Higashichaya-area, Kanazawa city, February 2022

Fall is here obviously :D

One of the most common and widespread sparrows in North America. Fairly large with a long, rounded tail. Overall coarsely patterned with gray and brown, usually with more reddish-brown wings and tail. Look especially for thick brown streaks on the underparts and a broad dark mustache stripe. Significant variation in plumage geographically: relatively pale and rusty in the southwestern U.S.; blacker streaking in California; overall dusky in the Pacific Northwest. Larger, longer-tailed and usually more rusty than Savannah Sparrow. Found in a variety of scrubby habitats both near and far from human development, especially edges of fields, often near water. Listen for husky "chimp" calls and melodic song with chips and trills. (eBird)

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Always happy to see a Song Sparrow. This one is in fresh breeding plumage and looks great against the pale grey background of the Ottawa River.

Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2024.

This is another long exposure shot taken at princess pier. Taken at the same time as the dawn princess cruise ship was setting sail. makes for an interesting image. follow me at my website and blog @ www.lawsphotography.com

Should it be more subtle?

Should I be more subtle?

Was that the sound of us?

Lets call it our language. The moon language.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMb248QfMz4

The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the family Corvidae in the passerine order of birds. It is found in the Palearctic, its range extending from Scandinavia and western Europe to eastern Siberia. It is a large, gregarious, black-feathered bird, distinguished from similar species by the whitish featherless area on the face. Rooks nest collectively in the tops of tall trees, often close to farms or villages, the groups of nests being known as rookeries.

Rooks are mainly resident birds, but the northernmost populations may move southwards to avoid the harshest winter conditions. The birds form flocks in winter, often in the company of other Corvus species or jackdaws. They return to their rookeries and breeding takes place in spring. They forage on arable land and pasture, probing the ground with their strong bills and feeding largely on grubs and soil-based invertebrates, but also consuming cereals and other plant material. Historically, farmers have accused the birds of damaging their crops, and have made efforts to drive them away or kill them. Like other corvids, they are intelligent birds with complex behavioural traits and an ability to solve simple problems.

is this Passion Flower plant that I bought last year.... it lived the winter inside and now, outside again, it is still gifting me these most unusual flowers!!!

Happy Truck Thursday

This is the submerged dam Garreg Ddu and Foel Tower at Elan Valley in Wales. This was shot from the dam itself combining the Lee Big Stopper with a one minute exposure to get the soft streaky sky. Sadly no reflections on this day, as weather was very breezy so have opted for a square crop which I think works rather well.

Have a great weekend everyone!

This is a stream which comes off of Cooks Inlet in Alaska just a little ways down from the lodge. The water level and how far you can go is controlled by the high and low tides. In this image, the bend in the stream can be seen in the distance to the left

Iris spuria is a species of the genus Iris, part of the subgenus Limniris and the series Spuriae. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, from Europe, Asia and Africa. It has purple or lilac flowers, and slender, elongated leaves. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions and hybridized for use in the garden.

Due to the wide distribution of the species, it has many different common names, including; 'Spurious Iris', ‘false iris', ‘bastard iris', 'blue iris' (in England), ‘butterfly iris' (also in England), ‘meadow marsh iris', ‘iris steppe', ‘iris des steppes' (in France), ‘Steppen-Schwertlilie' (in Germany), and 'dansk iris' (in Sweden). and 'salt iris' (also in Sweden).

Another is 'seashore iris', but this probably applies to Iris spuria subsp. maritima. Also 'salt iris', and 'salt marsh iris', but this applies to Iris halophila (formerly a subspecies).

Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours.

Night is color

When you live in my camera

Reflection Blur Speed

Urban dreaming...

XXOO

Jackdaw is absolutely fearless in the Kenwood cafe despite of many dogs there.

Thank you all for visits, faves and comments!

This is another shot from Grasmere Lake on a very still September evening. I wanted to capture the concentric circles around the Swan. I used HDR again from a single RAW image.

This photo was short-listed by National Geographic for their 2015 Photo contest. It can be seen and downloaded as a wallpaper from here: photography.nationalgeographic.com/contest-2015/gallery/w...

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Storm is close, behind the Kiev reservoir, over Chernobyl

A long exposure to create some movement in the grass. The last feeling of warm sun. Winter is coming.

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Hilversum, Dudokpark (NL) 26-10-2019

Het raadhuis van Hilversum is een van de mooiste werken van de bekende Nederlandse architekt Willem Dudok. Op de foto de Burgerzaal van het raadhuis.

The Hilversum town hall is one of the most beautiful works by the well-known Dutch architect Willem Dudok. In the photo the Citizens' Hall of the town hall.

Das Rathaus von Hilversum ist eines der schönsten Werke des bekannten niederländischen Architekten Willem Dudok. Auf dem Bild die Bürgerhalle des Rathauses.

L'hôtel de ville de Hilversum est l'une des plus belles œuvres du célèbre architecte néerlandais Willem Dudok. Sur la photo la salle des citoyens de l'hôtel de ville.

El ayuntamiento de Hilversum es una de las obras más bellas del conocido arquitecto neerlandés Willem Dudok. En la foto la sala de los ciudadanos del ayuntamiento.

Il municipio di Hilversum è una delle opere più belle del noto architetto olandese Willem Dudok. Nella foto la stanza dei cittadini del municipio.

A câmara municipal de Hilversum é uma das mais belas obras do conhecido arquiteto neerlandês Willem Dudok. Na foto o quarto dos cidadãos.

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This is the second new panorama which I editied in 2020 from a very atmospheric evening near to the summit of Montscheinspitze, Karwendel. In order to get that wide view I was merging 3 hand held shots taken in landscape orientation with the 28 mm lens.

It was cool to watch her

Marie was hungry

Checked if the fish was breathing

Mouth to mouth resuscitation could be an option

I at least thought she was thinking that and I do have skills in being mental or call it good in telepathy if you want

You can just ask Mark, lol

She chose mouth to body and was eager to see if she managed to resusciate the fish

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and the highest in Europe after the Caucasus peaks. It rises 4,808 m (15,774 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. Between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France. The location of the summit is on the watershed line between the valleys of Ferret and Veny in Italy and the valleys of Montjoie, and Arve in France. The Mont Blanc massif is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding.

The three towns and their communes which surround Mont Blanc are Courmayeur in Aosta Valley, Italy, and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and Chamonix in Haute-Savoie, France. The latter town was the site of the first Winter Olympics. A cable car ascends and crosses the mountain range from Courmayeur to Chamonix, through the Col du Géant. Constructed beginning in 1957 and completed in 1965, the 11.6 km (7¼ mi) Mont Blanc Tunnel runs beneath the mountain between these two countries and is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes.

For Crazy Tuesday : Guess what it is

Small, slender oriole. Adult males are a unique rich chestnut-brown color with a black head. Females are dull yellow-green with white wingbars. Immature males are similar to females, but with a black throat and mask. Breeds in open woodlands, river edges, pastures with scattered trees, and brushy orchards. Visits feeders with nectar and fruits. Departs breeding grounds early and heads to wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America, where it can be found in any open or wooded habitat. Compare with female Hooded Oriole, which is larger and longer-tailed and has a narrower, more curved bill. (eBird)

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This lovely oriole was feeding on the plants at our B&B in Belize on our first day. A great way to start our Belize birding trip.

Ladyville, Belize. January 2011.

Albufeira is a coastal city in the southern Algarve region of Portugal. It’s a former fishing village that has become a major holiday destination, with sandy beaches, [a waterfront promenade] and a busy nightlife strip. Local fishermen now use the modern marina, also a base for diving, dolphin-watching and boat trips.― Google

Quickie pic~ Some gacha items!

Emoji Cloud~ Pure Poison- Enlove Emoji (Rare)

Hoodie Dress, w/tail~ Loki- 01 Meow Meow Gacha - Kitty Overall (Rare)

Choker~ Loki- 14 Meow Meow Gacha- White Kitty Bell Choker

Mask~ Loki- 02 Meow Meow Gacha- Happy Face Mask

Nails~ *PH-PL*- Pretty Guardian//bento nail #02

The Osprey is a migratory raptor from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for prey like the fish. They are often found near shallow lakes and water bodies with high perches. The birds hunt once-twice and then rest most of the day maddeningly for us. Often it is a long wait to see it in action. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey.

