A spectacular and distinctive flycatcher, the bright red Vermilion Flycatcher inhabits riparian areas and scrub in the southwestern United States and southward. It perches conspicuously, making periodic flights to nab insect prey.

The male Vermilion Flycatcher often seeks to initiate copulation by delivering a butterfly or other showy insect to the female.

The oldest recorded Vermillion Flycatcher was a male, and at least 4 years, 6 months old when he was shot in Mexico in 1972, the same country where he had been banded.

(Nikon 300mm + TC 1.7, 1/500 @ f8, ISO 200)

Thank You, Dianne and Julia, for Identifying this Bird !!

This beautiful and distinctive male Evening Grosbeak was keeping close watch over a female in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Distinctive but often rather skulking little bird of fresh and brackish marshes and lakes with dense rushes and other reedy vegetation. Forages in rushes and along the shoreline at muddy edges; often seen making short flights low across openings in rushes, when its broad rusty wingstripe helps with identification. Also note the broad whitish eyebrow and boldly striped upperparts. Often detected by incessant “song”—a steady hard ticking sound like two pebbles being knocked together.

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa, Lima, Peru. October 2018.

The colourful Redwing is most commonly encountered as a winter visitor and is the UK's smallest true thrush. Its creamy strip above the eye and orange-red flank patches make it distinctive.

They roam across the UK's countryside, feeding in fields and hedgerows, rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather when snow covers the fields. Only a few pairs nest in the UK. This bird was seen today in woodland where plentiful supplies of red berries were nearby.

Small honeyeater with a distinctive red-brown throat patch, white underparts, gray head, brown back, and yellow wing patch. Juveniles lack the rusty throat patch but may have traces of reddish coloration. Typically found in forest and woodland next to rivers or water sources. Endemic to northern Australia. (ebird)

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Yesterday, I posted the Rufous-banded Honeyeater. Today, it's the Rufous-throated. This one is an immature bird, so the rufous feathers on the throat appear as dots rather than a full red throat.

Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Tropical Australia.

The Long-tailed Tyrant is a distinctive flycatcher that occurs at the edge of montane evergreen forest and of lowland forest from Honduras south to western Colombia and western Ecuador, and from southeastern Ecuador south to Brazil, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina; there also is a population in northeastern South America. Long-tailed Tyrants are dull black with a white crown and rump, and sport a pair of elongated central tail feathers that extend up to 13 cm beyond the rest of the tail. Long-tailed Tyrants feed exclusively on flying insects, especially stingless bees. Insects are captured by making quick aerial sallies from a high exposed snag or branch. The Long-tailed Tyrant is resident throughout most of its range, although the populations in southern Brazil perhaps are migratory. doi.org/10.2173/bow.lottyr1.01

Wild - at Trilha dos Tucanos.

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© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

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With its distinctive plumage and evocative cry, the African fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) is probably the most familiar bird of prey in Africa. Perched majestically on a high branch, the contrast between the white upper-body and tail (not obvious in this shot), the chestnut belly and the black wings is unmistakable.

I followed this bird as it flew past, most shots were out of focus, but in this one I fluked an in focus shot of its raised wing. That alone saved this shot from the recycle bin.

Distinctive very dark bird with large feet, most often seen running up and down the sides of trees in dry forest, savanna, and moist lowland forest of northern Australia, where it is the only treecreeper species. Uniformly rich, dark brown, almost black, with white streaks on the throat. In flight. shows bold tan wingbars. The western subspecies (wellsi) has reddish-brown underparts. Call is a slow, repeated "pip pip pip," usually followed by a fast trill of the same note. (eBird)

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Not even closely related to the Treecreepers of North America, Europe and India. These are Australian Treecreepers and are much larger.

This was the one and only time we saw this species, and again, it was on our last day in the Northern Territory. Great way to finish this leg of the trip.

Pine Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. October 2022.

Arbre particulier

DISTINCTIVE AND NOISY WADER, found at Elmley Marshes inland to breed, normally a coastal bird. It uses its powerful bill to feed on molluscs and other invertebrates . Was good to get fairly close to this one, as they are normally very flighty!

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THANK YOU for your support and kind comments, am grateful for them. Do stay safe, God bless..............Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING!"

