Distinctly Canadian
View allAll Photos Tagged Distinct
Really love those distinct markings.
Many thanks to all who take the time to comment and fav. I very much appreciate it.
Constructive criticism is welcome.
Le chemin du mont Colombis offre grâce à ses nombreux virages une multitude de points de vue tous aussi remarquables. Cette photo a été prise au sortir d'un bois, à moins de 2 kilomètres du sommet. Le regard se porte ici vers l'ouest, presque à contrejour ; une succession de sommets se détachent, de plus en plus estompés par la distance, dans la fraîcheur de fin d'après-midi :
-- bien distincte sur la gauche se dresse la tête ronde couverte de vastes forêts de la montagne Saint-Maurice ; de son sommet on plonge les yeux sur la vallée de la Durance et le village de Remollon.
-- tout à droite se profile sur l'horizon la petite crête de Céüsette.
-- davantage dans les brumes, mais bien distincte sur sa gauche, la montagne d'Aujour comme une dent sur la ligne d'horizon.
Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis
The common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.
This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller.
This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Sylvia, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related.
This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,100,000 territories
The Highland is a traditional breed of western Scotland. There were two distinct types. The Kyloe, reared mainly in the Hebrides or Western Islands, was small and was frequently black. The cattle were so called because of the practice of swimming them across the narrow straits or kyles separating the islands from the mainland. The cattle of the mainland were somewhat larger, and very variable in colour; they were often brown or red.
These cattle were important to the Scottish economy of the eighteenth century. At markets such as those of Falkirk or Crieff, many were bought by drovers from England,
Information by Wikipedia.
Embleton Bay with some of the famous black boulders looking distinctly grey in their dry state.
These ankle breakers are usually photographed when wet and black, often with Dunstanburgh Castle as a backdrop.
100x 2022- Northumberland 54/100
Painted buntings occur in two geographically distinct breeding populations: a western population that ranges from northwest Florida to Texas, including Oklahoma and parts of Mexico; and an eastern population limited to coastal areas from North Carolina to northern Florida, and inland along large rivers. Two subspecies are recognized based on geographic distribution, migration patterns and timing of molt (shedding of feathers). Painted buntings in Franklin, Gulf, Bay and Wakulla counties of the Florida Panhandle may be an expansion of the western subspecies or an overlap of occurrence. Genetic studies are needed to determine the range of the two subspecies, or if they are so dissimilar that two separate species should be designated. Florida is the only state with a breeding and wintering population.
Painted Buntings are eagerly awaited winter visitors. The males’ brilliant colors contrast strongly with the more demure green females, but both are pretty secretive, so not that easy to spot in foliage. While the females exclusively feed the young in the nest, males take over feeding once a second brood is started. Northeast Florida’s coastal areas are home to the state’s largest breeding population, where singing males can be found between April and August.
I found this male in Polk County, Florida.
The on-line All about Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) gives a description of this medium size owl of the boreal forest much better than I could:
'The Northern Hawk Owl behaves like a hawk but looks like an owl.
Its oval body, yellow eyes, and round face enclosed by dark, parenthesis are distinctly owl.
Its long tail and habit of perching atop solitary trees and hunting by daylight are characteristics of a hawk'
Hence, the name.
* Thank you, Ivan Deng for the heads up. We spent a couple of fantastic hours photographing this owl and were treated to some memorable sights of it hunting along the side of the country road.
Taken 0n: Jan 2021, Thorhild County, Alberta
Nikon D500 w/500f4G
Lightroom 6.0
Thank you very much for the visit and comment.
The colorful painted bunting occurs in two geographically distinct breeding populations: eastern and western. The eastern population is limited to coastal areas from North Carolina to northern Florida, and inland along large rivers.
The male painted bunting (Passerina ciris) is one of the most brightly colored songbirds in North America. The French name for the species, nonpareil (without equal), refers to its distinctive purple, blue, red, yellow and green plumage. Males attain adult plumage when two years old. Females are a yellowish green and resemble subadult males. The male’s song is a variable high-pitched warble.
