unaware of both the den and Babylon, the angel transports Habakkuk to the lion's den. Habakkuk gives Daniel the food to sustain him, and is immediately taken back to "his own place".
Habakkuk is also mentioned in the Lives of the Prophets, which also mentions his time in Babylon.
According to the Zohar (Volume 1, page 8b) Habakkuk is the boy born to the Shunamite woman through Elisha's blessing:
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace (חבקת – hoveket, therefore Habakkuk) a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, [thou] man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
The only work attributed to Habakkuk is the short book of the Bible that bears his name. The book of Habakkuk consists of five oracles about the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and a song of praise to God.
The style of the book has been praised by many scholars,suggesting that its author was a man of great literary talent. The entire book follows the structure of a chiasmus in which parallelism of thought is used to bracket sections of the text.
Habakkuk is unusual among the prophets in that he openly questions the working of God (1:3a, 1:13b). In the first part of the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action: "O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?" (1:2, ESV).
Tombs
The final resting place of Habakkuk has been claimed at multiple locations. The fifth-century Christian historian Sozomen claimed that the relics of Habakkuk were found at Cela, when God revealed their location to Zebennus, bishop of Eleutheropolis, in a dream. Currently, one location in Israel and one in Iran lay claim to being the burial site of the prophet.
The burial place of Habakkuk is identified by Jewish tradition as a hillside in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, close to the villages Kadarim and Hukok, about six miles southwest of Safed and twelve miles north of Mount Tabor. A small stone building, erected during the 20th century, protects the tomb. Tradition dating as early as the 12th century AD holds that Habakkuk's tomb is at this location, but the tomb may also be of a local sheikh of Yaquq, a name related to the biblical place named "Hukkok", whose pronunciation and spelling in Hebrew are close to "Habakkuk". Archaeological findings in this location include several burial places dated to the Second Temple period.
A mausoleum southeast of the city of Tuyserkan in the west of Iran is also believed to be Habakkuk's burial place. It is protected by Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization. The Organization's guide to the Hamadan Province states that Habakkuk was believed to be a guardian to Solomon's Temple, and that he was captured by the Babylonians and remained in their prison for some years. After being freed by Cyrus the Great, he went to Ecbatana and remained there until he died, and was buried somewhere nearby, in what is today Tuyserkan. Habakkuk is called both Habaghugh and Hayaghugh by the Muslim locals.
The surrounding shrine may date to the period of the Seljuq Empire (11–12th century); it consists of an octagonal wall and conical dome. Underneath the shrine is a hidden basement with three floors. In the center of the shrine's courtyard is the grave where Habakkuk is said to be buried. A stone upon the grave is inscribed in both Hebrew and Persian stating that the prophet's father was Shioua Lovit, and his mother was Lesho Namit. Both Muslims and Jews visit it to pay their respects.
On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, his feast day is December 2. In the Roman Catholic Church, the twelve minor prophets are read in the Roman Breviary during the fourth and fifth weeks of November, which are the last two weeks of the liturgical year, and his feast day is January 15. This day is also celebrated as his feast by the Greek Orthodox Church. In 2011, he was commemorated with the other Minor Prophets in the calendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on February 8.
Habakkuk has also been commemorated in sculpture. In 1435, the Florentine artist Donatello created a sculpture of the prophet for the bell tower of Florence. This statue, nicknamed Zuccone ("Big Pumpkin") because of the shape of the head, now resides in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome contains a Baroque sculpture of Habakkuk by the 17th-century artist Bernini. Between 1800 and 1805, the Brazilian sculptor Aleijadinho completed a soapstone sculpture of Habakkuk as part of his Twelve Prophets. The figures are arranged around the forecourt and monumental stairway in front of the Santuário do Bom Jesus do Matosinhos at Congonhas.
Although not mentioned by name in the Qu'ran, Habakkuk is recognized as an Islamic prophet because he is believed to herald the coming of Muhammad and the Qu'ran in the Book of Habakkuk.
