España - Lugo - Muralla romana

 

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ENGLISH:

 

The Roman walls of Lugo were constructed in the 3rd century and are still largely intact, stretching over 2 kilometers around the historic centre of Lugo in Galicia (Spain). The fortifications were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in late 2000 and are a popular tourist attraction.

 

The city walls were built between 263 and 276 A.D. to defend the Roman town of Lucus Augusti (present-day Lugo) against local tribesmen and Germanic invaders. The walls formed part of a complex of fortifications which also included a moat and an intervallum (the clearing between the walls and the city). The entire length of the walls is around 2,120 metres (6,960 ft), enclosing an area of 34.4 hectares. Not all of the town was enclosed by walls: much of the southeastern part of the town remained unprotected, while in other places unused areas were enclosed by walls.

 

The width of the walls is around 4.2 metres (14 ft) and their height varies between 8 metres (26 ft) and 12 metres (39 ft). The walls consist of internal and external stone facing with a core of earth mixed with gravel, pebbles and worked Roman stone recycled from demolished buildings, cemented with water.

 

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ESPAÑOL:

 

La muralla romana de Lugo rodea el casco histórico de la ciudad gallega de Lugo en la provincia del mismo nombre en España. La antigua ciudad romana de Lucus Augusti, fundada por Paulo Fabio Máximo en nombre del emperador Augusto en el año 13 a. C. con la finalidad de anexionar, definitivamente, el noroeste de la península ibérica al Imperio romano fue dotada en el Bajo Imperio de un muro de defensa que ha perdurado, con escasas reformas, hasta la actualidad.

 

La muralla, con una longitud de 2266 metros, coronada por 85 poderosas torres, delimita el casco histórico de la urbe gallega y ha pasado de ser un obstáculo para su evolución y crecimiento a ser un monumento integrado en la estructura urbana y fuente de riqueza turística.

 

Construida como separación y defensa se ha transformado en un elemento integrador entre la antigua Lucus y la que se ha desarrollado a su alrededor. Sus diez puertas realizan la función de unir una parte de la ciudad con la otra y su paseo de ronda, adarve, se ha tornado en una calle más que es recorrida por los viandantes autóctonos y visitantes.

 

La muralla romana de Lugo fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad​ por la Unesco en el año 2000.

 

Audley End House is a largely early 17th century country house just outside the town of Saffron Walden in Essex.

 

The site was originally Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1139. In 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII granted the abbey and lands to his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas Audley.

 

Sir Thomas Audley converted the abbey buildings into a mansion. His great-grandson, Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, demolished most of the earlier house and built the current magnificent mansion between 1605 and 1614. It was intended to be grand enough to host King James I, a feat it achieved, but its immense cost led to the Earl's financial ruin and conviction for embezzlement.

 

Throughout the 18th century, successive owners, including the Countess of Portsmouth, reduced the house to a more manageable size by demolishing large sections, saving it from total dereliction.

 

In the 1820s, the 3rd Lord Braybrooke remodelled the house to recover its original Jacobean character, a style that largely prevails in the house's interiors today.

 

After the second world war, due to heavy death duties, the 9th Lord Braybrooke sold the house to the Ministry of Works (the predecessor of English Heritage) in 1948. The house and gardens are now open to the public, offering a glimpse into centuries of English history.

 

Dunnottar Castle

Dùn Fhoithear

Near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Builtc.1400–1600

In useUntil 1718

Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope") is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.

 

The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.

South Ythsie: This cairn incorporates a ring of six upright stones and lies at the edge of an arable field in gently rolling ground. Now largely grass-grown, the cairn is flat-topped and measures 14.5m in diameter, ranging in height from 0.5m on the NE to 1.2m on the SW. The stones are all thick blocks and, with one exception on the SE, are set along the edge of the summit of the cairn. They appear to be graded in height, rising to 1.53m in height on the SW, where the external face of the tallest stone has been split vertically. Coles records this split on plan, together with what may be a kerbstone of an internal court, and he refers to the latter in his accompanying description of the site as ‘a single earth-fast narrow stone set on edge…in a position suggestive of its being a part of a central setting of about 6 feet in diameter’ (Coles 1902a, 524-6). canmore.org.uk/site/19809/south-ythsie

This car belonged to Dutch rally driver and inventor Maus Gatsonides (1911-1998). He bought the car in 1992.

 

Today, Gatsonides' fame largely results from inventing the Gatso speed camera, a speed measuring device used today by many police forces to catch speeding drivers. He originally invented the Gatso speed camera to measure his cornering speed in an attempt to improve his driving.

 

Gatsonides is primarily known for inventing the speed camera, but his primary interest was in motor racing. He was passionate about racing and raced in many events.

 

In 1949, he built his own car. It was nicknamed the "Platje" (English: "Little Flat One or Pubic Lice (Pthirus pubis)") because of its aerodynamic shape. The car caused a sensation at the Dutch Zandvoort Racetrack, passing all of the opponents including MG's. Maurice was forced to sell the Flatty to pay creditors after trying to put his own V8 sportscar into production. The Flatty however, survived. It was found abandoned in the 1970s and has now been restored by Joop Bruggeman. It is the last-known surviving Gatso car.

 

Gatsonides won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1953 driving a Ford Zephyr.

 

Source: Wikipedia

 

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Dutch entrepreneur Frans van Haren has a classic car collection that has won prizes at prestigious national and international competitions. Since 2017, he has been presenting his impressive car collection to a wider audience in the futuristic-looking, former furniture showroom 'Metropole' in Druten, the Netherlands.

The collection includes some four hundred cars, trucks and motorcycles, making it almost the largest car museum in the Netherlands.

 

Metropole Museum

Druten, the Netherlands.

When Southern Ontario was largely cleared of its forests in 1800's, the value of timber was very low and much of it was simply burned. Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), however, was prized as a rot-resistant raw material for fence building, being easily split into long straight 'rails'. These fences were of a self-supporting zig-zag design, but in time, as rails broke and as steel wire became cheap and ubiquitous, these 'snake' fences were frequently reworked in a straight line, using only about two-thirds as many rails to cover the same length. More recently, this style of fencing has become popular as a primarily decorative landscaping feature, as we see here.

Dungeness is a headland on the coast of Kent, England, formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh. Dungeness is also the name of the power station, of the hamlet within the location, and of an important ecological site at the same location.

 

The name Dungeness derives from Old Norse nes: "headland", with the first part probably connected with the nearby Denge Marsh. Popular etymology ascribes a French origin to the toponym, giving an interpretation as "dangerous nose".

 

Ecology

 

Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe and is classified as Britain's only desert by the Met Office. It is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. This is recognised and protected mostly through its conservation designations as a national nature reserve (NNR), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay.

 

online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton

 

my instagram: www.instagram.com/Timster_1973

 

Back of a daffodil/narcissus.

 

Doing one a day whilst stuck largely at home - you know why . . . Hopefully the majority will be macros.

'Binoculer vision'. The Buzzard, Buteo buteo has amazing vision...it scans the landscape for traces of movement that betray the presence of rabbits, voles or mice. Its eyes are more forward facing than most birds’ and, like humans, it has binocular vision. But it can also create a telephoto optical system that detects and follows movement that would seem a blur to us...Hunting on a mountainside on The Isle of Mull.

 

The buzzard has amazing vision...it scans the landscape for traces of movement that betray the presence of rabbits, voles or mice. Its eyes are more forward facing than most birds’ and, like humans, it has binocular vision. But it can also create a telephoto optical system that detects and follows movement that would seem a blur to us.

 

Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.

 

Buzzard

Among the more unusual items recorded as being killed and eaten are puffins, frogs and dung beetles.

 

However, a hungry buzzard is quite capable of killing a wide variety of prey, ranging from rabbits to birds up to the size of a wood pigeon, but any larger prey tackled was probably already sick.

 

Numbers are greatest where the fields are smallest, as it favours abundant hedgerows and small woods.

 

Despite its impressive size, the buzzard is not a major predator, preferring a diet of carrion and earthworms.

 

It is thought that the buzzard is now our commonest bird of prey, pushing the kestrel into second place.

 

For the first time for 200 years they now breed in every county in England, Wales and Scotland.

 

While British buzzards are largely resident, many northern populations are highly migratory, many moving to Africa during the northern winter.

 

Once restricted largely to the west and north of mainland Britain, the last 15 years have seen a remarkable expansion of these birds to the east.

 

It doesn't like hot or arid areas either, so in Eastern Europe the long-legged buzzard replaces it.

 

Though the buzzard can tolerate areas of high rainfall, it prefers temperate climates, so is scarce or absent in the far north of Europe, where the rough-legged buzzard takes its place.

 

Each pair will have as many as 21 potential nest sites, usually changing to a fresh site every year.

 

Buzzards build their own nest, and they have a curious habit of decorating it with fresh green foliage.

 

Though most buzzards nest in trees, rocky crags or cliffs are also used.

 

This is a very adaptable species, able to survive in a wide variety of habitats from lowland farms to high mountains. Its main requirement is a tree at least 20ft high in which to nest.

 

Buzzards breed in every European country except Iceland, but are absent from some offshore island groups, including the Balearics.

 

It is because of its highly variable plumage that the French call it the buse (buzzard) variable.

 

Buzzards have remarkably variable plumage. Most individuals are brown and heavily marked, but some are almost white.

 

Buzzards have never been popular with falconers, as they tend to be far too lazy to be taught to fly at live quarry.

 

In the USA, the word buzzard is often used to describe the native turkey vultures. The two species are not related.

 

In Scotland, many tourists hoping to see an eagle mistake buzzards for their quarry. Any big bird of prey sitting on a telegraph pole is most likely a buzzard.

 

The buzzard's enthusiasm for eating carrion makes it especially vulnerable to poison baits, often put out to kill other predators such as foxes, living with birds notes.

Ragusa is, together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 1693, Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. After the catastrophe, the city was largely rebuilt, and many Baroque buildings from that time remain in the city.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragusa,_Sicily

The Hundred Years' War was in its 19th year with very little progress for the English and French. This was largely due to the outbreak of the Black Death or the bubonic plague in Europe beginning in 1348, two years after the English victory at Crecy. After the plague had abated in the 1350s, both sides were ready for war once again. Beginning in 1355, the son of King Edward III of England, Edward "the Black Prince", would begin a "grand chevauchee" of Southern France, using English territory in Gascony as a base. It was a large-scale raid carried out by Edward and his Anglo-Gascon forces against various French cities, towns, and villages to inflict as much damaged as possible. The French would avoid a large-scale battle due to fears of another Crecy.

 

The Black Prince would resume raiding in 1356. He would then find himself outflanked by the massive army of the French King, Jean II. The Anglo-Gascons would find themselves on a small, wooded hill. The French army numbered around 11,000 men, while the Anglo-Gascon army numbered around 6,000 men. These armies were much smaller than previous medieval battles due to the plague. Negotiations would ensue as both sides did not really want another battle as the French did not want another Crecy, and the English were outnumbered 2 to 1. However, they would breakdown as Jean's demand of unconditional surrender was unacceptable.

 

The battle would begin much like Crecy with waves of the French army charging towards the Anglo-Gascon force, only to be cut down by longbowmen. This would repeat itself three times over until Jean II decided to advance with his army, consisting of crossbowmen and men-at-arms. He would raise the Oriflamme banner, meaning that no prisoners were to be taken. The English longbowmen would fire until some ran out of arrows and would join in the fight. Both sides would become deadlocked, until Jean III de Grailly, would decide to outflank the French left with a cavalry force. He would raise the banner of St George and charge into the French rear. The same process would repeat on the French right. The French army was devastated, and many would flee the battlefield. Jean II would be taken prisoner, along with one of his sons.

 

Negotiations to end the war and Jean's ransom would drag out for the next 4 years until the ratification of the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360. England was granted all of Aquitaine that once belonged to the English crown before it was seized by France a century earlier. The English would renounce their claims to the French crown and Jean's ransom would also be paid off. However, hostilities would resume a decade later. Afterall, it's the Hundred Years' War and not the Twenty Years' War for a reason.

 

Blogged:

www.brothers-brick.com/2022/05/04/minifigs-galore-from-th...

From Shalford to Chilworth: This part is largely footpath and wasn't part of the old railway.

La Virgen, Costa Rica

 

The famous 'Rainbow Toucan' was a bird that largely eluded me on my trip last year, so I was pumped to get some much better looks this time around. Perch was a little boring, but I like to think the toucan more than makes up for it!

Otavalo, has a population largely made up of the Otavalo indigenous group. They are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous market. During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool.

 

WWT Slimbridge. Estuary Tower.

 

At least a third of the Magpie's 45 cm length is the long, stiff tail. In drab light, they are largely black, with white flanks, belly and wing patches. Their most distinctive call is a repetitive chac-chac-chac-chac', often made when birds are agitated. Captive birds have been shown to be capable mimics. (BTO).

 

My thanks to anyone who clicks or comments on any of my photos. It is much appreciated.

The Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species. Despite its superficial similarity to the Brent Goose, genetic analysis has shown it is an eastern derivative of the Cackling Goose lineage.The Barnacle goose was first classified taxonomically by Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1803. Its specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek leuko- "white", and opsis "faced".

 

In English, the term "barnacle" originally referred only to this species of goose and only later to the crustacean barnacles. It is sometimes claimed that the word comes from a Celtic word for "limpet", but the sense-history seems to go in the opposite direction.[2]The Barnacle Goose is a medium-sized goose, 60–70 cm long,[3] with a white face and black head, neck, and upper breast. Its belly is white. The wings and its back are silver-gray with black-and-white bars that look like they are shining when the light reflects on it. During flight a V-shaped white rump patch and the silver-gray underwing linings are visible.

 

Barnacle Geese breed mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic. There are three main populations, with separate breeding and wintering ranges; from west to east:

 

Breeding in eastern Greenland, wintering on the Hebrides of western Scotland and in western Ireland. Population about 40,000.

Breeding on Svalbard, wintering on the Solway Firth on the England/Scotland border. Population about 24,000.

Breeding on Novaya Zemlya, wintering in the Netherlands. Population about 130,000.

A new fourth population, derived from the Novaya Zemlya population, has become established since 1975 breeding on the Baltic Sea islands (Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden), and wintering in the Netherlands. Population about 8,000.

Small numbers of feral birds, derived from escapes from zoo collections, also breed in other north European countries. Occasionally, a wild bird will appear in the Northeastern United States or Canada, but care must be taken to separate out wild birds from escaped individuals, as Barnacle Geese are popular waterfowl with collectors.

 

A Respondek operation that has largely been dormant for over a decade has recently come back to life, making me wonder if the end times are near. I finally stumbled upon the crew of Illini Terminal (ITS) GP-9 1604 (built as CRI&P 1328 in 1959) working some hopper cars out of storage for interchange with BNSF at Litchfield, Illinois, a process that ended up taking several hours as they were mixed in with a dozen or more empty tank cars. This is perhaps the most interesting thing I've seen all year.

 

Now, if only I could catch the Vandalia Railroad in action...

The longwing butterflies have unusually long lifespans and high fecundity rates which largely result from their augmented diet. Instead of surviving on food stores from the larval stage or solely sipping flower nectar, adult longwing butterflies are avid pollen eaters. These trait make them eminently suitable for butterfly farming and butterfly gardening. Also, Adult Longwings may live for several months, much longer than most butterflies.