AN DISTINCTIVE and very welcome finch, which is now red listed as in serious decline, mainly due to changed farming practices.

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THANK YOU for your visit friendship and kind comments will look forward to doing the same on your latest posting. Hope you are all enjoying our hot weather, but do keep safe and well, God bless...

......................Tomx.

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"Jesus loves you !!! ask him inti your life today, you will never regret it "

The distinctive Crested Caracara “combines the raptorial instincts of the eagle with the base carrion-feeding habits of the vulture” (Hudson 1920). Called ignoble, miserable, and aggressive, yet also dashing, stately, and noble, this medium-sized raptor, with its bold black-and-white plumage and bright yellow-orange face and legs, is easily recognizable as it perches conspicuously on a high point in the landscape. In flight it can be distinguished by its regular, powerful wing-beats as it cruises low across the ground or just above the treetops.

The name “caracara” is said to be of Guarani Indian origin, traro-traro, derived from the unusual rattling vocalization that the bird utters when agitated.

The Crested Caracara is a bird of open habitats, typically grassland, prairie, pastures, or desert with scattered taller trees, shrubs, or cacti in which it nests. Adult pairs are generally monogamous and highly territorial and exhibit strong site fidelity. Young remain with their parents for several months after fledging, and at some sites, two broods are raised per year.

I found this adult as a part of a family of three including a juvenile, at Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, Florida.

Seen in Lisbon, Portugal

Cidade de Fado is a distinctive truck, looking like the cars of the XX century, taken care by Fundação Manuel Simões para a Divulgação do Fado. Besides playing Fado classics for the whole street to hear, the truck is actually its own store, with a selection of Fado and other portuguese music CDs. The moving shop first started selling records in the 90's, as a temporary solution, while the building where the original store was located underwent structural reconstruction. It quickly became a lisbon tradition. The truck is usually parked in Rua do Carmo.

more:

www.weheartlisbon.com/en/squares-streets/rua-do-carmo

Fado, from Wikipedia:

Fado (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈfaðu]; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best.

Today fado is commonly regarded as simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain traditional structure. In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate and melancholy.

Distinctive warbler with bold black-and-white stripes over entire body. Adult males have black throat and cheek; females and immatures have white throat and paler cheek. Creeps along branches like a nuthatch, searching for insects. Breeds in mature deciduous or mixed forests; winters in a wider variety of wooded habitats as far south as northern South America. Listen for high pitched “squeaky-wheel” song. Breeding male Blackpoll Warbler is potentially confusing, but note different behavior and face pattern. (eBird)

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Another warbler found on our Big Day, and another that I have struggled to photograph well. They are fast and acrobatic, and always a pleasure to see.

Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. May 2023.

Distinctive black and white Canary Flower Bees roosting on a twig in Gran Canaria on 26th December 2022.

Lapinha da Serra, MG, Brazil.

This speecies is famous for its diverse vocalizations.

It's now part of a new passerine family named Passerellidae.

The Passerellidae (New World sparrows or American sparrows) are a large family of seed-eating passerine birds with distinctively finch-like bills. The American Ornithological Society split the family from Emberizidae (Old World buntings) in 2017. (from Wikipedia)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Suborder: Passeri

Family: Passerellidae

Genus: Zonotrichia Swainson, 1832

Species: Z. capensis (Müller, 1776)

Binomial name: Zonotrichia capensis

Wikipedia: The raccoon (Procyon lotor), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in), and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather. Three of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are themes in the mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the Americas relating to the animal. The raccoon is noted for its intelligence, as studies show that it is able to remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.

Conservation status: Least Concern

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon

The most distinctive feature of Grotto Geyser is its cone, which is over six feet high , has one section missing and includes several calcified trees, giving the appearance of a ring of pinnacles surrounding the vent, all usually partly obscured by steam. The geyser was one of the first seven in the basin to be given an official name, in 1870. Eruptions of Grotto Geyser last between one hour and one day, separated by around eight hours. The height is usually not great, around ten feet, but the spectacle is made more impressive by the elegant cone. The vent is surrounded by shallow pools and intricate sinter formations.

Hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park.

DISTINCTIVE wader that is easily recognized by its dumpy rounded body, rather short legs, and its incredibly long, straight bill. Seen at the scrap Sandwich Bay Kent UK.

