View allAll Photos Tagged Powerful
Chepstow looked a very nice town, If I had more time I would have gone in the castle, but I also wanted to go to the river.
Beautifully preserved Chepstow Castle stretches out along a limestone cliff above the River Wye like a history lesson in stone.
There’s no better place in Britain to see how castles gradually evolved to cope with ever more destructive weaponry – and the grandiose ambitions of their owners. For more than six centuries Chepstow was home to some of the wealthiest and most powerful men of the medieval and Tudor ages.
Building was started in 1067 by Earl William fitz Osbern, close friend of William the Conqueror, making it one of the first Norman strongholds in Wales. In turn William Marshal (Earl of Pembroke), Roger Bigod (Earl of Norfolk) and Charles Somerset (Earl of Worcester) all made their mark before the castle declined after the Civil War.
These magnates and power-brokers were constantly on the move. Chepstow was just one residence in their vast estates – an impressive shell into which they would bring their gold and silver vessels, rich silk and brightly painted furniture.
Surf Safety Matters - As tempting as the beaches look, surf safety is something we can’t afford to ignore. Some of the latest stats from Royal Surf Lifesaving Australia (2024) really hit home for me.
Some key stats from last year:
* 323 drowning deaths in Australia (with a population of just 27M)
* 30% were 65 years or older
* 86% of coastal drownings were male
* Coastal areas saw the most drownings, followed by inland waterways & swimming pools (half in backyard pools)
* Over half of coastal drownings happened more than 1km away from any surf lifesaving service
These numbers are more than just statistics though - they represent real people with families, friends, and lives. Fellow humans. Each one is a tragedy.
As a 65+ male who spends a lot of time exploring remote coastal areas, quite often alone (& swimming with no SLS services for km's), these numbers hit close to home. A sobering reminder that nature is powerful and can never be underestimated.
The message is simple. Stay aware, stay safe, and respect the water. That could apply to anyone anywhere, just replace "water" with "nature"!
Wishing everyone a safe and mindful week! Thanks for your comments, they are always greatly appreciated! 😊
Waterscape 11/100 for 2025.
Dinorwic: something powerful, mysterious, wonderful about the place. The silence. Beautiful or ugly? You can lose yourself here, up in the clouds or find your inner soul. High and low you go, up and down, in and out. A rollercoaster of an adventure. Find yourself. Find God. With drama and emotion. The beat of the song your steps, one placed after another up the incline, singing in your head. This is life, onward and upward to the heavens above. Dinorwic screams to be experienced. Enjoy The Silence www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ui9umU0C2g
A powerful rare earth magnet is hidden in the base. Each time the hourglass is turned over, a different pattern is formed as the tiny ferrous balls are drawn into the magnetic field.
There is something so majestic about Himalayas and Karakorams that has no match. No matter how many times you visit, it never fails to amaze you in an intimidating kind of way. So powerfully breathtaking...
+ARANA+ Dawn SHAPE - FLEUR Lelutka EvoX
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Violet%20Moon/247/32/3122
NANAO // Corset Piercing+BOM Tattoos @ The Warehouse Sale
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//127/110/23
UNIQUE Poses - But First Coffee
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/YOUNIQUE/114/127/31
[GA.EG] BR19 Majestic Brows
Not a huge fan of pylons tainting the nature, so guess we have to work with them at times. They're really effective in this image though. 😊
My wife and i were going to Loch Doon again, this time for a walk up one of the hills as i wanted to get a panorama of the Loch but on getting nearer Dalmellington I thought of the Dalcairney Falls which you pass on the way. I hadn't been yet to get a photo so seemed the best time as it had been raining off and on for the past week.
This is what we seen when we got there..... wow! had to talk rather loud to hear each other... it was fairly well hidden by trees as well......
I have another portrait type photo still to finish editing from further down the falls.....
“You have powerful storms in your mind? Visit the silent beaches to calm your storms! You have excessive silence in your mind? Find some powerful storms to awaken your mind!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
here's a powerful realization: in any moment i can begin again. if i'm lost in thoughts, externals, or busyness, i can return to myself, right now. there's a fresh start in every breath. the trick is this: remember to remember. when i remember to breathe and be, the world becomes a kinder place.
