Birds in Landing
View allAll Photos Tagged Outstretched
My friends all: wish you a serene weekend:)
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The great frigatebird (Fregata minor) is a large seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific (including the Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic.
Frigatebirds have the most elaborate mating displays of all seabirds. The male birds take up residence in the colony in groups of up to thirty individuals.[40] They display to females flying overhead by pointing their bills upwards, inflating their red throat pouches and vibrating their outstretched wings, showing the lighter wing undersurfaces in the process.
LARGE dark waterbird with a heavy, hook-tipped bill. Associated mainly with coastal waters, swims very low in the water, and this is why I prefer to capture them out of the water. It dives frequently for fish, using its large webbed feet to propel itself through the water, and often seen with wings outstretched to dry, this one was seen at dover inner harbour on a mouring point. The courful water is from other moored boats.
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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, do hope your all staying safe and well in these crazy Covid times, you are in my prayers....God bless..............................Tomx
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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"
AN ELEGANT and graceful water bird, seen at Stodmarsh Nature Reserve near Canterbury Kent, Love its long slender neck and dagger=like bill, and flies with head and neck outstretched and the legs trailing, always find this amusing, but still one of my favorite water birds.
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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, will eagerly look forward to seeing your latest posting and doing the same.
Stay safe and well, God bless you...............................Tomx
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
Die meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch,MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
Roseate Spoonbills wade through shallow water swinging their head side to side with their bill under the water feeling for prey. They tend to forage with their bodies held in a horizontal position just above the water with head hanging down. They fly with the neck outstretched, dipping slightly below the body. Spoonbills forage, roost, and nest in groups often with other ibises, herons, and egrets.
This Sandhill Crane and the one in the shot I posted yesterday were actually captured in the same photo. I cropped them in order to better present their details, wing positions, and, In this shot, to highlight their massive wingspan.
Thanks to all who visit, fave, comment, and extend invitations. Your support is much appreciated. I will be sure to visit your work, too
Roseate Spoonbills wade through shallow water swinging their head side to side with their bill under the water feeling for prey. They tend to forage with their bodies held in a horizontal position just above the water with head hanging down. They fly with the neck outstretched, dipping slightly below the body. Spoonbills forage, roost, and nest in groups often with other ibises, herons, and egrets.
LARGE, dark water bird with a heavy, hook-tipped bill, associated mainly with coastal waters. Swims low in the water and dives typically with a noticeable leap frequently for fish. Very large webbed feet, propel it through the water. Often seen perched on rocks or posts with wings outstretched to dry. The sexes are similar, think this may be a juvenile, seen a Ramsgate Harbour Kent UK.
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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, love reading your comments, they are always appreciated, will eagerly do the same to your latest posting .
First proper cold frosty day in Kent, winter has arrived !!
Stay warm and safe, God bless.............................Tomx
"The Family" sculpture at Bleecker Playground in Manhattan.The image was was sculpted by Polish sculptor Chaim Gross in honor of former Edward L Koch's third term as mayor of New York in 1992.I read in one place that the sculpture is supposed to be of a circus family,perhaps acrobats.With small children being balanced by the parents however,I have to wonder.I wanted to just take a shot of the image suspended in the air because I like how the outstretched arms and legs (called limbs,also) blends in perfectly with the bare tree limbs and branches of these beautiful Linden trees you see here.There are Linden trees at a nearby park where I live in Brooklyn.I think they're really beautiful trees.May you and Your family have a blessed 2o16! www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bleecker-playground/history
An Osprey returns from the ocean with its catch; headed for a secluded tree on which to eat its meal.
From Cornell School of Ornithology -
Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons.
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
Die meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch,MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
Roseate Spoonbills wade through shallow water swinging their head side to side with their bill under the water feeling for prey. They tend to forage with their bodies held in a horizontal position just above the water with head hanging down. They fly with the neck outstretched, dipping slightly below the body. Spoonbills forage, roost, and nest in groups often with other ibises, herons, and egrets.
