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Abell 79 is a bright unusual planetary nebula in the constellation Lacerta. It is small (59 arc seconds) but with an assymetrical morphology which results in it being named "The 6 Nebula". The Ha signal is much stronger than the OIII signal, and with a more intricate structure. Some estimates put it's distance at 11, 360 ligght yrears, whereas other estimates are 5,900 light years.
It was originally discvoered in 1947 by Rudolf Minkowski, althouhg he didn't realise that it was a planetary nebula (presumably because of the lack of obvious OIII signal), Subsequently George Abell classified it as a planetary nebula in his 1955 catalog.
Superresolution techniques (also known as drizzle) were used to capture the maximum detail in this small object.
Image captured on my remote dual rig at Fregenal de la Sierra in Spain between 23-30 July 2021.
Scopes: APM TMB LZOS 152 Refractors
Cameras: QSI6120wsg8
Mount: 10Micron GM2000 HPS
A total of 18 hours image capture (HaOIIILRGB)
More details at: www.imagingdeepspace.com/abell-79.html
Bound for Reykjavik, Icelandair's Boeing 737 MAX 8 TF-ICF heads away from Heathrow as ICE451
276A9621
This vibrant blue glacier-fed lake, located about 40 km (25 mi) north of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, is a popular stop for visitors travelling along the famed Icefields Parkway. Throughout the summer months, glacier rock flour flows into the lake, which gives the water its breathtaking colour.
Remember if you are going to visit this year, they are going to repave and upgrade the Peyto Lake parking area. Badly needed. In other words, no direct access this year and with the Covid-19 crisis I am not expecting too many tourists anyway.
Wondering myself if they let you hike up to it. Answer from ParksCanada website: "The next opportunity for visitors to see Peyto Lake will be in late 2020.
It is important to note that entering this closed area is dangerous and prohibited under the Canada National Parks Act. Violations may result in a mandatory court appearance and maximum fine of $25,000 CDN."
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HIT THE 'L' KEY FOR A BETTER VIEW! Thanks for the favs and comments. Much Appreciated.
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All of my photographs are under copyright ©. None of these photographs may be reproduced and/or used in any way without my permission.
© VanveenJF Photography
Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built in 2018 in the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the fourth in Royal Caribbean's Oasis class of cruise ships. At 228,081 GT, she is the largest cruise ship in the world by gross tonnage, surpassing her sister ship Harmony of the Seas, also owned by Royal Caribbean International.
Symphony of the Seas measures 361.011 meters (1,184 ft 5.0 in) in length and has a gross tonnage of 228,081 across 18 decks. She is able to accommodate 5,518 passengers at double occupancy up to a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers, as well as a 2,200-person crew. There are 16 decks for guest use, 22 restaurants, 4 pools, and 2,759 cabins.
Symphony of the Seas is about 30 meters (98 feet) longer than the largest military ships ever built, the U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
Facilities include a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, an ice-skating rink, a zip line that is 10 decks high, a 1400-seat theater, an outdoor aquatic theater with Olympic-height platforms, and two 43-foot (13 m) rock-climbing walls. There is also a park containing over 20,000 tropical plants.
Symphony of the Seas is powered onboard by six marine-diesel sets each composed of three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46D common rail engines and three 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46D engines.
The energy-efficient design of Symphony of the Seas enables it to accomplish shipboard power generation with 85 MW versus the 100 MW normally found on Oasis-class ships. One of the key design features is the use of only LED or fluorescent lights in order to avoid the heat generation from incandescent bulbs, thereby reducing the load on air conditioning systems.
Additional energy efficiency is accomplished by using a 2 MW steam turbine to recover waste heat from the engines and converting it into energy to power a portion of the onboard hotel load.
For propulsion, Symphony of the Seas uses three 20,000 kilowatt azipod main engines, which are electric thrusters. These engines are mounted under the stern of the ship and they each drive 20 foot wide rotatable propellers. In addition to the three main engines, there are four bow thrusters used for docking, each with 5,500 kilowatts of power or 7,380 horsepower.
