View allAll Photos Tagged KNOWN
Papilio ulysses, the Ulysses butterfly (also commonly known as the Blue emperor), is a large swallowtail butterfly of Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Its size varies depending on subspecies, but the wingspan is about 10.5 cm in Queensland. This butterfly is used as an emblem for tourism in Queensland, Australia. The Ulysses butterfly inhabits a portion of north-eastern Australia (eastern Queensland) and is also found in New Guinea, the Moluccas, Bismarck Archipelago and north-western Solomon Islands.The upperside of the wings are an iridescent electric blue; the underside is a more subdued black and brown. The colours are produced by the microscopic structure of the scales, a phenomenon called structural colouration. The Ulysses butterfly inhabits tropical rainforest areas and suburban gardens. The Australian government requires breeders to obtain permits, although the species is not endangered. In the past, this butterfly had been threatened but planting pink flowered doughwood has increased its numbers. Reduction in the number of the Euodia trees, a tree heavily used for laying eggs and for leaves eaten by caterpillars, may threaten the survival of this butterfly. Females favour small trees up to 2 metres tall to lay their eggs. 22393
Also known as Mudéjar Palace, it was built next to the Alfonso X Gothic Palace at the initiative of King Pedro I between 1356 - 1366, artisans from Toledo, Granada and Seville itself collaborated in its construction. Later it was transformed at the time of the Catholic Monarchs and the first Austrias. This palace was born to serve as the private building of King Pedro I, built in the previous century by order of Alfonso X. He used Arabic epigraphy to exalt his virtues. This is because, from the fourteenth century, the Castilian monarchs stop copying European trends to be inspired by Andalusian models. This caused this palace to house various writings in Arabic. The interior is structured around two cores, one dedicated to the official life that is located around the courtyard of the Maidens and another to the private one around the courtyard of the Dolls. Walking along the galleries and rooms decorated with beautiful tiles and beautiful Mudejar ceilings, from the lobby you reach the courtyard of the Doncellas, main courtyard, a masterpiece of Andalusian Mudejar art. From the entrance to the courtyard of the maidens we find the Alcoba Real on the right, in front of it is the Ambassadors hall and on the left the Carlos V. Ceiling room On the top floor of the palace are the royal apartments, redecorated in the century XVIII. It has a first floor that does not extend throughout the ground floor, but only for some rooms.
Cologne is also known for its green belt and many parks ... not just for the Cathedral and the Carnival.
------------------------------------
Köln ist auch für seinen Grüngürtel und die vielen Parks bekannt ... nicht nur für den Dom und den Karneval und den 1. FC Köln
KNOWN FOR is the topic for Wed Sept 8 2021 Group Our Daily Challenge
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils very similar to the living species, belonging to the genus Ginkgo, extend back to the Middle Jurassic approximately 170 million years ago. The tree was cultivated early in human history and remains commonly planted.
The mountain range known around here as the Crazies is prominent in this image (All those very, very tiny black dots scattered around the hills in the mid-ground are black angus cattle grazing on prime Montana range land…). The highest point in this range is Crazy Peak at over 11,000 feet — these mountains dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90 as you travel between Billings and Bozeman.
The name Crazy Mountains is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in recognition of their original Crow native american name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement.
The Crow people called the mountains Awaxaawapìa Pìa, roughly translated as "Ominous Mountains", or even rougher and less accurately, "Crazy Mountains". They were famous to the Crow people for having metaphysical powers and being unpredictable—a place often used for vision quests...
This bird is also known as the King Cormorant or the Phalacrocorax atriceps albiventer in latin... LOL! I am glad I do not have to remember these latin names. It is the larger of the two cormorant resident species of the Falklands. Apparently Rockhopper Penguins like to establish their nests in mixed colonies with Imperial Shags, as the Shags are actively defending their nests from predators and give a hard time to skuas and other birds trying to steal their eggs, something I was able to witness on several occasions and sadly enough sometimes on an ongoing basis... :(
Known in Brazil as "mariquita".