This was shot in an estuary we visited early last year. The area was teeming with waders - 1000's of them. We were there during high tide and hence it was difficult to shoot many birds. The Osprey was resting on a small wooden log in the middle of the water and flew away as we approached it.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

This is the second to last for this series. The grass grows at the edge of a cliff which sets the scene for wonderful bokeh.

This is where we spent the weekend, surfing on Saturday and Diving on Sunday. Old pic as I didn't take my DSLR on this trip.

Cuckoo - Cuculus Canorus

Norfolk

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.

This species is a widespread summer migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa. It is a brood parasite, which means it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly of dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers. Although its eggs are larger than those of its hosts, the eggs in each type of host nest resemble the host's eggs. The adult too is a mimic, e that species is a predator, the mimicry gives the female time to lay her eggs without being seen to do so.

The English word "cuckoo" comes from the Old French cucu and it first appears about 1240 in the poem Sumer Is Icumen In - "Summer has come in / Loudly sing, Cuckoo!" in modern English.

The scientific name is from Latin. Cuculus is "cuckoo" and canorus, "melodious ".

A study using stuffed bird models found that small birds are less likely to approach common cuckoos that have barred underparts similar to the Eurasian sparrowhawk, a predatory bird. Eurasian reed warblers were found more aggressive to cuckoos that looked less hawk-like, meaning that the resemblance to the hawk helps the cuckoo to access the nests of potential hosts. Other small birds, great tits and blue tits, showed alarm and avoided attending feeders on seeing either (mounted) sparrowhawks or cuckoos; this implies that the cuckoo's hawklike appearance functions as protective mimicry, whether to reduce attacks by hawks or to make brood parasitism easier.

The common cuckoo is an obligate brood parasite; it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. At the appropriate moment, the hen cuckoo flies down to the host's nest, pushes one egg out of the nest, lays an egg and flies off. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. A female may visit up to 50 nests during a breeding season. Common cuckoos first breed at the age of two years.

More than 100 host species have been recorded: meadow pipit, dunnock and Eurasian reed warbler are the most common hosts in northern Europe; garden warbler, meadow pipit, pied wagtail and European robin in central Europe; brambling and common redstart in Finland; and great reed warbler in Hungary.

Studies were made of 90 great reed warbler nests in central Hungary. There was an "unusually high" frequency of common cuckoo parasitism, with 64% of the nests parasitised. Of the nests targeted by cuckoos, 64% contained one cuckoo egg, 23% had two, 10% had three and 3% had four common cuckoo eggs. In total, 58% of the common cuckoo eggs were laid in nests that were multiply parasitised. When laying eggs in nests already parasitised, the female cuckoos removed one egg at random, showing no discrimination between the great reed warbler eggs and those of other cuckoos.

It was found that nests close to cuckoo perches were most vulnerable: multiple parasitised nests were closest to the vantage points, and unparasitised nests were farthest away. Nearly all the nests "in close vicinity" to the vantage points were parasitised. More visible nests were more likely to be selected by the common cuckoos. Female cuckoos use their vantage points to watch for potential hosts and find it easier to locate the more visible nests while they are egg-laying.

Another shot of young Blackie, the baby blackbird from a few weeks ago as it went on an expedition through our garden. It is quite well grown up now and thriving! There are plenty of worms in this neck of the woods!

Happy Feathery Friday!

This is a stunning series of waterfalls and it is hard to get the magnitude in a single shot, so I used a big lens to concentrate on some of the detail instead. I used a slowish shutter speed as I wanted to keep some structure in the water.

Morning view

WSOR (probably L595 crew) is rolling through Brandon, WI. with grain and freight from Oshkosh, and 25 grain cars from Ripon. They will drop the freight at Horicon, pick up 2 more SD40-2's, and continue on to Granville, where the next crew will bring it to Chicago.

Life is definitely short for blossoms! The top bloom is fresh but the one below is only a day or two older and already the petals are curling as it starts to age. Both blooms are beautiful as they go through these phases. Celebrate the little things in life every day.

Rudolf is wearing his glowing onesy and ready to go!

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Krzywiń is a small town in the province Greater Poland, with approximately 1,700 inhabitants. It was a private clergy town belonging to the Benedictine abbot in Lubin. The first preserved mention of Krzywiń as a town comes from 1272. In 1382, the city was destroyed during domestic fights, the reconstruction took place half a century later. In 1447, the location privilege was renewed. The center of the development was a Market Square with a town hall (the present one comes from 1905) in the south-eastern frontage. In the middle of the Market Square there is a statue of St. Wawrzyniec street and the frontages are built with houses from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The market was revitalized in 2014 and is a major tourist attraction.

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Krzywiń jest małym miastem w woj. wielkopolskim, liczącym około 1700 mieszkańców. Było prywatnym miastem duchownym, należącym do opata benedyktynów w Lubiniu. Pierwsza zachowana wzmianka o Krzywiniu jako mieście pochodzi z 1272 roku. W 1382 roku miasto zostało zniszczone podczas walk domowych, odbudowa nastąpiła pół wieku później. W 1447 miało miejsce odnowienie przywileju lokacyjnego. Ośrodkiem zabudowy był czworoboczny rynek z ratuszem ( obecny pochodzi z 1905 roku) w pierzei południowo-wschodniej. Na środku Rynku znajduje się figura św. Wawrzyńca a pierzeje zabudowane są domami z przełomu XIX i XX wieku.

Rynek był rewitalizowany w roku 2014 i jest dużą atrakcją turystyczną.

"The Happy Family" is a renowned painting created by the Dutch artist Jan Steen. Painted during the 17th century, Steen was known for his ability to capture scenes of everyday life with a touch of humor and wit. "The Happy Family" exemplifies his style and showcases his talent for storytelling within a single image.

In this painting, Steen depicts a bustling household filled with various members of a family engaged in different activities. The composition is lively and intricate, presenting a chaotic yet harmonious scene. Steen's attention to detail is evident as he portrays each character with unique facial expressions and body language, adding depth and personality to the painting.

At the center of the composition, a jovial couple sits at a table, surrounded by their children and other relatives. The scene is filled with laughter, lively conversation, and playful interactions. The family members engage in various activities, such as eating, drinking, playing music, and engaging in games. Steen's use of vibrant colors and intricate brushwork further enhances the joyful atmosphere of the painting.

Despite the apparent chaos, "The Happy Family" also carries a deeper message. It serves as a reminder of the importance of familial bonds and the joys of shared moments. Steen's portrayal of the diverse characters and their interactions reflects the complexities and dynamics of family life. Through his portrayal, he highlights both the humorous and challenging aspects of domesticity.

"The Happy Family" is a testament to Jan Steen's skill as a painter and his ability to capture the essence of human experience. It continues to be appreciated for its rich storytelling, vibrant imagery, and its ability to evoke a range of emotions from viewers. The painting stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of art that celebrates the joys and challenges of family life.

Old fishing hut at Devoke Water...

"There is much virtue in a window. It is to a human being as a frame is to a painting, as a proscenium to a play, as 'form' to literature. It strongly defines its content."

- Max Beerbohm

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It is interesting how deep shade changes the color of the water. In other locations with more sunlight, the golden trees reflected gold in the water. Here in the shade the colors are entirely different.

Sayama Hill (狭山丘陵) is an inselberg or isolated hill like Ayers Rock in the middle of flat Musashino. It is like a green island in the densely populated Tokyo suburb.

Japanese animation movie titled Tonarino Totoro (となりのトトロ My Neighbor Totoro) directed by Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿) is a nostalgic story set in Sayama Hill in the 1960s when it was a typical rural area but it is not like the movie anymore.

Sayama Hill strides over several municipalities in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures. This photo was taken in Higashi-yamato city (東大和市), Tokyo.

It is a typical Satoyama (里山), traditional agroforestry, in which a forest is maintained according to the needs of neighbouring communities (里 Sato) that exploit its resources such as fire woods, construction material, food, fertiliser, etc.

Workers in our neighbor's yard are tearing down an old garage. It is close to the property line, as is the workshop where Gracie Jo's "apartment" is, so the loud klonk sounds of debris tossed into a metal dumpster were just a few yards away. Sally saw her retreat across the street, to where she used to live, right after breakfast. The work came to a halt late morning, though, and the big trucks left. Gracie Jo appeared soon thereafter.

(This shot is "straight out of camera" except for a slight straightening. The reason I mention this is that it's so impossibly green! )

Life is so damn complicated...

From two of my photos of things in my world... joined for eternity...

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