(Macronectes giganteus) The southern giant petrel is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar northern giant petrel which I posted a picture of a few days ago. The main difference between the two species is the colour of the tip of the beak which in this case is greenish but pinkish in the northern variety.

for # HaPpY CrAzY Tuesday

#GLOW

😀 HaPpY CrAzY Tuesday 😍

Elephants are gentle giants, who show great care toward their herd, offspring and elders. This symbolizes responsibility, determination and loyalty. Patience: Elephants are also a symbol for keeping calm and having patience as elephants are generally calm and mellow creatures, unless their young or herd is threatened

Most African elephants are diurnal though some herds who live near human populations have become mostly nocturnal to avoid human interactions.

They are the largest butterfly in Florida with a wingspan of about 4-1/2 inches. This beautiful butterfly took my breath away! It flew into my yard and very close to me. This is the first time I have seen a giant butterfly.

This is a Giant Swallowtail, the largest North American butterfly species. with a wingspan range of 86-140mm (3-3/8" to 5-1/2"). It flitted about my yard for a few minutes, but always returned to this mass planting of phlox.

Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, (Ratufa indica)

I was fascinated by seeing this giant dragonfly fluttering in our garden. I've never seen one before. It's probably 4 or 5 times the size of a regular dragonfly, there was a regular one standing next to it and it appeared tiny compared to the giant one! I admit that it gave me both the awe and the chill!

Mesmerizing, ominous...some sort of invasion in our fields....only the cow seems oblivious to their looming presence. The scene caught my eye on a road trip through rural Missouri. Edited using Snapseed and Touch-Retouch.

Feeding on Red Bird of Paradise in Green Valley, Arizona, USA.

Many thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images it's very much appreciated.

This Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) was photographed in the wild in the Kruger National Park.

Inula magnifica Lipsky

Kruger National Park, South Africa

"We are shaped by our thoughts,we become what we think. When the mind is pure,joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

Buddha

I think this is the correct ID. When I was checking it out I found out there were 500 species of Swallowtails. That is a lot. :-)

Giant Kingfisher (m) coming in to land, Shingwedzi River crossing, Bateleur, Kruger National Park, South Africa

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probably every visitor to my photostream knows that I love kingfishers. This is an older image of a male Giant Kingfisher in Kafue NP, Zambia in November 2017.

Taken from a small boat on the Kafue River

The Giant Kingfisher is very large ( up to 45 cm or 18 inch ) and has a massive black bill.

Typically it hunts from a perched position next to rivers, lakes or lagoons but sometimes it can be seen hovering, a really impressive sight

megaceryle maxima

Afrikaanse reuzenijsvogel

martin-pêcheur géant

Riesenfischer

Martín Gigante Africano

Martin pescatore gigante

guarda-rios-gigante

Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.

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Fons Buts©2025

My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

Upper wings of the Giant Swallowtail are very different from the light yellow underwings (below).

A rare and very shy bird... very difficult to find and photograph.

Species # 960

Refúgio Paz de Las Aves - Mindo

Ecuador

Northern Ireland

A species of abnormally large Aphid known as the Giant Bark Aphid or Longistigma Caryae. They can reach a size of almost 6mm long. Photographed at Conowingo Dam in Maryland.

A beautiful blue giant...

Cinchona - Costa Rica

Taken Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province, South Africa

Allium giganteum, common name giant onion, is an Asian species of onion, native to central and southwestern Asia but cultivated in many countries as a flowering garden plant. It is the tallest species of Allium in common cultivation, growing to 1.5 metres

Taken at Bayard Cutting Arboretum...

Taken using a light pad and a slow shutter speed.

This beauty was raised in protective custody. Her first flight couldn't have been more perfect. I released her just outside the lanai door and she flew straight to the wild lime (host plant) located in the back 15' of the yard.

Although, I had no intention of taking photos of this beauty, I couldn't resist. After all the camera was out and she stayed in the yard instead of heading to one of my neighbors yards.

This Giant Swallowtail, if I am correct this is a female. It's difficult to tell but if you look at the very tip of the tail, males have claspers to hold on to the females and females don't have those. This one does not appear to have the claspers.

The other way I can tell the gender of the giant is by getting a decent look at the dot pattern on the upper wings. The third one over that looks like a large vitamin has a little notch in it on the females. However, the male's dot is complete without a notch. Hopefully that makes sense.

Have a terrific day, happy snapping :)

Marie helping in the kitchen, making pizza.

This is a small, four sided grater, just as the big ones, only in miniature size. We use it for curcuma (hence the yellow stains), ginger, and garlic, Marie used it for the cheese.

For Macro Mondays' "miniature" theme, and of course for my

Toy Project Day 2559

Saratoga National Historical Park

Created in InvokeAI - A Stable Diffusion Toolkit, processed with Photoshop and Lightroom.

My first ever Giant Swallowtail! The largest butterfly in North America!! Always an exciting moment to find something new and different!

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

The giant otter or giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in). Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The groups are centered on a dominant breeding pair and are extremely cohesive and cooperative. Although generally peaceful, the species is territorial, and aggression has been observed between groups. The giant otter is diurnal, being active exclusively during daylight hours. It is the noisiest otter species, and distinct vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm, aggression, and reassurance. Threatened. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_otter

Wishing everyone a Peaceful Friday!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated by any means without my written explicit permission, including the use on websites and similar medias. 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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Giant Panda, China.

These beauties are such a delight to see flying around in the garden. So it's always nice to see that they are making more.

I always worry a little about them when they are on their honeymoon. They are very easy to spot and they are a highly sought after meal for birds.

Speaking of birds, the house finches have started visiting once more and I have seen a bunch of the tiny little guys that stick to the treetops. Well, I guess you can say I have seen them :) I haven't gotten a good look at the treetop hoppers, they move so quickly and stay so high. I know they are there, I hear them and see the activity. It's time to clean up boggy creek for the little migraters.

I will be on and off a while. I have a bunch of indoor projects in the works plus outdoor maintenance and company coming soon.

I hope your weekend is spectacular. Happy snapping.

The giant honeycomb structure design of Duo Tower at Fraser Street, Singapore.

*Note: More pics of Architectural, Interior and Exterior Designs in my Architectural, Interior and Exterior Designs Album.

Topaz Studio

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Please, don't fave and run, you will get yourself blocked.

When I went to our local park, Dan Foley, I really didn't expect to find much with so many people around...but then...I saw two Green Herons chasing each other and this one landed nearby and began to hunt! It ran and hopped from bolder to bolder then took this 'giant step' in search for prey! I just wish I had seen the catch, but it fled before that happened!

I noticed these giant mushrooms - each with a diameter of 25 to 30 cms, I guess - growing high up on the trunk of a willow.

I think it is Dryad's Saddle, but please correct me of not.

A friendly giant.

Prehistoric giant came up from the ocean, from the North Sea.

It's resting here

Its head all down, facing his home

Laying on its belly

Arms all flat on the lovely beach

Resting before it will take a deep dive into the ocean again

It's trying to camouflage

But I spotted it

I'm not telling anyone

Promise

I didn't realize today was Friday--thought it was Thursday. So, I thought to do a double post-the Mourning Dove I posted earlier and now this fellow for Fly Day Friday.. HUGE!

HFDF!

Thanks for Viewing.