Among the Oasis-class ships, Symphony of the Seas uses 25% less fuel due to the implementation of a new system that releases tiny air bubbles under the hull to enable the vessel to glide more smoothly through the water. The air layer also reduces excitation from the propellers, which cuts noise and vibration levels in the aft part of the ship.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_of_the_Seas
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
DSC_0323-DSC_0327 SOOC
A 5 Portrait Hugin Panorama Stitch taken from the edge of the Portmeirion estate.
For maximum effect, click the image, to go into the Lightbox, to view at the largest size; or, perhaps, by clicking the expansion arrows at top right of the page for a Full Screen view.
Don't use or reproduce this image on Websites/Blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
© All Rights Reserved - Jim Goodyear 2017.
Acts 16:24 “After receiving these orders, the jailor threw them into the maximum security cell and had their feet securely fastened in wooden restraints.”
Built, by John I. Thornycroft & co, Woolston, Southampton, but in Chiswick, Leader was launched in 1957 and is 21.43 m long and 4.58 m wide
She was a prototype fast boat, which set standards at the time, with the style of the hull & shape. She was designed in cooperation with Trinity House (originally she had huge coat of arms on the bridge). Intended to be used, not only as pilot launch (delivering captains on board to ships), but also as coast guard in harbor in cooperation with NATO. That’s why she was equipped with top notch facilities like radar, two radios etc.
Originally she had two Rolls Royce C.8 eight cylinder engine with maximum 296 HP with a cruising speed of 15knots, but these appear to be have sent for overhaul somewhere along the line and 2 Leyland diesels, specification unknown, were substituted.
She worked in Southampton and then a few years serving on Isle of Wight before returning to the Solent. After service with Trinity house, was sold and had been on the river Itchen until 2011. Following which she sat for many years in a shed in port Hamble before being purchased by a wealthy American Mr Jameson.
Sadley Mr Jameson has passed away and she sits here rising and falling with the tide. Its such a shame it see her like this and i expect there will bo only one outcome for what was a stumnning looking boat.
I'd like to thank Mr B.Kelly for being very informative about No15.
SAR 25NC No. 3426 Delise and rebuilt 25 No. 3515 Judy climbing the 1 in 100 away from Orange River with a heavy Kimberley - De Aar freight. 2 July 1976.
Up to this point I haven't introduced my Lumix Panasonic DMC-TZ40 which has been converted to monochromatic infrared. It has a Leica Elmar variable zoom lens that opens wide to the equivalent of 24mm with a maximum magnification factor of x20. Very powerful for a compact camera and most useful with infrared.
This is a handy little camera to have in my bag for when the conditions suit infrared. As I've shown previously it is possible even to take infrared night vision shots with it.
www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/53665542943/in/album-72...
www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/53665330826/in/album-72...
www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/53665691059/in/album-72...
That is possible with this camera for two reasons: (1) It has an inbuilt image stabiliser, and in the dark (2) takes multiple exposures of a scene and blends them in camera to form a single night vision image (all without the need for a tripod).
In camera it produces some nice sepia tones and I can then convert these to straight black and white if I choose. The key to infrared is learning to work with the light conditions and through experience anticipating how the infrared will look in the finished composition.
Taken from the Eastern Platform.
Dent railway station is on the historic Settle-Carlisle Line, with services to Leeds railway station and Carlisle railway station. Dent village is approximately 4.8 miles (8 km) by road to the west, and 400 ft (120 m) below the height of the station, with Cowgill being the nearest small village, located around half a mile away but at the foot of a steep (maximum 20% or 1 in 5) spiral access road.
At an altitude of 1,150 ft (350 m) and situated between Blea Moor Tunnel and Rise Hill Tunnel immediately to its north, Dent is the highest operational railway station on the National Rail network in England.
No Photoshop.
Gaillardia /ɡeɪˈlɑrdiə/,the blanket flowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after an M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. The common name may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies. Many cultivars have been bred for ornamental use.