In the court of Al-Ma'mun, Imam Ali al-Ridha, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and chief Islamic scholar in the time of the Abbasid Caliphs, was asked by the Exilarch to prove that Muhammad was a prophet through the Torah. Among his many proofs, Imam Ridha asks "Do you know the prophet Habakkuk?" He said, “Yes. I know of him.” al-Ridha said, “and this is narrated in your book, ‘Allah brought down speech on Mount Faran, and the heavens were filled with the glorification of Muhammad and his community. His horse carries him over water as it carries him over land. He will bring a new book to us after the ruin of the holy house [the temple in Jerusalem].’ What is meant by this book is the Qur'an. Do you know this and believe in it?” The Exilarch said, “Habakkuk the prophet has said this and we do not deny what he said.”
Further Evidence of Prophethood
Although the Quran only mentions around twenty-five prophets by name, and alludes to a few others, it has been a cardinal doctrine of Islam that many more prophets were sent by God who are not mentioned in the scripture. Thus, Muslims have traditionally had no problem accepting those other Hebrew prophets not mentioned in the Quran or hadith as legitimate prophets of God, especially as the Quran itself states: "Surely We sent down the Torah (to Moses), wherein is guidance and light; thereby the Prophets (who followed him), who had surrendered themselves, gave judgment for those who were Jewish, as did the masters and the rabbis, following such portion of God's Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to," with this passage having often been interpreted by Muslims to include within the phrase "prophets" an allusion to all the prophetic figures of the Jewish scriptural portion of the nevi'im, that is to say all the prophets of Israel after Moses and Aaron. Thus, Islamic authors have often alluded to Habakkuk as a prophet in their works, and followed the pronunciation of his name with the traditional salutations of peace bestowed by Muslims onto prophets after the utterance of their names.
Some medieval Muslim scholars even provided commentaries on the biblical Book of Habakkuk, with the primary purpose of showing that the prophet had predicted the coming of Muhammad in Habakkuk 3:2–6, in a manner akin to the earlier Christian tradition of seeing in the book's prophecies allusions to the advent of Christ. For example, the medieval exegete Najm al-Dīn al-Ṭūfī (d. 716 AH/1316 CE) provided a commentary on select verses from the book of Habakkuk, saying the prophet's words "for his rays become light" (Habakkuk 3:4) alluded to the spread of Islam; that his words "his glory comes to town, his power appears in his courts" (Habakkuk 3:4) referred to Muhammad's stay in the town of Yathrib and the help he received there from the ansar; and that his words "death goes before him" (Habakkuk 3:5) was a prophecy about the fear of the Muslim armies during the military campaigns of Muhammad and his companions. Likewise, Habakkuk 3:5–6 also received similar commentaries from medieval Islamic thinkers.
The famous and revered Persian Islamic scholar and polymath Ibn Qutaybah, who served as a judge during the Abbasid Caliphate, said of the prophet Habakkuk: "Among the words of Habakkuk, who prophesied in the days of Daniel, Habakkuk says: 'God came from Teman, and the holy one from the mountains of Paran and the earth was filled with the sanctification of the praiseworthy one (aḥmad, which is a name of Muhammad in Islam), and with his right hand he exercised power over the earth and the necks of the nations,' which has been interpreted by scholars to be a clear allusion to Habakkuk 3:3-4. Elsewhere, the same scholar glossed Habakkuk 3:4, 15 as follows: "The earth shines with his light, and his horses launched into the sea," again interpreting the prophecy to be an allusion to the coming of Muhammad. One further prophecy of Habakkuk which Ibn Qutaybah cited, from extra-canonical Hebraic literature, was "You shall be exceedingly filled in your bows ... o Praised One (muḥammad)," which he read as being "a clear statement of ... [Muhammad's] name ... [and] his characteristics." This final prophecy attributed to Habakkuk was also referred to by later scholars like Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (Wikipedia).
ODC-Collected Or Accumulated
I was going to save this for Truck Thursday but when I saw how much accumulated junk there was on this glare shield I knew I had to use it for today's challenge!