View allAll Photos Tagged Mudding
There are at least two species of Mud-dauber Wasp visiting our Sicilian holiday garden; fairly large ones and very large ones. This is one of the very large ones.
They have been collecting mud from a rather inaccessible damp area under a tree. They are also not very tolerant of human company and fly away if disturbed. The solution; make them a special mud garden in a plastic pot and put it somewhere more suitable for photography. I did that and after a couple of days they started visiting it. This is the first decent shot that I've got. I'm assuming that it's one of the Scelephron species.
We visited this unique landscape with mud volcanoes in Buzau Mts., Romania. Here are some more details about this place:
"The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation located in the Berca commune in the Buzău County in Romania. Its most spectacular feature is the mud volcanoes, small volcano-shaped structures typically a few meters high caused by the eruption of mud and natural gases.
As the gases erupt from 3000 meters-deep towards the surface, through the underground layers of clay and water, they push up underground salty water and mud, so that they overflow through the mouths of the volcanoes, while the gas emerges as bubbles. The mud dries off at the surface, creating a relatively solid conical structure, resembling a real volcano. The mud expelled by them is cold, as it comes from inside the Earth's continental crust layers, and not from the mantle.
The reservation is unique in Romania. The mud volcanoes create a strange lunar landscape, due to the absence of vegetation around the cones. Vegetation is scarce because the soil is very salty, an environmental condition in which few plants can survive." (Wikipedia)
OK, enough of the boring vacation...back to the daily grind...
Sadly for you but lucky for me, I came within 5 inches of being run over by an old POS looking one way and driving another while in the cross walk in front of this establishment...scary enough to make another driver stop and make sure I was alright...
I probably should have gone inside and immersed myself in a tub of mud...
Elephants use mud to keep cool, as it dries more slowly than water. This is really important during October, as it's 40C - we only discovered when we arrived that the locals call it 'suicide month'. Doh! So much for a super-romantic honeymoon!
This large male was the only animal that came close to being dangerous while we were in Africa. He got rather close and agitated, and we had to withdraw behind some bushes under the cover of the ranger (we were on foot).
He then wandered off and started eating a tree. Obviously.
Winner of the photo contest at The Michelangelo Touch Society
www.flickr.com/groups/the_michelangelo_touch__society_/
Nikon D80 - Nikkor 70-200 + TC-17 @ 340mm - 1/250 - f/5.6 - ISO 100
Today, I had several options on my hard drive; my wife said she especially likes this one. Happy Fence Friday, everyone!
A charity event to race money for Cancer Research, the all women events are raced over 5km over, under and through obstacles and lots of mud. This one was in Basildon Essex
« If you appreciate my work and would like to support me becoming an independent photographer, become a Patreon supporter at www.patreon.com/alexdehaas, or buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/alexdehaas :) »
« If you appreciate my work and would like to support me becoming an independent photographer, become a Patreon supporter at www.patreon.com/alexdehaas, or buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/alexdehaas :) »
Sometimes, when I loook at some older shots I posted here, I feel like the title is better than the picture in itself... Probable the case here, but the title would not work alone.
probably my muddiest shots to date and i loved every minute of it. Poor bulldogger was not happy.... with his time or the mud.
FIRST SET == The annual MALDON MUD RACE . I used NIKON F75 Gift Camera with 2008 dated KONICA VX400 Super C41 film AF NIKKOR 28=80mm f3.3-5.6G
Mud
Ancient texts tell us that we were shaped from sacred clay, brought to life by the breath of the divine. Within us dwell the elements that compose the very fabric of the cosmos. But we are but fragile vessels, molded from dust, bearing an ego far grander than we deserve.
by me
Photography and file processing; LC Nevermind(Luis Campillo)
Artistic direction, MUAH, props, caption and model; Lis Xia
Gear; Nikon D2h & Voigtlander Color Skopar 20mm F3.5 SLII, 400 ISO
« If you appreciate my work and would like to support me becoming an independent photographer, become a Patreon supporter at www.patreon.com/alexdehaas, or buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/alexdehaas :) »
At the waters edge. Thick mud stuck firmly into my arch and between my toes. Ready for a dip into the cool water!
Mud Moutain of Hingol National Park
Fact Sheet:
Geographical Location:
25*30'N-65*30'E
Physical Location:
Makran coast, Baluchistan province. Approximately 190 km west of Karachi
Total Area:
610, 043 hectares
Date Established:
1988 and 1997 (includes Dhrun Wildlife Sanctuary)
Best Time to Visit:
Mid October to November and December to mid March
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Description
Hingol National Park (HNP) – the largest National Park in Pakistan covers about 610,043 It and lies on the Makran coast approximately 190 kilometers (km) from Karachi. The area was declared reserved in 1988 for the first time. The park area includes parts of the three districts of Balochistan; Lasbela, Gawader and Owaran, and contains a variety of topographical features and vegetation. Large tracts of the HNP are covered with drift sand and can be classified as coastal semi desert. HNP includes the estuary of the Hingol river which supports a significant diversity of bird and fish species.
Wildlife:
In addition to a variety of bird species, Hingol is also known to support threatened invertebrates. The park is reported to be an excellent habitat to wild animals including over 3,000 ibexes, and 1500 Urials and more than 1,200 Chinkara, besides number of resident and migratory birds. The Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata), Dalmatian and Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) are regular visitors to the area.
The River Hingol has been nurturing crocodiles for centuries. The Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Green Marine Turtles (Cheloniamydas), endemic and threatened species of fish, such as the Mahasheer occur and schools of Plumbeous Dolphins (Sousa plumbea) are known from close in-shore areas.
Mammals:
The park has a relative high diversity of species for this type of desert environment. However, the population of a number of species is critically low including for Wolf, Leopard, Hyena, and possibly of Caracal and Honey Badger. Populations of Chinkara are common in the Harian Valley and the Northern Plains but vulnerable. The most recent sightings of wolf are from a few years back and no recent sightings have been obtained to confirm the survival of the Desert Wolf in the park. The population is either critically low or the last individuals have been recently killed.
The status of the following species needs to be studied in more detail to assess their survival changes, their current distribution within the park and the population densities: Urial, Chinkara, Desert Wolf, Leopard, Caracal, Hyena, Wild Boar, Honey Badger.
The park has large populations of Ibex, although population like those of many other species were decimated during the long period of extreme drought (1998-2004). Porcupine is abundant in many locations both in the lowland valley and the Mountain plateaux. It is reportedly increasing in numbers in several areas. The main reason is likely the local loss of predators such as Leopard, Hyena and Desert Wolf. Cape Hare is numerous in many valleys and flood plain areas, and so are their main predators the Foxes and Jackal. Certain rodent species in particular Mouse like Hamster and Indian Gerbil may be quite common.
Birds:
The total number of species thus far listed for Hingol National Park is 185 (Nov 2006). The Species Diversity of the Park is relatively high for a desert area due to the large variety of habitats including sea, sea coast, estuaries and mudflats, riverine habitat and mountains up to 1580 m. The highest number of species is found at the seacoast, the estuary and along the Hingol River and main tributaries the Nal, Parken, Arra and Babro-Mari River. Some 45% or almost nearly half of all species are related to water including the seacoast, the estuary, and the Hingol River areas. The major groups among these are the seagull and terns, the pelicans, flamingos, herons and egrets, the plovers and lapwings and the stints, sandpipers, godwits, shanks, coots, curlews, king fishers, Osprey, etc..
Only a small number or about 10 % are typically related to the desert areas. Bird diversity is typically low in the tree-poor and degraded broad valleys and the desert areas with very limited water sources. The typical desert related bird groups include the Wheat-ears, Common Babblers, Larks, Sand Grouses, Partridges, the Houbara Bustard, some Shrikes and Buntings.
Many other species use the desert area also including many birds of prey, insect eating birds such as Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, and seed eaters such as Pigeons and Doves, and birds with a more varied diet such as White-eared Bulbuls, Sparrows and the Brown-headed Raven and Shrikes.
The remainder of the birds some 45% consists of birds of prey (Eagles, Vultures, Hawks, Buzzards, Falcons), pigeons, owls, nightyars, woodpeckers, rollers, swallows, martins, wagtails, chats, robins, warblers, white-throats, flycatchers, sunbird, drongo, mynas, sparrows, buntings.
Bird biomass is low, except at the estuary and mudflats and tidal river where large groups of Pelicans, Flamingos, Waders (Plovers, Stints, Sandpipers, Shanks), Seagulls, Terns, and Ducks like to congregate.
Some bird species profit from the influence of cultivation, in particular culture following species such as House Sparrows, Silverbells, White-eared Bulbuls, Buntings, Common Babblers, White throats and Brown-headed Raven. The water harvesting systems result in agricultural areas with high trees of Kand Prosopis glandiflora, Kikar Acacia nilotica, and Ber Zizyphus mauritiana. In particular Ziziphus mauritiana attracts fruit-seed eating birds such as White-eared Bulbul, Lesser White-throats, House Sparrows and others. They also provide nesting sites for many bird species. Blossoms and fruits of trees such as Salvadora spp. and Capparis decidua, usually attract several bird species, including the Purple Sunbirds Nectarinia asiatica. These trees are however scarce and may have much decreased in numbers through cutting for construction wood and fuel wood.
The fields with ripening grains such as millet attract many seed eating birds including rock pigeons, doves, buntings, sparrows and others.
Several species find either their eastern limit or their western limit in the Hingol and surroundings. A typical example is the Brown-headed Raven.
The Brown-headed Raven Corvus rufficollis is a restricted range species. It is limited to the southern areas of Balochistan, Iran up to Oman and Egypt. The eastern limits of its total range are at the east boundary of the park, while a few individuals wandering up to Liari and the estuary of the Porali River. They occur all over the park beyond its northern boundaries.
Groups of some 4 –20 or more birds are found along each river and in each major valley. The Aghore group is the largest with more than 20 individuals. The total number of groups resident in the Park is estimated at 10-20 only.
A rare bird noted as limited range species with breeding in Balochistan coastal zone is the Sooty Falcon. It is regularly seen in Hingol and a group of 17 were sighted at Machi / Sangal mountain ridge and may be breeding in Hingol
At least half of the species listed for the park are migratory birds. The Park is part of the “Asian Flyway” used by birds from Siberia and Central Asia to migrate to the flood plains, lakes and sea coastal areas of Pakistan, India up to Bangladesh. Some birds migrate to East Africa crossing the Arabian Sea. A small number of birds show altitudinal migration over shorter distances. They come down from the higher altitudes within Pakistan to migrate to non-snow covered and warmer areas (e.g., Orphean Whitethroat). The number of species and number of individuals is therefore much higher in the winter period. Most species can be noted when migratory species pass through during the arrival-passage time in autumn (Aug-Nov) and their return in spring (Feb-May). A small number of species stay the whole winter in the park area, notably some Egrets and Herons. A very small number migrates from south east to northwest in summer times.
The largest concentrations of migratory birds can be found at the Hingol estuary and lower Hingol River plains. Several birds of Prey pass through the coastal area during the wintertime. A two day survey in Jan. 2006, listed 150 Great White Pelicans, 40 Spot-billed and 50 Dalmatian Pelicans, 18 Great Cormorants, 400 Little Cormorants, 75 Western Reef Egrets, 200 Little Egrets, a few Intermediate, Great Egrets and Purple Heron, and 32 Grey Heron, 16 Black Ibis, and 200 Spoonbils. Ducks were limited to Eurasian Wigeon (800), Gadwall (150), Common Teal (600), and Northern Shoveler (200), the total number of shorebirds-waders amounted to 16 out of 40 species including amongst others Great Stone Plover (2), Whimbrel (60) and Eurasian Curlew (35). The Gull-Terns were represented with 12 out of 20 species with high numbers of Herring Gull (2000), and Black-headed Gull (1400).
Reptiles:
The Marsh Crocodile, Olive Ridley and Green Marine Turtles, Desert Monitor lizard, Yellow Monitor lizard, and different species of lizard and chameleon.
Source:
Shot taken in HNP during a Widlife Survey of the Park: