The Indian Peafowl occurs from eastern Pakistan through India, south from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Though once common in Bangladesh, it may now be extinct in that country. Its highly ornamental appearance motivated early seafarers to transplant the peafowl to their homelands in other parts of the western world. Phoenician traders in the time of King Solomon (1000 B.C.) introduced the birds to present-day Syria and the Egyptian Pharaohs. Alexander the Great imported more of the birds into his Mediterranean domains and severely penalized anyone caught harming them. Domesticated peafowl remained a popular status symbol through Roman times and the Middle Ages, ensuring their establishment and survival throughout Europe.

In its native India, the peafowl is a creature of the open forests and riparian undergrowth. In southern India, it also prefers stream-side forests but may also be found in orchards and other cultivated areas.

Peafowl from Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Arcadia. California.

Scarce spring & autumn passage migrant - occurs while moving from Siberia/Central Europe south to winter in Africa.

Though a distinctive wader, with a large body, smallish head, long neck and pointed, slightly decurved bill, individual Ruffs vary enormously in size and colour. Firstly males are approximately one third bigger than females (which are known as Reeves) - males being slightly larger than Redshank, while females are close to Dunlin-sized. Leg colour can be yellow, dull greenish yellow, orange or red. Bill can be all dark or show varying amounts of red or orange - often there is a white area of feathering around the base of the bill. Though males in full summer plumage are rarely seen in Ireland, this too is highly variable - the flamboyant ruff collar of chestnut red or black or even white is purely for display at the breeding ground. Occasionally, spring birds on passage may show a hint of these exotic colours, but the most usual plumage of birds seen here is of darkish brown wing and back feathers, each finely edged pale buff, creating a scaly effect, while the underparts are rather plain whitish, with a warm buff or creamy wash.

The Iceland Gull is one of a few predictable or regular occurring rarities along the Great Lakes. This bird can also be found on the northern range of both the east and west coasts.

The IG breeds in the arctic as well as Greenland, but the color coded map on allaboutbirds indicates it is non-breeding in its namesake Iceland. Hmm!

The IG shows up as a single in large groups of Ringbills and Herrings, so when out for a bit of winter birding, one should peruse carefully a flock of gulls to see if an outlier is hanging out.

This is a juvenile Iceland. Notice the full black beak. Another outlier, the Glaucous Gull, will have only a half black bill on the juvenile. The Iceland can easily blend in with a juvenile Herring Gull, except the juvenile Iceland will not have any black on the wing tips and will generally have lighter markings.

I found this gull last winter in a lake-like river out a mile or two before it empties into Lake Michigan. Because the water moves, it stays open while providing shelter, and many ducks and gulls will gather there.

The species occurs in Europe and Asia and is abundant in Central Europe. It belongs to the Acrididae family and prefers grassland and slightly wet meadows. Males are 14 - 18 mm long, females 19 - 25 mm. Their color may vary from brown to green.

Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis

The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as the Eurasian kingfisher, and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.

This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.

The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.

The flight of the kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. The short rounded wings whirr rapidly, and a bird flying away shows an electric-blue "flash" down its back.

The common kingfisher is widely distributed over Europe, Asia, and North Africa, mainly south of 60°N. It is a common breeding species over much of its vast Eurasian range, but in North Africa it is mainly a winter visitor, although it is a scarce breeding resident in coastal Morocco and Tunisia. In temperate regions, this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps.

Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. It is solitary for most of the year, roosting alone in heavy cover. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which a bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it under water. Pairs form in the autumn but each bird retains a separate territory, generally at least 1 km (0.62 mi) long, but up to 3.5 km (2.2 mi) and territories are not merged until the spring.

Very few birds live longer than one breeding season. The oldest bird on record was 21 years.

They are also listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act offering them additional protection.

Population:

UK breeding:

3,800-6,400 pairs

It occurs to me that I am always presenting the mountain from the mountain which I enjoy, but they don't convey the size and majesty of my beloved volcano. Growing up in Missouri I couldn't conceive a view such as this, but when the sun comes out and 'the' mountain is of a mind it makes an appearance and once again the world is spinning in greased grooves.... (last line stolen from the movie Cannery Row)

Guillemot /Murre - Uria aalge

The common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk. It is also known as the thin-billed murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.

Common murres have fast direct flight but are not very agile. They are more manoeuvrable underwater, typically diving to depths of 30–60 m (98–197 ft). Depths of up to 180 m (590 ft) have been recorded.

Common murres breed in colonies at high densities. Nesting pairs may be in bodily contact with their neighbours. They make no nest; their single egg is incubated on a bare rock ledge on a cliff face. Eggs hatch after ~30 days incubation. The chick is born downy and can regulate its body temperature after 10 days. Some 20 days after hatching the chick leaves its nesting ledge and heads for the sea, unable to fly, but gliding for some distance with fluttering wings, accompanied by its male parent. Chicks are capable of diving as soon as they hit the water. The female stays at the nest site for some 14 days after the chick has left.

Both male and female common murres moult after breeding and become flightless for 1–2 months. In southern populations they occasionally return to the nest site throughout the winter. Northern populations spend the winter farther from their colonies.

Some individuals in the North Atlantic, known as "bridled guillemots", have a white ring around the eye extending back as a white line. This is not a distinct subspecies, but a polymorphism that becomes more common the farther north the birds breed.

The common murre nests in densely packed colonies (known as "loomeries"), with up to twenty pairs occupying one square metre at peak season.[citation needed] Common murres do not make nests and lay their eggs on bare rock ledges, under rocks, or the ground. They first breed at four to nine years old, but most individuals recruit into the breeding population at ages six or seven, although birds may disperse (permanently depart their natal colony) if space is limited. Annual survival probability for birds aged 6–15 is 0.895, and average lifespan is about 20 years. Breeding success increases with age up to age 9-10 to 0.7 fledglings per pair, then declines in the oldest age birds, perhaps indicating reproductive senesence.

High densities mean that birds are close contact with neighbouring breeders. Common murres perform appeasement displays more often at high densities and more often than razorbills.

Allopreening is common both between mates and between neighbours. Allopreening helps to reduce parasites, and it may also have important social functions. Frequency of allopreening a neighbour correlates well with current breeding success.

Allopreening may function as a stress-reducer; ledges with low levels of allopreening show increased levels of fighting and reduced breeding success.

Alloparenting behaviour is frequently observed. Non-breeding and failed breeders show great interest in other chicks, and will attempt to brood or feed them. This activity is more common as the chicks get older and begin to explore their ledge. There has also been a record of a pair managing to raise two chicks. Adults that have lost chicks or eggs will sometimes bring fish to the nest site and try to feed their imaginary chick.

At time of extreme food stress, the social activity of the breeding ledge can break down.

On the Isle of May colony in 2007, food availability was low. Adults spent more of their time-budget foraging for their chicks and had to leave them unattended at times. Unattended chicks were attacked by breeding neighbour which often led to their deaths. Non-breeding and failed breeders continued to show alloparental care.

In areas such as Newfoundland, the birds, along with the related thick-billed murre, are referred to as 'turrs' or 'tuirs', and are consumed. The meat is dark and quite oily, due to the birds' diet of fish. Eggs have also been harvested.

Eggers from San Francisco took almost half a million eggs a year from the Farallon Islands in the mid-19th century to feed the growing city.

Population:

UK breeding:

950,000 pairs

I was on my way home from my Antelope Valley outing to see the poppies, but I still wanted one more thing - a sea of Desert Dandelions. They're a real wildflower favorite of mine, a subtle pale yellow, and they could be seen along the highway I was traveling. Of course, I wanted something a tad more picturesque, like maybe a Joshua Tree surrounded by the Desert Dandy. The Joshuas can also be seen along this highway of the Mojave Desert. They are special, since they only occur between 400 and 1,800 m (1,300 and 5,900 ft) elevation, mostly within the boundary of the Mojave. What luck - a spot to pull off the busy highway, and there was my tree in the field of Desert Dandies. The snow-capped San Gabriels in the background were a big bonus, a great way to finish off a successful day trip. If you're wondering about the several blooms in the tree, they're over the hill - typically giant white kinda pineapple shaped blooms. One other note - if you watch the Rose Parade or Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Years Day and the TV camera cuts to the nearby mountains, these are the ones, from the other side.

"The Eastern Reef Egret occurs along most of Australia’s coastline except in Victoria, Tasmania and the coast adjacent to the Nullarbor Plain. They usually inhabit rocky shorelines and coral islands and reefs, where they forage for fish, crustaceans and molluscs by using a mixture of stealth and surprise.

There are two colour forms of the Eastern Reef Egret. The white form has a white body and wings, a yellow and grey bill, a bare face that is green-yellow, and dull yellow-grey legs. The dark form has a slate-grey body and wings, with a small white streak on the throat, the bill is slate-brown, and the legs are grey. The eyes of both forms are yellow. The Eatern Reef Egret is also called the Eastern Reef Heron, and the dark form the Blue Heron or Blue Reef Heron."

Nigretta Falls occur not far from Hamilton in South Western Victoria. They are fed by the Wannon River and flow over very old (Devonian) rhyolitic volcanic rock.

We made the long climb down the steep steps to the bottom on a warm, sunny afternoon. When I got to the bottom, I had that wonderful feeling you have when you are alone and free to position yourself without worrying about others.

That lasted all of five minutes. It wasn't long before I heard, rather than saw, people yelling and screaming. A group of tourists descended down into the rocky canyon and began to climb all over the cliff face, right up to the waterfall where they proceeded to take selfies for the next 45 minutes. While I know it is so easy to be selfish as a photographer, they had as much right as I did to be there, but they showed no consideration or care at all that I was there. A long exposure helped blur them out.

I'd love to go back in winter when there are multiple branches of this waterfall cascading over the edge.

Occur exclusively among mangroves and adjacent mudflats

Wynnum Mangrove - Brisbane - Queensland - Australia

Thanks Colin

Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (Juv)

Double click

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".

This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.

Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.

Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.

Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.

The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.

Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.

Population:

UK breeding:

46,000 pairs

A significant flood occurred in the Vere River valley in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, on the night of 13 to 14 June 2015. It resulted in at least 20 human deaths and struck the Tbilisi Zoo, leaving half of its animal inhabitants either dead or on the loose.

The Tbilisi Zoo lost more than 300 animals, nearly half of its inhabitants: the majority were killed by flooding. Several surviving inhabitants of the zoo — a hippopotamus, big cats, wolves, bears, and hyenas — escaped from destroyed pens and cages to the streets of Tbilisi and a police unit was employed to round them up. Some were killed, others were recaptured and brought back to the zoo. The media ran footage showing the hippopotamus making its way to a flooded Heroes' Square, one of Tbilisi's major roadway hubs, where it was subdued with a tranquilizer dart. On 17 June a white tiger remaining on the loose attacked and mortally wounded a man in a storehouse near the zoo. The animal was eventually shot dead by the police. An African penguin was found at the Red Bridge border crossing with Azerbaijan, having swum some 60 km south from Tbilisi.

La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.

Black-capped Tanagers (Tangara heinei) are vividly-colored tropical birds that occur from Venezuela to Ecuador. This species is primarily found in montane forest edges, at forest clearings (natural as well as man-made), and in tall second-growth forest. Black-capped Tanagers often occur in pairs and sometimes in mixed-species flocks, foraging in bushes and trees for insects and fruit.

It is one of the few species in the genus that shows obvious sexual dichromatism, with males primarily gray-blue in color with a distinctive black cap, and females yellow-green without a black cap.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...

Old Hat and Old Book both have been around for a long time, just a thought that occurred to me, found in North Carolina but been a lot of places.

Versicolored Emerald - A common and familiar hummingbird occurring in many different habitats from forest edges to deserts and mangroves to urban areas. Many different subspecies with significant variation in plumage, but all have a glowing green body, a variably white belly, and an orangish lower mandible. Subspecies vary in the presence of blue, green, or white throats and in the extent of the white patch on the belly. At the gardens of Macuquinho Lodge.

PBW!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated by any means without my written explicit permission, including the use on websites and similar medias. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

My instagram if you like: @thelmag, @thelma_and_cats and @teg_photo_arts

Member of Nature’s Spirit

Good Stewards of Nature

Camera obscura (plural camera obscura or camerae obscurae from Latin, meaning "dark room": camera "(vaulted) chamber or room," and obscura "darkened, dark"), also referred to as pinhole image, is the natural optical phenomenon that occurs when an image of a scene at the other side of a screen (or for instance a wall) is projected through a small hole in that screen, as a reversed and inverted image (left to right and upside down) on a surface opposite to the opening. The surroundings of the projected image have to be relatively dark for the image to be clear, so many historical camera obscura experiments were performed in dark rooms.

The term "camera obscura" also refers to constructions or devices that make use of the principle within a box, tent or room. Camerae obscurae with a lens in the opening have been used since the second half of the 16th century and became popular as an aid for drawing and painting. The camera obscura box was developed further into the photographic camera in the first half of the 19th century when camera obscura boxes were used to expose light-sensitive materials to the projected image.

The camera obscura was used as a means to study eclipses, without the risk of damaging the eyes by looking into the sun directly. As a drawing aid, the camera obscura allowed tracing the projected image to produce a highly accurate representation, especially appreciated as an easy way to achieve a proper graphical perspective.

A camera obscura device without a lens but with a very small hole is sometimes referred to as a "pinhole camera", although this more often refers to simple (home-made) lens-less cameras in which photographic film or photographic paper is used.

The earliest known written record of the camera obscura is to be found in Chinese writings called Mozi and dated to the 4th century BCE, traditionally ascribed to and named for Mozi (circa 470 BCE-circa 391 BCE), a Han Chinese philosopher and the founder of Mohist School of Logic. In these writings it is explained how the inverted image in a "collecting-point" or "treasure house" is inverted by an intersecting point (a pinhole) that collected the (rays of) light.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE), or possibly a follower of his ideas, touched upon the subject in the work Problems - Book XV, asking:

"Why is it that when the sun passes through quadri-laterals, as for instance in wickerwork, it does not produce a figure rectangular in shape but circular?”

and further on:

“Why is it that an eclipse of the sun, if one looks at it through a sieve or through leaves, such as a plane-tree or other broadleaved tree, or if one joins the fingers of one hand over the fingers of the other, the rays are crescent-shaped where they reach the earth? Is it for the same reason as that when light shines through a rectangular peep-hole, it appears circular in the form of a cone?"

Many philosophers and scientists of the Western world would ponder this question before it became accepted that the circular and crescent-shapes described in this "problem" were actually pinhole image projections of the sun. Although a projected image will have the shape of the aperture when the light source, aperture and projection plane are close together, the projected image will have the shape of the light source when they are further apart.

The RG Dove occurs only as a rarity in the U.S. In Mexico it occurs on the west and east coasts where it can be found in humid and open areas. It is prevalent in Central and South America where the bird is more ruddy than ones found in upper Mexico.

I found this pair in an estuary in San Jose del Cabo, a place that offered many birds that didn't' offer too many obstacles when having their photos taken. I was happy to find them since tracking them down inside the US can be a challenge as they might only make themselves available a few times in a year.

Facts: The two species of plovercrest occur in the Atlantic Forest region of eastern South America, but do not overlap geographically: Green-crowned Plovercrest Stephanoxis lalandi is restricted to southeastern Brazil (from southern Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo south to northeastern São Paulo), whereas Purple-crowned Plovercrest occurs from eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina to southern Brazil (north to central São Paulo). The males of both species have a glittering crown with a long but narrow crest. The crown and crest are green (naturally) in Green-crowned Plovercrest, and the male has dark violet blue underparts. The crown and crest are violet in Purple-crowned Plovercrest, and the violet blue of the underparts is confined to the center of the throat and breast, bordered laterally by gray. Males of both species sing at leks; differences in song or display between the two species have not been documented.

birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/plover4

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated! If you want, check my instagram: @thelmag

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

Visit my instagram if you like: @thelmag

These flies mainly occur in meadows and spruce forest edges.

Acidia cognata is a relatively large species, the body length reaching 6.5–7.0 millimetres (0.26–0.28 in), while the wing length reaches 4.9–6.9 millimetres (0.19–0.27 in). It has a golden orange-brown body. The head is pale yellow-white, with bright red eyes and a dull stripe on the forehead. The wings are markedly colored and shows five dark grey or brownish bands, which are interconnected. The first bandage begins at the base of the wings, while the fifth band lies on the wing tip.

Adults flies from May until early October. Larvae are oligophagous leaf miners of a variety of plants in the family Asteraceae, mainly feeding from August until October on Arctium lappa, Petasites fragrans, Petasites albus, Petasites hybridus, Petasites paradoxus, Petasites spurius, Homogyne alpine and Tussilago farfara. Pupation occurs externally, in the soil.

Ice out occurred locally on April 12. It was dead calm in the morning but a gusty afternoon broke up much of the remaining ice. By the end of the day it was largely ice free upstream of Deep River but the pier was still iced in. The ice cleared at the pier two days later.

This photo is from the morning.

Rain occurs frequently in Iceland. In most places, that would seriously hamper shooting. But in Iceland, photo opportunities abound. Here a sheep blocks the way on a country road on the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

A total lunar eclipse occurred on 21 January 2019 UTC. For observers in the Americas, the eclipse took place between the evening of Sunday, 20 January and the early morning hours of Monday, 21 January. For observers in Europe and Africa, the eclipse occurred during the morning of 21 January. The Moon was near its perigee on 21 January and as such can be described as a "supermoon".

© All rights reserved

A banner chase occurred on the Rochester & Southern with a 5 unit set that had two "flares" leading on the GW1. We followed them on the southbound run to Silver Springs, NY. This shot is at Rock Glen with the power screaming to the heavens with a large train.

Special thanks to Mike S for the help with this day.

Diphelypaea (Nicholson) occur in the Caucasus, Crimea and Western Asia ( Turkey and Iran). D. coccinea is an achlorophyllous obligately parasitic perennial herbaceous plant up to 30-50 cm in height. The stem is unbranched, red to reddish brown, ending in a single flower of a bright red color. D. coccinea parasitizes the roots of plants of the genus Psephellus.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

პირიმზე (ლათ. Diphelypaea coccinea) — ბალახოვანი მცენარე კელაპტარასებრთა ოჯახისა. პარაზიტია, მეტწილად გვირილებზე და რთულყვავილოვანთა ოჯახის სხვა მცენარეებზე სახლობს. მისი ფოთლები დაკნინებულია და ღეროს ქვედა ნაწილში გადაქცეულია ყავისფერ ქერქლებად, ფესვები კი — მისაწოვრებად.

15-40 სმ სიმაღლის ჩხირის მსგავს და ამართულ დაუტოტავ ღეროზე ყოველთვის მზისკენ მიმართული მხოლოდ ერთი ლალისფერი ყვავილი ზის.

გავრცელებულია ქართლსა და კახეთში, მთის ქვედა სარტყლიდან შუა სარტყლამდე. გვხვდება კლდეზე, ველზე და ზოგჯერ ბუჩქნარებში. თბილისის მიდამოებში ჩიბუხას ეძახიან.

სწორედ ეს არის პირიმზე ვაჟას ამ ცნობილი ლექსიდან:

„ბუნება მბრძანებელია,

იგივ მონაა თავისა,

ზოგჯერ სიკეთეს იხვეჭავს,

ზოგჯერ მქმნელია ავისა,

ერთფერად მტვირთველი არის

საქმის თეთრის და შავისა;

საცა პირიმზეს ახარებს,

იქვე მთხრელია ზვავისა…“

პოემა „სტუმარ-მასპინძლის“ ფინალშიც გვხვდება ეს ყვავილი იმ ადგილას, სადაც ჯოყოლა მოკლეს:

„მხოლოდ მდინარის ხმა ისმის,

დაბლა მიქანავს ხველითა

და უფსკრულს დასცქერს პირიმზე

მოღერებულის ყელითა…“

In my garden. La Ceja , Colombia, Central Andes; 2300m.

Actinote anteas occurs in cloudforest at elevations between about 1000-2300m.

The genus Actinote comprises of thinly scaled species whose wings often have a translucent and shiny appearance.

There are 36 known Actinote species. There are 8 subspecies of anteas found variously from Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil.

www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Andes%20-%20Actinote%20ante...

It occurred to me today that the garden is in a purple, lavender and white theme . . . maybe because this past weekend was the Lilac Festival? The tulips at the gates are deep dark purple and white with a mixture of other purple flowers whose names I do not know.

Sometimes the most interesting visual phenomena occur when you least expect it. Other times, you think you’re getting something amazing and the photographs turn out to be boring and predictable. So I think that’s why, a long time ago, I consciously tried to let go of artist’s angst, and instead just hope for the best and enjoy it. I love the journey as much as the destination. If I wasn’t a photographer, I’d still be a traveler :-)

Michael Kenna

HMM!! Justice Matters! No one is above the law!

rose, little theater rose garden, raleigh, north carolina

San Vito

Costa Rica

Wilson Botanical Garden

Cherrie's tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii costaricensis) is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in the Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica and western Panama. This bird was formerly known as the scarlet-rumped tanager, but was split as a separate species from the Caribbean form, which was itself renamed as Passerini's tanager, Ramphocelus passerinii.). It was lumped back into the scarlet-rumped tanager in 2018.

The adult Cherrie's tanager is 16 cm (6.3 in) long and weighs 31 g (1.1 oz).

Cherrie's tanagers occur in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock, and up to a dozen birds may roost together in dense thickets at night. This species feeds on small fruit, usually swallowed whole, insects and spiders.

Cherrie's tanager's call is a sharp wac. Its song consists of a few clear pleasant notes, delivered in longer phrases than that of its Caribbean relative. – Wikipedia

Muntjac Deer - Muntiacus reevesi

Doe

Reeves’ muntjac are small, stocky and russet brown in colour in summer and grey/brown in winter. Bucks have short (10 cm) antlers growing from long pedicles. Antlers are usually unbranched but a very short brow tine is occasionally found in old bucks. They also have visible upper canines (tusks) suggesting that they are a primitive species. Muntjac have two pairs of large glands on the face. The upper pair are the frontal glands, whilst the lower glands, below the eyes, are called sub-orbitals. Both glands are used to mark territories and boundaries. They have a ginger forehead with pronounced black lines running up the pedicles in bucks, and a dark diamond shape on does. The haunches are higher than the withers giving a hunched appearance. They have a fairly wide tail, which is held erect when disturbed.

Muntjac were brought from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century. They are now widespread and increasing in number and range. Deliberate releases and escapes from Woburn, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire led to the establishment of feral populations. Movement and release by humans led to their rapid spread across south and central England and Wales, however, north of the Humber distribution is patchy but reaches close to the Scottish border.

Muntjac like deciduous or coniferous forests, preferably with a diverse understorey. They are also found in scrub and overgrown urban gardens. Unlike other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not cause significant damage to agricultural or timber crops. However, high densities may prevent coppice regeneration and the loss of some plants of conservation importance, such as primulas. Muntjac trophy hunting has only recently become popular so there is little tradition of muntjac stalking on country and forest estates. The most significant direct economic impact that muntjac have on human interests is in collisions with cars. However, this has welfare as well as economic implications.

In contrast to all other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not have a defined breeding season (rut). Instead, they breed all year round and the does can conceive again within days of giving birth. Bucks may fight for access to does but remain unusually tolerant of subordinate males within their vicinity.

Does are capable of breeding at seven months old. After a gestation period of seven months, they give birth to a single kid and are ready to mate again within a few days.

Bucks can live up to 16 years and does up to 19 years, but these are exceptional.

Muntjac are generally solitary or found in pairs (doe with kid or buck with doe) although pair-bonding does not occur. Bucks defend small exclusive territories against other bucks whereas does' territories overlap with each other and with several bucks.

They are known as ‘barking deer’ from the repeated loud bark given under a number of circumstances. An alarmed muntjac may scream whereas maternal does and kids squeak.

Muntjac are active throughout the 24-hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations subject to frequent disturbance. Peak activity is at dawn and dusk. Long periods are spent ‘lying up’, where the deer lies down to ruminate after feeding.

La Ceja, Colombia; 2300 meters above sea level.

Black-capped Tanagers (Tangara heinei) are vividly-colored tropical birds that occur from Venezuela to Colombia and Ecuador. This species is primarily found in montane forest edges, at forest clearings (natural as well as man-made), and in tall second-growth forest. Black-capped Tanagers often occur in pairs and sometimes in mixed-species flocks, foraging in bushes and trees for insects and fruit.

It is one of the few species in the genus that shows obvious sexual dichromatism, with males primarily gray-blue in color with a distinctive black cap, and females yellow-green without a black cap.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...

Diphelypaea (Nicholson) occur in the Caucasus, Crimea and Western Asia ( Turkey and Iran). D. coccinea is an achlorophyllous obligately parasitic perennial herbaceous plant up to 30-50 cm in height. The stem is unbranched, red to reddish brown, ending in a single flower of a bright red color. D. coccinea parasitizes the roots of plants of the genus Psephellus.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

პირიმზე (ლათ. Diphelypaea coccinea) — ბალახოვანი მცენარე კელაპტარასებრთა ოჯახისა. პარაზიტია, მეტწილად გვირილებზე და რთულყვავილოვანთა ოჯახის სხვა მცენარეებზე სახლობს. მისი ფოთლები დაკნინებულია და ღეროს ქვედა ნაწილში გადაქცეულია ყავისფერ ქერქლებად, ფესვები კი — მისაწოვრებად.

15-40 სმ სიმაღლის ჩხირის მსგავს და ამართულ დაუტოტავ ღეროზე ყოველთვის მზისკენ მიმართული მხოლოდ ერთი ლალისფერი ყვავილი ზის.

გავრცელებულია ქართლსა და კახეთში, მთის ქვედა სარტყლიდან შუა სარტყლამდე. გვხვდება კლდეზე, ველზე და ზოგჯერ ბუჩქნარებში. თბილისის მიდამოებში ჩიბუხას ეძახიან.

სწორედ ეს არის პირიმზე ვაჟას ამ ცნობილი ლექსიდან:

„ბუნება მბრძანებელია,

იგივ მონაა თავისა,

ზოგჯერ სიკეთეს იხვეჭავს,

ზოგჯერ მქმნელია ავისა,

ერთფერად მტვირთველი არის

საქმის თეთრის და შავისა;

საცა პირიმზეს ახარებს,

იქვე მთხრელია ზვავისა…“

პოემა „სტუმარ-მასპინძლის“ ფინალშიც გვხვდება ეს ყვავილი იმ ადგილას, სადაც ჯოყოლა მოკლეს:

„მხოლოდ მდინარის ხმა ისმის,

დაბლა მიქანავს ხველითა

და უფსკრულს დასცქერს პირიმზე

მოღერებულის ყელითა…“

Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (Juvenile)

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".

This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.

Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.

Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.

Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.

The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.

Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.

Population:

UK breeding:

46,000 pairs

Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (M)

(Double click)

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".

This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.

Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.

Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.

Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.

The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.

Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.

Population:

UK breeding:

46,000 pairs

If the sheep had turned enough it would have had wings too.

The small wasp beetle occurs in Europe, Asia Minor and Russia and is a fairly common species in the Benelux that lives mainly in deciduous forests and is mainly found on tree bark and leaves. It belongs to the family of longhorn beetles and has an elongated body, fairly long antennae and spiky legs. The colour is black with yellow transverse stripes, although other colour patterns also occur such as yellow with black stripes and spots.

This longhorn beetle looks like a wasp and that is not a coincidence. The reason is that many birds and other predators leave the innocent beetle alone because most animals, just like people, hate wasps. This imitation of dangerous or poisonous species by non-dangerous species is called mimicry and is common in nature. The small wasp beetle has imitated the wasp in various areas.

De kleine wespenboktor komt voor in Europa, Klein-Azië en Rusland en is in de Benelux een vrij algemene soort die vooral leeft in loofbossen en voornamelijk op boomschors en bladeren wordt aangetroffen. Hij behoort tot de familie boktorren en heeft een langwerpig lijf, vrij lange antennes en sprietige poten. De kleur is zwart met gele dwarsstrepen, hoewel er ook andere kleurpatronen voorkomen zoals geel met zwarte strepen en vlekken.

