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Brant/Brent Goose - Branta bernicla
The brant, or brent goose (Branta bernicla), is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The black brant is a pacific North American subspecies.
It used to be a strictly coastal bird in winter, seldom leaving tidal estuaries, where it feeds on eel-grass (Zostera marina) and the seaweed, sea lettuce (Ulva). On the east coast of North America, the inclusion of sea lettuce is a recent change to their diet, brought about by a blight on eelgrass in 1931. This resulted in the near-extirpation of the brant. The few that survived changed their diet to include sea lettuce until the eelgrass eventually began to return. Brants have maintained this diet ever since as a survival strategy. In recent decades, it has started using agricultural land a short distance inland, feeding extensively on grass and winter-sown cereals. This may be behavior learned by following other species of geese. Food resource pressure may also be important in forcing this change, as the world population increased over 10-fold to 400,000-500,000 by the mid-1980s, possibly reaching the carrying capacity of the estuaries. In the breeding season, it uses low-lying wet coastal tundra for both breeding and feeding. The nest is bowl-shaped, lined with grass and down, in an elevated location, often near a small pond.
The brant goose is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.
Thanks to all who take the time to Comment/fav etc...Always appreciated.
… and closer to the training pen. This look is very familiar to anyone who has horses. We see a beautiful morning fresh with new possibilities to up our horsemanship game, and our equine bestie sees his friends loafing around in the pasture and grieves the ever increasing distance between his destination and his oats! Not to worry, Roanie, I foresee carrots in your very near future!
Happy Friday, everyone! Wishing you happy trails and a weekend filled with all of the things you love the most! ♥
The Little Owl is not a native species, having been introduced to Britain in the 1870s, but it appears to have occupied a vacant niche without having any detrimental impact on other species. Numbers and breeding distribution increased gradually, reaching an estimated breeding population of between 4,000 and 8,500 pairs at the time of Project Barn Owl. The current distribution extends across England, north to the Scottish borders and west into Wales, where it is largely confined to Anglesey and to eastern parts of the country. There have been very few records from Ireland.
Pairs remain on their breeding territories throughout the year, with territorial calling evident during autumn – when young birds are searching for breeding territories – and again during spring. Small cavities are favoured for breeding, these often located within hedgerow trees or the walls of old agricultural buildings. Favoured nesting chambers tend to be located some distance from the cavity entrance and with little daylight reaching them. The male will often perch close to the nest cavity while his mate is incubating her clutch of eggs.
Little Owls often hunt from a perch, taking small mammals and large invertebrates, including earthworms, cockchafers and other beetles. There is evidence to suggest that breeding success is linked to the availability of small mammals, though some pairs evidently do well on other prey; a pair breeding on the island of Skomer, for example, took a large number of Storm Petrels (Courtesy BTO).
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
After our Federal Elections on the weekend the Greens gained a massive increase in votes, especially in my electorate. It certainly gave me hope that basic humanity will return to our political landscape. I have used some green pills here. Macro Mondays, theme: 'medical'. HMM
Mountain Hare - Lepus Timidus
The mountain hare (Lepus timidus), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats.
In the European Alps the mountain hare lives at elevations from 700 to 3800 m, depending on biographic region and season.The development of alpine winter tourism has increased rapidly since the last few decades of the 20th century, resulting in expansion of ski resorts, growing visitor numbers, and a huge increase in all forms of snow sport activities. A 2013 study looking at stress events and the response of mountain hares to disturbance concluded that those hares living in areas of high winter recreational activities showed changes in physiology and behaviour that demanded additional energy input at a time when access to food resources is restricted by snow. It recommended ensuring that forests inhabited by mountain hares were kept free of tourist development, and that new skiing areas should be avoided in mountain hare habitat, and that existing sites should not be expanded.
In August 2016, the Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind launched a campaign on behalf of the mountain hare, as a way of raising awareness of mountain hare culls taking place across the country and in garnering public support for the issue. Mountain hares are routinely shot in the Scottish Highlands both as part of paid hunting "tours" and by gamekeepers managing red grouse populations (who believe that mountain hares can be vectors of diseases which affect the birds). Much of this activity is secretive but investigations have revealed that tens of thousands of hares are being culled every year. The campaign, which urges people to proclaim that We Care For The Mountain Hare", will culminate with the charity urging the Scottish government to legislate against commercial hunting and culling of the iconic Scottish species. The campaign has revealed widespread public support for a ban on hare hunting in Scotland.
