View allAll Photos Tagged Discretization
Blauwe vuurvlinder (Lycaena helle) Habitat & Behaviour: Damp meadows and bogs with an abundance of the larval food plant bistort, Polygonum bistorta. It flies discretely over the vegetation and neighbouring meadows. Due to its small size it is difficult to spot and is quickly lost to sight
Tout le monde pense que les demoiselles sont discrètes, mais quand on me zoome dessus, impossible de cacher mon côté photogénique 😗
Selfie réussi, regard perçant, et antennes bien coiffées … qui dit mieux ?
°°°°°°°°°
Everyone thinks damselflies are discreet, but when you zoom in on me, it’s impossible to hide my photogenic side. 😗
Selfie successful, piercing gaze, and antennae perfectly styled … who could top that ?
Credit : Pedro Luis Saiz
Le pont Charles-de-Gaulle est un pont franchissant la Seine à Paris, en France.
Il relie le 12e arrondissement, 13e arrondissement,( quai d'Austerlitz).
Le pont Charles-de-Gaulle tire son origine du développement récent du Sud-Est de Paris, dans les quartiers de Bercy et de la nouvelle bibliothèque François-Mitterrand.
Le projet lauréat, de Louis Gerald Arretche et Roman Karansinski, composé d'un tablier d'acier blanc ressemblant à une aile d'avion reposant sur des piles discrètes par l'intermédiaire de fins tubes d'acier, cherche à se fondre le plus possible dans le paysage. Commencé en 1993, il fut terminé en 1996.
The Pont Charles-de-Gaulle (Charles-de-Gaulle Bridge) is a steel-reinforced concrete girder bridge straddling the river Seine in the eastern part of Paris. It is a one-way bridge carrying road traffic from the 13th arrondissement to the 12th arrondissement
In 1986, the Council of Paris (Conseil de Paris) decided to construct a new bridge between the Pont de Bercy and the Pont d'Austerlitz in southeast Paris, to imitate the design of the Pont d'Austerlitz
A Europe-wide competition was held in 1987 to determine the best project design. At the conclusion of the competition, the concept set forth by Louis Arretche and Roman Karasinski was chosen for the bridge
The bridge has a single steel deck measuring 270 m long and 35 m wide, and the shape of which resembles an aircraft wing. It is supported by two concrete piers. Linking each pier to the deck are two conical steel frames shaped like upside-down tents.
The bridge roadway (not including footpaths and cycle lanes) is 18 m wide and carries four lanes of northeast-bound traffic from the Left Bank to the Right Bank. Two cycle lanes to the upstream side of the bridge and two footpaths, one on each side of it, permit unmotorized traffic to cross.
Wikipedia
HRVATSKI:
Kada dan šapne noći, ne ostane ništa glasno – samo odsjaj, samo tišina.
Jedna ribarska brodica na "svićo", obala Šila u tišini čeka noć, dok horizont još čuva posljednji odsjaj svjetla.
Tragovi dana još su vidljivi na nebu, ali more već pripada noći.
Taj trenutak je prolazan, ali u njemu ima trajnosti – jer mi ljudi ponekad trebamo takve prijelaze da shvatimo koliko smo živi.
Kad svijetla dalekih obala trepere, možda nije kraj, već novi putokaz.
Jer svaka tama je lakša kad nosi odsjaj jednog svjetionika.
ENGLISH:
When the day whispers to the night, nothing remains loud — only reflection, only silence.
A small fishing boat waits on the quiet coast of Šilo, casting its net under fading light.
The sky still carries golden traces of the day, but the sea already belongs to the night.
In this brief moment lies a quiet eternity — the kind we sometimes need to remember we're still alive.
And when distant lights shimmer across the horizon, it may not be the end, but a new direction.
Every darkness is gentler when it carries the echo of a lighthouse.
FRANÇAIS :
Quand le jour murmure à la nuit, rien ne reste bruyant – seulement un reflet, seulement le silence.
Un petit bateau de pêche attend au large de Šilo, sous la lumière mourante du jour.
Le ciel conserve encore les traces dorées, mais la mer appartient déjà à la nuit.
Dans cet instant fragile, une éternité discrète : celle dont nous avons parfois besoin pour nous sentir vivants.
Et quand les lumières au loin scintillent, ce n’est peut-être pas la fin, mais un nouveau cap.
Toute obscurité est plus douce lorsqu’elle porte l’écho d’un phare.
DEUTSCH:
Wenn der Tag zur Nacht flüstert, bleibt nichts Lautes – nur Widerschein, nur Stille.
Ein Fischerboot liegt ruhig vor Šilo, während der Horizont noch vom Licht des Tages glüht.
Der Himmel trägt noch goldenes Licht, doch das Meer gehört bereits der Nacht.
Dieser kurze Moment trägt eine stille Ewigkeit – ein Augenblick, der uns zeigt, dass wir leben.
Wenn in der Ferne Lichter flackern, ist es vielleicht kein Ende, sondern ein neuer Kurs.
Denn jede Dunkelheit ist leichter, wenn sie das Echo eines Leuchtturms trägt.
ITALIANO:
Quando il giorno sussurra alla notte, non rimane nulla di rumoroso – solo riflesso, solo silenzio.
Una piccola barca da pesca è ferma al largo di Šilo, mentre l’orizzonte trattiene ancora un po’ di luce.