Painted buntings occur in two geographically distinct breeding populations: a western population that ranges from northwest Florida to Texas, including Oklahoma and parts of Mexico; and an eastern population limited to coastal areas from North Carolina to northern Florida, and inland along large rivers. Two subspecies are recognized based on geographic distribution, migration patterns and timing of molt (shedding of feathers). Painted buntings in Franklin, Gulf, Bay and Wakulla counties of the Florida Panhandle may be an expansion of the western subspecies or an overlap of occurrence. Genetic studies are needed to determine the range of the two subspecies, or if they are so dissimilar that two separate species should be designated. The breeding range of the eastern subspecies in Florida extends along the northeast coast from the state line south to Cape Canaveral and inland along the St. Johns River. Eastern painted buntings winter in south Florida, Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Florida is the only state with a breeding and wintering population.
This male is one of Six (male and female) that have been visiting my yard for the past Several years.
This is a Western Willet. Eastern Willets are a little smaller, slightly different coloring and sound a different.
The Willet is a large sandpiper and the largest of the species called "shanks". Its closest relative is the lesser yellowlegs.
These birds are both diurnal and nocturnal. Willets have a distinct advantage over some other shorebird species. Not only can they hunt during the day, but they can also hunt for prey at night. Though they cannot see very well in the dark, Willets use their sensitive beaks to feel in the sand for prey when it is dark out.
This photo was taken near Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Chevalier semipalmé, Playero Aliblanco
-Tringa semipalmata
There’s something distinctly otherworldly about Dungeness (Kent, UK). It might have something to do with the strange combination of a nuclear power station, battered fishermen’s huts, lighthouses, fishing boats in decomposition, the ‘acoustic mirrors’, concrete oddities and the largest expanse of shingle in Europe. Dungeness is simultaneously a desolate dystopian land and a place of awe-inspiring beauty.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh
India
A slim brown buzzard with a distinct white iris. Adults have a white throat with a prominent dark stripe, yellow base of the bill, and rufous tail. Dark tips to wing feathers are clearly visible in flight. Often shows a white patch on its nape. Juveniles have buffy heads and brown iris.
The usual habitat is dry, open country or forest, where it mainly feed on insects, rodents, and small mammals. This species is most often seen soaring alone in thermals or perched still. Groups of two or three may sometimes be seen. The most heard call is a plaintive mewing note or falling whistle.
The species is widely distributed in South Asia and usually seen soaring alone in thermals or perched still. They feed mainly on locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and other large insects, as well as mice, lizards, and frogs. – Wikipedia
Oiseau de la taille d'un Moineau domestique mais beaucoup plus élancé. Les deux sexes sont bien distincts. Le mâle : plumage noir grisâtre sur le dos et les ailes (tache alaire blanche), plus noir sur le ventre et la face ; croupion et bords de la queue roux, centre de la queue brun. La femelle : tête et corps gris anthracite, uniforme ; queue et croupion de la même couleur que le mâle. Bec fin et noir ; pattes et doigts noirs. Il est impossible de ne pas reconnaître le mâle au moment de la reproduction: il porte une face noire, avec la gorge et la poitrine tirant vers le gris ardoise au niveau du ventre, un dos gris, des ailes foncées avec des taches blanches; sans oublier la queue rousse et rouge qui donne son nom à l'espèce. La femelle possède également cette queue rousse; le reste de son plumage est brun, mais plus foncé que celui du rouge-queue à front blanc. En hiver, le mâle ressemble davantage à la femelle. Le chant du mâle aux consonances métalliques retentit souvent lorsqu'il est très haut perché, sur le faîte d'un toit ou sur une tour ou du haut d'un rocher. Son chant est un gazouillis rapide, suivi d'un son évoquant le bruit d'un grésillement.
Images prises en milieu naturel et depuis la portière de la voiture équipée du filet de camouflage .