Unlike the brown hare, which is thought to have been introduced by the Celts during the Iron Age, the mountain hare is native to Britain. However, it is only native to the Scottish Highlands and was translocated elsewhere.
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Zwei Wochen in einem Traumland, der Sächsischen Schweiz (Elbsandsteingebirge), mit einem Camper unterwegs.
Two weeks in a dreamland, Saxon Switzerland (Elbe Sandstone Mountains), with a camper on the way.
My tour album: Two weeks in a dreamland - Sächsische Schweiz / Elbsandsteingebirge is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/e9x5A34VU5
My 2019-2023 tours album is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/SKf0o8040w
My nature album is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/27PwYUERX2
My Canon EOS R / R5 / R6 album is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/bgkttsBw35
My landscape album is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/YB7434Jid0
My miscellaneous album is here:
www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/ubwV7qGXSB
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Sächsische Schweiz (Elbsandsteingebirge)
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A4chsische_Schweiz
Als Sächsische Schweiz wird der deutsche Teil des Elbsandsteingebirges in Sachsen bezeichnet. Die durch bizarre Felsformen geprägte Landschaft liegt südöstlich von Dresden beiderseits der Elbe im Landkreis Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge.
Bergformen
In der Regel sind zwei Bergformen zu unterscheiden. Als Steine werden zahlreiche Felsformationen des Elbsandsteingebirges in der Böhmischen und Sächsischen Schweiz bezeichnet. Prominente Beispiele sind der Königstein, der Lilienstein, Gohrisch und Papststein. Die Bezeichnung erstreckt sich nicht auf die hügelartigen Kuppen aus vulkanischem Basalt oder granitischem Material des Grundgebirges wie die Waitzdorfer Höhe oder den Großen Winterberg.
Die kretazischen Sandsteingebilde ragen aus den sogenannten Ebenheiten heraus, dem ehemaligen Niveau der Elbe, und stellen ihrerseits Reste einer früheren Rumpffläche dar. Im Zuge der spättertiären Anhebung des Erzgebirges und des seitlichen Druckes vom Lausitzer Bergland zerbrach die Sandsteinplatte kreuzgitterartig, was bei gleichzeitig zunehmender Fließgeschwindigkeit der Elbe und rückschreitender Erosion in den Seitentälern Angriffsmöglichkeiten und Leitbahnen für die zerstörerische Kraft des Wassers bot. Zunächst verblieben die größeren Tafelberge (Lilienstein), oder bereits stark zerklüftete wie Zirkelstein oder Kaiserkrone, oder aber bereits bewaldete (Kohlbornstein), die sich bei weiterer erosiver Zerstörung in langgezogene Grate (Schrammsteine) bis hin zu einzelnen Felsnadeln (Torwächter) auflösten. Morphologisch härtere Schichtpartien, die der Erosion länger und erfolgreicher Widerstand leisten, bilden meist die oberste Schicht. Der Zusammenbruch erfolgt somit meist von unten her bzw. von den Felsflanken.
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Saxon Switzerland - Elbe Sandstone Mountains
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (German: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Saxon Switzerland alone has some 1,000 climbing peaks, as well as several hollows. The area is popular with local and international climbers.
The administrative district for the area is Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The fortress of Königstein is a well-known landmark.
Hills
As a rule, two types of hill may be distinguished.
Numerous rock formations in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in both Saxon Switzerland and Bohemian Switzerland, are known locally in this region as Steine ("rocks"). Prominent examples are the Königstein, the Lilienstein, the Gohrisch and the Papststein. This description does not, however, include the dome-shaped Kuppen such as the Waitzdorfer Höhe or the Großer Winterberg, whose bedrock is made of volcanic basalt or granitic material.
The Cretaceous sandstone formations soar above the so-called "levels" of their surrounding area, the former level of the River Elbe, and represent the remains of an old peneplain. In the course of the Late Tertiary, uplifting of the Ore Mountains and sideways pressure from the Lusatian Highlands shattered the sandstone plate along lines that intersected like a grid and this, combined with the simultaneously increasing stream velocity of the Elbe and regressive erosion in its side valleys, offered new lines of attack and new routes for the destructive power of water. Initially the larger table hills (Lilienstein), or those already deeply fissured like Zirkelstein, Kaiserkrone or already forested (Kohlbornstein), remained, but these too broke up later as a result of erosive destruction into long ridges (Schrammsteine) or even into individual rock pinnacles (Torwächter). Morphologically harder sections of strata, that resisted karstification longer and more successfully, generally form the uppermost layers. The collapse of rock structures is usually therefore a result of erosion from below or from the flanks.