Il cielo è dorato, ma il mare appartiene già alla notte.
In questo momento fugace c’è una forma d’eternità – quella che ci ricorda quanto siamo vivi.
E quando le luci tremolano in lontananza, forse non è una fine, ma un faro per iniziare.
Ogni buio è più lieve se lo guida la luce di un faro.
Genette commune Ginette ( femelle )
Merci à vous tous pour vos visites et commentaires
Thanks to all of you for the comments and visits
American Oystercatcher
The American Oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the Polar Regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The exception to this is the Eurasian Oystercatcher and the South Island Oystercatcher, both of which breed inland, far inland in some cases. In the past there has been a great deal of confusion as to the species limits, with discrete populations of all black oystercatchers being afforded specific status but pied oystercatchers being considered one single species.
The name Oystercatcher was coined by Mark Catesby in 1731 as a common name for the North American species H. Palliatus, described as eating oysters. Yarrell in 1843 established this as the preferred term, replacing the older name Sea Pie.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oystercatcher
ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS CAPREOLUS) | ADULT MALE | 05-2023 | TICINO | SWITZERLAND
VIDEO of the deer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3GFWK6hGYc&t=1s
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
And in case you're interested, the black-and-white version of this photo is here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
When I decided a couple of years ago that my nature photography would be focusing only on what I was able to capture from within my garden or its immediate surroundings, I was aware I would likely never be able to shoot anything bigger than insects and reptiles, and perhaps - if I got lucky - birds.
You can find the reasoning behind my admittedly very limiting approach to photography here in case you're interested www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52278144284/in/datepo... ; I'm only bringing it up again because due to this self-imposed "strictly-garden" rule, a shot like the one above was something I originally never could have hoped for.
I captured this roe buck in May 2023, but unlike with the last photo I posted here, I didn't break my own rule. Nature always surprises me - but I guess I should start at the beginning. As some of you might remember, in spring 2022 I had already had an unexpected encounter with a roe deer, a beautiful female, just outside my garden. This made me realize that against all odds and contrary to what I had believed, bigger forest wildlife occasionally DID venture close enough to my garden for me to photograph it - just never once the sun was up and human activity in the village had started.
I was able to capture lady roe deer with my camera the following day from within my premises, but due to the low light conditions and high ISO required, the resulting image was so grainy it looked more like a Van Gogh painting than a photo, and so I opted for black-and-white: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/52441239338/in/datepo...
My doe-eyed neighbor subsequently returned on several occasions, always in the early hours, though she would inevitably retreat back into the forest as soon as sunrise approached, and I was never able to get a daylight shot. That was fine though; I was over the moon that I had gotten a photo of this beautiful animal at all, because that was already more than I ever expected.
Cut to spring last year, when my whole vacation went down the drain - quite literally - because it drowned in a seemingly never-ending downpour of rain. The entire month of May was cold, damp, dark and miserable, and the only cheerful thing about it was the sign attached to Heaven's floodgates: "YES, WE'RE OPEN: ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!" 😄
I rarely left the house, but one time when I briefly did go out around noon to inspect how much damage the constant downpour had caused to the terrain around my vacation home, I was greeted by a wonderful surprise: an impressive, almost regal looking roe buck was grazing peacefully in the meadow just below my garden.
"Of course!" I thought, mentally face-palming myself for not realizing sooner what should have been obvious to a country bumpkin like me from the beginning: the constant rainfall may have been a nuisance to us people, but precisely because it kept humans in, the animals of the forest dared to come out.
In such damp conditions, with no two-legged creatures around threatening them, the wildlife of the nearby woods enjoyed the rare privilege of grazing in the open field in broad daylight (well, calling it "broad" might be a bit of a stretch considering the lousy weather, but there WAS daylight alright - at least I could see my hands and it was definitely day 😉 ).
I wondered how many times in the past weeks I would have had the opportunity to finally get a "noise-free" shot of this shy ungulate if only I had remembered that I always used to go out and observe wildlife as a child when the weather was bad. But I certainly wouldn't let THIS chance here pass; carefully, veeeeery slowly I retreated back into the house to get my camera.
When I returned, the roe buck was thankfully still there (I glimpsed him through the bushes in my garden), and so I confidently applied what I consider my greatest (and some might say only 😂) real skill as a nature photographer: the SSA (that's short for "Sneaky-Stealth Approach" in case you wondered😉). I pride myself in having mastered this high art, and now was the moment to put it to use.
Alas, things did not go as planned. Just as I stretched my head out from behind the young ash tree that served as my cover and was about to set one foot into a more stable position (naturally in slow motion - as is protocol for the SSA 😉), Mr. Roe Buck decided to look up - and our eyes met.
Needless to say, we were both not happy. A - very - brief exchange of looks (or rather stares) followed, which I would translate into language thusly:
Roe Buck (startled): "What the -... Why are you out of the house, human? It's raining: this is against the rules!"
Me (pleading): "I'm really sorry. Can't we just pretend you didn't see me so I can photograph you? Please?"
Roe Buck (outraged): "How dare you! This is entirely out of order: I shall report this!"
And with a last clearly disgusted look at the unruly human he took off and darted towards the woods. But just before he reached the forest, he stopped and turned around. For a moment he just stood there in the tall grass, completely still, and looked back at me as if he wanted to make sure he hadn't just seen some ghastly apparition, which allowed me to get the shot you see above.