Zoom in to get close and personal !!!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT and friendship, this image was taken a month ago, as am still walking around like a very old man, and sitting and lying in bed is the most painful on my lower spine. Keep posting your images to keep me sane, enjoy the Lords day, and the new week, God bless you richly

..................................................Tomx

A bird with a distinctive crest on its head, the color is light brown, and its crest is brown, spotted from its edges with black feathers, and the lower half is black speckled with white feathers in beautiful arrangements. It has a distinctive way of flying, and it feeds on insects and sees individuals in agricultural areas. Worms, larvae and pests. Its presence and sighting is a sign of the purity of the environment from pesticides, and it is forbidden to hunt it (as is the case with Abu Qardan and Abu Fasada, as it is not eaten. It lives in the southern and central regions of Asia and Europe and is largely found in Africa, and lives in the terrain, vineyards and meadows, in particular The meadows of the savannah and in the scattered trees, and it is not stable in one place, but it is constantly moving and migrating from one place to another in search of food.

طير له عرف مميز على رأسه، اللون بني فاتح وعرفه البني مرقط من أطرافه بالريش الأسود ونصفه الأسفل أسود مرقط بالريش الأبيض في نظم جميل، له طريقة مميزة في الطيران، ويتغذى على الحشرات ويشاهد أفراداً في المناطق الزراعية، وهو من أصدقاء الفلاحين فهو ينظف الأرض من الديدان واليرقات والآفات. يعد وجوده ومشاهدته علامة على نقاء البيئة من المبيدات الحشرية، وممنوع صيده (كما هو الحال بالنسبة لأبو قردان وأبو فصادة، حيث أنه لا يؤكل. وهو يعيش في المناطق الجنوبية والوسطى من آسيا وأوروبا ويتواجد في إفريقيا بشكل كبير، ويعيش في التضاريس وكروم العنب والمروج وبالذات مروج السافانا وفي الأشجار المتفرقة وهو غير مستقر في مكان واحد، بل هو دائم التنقل والترحال من مكان لآخر بحثا عن الغذاء

A large duck, generally common and familiar within its extensive range. Males are distinctive with iridescent green head, yellow bill, chestnut breast, and gray body. Females are mottled brown with orange and black splotches on the bill. Found anywhere with water, including city parks, backyard creeks, and various wetland habitats. Often in flocks, and frequently mixes with other duck species. In North America, females can be tricky to distinguish from American Black Duck, Mottled Duck, and Mexican Duck where ranges overlap. Those species are all darker-bodied than Mallard. A good view of the wing can be helpful, too: white wingbars on the leading and trailing edges of the blue wing patch are bolder on Mallard. Frequently hybridizes with those species, which can be even more confusing. Any bird with extensive white in the tail or curled feathers above the tail has some Mallard genes. (eBird)

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I just had to include the Alberta Mallard. He was too beautiful to ignore :-)

John E. Poole Wetland, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. June 2022.

The distinctive cry of the Curlew rings around the Northern uplands at this time of year and these wild moors still hold good numbers of breeding pairs.

Sadly in the South they are now a rare breeding bird.

Taken in the Yorkshire Dales.

An adult male Painted Bunting is arguably the most distinctive songbird in North America, with the combination of a deep blue head, red underparts, a green back, and a red rump. Females and immature birds are a uniform, bright yellow-green overall, with a pale eye ring. Though they are basically un-patterned, their overall color is greener and brighter than similar songbirds.

Although both males and females have a metallic "chip" call, only male birds sing. Its sweet rambling song is easily heard and very distinctive.

Habitat

Painted Buntings breed in semi-open habitats with scattered shrubs or trees. Breeding birds prefer scrub communities, palmetto thickets, and the edges of maritime hammocks. The two breeding populations (eastern and western) have separate wintering grounds, though both gravitate toward high grass, shrubby overgrown pasture, and thickets. Eastern breeders winter in shrubby or grassy habitats in Florida and the northern Caribbean. Birds from the south-central U.S. winter in similar habitats in southern Mexico and Central America.

Found this male in my backyard. Thought it makes a perfect "Christmas Bird".