These are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, sometimes with rhizomes. The stem is usually branching and erect to a maximum height around 80 centimeters. The leaves are alternately arranged. Some taxa have only basal leaves. They vary in shape. They are glandular in most species. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head. The head can have 15 or more ray florets, while some taxa lack any ray florets. They can be most any shade of yellow, orange, red, purplish, brown, white, or bicolored. They are sometimes rolled into a funnel shape. There are many tubular disc florets at the center of the head in a similar range of colors, and usually tipped with hairs. The fruit usually has a pappus of scales.
Los Angeles. California.
Many thanks for the visits, faves and comments. Cheers
...from a walk in the University of Queensland, Gatton Agricultural College Reserve.
Plumed Whistling-Duck
Scientific Name: Dendrocygna eytoni
Description: The Plumed Whistling-Duck is one of two whistling or tree ducks found in Australia. It is a tall, long necked duck, with very prominent long lanceolate off-white plumes edged in black along the flanks. The face and foreneck are light, the crown and hind neck are pale brown and the brown feathers of the upper back are edged buff. The breast is pale chestnut, finely barred in black. The bill is mottled pink and grey and the legs and feet are pink. It is also known as Grass Whistle Duck, Eyton's Plumed, Red-legged or Whistling Tree-duck, Grass, Grey or Red-legged Whistler, and the Monkey Duck.
Similar species: The related Wandering Whistling-Duck, Dendocygna arcuata, is similar to the Plumed Whistling-Duck, though it has darker body plumage and shorter flank plumes. Wandering Whistling-Ducks are more often found on water.
Distribution: The Plumed Whistling-Duck is mainly found in the northern and eastern tropics of Australia, it also extends southwards to New South Wales in the east but does not come far south of the Kimberleys in the west.
Habitat: During the day the Plumed Whistling-Duck congregates in large numbers with other waterfowl, on the margins of lagoons, swamps and mangrove creeks, for preening and sleeping. At night they fly out, often quite long distances, to feed on grasslands.
Seasonal movements: In the breeding season the Plumed Whistling-Duck leaves the water and nests on the grassy plains.
Feeding: Plumed Whistling-Ducks graze on tropical grasses. They pluck grass (like a goose) and also take food from the water by dabbling from the surface.
Breeding: Breeding for the Plumed Whistling-Duck begins in the tropical Wet Season. The nest is a scrape in the ground, sparsely lined with grass, usually under shelter of a bush or other vegetation. The Plumed Whistling-Duck is monogamous, and pair-bonds are probably life-long. Both sexes share the duties of incubation, with the changeover taking place in the evening, and brood the young.
Calls: Loud sibilant whistle
Minimum Size: 40cm
Maximum Size: 60cm
Average size: 50cm
Average weight: 1 000g
Breeding season: Variable, usually during tropical Wet Season.
Clutch Size: 8 to 14
Incubation: 30 days
(source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2014
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
Maximum length for ships passing the Kiel Canal is 235.50 metres (772.6 ft); with the maximum width (beam) of 32.50 metres (106.6 ft) these ships can have a draught of up to 7.00 metres (22.97 ft). Ships up to a length of 160.00 metres (524.93 ft) may have a draught up to 9.50 metres (31.2 ft).[10] The bulker Ever Leader (deadweight 74001 t) is considered to be the cargo ship that to date has come closest to the overall limits
Engine: 4 cylinders, 1149 cc, 108 hp, 5 speed gearbox.
Maximum speed: 235 km/h.
See also this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjTKM-fnDE
Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot
Sochaux (25), France.
This is a maximum zoomed handheld photo. The forest in the distance was really as blue as you can see it here. As blue as my fingers were too despite the gloves...
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Dies ist eine maximal gezoomte handgehaltene Aufnahme. Der Wald in der Ferne war wirklich so blau, wie ihr es hier seht. Blau wie auch meine Finger waren trotz der Handschuhe ...
Maximum temperature was -5˚C. I met them at a small fishing port in very northern district of Japan. There were a lot of floating ices over there. Following female is not Scoter but Great scaup.
Common scoter (Melanitta nigra) [male]*
Black scoter (Melanitta americana) [male]
@ Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Japan
*Correction on ID (Feb. 6 2017 15:00 JST)
IMG_7208GPPcSq(lft&mdl&rgt)3exHDRCompo
For maximum effect, click the image, to go into the Lightbox, to view at the largest size; or, perhaps, by clicking the expansion arrows at top right of the page for a Full Screen view.
Don't use or reproduce this image on Websites/Blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
© All Rights Reserved - Jim Goodyear 2018.
TOP: I.M.C. Tieg Top MLara Pink
SHORTS: I.M.C. Tieg Shorts Mlara Denim
Táxi here maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/McKindred%20Mystique/178/1...
My maximum zoom: an 800 mm lens with a x1.4 teleconverter. The closest I can get to the dunes in the setting sun of Saudi Arabia. I am always happy to receive photography tips though!
Mon zoom maximal : objectif de 800 mm et téléconvertisseur x1.4. Au plus près des dunes dans le soleil couchant de l’Arabie saoudite. Je suis preneur de conseils en photographie, d’ailleurs !
Credits: ESA/NASA
135G0760
Triumph Herald 1200 (1961-70) Engine 1147cc S4 OHV Production 201,142
Registration Number EKO 481 C (Kent))
Triumph Cars ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157623847263736/
The Herald was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and engineered by chief engineer Harry Webster. and originally launched at the Royal Albert Hall in 1959. Powered by a 948cc S4 OHV engine of the earlier Standard Pennant.
The range was updated in 1961 following an influx of funds after Standard-Triumphs take over by British Leyland. The model was relaunched in 1961 as the Triumph Herald 1200, powered by an 1147cc S4 OHV engine The new model featured white rubber bumpers, a wooden laminate dashboard and improved seating. Quality control was also tightened up. Twin carburettors were no longer fitted to any of the range as standard although they remained an option, the standard being a single down-draught Solex carburettor. Claimed maximum power of the Herald 1200 was 39 bhp against the 34.5bhp of the older model. Disc brakes also became an option from 1962. Sales of the Saloon increased, The convertible was popular as a 4-seater with decent weatherproofing and the estate made a practical alternative to the Morris Minor Traveller. The coupé was dropped from the range in late 1964 as it was by then in direct competition with the Triumph Spitfire.
Despite the introduction of the Herald 13/60 the 1200 Saloon remained in production until Spring 1970.
Diolch am 95,311,589 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 95,311,589 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated
Shot 03.07.2022, at Cars in the Park, Beacon Park, Lichfield Staffordshire REF 161-179
Span: Parque Sarmiento en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.
Clic 2x para máx' ampliacion.
Engl: Sarmiento Park in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
Click 2x for maximum enlargment.
During our workshop in Joshua Tree, we were told about a wash filled with desert flowers. Kevin McNeal, Steve Sieren and I decided to check it out one evening. Now you have to understand, Kevin is from the Pacific Northwest, and so he was understandably excited at the possibility of capturing the Joshua Tree National Park in bloom.
What greeted us was a patchy field of flowers, so delicate that the slightest whisper of air moved the petals and a hazy Southern California sky. Watching Kevin hunt around for a composition, was a wonderful learning experience...or more aptly a one man stand-up comedy act. By positioning my camera, low to the ground , angling it to find the maximum group of plants in one spot, waiting for a break in the wind, and a few other tricks along the way, I managed to capture the moment.
I can’t say enough about what I learned from Kevin at the Mountain High Joshua Tree Workshop. If you have time, they are hosting another workshop in the Tetons and Yellowstone, May 30th-June 5th. at www.mountainhighworkshops.com.
Also check out Kevin’s new site www.photocascadia.com.
The Dune Evening Primrose are lovely to capture during the sunset as they open in the early evening and close in mid-morning, making the desert appear as if it is covered with tissue paper.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which is still very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Vosges. Alsace. Bas-Rhin. Cet étang est situé au Col de Steige (534m), qui relie la Vallée de la Bruche et le Val de Villé. Photo prise en improvisant de faire le tour de l'étang.
La photo a été prise depuis la rive ouest de l'étang.
En ce samedi 17 décembre 2022, il y avait encore beaucoup de neige à basse altitude en Alsace, une mer de nuages pas trop épaisse sur la plaine d'Alsace et au-dessus du grand soleil dans un ciel peu nuageux. Ce cocktail est tellement rare, surtout un samedi, que j'ai eu envie d'en profiter au maximum, en allant faire des mini-randonnées à plusieurs endroits différents. Je me suis fixé 2 objectifs principaux. Le 1er à la Cascade de l'Andlau près du Hohwald et le 2nd au Donon. Et pour relier ces 2 endroits, j'avais prévu de passer par le Col du Kreuzweg, Breitenbach, le Val de Villé, le Col de Steige, Ranrupt et la Vallée de la Bruche. Tout au long de cet itinétaire de liaison, je m'autorisais à faire une halte à tout endroit que je trouverais très beau.
Et c'est ce qui s'est passé au Col de Steige. Pourtant, j'y étais déjà passé à d'autres moments de l'année et je n'avais pas estimé que ça valait le coup de s'y arrêter, mais ce n'était pas en conditions hivernales. Il faut dire, que cet étang est particulièrement défiguré par les cicatrices de la civilisation humaine, avec :
- Une grosse et vilaine ligne à haute tension sur sa rive OUEST
- La route D424 sur sa rive EST
- La route D50 sur sa rive SUD
Et avec 2 ronds-points entre les 2 routes. Sa seule rive préservée est la rive NORD mais elle est toute petite ...
Mais ce jour-là, avec la neige et l'étang gelé, le cadre était magique alors je me suis laissé tenter pour en faire le tour (que j'ai bouclé en 30 minutes en prenant tout mon temps). Et je ne l'ai pas regretté, d'autant que je n'y ai croisé que 3 personnes. Sans doute parce qu'il faisait froid (malgré le soleil) et que c'était samedi, où les gens vont beaucoup dans les magasins (surtout si près de Noël).
Sur ce cliché, on peut voir au centre ce petit îlot caractéristique, qui lui apporte une touche bien sympathique, avec sa 10aine d'arbres feuillus et résineux. Pour ce qui est des cicatrices de la civilisation, elles ne sont pas trop visibles sur ce cliché car :
- La ligne à haute tension était dans mon dos,
- Il n'y avait aucune voiture sur les 2 routes au moment de la prise,
- Le Col de Steige et les 2 ronds-points sont cachés derrière l'îlot,
- Les quelques panneaux de signalisation routière ne se voient presque pas grâce aux branches devant ou à la distance.
Frequently the Cumbrian Mountain Expresses meet disappointing weather on the climb to Ais Gill, but back in the ‘80s there was always the spectacle of the Hellifield to Carnforth leg to look forward to.
On 14th April 1984 after City of Wells had produced little of note over the S & C, the S & D 2-8-0 certainly provided the highlight of the day as it lifted 13 coaches up Giggleswick bank.
Cala de "Entre Montes" (Faial, Azores)
Una inmersión nocturna, exclusivamente dedicada a localizar a esta joya dificil de fotografiar.
Esta diminuta cigarra de mar, es según biólogos consultados, endémica de las Islas Azores. Desconozco las diferencias con sus hermanas, observables en otros puntos del Atlántico y Mar Mediterráneo.
Gracias a la ayuda del Staff del Centro de Buceo Norberto Diver, más dos buceadores deportivos y uno de los biólogos del Centro de Recuperación de Especies Marinas de Faial, sin su colaboración no hubiera sido posible esta fotografía.
Iluminación: Sea&Sea D1 (x1)
Tocar sobre la imagen para obtener la máxima nitidez.
Touch on the image to obtain the maximum sharpness
www.flickr.com/groups/3216767@N21/
www.flickr.com/groups/3534586@N21/
© Todos los derechos reservados.
Por favor: Esta prohibido descargar esta fotografia, recortar mi nombre, editarla con marca de agua, publicar en pagina web, blogs, revista, periodico u otros medios de comunicacion sin mi permiso explicito por escrito, gracias.