 

The longwing butterflies are also known as Heliconians. They are brightly colored butterflies with long forewings. Once placed in their own family, they are now considered closely related to the fritillaries. Larvae of most longwings feed on passion vines, and this host plant imparts noxious chemicals to the larvae which are carried over to the adult butterflies. This relationship is identical to the monarch butterflies' reliance on its host plant, milkweed, for defense. Predators find these chemicals distasteful and avoid eating the butterflies.

 

Heliconius hewitsonii

Wings of the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL

www.susanfordcollins.com

España - Lugo - Muralla romana

 

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ENGLISH:

 

The Roman walls of Lugo were constructed in the 3rd century and are still largely intact, stretching over 2 kilometers around the historic centre of Lugo in Galicia (Spain). The fortifications were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in late 2000 and are a popular tourist attraction.

 

The city walls were built between 263 and 276 A.D. to defend the Roman town of Lucus Augusti (present-day Lugo) against local tribesmen and Germanic invaders. The walls formed part of a complex of fortifications which also included a moat and an intervallum (the clearing between the walls and the city). The entire length of the walls is around 2,120 metres (6,960 ft), enclosing an area of 34.4 hectares. Not all of the town was enclosed by walls: much of the southeastern part of the town remained unprotected, while in other places unused areas were enclosed by walls.

 

The width of the walls is around 4.2 metres (14 ft) and their height varies between 8 metres (26 ft) and 12 metres (39 ft). The walls consist of internal and external stone facing with a core of earth mixed with gravel, pebbles and worked Roman stone recycled from demolished buildings, cemented with water.

 

***

 

ESPAÑOL:

 

La muralla romana de Lugo rodea el casco histórico de la ciudad gallega de Lugo en la provincia del mismo nombre en España. La antigua ciudad romana de Lucus Augusti, fundada por Paulo Fabio Máximo en nombre del emperador Augusto en el año 13 a. C. con la finalidad de anexionar, definitivamente, el noroeste de la península ibérica al Imperio romano fue dotada en el Bajo Imperio de un muro de defensa que ha perdurado, con escasas reformas, hasta la actualidad.

 

La muralla, con una longitud de 2266 metros, coronada por 85 poderosas torres, delimita el casco histórico de la urbe gallega y ha pasado de ser un obstáculo para su evolución y crecimiento a ser un monumento integrado en la estructura urbana y fuente de riqueza turística.

 

Construida como separación y defensa se ha transformado en un elemento integrador entre la antigua Lucus y la que se ha desarrollado a su alrededor. Sus diez puertas realizan la función de unir una parte de la ciudad con la otra y su paseo de ronda, adarve, se ha tornado en una calle más que es recorrida por los viandantes autóctonos y visitantes.

 

La muralla romana de Lugo fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad​ por la Unesco en el año 2000.

12/09/2015; Now I know Amsterdam is largely built on poles, to prevent us from sinking into the swampy soil really quickly. Hamburg on the other hand also more or less seems to have been built on poles when I was looking around during the Grand Hamburg Cruise Days Parade...

Just got back from a week long float trip down the Goodnews River, in western Alaska. We flew out in a float plane, then drifted downriver, catching Rainbow trout for a genetics study. We would catch them on hook and line, then take measurements and a tiny fin clip, then set them free. It was a good way to spend a week.

 

And to all my Flick contacts: Sorry I haven't been around, or getting back to people on comments. This is going to be an insanely busy summer for me, and at the moment Flickr largely serves me as a way to let family and friends see what I'm up to. I'll get back into the Flickr game in the fall.

Superb (but very crowded) exhibition "John Singer Sargent - Dazzling Paris" at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

 

John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 – London, 1925), along with James McNeill Whistler, was the most famous American artist of his generation and certainly one of the greatest painters of the 19th and early 20th century. Revered in the United States (his Portrait of Madame X is regarded as the Mona Lisa of the American art collection conserved by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), he is also famous in the United Kingdom, where he spent most of his career. In France, however, his name and work remain largely unknown, a situation that the exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay in fall 2025 hopes to change.

 

No monographic exhibition has previously been devoted to John Singer Sargent in France. Yet it was in France that the young painter received his training, developing his style and network of artists. It was there that he also enjoyed his first successes and created a number of his masterpieces, including Dr Pozzi at HomeHome (1881, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles) and The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit (1882, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). Designed in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the exhibition "Sargent. Dazzling Paris" aims to introduce the painter to a wide audience. The exhibition brings together over 90 of John Singer Sargent’s works, including some that have never been exhibited in France. It traces the meteoric rise of the young artist, who arrived in Paris in 1874, when he was eighteen years old, to study with Carolus-Duran. The exhibition covers his career up to the mid-1880s, when he moved to London after the scandal caused by his portrait of Madame Gautreau (Madame X) at the Salon.

Source: www.musee-orsay.fr/en/whats-on/exhibitions/sargent-dazzli...

 

Sargent, Paris and the world

 

Shaped by his nomadic childhood, Sargent, despite being fully established in Paris, remained an inveterate roving painter who was most inspired when on one of his myriad travels around France or in the southern Mediterranean countries of Italy, Spain and Morocco. He returned armed with plein air drawings and sketches, which he used as an aid, in his Pais studio, to create the ambitious compositions that he showed at the Salon.

(…)

 

Travel Paintings

 

The young Sargent, who rejected historical subjects outright, soon established himself as a painter of reality and aligned with the nascent “naturalist” movement. Yet he showed no interest in modern urban or industrial life. In his travel paintings, the artist explored various places and cultures, although the majority of his subjects tended to be rural or traditional in nature, such as the folk dance motif. Prone to cliché at the start of his career, Sargent gradually honed his originality, noticeable in his paintings of Venice, for instance, in which he depicts a sombre, more authentic and working-class face of the city.

 

A clear reflection of the artist’s ‘pictorial’ considerations, each painting became an opportunity for Sargent to undertake a precise study of particular effects of light or colour.

 

Sargent’s early works slowly introduced the artist to the Parisian public and critics who kept a close eye on the development of his singular talent.

Source: Information text at the entrance to the section " Sargent, Paris and the world" and “Travel Paintings”

 

Smoke of Ambergris (1880 – Clark Art Institute, Williamstown)

 

In the winter of 1879-1880, Sargent left Spain and traveled to Morocco (then an independent Sultanate). He stayed in Tangier, where he wrote: “The sights are striking, the costumes magnificent, and the Arabs often beautiful.” The artist made numerous studies and collected “ethnographic” photographs of the people of North Africa. From these materials, he conceived a large composition for the Salon, blending observation and invention. In the privacy of an immaculate patio, a young woman made up with kohl and henna, adorned with Berber silver jewelry, captures the emanations of an incense burner from which a scent of ambergris rises. Here, Sargent composes a fantastic monochrome harmony around white. Begun in Tangier and completed in Paris, the work was exhibited at the Salon of 1880.

 

Source: Text accompanying the work in the exhibition

 

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Superbe (mais très fréquentée) exposition "John Singer Sargent - Éblouir Paris" au Musée d'Orsay.

 

John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 – Londres, 1925) est, avec James McNeill Whistler, l’artiste américain le plus célèbre de sa génération et sans doute l’un des plus grands peintres du XIXe siècle et du début du XXe siècle. Adulé aux États-Unis (son portrait de Madame X est considéré comme la Joconde de la collection d’art américain du Metropolitan Museum of Art à New York), il est aussi célébré au Royaume-Uni où il a effectué la majeure partie de sa carrière. En France, cependant, son nom et son œuvre restent très largement méconnus, ce que l'exposition du musée d'Orsay à l'automne 2025 espère changer.

 

Conçue en partenariat avec le Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York, l’exposition « Sargent. Éblouir Paris » vise à faire découvrir ce peintre à un large public. L'exposition réunit plus de 90 œuvres de John Singer Sargent, dont certaines n'ont jamais été présentées en France. Elle retrace l'ascension fulgurante du jeune artiste, arrivé à Paris en 1874 à l'âge de 18 ans pour étudier avec Carolus-Duran. L'exposition couvre son parcours jusqu'au milieu des années 1880, période où il s'installe à Londres après le scandale suscité par son portrait de Madame Gautreau (Madame X) au Salon.

Source: www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/agenda/expositions/john-singer-sarg...

 

Sargent, Paris et le monde

 

Fait de son enfance nomade, Sargent, bien qu'établi à Paris, demeura un peintre itinérant invétéré, puisant son inspiration au cours de ses nombreux voyages à travers la France ou dans les pays méditerranéens du sud, comme l'Italie, l'Espagne et le Maroc. Il revenait muni de dessins et d'esquisses réalisés sur le motif, qu'il utilisait, dans son atelier de Paris, pour créer les compositions ambitieuses qu'il exposait au Salon.

(…)

 

Peintures de voyage

 

Le jeune Sargent, qui rejetait catégoriquement les sujets historiques, s'imposa rapidement comme un peintre du réel et s'inscrivit dans le mouvement naturaliste naissant. Pourtant, il ne manifestait aucun intérêt pour la vie urbaine ou industrielle moderne. Dans ses peintures de voyage, l'artiste explora divers lieux et cultures, même si la plupart de ses sujets étaient ruraux ou traditionnels, comme le motif de la danse folklorique. Enclin au cliché à ses débuts, Sargent affina peu à peu son originalité, perceptible par exemple dans ses peintures de Venise, où il dépeint un visage plus sombre, plus authentique et plus populaire de la ville.

 

Reflet évident des considérations picturales de l'artiste, chaque toile devenait pour Sargent l'occasion d'étudier avec précision des effets particuliers de lumière ou de couleur.

 

Les premières œuvres de Sargent le firent peu à peu connaître du public et des critiques parisiens, qui suivirent avec attention l'évolution de son talent singulier.

Source : Texte d'information à l'entrée de la section « Sargent, Paris et le monde » et « Peintures de voyage »

 

Fumée d’ambre gris (1880 – Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

 

A l’hiver 1879-1880, Sargent quitte l’Espagne et se rend au Maroc (alors Sultanat indépendant). Il séjourne à Tanger où il écrit : « l’aspect des lieux est saisissant, le costume grandiose et les Arabes souvent magnifiques ». L’artiste exécute de nombreuses études et collecte des photographies « ethnographiques » sur les populations d’Afrique du nord. A partir de ces éléments, il imagine une grande composition pour le Salon, mêlant observation et invention. Dans le secret d’un patio immaculé, une jeune femme maquillée au khôl et au henné, parée de bijoux berbères en argent, capture les exhalaisons d’un brûle-parfum d’où émane une fumée d’ambre gris. Sargent compose ici une fantastique harmonie monochrome autour du blanc. Débutée à Tanger et achevée à Paris, l’œuvre est exposée au Salon de 1880.

 

Source: Texte accompagnant l'oeuvre dans l'exposition

Work and other real life activities have largely kept me away from the tracks throughout September, but a few weeks ago, Cade let me know about this KCS ACe-led stack train late in the day about the same time I was finishing up my workout, so I ran out to the west side of Topeka to see what I could get out of it.

 

I knew that I was short on time, so I didn't drive further to the east TOWARDS the train here, but I'm still pretty happy with the sucker hole that I got this thing in. So here we are at "West Topeka" on UP's Topeka Sub, the ex-RI Golden State Route towards Herington.

 

The KCS 4199 was the highest numbered KCS ACe, built in 2015, and one of the last ACes built period.

A view near the largely deserted village of Newbottle between KIng's Sutton and Charlton on the very western fringe of Northamptonshire and overlooking the Cherwell valley on the right.

I remember feeling very relieved to get here as this section had started with a climb over a large metal field gate (always unnerving when there isn't a stile of some form and the gate won't open, usually means you're going wrong) and then a long trudge up a steep, but incredibly boggy field with the squelch nearly over my boots all the way. Exhausting!

But I had a pint at the lovely thatched Rose and Crown in Charlton to look forward to.

Heriot Row, Edinburgh

Heriot Row is a highly prestigious street in central Edinburgh, virtually unchanged since its original construction in 1802. From its inception to the present day in remained a top address in the city and has housed the rich and famous of the city's elite for 200 years

Following the success of Edinburgh's First New Town (from Princes Street to Queen Street) it was proposed to expand the concept northwards onto what was then fairly open land largely owned by the Heriot Trust. The scheme was designed by William Sibbald with the young Robert Reid working mainly on the proportions of the palace type frontages. The project was built by John Paton and David Lind. The two main sections were complete by 1808. The short western section (linking to Darnaway Street then the Moray Estate was slightly later and was executed in 1817 to the design of Thomas Bonnar being built by William & Wallace.

 

The original concept was for two palace-fronted blocks: Dundas Street to Howe Street; and Howe Street to India Street. The short westmost section was originally planned as part of Darnaway Street and only after construction was it deemed part of Heriot Row.

 

The original design concept was exceptionally modest: two storey and basement other than the end pavilions and central pavilions, which were set at three storey. Bonnar's west section was all three storeys. In 1864 David Bryce drew up a plan to add a third storey to all the western (central) section, but as this was in mixed ownership not all owners added this. The end result is an irretrievable ragged skyline to the west end of the central section (but the east end of the central section was successfully extended).

 

The terraces run from Dundas Street to Gloucester Lane, the latter being off the New Town rectangular grid as it is a medieval lane linking Stockbridge to St Cuthbert's Church (which is also of medieval foundation). The lane marks a parish boundary. [Wikipedia]

I've never done much underwater photography, largely because I couldn't justify the expense of an underwater housing for my camera (it's often more money than the camera itself). But GoPro Cameras can certainly make it a lot easier and it's fun to photograph in a completely new environment! The light rays coming in were just mesmerizing, especially when you watch them dance and move (I'll have to post a video later). GoPro is one of the sponsors of our conferences and they will be coming to our Telluride Event Oct 2-4! This fall will hopefully be a great time to travel and it will be so nice to get out of the house and connect with our speakers, industry pros, and like-minded photographers.

 

Use code SWINDLER100 to save $100!

outsidersphoto.com/

Now largely pedestrianised this area is often used for 'pop up' food fairs and small events.

The buildings on the left were very nearly demolished in 1939 when their leases expired and plans were made to replace them with one large block. Although of no particular architectural merit, they add a lot to the street-scape and make a nice contrast to the more grandiose buildings further east.

 

The Oxfam Shop on the left was the first in the country and opened in 1948. The blue plaque commemorates this. Until 1959 the charity (which was founded at the Church of St Mary the Virgin on the High in 1942) was known as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief.

"The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin is largely a 12th-century building, with 13th-century chancel, tower and transepts, a 14th-century octagonal baptismal font and some minor Victorian additions. The main north and south nave doors are unusual in having a matching pair of Norman arches. Also in the church is a late 12th-century Crusader chest.

 

"In the chancel is a triangular locker containing the heart-burial (1575) of William Holcott of Barcote Manor. He was a staunch Protestant who only just avoided being burnt at the stake by Mary Tudor. After the Reformation, he became a zealous lay preacher, often gracing the pulpit in his "velvet bonnet and damask gown...sometimes with a gold chain".

 

"Other monuments in the church include a number of 14th-century tomb recesses, an inscribed slab with a floriated cross to Dame Felice la Blonde and a number of monuments to the Yates of Buckland Manor, including the brass of John Yate (1578), and hatchments of the Throckmorton family. The Barcote Chapel has a decorative mosaic, made in 1890–92 in memory of Clara Jane, wife of William West, of Barcote Manor.

 

"The crossing tower had a ring of six bells until 1915, when they were increased to eight by the addition of a new treble and second bell. In 1636 Roger I Purdue of Bristol cast what are now the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh bells. In 1721 Abraham II Rudhall of Gloucester cast the tenor bell. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the third bell in 1898 and the new treble and second bell in 1915, and recast the seventh bell in 1960. St Mary's has also a Sanctus bell that John Warner and Sons of Cripplegate cast in 1854.

 

"St Mary's church is a Grade I listed building. Its parish is part of the Benefice of Cherbury with Gainfield."

 

Extract from Wikipedia entry for Buckland en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckland,_Oxfordshire

I felt like I largely neglected the yard birds this winter, but between the good weather and the home confinement I'm making up for lost time. It's strange to say, but in eleven years we've never spent a summer in our home, and it's looking more and more like this is the year that we'll break that streak. If that's the case, the future holds a lot more small bird photography. White-crowned sparrow, backyard Olympia.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 1900s.

 

This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of prey species. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats.[3] This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles[4] and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.[5]

 

The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec.

 

Etymology

 

A jaguar at the Milwaukee County Zoological GardensThe word jaguar is pronounced /ˈdʒæɡwɑr/ or, in British English, /ˈdʒæɡjuː.ər/. It comes to English from one of the Tupi-Guarani languages, presumably the Amazonian trade language Tupinambá, via Portuguese jaguar.[6] The Tupian word, yaguara "beast", sometimes translated as "dog",[7][8] is used for any carnivorous mammal.[9] The specific word for jaguar is yaguareté, with the suffix -eté meaning "real" or "true".[6][9][10]

 

The first component of its taxonomic designation, Panthera, is Latin, from the Greek word for leopard, πάνθηρ, the type species for the genus. This has been said to derive from the παν- "all" and θήρ from θηρευτής "predator", meaning "predator of all" (animals), though this may be a folk etymology[11]—it may instead be ultimately of Sanskrit origin, from pundarikam, the Sanskrit word for "tiger".[12]

 

Onca is the Portuguese onça, with the cedilla dropped for typographical reasons, found in English as ounce for the Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia. It derives from the Latin lyncea lynx, with the letter L confused with the definite article (Italian lonza, Old French l'once).[13]

 

In many Central and South American countries, the cat is referred to as el tigre ("the tiger")

 

Taxonomy

The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, and clouded leopard share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old;[14] the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3.8 million years ago.[14][15] Phylogenetic studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is basal to this group.[14][16][17][18] The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved.

 

Based on morphological evidence, British zoologist Reginald Pocock concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard.[18] However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies.[14][16][17][18] Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the European Jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the American Lion (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar.[18] Analysis of jaguar mitochondrial DNA has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records.[19Geographical variation

 

While numerous subspecies of the jaguar have been recognized, recent research suggests just three. Geographical barriers, such as the Amazon river, limit gene flow within the species.The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology, he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.[20]

 

Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized.[21] Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision.[22] A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited the exchange of genes between the different populations.[19] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the Colombian jaguars.[23]

 

Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat.[24] Seymour grouped these in three subspecies.[20]

 

Panthera onca onca: Venezuela through the Amazon, including

P. onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar): Coastal Peru

P. onca hernandesii (Mexican Jaguar): Western Mexico – including

P. onca centralis (Central American Jaguar): El Salvador to Colombia

P. onca arizonensis (Arizonan Jaguar): Southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico

P. onca veraecrucis: Central Texas to Southeastern Mexico

P. onca goldmani (Goldman's Jaguar): Yucatán Peninsula to Belize and Guatemala

P. onca palustris (the largest subspecies, weighing more than 135 kg or 300 lb):[25] The Pantanal regions of Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, along the Paraguay River into Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.

 

Physical characteristics

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size and weight: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms (124–211 lb). Larger males have been recorded at 160 kilograms (350 lb)[26] (roughly matching a tigress or lioness), and smaller ones have extremely low weights of 36 kilograms (80 lb). Females are typically 10–20% smaller than males. The length of the cat varies from 1.62–1.83 metres (5.3–6 ft), and its tail may add a further 75 centimeters (30 in). It stands about 67–76 centimeters (27–30 in) tall at the shoulders.[27]

  

The head of the jaguar is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The size of jaguars tends to increase the farther south they are located.

Jaguar skull and jawboneFurther variations in size have been observed across regions and habitats, with size tending to increase from the north to south. A study of the jaguar in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast, showed ranges of just 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb), about the size of the cougar.[28] By contrast, a study of the Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal region found average weights of 100 kilograms (220 lb) and weights of 300 lb or more are not uncommon in old males.[29] Forest jaguars are frequently darker and considerably smaller than those found in open areas (the Pantanal is an open wetland basin), possibly due to the smaller numbers of large herbivorous prey in forest areas.[30]

 

A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming.[27] The head is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all felids capable of biting down with 2000 lbs of force twice the strength of a lion, and the second strongest of all mammals after the spotted hyena; this strength is an adaptation that allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells.[4] A comparative study of bite force adjusted for body size ranked it as the top felid, alongside the clouded leopard and ahead of the lion and tiger.[31] It has been reported that "an individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones".[32] The jaguar hunts wild animals weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) in dense jungle, and its short and sturdy physique is thus an adaptation to its prey and environment.

  

A melanistic jaguar. Melanism is the result of a dominant allele but remains relatively rare in jaguars.The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white.[27]

 

A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. The melanistic form is less common than the spotted form (it occurs at about six percent of the population)[33] of jaguars and is the result of a dominant allele.[34] Jaguars with melanism appear entirely black, although their spots are still visible on close examination. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, also occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats.[30]

 

While the jaguar closely resembles the leopard, it is sturdier and heavier, and the two animals can be distinguished by their rosettes: the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thicker lines and small spots in the middle that the leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs compared to leopards.[35

  

[edit] Reproduction and life cycle

Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful.[36] Research on captive male jaguars supports the year-round mating hypothesis, with no seasonal variation in semen traits and ejaculatory quality; low reproductive success has also been observed in captivity.[37] Female estrous is 6–17 days out of a full 37-day cycle, and females will advertise fertility with urinary scent marks and increased vocalization.[36] Both sexes will range more widely than usual during courtship.

  

Mother about to pick up a cub by the neckMating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infanticide; this behaviour is also found in the tiger.[38]

 

The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts.[39] They will continue in their mother's company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats.[29]

  

Social activity

Like most cats, the jaguar is solitary outside mother-cub groups. Adults generally meet only to court and mate (though limited non-courting socialization has been observed anecdotally[38]) and carve out large territories for themselves. Female territories, which range from 25 to 40 square kilometers in size, may overlap, but the animals generally avoid one another. Male ranges cover roughly twice as much area, varying in size with the availability of game and space, and do not overlap.[38][40] The jaguar uses scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark its territory.[41]

 

Like the other big cats, the jaguar is capable of roaring (the male more powerfully) and does so to warn territorial and mating competitors away; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in the wild.[42] Their roar often resembles a repetitive cough, and they may also vocalize mews and grunts.[29] Mating fights between males occur, but are rare, and aggression avoidance behaviour has been observed in the wild.[41] When it occurs, conflict is typically over territory: a male's range may encompass that of two or three females, and he will not tolerate intrusions by other adult males.[38]

 

The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). Both sexes hunt, but males travel further each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60% of its time active.[30] The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.

 

Hunting and diet

 

Illustration of a jaguar battling a boa constrictor

Illustration of a jaguar killing a tapirLike all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding only on meat. It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87 species.[30] The jaguar prefers large prey and will take adult caiman, deer, capybara, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, foxes, and sometimes even anacondas . However, the cat will eat any small species that can be caught, including frogs, mice, birds, fish, sloths, monkeys, and turtles; a study conducted in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, for example, revealed that jaguars there had a diet that consisted primarily of armadillos and pacas.[41] Some jaguars will also take domestic livestock, including adult cattle and horses.[43]

  

The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. It is an adaptation that allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles.While the jaguar employs the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey (especially the Capybara) with its canine teeth, piercing the brain.[44] This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar.[30][42] The skull bite is employed with mammals in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. While capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell and scoop out the flesh.[38] With prey such as smaller dogs, a paw swipe to the skull may be sufficient in killing it.

 

The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. The cat will walk slowly down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers, and are probably a product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels.[38]

 

On killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at the neck and chest, rather than the midsection. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders.[38] The daily food requirement of a 34 kilogram animal, at the extreme low end of the species' weight range, has been estimated at 1.4 kilograms.[45] For captive animals in the 50–60 kilogram range, more than 2 kilograms of meat daily is recommended.[46] In the wild, consumption is naturally more erratic; wild cats expend considerable energy in the capture and kill of prey, and may consume up to 25 kilograms of meat at one feeding, followed by periods of famine.[47] Unlike all other species in the Panthera genus, jaguars very rarely attack humans. Most of the scant cases where jaguars turn to taking a human show that the animal is either old with damaged teeth or is wounded.[48] Sometimes, if scared, jaguars in captivity may lash out at zookeepers.[49]

 

[edit] Ecology

[edit] Distribution and habitat

The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years[24] and it has been an American cat since crossing the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene epoch; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat.[23] Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil.[50] The countries included in this range are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (particularly on the Osa Peninsula), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States and Venezuela. The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.[2] It occurs in the 400 km² Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, the 5,300 km² Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, the approximately 15,000 km² Manú National Park in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² Xingu National Park in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range.

  

The jaguar can range across a variety of forested and open habitat, but is strongly associated with presence of water.The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as the Grand Canyon, and as far west as Southern California.[45] The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential.[51] On February 25, 2009 a 118 lb Jaguar was caught, radio-collared and released in an area southwest of Tucson, Arizona; this is farther north than had previously been expected and represents a sign that there may be a permanent breeding population of Jaguars within southern Arizona. It was later confirmed that the animal is indeed the same male individual (known as 'Macho B') that was photographed in 2004 and is now the oldest known Jaguar in the wild (approximately 15 years old.)[52] On Monday March 2, 2009, Macho B, which is the only jaguar spotted in the U.S. in more than a decade, was recaptured and euthanized after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure.[53]

 

Completion of the United States–Mexico barrier as currently proposed will reduce the viability of any population currently residing in the United States, by reducing gene flow with Mexican populations, and prevent any further northward expansion for the species.[54]

 

The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1,000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2,000 km northward. Ice age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as Missouri. Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal.[55]

 

The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of South and Central America, open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest;[30] the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian pampas, the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States.[2] The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3,800 m, but they typically avoid montane forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes.[30]

 

Substantial evidence exists that there is also a colony of non-native melanistic leopards or jaguars inhabiting the rainforests around Sydney, Australia. A local report compiled statements from over 450 individuals recounting their stories of sighting large black cats in the area and confidential NSW Government documents regarding the matter proved wildlife authorities were so concerned about the big cats and the danger to humans, they commissioned an expert to catch it. The three-day hunt later failed, but ecologist Johannes J. Bauer warned: "Difficult as it seems to accept, the most likely explanation is the presence of a large, feline predator. In this area, [it is] most likely a leopard, less likely a jaguar."[56]

Ecological role

The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems.[28][57] However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species undergo population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects.[58] However, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists.[59]

 

The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the cougar, the next largest feline of the Americas, are often sympatric (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size.[60] This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes;[28] while both are classified as near-threatened species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution.

 

[edit] Conservation status

 

Jaguar populations are rapidly declining. The animal is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources,[2] meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. The 1960s saw particularly significant declines, with more than 15,000 jaguar skins brought out of the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade.[61] Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society reveal that the animal has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18%. More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal.[50]

 

The major risks to the jaguar include deforestation across its habitat, increasing competition for food with human beings,[2] poaching, hurricanes in northern parts of its range, and the behaviour of ranchers who will often kill the cat where it preys on livestock. When adapted to the prey, the jaguar has been shown to take cattle as a large portion of its diet; while land clearance for grazing is a problem for the species, the jaguar population may have increased when cattle were first introduced to South America as the animals took advantage of the new prey base. This willingness to take livestock has induced ranch owners to hire full-time jaguar hunters, and the cat is often shot on sight.[29]

  

The Pantanal, Brazil, seen here in flood condition, is a critical jaguar range area.The jaguar is regulated as an Appendix I species under CITES: all international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited. All hunting of jaguars is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Colombia, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, the United States (where it is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), Uruguay and Venezuela. Hunting of jaguars is restricted to "problem animals" in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, while trophy hunting is still permitted in Bolivia. The species has no legal protection in Ecuador or Guyana.[24]

 

Current conservation efforts often focus on educating ranch owners and promoting ecotourism.[62] The jaguar is generally defined as an umbrella species — a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected.[63] Umbrella species serve as "mobile links" at the landscape scale, in the jaguar's case through predation. Conservation organizations may thus focus on providing viable, connected habitat for the jaguar, with the knowledge that other species will also benefit.[62]

 

Given the inaccessibility of much of the species' range—particularly the central Amazon—estimating jaguar numbers is difficult. Researchers typically focus on particular bioregions, and thus species-wide analysis is scant. In 1991, 600–1,000 (the highest total) were estimated to be living in Belize. A year earlier, 125–180 jaguars were estimated to be living in Mexico's 4,000 square kilometer (2400 mi²) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with another 350 in the state of Chiapas. The adjoining Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, with an area measuring 15,000 square kilometers (9,000 mi²), may have 465–550 animals.[64] Work employing GPS–telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 square kilometers in the critical Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests that widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of cats.[65]

 

On 7 January 2008 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall approved a decision by the George W. Bush Administration to abandon jaguar recovery as a federal goal under the Endangered Species Act. Some critics of the decision said that the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is to be built along many of the cat's typical crossings between the United States and Mexico.[66]

 

In the past, conservation of jaguars sometimes occurred through the protection of jaguar "hotspots". These hotspots were described as Jaguar Conservation Units, and were large areas populated by about 50 jaguars. However, some researchers recently determined that, in order to maintain a robust sharing of the jaguar gene pool necessary for maintaining the species, it is important that the jaguars be interconnected. To effect this, a new project, the Paseo del Jaguar, as been established to connect the jaguar hotspots.[67]

Fonte-Wikipedia.

      

The Slufter is a largely dune-enclosed beach plain on the Dutch Wadden Island of Texel, which is in open communication with the North Sea, creating a 'kwelder' (a salt marsh landscape). Not only beautiful, but also quite unique.

October 2015, you have largely been horrible. I learned, this morning, that my friend 'Chelle has lost her battle with cancer. Four deaths this month in my world, on top of two anniversaries of losses in the past has been way too much.

 

'Chelle particularly loved tree tunnels, rainbows and Kid Rock. The weather is far too dismal for rainbows, and Kid Rock doesn't appear to be in town, so I headed out to find a tree tunnel in her honour. Bless you 'Chelle; the only consolation is that you are no longer in pain. Thinking of your friends and family at this time. xx

 

So, October ... Pack your bags. You're leaving tomorrow, and I sincerely hope your neighbour November is much, much more kind.

 

(Sorry for not getting round to visit your photo streams - the above is the reason why. x )

 

Info: Canon 7D, 37.0mm, f/9.0, 1/50, ISO 1600

The morning of 11th February, and what passed for overnight Snow at Dungeness.

 

Dungeness is a headland on the coast of Kent, England, formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh. Dungeness is also the name of the power station and a few other nearby buildings near the beach, and of an important ecological site at the same location.

 

Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of shingle in the world. It is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. This is recognised and protected mostly through its conservation designations as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay.