That moment only lasted a couple of seconds, then Mr. Roe Buck stepped gracefully into the woods and disappeared from my eyes. But he made good on his promise: as soon as he had reached the safety of the dense chestnut forest that surrounds our tiny village he started barking loudly, making sure every inhabitant got the report that a human was lose in the neighborhood.
I was more than satisfied though; the photo you can see here was taken from almost 30 meters away, and even though it lacks any real depth of field and isn't exactly crisp, I love the pose and the eye contact, and I think it conveys quite well what an elegant creature this is.
And I'm happy to report that the roe buck apparently didn't hold a grudge, as he subsequently came back many times (he was - and still is - easily recognizable by his unusual, very distinct almost white "mask").
The meadow below my garden is apparently his "turf", and I've been able to photograph (and film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3GFWK6hGYc&t=1s ) him and his most loyal lady friend on many more occasions than I could and frankly WOULD have wished for (because - you guessed it - the weather here has been lousy WAY too often, particularly this year 😂).
Thankfully though, I've gotten better at the SSA, which means that nowadays I manage to observe and photograph these noble creatures discretely enough that they don't have to complain about me to the forest police 😊.
That's all for now; many greetings from Switzerland and have a great start into the new week everyone! And as always: thank you all so much for letting me know what you think in the comments (even though it will take me ages to respond as I haven't even managed to thank everyone who has commented on the last photo - but I promise I will). 🙏 😊 ❤
Gangly raptor with long wings and tail; local in marshes and wetlands with extensive reed beds. Mainly seen in flight, quartering fairly low over marshes, with wings raised in shallow V. Commonest plumage dark brown overall with variable creamy cap, throat, and narrow leading edge to wing. Brightest adult males have tricolored upperwings, grayish tail, pale head and breast contrasting with rusty-brown belly. Extremely similar to closely related Eastern Marsh-Harrier; males of that species are darker-headed and browner-chested, and females are warmer brown and streakier on the chest, without Eurasian's discrete white 'cap' and dark line through the eye. eBird
Tihi ukras kamena
U svijetu gdje se ljepota često traži u raskoši, priroda na otoku Krku tiho piše svoju vlastitu poeziju — u pukotinama stijena, gdje sunce neumorno prži, a zemlja škrto dijeli vlagu.
Tamo gdje bi oko tražilo tek prašinu i suhi kamen, izranja oštri žednjak (Sedum acre). Ne traži pažnju. Ne traži mnogo. Samo komadić kamena, djelić svjetlosti — i slobodu da cvate.
Njegovi sitni, žuti cvjetovi razasuti su poput zlatnog veza po sivim stijenama, nalik tihom ukrasu koji priroda dodaje bez namjere, ali s dubokim smislom. U toj tišini leži snaga. U toj skromnosti — otmjenost.
Žednjak je simbol upornosti, ljepote koja ne viče, već šapće. Ljepote koja se ne nudi, već otkriva — onima koji gledaju srcem.
Na Krku, gdje kamen ima svoju pjesmu, a sunce svoj ritam, žednjak je tihi ukras kamena — nježni podsjetnik da i u najsurovijim uvjetima može niknuti nešto čudesno.
🇬🇧 Silent Adornment of Stone
In a world where beauty is often sought in grandeur, nature on the island of Krk quietly writes its own poetry — in the cracks of rock, where the sun scorches relentlessly and the earth yields little moisture.
There, where one might expect only dust and dryness, sharp stonecrop (Sedum acre) emerges. It demands no attention. It asks for little. Just a piece of rock, a touch of sunlight — and the freedom to bloom.
Its tiny yellow flowers spread like golden embroidery across grey stone, a silent adornment offered by nature, unassuming yet full of meaning. In that silence lies strength. In that humility — elegance.
Stonecrop is a symbol of resilience, a beauty that doesn't shout but whispers. A beauty not displayed but discovered — by those who see with the heart.
On Krk, where stone has its own song and the sun its rhythm, the stonecrop is a silent adornment of stone — a gentle reminder that even in the harshest places, something wondrous can bloom.
🇫🇷 Ornement silencieux de la pierre
Dans un monde où l’on cherche souvent la beauté dans la grandeur, la nature de l’île de Krk écrit sa propre poésie — discrète, dans les fissures de la roche, là où le soleil brûle sans relâche et où la terre offre peu d’humidité.
Là, où l’on ne s’attend qu’à de la poussière et de la sécheresse, l’orpin âcre (Sedum acre) émerge. Il ne réclame pas d’attention. Il ne demande presque rien. Juste un peu de pierre, un rayon de soleil — et la liberté de fleurir.
Ses minuscules fleurs jaunes s’étendent comme une broderie dorée sur la roche grise, ornement discret offert par la nature, modeste mais riche de sens. Dans ce silence, il y a de la force. Dans cette simplicité — de l’élégance.
L’orpin est symbole de résistance, beauté qui ne crie pas mais murmure. Beauté à découvrir, pour ceux qui savent regarder avec le cœur.
Sur Krk, où la pierre chante sa mélodie et le soleil marque le temps, l’orpin est un ornement silencieux de la pierre — doux rappel que même dans les lieux les plus rudes, quelque chose de merveilleux peut éclore.
🇩🇪 Stiller Schmuck des Steins
In einer Welt, in der Schönheit oft im Prunk gesucht wird, schreibt die Natur auf der Insel Krk ihre eigene Poesie — leise, in den Rissen des Felsens, wo die Sonne gnadenlos brennt und die Erde kaum Feuchtigkeit spendet.
Dort, wo man nur Staub und Trockenheit erwartet, erscheint der Scharfe Mauerpfeffer (Sedum acre). Er verlangt keine Aufmerksamkeit. Er braucht nicht viel. Nur ein Stück Fels, etwas Sonnenlicht — und die Freiheit zu blühen.
Seine winzigen gelben Blüten ziehen sich wie goldene Stickerei über den grauen Stein — ein stiller Schmuck, den die Natur zurückhaltend, aber bedeutungsvoll verschenkt. In dieser Stille liegt Kraft. In dieser Bescheidenheit — Anmut.
Der Mauerpfeffer ist ein Symbol für Widerstandskraft, für eine Schönheit, die nicht laut ist, sondern flüstert. Eine Schönheit, die man entdeckt — mit dem Herzen.
Auf Krk, wo der Stein seine eigene Melodie hat und die Sonne im Takt spielt, ist der Mauerpfeffer ein stiller Schmuck des Steins — ein zarter Hinweis darauf, dass selbst an den härtesten Orten etwas Wunderbares entstehen kann.
🇪🇸 Adorno silencioso de la piedra
En un mundo donde la belleza suele buscarse en la grandeza, la naturaleza en la isla de Krk escribe su propia poesía — en silencio, en las grietas de la roca, donde el sol arde sin piedad y la tierra apenas da humedad.
Allí, donde uno esperaría solo polvo y sequedad, surge la uva de gato (Sedum acre). No exige atención. No pide mucho. Solo un trozo de piedra, un poco de luz solar — y la libertad de florecer.
Sus diminutas flores amarillas se extienden como un bordado dorado sobre la roca gris, un adorno silencioso ofrecido por la naturaleza, modesto pero lleno de sentido. En ese silencio hay fuerza. En esa humildad — elegancia.
El sedum es símbolo de resistencia, una belleza que no grita, sino que susurra. Una belleza que no se muestra, sino que se descubre — por quienes miran con el corazón.
En Krk, donde la piedra tiene su propio canto y el sol su ritmo, el sedum es un adorno silencioso de la piedra — un suave recordatorio de que incluso en los lugares más duros, puede florecer algo maravilloso.
🇮🇹 Silenzioso ornamento della pietra
In un mondo dove spesso si cerca la bellezza nella grandezza, la natura sull’isola di Krk scrive in silenzio la sua poesia — nelle crepe della roccia, dove il sole brucia implacabile e la terra dona poca umidità.
Là, dove ci si aspetterebbe solo polvere e siccità, spunta il semprevivo acre (Sedum acre). Non cerca attenzione. Non chiede molto. Solo un po’ di roccia, un raggio di sole — e la libertà di fiorire.
I suoi piccoli fiori gialli si distendono come un ricamo dorato sulla pietra grigia, un ornamento silenzioso offerto dalla natura, modesto ma pieno di significato. In quel silenzio c’è forza. In quella semplicità — grazia.
Il sedum è simbolo di resilienza, una bellezza che non grida ma sussurra. Una bellezza che non si mostra, ma si scopre — da chi guarda col cuore.
Sull’isola di Krk, dove la pietra ha la sua canzone e il sole il suo ritmo, il sedum è un silenzioso ornamento della pietra — un delicato promemoria che anche nei luoghi più duri può sbocciare qualcosa di meraviglioso.
HR:
Na žici pod vedrim nebom, lastavica kratko predahne od lova na kukce kojima hrani svoje mlade.
U sunčevoj svjetlosti otkrivaju se nijanse koje golim okom često ne zamjećujemo – tamnoplava, rđasta, srebrnkasta…
U tim malim trenucima skriva se čitav svijet.
EN:
Perched on a wire beneath the clear sky, the swallow takes a brief rest from hunting insects for its young.
Bathed in sunlight, the subtle hues of its feathers shine – deep blue, rust, and silver...
A small moment holding the grandeur of nature.
FR:
Perchée sur un fil sous un ciel clair, l’hirondelle prend une courte pause dans sa chasse aux insectes pour ses petits.
Sous la lumière du soleil, ses plumes révèlent des teintes insoupçonnées – bleu profond, rouille, argenté…
Un instant simple, une grandeur discrète.
DE:
Auf einem Draht unter dem klaren Himmel ruht die Schwalbe kurz von der Jagd nach Insekten für ihre Jungen.
Im Sonnenlicht erscheinen die feinen Farbtöne ihres Gefieders – tiefblau, rostrot, silbrig…
Ein einfacher Moment, voller stiller Größe.
ES:
Posada sobre un cable bajo un cielo claro, la golondrina descansa brevemente de su búsqueda de insectos para sus crías.
A la luz del sol brillan matices sutiles en su plumaje – azul profundo, óxido, plateado...
Un instante sencillo, lleno de grandeza.
IT:
Appollaiata su un filo sotto un cielo limpido, la rondine si concede una breve pausa dalla caccia agli insetti per i suoi piccoli.
Alla luce del sole emergono sfumature nascoste – blu profondo, ruggine, argento…
Un momento semplice, pieno di poesia.