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Setophaga Swainson, 1827
Species: S. pitiayumi (Vieillot, 1817)
Binomial name: Setophaga pitiayumi
Synonyms:
- Setophaga americana pitiayumi
- Parula pitiayumi
Known as "the Nubble" Lighthouse at Cape Neddick, it was built in 1879 on a small rocky island, or "nubble" near York, Maine to protect mariners from savage rocks and is still in use. This oft photographed light has a Victorian keeper's house with gingerbread trim.
The Crescent Nebula (also known as NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, Sharpless 105) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 5000 light-years away. It was discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1792. It is formed by the fast stellar wind from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 (HD 192163) colliding with and energizing the slower moving wind ejected by the star when it became a red giant around 250,000 to 400,000 years ago. The result of the collision is a shell and two shock waves, one moving outward and one moving inward. The inward moving shock wave heats the stellar wind to X-ray-emitting temperatures.
Details
M: Mesu 200
T: Orion Optics ODK10
C: QSI683 with 3nm Ha and OIII filter, Baader RGB filters
50x1800s in Ha
51x1800ss in OIII
15x300s in each RGB
Totalling 54hrs 15 mins
GO, Brazil.
Known locally as "ferreirinho-de-cara-parda".
This tiny species is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Tyranni
Family: Tyrannidae
Subfamily: Elaeniinae
Tribe: Platyrinchini
Genus: Poecilotriccus Berlepsch, 1884
Species: P. latirostris (Pelzeln, 1868)
Binomial name: Poecilotriccus latirostris
(Grus canadensis) Sandhill Cranes are known for their dancing skills. Courting cranes stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air in a graceful and energetic dance. This one was tossing a leaf continually into the air - presumably to impress the female.
Interesting Facts:
Although some start breeding at two years of age, Sandhill Cranes may reach the age of seven before breeding. They mate for life—which can mean two decades or more—and stay with their mates year-round. Juveniles stick close by their parents for 9 or 10 months after hatching.
The earliest Sandhill Crane fossil, estimated to be 2.5 million years old, was unearthed in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida.
Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching, and are even capable of swimming.
The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least 36 years, 7 months old. Originally banded in Wyoming in 1973, it was found in New Mexico in 2010.
Gomphrena globosa, commonly known as globe amaranth, Ping Pong Lavender, bachelor's button, makhmali, and vadamalli, is an edible plant from the family Amaranthaceae. The round-shaped flower inflorescences are a visually dominant feature and cultivars have been propagated to exhibit shades of magenta, purple, red, orange, white, pink, and lilac. Within the flowerheads, the true flowers are small and inconspicuous. G. globosa is native to Central America including regions of Brazil, Panama, and Guatemala, but is now grown globally. As a tropical annual plant, G. globosa blooms continuously throughout summer and early fall. It is very heat tolerant and fairly drought resistant, but grows best in full sun and regular moisture. The plant fixes carbon through the C4 pathway. At maturity, the flowerheads are approximately 4 cm long and the plant grows up to 60cm in height. G. globosa is an outcrossing species that is pollinated by butterflies, bees, and other insects. Floral volatiles likely play a significant role in the reproductive success of the plant by promoting the attraction of pollinators. 20616
The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata), known in North America as the four-spotted skimmer, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found widely throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
The adult stage is found between April to early September in the United Kingdom, and from mid-May to mid-August in Ireland. Larvae have a two-year developmental cycle. Adults feed predominantly on mosquitoes, gnats, and midges the larvae feed primarily on other aquatic insect larvae and on tadpoles.
The male is considered to be highly aggressive and will defend a given territory from incursions from other males of the species. The male is known to form preferences for prominent perches and will often return to the same perches around the margins of pools and ponds whilst it patrols for intruders. Males have a favourable view of the sky during perching. They look toward a section of the sky away from the sun, with less radiation but a higher UV and blue-violet saturation. Thus, the fovea of the eyes, which is sensitive to blue and UV radiation, is optimally suited to the detection of flying insects against the blue sky.[3] Both sexes are prolific fliers, and mating takes place in the air, rather than on perches or amongst the vegetation. The female lays her eggs on floating vegetation. They tend to be easier to approach than Broad-bodied Chasers.