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Bird the size of a House Sparrow but much more slender. The two sexes are quite distinct. Male: greyish black plumage on back and wings (white wing patch), blacker on belly and face; rump and tail edges reddish, tail center brown. Female: head and body charcoal gray, uniform; tail and rump the same color as the male. Thin, black beak; black legs and feet. It is impossible not to recognize the male at the time of reproduction: he wears a black face, with the throat and the breast drawing towards the gray slate at the level of the belly, a gray back, dark wings with white spots; without forgetting the red and red tail which gives its name to the species. The female also has this red tail; the rest of its plumage is brown, but darker than that of the White-fronted Redstart. In winter, the male looks more like the female. The metallic-sounding male's song is often heard when he is perched very high, on the ridge of a roof or on a tower or from the top of a rock. Its song is a quick chirp, followed by a sound like the sound of a sizzle.
Images taken in a natural environment and from the car door fitted with the camouflage net.
Small falcon with distinctive male plumage; gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, barred on back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of sparrowhawks and Shikra), and distinct dark spotting on breast. Fairly common in open and lightly wooded country, farmland, heathland; often seen over rough grassland beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel. (Courtesy e.bird)
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
There is a distinct difference in the appearance of the male and female. The males upperparts, including the chin, throat and wings are iridescent purple, contrasting with the bright white on the rest of the body. The coloration varies from dark to rosy depending on the light. Females and juveniles are a streaky brown and buff colour, and can easily be mistaken for a thrush. Size: Length - ± 18cm Weigh ±45 g
Best wishes for 2015.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Japanese gardens are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden designers to suggest an ancient and faraway natural landscape, and to express the fragility of existence as well as time's unstoppable advance. Ancient Japanese art inspired past garden designers. By the Edo period, the Japanese garden had its own distinct appearance. 30765
Samburu National Reserve
Kenya
East Africa
The vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus.
The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries. These mostly herbivorous monkeys have black faces and grey body hair color, ranging in length from about 50 centimetres (20 in) for males to about 40 centimetres (16 in) for females.
In addition to very interesting behavioral research on natural populations, vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding genetic and social behaviors of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension and anxiety. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals, with males changing groups at the time of sexual maturity.
The most significant studies done on vervet monkeys involve their communication and alarm calls, specifically in regard to kin and group recognition and particular predator sightings.
Oiseau de la taille d'un Moineau domestique mais beaucoup plus élancé. Les deux sexes sont bien distincts. Le mâle : plumage noir grisâtre sur le dos et les ailes (tache alaire blanche), plus noir sur le ventre et la face ; croupion et bords de la queue roux, centre de la queue brun. La femelle : tête et corps gris anthracite, uniforme ; queue et croupion de la même couleur que le mâle. Bec fin et noir ; pattes et doigts noirs. Il est impossible de ne pas reconnaître le mâle au moment de la reproduction: il porte une face noire, avec la gorge et la poitrine tirant vers le gris ardoise au niveau du ventre, un dos gris, des ailes foncées avec des taches blanches; sans oublier la queue rousse et rouge qui donne son nom à l'espèce. La femelle possède également cette queue rousse; le reste de son plumage est brun, mais plus foncé que celui du rouge-queue à front blanc. En hiver, le mâle ressemble davantage à la femelle. Le chant du mâle aux consonances métalliques retentit souvent lorsqu'il est très haut perché, sur le faîte d'un toit ou sur une tour ou du haut d'un rocher. Son chant est un gazouillis rapide, suivi d'un son évoquant le bruit d'un grésillement.
Images prises en milieu naturel et depuis la portière de la voiture équipée du filet de camouflage .
