The Refuge and The Expansion - AM Radio
View allAll Photos Tagged Expansion
For Macro Mondays' #drips, drops and splashes theme
It's been a while since I've been here, but this really tapped into something I've wanted to try for ages. (And luckily it corresponded with the family all going off on scout camp and leaving me to my own devices for a few days....)
The background is a colouring-in sheet I completed years ago; even back then I appear to have been quite keen on rainbows!
The image is just over 2inches across.
I'm pretty certain there is no requirement to have motion for this theme, but I'm conscious this is a little different from others in the pool. It's definitely drops, though, and definitely under 3inches across, so hoping it fits.
Superfast 11 passenger ship departure....
Location:Patras city coast/Peloponnese /Greece.
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Thank for faves and comments!! ☺️
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopus Major
The great spotted woodpecker occurs in all types of woodlands and is catholic in its diet, being capable of extracting seeds from pine cones, insect larvae from inside trees or eggs and chicks of other birds from their nests. It breeds in holes excavated in living or dead trees, unlined apart from wood chips. The typical clutch is four to six glossy white eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs, feed the chicks and keep the nest clean. When the young fledge they are fed by the adults for about ten days, each parent taking responsibility for feeding part of the brood.
The great spotted woodpecker occurs in Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan, and in North Africa from Morocco to Tunisia, and it is absent only from those areas too cold or dry to have suitable woodland habitat. It is found in a wide variety of woodlands, broadleaf, coniferous or mixed, and in modified habitats like parks, gardens and olive groves. It occurs from sea-level to the tree line, up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Europe, 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in Morocco and 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in Central Asia.
The great spotted woodpecker became extinct in the island of Ireland in the seventeenth century, due to deforestation, but the island was naturally recolonised by this species, with the first proven nesting in County Down in 2007. Its expansion in range is continuing, with breeding proven or suspected in at least 10 counties by 2013, with the main concentration in Down and County Wicklow. Genetic evidence shows the birds to be of British, rather than Scandinavian, ancestry, with the populations in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic having separate origins. The great spotted woodpecker was also found to have been nesting in the Isle of Man from 2009.
Population:
UK breeding:
140,000 pairs
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
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A micro demonstration of why the universe is expanding :)
All images © 2017 Daniel Kessel.
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created by KHWD
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On Unst, Shetland’s northernmost island, a striking Viking longhouse and ship replica offer a vivid glimpse into Norse life and legacy.
Unst is believed to be the first landfall of Vikings in the North Atlantic, and today it boasts the highest density of rural Viking sites in the world—over 60 longhouse remains have been identified across the island. The Viking Unst Project, centered in Haroldswick, brings this history to life through two captivating reconstructions: a 9th-century longhouse and the Skidbladner, a replica of the famed Gokstad ship.
The longhouse, built using traditional materials and techniques, stands as a tactile interpretation of Norse domestic architecture. Its turf walls, timber frame, and central hearth evoke the communal warmth and practicality of Viking living. Visitors can explore the interior freely, gaining insight into how families cooked, slept, and gathered in these elongated, multifunctional spaces. The reconstruction draws on archaeological findings from three key Unst sites—Hamar, Underhoull, and Belmont—each revealing layers of Norse settlement from around 1025 to 1220.
Just steps away, the Skidbladner rests beside Harold’s Wick, its sleek silhouette echoing the seafaring prowess of Viking explorers. Modeled after the Gokstad ship discovered in Norway, this replica showcases the craftsmanship and navigational ingenuity that enabled Norse expansion across Europe. With its clinker-built hull and graceful curves, the ship is both a tribute to Viking engineering and a symbol of their adventurous spirit.
Together, the longhouse and ship form a compelling open-air museum, accessible year-round and free to explore. They’re not just static displays—they’re immersive storytelling tools, anchoring Unst’s identity in its Norse heritage. Whether you’re tracing the footsteps of settlers or marveling at maritime design, these reconstructions offer a tangible connection to a time when Unst was a frontier of Viking ambition.
My work neighbour has quite a green thumb and as a result our little area in the office is inundated with plants.
I think it makes us work better with all the increased oxygen.
Location: Voorne-Putten, the Netherlands
Please don't use my images on websites or any other media without my permission.
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Fotografía tomada el día 2 de septiembre de 2020 con cámara Nikon D3500
Picture taken on September 2, 2020 with a Nikon D3500 camera
A fantastic morning a few days ago. The inversion was nice but the cloud rolled in and gave some gorgeous first light looking towards loch Lubnaig.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_Anglican_Cathedral:
The Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Nicholas, or the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral in Downtown Seoul, South Korea. It is the mother church of both the Anglican Church of Korea and the Diocese of Seoul. Its location is adjacent to Deoksugung, the British Embassy in Seoul, Seoul Metropolitan Council, and Seoul City Hall.
Construction began in 1922 to a design by English architect Arthur Stansfield Dixon.[1] The Cathedral is known for its Romanesque Revival architecture, together with its mosaic murals. In 1985, a Harrison & Harrison pipe organ was installed in the Cathedral's west end. Expansion of the Cathedral began in 1991 and was completed in 1996. In 1978, the Cathedral was designated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as Tangible Cultural Property No. 35.
“The Louvre or the Louvre Museum or Musée du Louvre, is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement and home to some of the most canonical works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French kings.”
The engineer notches out four-month-old Susquehanna B40-8 4002 as it approaches BD interlocking in Binghamton, New York. The Susquehanna’s rapid traffic growth in the mid-1980’s had it looking for power wherever it was available, including leasing the trailing ex-BN F45 from National Railway Leasing. The GE became Providence & Worcester 4004.
None of my photos are HDR or blended images, they are taken from just one shot
Sony A900 + Carl Zeiss16-35mm + ND8 + GND8 filters
Alteirinhos, Zambujeira do Mar, Odemira (Alentejo - Portugal)
More pictures of Zambujeira do Mar
Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Red Fox
The Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, is the largest of the true foxes and the most abundant wild member of the Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It is listed as least concern by the IUCN. Its range has increased alongside human expansion, having been introduced to Australia, where it is considered harmful to native mammals and bird populations. Due to its presence in Australia, it is included among the list of the "world's 100 worst invasive species".
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox