I loved how the road leading from the lighthouse and wildlife reserve looks - especially in the evening light. I tried a million different crops with this and this is the best I could come up with. I think :-p

>>> My other photos taken at the reserve:

> little yellow eyed penguin one, two

and three

> landscapes one and two

Taken at Katiki Point Wildlife Management Reserve in Otago, South Island, NZ.

DSCN3142.jpg

Ducks seem to be the only birds I can photograph - and that's because they are big and sit still a lot :-)

original size 12.5x33

I've hardly been outside my room in days,

'Cause I don't feel that I deserve the sunshine's rays.

The darkness helped until the whiskey wore away,

And it's then I realize the conscience never fades.

When you're young you have this image of your life:

That you'll be scrupulous and one day even make a wife.

And you make boundaries you'd never dream to cross,

And if you happen to, you wake completely lost...

Lyrics from Special Two by Missy Higgins

It was quite overcast when I had time to get out recently. Since it was so grey outside, I was looking for a way to brighten things up a bit. I thought this Heermann's Gull in the foam from the surf did the trick.

Rockaway Beach

Pacifica, CA

Thank you for your very kind comments and faves, as always they are greatly appreciated.

NEW WORK !!!!

i hate currently Germany . . . I WANT SUMMER !!!

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Few times a year this shot is possible.

The conditions have to perfect. The pool of water dries up very quickly and this place is always to windy for mirror reflection.

So when i drive past this place like this and have my camera with me i always try and make the shot.

The mountain is called Vífilfell and is located just outside of Reykjavík

This is the proud and sad story of SS United States

In 1952, the U.S. Navy in cooperation with cruise line United States Lines set out to build a grand ocean liner, that was to be America's answer to Cunard's "Queens" ships, the RMS Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and later the QE2. She would be just as luxurious and opulent on the outside, but deep in her insides she held a secret that made her special. In the gathering Cold War, the Navy wanted a boat that could easily be converted to a troop carrier or a hospital ship, just as her sister ship SS America had been during World War II. As such, the United States was built heavily compartmentalized-- standard on a warship but absolutely unheard of on an ocean liner. One compartment gets opened-up in an attack, and the rest of the ship keeps going. In addition, there wasn't one stitch of wood on board other than the butcher blocks in the galleys-- even the piano was made of a special, fire-retardant variety (throughout the ship exotic materials like spun glass were used in wood's place so the passengers wouldn't miss it). This obsession with survivability stretched right down to the engine rooms-- two, completely redundant and identical, but in different parts of the ship so the boat could keep steaming in the event of attack.

And it was those engines, monstrous, steam powered babies-- the most powerful on any ship until the advent of nuclear-powered supercarriers-- that gave United States her greatest triumph-- the fastest transatlantic crossing of all time, a record the ship amazingly still holds.

As the largest (nearly 1000 feet), heaviest, most opulent, and almost certainly last ocean liner built entirely by American hands, she was truly the national flagship, and women in their finest long gloves and men in hats were proud to make passage aboard her. Over countless miles and unforgettable voyages, she introduced American pride, ingenuity, and luxury to the world, her signature red white and blue funnels towering over the water, and gleaming from top to bottom.

But, economics, the jet engine, and the passage of decades got the better of SS United States. Time in particular ran away from the ship, and even at her fastest, she couldn't catch up.

Today, nearly six decades after her keel was laid down, SS United States is lashed by garish blue nylon line, rusting and rotting, to a pier in South Philadelphia. What used to proudly look out across the Seven Seas now looks down on an Ikea. Thousands of people shuffle by without a thought and barely a glance, seemingly in service to a use-it-up-and-throw-it-away culture to which the United States is utterly foreign.

There is hope for this grand ship, but it is fading. After a long line of well-intentioned, but ill-financed owners, this piece of Americana is now controlled by Asian-parented Norwegian Cruise Line. NCL has vowed to restore her to sailing condition-- but with the NCL America line losing money, and estimates to make United States seaworthy again running in the hundreds of millions, that looks less and less possible. Even if she could be made to sail again, SOLAS safety regulations would force the addition of additional superstructure and lifeboats, making her look nothing like her designers intended. And finally, there is the matter of the SS France, later SS Norway, another national flagship that NCL took ownership of, that was later broken for scrap off a lonely beach in India. The legality of that breaking is still in dispute.

What was once, and still is, the fastest ship in the sea now sits still. But every so often, she pulls against those ugly blue lines as if to say, "come on, let's make just one last trip."

If you are as fascinated by this ship's past, and as horrified by her probable future, as I am, please visit:

ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/SSUS/Home.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ss_united_states

(photo and description copyright 2008 John J. Griffin)

Juvenile male Hawk, Shikra (Accipiter badius). The Shikra is a small bird of prey (26-30cm long ) found mostly in Asia and Africa.

Hearing a big racket outside my balcony, I opened the door to see the cause and met this hard stare. I held my breath, analyzing the situation. There were 5,6 sun birds screeching with fright, this predator was unable to decide how to get his lunch. The next second I was with my camera taking pictures. It is not everyday you have a visitor like him!

I was very much concerned about the safety of my sun birds. But they were very quick and dived into the foliage. Their screeching came from all sides. It was fun to watch the Hawk looking at all the directions :-)

He disliked my attention and decided to look for food elsewhere!!!

If you have a moment, please view in large.

Explore # 369 dated March 5, 2012.

This one looks nice :)

Think this must be the last of the better shots :)

Seen at Chiaksan, Wonju, South Korea

Can anyone help identify what type of dragonfly this is? :)

March 04, 2015

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." - Charles Dickens

-----

Another exhausting day at the office; followed by a quiet evening. I've found that these past couple weeks after leaving work I've been completely drained and just without energy.

I can't tell if that because I'm done with winter weather and am just longing for more sunshine and warmer days or if the larger than usual work load is getting to me.

Either way I find myself returning home at the end of the day without much motivation to get things done. Of course, I still force myself into getting things done but am dragging a lot more than I regularly do.

I think I'll attribute the lack of energy to the weather because a busy workload doesn't usually have this effect on me.

It's my Friday tomorrow and I'm looking forward to the extra day off!

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Click "L" for a larger view.

(First of two) This gorgeous male Purple Honeycreeper, Cyanerpes caeruleus, was in the gardens at the Asa Wright Nature Centre.

For species information: avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=A0A...

For information on Asa Wright Centre: asawright.org

April 16, 2016. Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad, West Indies.

Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña - Escocia - Oban

ENGLISH

Oban (An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic, meaning The Little Bay) is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, the town can play host to up to 25,000 people. Oban occupies a setting in the Firth of Lorn. The bay is a near perfect horseshoe, protected by the island of Kerrera; and beyond Kerrera, the Isle of Mull. To the north, is the long low island of Lismore, and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour.

The site where Oban now stands has been used by humans since at least mesolithic times, as evidenced by archaeological remains of cave dwellers found in the town. Just outside the town stands Dunollie Castle, on a site that overlooks the main entrance to the bay and has been fortified since the Bronze age. Prior to the 19th century, the town itself supported very few households, sustaining only minor fishing, trading, shipbuilding and quarrying industries, and a few hardy tourists. The Renfrew trading company established a storehouse there in about 1714 as a local outlet for its merchandise, but no Custom-house was deemed necessary until around 1760.

The modern town of Oban grew up around the distillery, which was founded there in 1794. The town was raised to a burgh of barony in 1811 by royal charter. Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1814, the year in which he published his poem The Lord of the Isles; interest in the poem brought many new visitors to the town. The arrival of the railways in the 1880s brought further prosperity, revitalising local industry and giving new energy to tourism. Shortly thereafter, McCaig's Tower, a folly and prominent local landmark, was constructed, as was the ill-fated Oban Hydro.

Since the 1950s, the principal industry has remained tourism, though the town is also an important ferry port, acting as the hub for ferries to many of the Hebrides.

*******************************************************************************

ESPAÑOL

Oban (en gaélico escocés, An t-Òban que significa "La pequeña bahía") es una localidad del Consejo unitario de Argyll and Bute, Escocia, Reino Unido. A pesar de su pequeño tamaño, es la ciudad más grande entre Helensburgh y Fort William y durante la temporada turística la ciudad puede llegar a los 25.000 habitantes. Oban ocupa un asentamiento hermoso en el fiordo de Lorn. La bahía de Oban es una bahía en forma de herradura casi perfecta, protegida por la isla de Kerrera y más allá de Kerrera está la isla de Mull.

i love this song veeeeerrrrryyy much to the bone!!

my dad is going to Manila next Monday and I'm gonna ask my sister to buy me Katy Perry's new album Teenage Dream because its available there already and my dad will give it to me when he returns :D

me and my former bestfriend but still really close friend Vane earlier inspired from the song.

Explored #444

Sep 11, 2010

Verdin

Auriparus flaviceps

___

We went to Anza Borrego Desert for a few days between the holidays. I was able to capture Verdin hunting for insects in the Mesquite. They are really tiny- only about 3.5 inches / 10 cm long. Unfortunately, due to land development, they are losing their habitat in San Diego County and their numbers are declining. This shot is a first for me.

____

Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade

Activists for birds and wildlife

____

Best in Light Box view or Large on Black

I think I'm finally getting the hang of manipulating the light in manual mode now! Today I wanted to try it outside, and it was much easier than indoors. I had to do a fair bit of back-combing to get my hair to catch the light, but it seemed to do the trick.

I have my next ticket over to America booked! Aaron really motivates and inspires me to be a better person inside and out, so hopefully by the time I fly out, I'll be much happier, more relaxed and whatnot :) It'll be really hot and sunny out there, so we have already made plans to trek to the quarry lake thing, accompanied with grill, vagabond (generator like thing) and floaties! One for Aaron, one for me and one for the grill.

Can anyone reccomend some healthy meals we can cook? Both of us are trying our hand at healthy eating and all I can make is grilled chicken so I need your help!!

for an outtake, check out mine and aaron's blog :)

On many hikes and camping trips to this rugged area, I think about a quote, by Bob Underwood; “On your hike two entities will see you, God and Linville Gorge. If you bite off more than you can chew, God will forgive you. Linville Gorge will not." Linville Gorge is a beautiful area, with many steep trails, some that are near sheer drops of several hundred feet, gets several hikers each year in to a lot of pain and trouble. But the experience is worth the risk, if you use common sense and care…

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There were hundreds today at Terra Nova Park. I never tire of seeing them. It is my dad's favourite bird which he always pointed out to me as a child on our outings.

Radio astronomy is the study of celestial objects that emit radio waves. Using this technology, scientists can study astronomical phenomena that would otherwise be invisible. The Very Large Array is a renowned set of radio dishes in Sorocco, New Mexico, which work together as one massive antenna to scan the skies and help us learn more about the universe. Objects that are commonly studied include radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun and planets, astrophysical masers, black holes, and the hydrogen gas that constitutes a large portion of the Milky Way galaxy.

The Array was also used for talking to distant spacecraft probes which are part of the Voyager program, a project that I have been fascinated with for a long time after hearing about its accomplishment of being responsible for sending the first man-made object outside of our solar system. Voyager 1 is just breaching the Heliopause border after travelling a million miles a day since its launch in 1977.

This shot was taken mid to late afternoon which is when we are reaching sunset at this time of year in Scotland. The picture location is just outside of Troon Harbour, Ayrshire, Scotland.

In the processing I softened the image in Lightroom and removed haze which has given it a cleaner look and in Photoshop I darkened the shadows and blacks giving the overall image more depth.

Another view on Old Man of Stor - Skye

Sometimes weather deviations are not that bad. You can get great view when out of bad weather.

Altiplano Leste - DF, Brazil.

Though it frequently can be seen in trees or bushes, it is among the very few woodpeckers that spends a significant portion of its life on the ground. It breeds in holes in trees, termite mounds or earth banks.

Class: Aves

Order: Piciformes

Family: Picidae

Subfamily: Picinae

Tribe: Picini

Genus: Colaptes Vigors, 1825

Species: C. campestris (Vieillot, 1818)

Species: C. c. campestris (Vieillot, 1818)

Trinomial name: Colaptes campestris campestris

So my tent was in place and I raced down to the south tufa area of Mono Lake to get the sunset. I was hoping to get the suns warm colors on the side of the tufa with the dark blue sky in the background but I saw the sun retreating and knew I had missed it by literally a few minutes. The photographers were leaving in droves since the light was gone. I drove too long and too fast to give up, so I just waited. I was rewarded with a brilliant sunset. Myself and a handful of other photogs raced around the tufa experimenting with compositions. It was windy as you can tell from the tidal wave of water in the lake. What you can’t see is the millions of small gnat/flies that are being blown all over the place. This is not HDR but in fact a single shot using Cokin GND4 and GND8 slip-in 4x6 filters, which I was handholding since the Nikkor 17-35 shoots so wide it vignettes when shot wide open.

I didn’t even really do much processing on this. The D700 is sharp, contrasty and has a good tonal range. I worked on the shot outside the Lee Vining Mobil eating my carnitas tacos. I ended up going to my campsite afterwards and probably slept a total of 90 minutes since I heard every single bug and vermin around my tent. I’m city folk.

The next morning, I shot the sunrise, which I will probably post tomorrow.

Praia do Canto Grande (Mar de Dentro) – Bombinhas, SC.

Por estar localizada em um istmo, com duas praias opostas, seu primeiro nome era Ponta Grande. A partir dos anos 30, ganhou o nome atual, dividindo-se entre Mar de Dentro e Mar de Fora. Esta pequena vila de pescadores e maricultores ainda mantém viva a cultura dos imigrantes do Arquipélago dos Açores, como a tradição do terno de reis e a técnica da pesca artesanal. O centro da Vila fica aos pés do Parque Municipal do Morro do Macaco, o segundo ponto mais alto da cidade que proporciona ao turista uma bela vista da cidade, da Reserva Biológica Marinha do Arvoredo e também das cidades vizinhas como Tijucas, Governador Celso Ramos e Florianópolis. O Mar de Dentro fica no lado oeste da vila, na Baía de Zimbro, é de águas tranquilas, é ponto de partida de muitas pescarias e passeios de barco pela região. Tem 2.180 metros de extensão. Dali, o por do sol é uma atração única.

Canto Grande Beach (Inside Sea) - Bombinhas, SC.

Being located on an isthmus with two opposing beaches, his first name was Ponta Grande. From the 30s, gained its current name, dividing between Inside Sea (Mar de Dentro) and Outside Sea (Mar de Fora). This small fishing village still keeps alive the culture of immigrants from the Azores, as the tradition of the Epiphany and the technical artisanal fisheries. The center of the village is at the foot of the Monkey Hill Municipal Park (Morro do Macaco), the second highest point in the city that offers tourists a beautiful view of the city of Grove Marine Biological Reserve and also the surrounding towns as Tijucas, Governador Celso Ramos and Florianópolis. The Inside Sea is on the west side of the village, in Zimbro Bay, is tranquil waters, is the starting point of many fisheries and boating in the region. It has 2180 meters long. From there, the sunset is a unique attraction.

Reprodução e uso sem autorização proibidos ® Todos os direitos reservados, 2014, Alexandre Zoppa.

Copyright © 2014 Alexandre Zoppa, all rights reserved.

Glendalough, County Wicklow

See also www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204309453485891.10737...

still doing the website, its a beep in the beep... still trying to have a life outside work and website too, but this has priorities i reckon, getting it all up and running....

added a new wedding page... wot u reckon? still on rinajo.dk/testing.html - i do listen to u guys, dont worry :) but also doing it slightly my way... the only link thats working is the wedding link - bryllup in hush bush language :)

edit - tx in being named the icon of the day - my 2nd entry in two weeks - its an honour :)

I took this over at Balcones District Park in North Austin. These pretty wildflowers have a short season but they really class the place up for a couple of weeks.

Luckily, we didn't get all that rain we were suppose to get, but there's still a 90% chance we'll get rain tomorrow...:((

I haven't done any proper seascapes for a while and caught some moody skies down at Gullane Beach.

Found a tiny bay that was cut off except from a path down and this rock looked a good candidate for some LE work

Around 2 mins with B&W ten stop and Lee 0.9ND grad. Taken around an hour before any colour came in the skies but by then the tide had gone out too much by then.

Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or who adds this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated. Kind regards,

Cor

ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

Flowers on a fruit tree of of some kind....

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The Most Dangerous Bird on Earth, panicked these birds have been known to kick – and sometimes kill – dogs and humans.

This image by Jeff S. PhotoArt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Feel free to use this image on your blog, for fun and the like but you must:

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Recently popped to the Mach Loop to photograph military aircraft that fly through. Took this while it was quiet.

Great Smoky Mountains Gatlinburg TN - Lush

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail outside of Gatlinburg follows this lovely small river through endless cascades and lush green foliage in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee.

Single exposure with a Nikon D800 w/ 17-35mm f/2.8

© 2015 Dave Allen Photography, All Rights Reserved. This image may NOT be used for anything without my explicit permission.

Un panorama réalisé ce matin même au crêt de la Chèvre dans les monts du Pilat.

Le soleil, levé depuis une dizaine de minutes, éclairait de ses rayons ce paysage merveilleux qui se réveillait doucement.

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January 01, 2016

Anew:

/əˈn(y)o͞o/

adverb - literary

adverb: anew

- In a new or different, typically more positive, way.

- Once more; again.

-----

After yesterday's purge, today was all about cleanliness. The house has been cleaned and tidied from top to bottom and while it was a lot of work, it feels refreshing to start the new year with the house just as I like it.

Well, it wasn't entirely about cleaning. I struggled with this photo, first taking the shot and secondly processing it. I could not get the vision that was in my mind onto the screen and that frustrates me very much. But I'll put the original idea back in the box and will try with a new spin another day.

Hope you've all had a great start to 2016!

Click "L" for a larger view.

One of many stops along the Cactus Forest Scenic Loop Drive. What I was trying to find for this image was that point that just looked across this desert landscape, but I knew I'd need a high point along the road to capture that. My idea was to angle my camera slightly downward, raising the desert floor above the middle before it came to the mountains. The far-off peaks would then be higher in the image and allow for a more complete vista-like view.

Definitely not the Ring-billed Gull.

At the middle of February the weather changed to mild and mainly sunny in East Westphalia. A touch of spring has reached nature and the people. The countryside shows a light green, the moles make their way to the soil surface and the people enjoy their spare time in open nature and the more courageous ones even have their first drinks outside in the beer-gardens. Looks like the battle is won...

Definitely best shot at dawn (photographically) but I couldn't fix my travel plans to accommodate that. So here is "Tommy" in brilliant sunlight. The detail in this piece is fabulous, and I particularly liked the bayonet (out of shot) and the belt buckle.

Residents raised more than £60,000 to keep a sculpture that was on loan to their County Durham town.

The steel statue, by local artist Ray Lonsdale, was so popular that people in Seaham began a campaign to buy it.

The town council agreed to contribute the remainder of the £85,000 price tag before the deadline.

The piece, called 1101 but known locally as Tommy, was inspired by World War One and is named to reflect the first minute of peace.

Fundraising group chairman David Stewart said Mr Lonsdale had given the town time to raise money despite already having two offers to buy it.

"It was a big risk for him because we might not have done it," he said.

"Local support has been tremendous, but we've also had people coming from outside of the area to look at him."

Short time before, it really was raining....

de.musicplayon.com/play?v=603996

In memoriam the great PRINCE