"Merry Christmas Everyone"

A.W. Cardinal was for most of the performance hidden in the dark. He gave the limelight to his partner Jass. Even his name A.W. is a bit of mystery. Southside Shuffle blues festival reserved the best for the last; at least it was for me the 'Blue Moon Marquee'. Normally it's a duo Jasmine Colette and A.W. Cardinal, but they added an excellent keyboard player. Both write songs, both have great voices and are excellent musicians. Rather then being just another blues band their music had depth and originality. The Albertans travel the world now for several years. Cardinal raspy voice is very distinctive. Playing together for 10 years, there is nothing stale in their performance. Alexander Wesley and Jasmine are now on my radar.

134. Port Credit P1420184; Taken 2022 Sep 10. Upload 2022 Sep 13.

The Red-bellied Grackle is a distinctive rare blackbird of cloud forest in the Colombian Andes. It is large, long-tailed, and heavy-billed with a bright red belly and otherwise glossy black plumage. Red-bellied Grackles moves through the forest in groups, giving a variety of calls. While it has been recorded from all three ranges of the Andes in Colombia, contemporary localities are few.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...

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 👍

The distinctively marked and aptly named collared kingfisher of Asia. This bird was photographed amongst mangroves in Thalen Bay, Thailand. More at "Colin Pacitti Wildlife Photography & Fishing Travels" - www.colin-pacitti.com.

DISTINCTIVE WADER is easily recognized by its dumpy, rounded body, rather short legs, and its incredibly long, straight bill. The latter is used to probe vertically downwards in soft mud, in the manner of a sewing machine. Seen at the scrap Sandwich Bay, and only for a brief few seconds before disappearing into the long grasses again.

Zoom in for more detail.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT AND FRIENDSHIP, love reading your comments which I find very encouraging and always appreciated.

Keep well and safe dear friends...God bless.....................Tomx

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"Ask JESUS into your life today, you will never look back !"

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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 👍

DISTINCTIVE finch, resident all year round, and a familiar garden visitor, influxes from mainland Europe boost the numbers during the winter. At the feeders it often dominates and attempts to exclude other species.

Best viewed large.

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THANK YOU for your visit and support, love to read your kind comments. Please stay safe and God bless you ,......

...........Tomx.

The secretive Gray Catbird, with its distinctive cat-like

mewing note, is a common winter resident in Florida.

Many pass through the state during migration.

Gray Catbirds are one of the most common species that non-birders in their range are likely to have never seen nor identified. The catbird’s rather bland coloration – slate gray with a black cap and chestnut under the tail – doesn’t attract attention, and unlike their cousins, the mockingbirds, that often sing from exposed perches, catbirds prefer to sing their jumbled songs from cover. And it is the sounds that catbirds make that give them their name and makes it at all likely that their presence will be noted.

Gray Catbirds, to put it simply, have a call note that sounds like a cat with a scratchy and short meow. This sound emanating from a tangle of brush can easily fool those not in the know. The song of the Gray Catbird, however, is nothing like a cat meowing: like the mockingbird and thrasher the catbird often mimics other birds and sounds but it tends not to repeat itself. The rule of thumb is that if a phrase is repeated three times in a row it is a mockingbird, it it is repeated twice a thrasher is singing, and if each phrase of the song is sang just once one is dealing with a catbird.

I found this one in my backyard in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida.

The Stiperstones is a distinctive hill in the county of Shropshire, England. The quartzite rock of the ridge formed some 480 million years ago. During the last Ice Age Stiperstones lay on the eastern margin of the Welsh ice sheet. The hill itself was not glaciated though glaciers occupied surrounding valleys and it was subject to intense freezing and thawing which shattered the quartzite into a mass of jumbled scree surrounding several residual rocky tors. At 536 metres (1,759 ft) above sea level it is the second-highest hill in the county, surpassed only by Brown Clee Hill (540 metres (1,772 ft)). Stiperstones' 8-kilometre (5 mi) summit ridge is crowned by several jagged outcrops of rock, which may be seen silhouetted against the sky.