PS : Un grand merci à toutes celles et ceux qui choisissent de regarder , de commenter et d'aimer mes photos . C'est très apprécié , comme vous l'avez constaté , je ne répond plus directement suite à votre commentaire juste pour dire en fait " merci et bonne journée " , mais en retour je passe laisser une petite trace chez vous sur une ou plusieurs de vos éditions . Merci de votre compréhension
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Bird the size of a House Sparrow but much more slender. The two sexes are quite distinct. Male: greyish black plumage on back and wings (white wing patch), blacker on belly and face; rump and tail edges reddish, tail center brown. Female: head and body charcoal gray, uniform; tail and rump the same color as the male. Thin, black beak; black legs and feet. It is impossible not to recognize the male at the time of reproduction: he wears a black face, with the throat and the breast drawing towards the gray slate at the level of the belly, a gray back, dark wings with white spots; without forgetting the red and red tail which gives its name to the species. The female also has this red tail; the rest of its plumage is brown, but darker than that of the White-fronted Redstart. In winter, the male looks more like the female. The metal-sounding male's song is often heard when he is perched very high, on the ridge of a roof or on a tower or at the top of a rock. Its song is a quick chirp, followed by a sound like the sound of a sizzle.
Images taken in a natural environment and from the car door fitted with the camouflage net.
PS: A big thank you to everyone who chooses to watch, comment and love my photos. It is very appreciated, as you noticed, I do not answer any more directly following your comment just to say in fact "thank you and good day", but in return I pass to leave a small mark with you on one or more of your editions. thank you for your understanding
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This bird is distinct from the more common Oregon Junco but I am no expert and am not sure if this is a Cassier Junco or Slate-colored Junco so assistance with id will be appreciated. I have many of the Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos in my yard, where I took this photo, in Yakima County, Washington. Cassiar Junco is sometimes consider a hybrid Oregon x Slate-colored Junco and more often considered a subspecies.
This document has several good photo and description of Cassiar Junco: nwbackyardbirder.blogspot.com/2011/04/not-slate-colored-j...
IMG_5131
Thank you everyone for the views, invites, comments, awards and faves.
It’s that cuckoo again, back on tour for a glorious 7th year showing in a field near me.
What a stunning bird he is. Entertaining the crowd to sell out audiences.
Once again Trout Lake delivers a unique image, this time during winter. As the lake slowly freezes over, various shapes form leaving a distinct seasonal appearance.
These beetles have a distinct preference for a particular type of wood, in this case the decaying wood of oaks.
In the UK it is locally common across Wales and South East England and sporadic and generally scarce elsewhere north to Southern Scotland but it seems to have increased in range and abundance over recent decades and so should be expected from any suitable habitat.
Central Serengeti National Park
Tanzania
East Africa
The vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus.
The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries. These mostly herbivorous monkeys have black faces and grey body hair color, ranging in length from about 50 centimetres (20 in) for males to about 40 centimetres (16 in) for females.
In addition to very interesting behavioral research on natural populations, vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding genetic and social behaviors of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension and anxiety. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals, with males changing groups at the time of sexual maturity.
The most significant studies done on vervet monkeys involve their communication and alarm calls, specifically in regard to kin and group recognition and particular predator sightings. – Wikpedia
Londolozi Game Reserve
South Africa
The crested barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) is a sub-Saharan bird in the Lybiidae family. Its specific name commemorates François Levaillant, a famed French naturalist.
With its thick bill and very colourful plumage the crested barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with white specks and it has a broad black band on its neck. Yellow head and body with black and white feathers, red markings on end of body, its colour blends well in the bush. They have a distinct shrill.
The crested barbet feeds on insects, other birds' eggs and fruits. It is found in forests, savannah, suburban gardens, woodland thickets and watercourses. – Wikipedia
Monterosso al Mare est le plus vieux village des Cinque Terre et le plus grand, il ne ressemble en rien aux autres villages. Contrairement à eux, il a la particularité de ne pas être suspendu à un promontoire rocheux à la manière des autres villages, et c’est le seul des cinq villages à avoir une grande plage accessible.
