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Stellar nurseries are cloudy and dusty places that shine brightly in infrared light. The G305 star-forming complex is no exception. It features a number of bright, intricate gas clouds heated by infant stars in their midst. In this spectacular image by ESA’s Herschel space observatory, these star-forming hotspots stand out in a blue tone that contrasts with the red-brownish colour of cooler regions.
While there are several star-formation sites dotted throughout this scene, the most striking ones surround the dark, heart-shaped area in the top right of the image. Hidden at the centre of the dark region lie the massive star WR48a and its two neighbours, stellar clusters Danks 1 and 2. All three play an important role in triggering the formation of new stars, even if they themselves are relatively young objects no older than a few million years (for comparison, the Sun is around 4.6 billion years old).
Strong winds and radiation from WR48a and the high-mass stars in the two clusters have pushed away the gas remnants from the cloud where they originated. The swept-away gas, gathered together at the edge of the heart-shaped bubble, is now forming new stars.
Using Herschel, astronomers have identified 16 sites where high-mass stars are forming in this stellar nursery. The region is one of the brightest and most plentiful star-forming complexes in the Milky Way, and an ideal ground to observe and study massive stars at different stages of formation and evolution.
The G305 complex is about 12 000 light-years away and gets its name from its location at around 305º longitude in the plane of our Galaxy. In the night sky, it appears near the Coalsack Nebula, a large interstellar cloud of dust visible to the naked eye and located in the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross. A very prominent dark nebula, Coalsack shows up in the southern skies as a black patch against the bright, starry backdrop of the Milky Way.
This image, obtained as part of Hi-GAL – the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey, combines observations at three different wavelengths: 70 microns (blue), 160 microns (green) and 250 microns (red).
Launched in 2009, Herschel operated for four years observing at far infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. This spectral range allowed it to observe the glow of dust in gas clouds where stars are born to investigate this process and observe their early evolution.
Credits: ESA/Herschel/PACS, SPIRE/Hi-GAL Project. Acknowledgement: UNIMAP / L. Piazzo, La Sapienza – Università di Roma; E. Schisano / G. Li Causi, IAPS/INAF, Italy
Damselflies are the smaller cousins of dragonflies and there are two easy ways to tell them apart. First, damsels have more separated eyes while dragonflies have them closer together.
Second, when resting, dragonfllies keep their wings perpendicular to their body while damsels fold them away abov the abdomen.
But of course there has to be exceptions. The emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) like this one and the rest of the members of Lestidae are known as spreadwings, because, even if they are damsels they like to keep their wings spread out.
This is a female (the males are blue) and I found her covered in dew in the early morning in the Hemmesta sjöäng wetland.
Deception by Chop Zuey, worth rising from the dead for details @ thefallenpath.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/deception-there-ar...
that's better - you got an exception last time, it's a good thing you remembered a proper "obligatory boob grab" shot requires both hands!
Least Terns are an Endangered Species today because of lost nesting habitat . They prefer areas that are isolated from predators and disturbance. I caught this one as it hovered over a small school of fish. Linda and I hope everyone has a great weekend!!
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Thursday 2nd January, and things are just about back to normal after the festive break. One exception however was the opening time of the coffee shop at the Oxo Tower. Usually it opens at 6.30 on weekday mornings, but on this day it was 7 o'clock, this was unfortunate for me as I arrived at 6.45!
As I really fancied a coffee to start my day, I decided to hang around and took this photo from outside Gabriels Wharf looking towards Blackfriars Bridge, with the City of London in the background.
7 o'clock duly arrived and I was able to have a nice warm coffee and thaw out a bit.
It starting to seem like nearly all of my photos uploaded lately were shot in Venice and this will be no exception. This is another shot from my trip to Venice back in mid september and is still one of my favorite days at the beach since arriving in Los Angeles. It was my second time in Venice in two days after the brutal sunny summer ended and I could've have chosen much better conditions if I wanted to. For the most part, much of this trip was perfect. The previous night had a really colorful, constantly changing sky and sunset and conditions were amazing for all sorts of shooting but on this night, the tide was even lower, winds calm, and a mostly consistent sunset. The cloud layers seen didn't alter much, outside of slow drifting and the color on the horizon stayed well lit even as it changed to darker hues.
A big difference on this night was that I really wanted more people wandering through frame--something I never thought I'd hope for--so I could get some variation on a mostly static view. The water level was as low as I've seen here and it seemed like no matter where I set up on the shoreline, I was in the full reflection and it felt like I was standing on a giant mirror. Other people noticed this as well, and I saw plenty of them crouched on the shore looking at their reflection or or taking images of the shore with their phones rather than just the sunset. Normally the way around those rocks is from behind them as waves often crash against the end, but the tide level receded well before it so quite a few people took advantage of this, and entered into frame as a result.
I posted at least one of a similar scene to this but this shot was taken about 5 minutes. The people in the other image were well down the beach or wherever they wandered off to at this point and this particular shot has a bit more detail and better lighting in the foreground and right side. I did have a bunch of images from this night that suffered from some odd glare and it may have been from a slightly off circular polarizer which I generally leave on at sundown and occasionally bump when making adjustments. The last 2 visits here--one during a really stormy afternoon and then the last trip on just a gross, gloomy, colorless day--were much different than the other trips since back in September. The tide has gotten dramatically higher on each subsequent visit and on the last trip, I didn't really get any reflections at all which was such a letdown. I'm optimistic for some more favorable conditions this week. It looks like it will be some degree of cloudy nearly every day and hopefully the afternoon skies will help give me some indication of what to expect at sundown and leave me with enough time to drive somewhere interesting. I'm anxious for another night like this one!
WHEN & WHERE
Venice Beach
Venice, California
September 20th, 2016
SETTINGS
Canon T4i
EF-S 18-135mm IS STM
@18mm
ISO 100
f/10
1/10th second
CPL
With the exception of three former EMD SD45 demonstrators, which were informally traded to sister Dereco railroad Erie-Lackawanna, the Delaware and Hudson roster was entirely Alco and GE until the formation of Conrail. When that occurred on April 1, 1976, the D&H became owner of twelve former Lehigh Valley GP38-2’s, twenty former Reading GP39-2’s, and twenty brand new lightning stripe GP39-2’s. Here one of each team up to lead a 66-car train out of the west end of Allentown yard.
Having flown the whole Family (with the exception of a Daughter-In-Law who stayed behind to look after a dog and an International Student!) to Whangarei to spend the weekend with Mrs Lance's elderly mother, we all went out for lunch on the banks of the Whangarei Marina!
We couldn't have wished for a more picturesque setting! Although not especially a Christmas scene as such, this scene does sum up a New Zealand Summer, namely boats (for some!), warm sunny days, flowering flax bushes, hardy New Zealand Cabbage Trees and bright crimson blossom on Pohutukawa (which is affectionately known as New Zealand's Christmas Tree because it flowers at this time of the year!).
Something to hum along to:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSRAFe6WwLA
And right now, Mrs Lance joins me in wishing you all a very blessed and joy-filled Christmas, and safe and happy New Year celebrations. Thank you for all the kind Comments left beneath my photos throughout the last 12 months, and thank you also for sharing your photos with me.
In closing, an especially big "Thank You" for being a Flickr Friend throughout the last 12 months. Your friendship (wherever you are in the world) is greatly appreciated and valued, and I look forward to keeping in touch with you throughout 2017!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
When I got into railfanning, SOO consists were always colorful, and this lash was no exception. Soo "bandit" 2015 leads an SD60 and a few EMD lease units at Waterford Ave in 1995.
They represent all that is left, with exception of a few isolated spots where there are still a few blooms and trees that are holding on to their leaves.
Today the balmy weather left us it's cold out right now, ( in the 30's ). We got one last shot of summer type weather ( called indian summer ) That is over now and from here on in we can expect dropping temperatures. They say we could get some snow flurries tonight. save for some photos of a heavy snow, witches frost , or going to the store I will probably not venture outside much.
We never know exactly the type of weather to expect. They say a harsh winter and it is a mild one, they say mild and it feels like the inside of a deep freezer. They predict little snow fall and we get buried. Calm weather and we get storms that tear up trees, knock down houses and sink ships on the lakes.
Over the course of the winters I have seen around here it would be safe to say...expect everything ! Winds can be terrible,driving the wind chill into the sub-zeros. I have seen 700 foot lake boats sitting on mud where the Maumee river was flowing. The wind has blown all the water toward Buffalo N.Y. At the other end the very reverse is happening, the water is piling up. These are not occurrences that happen every winter, but they do happen and you never know just when.
Travel days are always difficult days for me to shoot and this day was no exception. Already jet lagged from being up since 3:45am (EST) to catch my 6am flight to Calgary, I felt like I was in a fog by the time we finally reached Banff and started hitting the lakes up the Icefields Parkway. Our goal was to shoot Peyto Lake at sunset, but we made a wrong turn coming out of Lake Louise and ended up on Trans-Canada Hwy 1, which took us west into British Columbia. It was about 30 minutes before we realized we were off course so Bill summoned his inner Dale Jr. to make up some time and get us back into the sunset race to Peyto (Bill’s “inner Dale Jr.” would make a few more appearances during the trip). We pulled into the parking area with no time to spare and all grabbed our gear and hit the trail running. More specifically, Mark, Tom and me did that. Bill, on the other hand, grabbed his gear, threw down a smoke bomb, and vanished into thin air like a ninja not to be seen again until we all met back at the van at the end of the shoot (this is another common occurrence if you ever shoot with Bill). As Mark, Tom, and myself ran up the trail, we started passing other photographers coming the opposite way. Crap. We missed the sunset. After a few more minutes of trail running, we made it to one of the rocky overlooks in the Bow Summit area that overlooked the dog-shaped Peyto Lake. We managed to catch the last glimmer of the fleeting sunset but better still, managed to catch our breaths for what felt like the fist time all day. As tired as I was, I managed to take in the gorgeous scenery before me. I took a few deep breaths and watched the distant color fade into blue. It helped wipe the slate of my mind clean from all the noise of the travel day and reset my psyche for the next couple of days to come. For this one, I have several compositions with the rocks in the foreground in both landscape and portrait/vertical orientations, but felt the balance of the layers worked best here in the vertical.
Thanks for looking! I appreciate all your views, comments, and faves!
With the exception of the terminal operations between Provo and Salt Lake City, this is the state of the Utah Railway today. The URY mainline is mothballed from the Wildcat coal and oil loadout to the end of the track with no hope in sight. The coal they were known for is dying off and they generally only run one or two trains of the stuff a week now, with UP power.
One this day, part of the train has pulled up to Colton to do a crew change, after dropping the swing helpers off. They'll reassemble the train and fight gravity and rain to get the train the remainder of the way to Soldier Summit.
The memorial is made of Scotch grey granite, all fine axed with the exception of the four panels which are polished. One panel bears the inscription ““The names of the dead are inscribed in the Roll of Honour kept among the archives of the Borough,” that on the opposite side is inscribed “To the memory of our Fallen Comrades, 1914-1918 1939 -1945” In the panels on the other two sides are the badges of the York and Lancaster and the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry regiments, who garrisoned Pontefract Barracks Four steps lead up to the monument, which is surrounded by 12 granite pillars connected by 8 iron chains, all mounted on a York stone plinth. Above the main four panels are two ornamental cornices, over which are four wreath stones, each bearing a bronze laurel wreath, surmounted by a large dome, at the top of which is a four-way cross. The Memorial was erected at a cost of £1230 funded by public subscription and was constructed by E. Raynor & Sons of Woodlesford. It was unveiled by Brigadier-General C.B. Ingham Brooke C.M.G., D.S.O and Richard Husband the Mayor. of Pontefract on Thursday 27th September 1923 at Town End in front of the Robin Hood Pub. It was moved from Wakefield Road to its present location at Cornmarket when Jubilee Way was built in 1977. The New Inn was also demolished at this time. The original columns were removed at some time and they were repurposed at Pontefract Park Lake. Recently they have been reinstalled to the memorial in its present location hower some were missing so had to be remade. it is suspected that at least 2 are in local gardens. The roll of honour is kept in the towns library and a new page of the book is turned every day.