The studio of Nora Heysen AM, who was an Australian artist, the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize in 1938 for portraiture and the first Australian woman appointed as an official war artist. Nora had an excellent pedigree, her father was Sir Hans Heysen, one of Australia's favourite artists.
This room was part of Nora Heysen's studio complex on the family estate near Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills district. Right after taking this photo I noticed a discrete sign advising visitors not to take photographs. Oh well, at least I didn't use flash - oops, oh yes I did. 😁
Studio, Nora Heysen, Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
The mesmerizing beauty of the Great Grey Owl, the "Phantom of the North". with it's large facial disk and its piercing eyes!
The Great Grey Owl is one of the most stealthy birds of prey and is known for its silent, discrete nature and ghostly characteristics, hence its nickname of "Phantom of the north"! It is also known as the Lapland Owl, Spectral Owl, Bearded Owl, and Sooty Owl.
Its scientific name comes from the Greek ‘strizo’, meaning to screech, and the Latin ‘nebulosa’, meaning dark or clouded, referring to their grey colouration.
Great Grey Owls spend their time in dense evergreen pine and fir forests with small openings or meadows nearby. They also live in subarctic swampy evergreen forest dotted with bogs or other openings (also known as taiga). They are found in Scandinavia, northern North America, and northern Asia.
The old Russell Street Police Head Quarters -cream brick building sandwiched between the tall buildings on the right are famous (infamous?) for a number of reasons.
The front steps of the headquarters were used in the opening scenes of the classic 1970s Australian Police Drama-Division 4.
Then in 1986, it was rocked by a bombing resulting in the first Australian policewoman to be killed in the line of duty.
Perhaps lesser known was the shenanigans that took place in the car-park behind the Police Station in the late 1980s. When the Sherpa and I were ”going out” we lived on opposite sides of Melbourne. This darkened car-park was our meeting point to starting our city adventures
--and end them.
We used it as a safe spot to go “parking”-we had police protection-right ;) . We thought we were pretty discrete until a police officer came, tapped on our window and shone his bright torch into the car. “What are you two up to”? Ahhhh not much Officer. “Then move along...” All I can say is thank goodness for the blanket ;-)
Taken through the car windscreen
Blauwe vuurvlinder (Lycaena helle) Habitat & Behaviour: Damp meadows and bogs with an abundance of the larval food plant bistort, Polygonum bistorta. It flies discretely over the vegetation and neighbouring meadows. Due to its small size it is difficult to spot and is quickly lost to sight
Isn't that cute vicuña lady on her way to seduce us?
Vicuñas and guanacos are the two wild species of South American camelids. They are herbivores and live in the high mountains of the Andes.
Vicuñas are smaller, have a light brown head, a more discrete tail, and live at altitudes of 3,200 to 4,800 m (10,500 to 15,700 ft), while guanacos are larger, have a gray head, a coma-shaped tail, and live at lower altitudes (up to 4,000 m, 13,000 ft).
This photo was taken in the wild at a place called Vado del Rio Putana (ford of the Putana River), about 55 km (35 miles) north of San Pedro de Atacama, in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
#341 in Explore on Oct 28, 2024.
© 2021 Jacques de Selliers. All rights reserved.
For reproduction rights, see www.deselliers.info/en/copyright.htm.
Photo ref: j8e_28629-ps1-Atacama
P:17:39, X0=2, 1hF=6.4h, 2hF=17h, 3hF=26h, 3.5hF=35h, 4hF=108h
#WPD25Animals
Right over my head earlier this summer...
Cumulus cloud
Small cumulus humilis clouds floating over cloud that can have noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges.
Cumulo- means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. Cumulus clouds are often described as "puffy", "cotton-like" or "fluffy" in appearance, and have flat bases. Cumulus clouds, being low-level clouds, are generally less than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in altitude unless they are the more vertical cumulus congestus form. Cumulus clouds may appear by themselves, in lines, or in clusters.
Cumulus clouds are often precursors of other types of cloud, such as cumulonimbus, when influenced by weather factors such as instability, moisture, and temperature gradient. Normally, cumulus clouds produce little or no precipitation, but they can grow into the precipitation-bearing congestus or cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulus clouds can be formed from water vapor, supercooled water droplets, or ice crystals, depending upon the ambient temperature. They come in many distinct subforms, and generally cool the earth by reflecting the incoming solar radiation. Cumulus clouds are part of the larger category of free-convective cumuliform clouds, which include cumulonimbus clouds. The latter genus-type is sometimes categorized separately as cumulonimbiform due to its more complex structure that often includes a cirriform or anvil top. There are also cumuliform clouds of limited convection that comprise stratocumulus (low-étage), altocumulus (middle-étage) and cirrocumulus. (high-étage). These last three genus-types are sometimes classified separately as stratocumuliform.
Formation
Cumulus clouds form via atmospheric convection as air warmed by the surface begins to rise. As the air rises, the temperature drops (following the lapse rate), causing the relative humidity (RH) to rise. If convection reaches a certain level the RH reaches one hundred percent, and the "wet-adiabatic" phase begins. At this point a positive feedback ensues: since the RH is above 100%, water vapour condenses, releasing latent heat, warming the air and spurring further convection.