 

There is a remarkable variety of wildlife living at Dungeness, with over 600 different types of plant: a third of all those found in Britain. It is one of the best places in Britain to find insects such as moths, bees and beetles, and spiders; many of these are very rare, some found nowhere else in Britain.

 

The short-haired bumblebee, Bombus subterraneus, was last found in the UK in 1988, but has survived in New Zealand after being shipped there more than 100 years ago. It is to be reintroduced at Dungeness. It is planned that the first bees will be introduced in the spring of 2010.

 

The flooded gravel pits on Denge Beach, both brackish and fresh water, provide an important refuge for many migratory and coastal bird species. The RSPB has a bird sanctuary there and every year thousands of bird watchers descend on the peninsula to catch a glimpse of a rare bird from the bird observatory.

 

One of the most remarkable features of the site is an area known as 'the patch' or, by anglers, as 'the boil'. The waste hot water and sewage from the Dungeness nuclear power stations are pumped into the sea through two outfall pipes, enriching the biological productivity of the sea bed and attracting seabirds from miles around.

 

Beach fishing is popular at Dungeness, with the area being a nationally recognised cod fishing venue in the winter.

 

The name Dungeness derives from Old Norse nes: "headland", with the first part probably connected with the nearby Denge Marsh. Popular etymology ascribes a French origin to the toponym, giving an interpretation as "dangerous nose".

The Cocoon Nebula IC5146

  

It’s been a few years since I photographed the Cocoon Nebula close up. This time I’m using the new APS-H size QHY16200A/QHYOAG-M together with my AT12RC w/AP2.7 reducer @ F6.2 giving me 1867mm Focal Length. This is only 4 x 10 min exposures each channel LRGB and I’m pleasantly surprised to be getting round stars from corner to corner using the big chip QHY16200 especially with the AP Reducer.

 

Something I never noticed before when I have captured this object in the top right hand corner are 3 very distant galaxies.

  

Size: 4540x3630 pixels

Captured June 29, 2016

Total integration Time 160 minutes

Location: DownUnderObservatory, Fremont, MI

LRGB 160 min, 4 x 10 min each 1x1

Filters by Optolong

QHY16200A monochrome CCD cooled to -20C

QHYOAG-M Off Axis Guider

Astro-Tech AT12RC

Paramount GT-1100S German Equatorial Mount

Image Acquisition Maxim DL

Pre Processing Pixinsight

Post Processing Photoshop CS6

  

The Cocoon Nebula is both a reflection nebula and an emission nebula. Located 4,000 light-years away near the constellation Cygnus, the swan. The central star which powers the glowing hydrogen was born just 100,000 years ago, a stellar infant, and will continue to carve out the inner regions of the nebula as its stellar winds blow.

Unmistakable in this image is the reflection nebula which extends away like a tail. Consisting of mostly dusty interstellar material dense enough that it blocks the starlight from behind.

Objects like The Cocoon Nebula are very common, many completely unknown because the molecular cloud hasn't yet birthed a star. Without an ionization source, the cloud of gas and dust will remain dark and will go largely unnoticed.

  

Largely for demonstration use now as the whole site is given over to being a visitor centre

Ubin Quarry, Pulau Ubin, Singapore

 

Ubin is largely of a series of undulating, granite hills. In the early days, granite mining supported a few thousand settlers. Much of the original vegetation was also cleared for the cultivation of rubber crops like coffee, pineapple, coconut and jasmine. Today, abandoned granite quarries remain as picturesque relics of Ubin's history, while forests and grasslands have generated to cover up the ravages of the past.

 

For more information:

www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&...

Bellbird ( Anthornis melanura )

These birds are residents on our property in Gisborne and we only have a matter of day's before shifting to a new home,

I realised I had largely ignored them .......

Built in the 17th Century and again largely rebuilt in 1881 after a fire destroyed a large part of the house. Lanhydrock House sits in 450 acres of woodland and is a fine example of life 'upstairs/downstairs.' Once owned by the Robartes family. The house and grounds are now owned and maintained by The National Trust.

Commentary.

 

Up where the skies are wide

and oxygen nears its 20%.

Views are 360°

and it feels one can see forever.

Firle village becomes toy-town,

a village that housed the workers and servants

of the 300-acre Firle Place Estate, for hundreds of years.

St. Peter’s Parish Church.

The Ram Inn.

General Store and Post-Office,

dating back to 1780.

Largely Flint-built and/or tile-hung dwellings.

Unchanged.

Unspoiled.

19th. Century pictures show lanes

with horses and carts.

21st. Century images look remarkably similar,

barring the ubiquitous car for transport,

mainly in “The Street.”

  

Largely because of the irregularities between the calendar year and Earth’s actual movement, winter solstice can occur between December 20-23. It occurred on the 21st this year, though if you were in question about it in a given year, just go through this passageway and walk to the main chamber… winter solstice is the only day of the year that sunrise will illuminate that inner chamber.

 

Dating back to the Stone Age about 5,200 years ago, this is Newgrange Burial Mound in County Meath, Ireland, one of the many wonderful places our friend Sean Mulligan was gracious enough to take us to. It was first discovered in 1699 when it appeared only as a hill-like bump in the landscape. The landowner had laborers extracting rock from the mound until they found the entrance. It didn’t take long after that for Newgrange to become an important archeological find and site… it predates the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge of the UK and may have similar implications. Researchers consider it to be not only a burial mound where human remains were found, but also a temple, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance. Strangely, the interior has a cruciform shape, much as more modern cathedrals were designed. “Consider” is the key word there as researchers have no real way of understanding the exact significance of the structure.

 

A few things stand out here to me, the first being that large kerbstone with the swirling engraved symbols called megalithic art. The same theme carries into the chambers as well. When you’re there, you will also notice that it apparently took some time before Newgrange was given conservation status. That happened in 1890… within the chamber, there are inscriptions of many who had visited since its discovery with names and dates prior to the conservation. That made me wonder… no one seems to be able to solve the meaning of the “megalithic art”. Perhaps it was just some Stone Age fella’s way of saying “Bob was here!” Bob… if that’s not an Irish name, it should be.

 

The next thing that stands out to me is that this is Ireland. If you don’t understand that statement, you’ve not been to Ireland… it’s often rainy and cloudy in Ireland. Sunrises were hard to come by for the week and a half that I was there in August as I tried to chase them with the camera... it was raining when I took this image. How was it determined to place the opening of this mound so exactly that it lights up the interior only on the shortest day of the year? Did the chief architect bang his head against those walls until he finally got it right? “For crying out loud… another year blown!” More than likely, they had prearranged that alignment before it was built

 

The last thing that stands out to me is that white rock facing with specifically placed round gray rocks. Another friend, Rodney Harrison, had taken us on a tour of the coast of Northern Ireland. While there, I took note of the chalk cliffs that rimmed the coast. Within the chalk were dotted layers of round gray rock with every bit the appearance here… that gray rock was flint, from which Stone Age man constructed tools and weapons. For those who lived in that era, flint was more than just a rock… in many ways, it was the difference between life and death. Perhaps this is of significance here.

Buy this photo on Getty Images : Getty Images

 

Arctic Terns can be found on many off shore Islands including the Farne Islands where I captured this photograph.

With its long tail streamers and general shape the Arctic Tern deserves the local name of 'sea swallow'. Appearing white with a black cap, it is largely coastal although it can be seen inland on migration. It depends on a healthy marine environment and some colonies have been affected by fish shortages. Arctic terns are the ultimate long distance migrants - summer visitors to the UK and winter visitors (well summer then there) to the Antarctic.

 

Submitted 24/10/2014

Accepted 18/11/2014

A unique piece of Dutch history on the River Zaan

The Zaanse Schans is a residential area in which the 18th and 19th centuries are brought to life. Stroll past the bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh cookies, or take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. You should be sure not to miss the cheese factory, pewter foundry and the various windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops. Make a cycling or sailing trip, browse the shops or treat yourself at the pancake restaurant. A day out at the Zaanse Schans in North Holland is fun and educational.

