Some where in New Mexico off Route 66

They hide in the brook when I seek to draw nearer,

Laughing amain when I feign to depart;

Often I hear them, now faint and now clearer—

Innocent bold or so sweetly discreet.

Are they Nymphs of the Stream at their playing

Or but the brook I mistook for a voice?

Little care I; for, despite harsh Time’s flaying,

Brook voice or Nymph voice still makes me rejoice.

Ellis Parker Butler ( (1869-1937) The Water Nymphs

Remeras / Rowers: Esther Briz (marca, cadete, Club Helios, Zaragoza) y María del Carmen Ortiz (proa, juvenil, Club Naútico de Sevilla) x2 CF - Entrenamiento de técnica en la concentración de la Selección Española de Remo en Bañolas, preparando el Mundial de Remo Sub 23 y Juvenil 2016 en Rotterdam. En dicho Mundial ganaron la Final B tras una regata espectacular (7ª posición en el ranking mundial de su categoría, entre 24 países).

The full view of Diamond Head taken from Round Top.

Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēʻahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ʻahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin.

Its English name was given by British sailors in the 19th century, who mistook calcite crystals on the adjacent beach for diamonds.

"The biggest coward is a man who awakens a women's love with no intention of loving her.

I am sorry I mistook all of our laughs, long nights, sweet texts and jokes as you caring. I am however glad I found out the real reason behind you being a player and not a keeper. I will think twice before wasting my time again."

Finished, done and dusted! Nikki moves on.

Thankyou in advance for your support, faves, comments and awards!

I do appreciate you all ❤️

"Black-bellied tarantula" | Hogna radiata | 07-2022 | Ticino | Switzerland

My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...

More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)

My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:

Let me introduce you to my southern guest Hogna radiata aka the "Schwarzbäuchige Tarantel" - as we call it in the German speaking world - which translates to "black-bellied tarantula".

This species used to be at home in the Mediterranean Basin, but due to the ever warmer temperatures in Northern Europe, it can now also be found in Ticino in Switzerland. I found this fella and its buddy trapped in my shower one (very early) morning this past July.

You can imagine my surprise when I pulled the shower curtain back and found (approximately) sixteen eyes staring fearfully from the ceramic pan up at the naked giant that was about to either step on them or drown them in hot water.

While I did none of the above, I assure you the "terror" was mutual: although I always claim not to be afraid of spiders (and I love to photograph them), my high-pitched voice screaming "WHAT-THE-FF-...!!??" (which probably woke up the whole village) tells a slightly different story 😂.

I love all animals, spiders included, but there is an age-old fear in me (perhaps an instinct inherited from our ancestors who lived in regions where venomous arachnids were the norm) that apparently can still get activated in certain moments, which is to say you can see this 44-year old man jump like a startled kitten and squeal like a frightened piglet upon an unexpected encounter with a large spider - especially when I'm still half asleep, naked and there's no daylight 😜.

Once I'd overcome my immediate urge to flee the scene, burn down the house and declare the village uninhabitable for ever after, I went looking for and eventually found a jar large enough to serve my new shower buddies as a temporary residence; I carefully "shooed" them into the jar and took a closer look at them.

At first I mistook them for the species Eratigena atrica aka the giant house spider, but then I noticed the eyes were very different. A search on the internet soon convinced me that my two unexpected guests belonged to the species Hogna radiata.

H. radiata is a beautiful, large wolf spider (that's the family of the Lycosidae); its chelicerae are big enough to pierce through human skin, but its poison isn't dangerous to humans and the species is not the least bit aggressive.

It is sometimes referred to as the "false tarantula" because it is related to and closely resembles Lycosa tarantula - the "Apulian tarantula" - which is one of the biggest spiders in Central Europe and also the one responsible for large spiders all over the world now often being called "tarantulas"; Italian immigrants from the region around the city of Taranto originally made the name "popular" in the United States from whence it went on to conquer the rest of the globe.

And I can attest that Hogna radiata is pretty impressive too; including legs the species can reach the size of the palm of your hand, though it is nowhere near as big as the large spiders in the Theraposidae family which are commonly called tarantulas in the English speaking world (in German, French and Italian it's often the large spiders of the Lycosidae family that are called tarantulas which can be a bit confusing).

I released "my tarantulas" in the garden - but not before a quick photo shoot that saw me place my "models" in a huge salad bowl I had decorated with blossoms of the trumpet vine (I sincerely hope my salad-loving, spider-fearing family & friends never read this 😜 ).