© All rights reserved.
Please: Download this photography is prohibited, cut my name, edit with watermark publish in website, blogs, magazine, newspaper or other media without my explicit written permission, thanks.
El Calafate, Argentina
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El Calafate is a small town located in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, near the border with Chile, with about 5,500 inhabitants, distant about 270 km from the provincial capital, Rio Gallegos.
The city receives its name from a small bush named calafate (Patagonia's indigenous designation) - its fruit is a delicious berry, very good for the ellaboration of jam. According to tradition, whoever eats calafate, will be back.
El Calafate presents a dry climate, with an average maximum temperature of 19ºC, and an average minimum in winter of -2º. In summer the sun rises at 5.30 hs. and sets at 23hs. In winter the day is shorter, there are only 8 hours of light.
Great Black-Backed Gull (Larus marinus) is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic.
This is a relatively long-lived bird. The maximum recorded age for a wild great black-backed gull is 27.1 years
Like most gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls regularly capture fish and any fish smaller than itself found close to the surface of the water are potential prey Unlike most other Larus gulls, they are highly predatory and frequently hunt and kill any prey smaller than themselves, behaving more like a raptor than a typical larid gull.
They make a lined nest on the ground often on top of a rocky stack, fallen log or other obstructing object which can protect the eggs from the elements. The female lays usually three eggs sometime between late April and late June.
The breeding pair are devoted parents who both take shifts brooding the young, defending the nest and gathering food. Young great black-backed gulls leave the nest area at 50 days of age and may remain with their parents for an overall period of around six months, though most fledglings choose to congregate with other immature gulls in the search for food by fall.
SSC - Heat
Big plans this week, fires, burners, flames and other dramatic things but reality kicked in as I am having a busy week, so, a quick visit to the green house with my phone and this shot of the maximum and minimum thermometer!!! I haven't reset it for a while so this kind of represents the strange weather we have been having over the last few months.
Venice Canal, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
Evening lights come on along the Rio de San Giovanni Laterno, Venice.
During our August visit to Venice we stayed in a little place that was perfectly situated. It was outside of the zone of maximum tourists and the a bit quieter, yet there were restaurants nearby and we could easily walk to just about any place we wanted to go. It was also directly on one of the canals, and our room had windows overlooking it. (Our windows actually appear in the photograph.)
I made this photograph at that wonderful hour of the day when there is still some light in the sky, but when it is getting dark enough that lights are starting to switch on here and there. On opposite sides of the canal and in the distance you can see lit openings where water taxis can pick up and drop off clients. (At our hotel this was nicely outfitted with four comfortable seats, making it a perfect place to sit and watch things pass on the water.)
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
By popular demand!
With a small X-Acto cut to the bottom of the Maxim 08/15 receiver, the RPD drum will fit quite nicely. However, there is now no room for it to pitch up & down on a tripod attached to the mounting tab!
The Maxim MG 08/15 overmold will be available in limited quantities at World War Brick in Anaheim. I'll bring my X-Acto and make this mod for anyone that wants one - but you must supply the RPD drum (or get an RPD from the Brickmania store at the show).
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
BREEDING TIME. This one was chasing a female and performing (and warning off the photographer?).
Rufous Whistler
Scientific Name: Pachycephala rufiventris
Description: The Rufous Whistler is a stocky bird with a large head, short stubby bill and a narrow, relatively long tail with a square or slightly forked tip. The sexes differ, with the male dark-grey above with a white throat, black breast and a reddish underbody. Many males also have a black face mask (except in northern subspecies). Females are dull grey to brown, with streaked underparts. Young birds are much redder than adults and have heavily streaked underparts.
Similar species: The male Rufous Whistler is quite distinctive with its reddish underparts, grey head and white throat, combined with black mask (over most of range). The female and immature birds can be distinguished from most other whistlers by heavy streaking on the underparts.
Distribution: Found throughout mainland Australia, the Rufous Whistler is also found in New Caledonia.
Habitat: The Rufous Whistler is found in forests, woodlands and shrublands, with a shrubby understorey. Is also found in gardens and farmland with some trees, and in remnant bushland patches.
Seasonal movements: Sedentary, with some seasonal migratory movements in eastern Australia; south during spring and north in autumn.
Feeding: The Rufous Whistler mainly eats insects, and sometimes seeds, fruit or leaves. It usually forages at higher levels than other whistlers, and rarely is seen on the ground.
Breeding: The Rufous Whistler breeds in monogamous pairs, and both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young. The female builds a fragile, cup-shaped nest from twigs, grass, vines and other materials, bound and attached to a tree fork with spider web. Two broods may be produced in a season.
Calls: A long loud series of ringing notes.
Minimum Size: 16cm
Maximum Size: 18cm
Average size: 17cm
Average weight: 25g
Breeding season: July to February
Clutch Size: Usually 2, sometimes 3
Incubation: 13 days
Nestling Period: 11 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2017
__________________________________________
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
Last summer, I needed to have some time alone. I needed to drive through the mountains to find myself back. Thus, I decided to drive to the maximum passes above 2000 meters (6000 feets) and shoot what remains the most relaxing place(s) to me: Mountains, Alps...
- Bonneval-sur-Arc / Col de l'Iseran
- Savoie (73)
- 2750 meters.
Station Gouda 14h36
Today, Sunday 07/12/2025, Andy is having his last service on the train service as a train driver between Gouda and Alphen aan de Rijn (a distance of 17.6 kilometers). Operated by NS with Flirt 3 trains manufactured by Stadler Rail.
Andy began his rail career at NS as an trainee in November 2023 and joined the railroad company NS in September 2024, starting on January 22, 2025, on this railway line between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn. During that time, Andy completed 1,475 journeys between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn, four journeys between Boskoop and Alphen aan den Rijn, and one journey between Gouda and Boskoop. A total of 26,203 kilometers. [ source: Andy]
NS R-net FLIRT
The NS R-Net Flirt is a series of six Stadler Flirt 3 trainsets (numbered 2010 - 2015) from NS, ordered through its subsidiary Abellio Rail. The trainsets were purchased for use on the Gouda - Alphen aan den Rijn railway line. The trainsets are owned by NS Reizigers (NS Travelers), but form a separate series alongside the Flirt trainsets for the main rail network.
The FLIRT (acronym for Flinker Leichter Innovativer Regionaltriebzug) is derived from the Stadler GTW, with the main difference being that the FLIRT's drive units are located behind the cabs (instead of in a separate power car). This train type is characterized by light and spacious interiors due to the use of Jacobs bogies combined with wide, open body transitions and a low floor. The low floor, combined with a retractable step, makes the train more accessible for people with physical disabilities. The train's low weight combined with high torque makes it ideal for train services with frequent stops and short stopping times.
The trainsets were purchased following the award of the Alphen aan den Rijn – Gouda train service concession for the period 2016-2031. The trainsets were ordered through a contract from the German NS subsidiary Abellio Rail NRW. These are more or less standard trainsets, which allowed for relatively quick delivery. The trainsets were built at Stadler's headquarters in Bussnang, Switzerland.
The first trainset, numbered 2010, was delivered in the Netherlands on December 3, 2015. The remaining five trainsets followed in 2016. Between January 2016 and December 2016, several test runs were conducted on the Dutch railway network, allowing train crews to gain experience with these trainsets.