In this phase, water vapor condenses on various nuclei present in the air, forming the cumulus cloud. This creates the characteristic flat-bottomed puffy shape associated with cumulus clouds. The size of the cloud depends on the temperature profile of the atmosphere and the presence of any inversions. During the convection, surrounding air is entrained (mixed) with the thermal and the total mass of the ascending air increases. Rain forms in a cumulus cloud via a process involving two non-discrete stages. The first stage occurs after the droplets coalesce onto the various nuclei. Langmuir writes that surface tension in the water droplets provides a slightly higher pressure on the droplet, raising the vapor pressure by a small amount. The increased pressure results in those droplets evaporating and the resulting water vapor condensing on the larger droplets. Due to the extremely small size of the evaporating water droplets, this process becomes largely meaningless after the larger droplets have grown to around 20 to 30 micrometres, and the second stage takes over. In the accretion phase, the raindrop begins to fall, and other droplets collide and combine with it to increase the size of the raindrop. Langmuir was able to develop a formula which predicted that the droplet radius would grow unboundedly within a discrete time period.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulus_cloud
Blauwe vuurvlinder (Lycaena helle) Habitat & Behaviour: Damp meadows and bogs with an abundance of the larval food plant bistort, Polygonum bistorta. It flies discretely over the vegetation and neighbouring meadows. Due to its small size it is difficult to spot and is quickly lost to sight.
Pointe Pelée.
Une paruline des plus discrète. Cachée dans un fouillis de branches, faisant de très brèves apparitions pour disparaître à nouveau.
Tout l'après-midi, avec plusieurs photographes nous tentions, tant bien que mal, de la captée sans grand résultat. De retour le lendemain aux premières heures... Nous sommes les premiers sur place et la voilà qu'elle surgie hors de sa cachette, le temps d'un cliché...
Point Pelee.
One of the most discreet warbler. Hidden in a jumble of branches, making very brief appearances to disappear again.
All afternoon, with several photographers we were, somehow, trying to capture without much success. Back the next day in the early hours ... We are the first on the spot and here it comes out of his hiding place, time for a cliché ...
Un angolo che sembra immaginato, e invece resiste.
In un vicolo silenzioso, questo edificio sembra uscito da un sogno vintage o da un film Ghibli: intonaci irregolari, finestre tonde e piombate, colori caldi che colano sulle superfici come miele. Dentro, la luce soffusa rivela presenze discrete. È una trattoria italiana, ma come ogni cosa occidentale che attecchisce in Giappone, si è fusa con il tessuto urbano nipponico, generando un curioso e affascinante ibrido. Un luogo che parla due lingue — e forse due tempi — senza dire una parola.
まるで想像の中だけに存在するような一角、それでもここにある。
静かな裏通りにひっそりと佇むこの建物は、まるでヴィンテージな夢やジブリ映画から抜け出してきたかのよう。でこぼこな壁、丸い窓、柔らかな光が壁を蜜のように包み込む。中からは、静かな会話とぬくもりが感じられる。ここはイタリア風のトラットリアだが、日本に根付いた西洋文化らしく、街の風景と見事に融合している。どこか不思議で美しいハイブリッド。その佇まいは、ふたつの文化と時間を静かに語っている。
A corner that feels imagined — and yet, it endures.
Tucked in a quiet backstreet, this building looks like it’s been pulled from a vintage dream or a Ghibli set: uneven plaster, round and leaded windows, warm light dripping down the walls like honey. Inside, a soft glow hints at quiet conversations. It’s an Italian trattoria, yet like most Western things that take root in Japan, it’s fused with the local fabric — creating a unique, oddly harmonious hybrid. A place that speaks two languages, and maybe two timelines, without uttering a word.
Chrysolina graminis. River Ouse, York
The beetle is threatened due to reduction in suitable wetland habitat and food plants, including tansy tanacetum vulgare. UK distribution was thought to be restricted to the River Ouse in York but the species was rediscovered in the East Anglian Fens in 2014. The tansy beetle doesn’t travel far through its lifecycle and despite the presence of wings it rarely flies.
Both adults and larvae use the same host plant during their life cycle. As tansy often grows in discrete clumps, the total population of the beetle in an area may be divided and individuals may spend their entire life cycle within an area of a few square metres.
Adults mate between March and June. Between August and September, the resultant new adult population emerges to feed before returning underground to overwinter in October; emergence of adults is from March to April the next year.
Most adults from the earlier emergence die before the end of summer.
Survival during winter underfground hibernation is surprisingly high, as autumn and spring population sizes are very similar. This is despite annual winter flooding of the River Ouse, indicating that overwintering individuals must be extremely tolerant of long periods of inundation and oxygen deprivation.. Approximately 5% of overwintering adults do not emerge from the soil after the winter, but remain underground for the next year in a state of extended diapause and emerge in the following spring.
( Wikipedia)
Note to self--it doesn't work to be lazy, leave your ND filters in the truck, and hope to combine discrete frames in a Photoshop stack to get smooth flowing water (this is a stack of 14 frames).
This is the former home of 'Notch' who seems to have left the premises. Notch was much more discrete about the hole he put in our front lawn. It was just a round hole .. like a golf hole.. and camouflaged with the grass that surrounded it.
This little chipmunk took over the space and proceeded to make a very deep angled hole and shot a huge mound of sand all over the grass. I hope he realizes that it can now be easily spotted by every hawk that flies over!