Monterosso al Mare is the oldest village of the Cinque Terre and the largest, it does not look like other villages. Unlike them, it has the distinction of not being suspended from a rocky promontory in the manner of other villages, and it is the only one of the five villages to have a large accessible beach.
Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis
Taken on on local walks!
The common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.
This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller.
This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Sylvia, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related.
This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,100,000 territories
in final approach on Svalbard, Norway
Great Skua, also called Bonxie
Stercorarius skua
Grote Jager
Grand Labbe
Skua oder Große Raubmöwe
Págalo Grande
Stercorario maggiore
mandrião-grande / alcaide
from the ebird.org website:
"Powerful dark brown seabird, resembles a dark, heavily built immature gull. Note eye-catching white flashes in the primaries when in flight. Adults have distinct pale mottling on the upperparts, which serves to separate them from adults of the very similar South Polar Skua. Juveniles are more uniformly colored, with warm-colored and largely unmarked underparts; note bulkier build and more powerful flight than Pomarine Jaeger.
Breeds locally on moorland of islands and coasts in northern Europe, where aggressive near nests. Otherwise lives at sea, but may be seen from shore during windy conditions during migration periods.
Feeds by pirating gulls and other seabirds, also by scavenging at fishing boats."
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All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
Cuiaba River
The Pantanal
Brazil
South America
Giant river otter eating a pirahna from the Cuiaba River in Brazil.
The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel family, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 m (5.6 ft). Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The groups are centered on a dominant breeding pair and are extremely cohesive and cooperative. Although generally peaceful, the species is territorial, and aggression has been observed between groups. The giant otter is diurnal, being active exclusively during daylight hours. It is the noisiest otter species, and distinct vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm, aggressiveness, and reassurance.
The giant otter ranges across north-central South America; it lives mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal.
The Highland is a Scottish breed of rustic cattle. It originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed, bred to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region.
Highland cattle descend from the Hamitic Longhorn, which were brought to Britain by Neolithic farmers in the second millennium BC, as the cattle migrated northwards through Africa and Europe. Highland cattle were historically of great importance to the economy, with the cattle being raised for meat primarily and sold in England.
The 1885 herd book describes two distinct types of Highland cattle. One was the West Highland, or Kyloe, originating and living mostly in the Outer Hebrides, which had harsher conditions. These cattle tended to be smaller, to have black coats and, due to their more rugged environment, to have long hair. These cattle were named due to the practice of relocating them. The kyles are narrow straits of water, and the cattle were driven across them to get to market.
The other type was the mainland; these tended to be larger because their pastures provided richer nutrients. They came in a range of colours, most frequently dun or red. These types have now been crossbred so that there is no distinct difference.
Since the early 20th century, breeding stock has been exported to many parts of the world, especially Australia and North America.
It is estimated that there are now around 15,000 Highland cattle in the United Kingdom.
Not often I can get close to these in the wild. Was fantastic to visit this one on a post where I have seen one before a few years ago.
Moremi Game Reserve
Okavango Delta
Botswana.
The steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) is a common small antelope of southern and eastern Africa. It is sometimes known as the steinbuck or steinbok.
There are two distinct clusters in steenbok distribution. In East Africa, it occurs in central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. In Southern Africa, it occurs in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and probably Lesotho.
Steenbok typically browse on low-level vegetation (they cannot reach above 0.9 m), but are also adept at scraping up roots and tubers. In central Kruger National Park, Steenbok show a distinct preference for forbs, and then woody plants (especially Flueggea virosa) when few forbs are available. They will also take fruits and only very rarely graze on grass. They are almost entirely independent of drinking water, gaining the moisture they need from their food.
Steenbok are active during the day and the night; however, during hotter periods, they rest under shade during the heat of the day. The time spent feeding at night increases in the dry season. While resting, they may be busy grooming, ruminating or taking brief spells of sleep. – Wikipedia
(Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Di Linh
Vietname
This charming little bird, despite its name, it is not actually a canary or a true flycatcher. It was long classified as a member of the Old World Flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. However, recent genetic analyses have revealed that it actually belongs to a distinct family, Stenostiridae.