It is known for certain that a church existed on the site here at Donaghadee in 1622. Although it is highly likely that the site also had a mediaeval church going back several hundred years before, the date of the first church isn't known. The earliest dated gravestones to be found are from 1660 - two of them in fact.
Known as "The Vista" this elegant walk takes you quite far down the hill from the Walled Garden to a beautiful viewing area of the Hudson River and the Palisades across the way. About 3/4s of the way down you will see remnants of the rose garden off to the right and a decorative gate that leads you to a lower street and the Greystone train station on Metro North. At present that gate is locked and the entry is not used.
The Alter Südfriedhof (Old South Cemetery) also known as "Alter Südlicher Friedhof" is a cemetery in Munich, Germany. It was founded by Duke Albrecht V as a plague cemetery in 1563 about half a kilometer south of the Sendlinger Gate between Thalkirchner and Pestalozzistraße.
The cemetery was established in 1563, during the reign of Albert V, Duke of Bavaria, for victims of the plague and located outside the city gates. It was also the burial ground of the dead from the Sendling uprising of 1705, in which over 1100 were killed after they had surrendered to the troops of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. From 1788 to 1867 it was the single collective burial ground for the dead of the city.
The cemetery today serves as an Art and Cultural history monument, and is open to the public as an official Munich park. Most of the monuments, which suffered from exposure to weather and pollution, have been renovated and cleaned, in a three-year project (2004–2007). The St. Stephan's church has also been renovated.
Shot with Sony A7 Mii and the Leitz / Leica SUMMILUX-M 1.4/75mm at F=8.
Please press L to enlarge!!
If you want to know a little bit more about me as a Photographer:
The Bay of Kotor ( known simply as Boka) is about 28 km long with a shoreline extending 107.3 km. It is surrounded by two massifs of the Dinaric Alps: the Orjen mountains to the west, and the Lovcen mountains to the east. The narrowest section of the bay, the 2300 m long Verige Strait, is only 340 m wide at its narrowest point. The bay is a ria of the vanished Bokelj River that used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen. The bay is composed of several smaller broad bays, united by narrower channels. The bay inlet was formerly a river system. Tectonic and karstification processes led to the disintegration of this river. After heavy rains the waterfall of Sopot spring at Risan appears, and Škurda, another well-known spring runs through a canyon from Lovcen.The outermost part of the bay is the Bay of Tivat (Teodo). On the seaward side is the Bay of Herceg Novi (Castelnuovo), at the main entrance to the Bay of Kotor. The inner bays are the Bay of Risan to the northwest and the Bay of Kotor to the southeast. The Verige Strait represents the bay's narrowest section and is located between Cape St. Nedjelja and Cape Opatovo; it separates the inner bay east of the strait from the Bay of Tivat.
Berberis (/ˈbɜːrbərɪs/), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South America and Asia; Europe, Africa and North America have native species as well. The best-known Berberis species is the European barberry, Berberis vulgaris, which is common in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, and has been widely introduced in North America. Many of the species have spines on the shoots and all along the margins of the leaves
Also known as Marsh Hen or by its scientific name – Gallinula chloropus.
This medium-sized bird is a migratory bird in some parts of the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa but they love Florida and Mexico and stay year round. The Moorhen, a part of the rail family. spends its life on the water and is usually 12 to 15 inches in size when fully grown. In spite of having no webbing on their feet, they are good swimmers. Of course, you can not miss them with their gray-black feathers, a line of white feathers, and a red bill with a yellow tip.
Moorhens are omnivores and love to eat seeds and other plant material floating on the water. They also eat algae, small fish, tadpoles, insects, aquatic roots, berries, grass, snails, insects, rodents, lizards, and worms. On land, you will see them ‘peck’ like a chicken for their food.
Moorhen pairs are monogamous. Females will lay 4 to 12 eggs, laying only one egg a day. The chicks will fledge within 5 to 7 weeks and Momma Moorhen might have another brood later in the season.
Predators such as foxes, dogs, coyotes, and raccoons are the main predators of the moorhen. Large reptiles and Wildcats may also prey on them.
I found this one along Peavine Road in Osceola County, Florida.
There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception
-- Aldous Huxley
Listen:
Known locally as "McGnarley the Beach Ent" this driftwood sculpture created by Alex Witcombe guards the Esquimalt Lagoon near Victoria, BC.
Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as the Eurasian kingfisher, and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.
This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.
The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.
The flight of the kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. The short rounded wings whirr rapidly, and a bird flying away shows an electric-blue "flash" down its back.
The common kingfisher is widely distributed over Europe, Asia, and North Africa, mainly south of 60°N. It is a common breeding species over much of its vast Eurasian range, but in North Africa it is mainly a winter visitor, although it is a scarce breeding resident in coastal Morocco and Tunisia. In temperate regions, this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps.
Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. It is solitary for most of the year, roosting alone in heavy cover. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which a bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it under water. Pairs form in the autumn but each bird retains a separate territory, generally at least 1 km (0.62 mi) long, but up to 3.5 km (2.2 mi) and territories are not merged until the spring.
Very few birds live longer than one breeding season. The oldest bird on record was 21 years.
They are also listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act offering them additional protection.
Population:
UK breeding:
3,800-6,400 pairs
I am known to be a Northern Bald ibis, and one of the world's most endangered bird species. And also, nearly in extinction, just to let you know you bloody freaked out photographer!
Well, Mr Bald ibis, with a face like yours, in which I must sadly say to you here; you are the most Ugliest Bird that I have clapped my eyes and lens on, around here.
Well, I never? - Got any suggestions or help on this matter, to help me out, on my looks, you bloody freaked out photographer!
Well, Mr Bald ibis; have you ever heard of the story of Ugly Duckling Story:- Which the story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from the others around him until, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a most beautiful swan and the most beautiful bird of all.
I am a Northern Bald ibis and were Ibis inhabits salt marshes, swamps, areas near the lakes and rivers, tropical mangroves, forests and marshy mountain meadows. Where pollution of the water with pesticides, uncontrolled hunt and habitat destruction are the major threats for the survival of ibises in the wild.
Which is no bloody barnyard were I came from, you bloody freaked out photographer!
Well, Mr Bald ibis; I don't think any Bird Sprouse-up makeover or magic mirror will help you out here, only Plastic Surgery will do the job on you here, Mr Bald ibis and good and proper too - LOL
What? - Plastic Surgery, well I never knew that?
I think I am happy to stay the way I am, with my cool looks.
So, piss-off, you bloody freaked out photographer,
before I extinct you!
Many thanks to you here, for any cool comments, my cool Flickr friends!
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia.
It lies 335 km (208 mi) South West of the nearest large town, Alice Springs, 450 km (280 mi) by road.
Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.
Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park.
Peat, also known as turf, is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs.
The peatland ecosystem is the most efficient carbon sink on the planet, because peatland plants capture CO2 naturally released from the peat, maintaining an equilibrium. In natural peatlands, the "annual rate of biomass production is greater than the rate of decomposition", but it takes "thousands of years for peatlands to develop the deposits of 1.5 to 2.3 m [4.9 to 7.5 ft], which is the average depth of the boreal [northern] peatlands".
Sphagnum moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most common components in peat, although many other plants can contribute. The biological features of Sphagnum mosses act to create a habitat aiding peat formation, a phenomenon termed 'habitat manipulation'. Soils consisting primarily of peat are known as histosols. Peat forms in wetland conditions, where flooding or stagnant water obstructs the flow of oxygen from the atmosphere, slowing the rate of decomposition.
Peatlands, particularly bogs, are the primary source of peat, although less-common wetlands including fens, pocosins, and peat swamp forests also deposit peat. Landscapes covered in peat are home to specific kinds of plants including Sphagnum moss, ericaceous shrubs, and sedges (see bog for more information on this aspect of peat). Because organic matter accumulates over thousands of years, peat deposits provide records of past vegetation and climate by preserving plant remains, such as pollen. This allows the reconstruction of past environments and study changes in land use.
Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world. By volume, there are about 4 trillion cubic metres (5.2 trillion cubic yards) of peat in the world, covering a total of around 2% of the global land area (about 3 million square kilometres or 1.2 million square miles), containing about 8 billion terajoules of energy. Over time, the formation of peat is often the first step in the geological formation of other fossil fuels such as coal, particularly low-grade coal such as lignite.
Depending on the agency, peat is not generally regarded as a renewable source of energy, due to its extraction rate in industrialized countries far exceeding its slow regrowth rate of 1 mm per year, and as it is also reported that peat regrowth takes place only in 30-40% of peatlands. Because of this, the UNFCCC, and another organization affiliated with the United Nations classified peat as a fossil fuel.
However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has begun to classify peat as a "slowly renewable" fuel. This is also the classification used by many in the peat industry. At 106 g CO2/MJ, the carbon dioxide emission intensity of peat is higher than that of coal (at 94.6 g CO2/MJ) and natural gas (at 56.1) (IPCC).
Known as the Kittyhawk in Commonwealth service, the P40 was the 3rd most produced US fighter of WW2 - from 1938 over 13,000 were produced. It served with distinction in North Africa - this example has a desert camouflage scheme.
Known as Georgia's Little Grand Canyon it is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Georgia. Massive gullies as deep as 150 feet were caused by poor farming practices during the 1800s, yet today they make some of the prettiest photographs within the state. The rare Plumleaf Azalea grows only in this region and blooms during July and August when most azaleas have lost their color. The canyon soil’s pink, orange, red and purple hues make a beautiful natural painting at this quiet park.
Known locally as the chapel in the valley, this building is in fact Cwm Dyli hydro electric power station.
Opened in 1906 it is fed by a mile long pipeline from Llyn Lydaw, and is still active producing power for the national grid.
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) known simply as the Robin or Robin Redbreast in Ireland.
Robins are found throughout Ireland, and are common in towns and cities as well as in the country.
Unusual among birds the female robin also sings, and the robin is the only bird in Ireland that keeps singing right through the winter. Adult male and female Robins look identical, but immature birds lack the red breast and have spotted brown plumage with a scalloped golden pattern on the breast.
Robins are wonderful opportunists, and take full advantage of their proximity to people to supplement their diet – particularly during the winter months. When the days are cold and short, Robins will be among the first to visit our bird-tables and feeders to boost the meagre pickings available in nature. At any time of the year they will flit restlessly around gardeners feet as they turn the soil, eager to cash in on a free meal of earthworms and insect larvae. Robins get bolder with repeated offers of food, and some become so tame that they will even enter houses or feed from the hand.
Irelands Wildlife by Calvin Jones
once known as a blue grouse...which has been broken into two categories dusky and sooty.....such odd birds with little fear of humans, he was anywhere from 4 to 12 feet away while I was photographing him.....good thing they are well camoflauged from predators...the males on the lek are absolutely beautiful birds....
www.flickr.com/photos/10916465@N05/49840922256/in/photoli...
Also known as: Hedgehog Cactus, Mojave Mound Cactus, Kingcup Cactus, That Spiny Thing You’ll Regret Touching
This cactus is the prom queen of the desert—short, spiky, and radiant in red. The flowers look like someone dipped a shot glass in cherry Kool-Aid and dared it to grow on a porcupine.
It thrives in dry, rocky places where most plants say, “Nope,” and curl up to die. Not the Claret Cup. This one digs in, throws shade (literally none), and blooms like it’s starring in a spring fashion show for hummingbirds.
Why do I love it?
Because it’s tough, it’s gorgeous, and it only stabs you if you get too close, which is also how I feel about some relatives.
Couplet:
It blooms like a torch in the desert's embrace,
Just don't try to hug it—it'll scratch up your face.
CityCenter (also known as CityCenter Las Vegas) is a 16,797,000-square-foot (1,560,500 m2) mixed-use, urban complex on 76 acres (31 ha) located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The project was started by MGM Resorts International; Dubai World became a joint partner during the project's construction phase. It is the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the United States.[3] The project is connected by a people mover system to adjacent MGM properties Monte Carlo Las Vegas and Bellagio Las Vegas.[4] As of 2015, the "CityCenter" branding has been largely retired, with the focus instead on the Aria brand of the development's centerpiece property in names such as the "Aria Express" (formerly "CityCenter Tram") and "Aria Art Collection" (formerly "CityCenter Art Collection").