What a treat this was. This beautiful, adult Red-Tailed Hawk was sitting on a pole in Las Gallinas WTP. It was almost as though it was posing for our camera. Widespread and common. Apparently has increased in some areas since the 1960s, and numbers now stable or still increasing. In several regions of North America, Red-tailed Hawks are adapting to nesting in cities.
The Little Owl is not a native species, having been introduced to Britain in the 1870s, but it appears to have occupied a vacant niche without having any detrimental impact on other species. Numbers and breeding distribution increased gradually, reaching an estimated breeding population of between 4,000 and 8,500 pairs at the time of Project Barn Owl. The current distribution extends across England, north to the Scottish borders and west into Wales, where it is largely confined to Anglesey and to eastern parts of the country. There have been very few records from Ireland.
Pairs remain on their breeding territories throughout the year, with territorial calling evident during autumn – when young birds are searching for breeding territories – and again during spring. Small cavities are favoured for breeding, these often located within hedgerow trees or the walls of old agricultural buildings. Favoured nesting chambers tend to be located some distance from the cavity entrance and with little daylight reaching them. The male will often perch close to the nest cavity while his mate is incubating her clutch of eggs.
Little Owls often hunt from a perch, taking small mammals and large invertebrates, including earthworms, cockchafers and other beetles. There is evidence to suggest that breeding success is linked to the availability of small mammals, though some pairs evidently do well on other prey; a pair breeding on the island of Skomer, for example, took a large number of Storm Petrels (Courtesy BTO).
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
la Casa de Ceremonias o patio de los sabios (Đại Bái Đường) y el Thượng Điện, donde Confucio y sus cuatro discípulos más cercanos son adorados, donde se pueden encontrar dos grullas posadas sobre dos tortugas, que simbolizan la suerte y la longevidad y que segun la tradicion si se tocaban se aumentaban los años de vida y la sabiduría. Junto a la Casa de Ceremonias se encuentra el pequeño Santuario Thi Thah que albergar un figura de Confucio y Chu Van An, uno de los maestros mas famosos que enseño en la escuela.
the House of Ceremonies or courtyard of the sages (Đại Bái Đường) and the Thượng Điện, where Confucius and his four closest disciples are worshipped, where you can find two cranes perched on two tortoises, symbolizing luck and longevity and which According to tradition, if they were touched, the years of life and wisdom increased. Next to the House of Ceremonies is the small Thi Thah Shrine that houses a figure of Confucius and Chu Van An, one of the most famous masters who taught at the school.
la Casa de Cerimònies o pati dels savis (Đại Bái Đường) i el Thượng Điện, on Confuci i els seus quatre deixebles més propers són adorats, on es poden trobar dues grues posades sobre dues tortugues, que simbolitzen la sort i la long segons la tradició si es tocaven s'augmentaven els anys de vida i la saviesa. Al costat de la Casa de Cerimònies es troba el petit Santuari Thi Thah que acull una figura de Confuci i Chu Van An, un dels mestres més famosos que ensenyo a l'escola.
The coronavirus lockdown has seen an increase in domestic abuse around the world as women, and sometimes men, have been locked in with their abuser, unable to speak out or get away. It is thought that cases of domestic abuse may have increased by between 20% and 50% during the pandemic. As we come out of lockdown our support and friendship may be needed more than ever. Listen out for the 'silence'.
Created for Treat This 249 in the Kreative People Group www.flickr.com/groups/1752359@N21/discuss/72157714665943252/72157714677886836.
Many thanks to CatnessGrace for the source images which you can see in the first comment box below or here flickr.com/photos/95044232@N03/49998438862/ and here www.flickr.com/photos/95044232@N03/49995508492/
The only photos used are the source images.
Thank you for taking the time to visit, comment, fave or invite. I really appreciate them all.
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it is assumed that Gorinchem was founded circa 1000 CE by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river Linge at the Merwede. (Home of Gorik) is first mentioned in a document from 1224 in which Floris IV granted people from Gorinchem exemption of toll payments throughout Holland.
Somewhere between 1247 and 1267, Gorinchem became property of the Lords of Arkel. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounts reinforced with palisades were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real city walls were built complete with 7 gates and 23 watchtowers. Otto van Arkel granted it city rights on 11 November 1322.
Jan van Arkel had a dispute with Albert I, brother of Willem V of Holland, leading to war and subsequently to the annexation of Gorinchem to Holland in 1417. This resulted in increased trade and Gorinchem grew to be the eighth city of Holland.
On 9 July 1572, the Watergeuzen (Dutch rebels against Spanish rule) conquered the city and captured 19 Catholic priests and monks. Because they refused to renounce their faith, these priests and monks were brought to Brielle where they were hanged and were from then on known among Catholics as the Martyrs of Gorkum.
By the 16th century, the city walls were so deteriorated that they were replaced with new fortifications and eleven bastions that still are almost completely intact. The new walls were completed in 1609 and were located further from the town centre, making the city twice as large. In 1673, Gorinchem became part of the old Dutch Water Line.
The city walls had four city gates: the Arkel Gate in the north, the Dalem Gate in the east, the Water Gate in the south (where the ferry to Woudrichem was), and the Kansel Gate in the west. Of these four gates, only the Dalem Gate remains. The others were removed in the 19th century to make way for vehicular traffic. A portion of the Water Gate was preserved in the gardens of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
About four years ago, some chickens were introduced to a city park. Now, they can be found all over the park. As their numbers increased so are the arrival of other species like the seagulls, egrets, blue Jay's and many more. The locals are very fond of them bringing food for the chickens on a daily basis. There are about at least six chicken families that I have noted and hundreds of them living with the others such as ducks, Egyptian geese, etc cetera in the park.
Portugal 🇵🇹
September 2021
Florida is home to a relict population of northern caracaras that dates to the last glacial period, which ended around 12,500 BP. At that time, Florida and the rest of the Gulf Coast were covered in an oak savanna. As temperatures increased, the savanna between Florida and Texas disappeared. Caracaras were able to survive in the prairies of central Florida and the marshes along the St. Johns River. Cabbage palmettos are a preferred nesting site, although they also nest in southern live oaks. ~ Wikipedia
Yes, we do have lots of rain here. This short tree or shrub was here when we moved in four years ago. Just needed water. I think it's a Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, or hawberry, a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus
Feel free to correct me about the name. No increased saturation or vibrancy. The rain and clouds take credit for that.
Autumn, also known as Fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere). Autumn is the season when the duration of daylight becomes noticeably shorter and the temperature cools considerably. Day length decreases and night length increases as the season progresses until the Winter Solstice in December (Northern Hemisphere) and June (Southern Hemisphere). One of its main features in temperate climates is the striking change in colour for the leaves of deciduous trees as they prepare to shed.
Thank you for visits, comments and favs!
Vielen Dank für Eure Besuche, Kommentare und Sternchen!
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Focus your Soul
Increase your Senses
Release the Prison of your Mind
Light your way
Your Blood is the Key
April in Iowa typically brings an increase in wind speeds and it's also the start of the severe thunderstorm and tornado season. This scene is looking down a country lane at a small family farm in Keokuk County, Iowa.
Developed with Darktable 4.8.0.
Nein ? Kein Wunder, habe ich sie doch gerade erfunden !! 😊
Sie funktioniert ganz einfach. Man legt nur wenig auf den Teller und isst mit vorgehaltener Lupe und schon vergrößert sich die Portion !! 👍😜
No ? No wonder, I just invented it! 😊
It works very simply. You just put only a little on your plate and eat with a magnifying glass in front of you and the portion increases!
👍😜
Smile on Saturday: OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS
Increased the ISO here to get the shutter speed faster to get more of the pattern in the water falling over the rocks.
Captured with just the CPL filter.
Last trip to Bernardo this season… went with 24 Enchanted Lens Camera Club (ELCC) fellow Marauders… I think I have enough Sandhill Crane images from this season so I really focused on the Snow Geese and worked on increasing shutter speed and getting the EV right as they are a white feathered denizen in the late afternoon sun. I also kept the 2.0xTC on the 600mm lens - challenging but rewarding in the end, I think.
Increased the de-hazing and some vibrancy to add some color and pop to this gray toned wintry take of the pretty seagull.
Happy Sliding Sunday
Continuing on the theme of one sparrow a day this week, here is a beautiful Chipping Sparrow spotted near Nutter's Battery, Central Park, New York. They are now coming in increasing numbers...
Highest Position - Explore #4 | 13.10.2008 (Thanks so much for your continuous support everyone! )
Nothing much to say actually haha! Been real tired lately however i thought i better do at least a new processing to keep myself motivated else i believe i will start slacking off & not post as often as i wish to :) Hope u guys are more energetic out there & have a great day ahead!
View the Blood Sky On Black (not that red anyway :P)
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About
The Mossy Rocks at the Glenelg Beach
The Shot
Standard 3 exposure shot (+2..0..-2 EV) with tripod using Sigma DC HSM 10-20mm lens
Photomatix
- Tonemapped generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Photoshop
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'curves' to increase the contrast
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation' (yellows & reds) to tone up part of the sky
- Blended in +2 EV exposure shot to enhance the rock section
- Applied slight dodging on the dark area of the rocks
- Used 'unsharp mask' (as always) on the background layer
You
All comments, criticism and tips for improvements are (as always) welcome
Music
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27.11.2020
die Luft ist klar und kalt, der Himmel ist Wolkenfrei und der zunehmende Mond leuchtet am Himmel.
the air is clear and cold, the sky is free of clouds and the increasing Moon shines in the sky.
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
American Badger
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, OR
An interesting bit of info I read about badgers is that they will frequently cooperate or work in tandem with coyotes when hunting for prey (Wikipedia and animalia.bio). Per the articles, a coyote will chase rodents into a burrow where a badger is hunting, while the badger will flush rodents out of burrows to where a coyote is hunting. This cooperation benefits the coyote with an increased catch rate of about 33%. However, it is unknown how well it benefits the badger as the catch rate for them isn’t well documented due to their underground hunting. I found this cooperation interesting since badgers are occasionally preyed upon by coyotes.
Its heyday was in the 1920s, when together with Potsdamer Platz it was at the heart of Berlin's nightlife, inspiring the 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz and the two films based thereon, Piel Jutzi's 1931 film and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 15½ hour second adaptation, released in 1980. About 1920 the city's authorities started a rearrangement of the increasing traffic flows laying out a roundabout, accompanied by two buildings along the Stadtbahn viaduct, Alexanderhaus and Berolinahaus finished in 1932 according to plans designed by Peter Behrens.
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. 52032
I walked down by the local creek the other afternoon. The recent rains have increased flow rates and the water in Cherry Creek is tea like from all the fallen leaves. Downstream about 75 feet I notice a disturbance in the water but don't see anything. Then I see something moving upstream on the surface of the water like a big fish. It gets a little closer then I realize it must be an otter swimming vigorously in my direction! It wasn't an otter but an American Mink (Mustela vision). It's in the weasel family and is almost as aquatic as an otter and a nocturnal hunter. They eat voles, frogs, crayfish, waterfowl and their eggs, mice, rabbits, snakes, and aquatic invertebrates.
It got to within about 6 feet of where I stood backlit with camera on the monopod, it looked up at me then swam a little circle around a rock then scurried out of the water on the opposite bank and darted under a fallen log! Wow, glad I had the long lens! Pinch me and I do believe in luck. Mendocino County, North California U.S.A.
Increased the ISO to 800 here so that I could limit the shutter to 1/4 second. Wanted just slight smoothing of the flow but leaving some detail of the flowing water too.
Increased the ISO some to see if it provided better overall results ... I think the version at ISO 2500 was better. But then that could have also been because the wind was gusting more or less.
The winds were around 20 to 30 MPH last evening ... and bitter cold with temperatures heading towards 15 degrees F.
Had to have the gloves off to manually focus the lens ... brrrrr.
It's time for "Grab-a-Box" week once again. This time I reached in deep and pulled out a yellow box about half filled. That means I might have pulled the good stuff out for show or scanned already a long time ago leaving the second class product in the box. After some help from a friend I put the puzzle together of what was left. It appears to be two days of photos, April 25 and 26 of 1992. I was probably visiting my father in Norwich, NY and probably included the D&H/CP tracks it my travels.
D&H/CPR train #554 is about to duck under I88 at Port Crane. One thing the Canadian Pacific did when it got hold of the Delaware & Hudson was a major track upgrade. Speeds increased to 45mph in many places. Along with the faster speeds meant less siding capacity was needed. One such location to fall to the axe was FH, as seen here.
One major tip to increase to chances of warbler is patience. If you glipse at some warblers in a particular area and they go away, chances are that they are patrolling that area and will end up coming back. Chassing after them will probably not give any good result. I think that waiting in one particular spot is better. It can take several minutes before the birds accept that you are kind of partof the scenary. Many time I have seen birds coming back and ended up very near and sometime too close to even focus on them. This is also the case with this one. This warbler patroler repeatedly the same area of a small creek.which gave me ample opportunities to get a shot.
Temps de Flors, Girona, España.
Breve historia de "Temps de Flors"
Un pequeño evento que se celebró en el Salón de Descanso del Ayuntamiento en 1954 se ha convertido en el gran festival internacional de Girona
La historia de Girona, Temps de Flors es también una historia de jóvenes emprendedores que en 1954 decidieron organizar una primera edición de lo que llamaron Concurso Exposición Provincial de Flores en el Salón de Descanso del Teatro Municipal. La buena respuesta y el interés de las personas que visitaron ese espacio entonces les empujó a sacar adelante un evento que se ha convertido en el gran festival internacional de Girona, una actividad que atrae a gente de todo el mundo.
El festival fue creciendo año tras año, tanto en lo que se refiere al espacio que lo acogía como por la implicación, cada vez mayor, de la ciudadanía y el tejido social de la ciudad. Del Salón de Descanso, que ese primer año ya quedó pequeño, se pasó a la Sala de Pergaminos de la Biblioteca Pública y después al Monasterio de Sant Pere de Galligants. Posteriormente, se pasó al convento y al claustro de Sant Domènec y más tarde, ya se empezó a extender por varios patios y jardines del Barri Vell, como la plaza de los Jurados, el claustro de la Catedral o los jardines de la plaza de Narcís Figueras.
La evolución del festival vivió un punto clave en 1979, cuando se organizó por primera vez en nombre de la Asociación de los Amigos de las Flores y de los Jardines. Más adelante, en 1983, se implicó también la Asociación de Amigos de la Girona Antiga, que consiguió la apertura de muchos otros patios y jardines particulares que durante el resto del año permanecían cerrados al público. En 1992, el Ayuntamiento de Girona se implicó definitivamente en la organización. La conjunción de estos hechos supuso un salto cualitativo y cuantitativo determinante para la proyección del festival.
Durante más de seis décadas Rosa Maria Labayen, David Marca y Josep Tarrés mantuvieron el espíritu tradicional de la reconocida muestra floral, el evento que enorgullece a todos los gerundenses y gerundenses. Ellos consiguieron que sea un icono imprescindible de la ciudad y es a quien se debe el verdadero éxito de Girona, Temps de Flors.
A Brief History of Temps de Flors
A small event held in the City Hall's Lounge in 1954 has become Girona's major international festival.
The history of Girona, Temps de Flors is also a story of young entrepreneurs who, in 1954, decided to organize the first edition of what they called the Provincial Flower Exhibition and Competition in the Lounge of the Municipal Theatre. The positive response and interest from visitors encouraged them to develop an event that has become Girona's major international festival, an activity that attracts people from all over the world.
The festival grew year after year, both in terms of the venue and the increasing involvement of the city's citizens and social fabric. From the Lounge, which became too small that first year, it moved to the Parchment Room of the Public Library and later to the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants. Later, the festival moved to the convent and cloister of Sant Domènec, and subsequently expanded to various courtyards and gardens in the Barri Vell (Old Quarter), such as Plaça dels Jurats, the Cathedral cloister, and the gardens of Plaça de Narcís Figueras.
The festival's evolution reached a pivotal point in 1979, when it was first organized by the Association of Friends of Flowers and Gardens. Later, in 1983, the Association of Friends of Old Girona also became involved, securing the opening of many other private courtyards and gardens that remained closed to the public for the rest of the year. In 1992, the Girona City Council definitively became involved in the organization. The convergence of these events represented a decisive qualitative and quantitative leap for the festival's growth.
For over six decades, Rosa Maria Labayen, David Marca, and Josep Tarrés maintained the traditional spirit of the renowned flower show, an event that fills all the residents of Girona with pride. They made it an essential icon of the city, and it is thanks to them that Girona, Temps de Flors (Girona Flower Festival) truly succeeds.
The Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge is a vehicular bridge traversing Theodore Roosevelt Lake between Gila County and Maricopa County, Arizona.[2] Prior to its completion, traffic on Arizona SR 188 traveled directly on top of the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam. The bridge's completion relieved traffic over the dam. It had been designed to accommodate the width of two Ford Model-T automobiles, but increasing vehicle widths meant that the dam could only support one-way traffic until the new bridge opened.[3]
Per the United States Bureau of Reclamation, in 1995, along with other bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, the bridge was listed by the American Consulting Engineers Council as one of the top twelve bridge designs in the United States,[3] and is the "longest two-lane, single-span, steel-arch bridge in North America".[3] The build contract was awarded to Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc. of Plain, Wisconsin,[1] with an overall total cost of $21.3 million USD in 1992.[3] It was initially painted sky blue, but has since turned white.[4]
Steel material for the bridge was originally a part of the Washington Street elevated in Boston, Massachusetts. When the elevated was torn down in 1987, the steel was shipped to Japan and melted into bars, then shipped again as building materials.[5]
This bridge was the beginning or ending of the Apache Trail, a very scenic dirt road all the way to Phoenix depending on which way you were going. It takes several hours to complete. Our monsoons destroyed parts of the trail some years ago and they just got it repaired and reopened it last year. It is a very scenic drive and worth while taking the trip if you love the outdoors in Arizona. It is one of my favorite drives but not for the faint of heart :)
The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains.
The historic Apache Trail linked Apache Junction (33.4152°N 111.5807°W) at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake (33.6725°N 111.1531°W), through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest.
From Apache Junction heading northeast to Tortilla Flat, the Trail - named The E. Apache Trail (Arizona State Rt 88) at this point - is paved, turning into a dirt road a few miles east of Tortilla Flat, and continuing as such for nearly the full remainder of its length. The section east of Apache Junction is known officially as State Route 88. It is also the main traffic corridor through Apache Junction, turning into Main Street as the road passes into Mesa, and regains the Apache name by becoming Apache Boulevard in Tempe, ending at Mill Avenue. Prior to the completion of the Superstition Freeway in 1992, the Apache Junction portion of the Apache Trail was part of US Highway 60, which was rerouted to the Superstition Freeway once it was completed.
The Trail winds steeply through 40 miles (64 km) of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake. The narrow, winding road is unpaved from just east of the town of Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Dam; there are steep cliff drops and few safety barriers. The trail requires caution when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs, SUVs, or caravans. Some large RV rental companies in the US do not allow their vehicles to be taken on this route.
Fires and floods in 2019 resulted in a massive landslide between the Fish Creek Hill Overlook and Apache Lake Marina.[1] This section of road was closed for repairs, and reopened in September 2024.[2]
Some examples of AI generated country music and videos :) What will be next :) Don't know if I am ready for this new AI world :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNtsxtFsPg
My Texas Lady - A Country Love Anthem
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOLk_di0igo
Longing for a Cowboy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lInrWfMIirE
Sippin' Tennessee Gold
Becoming an increasing presence on our local shoreline
When there is less grey than normal as with this bird then it is not a pure Hooded Crow. They intergrade fairly commonly with Carrion Crows,
Hooded Crow Intergrade (Corvus cornix) (also called hoodie)
Shore Crab
Ardmucknish Bay Argyll - Scotland
Many thanks to all those who take the time to comment on my photos. It is truly appreciated.
DSC_5733
Gulf Of Mexico
Southwest Florida
USA
Photographed in the Gulf of Mexico from a pier. It has a fish in its pouch.
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a North American bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae. It is one of three pelican species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving in water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Chile, including the Galapagos Islands.
The brown pelican mainly feeds on fish, but occasionally eats amphibians, crustaceans, and the eggs and nestlings of birds. It nests in colonies in secluded areas, often on islands, vegetated land among sand dunes, thickets of shrubs and trees, and mangroves.
It has been rated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act from 1970 to 2009, as pesticides such as dieldrin and DDT threatened its future in the Southeastern United States and California. In 1972, the use of DDT was banned in Florida, followed by the rest of the United States. Since then, the brown pelican's population has increased. – Wikipedia
I took this, along with some others, in low light this morning. Trying to get the hang of flight shots. Very high ISO, but the focus appeared to work pretty well. Really liking the increased speed of locking on!
There was no reason to complain
it's all been candy cream
neatly, smooth and clean forever
The battle seemed so far away
she never felt the pain
but then one day it came a little
Yet things happend just that way
realize your fate
shut it down, increase the pressure
There was no reason to complain
it's all been candy cream
neatly, smooth and clean forever