Sierra de Guara - Aragon - Espagne
Le Percnoptère d'Égypte est, comme tous les vautours, un nécrophage.
Son vol plané de surveillance et sa vue performante lui permettent de localiser sa nourriture potentielle.
Sur les carcasses, il passe d'habitude après les grands vautours comme le Vautour fauve, se nourrissant des restes.
Il peut aussi descendre sur les animaux écrasés sur les routes.
Il fréquente régulièrement les décharges et zones d'équarrissage où sont déposées les carcasses d'animaux domestiques.
The Egyptian Vulture is, like all vultures, a scavenger.
Its surveillance glide and its powerful sight allow it to locate its potential food.
On carcasses, it usually comes after large vultures like the Griffon, feeding on the remains.
It can also descend on animals crushed on the roads.
It regularly frequents dumps and rendering areas where the carcasses of domestic animals are deposited.
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”
― Margaret Thatcher
Caerwent was the capital of the Silures, the most important and powerful British tribe of south Wales. The town was founded in the late 1st century beside the main road from Glevum (Gloucester) to the Roman fort at Isca (Caerleon), and was the first true town in Wales.
It grew to have a population of roughly 3000 inhabitants at the height of its prosperity in the 2nd century. Caerwent had all the facilities you might expect in a 'civilsed' Roman town; a combination forum and basilica complex, public baths, a temple, and town houses, each with their own central heating system via hypocausts.
A totally amazing evening with a sky full of aurora borealis.
I think this sky was meant for me, because today I really needed it.
Thank god, for all the good people in my life and a fantastic show in the heaven!
Many thanks for the visits, faves and comments. Cheers
Brown Falcon
Falco berigora
Description: Brown Falcons are small to medium-sized raptors (birds of prey). The female is larger than the male. The Brown Falcon has a range of plumage colours, from very dark brown to light brown above and off-white below. Generally, the upperparts are dark brown and the underparts are pale buff or cream. The sides of the head are brown with a characteristic tear-stripe below the eye. Birds from the tropical north are very dark, with a paler face and undertail, while those from central Australia are paler all over. Younger birds resemble dark adults, but have less obvious barring on the tail, and a buff-yellow colour on the face, throat and nape of the neck.
Similar species: Paler birds may often be confused with a related raptor (bird of prey), the Nankeen Kestrel, F. cenchroides, which is quite a bit smaller and has a more rufous crown. Dark Brown Falcons may be mistaken for slightly larger Black Falcon, F. subniger. The Black Falcon has longer legs and lacks barring on the tail. The Black Falcon also appears sleeker in shape and movements.
Distribution: The Brown Falcon ranges throughout Australia, and north to New Guinea.
Habitat: The Brown Falcon is found in all but the densest forests and is locally common throughout its range. The preferred habitat is open grassland and agricultural areas, with scattered trees or structures such as telegraph poles which it uses for perching. Around outback towns, the birds become quite tame and will allow quite close approach. Birds may stay within the same areas throughout the year or may move around locally in response to changes in conditions. Paler birds are usually associated with inland areas, but all the colour varieties are fairly scattered throughout the range.
Feeding: Brown Falcons are usually seen alone, searching for food from an exposed perch. When prey is sighted, the bird swoops down and grasps it in its claws (talons), killing the prey with a bite to the spine. The powerful bill has specialised 'tomial' teeth and matching notches for this purpose. Less often the species will hunt by hovering or gliding over the ground, often at great heights. Brown Falcons feed on small mammals, insects, reptiles and, less often, small birds.
Breeding: The nest used by the Brown Falcon is normally an old nest from another hawk species, but the species may build its own stick nest in a tree. Occasionally birds nest in open tree hollows. Both sexes share the incubation of the eggs, and both care for the young, although the female performs the bulk of these duties, while the male supplies most of the food.
Calls: Normally silent at rest, but gives some cackling and screeching notes when in flight.
Minimum Size: 41cm
Maximum Size: 51cm
Average size: 46cm
Average weight: 530g
Breeding season: June to November in the south; November to April in the north.
Clutch Size: 2 to 6 (usually 3)
Incubation: 30 days
Nestling Period: 45 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net; and Pizzey & Night, The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia)
© Chris Burns 2025
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All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
One man. alone, hiking in this powerful nature, enjoying the incredible scenery of Besseggen and Gjende.
Other platforms:
A majestic and powerful eagle and maybe the largest raptor found in the country. A full grown adult eagle is around 80-90 cms tall with a wingspan of around ~6-8 feet. These weigh around 3-4.5 kgs - roughly 50-60% heavier than a Greater Spotted Eagle which is the common large raptor we see in our state..
During the Desert national Park trip last week, we sighted many of them all over the national park - they were just sitting on the ground alone and a few times in a group. On this day, we sighted 3 of them together with 2 Griffon vultures behind them - it was an awesome sight for me. All of these were impressive sized raptors - majestic, fearless and with a muscular / bouncer kind of look.
The birds probably had roosted the whole night in the open ground. They are hunters, but mostly scavengers and sometimes claim kill from other birds like the Falcons, harriers etc.. They also hunt reptiles, mammals like Fox, the young ones of Deer/ Antelopes, Ducks and Geese all of which are found in the desert. They have few natural enemies, but I suspect Wolves could take these birds down - and that area has no wolves, but a whole lot of foxes - both desert and indian fox.
These are national birds of Kazakhstan and are migratory to India during winters. They are very rare in my state, but common in the place I visited.
Thanks in advance for your wonderful feedback and likes.
The Gullfoss waterfall is perhaps the most famous and stunning waterfall in all of Iceland. This water spectacle can be found on the Golden Circle and is created by the glacial river Hvítá. A busy spot of natural disaster that you should not miss during your tour through the land of fire and ice. This waterfall is also called golden waterfall because of the floating mist and is no less than 20 meters wide, 70 meters deep and the gorge that follows is 2.5 kilometers (!) Long. If you look closely you will see that the water at Gulfoss does not fall all at once, but gradually hits the gorge......
Quarter Horses are well known for the strength and musculature of the hindquarters and so are cowgirls.
A majestic and powerful eagle and maybe the largest raptor found in the country. A full grown adult eagle is around 80-90 cms tall with a wingspan of around ~6-8 feet. These weigh around 3-4.5 kgs - roughly 50-60% heavier than a Greater Spotted Eagle which is the common large raptor we see in our state..
During our recent Desert national Park trip, we sighted many of them all over the national park - they were just sitting on the ground alone and a few times in a group. On this day, we sighted 3 of them together with 2 Griffon vultures behind them - it was an awesome sight for me. All of these were impressive sized raptors - majestic, fearless and with a muscular / bouncer kind of look.
The birds probably had roosted the whole night in the open ground. They are hunters, but mostly scavengers and sometimes claim kill from other birds like the Falcons, harriers etc.. They also hunt reptiles, mammals like Fox, the young ones of Deer/ Antelopes, Ducks and Geese all of which are found in the desert.
These are national birds of Kazakhstan and are migratory to India during winters. They are very rare in my state, but common in the place I visited.
Thanks in advance for your wonderful feedback and likes.
This is Reynisfjara beach - Iceland. Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, which features basalt columns and the dramatic Reynisdrangar sea stacks. It's beside Vik i Myrdal, the southernmost village on the mainland of Iceland.
The sand at Reynisfjara is black due to its volcanic origins. Formed from cooled lava that flowed into the ocean during eruptions, the lava fragments were broken down over time by the powerful waves, creating the distinctive black sand beach we see today.
The beach is also known to be dangerous due to 'sneaker' waves but despite this (and the most horrendous winds when we visited) we encountered this somewhat excited tourist who asked my wife to film him before proceeding to dance around without a care in the world! And no this isnt a colour splash shot - everything was grey apart from my wifes coat.
Sounding magnificent as she flew through Northallerton station, Stanier rebuilt 'Royal Scot' 4-6-0 no.46115 ‘Scots Guardsman’ heads the RTC’s York-Edinburgh ‘Edinburgh Christmas Market’ tour.
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✿ [^.^Ayashi^.^] - Lovenna @ Cupid's Fault
╰ Hairs-3 Versions (3 head size) / Rigged mesh ONLY
╰ Hide option for scrunchy and bow at hair
╰ 2 Fatpack colors HUD (include tint hair, materials, fullbright option)
→ TP to Cupid's Fault Event : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ACCESS%202/93/113/2502
→ TP to Ayashi Mainstore : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MagnetiS/195/121/11
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✿ +WORN+ Cupid's Curse @ Cupid Inc.
╰ Top 32 colors and Skirt 20 colors (Both PBR and pre PBR)
╰ Rigged for Legacy + Perky, Reborn + Waifu, Kupra and LaraX
╰ Ability to change lace colors in both singles and fatpack
╰ Thong included with show/hide option
→ TP to Cupid Inc. : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Intoxicating/8/112/25
→ TP to +WORN+ Mainstore : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/untitled/222/144/333
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EXCLUSIVES at WASTELAND Event
→ TP to WASTELAND Event : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mount%20Amore/128/128/23
✿ panDEMONium ink - Retro tattoo @ Wasteland Event
╰ Fresh and Faded
╰ Unisex tattoo for EvoX heads
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✿ darkmoon . Spike Choker @ Wasteland Event
╰ Unrigged Choker
╰ HUD driven and PBR only
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EXCLUSIVES at Kawaii Secret Event
→ TP to Kawaii Secret Event : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Neko%20Paws/41/190/501
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✿{minuit}- Fade Garter @ Kawaii Secret
╰ Rigged for Reborn and Legacy
╰ 22 colors available and materials on/off
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✿ [Kottr] - Corin @ Kawaii Secret
╰ Rigged for Reborn
╰ Includes texture HUD - 33 colors (Plan/Patent/Glitter) and 3 metal colors
╰ Socks toggleable
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European Badger - Meles meles
Badgers are short, stout, powerful animals that live in underground 'setts' that can extend well over 50 metres long! Members of the mustelid family (which includes pine martens, otters, polecats, ferrets and the wolverine), the European badgers' range extends from Britain, across Europe and to the middle east.
The badger is one of the UK's most recognised and popular mammals, bringing pleasure to thousands of people and is a living symbol of the British countryside.
In the UK, badgers live in mixed-sex groups of between four and eight animals in underground 'setts'. A social group living together in the same sett is also known as a 'clan'. While badgers tend to live in groups, they do not always act cooperatively with their fellow clan members. Badgers are unique in this way as individuals in a clan will forage for food on their own, unlike other social groups of animals who might hunt together and reap the benefit as a group.
A badger’s sense of smell is a particularly important sense as it plays a vital role in communication. Badgers have several scent glands which produce a variety of odours, used for distributing information like warning signals and mating status.
Scents produced are also used to tighten bonds between social groups, with studies suggesting that clan members have similar scents. Badgers also deposit scents in their feces and will typically defecate in shallow dug pits known as latrines, which are found on territorial boundaries.
Badgers distribute their scent information through techniques known as squat marking (dipping their rear and lifting their tails) and allo-marking (marking each other). Can you identify this behaviour in our video library?
The diet of a badger is extremely varied, with badgers being described by expert Professor Tim Roper as "opportunistic omnivores". Earthworms are the core of the badger's diet, often by as much as 60 per cent. In a single night, an adult badger may eat well over 200 worms!
When conditions are harsh (hard frosts, dry or barren areas of habitat), worms can be scarce. Cleverly, badgers are able to shift to other food items, including snails, slugs and soft fruit like raspberries and fallen blackberries. Badgers will occasionally eat hedgehogs if normal prey items are not abundant - read more about badgers and hedgehogs below.
Badgers mate at almost any time of the year, but due to an unusual reproductive technique, known as delayed implantation, they have only one litter a year. Litter size ranges from one to five cubs, with two or three the more common number. Cubs are born in chambers lined with bedding material that the females (sows) gather and drag into the breeding chamber. Straw, hay, grass, fern are all commonly used, which keep the cubs warm. Most cubs are born in early to mid-February and will emerge above ground at around 12 weeks. At 16 weeks, cubs will be displaying most adult social behaviours, including grooming and scent marking.
Taken below Conowingo Dam ... focused on the two towers there ... that are nice perches for the eagles to scan the river for a meal.