After the initial scare, I now count myself lucky that I happened upon this beautiful species which I hadn't known before, and I certainly hope to see it again (although preferably not in my shower... or ANYWHERE in the house during the wee hours of the morning 😊 ).

As always, many greetings to all of you and have a lovely weekend ahead, and please let me know what you think in the comments below (which I love to read, even though - as I'm sure you're all aware by now - it always takes me ages to reply, for which I'm genuinely sorry!!! 🙏 😊 👍❤)

so this lioness had moved forward towards the frightened warthog, which had now looked up and seen that a lioness was staring at him...I heard a strange noise and said to our guide that must be another lion nearby....he looked at me and said that isn't a lion that's a LEOPARD...by now our whole group was excited as hell to see a Leopard in the mix...after that everything happened in a frenzy and I didn't get any photos because there was far too much action....the leopard leapt off a rock behind the lions, the lions spun around to face it and with that, in the background, Pumbaa the frightened warthog, made his escape into the bushes while the Leopard took one look at all the lions and ran in the opposite direction!

Here's a link to the sound the Leopard made...which I mistook for another Lion....

youtu.be/AA2uS9VG7BQ

We were visiting a nearby lake just 15 mins away to see some migratory ducks which were in plenty in the lake. And as we were exploring found other species as well including the beautiful greater painted snipe. But what took our breath away was the presence of around 10 common snipes. They circled us from far and in the first round mistook them for sandpipers since it is very uncommon to see such number of snipes. Luckily they made another round when I could confirm the ID. These prefer the shallow lake banks where they could be seen foraging in the mud looking for insects.

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

I was made

for another

planet

altogether.

I mistook the

way.

- Simone de Beauvoir

Royal Tern with what I think is a mangrove seedling. I wonder if it mistook it for a fish.

Taken at Fort De Soto, Florida.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving any comments or faves, they are very much appreciated.

The Cuban Emerald was a curious find. They have an exremely long tail compared to their body and I was fortunate to catch this one in a spot resting. The locals referred to these as a "Zun Zun", which I first mistook as Zoom Zoom. I kept looking for the Mazda logo. LOL

Varadero, Cuba

at that moment i was sure. That i belonged in my skin. That my organs were mine and my eyes were mine and my ears, which could only hear the silence of this night and my faint breathing, were mine, and I loved them and what they could do. There was so much water in so many places, rushing everywhere, up and down, the water on top moving so much faster than the water below it. Under the water was sand, then rocks, miles of rocks, then fire.

But i was getting tired. We needed to get out of the water before we mistook it for a bed. I was sure that was how people drowned; not with a fight, not with thrashing but with thoughts of rest.

-Dave Eggers.

El Capitan (The Captain in Spanish) is a famous rock formation in Yosemite National Park that is flanked to the east by 3 rock peaks called the Three Brothers. With a vertical rock face at 3000 feet (900m) high, El Capitan was once considered unclimbable, but today is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the world.

This photo was from a location that I absolutely stumbled upon an hour before I had to leave Yosemite. I had seen a painting of the Three Brothers in my hotel room and had set out the day before in search of it. However, with no Internet connectivity it proved to be more difficult than I imagined, especially as I initially mistook Cathedral Rocks for the Three Brothers. With tall trees it was also difficult to see the mountains clearly from the road.

So driving around and time running out I finally decided to stop at a small parking lot and wander down a random path to the Merced River only to see this beautiful view. This being late summer both Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls were completely dry. But one benefit of this was the mirror-like reflections on the river due to the low flow rate. After waiting a few minutes for 2 beavers to stop splashing around in the water I finally had my shots! Due to how wide this scene was in real life this is actually a stitch of 5 vertical shots to fit everything in. Maybe I need to get a 10mm lens :)

A double post for the day, the first as promised. We chased this little fellow around for about twenty minutes or so. I have a new friend, a budding birder/photographer, and she and I heard this guy and went looking for him, which I mistook for a Yellow Warbler. (Funny how I mix up songs in their absence.) This guy was much more of a surprise, as well as a challenge to photograph. I think I kept seven out total to upload.

Thanks for Viewing.

Tiny bug around 3mm in length. First time I saw these, which is not surprising, since they are easy to miss. I mistook them for grass flies at first (Chloropidae), since they have similar coloration.