I don't normally post animals, but I thought I would make an exception. Hardly the expert on animals, the running joke on this trip was that I could not recall which were Mountain Sheep, and which were Mountain Goats. I finally gave up and called them all Mountain Sheepgoats. However, for this post, I clarified that this is indeed a Mountain Goat. We found this medium sized fella all alone on a trail near Logan's Pass in Glacier National Park. The elusive Mountain Goat was on the top of my wife's list of must see's for the trip, so at every turn on every trail we asked those coming down the hill if they had seen any.
The crowds alone should have been enough to tell where they could have been. There was a mob scene where this guy was. I pulled out my biggest lens and started shooting away. Some gal next to me with a point and shoot said that it was cheating using lenses like mine, because that's not what we actually saw. I chuckled and said that when you lug these heavy lenses up a mountain, you earn the right to use them.
The air was still quite smokey which gave this unique color cast to the skylight that made it through the smoke. The colors in this image are not that exaggerated, the smoke was boosting the color with odd orange and other almost ghostly colors. I tried to normalize them a little, but I was actually quite pleased with what was left.
Enjoy!
We were generally a pretty tight-knit family, but there were exceptions. Mum and Dad professed to know nothing about this lad, even though he lived with us, shared a bunk bed with Derek and, eventually, grew up to be a multimillionaire who bought a seventeen-bedroom manor house for Mum and Dad to live in. To us he was always just 'Boy A'.
Wet Plate Collodion negative, on glass. Old Workhorse Collodion used, with UV Photographics Copper Developer diluted 1:2
Lens used: Voigtlander Petzval, wide open (No waterhouse stops. Exposure was 4minutes and 30 seconds.
This moth was perched on grass seeds strand. The comb-like antennae showcases that it is a moth and not a butterfly. Though moths have their wings parallel to the ground while perched, as an exception, this moth holds its wings at 45-degree angle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia.[1] It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known as English yew, or European yew.
Taxonomy and naming
The word yew is from Proto-Germanic *īwa-, possibly originally a loanword from Gaulish *ivos, compare Irish ēo, Welsh ywen, French if (see Eihwaz for a discussion). Baccata is Latin for bearing red berries. The word yew as it was originally used seems to refer to the color brown.[2] The yew (μίλος) was known to Theophrastus, who noted its preference for mountain coolness and shade, its evergreen character and its slow growth.[3]
Most romance languages, with the notable exception of French, kept a version of the Latin word taxus (Italian tasso, Corsican tassu, Occitan teis, Catalan teix, Gasconic tech, Spanish tejo, Portuguese teixo, Galician teixo and Romanian tisă) from the same root as toxic. In Slavic languages, the same root is preserved: Russian tiss (тис), Slovakian tis, Slovenian tisa, Bosnian tisa (тиса). In Albanian it is named tis.
The common yew was one of the many species first described by Linnaeus. It is one of around 30 other conifer species in seven genera in the family Taxaceae, which is placed in the order Pinales.
Description
It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, growing 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) (exceptionally up to 28 metres (92 ft)) tall, with a trunk up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) (exceptionally 4 metres (13 ft)) diameter. The bark is thin, scaly brown, coming off in small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are flat, dark green, 1–4 centimetres (0.39–1.57 in) long and 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 in) broad, arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows either side of the stem, except on erect leading shoots where the spiral arrangement is more obvious. The leaves are poisonous.[1][4]
The seed cones are modified, each cone containing a single seed, which is 4–7 millimetres (0.16–0.28 in) long, and partly surrounded by a modified scale which develops into a soft, bright red berry-like structure called an aril. The aril is 8–15 millimetres (0.31–0.59 in) long and wide and open at the end. The arils mature 6 to 9 months after pollination, and with the seed contained, are eaten by thrushes, waxwings and other birds, which disperse the hard seeds undamaged in their droppings. Maturation of the arils is spread over 2 to 3 months, increasing the chances of successful seed dispersal. The seeds themselves are poisonous and bitter, but are opened and eaten by some bird species including hawfinches,[5] greenfinches and great tits.[6] The aril is not poisonous, but is gelatinous and very sweet tasting. The male cones are globose, 3–6 millimetres (0.12–0.24 in) diameter, and shed their pollen in early spring. The yew is mostly dioecious, but occasional individuals can be variably monoecious, or change sex with time.[1][4][7]
Longevity
Taxus baccata can reach 400 to 600 years of age. Some specimens live longer but the age of yews is often overestimated.[8] Ten yews in Britain are believed to predate the 10th century.[9] The potential age of yews is impossible to determine accurately and is subject to much dispute. There is rarely any wood as old as the entire tree, while the boughs themselves often become hollow with age, making ring counts impossible. There are claims as high as 5,000–9,500 years,[10] but other evidence based on growth rates and archaeological work of surrounding structures suggests the oldest trees (such as the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland) are more likely to be in the range of 2,000 years.[11][12] Even with this lower estimate, Taxus baccata is one of the longest-living plants in Europe. One characteristic contributing to its longevity is that it is able to split under the weight of advanced growth without succumbing to disease in the fracture, as do most other trees. Another is its ability to give rise to new epicormic and basal shoots from cut surfaces and low on its trunk, even at an old age.
Significant trees
The Fortingall Yew in Perthshire, Scotland, has the largest recorded trunk girth in Britain and experts estimate it to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old, although it may be a remnant of a post-Roman Christian site and around 1,500 years old.[13] The Llangernyw Yew in Clwyd, Wales, can be found at an early saint site and is about 1,500 years old.[14] Other well known yews include the Ankerwycke Yew, the Balderschwang Yew, the Caesarsboom, the Florencecourt Yew, and the Borrowdale Fraternal Four, of which poet William Wordsworth wrote. The Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve in West Sussex has one of Europe's largest yew woodlands.
The oldest specimen in Spain is located in Bermiego, Asturias. It is known as Teixu l'Iglesia in the Asturian language. It stands 15 m (49 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of 6.82 m (22.4 ft) and a crown diameter of 15 m. It was declared a Natural Monument on April 27, 1995 by the Asturian Government and is protected by the Plan of Natural Resources.[15]
A unique forest formed by Taxus baccata and European box (Buxus sempervirens) lies within the city of Sochi, in the Western Caucasus.
Allergenic potential
Yews in this genus are primarily separate-sexed, and males are extremely allergenic, with an OPALS allergy scale rating of 10 out of 10. Completely female yews have an OPALS rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting".[16] Male yews bloom and release abundant amounts of pollen in the spring; completely female yews only trap pollen while producing none.[16]
Toxicity
All parts of a yew plant are toxic to humans with the exception of the yew berries (however, their seeds are toxic); additionally, male and monoecious yews in this genus release cytotoxic pollen, which can cause headaches, lethargy, aching joints, itching, and skin rashes; it is also a trigger for asthma.[17][16] These pollen granules are extremely small, and can easily pass through window screens.[16]
The foliage itself remains toxic even when wilted, and toxicity increases in potency when dried.[18] Ingestion and subsequent excretion by birds whose beaks and digestive systems do not break down the seed's coating are the primary means of yew dispersal.[19] The major toxin within the yew is the alkaloid taxine.[20] Horses have a relatively low tolerance to taxine, with a lethal dose of 200–400 mg/kg body weight; cattle, pigs, and other livestock are only slightly less vulnerable.[21] Several studies[22] have found taxine LD50 values under 20 mg/kg in mice and rats.
Symptoms of yew poisoning include an accelerated heart rate, muscle tremors, convulsions, collapse, difficulty breathing, circulation impairment and eventually cardiac arrest. However, there may be no symptoms, and if poisoning remains undetected death may occur within hours.[23] Fatal poisoning in humans is very rare, usually occurring after consuming yew foliage. The leaves are more toxic than the seed.[20]
Uses and traditions
One of the world's oldest surviving wooden artifacts is a Clactonian yew[24] spear head, found in 1911 at Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, UK. It is estimated to be about 450,000 years old.[25]
In the ancient Celtic world, the yew tree (*eburos) had extraordinary importance; a passage by Caesar narrates that Catuvolcus, chief of the Eburones poisoned himself with yew rather than submit to Rome (Gallic Wars 6: 31). Similarly, Florus notes that when the Cantabrians were under siege by the legate Gaius Furnius in 22 BC, most of them took their lives either by the sword, by fire, or by a poison extracted ex arboribus taxeis, that is, from the yew tree (2: 33, 50–51). In a similar way, Orosius notes that when the Astures were besieged at Mons Medullius, they preferred to die by their own swords or by the yew tree poison rather than surrender (6, 21, 1).
Religion
The yew is often found in churchyards in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and northern areas of Spain. In France, the oldest yew trees are almost all located in church yards of Normandy and a chapel was very often laid out in the hollow trunk. Some examples can be found in La Haye-de-Routot or La Lande-Patry. It is said that up to 40 people could stand inside one of the La-Haye-de-Routot yew trees and the Le Ménil-Ciboult yew is probably the largest one (13 m diameter[26]). Indeed, some of these trees are exceptionally large (over 5 m diameter) and may be over 2,000 years old. Sometimes monks planted yews in the middle of their cloister, as at Muckross Abbey (Ireland) or abbaye de Jumièges (France). Some ancient yew trees are located at St Mary the Virgin Church, Overton-on-Dee in Wales.
In Asturian tradition and culture the yew tree has had a real link with the land, the people, the ancestors and the ancient religion. It was tradition on All Saints Day to bring a branch of a yew tree to the tombs of those who had died recently so they will find the guide in their return to the Land of Shadows. The yew tree has been found near chapels, churches and cemeteries since ancient times[citation needed] as a symbol of the transcendence of death, and is usually found in the main squares of the villages where people celebrated the open councils that served as a way of general assembly to rule the village affairs.
It has been suggested that the Sacred Tree at the Temple at Uppsala was an ancient yew tree.[27][28] The Christian church commonly found it expedient to take over existing pre-Christian sacred sites for churches. It has also been suggested that yews were planted at religious sites as their long life was suggestive of eternity, or because being toxic they were seen as trees of death.[29] Another suggested explanation is that yews were planted to discourage farmers and drovers from letting animals wander onto the burial grounds, the poisonous foliage being the disincentive. A further possible reason is that fronds and branches of yew were often used as a substitute for palms on Palm Sunday.[29][30][31]
In traditional Germanic paganism, Yggdrasill was often seen as a giant ash tree.[citation needed] Many scholars now agree that in the past an error has been made in the interpretation of the ancient writings, and that the tree is most likely a European yew (Taxus baccata). This mistake would find its origin in an alternative word for the yew tree in the Old Norse, namely needle ash (barraskr). In addition, ancient sources, including the Eddas, speak about a vetgrønster vida which means "evergreen tree". An ash sheds its leaves in the winter, while yew trees retain their needles.
