“This my dear, is the

greatest challenge

of being alive :

To witness

the injustice

of this world,

and not

allow it

to consume

our light.” - CREDIT : @oxherdboy (Instagram)

Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEoPVV__7jk

WALK BESIDE ME – Celtic Woman

It's difficult for most people to understand

what it is to be a stranger in someone elses land

where English is your second language

and you're tongue-tied trying to say the sounds

The bay in which I find myself

is made up of half stones half sand

I venture to cross an invisible border

nothing that I do is planned

A little girl who seems familiar

takes me by my outstretched hand

and smilingly she leads me

further up upon the silken sand

Above the tide line are two turtles

heading towards the sandy dunes

the wind is whispering old love songs

and some childhood nursery tunes

the tide line is a tangled mess

of shells and stones cast out like runes

I ask the child who are the turtles

carved out so carefully with spoons

she says the big one is her mama

and the smaller one is her

I ask where then is the other turtle

the one that represents her father

she points across the stretching sand

where the tide recedes so far and wide

to touch another distant land

that borders another and another beside

I squint my eyes and try to see

but like a mirage in front of me

the landscaped hills appear to be

just smoke stretched out horizontally

He had to stay behind to fight

to keep our homeland free she said

I marvelled at her understanding

her matter-of-fact account sans dread

but her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears

her comprehension beyond her years

but without the words to express her fears

I heard her tangibly and felt so clear

the turtles telling her story

- AP - Copyright © remains with and is the intellectual property of the author

Copyright © protected image please do not reproduce without permission

18th Dynasty wooden figure of an enthroned ram-headed god with arms outstretched, overlaid with plastered linen.

British Museum

~ Thievery Corporation - From Creation ~

As I work in the garden I always keep the camera handy, as you never know what you'll disturb and see. I was rewarded this time with this Small Magpie Moth (Anania hortulata) that flew out from some weeds and landed on our stone wall, with its wings outstretched to show their full beauty.

The red-tailed-hawk, frustrated by the chunk of wood stuck to his right talons, sees no solution (or concerns) on his right.

Thank you to Maurice Boire for correcting my identification of this bird: this is a red-tailed hawk, not a Cooper's hawk. Apologies for my error,

*See Wildlife album for other photos in this series

‘Double tap and Zoom’

‘Goldfinch in the golden hour'.

A beautiful male Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis captured here in the 'golden hour' of an autumn day, foraging on a bed of Teasels.

A spiders web and silken threads can be seen on the Teasels in the image, glistening in the evening sunlight.

The Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis or to give it one of its ancient names 'The ‘Thisteltuige’ has a specialised pointed beak which it has evolved as a natural work of art for getting into and feeding on teasels, thistles, and seeds.

Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.

Notes:

Goldfinches primarily eat seeds. In early summer Goldfinches feed on the seeds of small plants such as dandelions and groundsel, in late summer thistles and teasels become their most important source of food. Their long, slim beaks have evolved to make the Goldfinch a specialist thistle feeder.

One of its earliest recorded local names is ‘Thisteltuige’, this Anglo-Saxon name of the eighth century literally means thistle-tweaker. Even the scientific name Carduelis carduelis is derived from the Latin, Carduus, meaning Thistle. The male of the species has a slightly longer beak enabling him to reach the seed of the teasel so the female then monopolises the thistles.

If you can get close to a goldfinch feeding on a teasel you may hear the vibration as the finch shakes its beak in the seed hole presumably to widen the gap or loosen the seed. They need to be deft with their feet and wings to hold tight as the wind blows the teasels around.

Goldfinches have relatively short, stout legs to enable them to hold tight but they often need to use outstretched wings to balance counteract the buffeting of the wind, Saga notes.

This Green Heron just couldn’t decide: ‘Should I stay or should I go?’ He would stretch his neck up, begin to leave then compress that magical slinky neck down and relax for a few seconds before doing it again. Finally, he stretched his neck way out and took to the air. Green Herons are often amusing, chasing each other around, making strange sounds, fishing from low branches or from the air and working that magical neck. Lots of fun. I’ll be offline for a bit but wanted to wish everybody a wonderful New Year. See you in ’25! (Butorides virescens) (Sony a1ii, 400mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 1600)

Bittern - Botaurinae

Interesting Bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

Wasgamuwa National Park, Sri Lanka, February, 2020.

Elephants are all about family as portrayed in this image. As each elephant came forward they greeted each other with outstretched trunks. It was a magical moment observing this natural instinct and the love they have for one another.

El FACYL nos ofrece en el Patio de la Salina de Salamanca, una instalación en serigrafía sobre vidrio del artista Gonzalo Borondo, en colaboración con el estudio de serigrafía 56Fili.

Es una instalación transitable en serigrafía formada por 50 láminas de vidrio. Dos imágenes gráfico-pictóricas coexisten: de un lado, una columna y del otro una figura humana de espaldas con los brazos extendidos. La superposición determina juegos perceptivos que cambian la visión del espectador.

The FACYL offers us in the Patio de la Salina de Salamanca, an installation in serigraphy on glass by the artist Gonzalo Borondo, in collaboration with the 56Fili serigraphy studio.

It is a walkable installation in silkscreen made up of 50 sheets of glass. Two graphic-pictorial images coexist: on one side, a column and on the other a human figure from behind with outstretched arms. The superposition determines perceptual games that change the view of the viewer.

Le FACYL nous propose dans le Patio de la Salina de Salamanca, une installation en sérigraphie sur verre de l'artiste Gonzalo Borondo, en collaboration avec le studio de sérigraphie 56Fili.

Il s'agit d'une installation piétonnière en sérigraphie composée de 50 feuilles de verre. Deux images graphiques-picturales coexistent: d'un côté, une colonne et de l'autre une figure humaine de dos aux bras tendus. La superposition détermine les jeux perceptifs qui changent la vue du spectateur.

As if reaching with that last gasp of life on its golden bed, this gnarled and aging sage bush, takes on the look of a retired hand. Outstretched to its limit, it is a wonderful and abstract symbol illustrating the desire to cling onto life after grappling with the harshest of elements.

For my friends who don't understand French, here is the English version of Paul Eluard's poem:" Freedom". This poem was written during WW2, an ode to freedom, in the face of the occupation of France by nazi Germany in 1940.

FREEDOM

Upon my schooll notebooks

Upon my shool desk and the trees

Upon the snow sand

I write your name

Upon the pages already read

Upon all the white pages

Stone blood paper or ash

I write your name

Upon the golden image

Upon the weapons of warriors

Upon the crowns of Kings

I write your name

Upon the jungle and the desert

Upon the nests upon the brooms

Upon the echo of my enfancy

I write your name

Upon the wonders of nights

Upon the white bread of days

Upon the seasons betrothed

I write your name

Upon all my azure cloths

Upon the pond modly Sun

Upon the lake living Moon

I write your name

Upon the fields upon the horizon

Upon the wings of birds

And upon the mill of shadows

I write your name

Upon each puff of dawn

Upon the sea upon the boats

Upon the insane mountain

I write your name

Upon the foam of clouds

Upon the sweats of the thunderstorm

Upon the thick and bland rain

I write your name

Upon the glimmering shapes

Upon the bells of colors

Upon the physical truth

I write your name

Upon the awaken senses

Upon the outstretched roads

Upon the places that overflow

I write your name

Upon the lamp that is illuminated

Upon the lamp that goes out

Upon my reunited houses

I write your name

Upon the fruit sliced in two

From the mirror and from my bedroom

Upon my bed empty shell

I write your name

Upon my greedy and tender dog

Upon his upright ears

Upon his clumsy paws

I write your name

Upon the springboard of my door

Upon the familiar objects

Upon the flood of blessed fire

I write your name

Upon all granted flesh

Upon the front of my friends

Upon each hand that extends itself

I write your name

Upon the window pane of surprises

Upon tenderized lips

Well above the silence

I write your name

Upon my destroyed safe-havens

Upon my collapsed lighthouses

Upon the walls of my boredom

I write your name

Upon the absence without desire

Upon the naked solitude

Upon the death marches

I write your name

Upon the return health

Upon the faded risk

Upon the hope without memory

I write your name

And for the power of a word

I restart my life

I was born to know you

To call you

Freedom

Paul Eluard

The Allegory of Fame is a painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerard de Lairesse (1641-1711). Gerard de Lairesse was a renowned painter and art theorist in the 17th century, known for his contributions to Dutch Classicism.

The Allegory of Fame, also known as "Fama", is one of his notable works and depicts the allegorical figure of Fame. In Greek mythology, Fame, also known as Pheme, was the personification of fame and renown. In Roman mythology, she was called Fama.

The painting typically shows a female figure with outstretched wings, symbolizing the widespread reach of her influence and reputation. She is often portrayed with a trumpet or a horn, which she uses to announce the achievements and accomplishments of individuals to the world.

Fame was a popular subject in Renaissance and Baroque art, and artists often depicted her in various poses and contexts to convey different aspects of her influence and power.

In Gerard de Lairesse's version of the Allegory of Fame, he likely imbued the composition with his distinctive style, characterized by a grand and classical aesthetic. His paintings were influenced by classical antiquity, and he was particularly inspired by the works of Italian Renaissance artists, such as Raphael and Michelangelo.

I might have been pushing my luck in more than one sense, but I was hoping I would get away with it. A drive up to the village and the small cafe we’d visited a few days earlier, and then we’d head for the Levada do Risco walk. Finally, I might accidentally on purpose take the wrong turn out of the car park and we might accidentally on purpose end up at Fanal again. And so after taking one of the easier levada walks to the waterfall, where chaffinches fed on seeds pulled from nutty bars and placed on our outstretched palms, we took the road to the forest in the fog once again. Well when I mention chaffinches and outstretched palms, it was mostly Ali drawing the flocks. Wherever we go, small children and animals automatically sense the presence of a gentle soul and gravitate around her. One chaffinch did sit on my palm pecking away contentedly for several moments, but she was the main attraction. A couple of other trekkers tried something similar, but they were wasting their time with St Francesca of Redruth dominating the proceedings.

After a stiff uphill stroll back to the car park, it was a relatively short drive to Fanal. In the last mile of the drive a huge expanse of cloud filled the space below us, but there was nowhere to park. It turned out to be the only inversion we’d see at all in the two weeks we spent on the island. Last time Ali had returned to the car within a few minutes, and this time she didn’t feel inclined to join me at all, instead settling down in the passenger seat with the novel she’d found among our host’s bookshelves. Last time I’d been rescued by a group of Slovenians when I almost lost myself as night poured onto the high fogbound plain of the Serra do Paul. But this time I knew where the big car park was, and as I made my way towards the forest I took regular phone snaps of especially distinctive specimens as a kind of map back to it later. You really don’t want to get lost up here in the mist when the darkness is just around the corner. Even during the daytime it was noticeably chilly here at eleven hundred metres in comparison to the warmer air somewhere down there at sea level. For now it was clear, but I could see that wasn’t going to last. Fantastic from a photography perspective, less so from a getting back to the car safely point of view.

And as I arrived among the characters of the forest, the fog began to swirl in among the trees, swallowing up the hinterland and reducing the world to a space no larger than the size of a modest football pitch, separating the protagonists from one another and wrapping us in an eerie silence. I know of people who’ve been here and come away complaining about the clear conditions, yet I’d been fortunate enough to take my shots in a pea souper on each of the two visits I made. And then there were those amazing forms emerging from the shroud and driving the imagination into the world of Tolkein. Every scene seemed to represent something, such as the silent disco in the clouds here. I see dancers, one of them clapping their hands about their head like Mick Jagger on stage, while Tree Beard in the foreground wears a huge crown of foliage and shimmies across the floor in front of a watching audience.

I could easily have spent entire days up here wandering around, familiarising myself with the cast of this outlandish show in the sky, but it wasn’t a photography trip and I knew this would be the last chance to come here this time. On a clearer day I might have strayed further, to the less visited corners of the forest, but I wanted to make sure I found my way back without having to be saved by strangers this time. For now this was more than enough as the voiceless figures twisted and weaved their mysterious moves in front of me, bridging the distance between dreams and reality in this magical land above the clouds.

"A sea-gull planed its way down to the water on curving, outstretched wings. The salt air blew coolly on her flushed cheeks, and she smiled to herself in her happiness." -RA Dick

This Great Blue Heron with his magnificent wings outstretched is cruising in for a shoreline landing.

Pushing on that trigger is like pulling magic into my very soul....Darrell.

Have a safe and awesome day dear flickr friends.

Thank you to everyone for visiting my photo-stream...very much appreciated !

A Carolina Chickadee alights on an outstretched hand.

un Oiseau que l'on ne voit pas très souvent

Marouette ponctuée

Porzana porzana - Spotted Crake

a Bird that we don't see very often

Spotted Owl

Porzana porzana - Spotted Crake

La marouette ponctuée est un grand migrateur nocturne qui va hiverner en Afrique Tropicale.

Elle préfère courir ou nager plutôt que voler,

vit, en général, solitaire ou en couple,

est active de l'aurore au crépuscule, davantage au coucher du soleil, reste toujours en retrait de un mètre à couvert, mais parfois, elle avance sur plusieurs mètres à découvert, pouvant rester un long moment si elle n'est pas dérangée. Sinon, elle court se cacher dans la végétation. Elle marche délibérément à grands pas, secouant la tête d'avant en arrière, et agitant la queue verticalement. A la lisière du couvert, elle bouge davantage, tête baissée.

Entre les touffes de végétation, elle court en s'aplatissant, à grands pas, la tête tendue en avant et la queue dressée. Elle nage peu.

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The Spotted Owl is a great nocturnal migrant that will winter in Tropical Africa.

She prefers to run or swim rather than fly,

lives, in general, solitary or in couple,

is active from dawn to dusk, more at sunset, always stays back one meter in cover, but sometimes it advances several meters in the open, being able to stay a long time if left undisturbed. Otherwise, she runs and hides in the vegetation. She deliberately strides forward, shaking her head back and forth, and wagging her tail vertically. At the edge of the cover, she moves more, head lowered.

Between the tufts of vegetation, it runs, flattening itself, with great strides, its head outstretched forward and its tail erect. She swims little.

Each Season

Outstretched is our hand

And grips in the void

If you touch the surface

You losing your mind

Each season we take on

With a smile on our face

Carry the burden on the shoulders

And the scars in our hands

The flight forward is the better choice

Do you really believe that,

Or is it your agony?

Do you know your goal?

Then you're way ahead

Each season we take on

With a smile on our face

Carry the burden on the shoulders

And the scars in our hands

Who stop dreaming - loses,

That's the way it goes

So tell me, will you pay the price

Or do you dream standing ahead?

Each season we take on

With a smile on our face

Carry the burden on the shoulders

And the scars in our hands

Outstretched is our hand

And grips in the void

If you touch the surface

You losing your mind ©Ute Knapp

The Osprey

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.

The Nursery Web Spider is a common lowland species south of a line from north Yorkshire to the southern Lake District although there are scattered records throughout Scotland as well. It is an active hunter that usually frequents herbaceous vegetation including uncut grassland, nettle beds and heaths.

Identification

Adults (females 12-15mm, males 10-13mm body length) generally mature in early to mid summer but the species is easily recognised even in the early immature stages. The body is characteristically cigar-shaped and the legs are relatively long and robust. When resting, the front pairs of legs are typically held rigidly outstretched and very close together.

The body is very variable in colour, from grey, through yellowish orange to dark brown, and bears patterning that may be very distinct or almost absent. The carapace almost always has a darker median band with a narrow white or yellow line down its centre while the abdomen may have pale lateral bands with wavy edges. Sometimes the abdomen is marked like the carapace, with a light median band running down the centre of a broader dark band, again with a wavy edge.

In the UK, the Nursery Web Spider is most likely to be confused with closely related raft spiders (Dolomedes fimbriatus and D. plantarius). The raft spiders have a similar shape and leg posture but are rare species, substantially larger as adults (females 13-23mm, males 9-16mm), and restricted to wetland habitats. Most have cream or white lateral bands on a brown or black background on both the carapace and abdomen; these are more prominent than the pale lateral bands sometimes seen on the abdomen of some Nursery Web Spiders.

Life history

Nursery Web Spiders are at their most conspicuous and distinctive during the breeding season. Their silk egg sac is white or beige and is carried under the body, held firmly in the mouthparts (not at the end of the body, attached to the spinners, as in the wolf spiders (Lycosidae))

Before the spiderlings hatch, the mother constructs her conspicuous nursery - a dense silk tent – in which she can initially be seen holding her egg sac. Once the spiderlings hatch she can usually be seen on guard on the outside of the tent while the cluster of spiderlings, together with the torn, whitish remains of the sac can be seen inside.

The nurseries are built in robust, usually herbaceous vegetation, sometimes at quite high density. Their numbers peak from mid-June to July, with a smaller, later peak from mid-August to September. Silk tents with a more open structure, found in similar vegetation in May or early June, and containing spiderlings with distinctive, round, yellow abdomens marked with a dark, backward pointing triangle, belong to orb web araneid spiders. In contrast to the webs of the Nursery Web and the raft spiders, these webs are not constructed by the mother but by the spiderlings themselves.

I noticed a few legs under the outstretched wing of the female wood duck as she showing her motherly affection kept a protecting cover over her brood

With his wings outstretched for landing, this Mallard reminds me of an angel. In addition, his feet have not yet broken the water surface, giving the impression that he's standing on the water.

Photographed at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

Al, my backyard hummer, still has his tongue out from drinking from a feeder. I love the pose of him here with his wings outstretched.

Allen's Hummingbird

Selasphorus sasin

Member of Nature’s Spirit

Good Stewards of Nature

Patricia Ware Bird Photography

© 2015 Patricia Ware - All Rights Reserved

a slight crop - best viewed large

It is lovely to watch the Buzzard soaring above my local fields and woods in Hampshire.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Kenya

East Africa

The African spoonbill (Platalea alba) is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

It lives in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water and nests in colonies in trees or reedbeds. They usually don't share colonies with storks or herons. The African spoonbill feeds in shallow water, and fishes for various fish, molluscs, amphibians, crustaceans, insects and larvae. The animal uses its open bill to catch foods by swinging it from side-to-side in the water, which catches foods in its mouth. Long legs and thin, pointed toes enable it to walk easily through varying depths of water.

The African spoonbill is almost unmistakable through most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its red legs and face and long grey spatulate bill. It has no crest, unlike the common spoonbill. Immature birds lack the red face and have a yellow bill. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched.

The African spoonbill begins breeding in the winter, which lasts until spring. The spoonbill's nest, generally located in trees above water, is built from sticks and reeds and lined with leaves. Three to five eggs are laid by the female birds, usually during the months of April or May. The eggs are incubated by both parents for up to 29 days, and upon hatching the young birds are cared for by both parents for around 20 to 30 days.The birds are ready to leave the nest soon afterward, and begin flying after another four weeks.

The African spoonbill is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. – Wikipedia

Cornell claims this about the cormorant: To attract a mate for the season, a male cormorant will choose a nest site and then stand with his breast down and bill and tail up, showing off the crests on his head and bright colors of his neck and his eyes, grunting and slightly waving his outstretched wings.....

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.

What a tangled pattern the wood does weave

On the eyes of those who believe

That deep inside its outstretched arms

You will find loves sweet charms

Waiting for you, as you walk

As the birds, above they talk

Singing of love, that does not leave

The arms and branches, that forever weave

In the woods, down by the lake

Where lovers find their destined fate

I often find myself gazing up at vultures and eagles as they soar hundreds of feet over my head. Huge birds able to ride the air currents with minimal effort. It's one of many things that make me feel good although I don't have a clear understanding of why. I used to have similar feelings flying kites as a kid. Loved the thought that something I crafted with my own hands could achieve the same altitude as those birds, despite the limitation of being tethered to a string. Even still, the gentle tug on that string in my hand was a joyous feeling. For years now I've planned to make a kite and relive that childhood exhilaration. And for years now I've never gotten around to it and probably never will.

These thoughts overwhelmed me in flashback form as I watched Katie swaying about in this windswept meadow. Her outstretched arms were elongated to wing-like length, far out of proportion to her body. In that instant she seemed poised to take flight. A wonderful visual medley of my fantasies of flight, raptors, and even a touch of wicked witch.

Naples Botanical Gardens

60 Acre Wildlife Reserve

Naples, FL

The double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Its habitat is near rivers and lakes as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America.

Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is an all-black bird which gains a small double crest of black and white feathers in breeding season. It has a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin. Five subspecies are recognized. Its feathers, like those of all cormorants, are not waterproof and it must spend time drying them out after spending time in the water.

A very common and widespread species, it winters anywhere that is ice-free along both coasts, as far north as southern Alaska (on the west coast) and southern New England (on the east coast). It can be found as far south as Mexico and the Bahamas. It migrates from the coldest parts of its breeding range.

The double-crested cormorant swims low in the water, often with just its neck and head visible, and dives from the surface. It uses its feet for propulsion. After diving, it spends long periods standing with its wings outstretched to allow them to dry, since they are not fully waterproofed. This species flies low over the water, with its bill tilted slightly upward, sometimes leaving the colony in long, single-file lines.

Like all cormorants, the double-crested dives to find its prey. It mainly eats fish, but will sometimes also eat amphibians and crustaceans. Fish are caught by diving under water. Smaller fish may be eaten while the bird is still beneath the surface but bigger prey is often brought to the surface before it is eaten.

Breeding occurs in coastal areas as well as near inland rivers and lakes. They build stick nests in trees, on cliff edges, or on the ground on suitable islands. They are gregarious birds usually found in colonies, often with other aquatic birds, and have a deep, guttural grunt call. – Wikipedia

Breeds from reedy lakeshores to boggy clearings in boreal forest, winters in wetlands and farmland. Very large and tall, with distinctive "bustle" on lower back. Adult has black-and-white head pattern, small red crown patch. Flight unhurried, with neck outstretched (unlike herons), and stiff wingbeats quickest on upstroke; groups often fly in V-formation, like geese. Loud, rolling calls carry long distances.

*Thank you all so much for your kind comments and Favs. It’s most appreciated!

A magnificent pelican takes flight over a tranquil lake, its wings outstretched and perfectly mirrored in the still waters below. The contrast of the pelican's stark white feathers against the deep blue of the lake and the soft hues of the sky creates a breathtaking image of natural beauty and grace. As the pelican soars effortlessly through the air, it leaves behind a fleeting moment of serenity and wonder, captured forever in this stunning photograph.

Wishing everyone a fabulous, dance-filled day!

After swimming in an offshore lake at Titchfield, this Cormorant perches with wings outstretched to dry.

I've been here since the beginning of the summer

I'm the one they call the Scarecrow!

They dressed me in rags as a dress

a straw hat that I took off as soon as I could

and with my arms outstretched as if I were on a cross!

The farmer, a big, ugly, mustachioed man

He put me in the middle of this sunflower field

To protect them from the crows and ravens

And the seagulls? I thought!

The summer was magnificent,

the crows and other birds circled around my head

in protest, but

none of them ever put me in danger

The flowers of the sunflower disk

At sunset, when finally

The heat fades

And the birds go to sleep

We told each other endless stories with the sunflowers

Before falling asleep

The sunflowers were beautiful and full of light...

But time passes and they no longer shine

Their great head is now bowed

Sad and resine

Soon the farmer will arrive with his monster

Made of blades and the splendid head of sunflowers

It will be cut off without mercy!

The long, dry, severed stalks will remain straight as trunks

To remember how that field was once golden

I, alone in this wide valley

Perhaps I will die with them

Not with my severed head but

Out of sadness and nostalgia

(my)

Taken in Holme Wood at Loweswater, Cumbria. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this tree reaching out. Compiled from several handheld exposures and stitched together in photoshop. Lots of wonderful arboreal treats in this wood, so expect plenty more shots :)

Photographed the three Wood Storks at the Saddle Creek Park located in the City of Lakeland in Polk County Florida U.S.A.

The Wood Stork is a broad-winged soaring bird that flies with its neck outstretched and legs extended. It forages

usually where lowering water levels concentrate fish in open wetlands; it also frequents paddy fields. Walking

slowly and steadily in shallow water up to its belly, it seeks prey, which, like that of most of its relatives, consists of

fish, frogs and large insects. It catches fish by holding its bill open in the water until a fish is detected.

In the United States, the Wood Stork favors cypress trees in marshes, swamps, or (less often) among mangroves and

nearby habitat.

©Copyright Notice

This photograph and all those within my photostream are protected by copyright. They may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written permission.

The cormorant fisherman on the Li River in Guilin Province, China prepare to fish with their trained birds in the quiet moments of the pre-dawn before they light their lanterns. Cormorant fishing has taken place in China for over 1000 years. The fishermen light a lantern at the bow of the boat to attract the fish and tie a line near the base of the bird's throat to prevent the birds from swallowing larger fish. When the birds are brought back aboard the bamboo rafts, the fish are retrieved.

25/09/2017 www.allenfotowild.com

This old tree stands out from the complex branches behind it, it's outstretched limb almost guiding the passer by which direction they should head.

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It took me quite a while to get this shot - I was happy - unfortunately all the mosquitos as well :-)

Many thanks, Carol, my friend for your clarification and description of a dragonfly versus a damselfly. In German the damselfly that I shot is called a "Kleine Libelle".

Here is some info. for you, if you will:

"what’s the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly?

Well, for a start, dragonflies are relatively large, robust insects, whilst damselflies are more dainty creatures. Then large, compound dragonfly eyes are positioned fairly centrally on the head, and meet in the middle, whilst damselfly eyes are smaller, widely separated and positioned on the sides of the head. And finally, dragonfly wings when at rest are usually held outstretched, often at 90 degrees to the abdomen, but damselflies usually fold their wings back along the line of the abdomen."

ChatGPT description of this image: image features two penguins set against a snowy backdrop. The penguin in the foreground stands on a rocky outcrop, slightly to the left of the frame, facing the viewer with wings extended as if caught mid-motion, resembling a person with arms outstretched. It has a classic penguin appearance: black head with white patches above the eyes that look like eyebrows, a white front, and a black back and wings. Its feet are just visible at the bottom of its white belly. The second penguin is in the background to the right, facing to the side with its profile visible, offering a view of its white belly and the distinct black markings on its back and wings. The rock they're standing on is jagged and dark, contrasting with the penguins' bright plumage. Snowflakes are visible in the air, suggesting it's snowing lightly.

Do you see the fantastic smile on that goose's face?

That's how I feel this Monday, cos I don't have to work - yippeee :)

I took this just over a week ago at the Black Lough, Dungannon. I was trying to capture some action shots and birds in flight, but they were too quick - this dude was coming right at me, and I found it hard to focus, but got one shot that seemed to work :)

Hope you all enjoy your Monday off :) and if you are working, have a good one :)

Thank you for stopping by... I'm off early with my cameras... hopefully, I'll have something interesting for tomorrow :)

Thanks for the lovely comments on my little red flowers pic yesterday :)

To me Peyto Lake looks like a figure with her arms reaching out.

Peyto Lake is fed by a glacier that gives it that gorgeous turquoise green colour.

Although it rained every day that we were in the Rockies we were lucky enough to get some sunny breaks. With the sun shining through the clouds we were rewarded with an interesting pattern on the surface of the lake.

Having a fly for lunch. She's grown a little since the hoverfly caught two weeks ago. She is now about 12mm across with legs outstretched. According to "Dr Google" this species occurs from sub-Saharan Africa, through Arabia to India.

Taken while strolling down a country lane in Cornwall.

In any series of flight images I capture I tend to discard the one where the subject has no outstretched wings. Smaller birds tend to jump quite often but you won't see a lot as it's not so flattering. This one looked a little amusing.

The Nursery Web Spider is a common lowland species south of a line from north Yorkshire to the southern Lake District although there are scattered records throughout Scotland as well. It is an active hunter that usually frequents herbaceous vegetation including uncut grassland, nettle beds and heaths.

Identification

Adults (females 12-15mm, males 10-13mm body length) generally mature in early to mid summer but the species is easily recognised even in the early immature stages. The body is characteristically cigar-shaped and the legs are relatively long and robust. When resting, the front pairs of legs are typically held rigidly outstretched and very close together.

The body is very variable in colour, from grey, through yellowish orange to dark brown, and bears patterning that may be very distinct or almost absent. The carapace almost always has a darker median band with a narrow white or yellow line down its centre while the abdomen may have pale lateral bands with wavy edges. Sometimes the abdomen is marked like the carapace, with a light median band running down the centre of a broader dark band, again with a wavy edge.

In the UK, the Nursery Web Spider is most likely to be confused with closely related raft spiders (Dolomedes fimbriatus and D. plantarius). The raft spiders have a similar shape and leg posture but are rare species, substantially larger as adults (females 13-23mm, males 9-16mm), and restricted to wetland habitats. Most have cream or white lateral bands on a brown or black background on both the carapace and abdomen; these are more prominent than the pale lateral bands sometimes seen on the abdomen of some Nursery Web Spiders.

Life history

Nursery Web Spiders are at their most conspicuous and distinctive during the breeding season. Their silk egg sac is white or beige and is carried under the body, held firmly in the mouthparts (not at the end of the body, attached to the spinners, as in the wolf spiders (Lycosidae))

Before the spiderlings hatch, the mother constructs her conspicuous nursery - a dense silk tent – in which she can initially be seen holding her egg sac. Once the spiderlings hatch she can usually be seen on guard on the outside of the tent while the cluster of spiderlings, together with the torn, whitish remains of the sac can be seen inside.

The nurseries are built in robust, usually herbaceous vegetation, sometimes at quite high density. Their numbers peak from mid-June to July, with a smaller, later peak from mid-August to September. Silk tents with a more open structure, found in similar vegetation in May or early June, and containing spiderlings with distinctive, round, yellow abdomens marked with a dark, backward pointing triangle, belong to orb web araneid spiders. In contrast to the webs of the Nursery Web and the raft spiders, these webs are not constructed by the mother but by the spiderlings themselves.