Large, long-legged bird shaped much like a heron. Gray body, sometimes with intense rusty staining. Adults have red crown. Often in large flocks at migration and wintering concentration points. Favors marshes and agricultural fields where they eat primarily grains. In flight, neck is outstretched, unlike herons with tucked necks. Snappy wingbeats. Listen for far-carrying bugling call. (eBird)
Call: xeno-canto.org/species/Antigone-canadensis (Xeno-canto)
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While we were walking along the dike at Tiny Marsh, we heard the distinctive bugling of cranes. Looking up, we were thrilled to see a flock of nearly forty birds arriving at the marsh. Of course, they had to land on the wrong side of the dike, in the glaring sun, but I couldn't resist photographing these beautiful birds. Not the greatest shot, with such harsh light, but a great souvenir of this trip.
Tiny Marsh, Ontario, Canada. May 2023.
What an absolute pleasure it was to see this beautiful Reddish Egret (white morph) fishing at first light.
Taken near Fort Myers, Florida.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving any comments or faves, they are very much appreciated.
I took this at Deer Lake yesterday, with the sparkling lake as bokeh behind the leaves.
I'm way behind on commenting - will do my best to catch up to your latest images tomorrow :)
DESPITE being a comparatively recent addition to the British list, the Collared Dove is now a familiar sight in the region. Its distinctive call is also well know, particularly in urban areas, as is its gliding display flight performed on bowed, outstretched wings. (Note the bright yellow is a leaf )
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THANK YOU, love reading your comments, always appreciated, and will pay a return visit Please stay safe, God bless,................Tomx.
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THE TRUE MEANING of CHRISTMAS, often gets lost in the rush of the season: the shopping, the parties, and wrapping of presents. BUT the essence of the season is the greatest gift of all times, GOD gave us JESUS CHRIST, his own son !
An Anhinga in all its mating glory colors and feathers
A long-necked, long-tailed swimmer of southeastern swamps. Often seen perched on a snag above the water, with its wings half-spread to dry. Can vary its buoyancy in water, sometimes swimming with only head and neck above water (earning it the nickname of 'Snakebird'). Often solitary when feeding, it roosts in groups and nests in colonies. Looks rather like a cormorant when perched, but not in flight, when the long tail may be spread wide as the Anhinga soars high on outstretched wings. Anhingas are silent at most times, but around nesting colonies they make various croaking and clicking sounds.
I shot this with a flash using a MagMod at -1.3 f-stops to fill in the shadows of the black feathers and provide some detail - which I usually don't do, but it seems to have worked here.
Taken back in December when the sun decided to show off briefly and cast its wonderful rays into the woods. Adore the delicate webs that drape on the outstretched branches of the little beech saplings.
HFF everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Roseate Spoonbill
From Cornell -
Roseate Spoonbills wade through shallow water swinging their head side to side with their bill under the water feeling for prey. They tend to forage with their bodies held in a horizontal position just above the water with head hanging down. They fly with the neck outstretched, dipping slightly below the body. Spoonbills forage, roost, and nest in groups often with other ibises, herons, and egrets.
You can watch them feeding here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Roseate_Spoonbill/media-brows...
You can see one in flight here: www.flickr.com/photos/sdrimagestore/48872477536/in/photos...
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -HillDie meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch, die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
Die meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch, die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
Le Grèbe huppé effectue des parades nuptiales élaborées. Les deux partenaires sont face à face avec les plumes de la tête dressées, rendant les couleurs très flamboyantes.
On peut observer plusieurs phases, en fait, il existe cinq séries de parades rituelles.
Ils commencent par des cris d'avertissement lancés par l'un ou l'autre des partenaires. Les parades ont lieu sur l'eau, ou du moins les premières phases. La parade typique est la « cérémonie du balancement de tête » qui est une introduction à d'autres phases plus spectaculaires.
Les deux oiseaux sont en face l'un de l'autre avec le cou tendu tandis qu'ils secouent leurs têtes de haut en bas et d'un côté à l'autre. Cette parade est silencieuse.
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The Great Crested Grebe performs elaborate courtship displays. The two partners are face to face with the feathers of the head erect, making the colors very flamboyant.
We can observe several phases, in fact, there are five series of ritual parades.
They begin with cries of warning by one or other of the partners. The parries take place on the water, or at least the first phases. The typical parade is the "Swing Ceremony" which is an introduction to other more spectacular phases.
The two birds face each other with their necks outstretched as they shake their heads up and down and from side to side. This parade is silent.
researching this interesting challenge I learned about different types of symmetry and like to think there is 'impressionistic' radial symmetry in the water in addition to the symmetry in the swan's wings
a Sunday afternoon walk along the River Itchen
Echo and Narcissus
Echo (Greek Ἠχώ) is in Greek mythology the Oreade (mountain nymph) of Mount Helikon and a daughter of Gaia. After her the well-known phenomenon of the echo is named.
Is somebody here?
Here here! Echo replied to the astonishment of Narcissus, who could not see anyone.
Come over!
Come come!
Why do you avoid me?
Do you avoid me, do you avoid me?
Let's get together here!
Come together here! Repeated Echo, stepping out of the trees with outstretched arms.
My dear friends,I need a little bit more more more time so I can catch up....
Thanks for your Kindness and patience!
Let your light,your truth,your love brightly shine
on this Wonderful and Fragile World.💛
Happy SUN ☀️day
Domenico Modugno, an Italian singer, composer and actor, and a member of the Italian Parliament, was born in Polignano a Mare in 1928. On the seashore in 2009, a statue (sculpture) of this famous singer was erected. It is 3 meters high, facing the city with outstretched arms, just like when he performed his best-known hit "Volare".
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W Polignano a Mare w 1928 roku urodził się Domenico Modugno, włoski piosenkarz, kompozytor i aktor, a także członek włoskiego parlamentu. Nad brzegiem morza w 2009 roku ustawiono pomnik (rzeźbę) tego słynnego piosenkarza. Ma on 3 m wysokości, zwrócony jest w kierunku miasta z rozłożonymi rękami, tak jak wówczas gdy wykonywał swój najbardziej znany przebój "Volare".
Roseatte Spoonville munches on a 'yummy' treat.
Shortly after the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-44 launch this Spoonbill continued on its path of finding treats.
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was born from the land set aside as a buffer to the space center - wins for everyone.
Roseate spoonbills are large long-legged wading birds found in the Americas. Adults have a bare greenish head and a white neck, back and breast (with a tuft of pink feathers in the center when breeding), and are otherwise a deep pink. The colors can range from pale pink to bright magenta, depending on age, whether breeding or not, and location. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched, and they alternate groups of stiff, shallow wingbeats with glides.
Roseate spoonbills are resident breeders in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and from central Florida's Atlantic coast at least as far north as South Carolina's Myrtle Beach. These birds inhabit coastal marshes, bays, lagoons, mangroves, and mudflats.
This image of a King Penguin was taken at Volunteer Point, East Falkland. He was waddling around with his wings outstretched in the breeze.
I wondered if he was thinking that atvsome point he might take off.
Abi was up very early and has walked so far carrying containers of water on her head, is now tired and hungry and shelters from the heat of the sun. Her mother is near sitting cross legged, with arms outstretched, trying to sell her home grown peanuts, there are very few tourist about as ebola has frightened them away. ABI she is young but what does the future hold, most Gambians live in severe poverty, high levels of malnutrition,infant mortality, unemployment and illiteracy.
THIS was taken with my long lens,without her knowing, afterwards I spoke with her mother. Count your blessings my friends.
Thank you for your visit, back to birds tomorrow, would like to know your honest opinion to this image. Any comment are very appreciated...............TomX.
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) are long-legged, long-necked, gray, heron-like birds with a patch of bald, red skin on top of their head. Cranes fly with necks outstretched like geese, whereas herons fly with necks tucked in on their backs. For positive identification, look for reddish skin on top of the crane's head.
The Florida sandhill crane can reach a height of 47.2 inches (120 centimeters) with a wingspan around 78.7 inches (200 centimeters). This species is gray with a long neck and legs, and a bald spot of red skin on the top of its head. The sandhill crane is unique in flight as it can be seen flying with its neck stretched out completely.
Two subspecies of sandhill crane occur in Florida. The Florida sandhill crane,numbering 4,000 to 5,000, is a non-migratory year-round breeding resident. They are joined every winter by 25,000 migratory greater sandhill cranes,the larger of the two subspecies. The greater sandhill crane winters in Florida but nests in the Great Lakes region. Sandhill cranes nest during late winter and spring on mats of vegetation about two feet in diameter and in shallow water.
Florida sandhill cranes inhabit freshwater marshes, prairies, and pastures.They occur throughout peninsular Florida north to the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia; however, they are less common at the northernmost and southernmost portions of this range. Florida’s Kissimmee and Desoto prairie regions are home to the state’s most abundant populations.
I found this one in the pasture along Joe Overstreet Road, in Osceola County, Florida.
I was down at the lake on Saturday. It was cold and raining, and the usual suspects were on the lake, not making much of a display. But, a pair of egrets would occasionally move from one location to another. I was fortunate to capture one of those moments as this one flew past some of the fall trees. I have others with more color, but I love the light through the outstretched wing on this shot, so chose it as the showcase.
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
Die meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch,MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -Hill
die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
MYANMAR,burma - zum Sonnenuntergang auf dem Mandalay -HillDie meisten Besucher kommen zum 236 m hohen Mandalay Hill, um von der Terrasse der Wunscherfüllungspagode den Sonnenuntergang zu genießen. Von hier oben hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt mit ihren vielen Klöstern, den Fluss Ayeyarwady, der die Lebensader des Landes ist, sowie in der Ferne die Shan Berge.
Viele Touristen werden auf den Berg hinaufgefahren. Schöner ist es jedoch, die 1700 Stufen vom Südeingang des Berges hinaufzulaufen. Vorbei geht’s an Souvenirläden und Essenständen. Auf halber Höhe erreicht man eine große goldene Buddhafigur, die mit ausgestrecktem Arm auf die Stadt Mandalay zeigt. Der Legende nach sagte Buddha, dass am Fuße dieses Berges, im Jahr 2400 des buddhistischen Kalenders, hier eine große Stadt entstehen werde. König Mingon verlegte aus diesem Grunde im Jahr 1857 die Königsstadt von Amarapura hier an den Fuß des Berges. Immer wieder kommt man bei der Besteigung des Berges an Opferstellen und Buddhafiguren vorbei.
Die Pagode auf dem Gipfel ist eine architektonische Meisterleistung. Sie besteht aus vielen kleinen offenen Räumen, die durch große Rundbögen voneinander getrennt sind. Die Wände sind über und über mit Glas- und Spiegelmosaiken bedeckt. Eine besondere Stimmung entsteht, wenn sich die rote, untergehende Sonne in den Mosaiken spiegelt.
MYANMAR, Burma - Sunset on Mandalay Hill
Most visitors come to the 236 m high Mandalay Hill to enjoy the sunset from the terrace of the Wish Fulfillment Pagoda. From up here you have a breathtaking view of the city with its many monasteries, the Ayeyarwady River, which is the country's lifeline, and the Shan Mountains in the distance.
Many tourists are driven up the mountain. However, it is nicer to walk up the 1700 steps from the south entrance of the mountain. We pass souvenir shops and food stands. Halfway up there is a large golden Buddha figure, pointing at the city of Mandalay with an outstretched arm. According to legend, Buddha said that at the foot of this mountain, in the year 2400 of the Buddhist calendar, a great city would arise here. For this reason, in 1857, King Mingon moved the royal city of Amarapura here to the foot of the mountain. Again and again you come across sacrificial sites and Buddha figures when climbing the mountain.
The pagoda at the top is an architectural feat. It consists of many small open rooms, which are separated from each other by large round arches. The walls are covered all over with glass and mirror mosaics. A special atmosphere is created when the red, setting sun is reflected in the mosaics.
Spent the night by the lake in a lowland, got out an hour before dawn from the tent. The fog is so dense that even the fingers on an outstretched hand are not visible, just gray nothing. Condensate flows down from the tent in a stream, the cold is terrible. I made tea and sat down to wait for dawn, hoping that the sun would disperse the fog. How wrong I was ... The fog was there almost until 11 o'clock in the afternoon.
Nothing special in the photo, just the fog
Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris
Norfolk
The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.
It is also a Schedule 1 species.
Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.
Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.
The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.
In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.
Population:
UK breeding:
80 males
UK wintering:
600 birds
Europe:
21 - 29,000 pairs
It is always a blessing to be in the presence of lekking threatened Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. The sounds, the dance… it is all so magical to be a witness to it. Grassland birds are suffering steep declines across their range and are impacted by agriculture, development, pesticides, climate change and fires. 60% of grassland birds in Canada have disappeared since the 1970’s. We must do all we can to conserve and save our grassland habitats so that grassland birds and these grouse in particular can dance on and thrive.
These photos were taken from a blind to prevent any disturbance. The lek was approached before the grouse arrived (an hour before sunrise) and I left after the last grouse departed. It is tiring and your body aches but it is worth it to share in the magic. The beautiful chevrons on their feathers, the yellow eye-combs, the purple air sacs are all splendid and awe inspiring. The boldness of the sounds and dances they make with their stamping feet, outstretched wings and pointed upright tails of a normally secretive species is something to behold. An older photo is attached to see the bird in full display illustrating this flic.kr/p/GeCgHD
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a large, long-legged bird resembles much like a heron. Gray body, sometimes with intense rusty staining. Adults have red crown. Often in large flocks at migration and wintering concentration points. Favors marshes and agricultural fields where they eat primarily grains. In flight, neck is outstretched, unlike herons with tucked necks. Snappy wingbeats. Listen for far-carrying bugling call.
The Red Wattle bird (Anthochaera carunculata) is a passerine bird found in southeast Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and southwest Western Australia. They live in open forest and woodlands, and are a common visitor to urban gardens, parks and Keith's backyard. This particular bird is very friendly, it will catch food thrown to it, but prefers to take food from my outstretched hand. I have a pair of these birds visiting at present, they have a nest close to my home and I look forward to meeting their babies in due course.
Kayaks on Lavender Bay.
This is the start of the dusk kayak expedition.
Occurring daily on Sydney harbour.
On this occasion the expedition was delayed whilst the kayak trek commander decided to take photographs of a Cormorant with its wings outstretched. Bizarre.
My Canon EOS 5D Mk IV with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens.
Processed in Adobe Lightroom and PhotoPad Pro by NCH software.
This image has had AI noise reduction applied via Adobe Lightroom's new AI tool.
A Smooth 'Chestnut' filter from the Flickrh
Anhinga -
From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Appearance:
The male anhinga is inky black with a cluster of silver/white feathers on his wings. During breeding season, the male's blood-red eyes are surrounded by a bright blue patch of skin. Females are distinguishable by their buff-tan neck.
Habitat:
Also known as the snake bird or water turkey, the anhinga is a year-round resident of Florida. It is also found from coastal sections of South Carolina westward to Texas and Mexico, and even south to Argentina.
Behavior:
You can often spot the anhinga perched on a branch with wings outstretched, drying feathers. They feed on small fish, shrimp, amphibians, crayfish and young alligators and snakes. The fact that their feathers are less water resistant than other birds helps them to swim underwater, where they often spear fish with their long neck and sharp beak. They surface in order to flip their catch into their mouth for consumption.
Mating generally occurs in February with egg-laying occurring throughout the spring and early summer. Nests are built in shoreline trees 15 to 20 feet high.