Conifers were in the past often seen as sacred, because they never lose their green. In addition, the tree of life was not only an object from the stories, but also believers often gathered around an existing tree. The yew releases gaseous toxins (taxine) on hot days. Taxine is in some instances capable of causing hallucinations. This has some similarities with the story that Odin had a revelation (the wisdom of the runes) after having been hanging from the tree for nine days.[citation needed]
Medicines
In 1021, Avicenna introduced the medicinal use of T. baccata for phytotherapy in The Canon of Medicine. He named this herbal drug "Zarnab" and used it as a cardiac remedy. This was the first known use of a calcium channel blocker drug, which were not in wide use in the Western world until the 1960s.[32]
Certain compounds found in the bark of yew trees were discovered by Wall and Wani in 1967 to have efficacy as anti-cancer agents. The precursors of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (taxol) can be synthesized easily from the extracts of the leaves of European yew,[33] which is a more renewable source than the bark of the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia). This ended a point of conflict in the early 1990s; many environmentalists, including Al Gore, had opposed the harvesting of yew for paclitaxel cancer treatments. Docetaxel can then be obtained by semi-synthetic conversion from the precursors.
In the Central Himalayas, the plant is used as a treatment for breast and ovarian cancer.[34]
Woodworking and longbows
Wood from the yew is classified as a closed-pore softwood, similar to cedar and pine. Easy to work, yew is among the hardest of the softwoods; yet it possesses a remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require springiness, such as bows.[35]
Yew is also associated with Wales and England because of the longbow, an early weapon of war developed in northern Europe, and as the English longbow the basis for a medieval tactical system. The oldest surviving yew longbow was found at Rotten Bottom in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It has been given a calibrated radiocarbon date of 4040 BC to 3640 BC and is on display in the National Museum of Scotland. Yew is the wood of choice for longbow making; the heartwood is always on the inside of the bow with the sapwood on the outside. This makes most efficient use of their properties as heartwood is best in compression whilst sapwood is superior in tension. However, much yew is knotty and twisted, and therefore unsuitable for bowmaking; most trunks do not give good staves and even in a good trunk much wood has to be discarded.
The trade of yew wood to England for longbows was so robust that it depleted the stocks of good-quality, mature yew over a vast area. The first documented import of yew bowstaves to England was in 1294. In 1350 there was a serious shortage, and Henry IV of England ordered his royal bowyer to enter private land and cut yew and other woods. In 1423 the Polish king commanded protection of yews in order to cut exports, facing nearly complete destruction of local yew stock.[36] In 1470 compulsory archery practice was renewed, and hazel, ash, and laburnum were specifically allowed for practice bows. Supplies still proved insufficient, until by the Statute of Westminster in 1472, every ship coming to an English port had to bring four bowstaves for every tun.[37] Richard III of England increased this to ten for every tun. This stimulated a vast network of extraction and supply, which formed part of royal monopolies in southern Germany and Austria. In 1483, the price of bowstaves rose from two to eight pounds per hundred, and in 1510 the Venetians would only sell a hundred for sixteen pounds. In 1507 the Holy Roman Emperor asked the Duke of Bavaria to stop cutting yew, but the trade was profitable, and in 1532 the royal monopoly was granted for the usual quantity "if there are that many." In 1562, the Bavarian government sent a long plea to the Holy Roman Emperor asking him to stop the cutting of yew, and outlining the damage done to the forests by its selective extraction, which broke the canopy and allowed wind to destroy neighbouring trees. In 1568, despite a request from Saxony, no royal monopoly was granted because there was no yew to cut, and the next year Bavaria and Austria similarly failed to produce enough yew to justify a royal monopoly. Forestry records in this area in the 17th century do not mention yew, and it seems that no mature trees were to be had. The English tried to obtain supplies from the Baltic, but at this period bows were being replaced by guns in any case.[38]
Horticulture
Today European yew is widely used in landscaping and ornamental horticulture. Due to its dense, dark green, mature foliage, and its tolerance of even very severe pruning, it is used especially for formal hedges and topiary. Its relatively slow growth rate means that in such situations it needs to be clipped only once per year (in late summer).
Well over 200 cultivars of T. baccata have been named. The most popular of these are the Irish yew (T. baccata 'Fastigiata'), a fastigiate cultivar of the European yew selected from two trees found growing in Ireland, and the several cultivars with yellow leaves, collectively known as "golden yew".[4][7] In some locations, e.g. when hemmed in by buildings or other trees, an Irish yew can reach 20 feet in height without exceeding 2 feet in diameter at its thickest point, although with age many Irish yews assume a fat cigar shape rather than being truly columnar.
The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
T. baccata
'Fastigiata'
'Fastigiata Aureomarginata'
'Repandens'
'Repens Aurea'
'Semperaurea'
'Standishii'
European yew will tolerate growing in a wide range of soils and situations, including shallow chalk soils and shade,[46] although in deep shade its foliage may be less dense. However it cannot tolerate waterlogging, and in poorly-draining situations is liable to succumb to the root-rotting pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.
In Europe, Taxus baccata grows naturally north to Molde in southern Norway, but it is used in gardens further north. It is also popular as a bonsai in many parts of Europe and makes a handsome small to large sized bonsai.[47]
Musical instruments
The late Robert Lundberg, a noted luthier who performed extensive research on historical lute-making methodology, states in his 2002 book Historical Lute Construction that yew was historically a prized wood for lute construction. European legislation establishing use limits and requirements for yew limited supplies available to luthiers, but it was apparently as prized among medieval, renaissance, and baroque lute builders as Brazilian rosewood is among contemporary guitar-makers for its quality of sound and beauty.
Conservation
Clippings from ancient specimens in the UK, including the Fortingall Yew, were taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to form a mile-long hedge. The purpose of this "Yew Conservation Hedge Project" is to maintain the DNA of Taxus baccata. The species is threatened by felling, partly due to rising demand from pharmaceutical companies, and disease.[48]
A totally black dragonfly (with the exception of some white in the face) sparkling in back-lighting :-)
His young bride-to-be can be seen here: flic.kr/p/AaYSpB.
Male Black darter / Black meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae).
Seen in the nature-sanctuary "Tister Bauernmoor" near Sittensen (between Bremen and Hamburg) - Niedersachsen - Germany.