Deze boktor lijkt op een wesp en dat is niet toevallig. De reden is dat veel vogels en andere predatoren de onschuldige kever met rust laten omdat de meeste dieren net als mensen een hekel hebben aan wespen. Dit imiteren van gevaarlijke of giftige soorten door niet-gevaarlijke soorten heet mimicry en komt veel voor in de natuur. De kleine wespenboktor heeft de wesp op diverse gebieden geïmiteerd.

Diphelypaea (Nicholson) occur in the Caucasus, Crimea and Western Asia ( Turkey and Iran). D. coccinea is an achlorophyllous obligately parasitic perennial herbaceous plant up to 30-50 cm in height. The stem is unbranched, red to reddish brown, ending in a single flower of a bright red color. D. coccinea parasitizes the roots of plants of the genus Psephellus.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

პირიმზე (ლათ. Diphelypaea coccinea) — ბალახოვანი მცენარე კელაპტარასებრთა ოჯახისა. პარაზიტია, მეტწილად გვირილებზე და რთულყვავილოვანთა ოჯახის სხვა მცენარეებზე სახლობს. მისი ფოთლები დაკნინებულია და ღეროს ქვედა ნაწილში გადაქცეულია ყავისფერ ქერქლებად, ფესვები კი — მისაწოვრებად.

15-40 სმ სიმაღლის ჩხირის მსგავს და ამართულ დაუტოტავ ღეროზე ყოველთვის მზისკენ მიმართული მხოლოდ ერთი ლალისფერი ყვავილი ზის.

გავრცელებულია ქართლსა და კახეთში, მთის ქვედა სარტყლიდან შუა სარტყლამდე. გვხვდება კლდეზე, ველზე და ზოგჯერ ბუჩქნარებში. თბილისის მიდამოებში ჩიბუხას ეძახიან.

სწორედ ეს არის პირიმზე ვაჟას ამ ცნობილი ლექსიდან:

„ბუნება მბრძანებელია,

იგივ მონაა თავისა,

ზოგჯერ სიკეთეს იხვეჭავს,

ზოგჯერ მქმნელია ავისა,

ერთფერად მტვირთველი არის

საქმის თეთრის და შავისა;

საცა პირიმზეს ახარებს,

იქვე მთხრელია ზვავისა…“

პოემა „სტუმარ-მასპინძლის“ ფინალშიც გვხვდება ეს ყვავილი იმ ადგილას, სადაც ჯოყოლა მოკლეს:

„მხოლოდ მდინარის ხმა ისმის,

დაბლა მიქანავს ხველითა

და უფსკრულს დასცქერს პირიმზე

მოღერებულის ყელითა…“

when the garden has deconstruction occurring, collateral damage happens, and stuff piles up.

we need to clean up.

holga lens on the nikon

Great White Egret - Ardea Alba

The great egret is generally a very successful species with a large and expanding range, occurring worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. It is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. In North America, large numbers of great egrets were killed around the end of the 19th century so that their plumes could be used to decorate hats. Numbers have since recovered as a result of conservation measures. Its range has expanded as far north as southern Canada. However, in some parts of the southern United States, its numbers have declined due to habitat loss, particularly wetland degradation through drainage, grazing, clearing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants. Nevertheless, the species adapts well to human habitation and can be readily seen near wetlands and bodies of water in urban and suburban areas.

The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

In 1953, the great egret in flight was chosen as the symbol of the National Audubon Society, which was formed in part to prevent the killing of birds for their feathers.

On 22 May 2012, a pair of great egrets was announced to be nesting in the UK for the first time at the Shapwick Heath nature reserve in Somerset. The species is a rare visitor to the UK and Ben Aviss of the BBC stated that the news could mean the UK's first great egret colony is established. The following week, Kevin Anderson of Natural England confirmed a great egret chick had hatched, making it a new breeding bird record for the UK. In 2017, seven nests in Somerset fledged 17 young, and a second breeding site was announced at Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk where a pair fledged three young.

In 2018, a pair of great egrets nested in Finland for the first time, raising four young in a grey heron colony in Porvoo.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day on January 27th commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. It commemorates the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005 during the 42nd plenary session. The resolution came after a special session was held earlier that year on 24 January 2005 during which the United Nations General Assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust.

On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp, was liberated by the Red Army.

"For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women and children, mainly jews from various countries of Europe Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940 - 1945."

La Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas proclamó oficialmente que se designe el 27 de enero el Día Internacional de Conmemoración en Memoria de las Víctimas del Holocausto. Se conmemora la liberación por las tropas soviéticas del campo de concentración y exterminio nazi de Auschwitz-Birkenau cuando fue liberado por el ejército soviético el 27 de enero de 1945, hoy hace 75 años.

La placa conmemorativa a la entrada del campo de exterminio dice: "Por siempre deja que este lugar sea un llanto de desamparo, una advertencia a la humanidad, donde los nazis asesinaron alrededor de 1 millón y medio de hombres, mujeres y niños, en su mayoría judíos de distintos países de Europa. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940 - 1945".