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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.
So, you may find:
- All the photos for this trip Vietname (2022) (206)
- All the photos for this order PASSERIFORMES (3553)
- All the photos for this family Stenostiridae (Estenostirídeos) (8)
- All the photos for this species Culicicapa ceylonensis (3)
- All the photos taken this day 2022/12/13 (30)
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Egrets (/ˈiːɡrəts/ EE-grəts) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build.
Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea, which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word aigrette that means both "silver heron" and "brush", referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season (also called "egrets").
Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years; the great egret, for example, has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta, or Ardea.
In the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world. 62079
Amazilia tzacatl
(Rufous-tailed Hummingbird / Amazilia de cola rufa)
In my garden. La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes, 2300 meters above sea level.
The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird. It has a distinctly rufous-colored tail, from which its named is derived, and a bright pink bill. Like other hummingbirds, it feeds on nectar and small insects. It can be highly territorial over feeding areas.
The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is perhaps the most common species of hummingbird at forest edge and in gardens and cultivated areas from southern Mexico south to northwestern South America.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/...
Spoonbills are a genus, Platalea, of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from Latin and means broad, referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Six species are recognised, which although usually placed in a single genus have sometimes been split into three genera. All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day. The spoonbills are most distinct from the ibises in the shape of their bill, which is long and flat and wider at the end. The nostrils are located near the base of the bill so that the bird can breathe while the bill is submerged in water. The eyes are positioned to provide spoonbills with binocular vision, although when foraging tactile senses are important too. Like the ibises the spoonbills have bare patches of skin around the bills and eyes. The six species of spoonbill are distributed over much of the world.
Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. Ibises usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. It is widespread across much of Australia. It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long down curved bill and black legs. They are monogamous and highly territorial while nesting and feeding. Most nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons. Due to its increasing presence in the urban environment and its habit of rummaging in garbage, the species has acquired a variety of colloquial names such as tip turkey; and bin chicken, and in recent years has become an icon of popular culture, being regarded with passion, wit, and, in equal measure, affection and disgust. 48963
Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.
A distinctly marked lapwing with a black breast and throat and a red bill with a black tip. It also sports red wattles in front of the eyes and a white patch that runs down the cheeks to the underparts. In flight, note the black flight feathers that contrast with the white wing patch. Usually found in small groups around water bodies, agricultural fields, and dry land. They feed primarily on insects, catching them in a typical plover like manner, running a short distance and picking up food from ground. A bird known for its characteristics loud alarm call, often compared to the words “Did we do it?” (eBird)
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Although we have seen these birds quite frequently, I am always pleased to see them again. Their crisp bold markings make the stand out and easy to identify. It was nice to find this one so close (a pleasant change) and in a nice setting, too.
Here's a link to our Thailand bird trip list: ebird.org/tripreport/328567
Ban Thi Rice Paddies, Lamphun, Thailand. February 2025.
Rockjumper Birding Tours.
Gangly heron with significant variation in plumage. Distinct dark morph is slate-gray with a white throat, while the palest morph is white with a yellow bill and lores. Pale gray intermediate morphs can also be found. Little Egret can look similar, but it has a darker bill than the white morph of the Western Reef-Heron. Primarily a coastal inhabitant, foraging on shorelines and in estuaries, but can also be found at some inland water bodies. (eBird)
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I originally posted this as a Medium Egret but was later informed that it was the white morph of reef-heron. It was actively fishing, reminding me of the Reddish Egret of North America, with its dancing and shading the water with its wings.
Ras al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. March 2024.
The dog (Canis familiaris when considered a distinct species or Canis lupus familiaris when considered a subspecies of the wolf) is a domesticated carnivore of the family Canidae. It is part of the wolf-like canids, and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated, which implies that the direct ancestor of the dog is extinct. The dog was the first species to be domesticated, and has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Their long association with humans has led dogs to be uniquely attuned to human behavior and they are able to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids. Dogs vary widely in shape, size and colors. They perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship and, more recently, aiding disabled people and therapeutic roles. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet of man's best friend.