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Eine völlig schwarze Libelle (mit Ausnahme von etwas weiß im Gesicht) - mit glitzernden Flügeln im Gegenlicht :-)
Seine jugendliche Braut könnt Ihr hier sehen: flic.kr/p/AaYSpB
Männliche Schwarze Heidelibelle (Sympetrum danae).
Gesehen im Naturschutzgebiet "Tister Bauernmoor" bei Sittensen (zwischen Bremen und Hamburg) - Niedersachsen.
"Hell Bunny" clothing suits my Darker Side perfectly. This Rose Print dress is no exception..
..and it combines perfectly with some Fully Fashioned Nylons for you leg lovers..!!
Have a beautiful day my lovely friends and followers. Love and Roses for you all..🌹💖
If you visit Whitemill Bay, with the exception of North Ronaldsay, there is nothing but open sea until you arrive at Shetland. The Northerly wilderness and the deserted bay bring home the feral expanse of the Northern Isles and a trajectory towards the Faroe's, Iceland, Jan Mayen and the Arctic Circle.
Whitemill Bay is eerily beautiful, the patterns of the untouched slate that are prevalent across the bay, the white sands and the deep, variegated hues of the ocean inspire awe and evoke a feeling of alienation that is redolent of human disparity with nature. Paradoxically, the beauty of the bay evokes a profound calmness that, for me, is an expression of the existential link between human beings and nature. However. I acknowledge that the bifurcation between man and nature is arbitrary.
There was no human presence during my visit, the only other creatures I observed were a splattering of Sea Gulls in the near distance, baying and shrieking like some kind of Jurassic animal! The natural light appeared to be filtered through the dramatic cloud forms that threatened storms, despite the warm, sunny conditions. Rainbow-like colours hung in the air, giving a subtle colouration and the graphic hues of the rocks, sea and sand seemed to create a painting that was yet to be painted!
Simon
When the exposure after this shot ended, I heard a sound behind me.
I slowly turned around and there were four cows standing there giving me the evil eye.
It seemed that I apparently was in their way, they had acres around me, but still, they thought that the best way to go, was over me.
I have always lived with the idea that cows are nice. These ones probably were the exception to the rule.
"Mooooooo!" (Hey you! This is our turf, beat it "two legger")
I ignored them, hey, they are COWS! :)
"Mooooooo!!!!"
" Aww, c´mon, I eat guys like you for breakfast. Literally", I whispered to myself. Maybe they heard it because they answered my words with one huge voice.
"MOOOOOO!!!"
So, I slowly grabbed my gear and started to back off. I did not like the look of the leader cow.
As I walked away, almost casually whistling, they started following me. "Moooing" like a crazy street gang.
Well, it all ended up with me, a 6"4 grown man, screaming like a little girl, running with tripod and camera over rocks and bushes with four cows after me.
When I finally reached the car at the side of the road they probably felt that they had done their job, and done it good, they all slowed down, turned around and walked proudly away.
My wife sat in the car waiting for her man to arrive back from his photo shoot (she is a darling with tons of patience for my passion). She had missed it all as she was occupied with her phone during the chase. I´m glad she was, because otherwise I would´ve been all over Youtube by now...
Just when I think I have it figured out, along comes an exception. Recently I learned that larger tadpoles with a tail that is black tipped are blanchard's cricket frogs. Then I process more shots & find this one. Checked with an expert & it is also a blanchard's. So dug a bit deeper and found this: "Tail color varies depending on habitat. In temporary ponds with insect predators, especially dragonfly larvae, the end of the tail is black. The black spot deflects the attack of the dragonfly to the tail, avoiding damage to the tadpole’s body. In lakes or large ponds with fish, tails of the tadpoles do not have a black spot. Fish engulf their prey whole, so tadpoles avoid fish predation by being cryptic." (www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/nongamespecies/amphib...)
Blanchard's Cricket Frog Tadpole (Acris blanchardi)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Giant snowflakes always have a “majestic” feel, and this one is no exception, I’ll call attention to the smaller snowflake in the upper left to give a sense of scale – many snowflakes in this series are quite small, but some grow to gargantuan proportions. View large! (press the "L" key to view in Lightbox mode)
There are a few weather systems each year that produce large crystals like this. They are extremely time consuming to edit so I tend to space out their appearances, even though many of them are photographed during the same snowfall. I’ve wanted to find the time to work on this crystal for quite some time, ever since I photographed it on January 14th, nearly a month ago.
Larger snowflakes tend to be more fragile and prone to breaking. This requires a keen eye for broken branches and odd growth, to weed out the crystals that aren’t worth showcasing. Many millions or possibly billions of snowflake may fall during these “perfect storms”, but only a handful possess the balanced growth you see here. However, a handful of snow is a lot of snowflakes.
You’ll notice that the dense growth of the branches creates collisions, especially around the center of the crystal. Most of these branches are fighting to grow in a limited space, and you can clearly see them push against each-other until there is no further room to grow. As the snowflake expands outward there is more room for side-branches to grow, but you can still see a few examples where the branches collide far beyond the center.
These dense snowflakes are geometrically very complex, but they still retain a certain beauty. I always consider cropping in to show just a section of the snowflake, but I end up displaying the entire crystal for all it’s worth. I hope you enjoy the results of six hours of editing work to put this final image together! :)
If you like this photograph, please check out the book dedicated to them: www.skycrystals.ca/ - the book features all of the physics for how these beauties form, and al all of the photographic techniques required to create images like this. It’s far more than a picture book!
Let nothing be called natural
In an age of bloody confusion,
Ordered disorder, planned caprice,
And dehumanized humanity, lest all things
Be held unalterable!
- Bertolt Brecht, The Exception and the Rule (1937), Prologue
The Himalayan Giant is an exception to the rule that Brambles are difficult to identify. Its habit is the most distinctive thing about it. New growth arches high, without the support of shrubs or trees. It creates dense shade and can take over substantial areas. The chalky-looking pale underside to the leaves confirms the identification; there are a few other Brambles with pale undersides to their leaves, but none that approach its vigour.