 

Please do not use my images without my explicit permission.

 

Covid 19

The necessary measures have been taken so that everyone can enjoy a day at Zaanse Schans safely and with great pleasure. For example, a modified route has been created, which is used when it is too busy. Visitors are directed where necessary with the help of public guides and signs. The Zaanse Schans is largely a public outdoor area where you don’t have to wear a mask (at the moment).

The shops, museums and windmills are independent organizations and can decide for themselves. We recommend you just in case to bring your own mask. Most of the locations at the Zaanse Schans have indicated that they (must) close their doors until at least during the current lockdown. The rate for the car park will be reduced to € 5 during the lockdown period. The toilets are closed.

Northamptonshire, where I live, is a pleasant but largely unknown rural county about 75 miles north of London. Long may it stay that way! It was once renowned for its boot and shoe industry, though sadly that has been in decline for many years due to cheap foreign imports. The main town is Northampton and there are only three other towns of any size: Corby (which was once important for its steel industry), Wellingborough and Kettering.

 

Although there has been a settlement here since the 10th century, very few of Kettering's buildings, other than the parish church, are older than the Victorian era. Kettering is sometimes known as "the town that Gotch built", as the eminent architect John Alfred Gotch was responsible for designing so much of the town. His practice, which I worked with for 13 years, is now known as GSS Architecture. Kettering is an important commuter town, and the train journey to London takes just an hour.

 

The Market Place in the centre of Kettering has recently been rebuilt and the buildings to the right of the church, which have an appropriate Victorian feel to match the rest of the town centre, are in fact brand new. The spire of the parish church, St Peter & St Paul, is the dominant feature in the town, which has a population of just over 50,000, though the borough is somewhat larger and incorporates a number of surrounding villages.

 

Boeing

Boeing 747-8KZF/SCD

cn 36137/1422/ JAW

 

The 747-8 is a development of the Boeing 747, which takes advantage of improvements in technology and aerodynamics. The two variants of the 747-8 were launched in 2005, and, as of 2006, both will feature a fuselage stretch of 18.3 ft (5.6 m) over the 747-400, bringing the total length to 250 ft 2½ in (76.264 m). The 747-8 will be the world's longest passenger airliner, surpassing the Airbus A340-600 by 3.6 ft (1.1 m). With a maximum take-off weight of 975,000 lb (442,000 kg),] the 747-8 is the heaviest aircraft, commercial or military, manufactured in the United States.

Compared to the 747-400, the main technical changes will be on the wing of the aircraft, which will undergo a complete design overhaul. The sweep and basic structure will be kept to contain costs, but the wing will be thicker and deeper, with the aerodynamics recalculated. The pressure distribution and bending moments will be different, with the new wing for the passenger version being planned to hold 64,225 US gal (243,120 L) of jet fuel, and the cargo aircraft 60,925 US gal (230,630 L). The new wing will have single-slotted outboard flaps and double-slotted inboard flaps.

Raked wingtips, similar to the ones used on the 777-200LR, 777-300ER, and 787 models, are used on the new 747 variant instead of winglets used on the 747-400. These wingtip structures help reduce the wingtip vortices at the lateral edges of the wings, decreasing wake turbulence and drag, and thereby increasing fuel efficiency. Another effort to reduce weight is the introduction of fly-by-wire technology for the majority of the lateral controls.

The extra fuel capacity in the redesigned wing compared to the 747-400 obviates the need to radically change the horizontal tail unit to accommodate auxiliary tanks, further saving costs. The -8's vertical tail unit will be largely unchanged with a height of 63 feet 6 inches (19.35 m).[43] Some carbon fiber-reinforced plastic will be part of the 747-8's airframe to reduce weight. However, structural changes will mostly be evolutionary, rather than revolutionary with respect to the 747-400.

The General Electric GEnx, which is one of the two powerplant choices currently offered for the Boeing 787, will be the only engine available for the 747-8. However, the 747 variant will be adapted to provide bleed air for conventional aircraft systems and feature a smaller diameter to fit on the 747 wing. The flight tests of the GEnx 2b engine fitted to a Boeing 747-100 aircraft at the left inner engine began in March 2009.

The new city of Kalmar was built on Kvarnholmen island in the mid-17th century. The transfer from the old town was largely completed by 1658. The new, fortified town was planned along Renaissance ideals. Accordingly, the church and town hall were constructed across from one another in Stortorget Kalmar, the old town square. The cathedral was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and is one of the foremost examples of classical baroque architecture that was a breakthrough in Sweden. The design of Kalmar Cathedral reflects the complexities of modernisation, maintaining liturgical utility and tradition, and being mindful of the fortress-city requirements. Construction began in 1660, but was interrupted on several occasions, including with the outbreak of the Scanian War (1675–1679). The work resumed after the war and Kalmar Cathedral was finally finished in 1703.

The Drawing Room

 

Audley End House is a largely early 17th century country house just outside the town of Saffron Walden in Essex.

 

The site was originally Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1139. In 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII granted the abbey and lands to his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas Audley.

 

Sir Thomas Audley converted the abbey buildings into a mansion. His great-grandson, Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, demolished most of the earlier house and built the current magnificent mansion between 1605 and 1614. It was intended to be grand enough to host King James I, a feat it achieved, but its immense cost led to the Earl's financial ruin and conviction for embezzlement.

 

Throughout the 18th century, successive owners, including the Countess of Portsmouth, reduced the house to a more manageable size by demolishing large sections, saving it from total dereliction.

 

In the 1820s, the 3rd Lord Braybrooke remodelled the house to recover its original Jacobean character, a style that largely prevails in the house's interiors today.

 

After the second world war, due to heavy death duties, the 9th Lord Braybrooke sold the house to the Ministry of Works (the predecessor of English Heritage) in 1948. The house and gardens are now open to the public, offering a glimpse into centuries of English history.

I headed for the San Diego Zoo for this assignment. The koala bears eat eucalyptus leaves constantly and as a result, sleep most of the day. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a day. They are asocial animals, and bonding exists only between mothers and dependent offspring. They are so cute and their exhibit at the zoo is one of the most popular locations at the San Diego Zoo.

My Website : Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : Photocrowd

 

Another shot from last months London Flickr Group Photowalk. Not sure which skyscraper this is other than it was somewhere near the Gherkin. If anyone recognises it then please let me know......

 

We're holding our next London Photowalk on Sunday 24th October if you're interested in coming along. Click here for more details : www.flickr.com/groups/londonflickrgroup/discuss/721577198...

 

From Wikipedia, "The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the modern city named London has since grown far beyond the City of London boundary. The City is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London.

 

Administratively, it forms one of the 33 local authority districts of London; however, the City of London is not a London borough, a status reserved for the other 32 districts (including London's only other city, the City of Westminster). It is also a separate ceremonial county, being an enclave surrounded by Greater London, and is the smallest ceremonial county in the United Kingdom.

 

The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City (differentiated from the phrase "the city of London" by capitalising City) and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km2) in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. The name London is now ordinarily used for a far wider area than just the City. London most often denotes the sprawling London metropolis, or the 32 London boroughs, in addition to the City of London itself. This wider usage of London is documented as far back as 1888, when the County of London was created."

 

© D.Godliman

Abadan was largely destroyed in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, as many towns along the Shatt Al Arab river border with Iraq, due to Saddam Huseein's scorched earth policy. Today the town is completely rebuilt, featuring some striking architecture.

 

* 3 Nov - 250 views

Situated in largely unpopulated and treeless Cornish landscape between Madron and Morvah, Lanyon Quoit, along with other Cornish dolmens, dates back to the Neolithic period (3500-2500BC), predating both the pyramids in Egypt and metal tools.