The project straddles Harmon Avenue and is bordered by (listed clockwise, starting on the east side): Las Vegas Boulevard, the Park MGM, I-15, the Bellagio, and The Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino. The site was formerly occupied by the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, the Bellagio employee parking lot, and several standalone commercial structures.
The conceptual master plan for Project City Center, announced on November 9, 2004, was designed by Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, laying out the project with approximately 2,400 condominium and condo-hotel units and approximately 4,800 hotel rooms, distributed within several high-rise towers around The Crystals, an ultra high-end retail mall. It is designed to have all commodities for daily life, featuring a 4,000-room hotel and casino (Aria), two 400-room boutique hotels (The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, with 227 residential condo units, and The Harmon Hotel and Spa), a purely residential offering (Veer Towers), a condo-hotel (Vdara Condo-hotel) and a 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2) retail and entertainment district which was intended to house the first grocery store directly on the Strip (though as of July 2011, there is no grocery on the property). The multi-use project makes extensive use of green technologies, such as using reclaimed water and an on-site power plant. The Mandarin Oriental, Aria, and Vdara all received LEED certification in November 2009.
With a total cost of approximately $9.2 billion,[5] CityCenter is the largest privately financed development in the United States. The original cost estimate was $4 billion, but it was pushed up by rising construction costs and design changes. CityCenter opened with approximately 12,000 employees across the different projects. Vdara, Aria, Mandarin Oriental, and The Crystals opened in December 2009. The Veer Towers opened in July 2010.
CityCenter features five water and ice features. These were designed by WET Design, the company responsible for the Bellagio fountain and the Mirage volcano. Three of these features are located at Aria Resort & Casino, entitled Lumia (a musical fountain), Focus (a water wall on the exterior), and Latisse (a water wall inside the casino). The remaining two are located in The Crystals: Halo (freestanding columns of water vortices) and Glacia (ice pillars).
Acacia pycnantha, most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of 8 metres and has phyllodes instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late winter and spring, followed by long seed pods. Wikipedia
The golden wattle is the floral emblem of Australia with its masses of sunshine yellow balls of flowers brightening the bush and gardens in late winter to early spring. It grows from 2 to 10 metres tall and is fast growing, but sadly can be short lived. Adapts to most soils as long as they are free draining, and can take some frost and dry periods. Performs best in temperate climate zones. A useful plant- the flowers are fragrant and can be used for making perfume, the seed is edible and the bark is rich in tannins. Green seed can be cooked like peas. Ripe seed can be baked then ground with a mortar and pestle into a low glycaemic flour.
Note– this plant originates from South Australia, but has become a problem plant in some areas where it is becoming weedy and competing with the natural species. Southern Western Australia is one area where this happening. (Gardening with Angus)
Hadley, MA is known for its wonderful Asparagus - a/k/a "Hadley Grass." The Asparagus we all look forward to each Spring are the tender young plant shoots (grass) that pop up. When not cut, the shoots go on to grow into large, lacy green "hedges" with the female plants producing red berries.
Birds love the berries which, of course, means there are wild Asparagus plants like this one growing along roadsides and in nearby fields pretty much everywhere. With the Winter cold finally setting in, these will be gone in no time.
A view of the Lincoln Theater, last known as the Lincoln Grand 8, in the 200 block of S. Kickapoo St. in downtown Lincoln. The architectural style of the original theater is Italian Villa, a design that is typically asymmetrical while the Italianate style emphasizes symmetry. The Lincoln Theater is a contributing property in the Lincoln Courthouse Square Historic District that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985
.
The Lincoln Theater opened in early-1923 with the Lon Chaney film “John Quincy Adams Sawyer”. In addition to cinema, the theater featured an organ and live stage shows well into the 1930’s. In 1985, the Lincoln Theater was twinned, and was turned into a quad in the mid-1990s. A $6M addition in 2016 added four more screens, 775 seats, a new lobby and exterior streetscape. Rechristened as the Lincoln Grand 8, the theater closed in late 2018 after the owners defaulted on a $3.9M bank loan. Additionally, the city of Lincoln, which had bet on the theater project helping to attract more business and customers downtown, was out $2.3M in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bond proceeds.