It is by far the commonest Bramble local to me and in many urban and suburban areas, but records do not reflect how widespread it is because it has usually been recorded as a due to the expertise needed to identify most species.
It self seeds readily and has escaped from cultivation. It crops heavily and the fruit are typically quite large.
Endangered Species
Positive parenting during juvenile owl, even Burrowing owl is no exception also.
When we be there with searching many locations.
Also received prompt and friendly locals. Thanks a lot for them.
We know that and all Owl family, that's very different way and nesting. (Nearly 95% of the risk)
However, I saw other photo have 7 juvenile standing in nest(hole).
Have you see 7 standing there with any photo before?
So absolutely natural rules will remain in balance and some reason for keeping.
Please do not over and intervention by human, sustained natural and balanced ecology, humans will be balanced, human shared with nature and learn!!!
We live and we learn!!!
www.naturecanada.ca/endangered_know_our_species_burrowing...
XP2006 speeds into Raglan with #WT27 Central West XPT to Dubbo. The straighter and level track is a welcome change from the curves and grades the train has been travelling on since Emu Plains (with the exception of Marrangaroo straight and two straight sections between Wallerawang and Rydal) allowing the train to hit roughly 130km/h for a brief period.
XP2006-XP2017(r) NSWTrains WT27 Raglan 16-6-24
I don't normally write much in the description of my photos! But this one is an exception.
No words can really sum up what I want to say and no tribute will be enough. But I want to dedicate this photo in memory of one my very best and oldest friends, Ben. He would have been 30 today. However he very sadly died a week after his 29th birthday.
Like me, he was both a photographer and a huge car enthusiast. He was a massive lover of Porsche and owned a Boxster S, before begging and borrowing to buy a 911. This year's Goodwood Festival of Speed celebrated 70 years of Porsche. I just wish he could have been there too.
Ben had built a successful career in graphic design and then web and UX design. He was a real talent and in the last couple of years had built up his own part time freelance photography business, which was going brilliantly. He also photographed his friends from uni's wedding in summer 2017. The photos were amazing and I have no doubt that he would gone on to be a top wedding and portrait photographer.
All I have to show you is his Instagram, but I'd be delighted if you checked it out as the shots are fantastic:
www.instagram.com/bensatchell/
Thanks Ben, remembering all the good times!
Ben Alexander Satchell - 20th September 1988 to 28th September 2017
Est une espèce d'oiseaux de la famille des Prunellidae. On le trouve partout en Europe à l'exception de la partie sud de la péninsule Ibérique, de l'Italie et de la Grèce (sauf durant l'hiver). D'une taille d'environ 14–15 cm, l'Accenteur mouchet est un oiseau discret, très homochromique, avec le dos brun foncé rayé de noir et la tête de couleur gris bleuté. Son aspect terne quand on le voit à une certaine distance, peut éventuellement le faire confondre avec une femelle de moineau ou encore un jeune rouge-gorge, mais ses flancs sont rayés de noir et le bec est sombre et beaucoup plus fin, le comportement est également différent. Il a une envergure moyenne de 19 à 21 cm et pèse entre 19 et 24 grammes. Celui que Buffon avait surnommé le « traîne-buisson » se tient souvent à ras du sol, caché dans les buissons et fourrés, où son camouflage est très efficace. C'est souvent sa posture de chant, droit au sommet d'un arbre, qui permet de le repérer le plus facilement. Son chant rappelle celui du troglodyte mignon, mais sans les trilles caractéristiques.
C'est un migrateur partiel qui occupe de nombreux habitats : forêts de conifères ou de feuillus, en particulier les sous-bois denses. Dans les régions non boisées, y compris en ville, on peut le trouver dans les parcs, jardins, haies.
**
Is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found everywhere in Europe with the exception of the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Greece (except during winter). About 14–15 cm in size, the Spotted Accentor is a discreet, very homochromic bird, with a dark brown back striped with black and a bluish gray head. Its dull appearance when seen from a distance, can possibly confuse it with a sparrow female or a young robin, but its flanks are striped with black and the beak is dark and much thinner, the behavior is also different. It has an average wingspan of 19 to 21 cm and weighs between 19 and 24 grams. The man Buffon had nicknamed the "bush drag" often stands low to the ground, hidden in the bushes and thickets, where his camouflage is very effective. It is often his song posture, straight at the top of a tree, which makes it easier to spot him. Its song recalls that of the cute troglodyte, but without the characteristic trills.
It is a partial migrant which occupies many habitats: coniferous or deciduous forests, in particular dense undergrowth. In non-forested areas, including in cities, it can be found in parks, gardens, hedges.
I know symmetrical snowflakes usually get the most fanfare, but I thought this one could be an exception to that. The windswept branches are far different that pristinely balanced center - view large!
The center of this snowflake is very eye-catching, with lace-like features and a split crystal design. The central snowflake shape is solid ice, and the outlines around it is where bubbles began to form in the ice. This bubble / cavity grew to encompass the entire perimeter of the crystal, effectively cutting it into two new planes. This is relatively common, but always beautiful to see.
As the snowflake grew out further, branches and side-branches formed, but then fused back together to form a larger hexagonal shape. The assortment of lines we see beyond the hexagon were once part of many separate branches, but in stable low-humidity environments the overall hexagonal shape can be reborn. Things change quite drastically as the branches sprout a second time, however.
The top branch is a good representation of the overall design: uneven growth, favouring the right side far more heavily than the left side. This could be caused by two things: the snowflake flying in such a way that pushed the right side into the wind, or some extra crystal attached to the left side blocking new water vapour from attaching to the snowflake. Maybe it’s a combination of both! There is strong evidence of foreign attachment at the tip of the bottom branch – the central branch should be longer than the two side-branches. Regardless of how it happened, this snowflake is very unbalanced.
