No Matter What you Get in This Life, Your Smile is Always The most Beautiful, Keep it on your Face

The plumage of most kingfishers is bright, with green and blue being the most common colours. The brightness of the colours is neither the product of iridescence or pigments, but is instead caused by the structure of the feathers, which causes scattering of blue light (the Tyndall effect).

The kingfishers have long, dagger-like bills. The bill is usually longer and more compressed in species that hunt fish, and shorter and more broad in species that hunt prey off the ground. The largest and most atypical bill is that of the shovel-billed kookaburra, which is used to dig through the forest floor in search of prey. They generally have short legs, although species that feed on the ground have longer tarsi. Most species have four toes, three of which are forward-pointing.

The irises of most species are dark brown. The kingfishers have excellent vision; they are capable of binocular vision and are thought in particular to have good colour vision. They have restricted movement of their eyes within the eye sockets, instead using head movements to track prey. In addition, they are capable of compensating for the refraction of water and reflection when hunting prey underwater, and are able to judge depth under water accurately. They also have nictitating membranes that cover the eyes to protect them when they hit the water; the pied kingfisher has a bony plate which slides across the eye when it hits the water.

Comments are always welcome and favs most appreciated.

Comentarios y favs son siempre bienvenidos

© Photography of Ricardo Gomez Angel

All rights reserved. All images on this website are the property of Ricardo Gomez Angel. Images may not be reproduced, copied or used in any way without written permission.

© Fotografía de Ricardo Gomez Angel

Todos los derechos reservados. Todas las imágenes contenidas en este sitio web son propiedad de Ricardo Gomez Angel. Las imágenes no se pueden reproducir, copiar o utilizar de ninguna manera sin el permiso escrito

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Gruner Park in the state of Styria in Austria is one of the most amazing magical places in the world.

This place turns into an underwater park during the summer because the snow from the Hochschwab mountains melts and fills the park's lake up to 12 meters, covering the banks, benches, trails... From the end of summer and autumn, the lake returns to a picturesque lake with beautiful reflections.

The lake got the name "Green Lake" (Gruner See in German) because of its emerald-green water which is actually a reflection of the surrounding forests and mountains.

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Kreuzteich lake, near Green Lake in Gruner park, Austria.

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See my new photos from the "My travels" album:

Alfama - najstarsza dzielnica Lizbony, widok zatoki rzeki Tag, Kościół Santo Estêvão i w głębi most Vasco da Gama.

NEW Flicr acc: www.flickr.com/photos/msarrasine/21987222248/in/dateposted/

Credits & LM: fashionoobsl.wordpress.com/2015/10/14/black-is-the-color-...

The Black Cuillin are the finest mountains in the British Isles, bar none. Big, black, jagged and scary - who can fail to be impressed? Some of my most memorable mountain days were spent up there, and I hope I still have the legs to make it back.

This was taken from the top end of the Fairy Pools on a day that was quite wet and wild.

One of the most common and widespread sparrows in North America. Fairly large with a long, rounded tail. Overall coarsely patterned with gray and brown, usually with more reddish-brown wings and tail. Look especially for thick brown streaks on the underparts and a broad dark mustache stripe. Significant variation in plumage geographically: relatively pale and rusty in the southwestern U.S.; blacker streaking in California; overall dusky in the Pacific Northwest. Larger, longer-tailed and usually more rusty than Savannah Sparrow. Found in a variety of scrubby habitats both near and far from human development, especially edges of fields, often near water. Listen for husky "chimp" calls and melodic song with chips and trills. (eBird)

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Always happy to see a Song Sparrow. This one is in fresh breeding plumage and looks great against the pale grey background of the Ottawa River.

Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2024.

A most humble bow of respect to the painters and woodblock artists who created the "ukiyo-e" celebrating the original "floating world" of the Edo period of Japanese history. (From the series: "The secret life of lily pads")

Most of the cone flowers here have given way to the summer heat. Petals are dropping, cones are drooping over (sorta how I feel out in the humid hot summers of Arkansas). But found this lone cone in fairly good shape with the help of part day shade.

Nikon Z7 ~ Zeiss Milvus 100M/2

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour under Patriarshiy Most at dusk

Warsaw, Poland

Malin Head (Irish: Cionn Mhálanna) is located on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland and is the most northerly point of the island of Ireland. The northernmost tip is the headland named Banba's Crown located at latitude 55.38ºN. Malin Head gives its name to the Malin sea area. There is a weather station on the head, which is one of 22 such stations whose reports are broadcast as part of the BBC Shipping Forecast.

Ptolemy's Geography (2nd century AD) described a point called Βορειον (Boreion, "the northern") which probably referred to Malin Head.

Banba's Crown on Malin Head is the most northerly point of the Irish mainland. Banba was one of the mythical queens of Ireland. Banba's Crown is about 16 km (10 mi) north of the village of Malin. The island of Inishtrahull is further north, located approximately 10 km (6 mi) north east of Malin Head. Further north still is the most northerly landfall of Ireland, Tor Beg rock.

Tower at Banbas Crown that was used during war times.

Malin Head is home to small businesses such as pubs, restaurants, shops and a large call centre called Forward Emphasis International, which employs many of the local residents.

Huawei P9 Lite

Oh, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.

* One of the most extraordinary aspects of the city of Bologna is its amazing range of porticos. Today the historic centre of Bologna, that is to say the area included into the city walls of the thirteenth century, contains some 38 kilometres (23 miles) of porticos build during a long historic period from the eleventh to the twentieth century. It was very hot while we there but you could walk almost everywhere in the shade of these porticos. No doubt in bad weather you would be equally protected from rain and snow. Many Italian cities had extensive systems of porticos but most got rid of many of them to allow the roads to be widened. Bologna has chosen to put people before cars, which is a change. They are very pleasing to walk through, light and shadows constantly change under them. I took quite a few shots of these architectural features some of them will no doubt appear later in my stream.

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED AND SO MUCH MORE INTRESTING THAN JUST GIVING A FAVE

The most difficult action shot in my series was this oncoming sprint towards me. Not having eye autofocus and a slow fps I knew this shot would require some luck and concentration. The final outcome was 2 acceptable shots in this challenging situation. Click for large view.

than meets the eye :-)

Punch, 1934

narcissus, tazetta daffodil, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

I'm still working on some edits to put shots up on another site. This is an old photo from my archives that has been reworked and resized. There are several that have similar looks to them, owing to the fact that the storm that rolled through Daytona Beach Shores that day was so impressive that I took tons of shots. All were taken from the balcony of the condo I was staying at. Unfortunately, all were taken with a point & shoot camera, so the clarity is mediocre on most, and there was just so much I could do with editing, but still, the images do convey the incredible force of nature in a powerful way.

The sunset shots were taken after the storm had passed, and that's not the sun glowing THROUGH the clouds that you see, but the REFLECTION of the sun off the clouds, as the sun sets in the west here, and these views are facing east, northeast or southeast towards the Atlantic.

The shot called Stormy Day was right before the storm hit, and Stop! You're Going the Wrong Way! was also at the beginning of the storm. Oddly enough, there was little or no rain, and the lightning and thunder produced by the thunderhead stayed mostly inside of the cloud itself. I suppose I should have been inside while it went through, but I was so captivated by it that I couldn't stop taking photos! These are among my most colorful, but that is mostly from the editing. The colors after the storm were much more pastel, and the storm itself wasn't as dark looking. These images create the mood I experienced looking at the beauty of it all, so I hope you enjoy!

One of my most favorite of places on earth: the Antelope Canyons in Page, AZ!

This one is from the Lower Antelope Canyon.

The lower canyon offers stunning vista and a deeper connection with the canyon. It is longer narrower and every curve gives you a unique perspective represents an entirely different gamut of hues and shades. The colors are amazing if you could catch the sunlight in the right time of the day. The awesome part of the lower canyon is its multistep nature that gives you a nice amalgamation of iron stairs fusing with the canyon walls that adds a character of depth to the photographs.

I find the Lower canyon more attractive not only for its unparalleled beauty but that its not crowded as the Upper canyon. You can take your time looking for the right perspective, composition and frame your shot without people running between you nor any nagging guides who are always pointing that the time is running out! In the Lower Canyons you can go without a guide and just pay a small amount to carry a tripod. Shoot the way you want as much you want! I will suggest carrying good amount of water, as you will be long inside!

The canyon a magical place to be at!

I can spend the whole week walking and taking pictures here (only if I don't have to earn a living!).

Tune ♥

Location The Nest Sunbird ♥

Credits ♥

Sofia, Bulgaria: Orlov Most Metro Station, Line 3; Opened 2020

Most recently the building has been home to a beauty school.....appears it's getting a makeover.

All attention focuses on the specific instant, almost too good to be true, which can only vanish in the following one :-)

Willie Ronis

HMM! HPPT! Character Matters!

echinacea, coneflowers, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

in fact, it’s a very difficult medium to really excel well in because basically, people don’t work hard enough – they’re lazy. Don’t be lazy!

Martin Parr

HPPT! Ukraine Matters!

echinacea, coneflower, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

Acacia pycnantha, most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of 8 metres and has phyllodes instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late winter and spring, followed by long seed pods. Wikipedia

The golden wattle is the floral emblem of Australia with its masses of sunshine yellow balls of flowers brightening the bush and gardens in late winter to early spring. It grows from 2 to 10 metres tall and is fast growing, but sadly can be short lived. Adapts to most soils as long as they are free draining, and can take some frost and dry periods. Performs best in temperate climate zones. A useful plant- the flowers are fragrant and can be used for making perfume, the seed is edible and the bark is rich in tannins. Green seed can be cooked like peas. Ripe seed can be baked then ground with a mortar and pestle into a low glycaemic flour.

Note– this plant originates from South Australia, but has become a problem plant in some areas where it is becoming weedy and competing with the natural species. Southern Western Australia is one area where this happening. (Gardening with Angus)

Most of these Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were really very far away from where I was lying down on the mud, so I decided to focus on the one closest to me and use the rest as bokeh and get all their reflections in the shot. Pretty happy with the result except for one small detail: the green plastic bottle interrupting the second reflection from the left. Happiness is never complete! Photographed in Rionegro, Colombia.

© Alex Pareja

While most people were enjoying there extra hour in bed i was leaving my house at 5.45am and heading towards Bath. The plan was to head for Bathampton but due to road closures because of Bristol/Bath Marathon and getting a bit lost i ended up at Limpley Stoke. I had been there before but never with my camera and the mist rising before dawn made me stop there and try to get some images. I hope you enjoy what i captured.

Bridge.

Sam & Patches have their Xmas portrait

At Towneley park,

Burnley

Lancashire

Boxing Day in the fog.

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Praha (CZ) 01-08-2016

Karlův most s Pražským hradem a Katedrálou svatého Víta.

Karelsbrug met de Praagse Burcht en de Sint-Vituskathedraal.

Charles Bridge with Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral.

Karlsbrücke mit der Prager Burg und dem Sankt Veitsdom.

Pont Charles avec le château de Prague et la cathédrale Saint-Guy.

Puente Carlos con el Castillo de Praga y la Catedral de San Vito.

Ponte Carlo con il Castello di Praga e la Cattedrale di San Vito.

Ponte Carlos com o Castelo de Praga e a Catedral de São Vito.

-99174BJ-

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CC Most Versatile - Red

Happy Bokeh Wednesday!

ETA: Thanks to my neighbors for having their Christmas tree lights on this morning! : )

It has a 600 ft. (183 m) wide crater.

Most of the volcano is covered by snow.

After the Arenal, climbing a steep snow (glacial) ridge. Extra 32 minutes for me. It normally takes 40 minutes.

We left from the Hut at 2:00 am.

It is 6:20 am (sunrise time).

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With its elevation of 5,023 metres (16,480 ft), Tungurahua just over tops the snow line (about 4,900 metres (16,100 ft)).

Tungurahua's top is snow-covered and did feature a small summit glacier which melted away after the increase of volcanic activity in 1999.

***

The glacier is small and represents only the final 40 minutes of the climb.

Crampons are recommended.

The rest of the climb is scree and demanding, especially if it is muddy.

Most bee-eaters are gregarious. They form colonies, nesting in burrows tunnelled into vertical sandy banks, often at the side of a river or in flat ground. As they mostly live in colonies, large numbers of nest holes may be seen together.

Clevedon Pier is a seaside pier in the town of Clevedon, Somerset, England on the east shore of the Severn Estuary. It was described by Sir John Betjeman, as "the most beautiful pier in England" and was designated a Grade I listed building in 2001

View On Black

John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

For weak and for strong

For rich and the poor ones

The war is so long

And so happy Christmas

For black and for white

For yellow and red ones

Let's stop all the fight

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear...

Pix taken at Cu Mara SL the pix on the moon from The Vietnam War

Have a look in large view^^

”The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Comments are always welcome and favs most appreciated.

Comentarios y favs son siempre bienvenidos

© Photography of Ricardo Gomez Angel

All rights reserved. All images on this website are the property of Ricardo Gomez Angel. Images may not be reproduced, copied or used in any way without written permission.

© Fotografía de Ricardo Gomez Angel

Todos los derechos reservados. Todas las imágenes contenidas en este sitio web son propiedad de Ricardo Gomez Angel. Las imágenes no se pueden reproducir, copiar o utilizar de ninguna manera sin el permiso escrito

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM THE TEDDY BEARS

In this case the "most interesting things" were the neighbour's rabbits. Fynn introduced the rabbits to his little brother and Tofu the Dragon immediately fell in love with them. He will probably spend a lot of time at that fence. Happy Fence Friday ! :)