Environmental Activism
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A very common bird in the Himalayan belt - they were more common than Crows and Sparrows much to my surprise. They were present in the cities, forest areas, hill sides and even around river edges and garbage dumps. The bird must have adapted to the environments around it.
We sighted it several times and our bird guides found it amusing that we were excited about it and photographed it. The bird has an easy to remember whistling call, but we didn't hear it much during the trip. Maybe its not the breeding season.
Many thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
The Mottled Wood Owl is a large owl found around thick woody areas in the countryside. This is a true nocturnal owl active at nights and often hard to see in the day. But we got lucky this time that the day was very cloudy till 11AM and hence the owl was still active.
When the Owl came out of tree cover, the Shikra which surprisingly was roosting in the same tree attacked the Owl. The Owl wasn't an agile flyer, and found itself challenged repeatedly by the Shikra which pecked the Owl several times on the head. The Owl had to land on bare trees and face the Shikra at which point the aggressor landed safely far away. Surprisingly, the Shikra was only attacking the Owl when it was flying. This happened for a while after which the Owl disappeared into the canopy, while the Shikra went about on its day business!
Thank you so much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
he wet environment of the Okavango Delta encourages the growth of thousands of tree and plant species: the Day Water Lily is an aquatic plant with round, floating leaves split by a V-notch. These plants have underground stems which are firmly anchored to the mud under water by means of rather thick, spreading roots. The rhizome (underground stem) is 4 - 5 cm in diameter, black in colour and rather spongy. The leaves float on long, spongy stalks and are round with a deep notch or cut from the centre to the outer edge.
Vulcano Etna, eruzione presso la bocca attiva sulla sella sul Cratere di Sudest. 27 Febbraio 2017.
Volcano Etna, Southeast Crater.
February 27th, 2017.
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. 41458
It's been nearly six weeks since I've posted a moose shot. That may be a new record for me. It's time to break the dry spell. This bull was photographed before the first rays of sun found their way to the Sheep Lakes area of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The masked lapwing (Vanellus miles), also known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent, New Zealand and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms and has several distinctive calls. There are two subspecies; the southern novaehollandiae has distinctive black markings on the shoulder and side of the chest, and is sometimes recognized as a separate species, the black-shouldered lapwing (Vanellus novaehollandiae). These brown-black, white and yellow plovers are common in Australian fields and open land. The masked lapwing is the largest representative of the family Charadriidae. It measures from 30 to 37 cm in length and has a wingspan of 75–85 cm. The nominate subspecies (V. m. miles) weighs 191–300 g, while the southern race (V. m. novaehollandiae) is larger and weighs 296–412 g. The birds have a wide range of calls which can be heard at any time of the day or night: the warning call, a loud defending call, courtship calls, calls to its young, and others. Since this bird lives on the ground it is always alert and even though it rests it never sleeps properly. Masked lapwings are most common around the edges of wetlands and in other moist, open environments, but are adaptable and can often be found in surprisingly arid areas. They can also be found on beaches and coastlines. 41891
A common resident bird found around freshwater lakes, rivers and waterbodies. They are much smaller than the Grey Heron's and less aggressive too in my view. The birds are quite shy and have a tendency to hide in the reeds, vegetation unlike the Grey Herons which are more visible. The nesting season is towards the end of Summer and the birds start collecting materials like twigs to build their nests. These nests are well located in the middle of tall reeds and vegetation.
I was experimenting with very high shutter speeds and this was shot at max shutter speed of 1/32000. I am impressed by the quality of the shot and R5MKII noise levels are well controlled in the Raw file. The haze made things worse though. I am doubtful of using such high speeds ever though and at best limited to experimentation I guess.
Have you ever shot at such high shutter speeds? How did that go?
Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.
This warbler is a summer resident of Southeastern Arizona. It favors higher elevations--7000 feet and upward if available.
I found this bird a few years ago at the top of Mount Lemmon in Tucson at the top, which is about 9200 feet. It is a great place to bird. They say with every 1000 feet of elevation, you will find yourself in an environment 300 miles north of Tucson, so the top is like being in British Colombia.