As are most snowflakes. Perfect symmetry in snowflakes is not normal. There is too much chaos and randomness to allow this to be more common. You’ll see symmetrical snowflakes in my series (and in snowflake photos from other photographers) far more prominently than they actually exist in nature. Everyone chooses to share the more aesthetically pleasing crystals, which happen to be the more symmetrical ones. I discard thousands of imperfect snowflakes in search of balance and symmetry, but sometimes I get lucky with snowflakes like this.
To understand how snowflakes grow into such beautifully unusual shapes, and for the complete guide to snowflake photography covered in the same book, pick up a copy of Sky Crystals: skycrystals.ca/book/ - you’ll find it fascinating!
For something to put on your wall that embodies the overwhelming beauty of winter, check out “The Snowflake” print: skycrystals.ca/poster/ - this image contains over 400 separate snowflakes all placed in relative size to one another. No small feat, this took over 2500 hours across five years to produce. I hope you’re curious enough to take a look! :)
Baby birds are ALWAYS hungry, and baby Anhingas are no exception. This nest-full of baby Anhingas were relentlessly squawking and bobbing their heads in the direction of their mother (with the yellow bill). But she remained aloof...she was waiting for the male to return with dinner. No matter which way she turned, the babies insistently leaned to her. Eventually the male returned and first fed the female, who in turn fed her babies.
Seen at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida.
(Note: Had to darken and desat. the brown background to highlight the Anhingas)
Lamayuru is one of the largest and oldest gompas in Ladakh, with a population of around 150 permanent monks resident. It has, in the past, housed up to 400 monks, many of which are now based in gompas in surrounding villages.
The Drikung history states that the Indian scholar Naropa (956-1041 CE) allegedly caused a lake which filled the valley to dry up and founded Lamayuru Monastery. The oldest surviving building at Lamayuru is a temple called Seng-ge-sgang, at the southern end of the Lamayuru rock, which is attributed to the famous builder-monk Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055 CE). Rinchen Zangpo was charged by the king of Ladakh to build 108 gompas.
The oldest gompas, those dating from Rinchen-zang-po's time, Alchi and Lamayuru, and the less accessible Wanla, Mang-gyu and Sumda — belonged at the time of their foundation to none of these Tibetan schools, whose establishment they antedate. They were at some stage taken over by the Ka-dam-pa, and when it fell into decline they were taken over again, this time mostly by the Ge-lugs-pa. The exception was Lamayuru, which was for some reason claimed by the Dri-gung-pa.
Endangered Species
Positive parenting during juvenile owl, even Burrowing owl is no exception also.
When we be there with searching many locations.
Also received prompt and friendly locals. Thanks a lot for them.
We know that and all Owl family, that's very different way and nesting. (Nearly 95% of the risk)
However, I saw other photo have 7 juvenile standing in nest(hole).
Have you see 7 standing there with any photo before?
So absolutely natural rules will remain in balance and some reason for keeping.
Please do not over and intervention by human, sustained natural and balanced ecology, humans will be balanced, human shared with nature and learn!!!
We live and we learn!!!
www.naturecanada.ca/endangered_know_our_species_burrowing...
Most sparrows are ground feeders and the White-throated Sparrow is no exception. They can be found in brambles and overgrowth, and are many times heard without being seen. I infrequently get an opportunity to photograph them, as they seem to flee quickly once spotted. The brown background in this image compliments the sparrows coloration, and the colorful head really sticks out. An earthy tone for an earthy bird. Best viewed Large (L).
It is a short Holiday week. Enjoy the evening.
Taken on a Landscape Photography workshop with Antony Spencer and Jason Theaker.
Canon 50d + Sigma 10-20mm;
Focal length: 12mm;
2.5 sec @ f16;
Cokin 3 stop ND grad + 2 stop ND filters stacked (hence the pink tones);
pink welly boots (this involved lots of running back from the waves rather quickly to avoid said boots getting filled);
edited in Lightroom.
I rather liked the pink tones stacking 2 Cokin filters produced - I've muted them a bit, but anyone who knows me knows I'm a fan of all things pink (technology being a notable exception - that should be shiny piano black or chrome). I love the cloud reflections in this image, overlaid with the textures of the tide being pulled back in. The sea is so awesome.
Always a good location for a photograph. These steps seem to show off skirts really well, and this is no exception :-)
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Iceland
I am sure this place needs no introduction, it attracts photographers and tourist from far and wide. I am no exception, it was one of the main reasons why I wanted to visit Iceland and it has been on the top of my bucket list.
However, visiting Iceland in the middle of winter was not the wisest of ideas. The gloomy skies shown in this image was representative of the weather we experienced the whole week. We faced blizzards, snowstorms, hail storms, gust force winds and heavy rain, almost every kind of horrible weather available. This image was take just minutes after I was pelted by hail and to make things more challenging, the winds were gusting at close to 20 m/s. Dark clouds lingered in the sky, only allowing a small window for the light of the rising morning sun to filter through. The weather can literally change in 5 minutes in Iceland! Five minutes after the shot was taken, the hail returned and was scratching my exposed face. The glacier and mountains were shrouded in low clouds.
At a location that has been photographed by millions of great landscape photographers, its difficult to come away with an unique perspective. To make things worse, there were hoards of tourists! Walking further away from the crowd, I chanced upon a fairly large chunk of ice in a small valley, 10 meters inland from the shores of the lagoon. There must be some really high tides in the lagoon. What made it better was that the ice was relatively clean and had interesting patterns on its surface. I assumed it was made by warm raindrops from the day before that had started to weather the ice. It made for a great foreground interest.
Unfortunately, this trip has not been as fruitful in terms of photography. I found it really difficult to produce images that are on par with what is already available on the web, which was very disheartening. Perhaps it was the lack of skill and luck was not on my side. I will definitely return to capture the beauty of this landscape, most likely not in winter!
1 exp shot, edited in Photoshop and Lightroom
All comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!