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Plenty of Water Dragons alongside the river. Lovely, patient, co-operative creatures that see you...run onto a sunny log...pause n' pose while you get your shot....then let you check your image... then (and only then) run away.
If only they breathed fire they'd be perfect.
Many thanks to you ALL for the views, faves and comments you make on my shots it is very appreciated.
Santa Fe’s CF&I local passes the Union Depot in Pueblo, Colorado. Today’s train has twelve cars for the Colorado Fuel & Iron plant just south of this location.
CN 450 blasts into South River past the old concrete coaling tower waking up the local pigeon population.
Buckpool and Fens Pool Local Nature Reserve
What3Words
///thin.spill.bravo
The Magpie is a highly intelligent member of the corvid family (which includes crows and ravens) known for its striking black-and-white plumage and complex social behavior. While often unfairly branded as a "thief" or a bad omen in European folklore, it is revered as a symbol of good luck and prosperity in many East Asian cultures.
High Intelligence & Behavior
Self-Awareness:
The Eurasian magpie is one of the few non-mammal species to pass the mirror test, proving it can recognize its own reflection.
Problem Solving:
They are known to use tools, play games, and work in teams to fend off predators or hunt.
Social Memory:
Magpies can recognize individual human faces and may remember people who have been either kind or threatening in the past.
Grief:
They have been observed performing elaborate social rituals that resemble funerals when a member of their group dies.
Appearance & Identification
Iridescent Feathers:
While they look black and white from a distance, their black feathers actually have a blue, green, and purple iridescent sheen visible in sunlight.
Long Tail:
The tail makes up more than half of the bird's total length (approx. 45 cm total) and is used for balance and communication.
Vocalisations:
Their most common sound is a harsh, rapid "chacker-chacker" chatter, though they are also capable mimics of other sounds and even human speech.
Habitat & Diet
Adaptability:
They are found across Europe, Asia, and North America, thriving in suburban gardens, parks, and farmland.
Diet:
As omnivores, they eat a varied diet including insects, seeds, fruit, carrion, and occasionally the eggs or chicks of other birds.
Nesting:
They build large, domed nests of twigs and mud, usually high in trees or thorny bushes for protection.
One last image before a I go AWOL for a few days.
Each year on Christmas Eve the local Fire Brigade take Santa on a cruise around the local streets in a vintage fire truck. Santa and his Elves give out lollies to the children while all the adults get to have a chat and admire the truck.
I did feel a bit sorry for Santa in his suit in 33°C (91°F) heat!
I will look in occasionally but won't be around much until at least Friday.
Best Wishes to all!
Buckpool and Fens Pool Local Nature Reserve
What3Words
///thin.spill.bravo
The mute swan is a large, all-white waterfowl native to Eurasia, widely recognized for its long, gracefully curved neck and a distinctive orange bill with a black knob at the base. Despite its name, it is not completely silent and produces hisses, snorts, and grunts, though it is less vocal than other swan species.
Size and Appearance:
Mute swans are among the largest flying birds. Adults have brilliant white plumage, black feet, and a prominent black knob (basal knob) on their orange bill, which is larger in males (cobs). When swimming, they hold their necks in an elegant 'S' shape, often with their wings slightly raised in a display known as "busking".
Habitat and Diet:
They are found in a variety of aquatic environments, including ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, estuaries, and sheltered coastal areas. Their diet primarily consists of submerged aquatic vegetation, which they reach using their long necks.
Behavior:
Mute swans form strong, long-lasting pair bonds and are known for their devotion to their offspring. They are highly territorial, especially during the breeding season, and will aggressively defend their nests and cygnets (young swans) from perceived threats, including humans and dogs.
Cygnets:
Young swans are typically covered in greyish-brown down (sometimes white, in a morph called "Polish swan") and have a dull, grey-black bill. They grow quickly, reaching near-adult size within three months, and attain full white plumage and the adult orange bill by their second year.
Lifespan:
In the wild, mute swans can live for over 20 years, with an average lifespan of around 10-11 years.
In Culture and Law
The mute swan is significant in human culture. It is the national bird of Denmark and a symbol of love in many cultures due to its monogamous nature. It is also the subject of the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "The Ugly Duckling".
In the UK, the British monarch retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, a law dating back to medieval times. This ownership is primarily exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames through the traditional annual ceremony of "Swan Upping," which now serves as a population health check.
The Northgate Local has just passed customs and crossed the border into the US to begin their journey back to civilization. The BNSF operates this former GN branch into Saskatchewan several days a week hauling AG products.
www.bnsf.com/bnsf-resources/pdf/ship-with-bnsf/rail-devel...
The climate here in Greece coupled with the fertile nature of the soil means an abundance of high quality cheap fruit and vegetables, eg, a kilo of oranges or lemons or grapefruit (around two pounds in weight) costs around one Euro!
Grey squirrel..Tree-climbing nut buriers. Scampering grey squirrels are a familiar sight, but sadly these American imports have had a disastrous impact on the native red squirrel
HOUSE CATS HAVE MORE IMPACT ON LOCAL WILDLIFE THAN WILD PREDATORS !!!
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A tracking study of 900 house cats shows that when they kill small birds and mammals, their impact is concentrated in a small area, having a bigger effect than that of wild predators.
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THANK YOU for your visit, friendship, and any comments, please don't fave and run.
Stay safe and well, God bless
...................Tomx
The Potash Local heads south toward the Potash mine, passing one of the many impressive rock formations along the line as it passes through the canyons near Moab.
[KoKoLoReS] Hair Val // gen-neutral 12th september NOON SLT
. Quirky . - Puddin[HQ] Noir // idk
The Boutique / Men > Embossed Shorts
[VALE KOER] DEADSTOCK TRAINERS // tmd