Dark woodpecker, inconspicuous and uncommon. Found in coniferous forests, often in recently burned areas or bogs with many dead trees. Distinctive habit of flaking bark off trees in search of grubs; behavior shared only with American Three-toed Woodpecker. Back entirely glossy black with faint white markings only on flight feathers. Head mostly black with white mustache stripe and throat. Barred flanks. Males show yellow cap; sexes otherwise alike. "Pick" call is short and has unique clicking tone unlike other woodpeckers. Drum is slow, speeding up at end. Does not visit bird feeders. (eBird)

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Usually, we travel north to Algonquin Park to try and find our yearly Black-backed Woodpecker. They can be incredibly difficult to find. This year, this female decided to make Ottawa her home and has visited many of the trails within the Stony Swamp Conservation Area We finally caught up with her today.

Funny story - just as we were starting to be interested in birds, we saw a strange dark woodpecker with a little yellow cap. After chasing it around a tree with the bird guide, we id'd it as a Black-backed Woodpecker. it wasn't until years later that we realized it had a been a rare bird in Ottawa. Alas, no photos to prove our sighting.

Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. March 2023.

The avocet is a distinctively-patterned black and white wader with a long up-curved beak. This Schedule 1 species is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species. Its return in the 1940s and subsequent increase in numbers represents one of the most successful conservation and protection projects. What they eat: Aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans and worms (Courtesy RSPB).

Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍

Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. Arrived at Bryce Canyon in the afternoon, raining, walked around when raining stopped. The light was nice for taking photos, a little bit sunset on top of this beautiful canyon.

Distinctive warbler with bold black-and-white stripes over entire body. Adult males have black throat and cheek; females and immatures have white throat and paler cheek. Creeps along branches like a nuthatch, searching for insects. Breeds in mature deciduous or mixed forests; winters in a wider variety of wooded habitats as far south as northern South America. Listen for high pitched “squeaky-wheel” song. Breeding male Blackpoll Warbler is potentially confusing, but note different behavior and face pattern. (eBird)

This active little bird was chasing bugs along the branches, but I finally get the lens on him!

Peace Island Park, Taylor, British Columbia, Canada. May 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours Ultimate British Columbia.

This bird has two distinctive subspecies: T. m. maximus which lives on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the North and South America. The royal tern has a red-orange bill and a black cap during the breeding season, but in the winter the cap becomes patchy. The royal tern is found in Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean islands. The royal tern lives on the coast and is only found near salt water. They tend to feed near the shore, close to the beach or in backwater bays. The royal tern's conservation status is listed as of least concern.

Plump, smooth-plumaged bird with distinctive thin, high-pitched call. Adults have a sleek crest, black mask, pale yellow wash on the belly, and yellow-tipped tail. Juveniles are drabber than adults, with coarse streaking on the breast and a reduced mask. Widespread and fairly common in open woodlands, orchards, and shrubby areas throughout most of North America. Winter range is variable and somewhat dependent on fruit crops; sometimes ventures as far south as Panama. Often gathers in large flocks, especially around fruiting trees. Compare with Bohemian Waxwing in the northern part of range; Cedar is smaller, browner, and has a white (not rufous) undertail. (eBird)

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Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada. June 2022.

COLOURFUL AND DISTINCTIVE bird, although its wary nature ensures that its attractive plumage is seldom viewed. This was a rare chance of a capture, which I took. Utters a loud and harsh scream when disturbed, a woodland bird that buries acorns in the autumn, for winter months, and a fact that this bird is rather shy nature because they are still persecuted in many parts. Zoom in to see that beautiful plumage!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND KIND COMMENTS, it is very appreciated. Please stay safe, keep well, God bless................. ...............Tomx

This Osprey is enjoying the catch of the day on a warm California morning.

Ospreys are very large, distinctively shaped hawks. Despite their size, their bodies are slender, with long, narrow wings and long legs. Ospreys fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below.

Ospreys are brown above and white below, and overall they are whiter than most raptors. From below, the wings are mostly white with a prominent dark patch at the wrists. The head is white with a broad brown stripe through the eye. Juveniles have white spots on the back and buffy shading on the breast.

Ospreys search for fish by flying on steady wingbeats and bowed wings or circling high in the sky over relatively shallow water. They often hover briefly before diving, feet first, to grab a fish.

Ospreys may be found around nearly any body of water: saltmarshes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and even coral reefs.

Their conspicuous stick nests are placed in the open on poles, channel markers, and dead trees, often over water.

(Nikon D750, 300/4, 1/1000 @ f13 ISO 500)

The eastern lubber grasshopper is limited to the southeastern and south central portion of the United States The northern boundary is central North Carolina west through southern Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, to Texas. It occurs throughout Florida.

The lubber is surely the most distinctive grasshopper species within the southeastern United States. It is well known both for its size and its unique coloration. The wings offer little help with mobility for they are rarely more than half the length of the abdomen. This species is incapable of flight and can jump only short distances. Mostly the lubber is quite clumsy and slow in movement and travels by walking and crawling feebly over the substrate.

Eastern lubber grasshoppers possess a variety of abilities to defend themselves. Their bright color pattern is a warning to predators that the lubber contains toxic substances. Indeed, there are several records attributing the demise of individual birds to failure to exercise caution when selecting prey items. Also small mammals such as opossums have been known to vomit violently after ingesting a lubber, and to remain ill for several hours. If the red, yellow, and black coloration fails to keep a predator at bay, then the lubber may secrete a foamy spray from the thoracic region (the portion of the body where the legs and wings are attached.) This spray consists of a number of compounds, some of which, are irritants. This bubbly froth is accompanied by a relatively loud, frightful hissing sound. The insect contracts the abdomen to force air out of the spiracles along with the defensive secretion. The sound is produced as the spray is being forced out of these tiny holes in the thorax called spiracles. Eastern lubbers, like most all grasshoppers, can also regurgitate recently consumed plant material. This regurgitant is mostly liquid and has a dark brown color. This is commonly referred to as 'tobacco spit.' The tobacco spit is partially digested food material along with some semi-toxic compounds from the insect's crop region. This substance can easily stain clothing.

I found this nasty but colorful beast at Coleman Landing County Park, in Polk County, Florida.

Related to the shelduck, this pale brown and grey goose has distinctive dark brown eye-patches and contrasting white wing patches in flight. It was introduced as an ornamental wildfowl species and has escaped into the wild, now successfully breeding in a feral state.

Many thanks for any faves and comments

Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[1][2] Robert Fulford wrote in 1999 that "Kensington today is as much a legend as a district. The (partly) outdoor market has probably been photographed more often than any other site in Toronto."[3]

Kensington Market is a walkable bohemian neighbourhood that draws artists and tourists to its indie shops, vintage boutiques and arts spaces. The Market is also home to a wide array of specialty grocers, bakeries and cheese shops. Hipsters frequent trendy bars, cafes and international restaurants that range from casual to fine dining. Students and families populate Victorian houses along tree-lined streets.

Male - Small distinctive hummingbird with a straight black bill. Males are mostly green with a rusty rump and tail, and noteworthy for an iridescent pink throat and white spot behind the eye. Females are green above and rusty below with a white teardrop behind the eye and a pale patch on the cheeks. Found in the understory of humid rainforest and visiting feeders at forest edges. ebird.org/species/brarub1

Happy Thursday!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated! If you want, check my instagram: @thelmag

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

Visit my instagram if you like: @thelmag

Distinctive Peck's Skipper butterfly taking nectar from a wild Ox-eye Meadow Daisy.

Common and abundant.

A distinctive long-tailed shrike of open woodland and acacia scrub.

Image taken in the Mara North Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya.

Many thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.

DISTINCTIVE wader, love its spiky crest, and in some angles as above it has a green and purple sheen. The lapwing is a bird of open habitats, and during the breeding season, it is found on undisturbed grazed grassland, moors, and arable farmland. Sadly this bird is in serious decline, due to changing farming practices. Seen on a misty early morning at the Restharrow Scrap at Sandwich Bay Kent.

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THANK YOU for your visit friendship and comments, will look forward to seeing your latest posting and doing the same. Keep safe and well, God bless you......................Tomx.

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)

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This weeks-old puppy is one of the eight children of a mixed-breed dog. While it's siblings either have a pure white or light brown fur, or a white body coloring with some brown patches, none of them has a distinguishing facial feature like this predominantly white puppy - which has a black mask-like design on its head.

Taken in Subic, Zambales, Philippines.

As its name suggests, redshanks' most distinctive features are their bright orange-red legs. They have a medium-length bill with an orange base to match, brown speckled back and wings and paler belly.