Common blue ( wich I mistook for a brown argus but I was corrected ;-)

I find it hard to get me some nice butterfly shots these days. There are not many around and my favorite fields are discovered by other people. And then there is the constant wind blowing really hard. I know that early in the morning its better but I can’t check the fields the evening before because there are so many youngsters out there enjoying loud music and balloons. Its not making me feel real zen so I don’t go out as much as I would like. But better days will come, I’m sure

The Dancing House is an unmissable and magnificent building that has become an integral part of Prague. The building got its name thanks to its towers, which resemble the figures of dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

Since 1945, there has been a vacancy on the corner of Rašínova nábřeží and Jiráskova náměstí. The house that stood there was destroyed on February 14, 1945 (just like Emmaus) by bombs from American planes, when the Americans mistook Prague for Dresden. After the final removal of the debris in 1960, for 30 years, under the former regime, it was debated what would happen here.

The Dancing House was designed by Croatian architect Vlado Milunić together with Frank O. Gehry. The building has offices, a luxury cafe and a restaurant. The building got its name thanks to its towers, which resemble the figures of dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The dancer is represented by a stone tower and his partner by a glass tower. At the top of the tower symbolizing the dancer is a dome with a structure of metal tubes covered with stainless mesh with mesh, covered in imaginary hair and representing the head of a medusa. The Dancing House danced to its opening in 1996, and that same year it received the prestigious award from the American magazine Time in the category of design of the year. The interiors of the investor's offices were partly entrusted to the architect Eva Jiřičná.

The building has a usable area of 2,965 m2 of office space on a total of 6 floors, the restaurant is located on the top floor and the conference and training center can be found on the ground floor of the building. In addition, at the top of the house you will find a gallery with a viewing terrace where you can admire Prague and view its panorama with a circular 360-degree view.

In 2021, the Dancing House was rated as the 9th most beautiful building in the world by Roofing Megastore's analytical software, which compared the parameters of fifty of the most famous architectural works with a numerical ratio known as the golden ratio.

Alcedo atthis

IJsvogel, Eisvogel, Martin-pêcheur d’Europe

Judging by their washed out appearance, it would seem the garden spider's web captured the leaves weeks ago. I wonder about the prey that mistook the leaves for a safe place to land. Dinner anyone?

I mistook it for a religious building. In fact, this is just a residential building.

Yes, the new building has just been completed.

★ If the image is blurred, Please click refresh !

只是建築物的入口

我把它誤認為是一座宗教建築。實際上，它只是一棟住宅大樓。

是的，新大樓剛剛竣工。

★如果圖像模糊，請點擊重新整理！

↓Jimmy Stewart

↑Elżbieta Pacuszka

↑TK Lin

A typical behaviour of Shrikes is to sit quietly on a perch around 3 meters above ground and watch the surroundings. These birds sit for hours like that - just suddenly jump and catch a prey.

Brown Shrikes are migratory birds that winter in India from Northern Asia / China. They are not common as compared to their other cousins, the Long Tailed Shrike and the Bay Backed Shrike which are seen lot more throughout the year.

This particular bird is quite a surprise that it doesn't look anywhere like a Brown Shrike that we are so used to seeing from our state, so we mistook it for a Long Tailed Shrike. But our guide pointed out that this is a subspecies from the Malabar area and hence is looks different. It sat on the same perch for hours together, we waited for it to move and get close which it did.

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

I saw this beauty sat on Yorkshires trade mark stone walls as I approached from some distance away.

At first I mistook it for a snipe, which are occasionally seen in the same place, but I was not disappointed by this gorgeous bird.

Unusually it was non plussed by close proximity and quite happy to pose for me.

The only downside was the poor late evening light.

Common Redshank - Tringa Totanus

Upper Barn - Yorkshire Dales

As always I extend my sincere appreciation to all those who take the time to stop by and comment on my photos.

DSC_3520

One the same day as this shot (flickr.com/photos/115540984@N02/53962995818/in/dateposted), I went to Soesterberg airport. I had never seen an Eurasian Hobby before (I thought), and since they were seen quite frequently there I thought it would be a good idea to photograph something different than hovering kestrels, or kestrels on a post.

After a few hours of fruitless birdwatching (it was bird cucumber time anyway) I packed up and headed home, disappointed, when I suddenly saw three falcons at the next part of the airport (the gliding runway). Of course kestrels again was my first thought because there was one hanging there praying, but just to be on the safe side I chose one of the other two.

So that wasn't a kestrel!!! There were at least three Eurasian Hobbies(?) busy hunting dragonflies above the field. With incredible agility, they grab the dragonflies with their legs in full flight and nibble the dragonflies to the afterlife as they fly. I spent about 45 minutes looking and taking pictures, but it was not easy to keep them in the viewfinder.

When I got home, it turned out that they were indeed Eurasian Hobbies, but also the sobering experience that I had already captured them for a long time.

What I often mistook for peregrine falcons had generally been Eurasian Hobbies. Even more sobering was that even a blind horse could have told the difference between a Eurasian Hobby and a peregrine falcon. Learned something again.

What remains is the conclusion that I now have to hunt for peregrine falcons, because I hardly have a good photo of them..

The Tees Transporter Bridge has been the area's landmark since opening in 1911. It is the longest working transporter bridge in the world and an iconic symbol of Teesside's engineering and industrial heritage.

The Tees Transporter Bridge has played an important role in the area's history for over a century and continues to provide an important and unique crossing over the River Tees. In recent years the Transporter has emerged as a leading historic visitor attraction and is one of the UK's major sites for extreme sports including abseils, bungee jumps and zip-slides. In 1974, the comedy actor Terry Scott, travelling between his hotel in Middlesbrough and a performance at the Billingham Forum, mistook the bridge for a regular toll crossing and drove his car off the end of the roadway, landing in the safety netting beneath.

It has featured in films and TV programmes including Boys from the Blackstuff, Billy Elliot, The Fast Show, Spender and Steel River Blues. In the millennium celebrations of 2000, fireworks were fired from its length. The storyline of the third series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, saw the bridge dismantled to be sold to and re-erected in the USA.

I have booked in country gal at heart ( Eileen ) and jacqueline (Jackie) ramsey in for a bungee jump each for a surprise ;-))

The Legend of The Sirens Reef.

Apparently the area was formerly inhabited by monk seals, and sailors mistook her cries with the dreaded singing sirens approaching and avoiding going near the place for fear the shock of the vessels with the reef. We do not know if any sailor succumbed at some point of the journey, to the captivating sounds that came from that beautiful place in the Cabo de Gata.

© Copyright: The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

This is one of the rarest shrikes in South India - sightings are handful at best and 1-2 in our state for the whole year. It is a migrant from Northern China/ Mongolia / Siberian region and winters in parts of middle east and Eastern Africa.

I mistook the bird for another Shrike - the Brown Shrike which is quite common here, but shot a couple of pictures anyway as I wondered why it is looking different. The name, Isabelline apparently means Sandy color which gives rise to the name. The behaviours seem similar to other shrikes, but I only saw it for around 5 mins before I drove away. So is there anything different in behaviour? I have to determine when I see it again.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

One of the spectacular Tozales in Monegros. I actually mistook this one for the Tozal de la Cobeta which I believe had collapsed... in fact it was a little further and in perfect shape... Yet, the rock and mud formation at the bottom of this overlooked Tozal were spectacular...

They mistook this packing material for food. How disappointing!

Many thanks to all those who view, fav & comment my pictures. I very much appreciate it.

… verwechselte die Blumen auf meiner neuen Laptopfolie wohl mit echten Blumen !!

... probably mistook the flowers on my new laptop foil for real flowers !!

"The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The first time I saw these trees, I mistook them for maples...not. They are liquidambar...a lovely substitute for the autumn colors of their northern neighbors.

xxxminamikazexxx.blogspot.jp/2016/10/161027.html

MINAMI is promising nurse of the surgical hospital.

At the time of surgery

I mistook the administration of medicine. OMG

Amen　((((*ToT*)†~~~

The world of the dead language

MINAMI is the nurse of the graveyard.

Came to the grave, it will celebrate the dead.

After the death of the world is busy every day.

🚴」💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨

Confession of MINAMI（みなみの懺悔）

Male is on the left and the female is on the right. Yes, it is also a life bird. For long time I have been looking for a purple finch at my backyard and many a time I mistook a male House Finch as one. Finally I got to see a few of them way up north. Algonquin Park, Ontario

Mystras is a fortified town Peloponnese. Situated on Mt. Taygetus, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering during the Palaeologan Renaissance, including the teachings of Gemistos Plethon. The city also attracted artists and architects of the highest quality.

Mystras remained inhabited throughout the Ottoman period, when Western travellers mistook it for ancient Sparta. In the 1830s, it was abandoned and the new town of Sparti was built, approximately eight kilometres to the east. As an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Byzantine city and because of its testimony to the development of Late Byzantine and Post-byzantine art, Mystras was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1989.

These striking inselbergs (a German word meaning “island mountain”) rise from the rolling farmland of the Eyre Peninsula, creating an awe-inspiring natural wonder that has stood for over 100,000 years.

Carved by wind and time, these pink granite pillars and boulders hold great cultural significance for the Wirangu people, the Traditional Custodians of this land. For thousands of years, the area has been an important site for storytelling and connection to Country, with the unique rock formations inspiring Indigenous legends and traditions.

The name "Murphy’s Haystacks" comes from a traveler who once mistook the formations for stacks of hay on the Murphy family’s property. Today, this privately owned and maintained attraction offers a picnic area and public toilets for visitors, as well as a campground.

Loch Cill Chriosd on the Isle Of Skye. It is found next to the ruined church of Cill Chriosd at Kilchrist. It is quite shallow and is well populated with reeds. You can make out snow capped Blaven (Blah Bheinn) in the background and reflected in the water.

Legend has it that St Columba chased an evil spirit from the loch in 570AD. Another evil spirit in the form of Each Uisge (water horse) moved in. It took the shape of a handsome man who would seduce young woman who were passing by then drown them in the loch. One day though he mistook a priest dressed in robes for a woman. The priest succeeded in converting the spirit to Christianity and he gave up his evil ways.

This fish was too big to swallow. After 10 minutes of struggle, the heron gave up—and the fish made a clean getaway!

Catching Dinner’s the Easy Part

A heron with gourmet ambition

Mistook a piranha for sushi tradition

If I swall’, I’ll choke, that ain’t no joke

Better spit out this fish and find a healthier dish!

I was framing up, stood in the middle of the narrow lane, and I stood aside as a small convoy of 4X4's came through peopled by hunting types in tweed. Judging by the catcalls, hooting and laughter I think that they mistook me for a hunt saboteur so I quickly finished up and left. Shortly thereafter I drove around a bend which took me past a farm straddling the lane and where the 4X4's were randomly parked, the occupants spread across the lane laughing and smoking. Their mood changed and they eyed me suspiciously as I slowly wove through them before I put my foot down and gratefully cleared the throng, leaving them scowling after me.

Another lifer...would have easily mistook this for a Reed Warbler until this one starting singing.

Marsh Warblers are known for their mimicking song...am sure i heard a snatch of Dunnock mixed in.

Also known for favouring bushes, not reeds - am glad this one did the opposite!

Please, no invitations to award groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.

Small black and white cormorant with stubby yellow bill. In most of range has completely white undersides, lacking black "trousers." In New Zealand underparts coloration more variable, and can be anywhere from white to mostly black with a white throat and face. Take care to identify from Pied Cormorant, which has a long ivory bill and contrasting black “trousers” on the flanks near the legs. Found in a wide range of watery habitats, including small ponds, creeks, and dams. (eBird)

--------------

These cormorants are usually boldly black and white, so the NZ variants that were mostly black were highly confusing and I often mistook them for Little Black Cormorants. This one shows a really extreme colouring.

Lake Poaka, Canterbury, New Zealand. March 2024.

Roadrunner Birding Tours.

This is very rare bird last seen two years ago around our place / in our state and a lifer for me. There are around 2-3 sightings in an year maybe usually in the winter. The bird looks very similar to the common Stonechat and I mistook it for the same for over 2 weeks and deleted around 100+ shots of the bird sadly. A few days ago, a friend saw the pic, id'ed it and then I realized the rarity.

The bird is migrant to North Western parts of India and is a rare visitor to the South. Ebird states they are resident birds around China, Central Asia, Central Eastern Europe and parts of Europe.

The birds prefer dry plains, grasslands and desert type of areas. They are primarily insectivores and prefer common insects like termites, ants, bees, beetles, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mantis etc..

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback.

Processing this faded tulip image provided me with a real education. At first, I mistook all the webbing Waldo provided for artifacts of the focus stacking process. For example, the web stretching from the stem to the bottom left of the blossom seemed to be six or seven lines, and the all the curves near the petal seemed ridiculous, so I just cut it all out.

Then I discovered Waldo, who is plausibly responsible for all the webbing. Then I examined the images that made up the focus stack, and discovered that there was only one piece of web attached with all the curves, but it moved significantly from exposure to exposure, as if flapping in a breeze.

So I copied that big piece of webbing from the image with the curls in best focus, and pasted it into the stacked image, and did a similar paste from an image with the webbing between the bottom petal tips. And I left most of the other webbing in, as it hadn't flapped about nearly as much. Now I'm wondering how much other webbing I've cut out of other images that I mistook for artifacts.

CAN YOU FIND WEBBER WALDO?

HE made me late for the hospital, ha ha, but I hope you agree, he was so worth it!! Happy Steampunk Fenced Friday!! I leave you now for a little while … two weeks deep in the country where the internet is a law unto itself and as fleeting as the sun on a typical English Bank Holiday, ha ha!! ; 0)) I will pop in when I can my dear friends. Wish you all the very best and thank you all for your wonderful support and friendship!! Lots of love, Poppy xo

“Steampunk is...a joyous fantasy of the past, allowing us to revel in a nostalgia for what never was. It is a literary playground for adventure, spectacle, drama, escapism and exploration. But most of all it is fun!”

― George Mann

Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsBg1EJMEg0

THE LAST STEAMPUNK WALTZ - GHOSTFIRE

I was driving by

and you caught my eye

I did an emergency stop and a u-turn

on a busy road

where a little green toad

hopped safely across; missed my wheel burn

I spun the car around;

red hot splinters on the ground

just had to see you close-up for a hot shot

you were dressed so fine

and I wished that you were mine

but you obviously didn't feel the same pop

so I took my lucky shot

mistook you oh so hot

I imagined you were real for a small time

with your passionate stare so wild

and your old clothes super-styled

like a rock star from the old days

steampunk rocks you

man, I mean it rocks me

and I can't help looking closer

to examine all your clobber

what do I like the most

well, I think it is your buttons

and your cool tie-pin to match

and the Christmas tree that holds you up

sticks out your hat like thatch

ok, I must admit

you make this fence

look kinda cool

so I think you'll make a killing, man

for fence Friday, in the pool

I hope you will be happy

to see yourself in print

an accolade; you've got it made

my Steampunk Scarecrow

you are mint.

- AP - Copyright © remains with and is the intellectual property of the author

Copyright © protected image please do not reproduce without permission

Put mandarin on the deck railing to increase my chance of decent light for a photo of our iridescent visitors. Didn't take long for one to find it and strike a pose.

This will be the only time though as several tauhou flew into the window post snack. I checked out their view from the food and the sky reflected in the windows was so blue it was no surprise they mistook it for real sky. I do have UV stickers on the window to prevent bird strike but they can't have been in quite the right position. I will need a new plan. Thinking a hide might be in order!

Here's a link for the stickers to help prevent bird strike

projectkereru.org.nz/preventing-window-strike

Last light on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire and an exceptionally low Spring tide.

This was the perfect opportunity to walk out on the exposed sands and explore the remains of the shipwrecked "Abana".

The "Abana" was a large 1,257 ton wooden "barque" vessel flying under a Norwegian flag. She was built in St John, New Brunswick, Canada and was sailing from Liverpool to Savannah, Georgia USA in December 1894 when she was caught in a storm in the Irish Sea. Hers sails were ripped to shreds in the strong winds and she drifted landwards. The ships crew mistook Blackpool Tower for a lighthouse and she eventually ran aground off Little Bispham.

The crew of 17 and the ships dog were all rescued by Blackpool's lifeboat. The ships bell and the dog were given to the landlord of the "Cleveleys Hotel" who had first raised the alarm and summonsed the lifeboat!

Buckpool and Fens Pool Local Nature Reserve

What3Words

///thin.spill.bravo

The term "hybrid mallard" refers to any duck with mixed parentage involving a mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), a species notorious for interbreeding with many other closely related duck species and domestic breeds.

Hybrids exhibit a mix of traits from both parent species, making their appearance highly variable and often a point of fascination for birders and hunters.

Common Hybrid Combinations

Mallards hybridize with a wide array of ducks, creating several recognized hybrid types:

Mallard x American Black Duck:

This is one of the most common hybrids in North America. Male hybrids typically look like a darker American Black Duck but possess some green on the head and sometimes the curled tail feathers of a mallard.

Mallard x Northern Pintail:

These hybrids are described as beautiful and unique, often showing a mix of the pintail's elegant shape and the mallard's head coloration.