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is one of two separate dog breeds known as Welsh Corgis that originated in Wales; the other is the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. It is one of the oldest breeds of the British Isles. Cardigan Welsh Corgis are known to be an extremely loyal dog breed. They are also versatile and can live in a variety of settings. The Cardigan is a long, low dog with upright ears and a fox brush tail. 36532
Distinct black-and-white, pigeon-sized wader, with wide rounded wings and floppy beats in flight. Wispy crest extending upwards from back of head and green/purple irridescence seen at close range. Pinkish legs.
The village of Sennen Cove overlooks the southern end of Whitesand Bay. There is not a cove in the usual geological sense. The village (as distinct from Sennen Churchtown), is on a spur road which joins the A30 trunk road about two miles (3 km) from Land's End. Thus it is the first village from Land's End along the north coast. The road descends gently for about 300 yards and then steeply for another 300 yards to the village which lies above the beach. The beach extends further north along Whitesand Bay. There are a few dozen houses built primarily of granite and some of concrete, arranged mainly in terraces, typical of many of the villages in Cornwall. Several submarine telecommunications cables reach land at Sennen Cove and are connected via landlines to the cable terminating equipment at Skewjack together with others from Porthcurno.
Dogs have distinct personalities and Fibonnaci is one such animal. His alert eyes follow all the action of the other dogs, especially the big companions.
He tends to dress in a snappy yellow raincoat when the precipitation is lightly falling....and more likely than not he would prefer to curl up by a window to dream of sunny days.
In writing this paragraph, I realize I have just described my reaction to wet weather. Perhaps that's why I like his company.
These mining bees have been only recently described (Schmidt & Westrich 1993) as a distinct species. Until then, they were confused with another species of Colletes the morphologically very similar, but ecologically distinctive, Colletes halophilus.
The females of Colletes hederae are on average 13 millimetres (0.51 in) long, while the males are about 10 mm (0.39 in) long, significantly larger than the common colletes. The thorax of the adults is covered by dense orange-brown hair, while each abdominal segment has an apical orangey hair-band.
This species is very similar to the closely related heather colletes (Colletes succinctus) and even more to the sea aster mining bee (Colletes halophilus).
The adults emerge late in the year (the males from late August and the females a little later in early September) and remain on the wing until early November. The principal pollen forage plant is ivy (Hedera helix), (hence the specific epithet hederae), but both sexes will also nectar at ivy flowers too. When ivy is scarce, other species of plants are also visited. The females supply the larval brood cells almost exclusively with nectar and pollen of ivy flowers. When ivy flowering is delayed, females may also collect pollen at various members of the Daisy family (Asteraceae).
These are solitary bees and do not live in colonies and do not overwinter as adults. They nest in clay-sandy soils, especially in loess hills and soft-rock cliffs. Like many other solitary bees, they can often be found nesting in dense aggregations, sometimes numbering many tens of thousands of nests. In parts of the west European range of the species, Colletes hederae are frequently parasitized by the larvae of the meloid beetle Stenoria analis, which feed on the supply of nectar and pollen prepared by females bees in their nests.
House on the Rock. ... The House on the Rock is a tourist attraction located between the cities of Dodgeville and Spring Green, Wisconsin. Opened in 1959, it is a complex of architecturally distinct rooms, streets, gardens, and shops designed by Alex Jordan Jr.
The Largest Carousel in History whirls endlessly in the House on the Rock. No one is allowed to ride it.
Things to DO
Governor Dodge State Park.
Folklore Village.
Museum of Minerals & Crystals.
Duke's Brew Pub & Ale House.
Red Room Restaurant & Bar.
Time and Again Vintage.
Schurman's Wisconsin Cheese.
Doby Stables.
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