View allAll Photos Tagged Grooming
African Buffalo - Syncerus caffer - Kaffernbüffel with a Yellow-Billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) Gelbschnabel-Madenhacker
Kruger NP - Februar/March 2017
South Africa
Roberts Nr.771
Can you see the similarity with the human hands ?
BTW; yesterday a bull elephant seal was found dead on the beach; an apparent shark attack victim.
I am beyond fortunate to have these Cooper's showing up multiple times a day right behind my house. I have learned so much about their behavior and temperament. Yesterday I was able to watch this one for over two hours, and this was caught during their grooming ritual.
My daughter really likes the Harry Potter series, so we ordered the Hogwarts interior backdrop to set up the dinning area ... made for a great backdrop for some of the photos too.
Here is the groom and his mom and grandmother.
Used the subject selection in Lightroom and then inverted it to isolate the background to reduce clarity and focus to develop a bit more isolation.
This is Shade, one of the hummingbirds that visits us, and who pretty much made himself at home; he's very used to our presence and is very protective of the feeder.
Always amuses me the position that birds get themselves into in the name of a good groom! This Dunnock just couldn’t quite get the spot!
A bee in a lockdown garden. Caught this bee having rest and wash after a busy session of collecting.
The groom. Unposed, grabbed shot. Looking like he has the lead part in Rob Roy instead of Liam Neeson. Rob Roy ...one of my favourite movies www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2DKNNMn5s
Benni was so happy to see me when I came to pick her up. She jumped off the table and then back on so I could take this photo. It's nervous for her with Lauren, new owner and groomer, after 6 years with Salah.
It's a post-and-run morning! I'll come back at the end of the day, but for now, here are two otters at ZooAmerica, in Hershey. When the female was introduced into the male's habitat, about a year ago, these two did nothing but bicker for many weeks. I could hear their voices from far away! Now, they're the best of friends.
There is a small tree just beside the house. It is a popular stop-over for small birds early in the mornings. I don't know the name of this bird. I think it is a Bulbul. It wears the same colours as the Yellow-vented Bulbul, but without the crest.
It is usually difficult to get a good shot of the birds. Either the view is blocked by leaves, or, the sky is just too bright. Luckily for me this morning, this one was busy grooming itself. I had ample time to position myself for this shot. The bird was probably 15 feet above me.
苗族
Hmong / Hmub / Xongb / ab Hmaob
m̥oŋ˦˧ / m̥ʰu˧ / ɕoŋ˧˥ / a˥˧m̥ao˥˧
Laced amongst the 1.3 billion people of China, 56 ethnic minority groups make their home in various provinces across the country. One of the largest of these minorities, with a population of over 7 million people, is the Miao people located in the mountainous region of South West China. As the Miao spread out across this region throughout history, numerous tribes evolved out of the main clan and adopted variations on customs and culture. These now distinct tribes became known by the unique characteristics of their clothing and decorations and were named accordingly.
One particular tribe, centred on the village of Longga, is the Changjiao Miao. Changjiao or “Long Horns”, when directly translated, reflects the custom of animal horns being worn as head ornaments by tribe women for special occasions. It was only recently, in 1994, with the building of the highway to Longga, that these beautiful people and their culture have been revealed to the world.
Cloth and costumes are important instruments in shaping the identity of the individual clans or tribes and expressing their unique characteristics. These minority communities weave their histories through these intricate fabrics, reflecting their relationship with the environment and uniqueness of the cultural make-up of the clan.
The application of the carefully combined colours and intricate embroidery to the fabric provides the group with an outlet to express feelings and emotions. Women learn to make batik and embroider from an early age and achieve their social status in this fashion. The girl who can weave and embroider special patterns is seen to be hard working and extraordinarily intelligent and she will become the most sought after bride in the community.
On special occasions and during festivals, the women construct an elaborate headpiece utilizing the clan’s namesake long horn. These horns are first fixed to the women’s real hair, then a highly structured decorative bun of linen, wool and ancestral hair are wrapped in a figure eight around the horn. The hair is then secured to the horn by a geometric white ribbon. This headdress, together with the native costumes, composes the standard attire for festival season.
The Miao celebrate multiple festivals throughout the year. One of the most popular with the youth is the Flower Dancing Festival between the 4th and 14th day of the first lunar month. This time of year is dedicated to the single youngsters in the community in order to gather and look for their life long partners. The girls ascend on the village in groups where they dance and sing in antiphonal style entertaining the boys from other villages. Once a boy and a girl become attracted to each other, a presentation of gifts signals the engagement.
Getting to the actual marriage is a much more elaborate affair, with the groom’s family having to convince the bride’s that he is worthy and will provide for her in the years to come. Endless proposals follow endless refusals and months of bargaining ensue. Finally, when the girl’s family is happy with the betrothal gifts, they are free to get married or if an agreement is not met, the groom’s family may signal the couple to run off and elope.
Unlike western society, divorce does not involve drawn out court battles and asset wars. If a couple falls out of love, they need only give notice to the tribal seniors and are then seen as “on the market” again.