Mallard x Gadwall (Brewer's Duck):

Named by John James Audubon, who initially mistook it for a new species, the Brewer's duck is a less common but recognized hybrid.

Mallard x Domestic Duck Breeds:

Hybrids with domestic ducks (which are all derived from the mallard except for the Muscovy) are frequently seen in urban parks. These often display unusual plumage variations, such as the distinctive white "bib" or chest patches, or larger size and unique crests.

Conservation Concerns:

While fascinating, the widespread ability of mallards to produce fertile offspring with related species poses a significant conservation concern. When domestic or feral mallards are introduced into the wild, they can "genetically pollute" the gene pools of sensitive, localized species, potentially leading to the extinction of pure indigenous populations, such as the Hawaiian Duck and the Florida Mottled Duck.

草木皆兵, (cǎo mù jiē bīng)

"Every grass and tree looks like an enemy."

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As the story goes...

After having captured the 济南 Jinan city of 壽陽 Shouyang, 苻坚 Fu Jian looked down from the city wall to see the enemy army as being so vast that its battalions covered the mountainside. In reality, what he was seeing was grass and trees that he mistook for enemy soldiers. His panic soon became his soldiers' panic and many were trampled to death in their frantic retreat.

This little guy either mistook me for a rock as I knelt behind my camera on its tripod, or simply felt I was no threat. He wandered so close to me that I thought he was going to have a peck at the equipment!

Thank you to everyone who views, faves or comment on my pictures.

Buckpool and Fens Pool Local Nature Reserve

What3Words

///thin.spill.bravo

The term "hybrid mallard" refers to any duck with mixed parentage involving a mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), a species notorious for interbreeding with many other closely related duck species and domestic breeds.

Hybrids exhibit a mix of traits from both parent species, making their appearance highly variable and often a point of fascination for birders and hunters.

Common Hybrid Combinations

Mallards hybridize with a wide array of ducks, creating several recognized hybrid types:

Mallard x American Black Duck:

This is one of the most common hybrids in North America. Male hybrids typically look like a darker American Black Duck but possess some green on the head and sometimes the curled tail feathers of a mallard.

Mallard x Northern Pintail:

These hybrids are described as beautiful and unique, often showing a mix of the pintail's elegant shape and the mallard's head coloration.

Mallard x Gadwall (Brewer's Duck):

Named by John James Audubon, who initially mistook it for a new species, the Brewer's duck is a less common but recognized hybrid.

Mallard x Domestic Duck Breeds:

Hybrids with domestic ducks (which are all derived from the mallard except for the Muscovy) are frequently seen in urban parks. These often display unusual plumage variations, such as the distinctive white "bib" or chest patches, or larger size and unique crests.

Conservation Concerns:

While fascinating, the widespread ability of mallards to produce fertile offspring with related species poses a significant conservation concern. When domestic or feral mallards are introduced into the wild, they can "genetically pollute" the gene pools of sensitive, localized species, potentially leading to the extinction of pure indigenous populations, such as the Hawaiian Duck and the Florida Mottled Duck.

Pushkar (Inde) - Pour ce portrait, je ne me suis pas laisser surprendre comme pour le précédent. Je me suis placé à un endroit où je pouvais avoir un arrière plan qui soit facilement lisible et qui le prendrait pas trop d’importance. Comme il y avait de nombreux paysans rajputs autour du lac ce matin là, je ne doutais pas que j’aurais l’occasion de faire quelques portraits.

C’est ce qui est arrivé avec ce vieil homme. Je ne lui ai rien demandé, mais lorsqu’il a vu que je le photographiais, il s’est arrêté et m’a regardé un peu étonné. Pour éviter toute contestation, je lui ai fait un petit signe de la main et lui ai montré la photo sur l’écran de contrôle de l’appareil. Il a eu un petit rictus que j’ai pris pour un sourire et a repris sa route.

Proud rajput

Pushkar (India) - For this portrait, I did not let myself be surprised as for the previous one. I put myself in a place where I could have a background that was easily readable and that wouldn't take too much importance. As there were many Rajput peasants around the lake that morning, I had no doubt that I would have the opportunity to do some portraits.

This is what happened with this old man. I didn't ask him anything, but when he saw that I was photographing him, he stopped and looked at me a little surprised. To avoid any dispute, I gave him a small wave and showed him the photo on the device's control screen. He gave a little smirk that I mistook for a smile and resumed his journey.