As of October 2020, the Lincoln Grand 8 Theater is on the market for $1.2M. The sale includes more than 42,000 square feet spread among three buildings - the original theater which opened in 1922, the 2016 addition, and a 1920s-built commercial building at the corner of S. Kickapoo and Clinton St.
Although the current pandemic environment has not been disastrous to cinemas, hopefully the theater will find a buyer.
Lincoln is the seat of Logan County, which is situated in central Illinois approximately 26 miles northeast of Springfield, the state capitol. The estimated population of Lincoln in 2018 was 13,685.
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (M)
(Double click)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
Misopates orontium, known as weasel's snout, is a herbaceous annual plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a native of disturbed ground in Europe. It is also naturalised as a weed in other parts of the world such as North America. The pink flowers resemble a miniature snapdragon and are followed by a hairy green fruit which is said to resemble a weasel's snout.
Common names include linearleaf snapdragon,[1] weasel's snout, lesser snapdragon or calf's snout. Past common names have included lesser snapdragon and corn-snapdragon.[2]
Well known for its clean water and vast expanse of sand, Adraga Beach (“Praia da Adraga”) is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Lisbon area. It is located near the village of Almoçageme, about 30 kms from Lisbon and 14km from Sintra.
It is a fairly wild spot being located just a few kilometres north of Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point on mainland Europe. Formations of jagged rocks brood just offshore and the beach itself is home to some caves and tunnels resulting from erosion and the sea action.
This shot was taken at sunset, late last summer.
****************
Praia da Adraga, Almoçageme, Portugal
© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
Some facts: The ocelot, also known as the dwarf leopard, is a wild cat distributed extensively within South America including the islands of Trinidad and Margarita, Central America, and Mexico. It has been reported as far north as Texas. North of Mexico, it is found regularly only in the extreme southern part of Texas,although there are rare sightings in southern Arizona.
The ocelot is similar in appearance to a domestic cat. Its fur resembles that of a clouded leopard or jaguar and was once regarded as particularly valuable. As a result, hundreds of thousands of ocelots were once killed for their fur. The feline was classified as a vulnerable species from 1972 until 1996, and is now listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocelot
Photographed at Pousada Santa Teresa, Mato Grosso at the end of the day.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
©All rights reserved. Do not use without my express consent. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
Slains Castle, also known as New Slains Castle to distinguish it from nearby Old Slains Castle, is a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It overlooks the North Sea from its cliff-top site 1 kilometre east of Cruden Bay. The core of the castle is a 16th-century tower house, built by the 9th Earl of Erroll. Significant reconstruction of the castle has been carried out a number of times, lastly in 1837 when it was rebuilt as a Scots Baronial mansion. At one time it had three extensive gardens but is now a roofless ruin. Plans to restore the castle have been on hold since 2009. It is a Historic Environment Scotland Category B listed building. The castle is linked with the novels of Bram Stoker, including Dracula.
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in England, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, having opened in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and in particular has large holdings of the works of J. M. W. Turner, who bequeathed all his own collection to the nation. It is one of the largest museums in the country. The museum had 391,595 visitors in 2020, a drop of 78 per cent from 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic closures, but still ranked 52nd on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.
Wikipedia: Luangpho Yai (Thai: หลวงพ่อใหญ่), also known as Phra Phutta Rattana Mongkhol Maha Munee and The Great Buddha of Roi Et, is the fourth-tallest statue in Thailand.
Located in the Wat Bhurapha Phiram temple in Roi Et Province, this statue stands 59.2 meters (194 ft) tall (or 67.55 meters (221.6 ft) tall, including the base). Construction was completed in 1973. It is covered with mosaic and made of concrete. The sculptor was believed to be a local sculptor. The overview of the Buddha was criticized as "not to the ratio" of any ordinary Buddha. It's assumed that the local sculpture focused on his faithful belief rather than the outside beauty.