Albinoni's Adagio G in minor: youtu.be/vb6va1KXzHU

The Green Sandpiper occurs year round in the UK with numbers that vary per year from 100 to 1,000 birds with only I or 2 pairs breeding here.

This bird was photographed at Stodmarsh NNR

( information from BTO and RSPB web sites)

Thank you David for help with ID it was driving me nuts

Rapallo, Liguria, Italy

Nilgiri Tahr in Eravikulam National Park occurs in two types of groups; (The mixed groups and All male groups). The mixed group consists primarily of adult females and their sub adult off springs. Adult males join these groups during the rut and keep away at other times of the year. The male group consists of adult males of various classes. The maximum size of the mixed group is 150 animals and that of all male groups is 20 individuals. The rutting season occurs during monsoon (July and August) and the main birth season is January to mid February. Estimated gestation period is nearly 179 days. The predators of Nilgiri Tahr in Eravikulam National Park include Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog and Jackals.. etc .An estimated 700-800 Nilgiri Tahr inhabit Eravikulam National Park, making it the largest wild population in the world. The Nilgiri tahr known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex (Varayadu), is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.The Nilgiri tahr known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex (Varayadu), is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. ( Source www.eravikulam.org )

Sympetrum danae occurs in central and northern Europe, Asia and North America. It flies from July to September, sometimes even until November depending on the temperature. They are locally abundant, but they have unfortunately disappeared here in the Palatinate Forest. This is one of the last Black Meadowhawks I saw back in 2015!

The Indian Peafowl occurs from eastern Pakistan through India, south from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Though once common in Bangladesh, it may now be extinct in that country. Its highly ornamental appearance motivated early seafarers to transplant the peafowl to their homelands in other parts of the western world. Phoenician traders in the time of King Solomon (1000 B.C.) introduced the birds to present-day Syria and the Egyptian Pharaohs. Alexander the Great imported more of the birds into his Mediterranean domains and severely penalized anyone caught harming them. Domesticated peafowl remained a popular status symbol through Roman times and the Middle Ages, ensuring their establishment and survival throughout Europe.

In its native India, the peafowl is a creature of the open forests and riparian undergrowth. In southern India, it also prefers stream-side forests but may also be found in orchards and other cultivated areas.

Peafowl from Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Arcadia. California.

To the eye, the moon can look full for a few nights in succession. To astronomers, though, the full moon occurs in a single instant, when the moon is 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude. This full moon instant occurs on February 27. For us in the U.S., that’s February 27 at 3:17 a.m. EST, 2:17 a.m. CST, 1:17 a.m. MST, at 12:17 a.m. PST.

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

Please do not post extensive group banners, advertising for groups, or any other pics in the comments column. They impair the reading pleasure of the others. Thank you!

File Name: NZ6_8556

It occurred to me last summer after years of shooting the Milky Way with my wide landscape lens that I could zoom in bit tighter and see what happens. I aimed at the core of our galaxy in this one. That light has been traveling a long time to get here. Looking forward to some more dark sky photography this summer.

Island Of Madagascar

Off The East Coast Of Africa

Palmarium Reserve

Two Chameleons Cryptic Chameleon (Calumma crypticum) And O'shaughnessy's Chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) side by side on a branch at the reserve.

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) is a species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar. It was named after the British poet and herpetologist Arthur O'Shaughnessy.

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon has a range of about 18,000 square kilometers throughout the southeastern portion of the central highlands of Madagascar. Its distribution extends from Tsinjoarivo, Ambatolampy in the north to Andohahela National Park in the south. The species is highly dependent on intact, humid forest as its habitat, living in lower densities on selectively logged territories.

Calumma crypticum, commonly known as the cryptic chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in Madagascar.

The species is endemic to Madagascar and has a broad latitudinal distribution between the Anosy Mountains in the south and the Tsaratanana Massif in the north.

It is a forest chameleon that occurs in mid-altitudes between 1,050 and 1,850 m elevation, where it appears to be more abundant in semi-open areas associated with trails, gaps and rivers.

The chameleon species is only found in humid forest and the loss or severe degradation of these habitats due to agricultural conversion and logging is a threat, especially outside of protected areas.

The fork-tailed flycatcher occurs in a wide variety of habitats including pastures, riparian forests, and open residential areas with scattered trees. Its breeding range is from central Mexico to central Argentina.

The fork-tailed flycatcher has the longest tail relative to body size of any bird on earth. The tail in adult males is 2–3 times longer than the length of the bird from the bill to the base of the tail.

This species is primarily an insectivore, but will switch to berries and small fruits if insects become scarce.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork-tailed_flycatcher

Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú.

Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.

This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!"

www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...

This bird occurs in the western half of Texas and well as Southern New Mexico and Arizona. I have photographed it before in southeast AZ, but this shot is far better than any previous images I have taken. I love how the rising morning sun clocked the front of the bird without lighting up the background. One of my favorite images from the summer.