As far as I know, this is the final warbler of those I have photographed. I have only 4 US and Canada nesting warblers to photograph.
The Anzac Memorial is a heritage-listed war memorial, museum and monument located in Hyde Park South, near Liverpool Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The Art Deco monument was designed by C. Bruce Dellit, with the exterior adorned with monumental figural reliefs and sculptures by Rayner Hoff, and built from 1932 to 1934 by Kell Rigby. It is also known as Anzac War Memorial, War Memorial Hyde Park and Hyde Park Memorial. The memorial is the focus of commemoration ceremonies on Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and other important occasions. 8915
Alright, alright, alright! So I'm basically right there at the viewpoint for the Grey Glacier. Epic doesn't even begin to describe it. This ginormous wall of ice is like, whoa, dudes and dudettes, reminding you of Patagonia's whole icy backstory. SECOND LARGEST GLACIER on the entire planet, people!
The view? Forget about it. Panoramic perfection of the glacier, the lake, the mountains – the whole shebang. This is the kind of scenery that gets burned into your brain forever. Like a real-life Patagonia postcard, but way more awesome.
Speaking of the lake (Grey Lake, FYI), that thing is crazy deep – over 500 meters (that's like 1,640 feet, for all you non-metric folks). Plus, it's fed straight from the glacier, so the water's this cool, milky gray. Perfect for kayaking or canoeing, if you're feeling adventurous (which I wasn't, after that first super-steep descent through a stream. Let's just say my ankles are still recovering).
But hey, a little wetness is a small price to pay for witnessing this icy giant, right? The Grey Glacier's a part of this massive ice field, the Southern Patagonia Ice Field, the second biggest in the whole world. Super important for the environment and all that jazz. Plus, it's just plain beautiful and exciting. So yeah, definitely worth the trip if you're ever down in Patagonia.
(Side note: Super bummed to see how much the glacier's receded lately. Climate change is a real bummer, man.)
(On a brighter note, guess where I'm headed after the W Trail? Yep, the famous Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina! Same ice field, different adventure!)
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It's definitely worth zooming in on the map and zooming out several times to get a sense of the scale of the ice field. You'll see that what I'm showing you is just a small tip of the iceberg.
The true understanding of dynamic balance lies not in viewing sand and water as separate but as a dynamic, single system where the whole is greater than its parts.
Just as the yin-yang symbol has a dot of the opposite color in each half, the sea is full of countless grains of sand suspended within it, and the beach holds pockets of moisture and marine life. This highlights that everything contains the essence of its opposite and has the potential to become its opposite. When in balance, the interplay between the sand and the sea creates the peaceful, restorative environment of the beach that soothes the soul.
In essence, the sand and the sea illustrate the fundamental principle of yin and yang: that seemingly opposite forces are interconnected, complementary, and necessary for a harmonious, dynamic universe
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Another quiet moment with the parakeets of Parco Talenti, perched on a bare branch and warmed by the winter sun. Their bright green plumage stands out vividly against the blue Roman sky, creating a scene that feels almost tropical despite the urban setting.
These birds are monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus), a species originally native to South America. Over the past decades they have established stable populations in several European cities, including Rome. Their adaptability to urban environments is remarkable: they feed on a wide range of plants and easily find shelter in parks and tree-lined neighborhoods.
At the same time, their success has sparked debate. In many places they are considered an invasive species because they can compete with native birds for food and nesting sites. Yet observing them here—quietly resting on a branch in a residential park—it is hard not to appreciate how seamlessly they have integrated into this landscape.
For a photographer, they represent an unexpected subject: a touch of distant ecosystems quietly inhabiting the everyday scenery of the city.
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Un altro momento tranquillo con i pappagalli del Parco Talenti, appollaiati su un ramo spoglio e illuminati dal sole invernale. Il verde brillante del loro piumaggio risalta contro il cielo azzurro di Roma, creando una scena quasi tropicale in pieno contesto urbano.
Questi uccelli sono parrocchetti monaci (Myiopsitta monachus), una specie originaria del Sud America. Negli ultimi decenni hanno colonizzato numerose città europee, Roma compresa, dimostrando una straordinaria capacità di adattamento agli ambienti urbani. Si nutrono di una grande varietà di piante e trovano facilmente rifugio nei parchi e nelle aree alberate dei quartieri residenziali.
Il loro successo, tuttavia, è oggetto di dibattito. In molti contesti sono considerati una specie invasiva, perché possono competere con gli uccelli autoctoni per il cibo e i siti di nidificazione. Eppure, osservandoli qui—tranquilli su un ramo in un parco di quartiere—è difficile non notare quanto ormai facciano parte del paesaggio urbano.
Per chi fotografa, rappresentano un soggetto inatteso: un piccolo frammento di ecosistemi lontani che si inserisce silenziosamente nella quotidianità della città.
Created with GIMP
5 Maggio
Giornata internazionale dell'ambiente
Ho scelto questa bottiglia di plastica buttata negligentemente in acqua per denuncia:
sono tante le "piccole" cose che ognuno di noi può fare per l'ambiente.
Non possiamo chiedere ai governi di fare qualcosa per il futuro del nostro pianeta se poi noi per primi ci comportiamo male ...
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All rights reserved - Copyright © Nora Caracci
Another image that's had to endure the 'sin-bin' for the best part of a year.
Yes, there's a few takes of this hill in my stream, all taken from various places on its east ridge, which was as high as the punishingly deep snow would allow that day.
My recollections of that visit seem almost dream-like to me now: I existed in guaranteed solitude for the duration, high in up an enthralling, other-worldly environment for many hours.
The contrast with mundane, everyday life was as marked as I've ever experienced in the hills.
The rocky shores of Olympic National Park ,
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Well I have principles or the environment I live in that tells me that this movement is forbidden in all its forms and ways but I really like the picture, I find it a work of art that should not be deleted
Slightly larger than the Least Chipmunk, this little cutie comes in second in my smallest to largest series from our latest trip.
Various scientific sources refer to the American Pika as a vulnerable species with warming temperatures due to climate change as the greatest threat. Their thick coats can cause them to overheat in temperatures in the mid seventies Fahrenheit.
We found this little guy/gal in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Parnassia fimbriata is native to western North America from Alaska and northwestern Canada to the southern Rocky Mountains, where it is a plant of alpine and subalpine environments. The single flower has five veined, fringed white petals each roughly a centimeter long. At the center of the flower are five stamens and five staminodes (the yellow structures) with edges of many narrow, round-tipped lobes. A staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which does not produce pollen. Apart from the fringed petals I found the shape of the yellow staminodes particularly attractive in this flower.
The sun sets on an old East London boozer, a metaphor for the inept government /Covid-19 crisis and the fact that many of these old gems will never re-open.
Bloody wheelie bins, and the pub is off the vertical, not me !
LR4009 © Joe O'Malley 2020
Many people associate lions with the grasslands of the Masai Mara or Serengeti. While those areas are great for seeing lions, there are also other environments where they can be seen. This image was captured in the Chobe National Park, Botswana during an extended drought in August 24.
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Bear at Port Lympne, Hythe, Kent UK.
There are several bears in this enclosure, which is very large and gives them lots of space to wander. They have woods to roam in and a large pool to play in. A lovely environment for them.
A quick trip to Lake Springfield found this male Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) offering a worm to a fledgling. We saw the youngster in a tree then the male on the ground then this.
I guess this fellow went beyond what the Cornell Labs says males contribute: "The male Eastern Bluebird displays at his nest cavity to attract a female. He brings nest material to the hole, goes in and out, and waves his wings while perched above it. That is pretty much his contribution to nest building; only the female Eastern Bluebird builds the nest and incubates the eggs."
Ruined and doomed, former factory/workshops where once there was pride and ingenuity.
Art on the doors by Goodchild from years ago.
Gone forever.
LR4022 © Joe O'Malley 2020