FACTS & FIGURES
Length: 45.6 meters
Mass: 98,5 tons
Area of deployment: Gouda – Waddinxveen – Boskoop – Alphen aan den Rijn (17.6 km)
Maximum and service speed: 140 km/h
Doors: Electric swing-sliding doors
4 per side
Seats: 103
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae
The laughing kookaburra was first described and illustrated (in black and white) by the French naturalist and explorer Pierre Sonnerat in his Voyage à la nouvelle Guinée which was published in 1776. He claimed to have seen the bird in New Guinea. In fact Sonnerat never visited New Guinea and the laughing kookaburra does not occur there. He probably obtained a preserved specimen from one of the naturalists who accompanied Captain James Cook to the east coast of Australia. Edme-Louis Daubenton and François-Nicolas Martinet included a coloured plate of the laughing kookaburra based on Sonnerat's specimen in their Planches enluminées d'histoire naturelle. The plate has the legend in French "Martin-pecheur, de la Nouvelle Guinée" (Kingfisher from New Guinea). In 1783 the French naturalist Johann Hermann provided a formal description of the species based the coloured plate by Daubenton and Martinet. He gave it the scientific name Alcedo novæ Guineæ. The current genus Dacelo was introduced in 1815 by the English zoologist William Elford Leach, and is an anagram of Alcedo, the Latin word for a kingfisher. The specific name novaeguineae combines the Latin novus for new with Guinea, based on the erroneous belief that the specimen had originated from New Guinea. For many years it was believed that the earliest description was by the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert and his scientific name Dacelo gigas was used in the scientific literature but in 1926 the Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews showed that a description by Hermann had been published earlier in the same year, 1783, and thus had precedence. In the 19th century this species was commonly called the "laughing jackass", a name first recorded (as Laughing Jack-Ass) in An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales by David Collins which was published in 1798. In 1858 the ornithologist John Gould used "great brown kingfisher", a name that had been coined by John Latham in 1782. Another popular name was "laughing kingfisher". The name in several Australian indigenous languages were listed by European authors including Go-gan-ne-gine by Collins in 1878, Cuck'anda by René Lesson in 1828 and Gogera or Gogobera by George Bennett in 1834. In the early years of the 20th century "kookaburra" was included as an alternative name in ornithological publications but it was not until 1926 in the second edition of the Official Checklist of Birds of Australia that the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union officially adopted the name "laughing kookaburra". The name comes from Wiradhuri, an Aboriginal language now effectively extinct.
Description: The Laughing Kookaburra is instantly recognisable in both plumage and voice. It is generally off-white below, faintly barred with dark brown, and brown on the back and wings. The tail is more rufous, broadly barred with black. There is a conspicuous dark brown eye-stripe through the face. It is one of the larger members of the kingfisher family.
Similar species: Identification may only be confused where the Laughing Kookaburra's range overlaps that of the Blue-winged Kookaburra, Dacelo leachii, in eastern Queensland. The call of the Blue-winged Kookaburra is coarser than that of the Laughing Kookaburra, and ends somewhat abruptly. The Blue-winged Kookaburra lacks the brown eye-stripe, has a blue tail and a large amount of blue in the wing, and has a pale eye.
Distribution: Laughing Kookaburras are found throughout eastern Australia. They have been introduced to Tasmania, the extreme south-west of Western Australia, and New Zealand. Replaced by the Blue-winged Kookaburra in central northern and north-western Australia, with some overlap in Queensland, although this species is more coastal.
Habitat: The Laughing Kookaburra inhabits most areas where there are suitable trees.
Feeding: Laughing Kookaburras feed mostly on insects, worms and crustaceans, although small snakes, mammals, frogs and birds may also be eaten. Prey is seized by pouncing from a suitable perch. Small prey is eaten whole, but larger prey is killed by bashing it against the ground or tree branch.
Breeding: Laughing Kookaburras are believed to pair for life. The nest is a bare chamber in a naturally occurring tree hollow or in a burrow excavated in an arboreal (tree-dwelling) termite mound. Both sexes share the incubation duties and both care for the young. Other Laughing Kookaburras, usually offspring of the previous one to two years, act as 'helpers' during the breeding season. Every bird in the group shares all parenting duties.
Calls: The chuckling voice that gives this species its name is a common and familiar sound throughout the bird's range. The loud 'koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa' is often sung in a chorus with other individuals. The Laughing Kookaburra also has a shorter 'koooa The Laughing Kookaburra is not really laughing when it makes its familiar call. The cackle of the Laughing Kookaburra is actually a territorial call to warn other birds to stay away.
Minimum Size: 40cm
Maximum Size: 45cm
Average size: 42cm
Average weight: 340g
Breeding season: August to January
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and Wikipedia)
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© Chris Burns 2019
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