Note: This it the first image I took after I carefully took apart my 100-400mm zoom lens and cleaned the dust from behind the front lens. Where I was focused seems pretty sharp, so mission accomplished.
Here's mum. It's not easy finding, or taking a shot of an adult tawny owl, on foot, whilst walking through a dark forest. It is also extremely dangerous when she has chicks nearby. I don't want to become the next Eric Hosking and end up with one eye. We kept discrete and she showed no concern by our presence.
L'abeille et la fleur sauvage, dans le Cantal.
Merci à vous tous pour vos commentaires & favoris (très appréciés).
Thank you all for your comments & favorites (very much appreciated).
Outside Zion National Park
Springdale
Utah
USA
Wrong place on map. Does anyone know how to change the location.
Surprisingly I’ve seen only one robin in Florida since I came here from Illinois. This American Robin was photographed near the lodge where I stayed just outside of Zion National Park, Utah. The robin had just finished eating a fresh worm out of the ground.
The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family.
The American robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast.
According to some sources, the American robin ranks behind only the red-winged blackbird (and just ahead of the introduced European starling and the not-always-naturally-occurring house finch) as the most abundant extant land bird in North America. It has seven subspecies, but only T. m. confinis of Baja California Sur is particularly distinctive, with pale gray-brown underparts.
The American robin is active mostly during the day and assembles in large flocks at night. Its diet consists of invertebrates (such as beetle grubs, earthworms, and caterpillars), fruits, and berries.
It is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range. Its nest consists of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, and is smeared with mud and often cushioned with grass or other soft materials. It is among the first birds to sing at dawn, and its song consists of several discrete units that are repeated. Wikipedia
Correva l'anno 2017 quando, tra le fioriture primaverili e le piante di fico d'India che crescono spontanee nelle campagne siciliane, fotografai questo Caimano ancora in discrete condizioni al traino della sezione per Siracusa di un ICN proveniente da Roma Termini, ormai prossimo alla fermata di Lentini e quindi alla sua destinazione finale.
It was the year 2017 when, among the spring blooms and the prickly pear plants that grow spontaneously in the Sicilian countryside, I photographed this "Caimano" still in fair condition towing the section for Syracuse of a night train coming from Rome, now close to Lentini stop and then to its final destination.
Living up to its name, this butterfly is the commonest blue found in the British Isles. While the male has bright blue uppersides, the female is primarily brown, with a highly variable amount of blue. This is the most widespread Lycaenid found in the British Isles and can be found almost anywhere, including Orkney. It is absent, however, from Shetland and the mountainous areas of Wales and Scotland. This butterfly forms reasonably discrete colonies measured in tens or hundreds, with individuals occasionally wandering some distance.
Put prema sigurnoj luci
Pogled s obale Šila prema istoku otoka Krka otkriva pejzaž tišine, kamena i valova. U daljini, jedva vidljiv, ribarski brodić putuje prema obali – možda Vrbniku, možda samo svojoj maloj sigurnoj luci. More i planine u slojevima stvaraju prizor koji kao da pripovijeda priču o svakodnevnoj borbi i tišini koja uslijedi nakon nje.
🇬🇧 English
Title: Heading for Safe Harbour
Description:
Seen from Šilo, this eastern view of the island of Krk unfolds in layers of calm sea, rocky shoreline, and distant mountains. A small fishing boat sails quietly, perhaps toward Vrbnik, perhaps just to a familiar cove. A peaceful landscape that tells a story of daily struggle and the stillness that follows.
🇫🇷 Français
Titre : Cap sur un port sûr
Description :
Depuis Šilo, cette vue orientale de l'île de Krk révèle des couches de mer calme, de roches et de montagnes lointaines. Un petit bateau de pêche glisse discrètement, vers Vrbnik peut-être, ou simplement vers un abri familier. Un paysage tranquille qui murmure une histoire de lutte quotidienne et de paix retrouvée.
🇩🇪 Deutsch
Titel: Kurs auf sicheren Hafen
Beschreibung:
Von Šilo aus zeigt sich die Ostseite der Insel Krk mit ruhigem Meer, steiniger Küste und sanften Bergen in der Ferne. Ein kleiner Fischerboot zieht ruhig dahin – vielleicht nach Vrbnik, vielleicht einfach zu seinem vertrauten Hafen. Eine friedliche Szene voller stiller Geschichten.
🇮🇹 Italiano
Titolo: Rotta verso un porto sicuro
Descrizione:
Dalla costa di Šilo, lo sguardo verso est sull'isola di Krk rivela mare calmo, coste rocciose e montagne lontane. Un piccolo peschereccio avanza lentamente – forse verso Vrbnik, forse solo verso un rifugio sicuro. Un paesaggio che racconta la quiete dopo la fatica.
🇪🇸 Español
Título: Rumbo al puerto seguro
Descripción:
Desde la costa de Šilo, esta vista oriental de la isla de Krk ofrece mar tranquilo, rocas y montañas en capas. Un pequeño barco pesquero avanza lentamente – quizás hacia Vrbnik, o simplemente hacia un rincón familiar. Una escena serena que habla de lucha diaria y descanso.
🇸🇮 Slovenski
Naslov: Proti varnemu pristanu
Opis:
Z obale Šila pogled proti vzhodu otoka Krk razkriva mirno morje, kamnite obale in daljne gore. Majhen ribiški čoln pluje tiho – morda proti Vrbniku ali le proti znanemu pristanu. Krajina, ki pripoveduje o vsakdanjem naporu in tišini za njim.
🇸🇰 Slovensky
Názov: Smerom k bezpečnému prístavu
Popis:
Z pobrežia Šila pohľad na východ ostrova Krk ukazuje pokojné more, skaly a vzdialené vrchy. Malá rybárska loďka sa potichu blíži – možno k Vrbniku, možno len do známeho zálivu. Pokojná krajina s príbehom všedného dňa.
🇨🇿 Česky
Název: Směr bezpečný přístav
Popis:
Z pobřeží Šila pohled na východní část ostrova Krk ukazuje klidné moře, skaliska a vzdálené hory. Malý rybářský člun tiše směřuje – snad k Vrbniku, snad do známé zátoky. Klidná krajina s příběhem každodenního života.
🇭🇺 Magyar
Cím: Útban a biztonságos kikötő felé
Leírás:
Šilo partjáról kelet felé nézve Krk szigete rétegezett tengeri, sziklás és hegyes tájat tár elénk. Egy kis halászhajó csendesen halad – talán Vrbnik felé, vagy csak egy ismerős öbölbe. Egy békés táj, mely a mindennapi küzdelemről és az utána következő nyugalomról mesél.
I like having people on benches in photos, but do try to be discrete. These ones turned around at the wrong moment... oops...
I was looking for a tiny Butterfly that I had seen flying around the Polygala bush, when I came upon this Katydid, well hidden between flowers and a lovely, clear raindrop on the left of the insect. Zoom in.
The Katydid was relocated after the photo was taken :) /
Je recherchais un petit Papillon que j'avais vu voler autour du massif de Polygale, lorsque je suis tombée sur cette Sauterelle, bien cachée entre deux fleurettes, ainsi que sur une jolie goutte de pluie pleine de reflets, a gauche de l'insecte. Agrandir l'image.
La Sauterelle s'est vue relocalisée après la photo :)
I am not a cactus.
I am a rose.
I have layers of petals.
I am not as discrete.
I am soft
I won't hurt you with needles.
Treat me like the rose I am
I need water
I can't thrive like a cactus can.
Tend to me, love me
and I will be beautiful.
Care for me, hug me
fill my red soul.
Yvette Mushimiiyimana
*Coccinella septempunctata, notre "bête à bon-dieu" 🐞.
À voir en grand 👀 !
Nota : une petite chenille, bien plus discrète, est visible en bas à droite.
The Orange-tip is a true sign of spring, being one of the first species to emerge that has not overwintered as an adult. The male and female of this species are very different in appearance. The more-conspicuous male has orange tips to the forewings, that give this butterfly its name. These orange tips are absent in the female and the female is often mistaken for one of the other whites, especially the Green-veined White or Small White. This butterfly is found throughout England, Wales and Ireland, but is somewhat-local further north and especially in Scotland. In most regions this butterfly does not form discrete colonies and wanders in every direction as it flies along hedgerows and woodland margins looking for a mate, nectar sources or foodplants. More northerly colonies are more compact and also more restricted in their movements.
Elle savait que c'était fini avant même qu'il ne tourne le dos. Un silence pesant, une larme discrète, comme un adieu sans mots. Leurs chemins se séparaient, mais l'amour, lui, resterait gravé en elle, inaltérable malgré la distance. Parfois, laisser partir est la plus grande preuve d'un amour qui ne s'efface jamais.
She knew it was over even before he turned his back. A heavy silence, a quiet tear, like a farewell without words. Their paths were parting, but the love would remain within her, unchanging despite the distance. Sometimes, letting go is the greatest proof of a love that never fades.
🇭🇷 Hrvatski:
U tišini prirode, među kamenjem i travom, rađa se novi život. Mlada borova mladica sa svojim šarenim pupovima i prvim čunjićima tiho svjedoči o moći obnove i neprekidnom ritmu prirode. Svaki detalj – od iglice do čunjića – nosi priču o postojanju i upornosti.
🇬🇧 English:
In the quiet of nature, a new life is born. This young pine shoot, with its colorful buds and first cones, silently tells a story of renewal and the persistent rhythm of nature. Every detail is a small celebration of resilience and growth.
🇫🇷 Français :
Dans le silence de la nature, une nouvelle vie voit le jour. Cette jeune pousse de pin, avec ses bourgeons colorés et ses premiers cônes, témoigne discrètement de la force du renouveau et du rythme éternel de la nature.
🇩🇪 Deutsch:
In der Stille der Natur entsteht neues Leben. Dieser junge Kieferntrieb mit seinen bunten Knospen und ersten Zapfen erzählt leise von Erneuerung und dem unaufhaltsamen Kreislauf der Natur.
🇪🇸 Español:
En el silencio de la naturaleza nace una nueva vida. Este joven brote de pino, con sus coloridos brotes y primeras piñas, cuenta en silencio la historia del renacimiento y del ciclo eterno de la naturaleza.
🇮🇹 Italiano:
Nel silenzio della natura nasce una nuova vita. Questo giovane germoglio di pino, con le sue gemme colorate e le prime pigne, racconta in silenzio la forza del rinnovamento e il ritmo eterno della natura.