The statue depicts the Gautama Buddha in a standing pose. The statue stands as the province's landmark, as being cited in the province's official quote; Leu nam phra yai (ลือนามพระใหญ่, lit. 'famed for its colossal Buddha'). The statue was built by the order of the 5th abbot of the Wat Bhurapha Piram temple, Phra Ratcha Preechayana Munee over the course of 8 years at a cost of approximately 7,000,000 baht.
The Aqua Luna, known in Cantonese as the Cheung Po Tsai (張保仔), is a Chinese Junk operating in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. It was launched in 2006, and while it is named the Aqua Luna in English, in Cantonese it is named after the 19th-century Chinese pirate Cheung Po Tsai.
The Aqua Luna was built from scratch; it took a Hong Kong craftsman 18 months to construct using traditional shipbuilding methods under the supervision of a 73-year-old shipbuilder. It is owned by the Aqua Restaurant Group, and was launched in 2006 with a party on top of a building at Pier Four, in Hong Kong. It has two decks which offer 1,500 square feet (140 m2) with an upper deck cabin with sofas and a lower deck saloon. The ship can accommodate 80 passengers in addition to the crew. It is 28 metres (92 ft) long, and has three crimson sails arranged in a junk rig style. However, the sails are purely decorative, and the barge is motorised. It costs up to HK$80,000 to rent.
Known locally as "Whalley Arches", Whalley Viaduct is a 48 span railway bridge crossing the River Calder and a listed structure.
It was built between 1846 and 1850 under the engineering supervision of Terrence Wolfe Flanagan and formed part of the Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway. It is a red brick arch structure and the longest and largest railway viaduct in Lancashire.[4] It carries the railway, now known as the Ribble Valley Line, 21.3m over the river for 620m.
Whalley Arches, east side, from the road
Over 7 million bricks and 12,338 cubic metres of stone were used in construction. 3,000m of timber were used for the arch centring, temporary platforms and the permanent foundation piles. During construction on 6 October 1849, two of the 41 arches then completed collapsed, with the loss of three lives.
The east side of the bridge, nearest the remains of the Abbey, has the only decorative treatment
Commonly known as moth orchids, is a genus of about seventy species of orchids in the family orchid. Orchids in this genus are monopodial epiphytes or lithophytes with long, coarse roots, short, leafy stems and long-lasting, flat flowers arranged in a flowering stem that often branches near the end. Orchids in this genus are native to India, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia with the majority in Indonesia and the Philippines. A few to many, small to large, long-lasting, flat, often fragrant flowers are arranged on erect to hanging racemes or panicles. The sepals and petals are free from and spread widely apart from each other. The lateral sepals are usually larger than the dorsal sepal and the petals much wider than the sepals. The labellum is joined stiffly to the column and has three lobes. The side lobes are erect and more or less parallel to each other and the middle lobe sometimes has a pair of appendages or antennae. 21409
Dunham Massey Hall, usually known simply as Dunham Massey, is an English country house in the parish of Dunham Massey in the district of Trafford, near Altrincham, Greater Manchester. It is now a National Trust property, open to the public. During World War I it was the Stamford Military Hospital.
The stately home was designated a Grade One listed-building on 5 March 1959. It has been owned by the National Trust since the death of the 10th and last Earl of Stamford in 1976 Over 340,000 people visited the house in 2014/15, placing it in the ten most popular National Trust houses.
Dunham Massey was built in the early 17th century by the Earls of Warrington, passing to the Earls of Stamford by inheritance; the family still live in part of the house. There were significant alterations, especially internally, at the start of the 20th century. It has historic formal gardens and a deer park. It was formerly in the ancient parish of Bowdon, Cheshire. Wikipedia
The katana belongs to the nihontō family of swords, and is distinguished by a blade length (nagasa) of more than 2 shaku, approximately 60 cm (24 in).Katana can also be known as dai or daitō among Western sword enthusiasts, although daitō is a generic name for any Japanese long sword, literally meaning "big sword".[ As Japanese does not have separate plural and singular forms, both katanas and katana are considered acceptable forms in English.
Pronounced [katana], the kun'yomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji 刀, originally meaning dao or knife/saber in Chinese, the word has been adopted as a loanword by the Portuguese. In Portuguese the designation (spelled catana) means "large knife" or machete.