The present mansion house, Plas Glynllifon, was built in 1836–48 to the designs of Edward Haycock, a Shrewsbury architect and succeeded at least three previous houses on the site. The original building predated a rebuilding c.1600 which itself was rebuilt in 1751. That house, a 'moderate-sized brick mansion' was destroyed by a major fire in 1836. The rebuilding that followed and an extension in 1889-90 is largely the house that exists today.

Handa Island, Scotland. Had a few days here mainly to see the Arctic Skua, this is one of the few accessible colonies. Last year there were 19 pairs, numbers deceasing partly due to burgeoning Great Skuas, which are now at about 300 pairs and which will happily predate the chicks. This a dark morph (as opposed to pale morph) arctic - though this is nothing more than the equivalent of hair colour in humans. The birds had paired off and by and large selected territories but weren't yet nest building, later they become highly aggressive towards anything approaching them including people.

I was so pleased to get a pic of this bird as the last couple of times it has visited the garden I've not been quick enough. However, I realised after taking the pic's that it had predated the juvenile blackbird (hidden under its wing) that I had watched earlier in the day being fed by the adult. The circle of life…

The wheel turns and the days are starting to get noticably longer and the first early signs of spring have finally begun to emerge. The 1st of February marks the beginning of spring in the Celtic calendar with the festival of Imbolc, the first of 4 major fire festivals referred to in Irish mythology. I gathered local common club-rushes to weave these equal-armed solar crosses which, in Ireland, are a symbol likely to predate Christianity and are associated with the Goddess Brigid, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology

A denizen of wetlands particularly Mangrove ares, sadly becoming scarce through predation and habitat destruction.

Also a short sighted propensity to build walkways through these wetlands as if they are otherwise valueless.

Banded Rail find this difficult to accept.

Also their larger cousins the Weka are proliferating in much of the Rail habitat and hugely predate young and eggs of Banded Rail.

Authorities dont readily accept this but I spend hundreds of hours in close proximity so see the things they never see and never will sitting within a heated office with an occasional trip to a wetland perhaps on a sunny day after 10AM..

I'm going to borrow a page from GSP here, and start a theme of blue EMDs. Why blue, you ask? Because that's what we have in abundance around here, between CSX and Pan Scam. So, off we go on a two-week kick. Consider this your warning.

My original plan was to be even more specific, and offer a theme of blue 40-series EMDs, but some of the shots I have lined up predate the 40 series.

I won't make you suffer through CSX and Pan Am the whole time, but we'll get them out the way first. So to begin the blue EMD theme, here we have one of those funky Tier 4 SD70s in Worcester a few weeks ago.

Khmuonh Pagoda

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

If these stupas look familiar, they are the same ones as in the photo immediately next to this one. Taken through a large gap in an outer wall.

I wasn't planning to post this photo due to the cloudy skies, but when I took a second look at it, I noticed that the cement wall and the stupas are perfectly aligned - parallel, in other words. Strange coincidence - or a message from the Gods? 😁

Note: The 'stupa' (Sanskrit for heap) is an important form of Buddhist architecture, though it predates Buddhism. It is generally considered to be a sepulchral monument - a place of burial or a receptacle for religious objects. (credit: Khan Academy)

I am never one to plaster "rare" on photos, but this certainly is one!! What a wonderful opportunity to see this tiny Arctic gull here in the Bay Area, the second recorded in California.

At first, it was in the airport, distant and backlit. It eventually flew across Highway 1 giving a ton of birder and bird photographer 'paparazzi' lots of views and photo ops!! Quite the show!!

UPDATE: January 14, 2017 I just got word that this beautiful gull was predated by a pair of Peregrine Falcons this afternoon. RIP. :(

I'm pretty sure that this is a Guillemot egg, but of a scarce blue variety. This egg was almost certainly predated by a Herring Gull as I took the photo on 24 May and Guillemot eggs don't hatch here until well into June. So it is too early in the season to be a discarded shell from a hatched chick. Gannets would not pilfer eggs from other seabirds, but they are inveterate collectors of interesting objects to adorn the nest, which they deliver to their partner with an elaborate ceremony. I have seen them bring flowers back to the nest, and various bits of flotsam and jetsam, but I have never seen one carrying an eggshell before.

A second shot from the Black Tern spectacle. Here you can see the construction wherein the young are growing up, while the parents doing all sort of tricks to deliver the food. This shot is very hilarious, to see how two young stretch out for the same meal, one almost falling over in his amazement(?) about that big treat he/she is about to get!

A few weeks ago I discovered this ditch with ca. 15 Black Tern nests. It is a rare species in the Netherlands and the nests are constructed by the foundation that is owning this piece of land. Many nests have a little fence for keeping the young safe from falling into the water, or being predated by nasty creatures.

I went back three times, because it is such a treat to see how they are fed. The picture more a less tells it all, the speeding parent with a giant dragonfly, the young squeeking and opening their beaks, the parent dropping the food on the fly, and then off for another meal. This goes on 16 hours a day!

It is amazing how fast they grow. These chicks four days later started practicing flying, and another 4 days later they were gone.

In the mean time in other nests you could see them almost grow every minute. For sure I will return next year to see this spectacle again!

I think I took about 1000 pictures, many off them worth while showing. Enjoy.

Gender rolls .. there's a long history of this play , may be it even predates fashion in all its cultural diversity . Whats represented here is fashions from the late 19th century , early 1900's . What do they say .. the ladies like a man in uniform .

History Alive

Brisbane

I was looking at a Central American whiptail (Ameiva festiva) basking in the leaf litter, when I heard this snake strike and catch this unfortunate anole, just a metre or so away from me. Despite the snake being a good length, I would never have spotted it amongst the bushes - its long thin body perfectly camouflaged as a vine.

Location: Chilamate, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

The female half of the pair that grace our backyard. All freshly painted and ready for a nap. You can see that her rusty feathers are still damp. They're busy getting all camo'd up for the season and I can see that when they leave our yard they head straight back to the wetlands. I'm hoping they're setting up house back there. And, fingers crossed, they'll have a successful, un-predated, hatching this year.

The beautiful Grade II-listed house by the side of the Bodinnick Ferry near Fowey was once the home of Daphne du Maurier and was where she found the inspiration to write her first novel. The former shipwright’s yard and workshop with accommodation above was built by John Marks in 1830-1838, and converted to a dwelling in 1927 by the du Maurier family. The adjoining slip and quay wall probably predate the building.

Perfectly Disguised! I was looking around the Wildlife Cafe for subjects to photograph when I saw this stationary honey bee on my pyracantha flowers. On closer inspection it had been predated by a perfectly camouflaged crab spider, which I didn't even spot at first. Nature can be beautiful and cruel at the same time...

The beautiful old mill site on the Meherrin River has been Southside Virginia’s unofficial park for generations – and long South Hill’s best-kept secret. Recent restoration of the site has greatly heightened interest in the Meherrin River, the legacy of the Whittle family and the secrets of the old mill.

The ruins of at least 35 water mills are hidden along the river and creeks that empty into the Meherrin. Several were built before the American Revolution, and all predate the Civil War. Whittles Mill is the oldest and best known of the old mills along the

Meherrin River.

Loggerhead turtles are sparsely distributed in the warmer oceans worldwide. The carapace of adults is about 90 cm long. They are long-lived; one estimate suggests they can live from 80 to 100 years, although females are no longer fertile after about age 33.

One of their most important breeding sites in the Mediterranean is Iztuzu Beach, which fronts the Dalyan river delta in southwest Turkey. Breeding females haul themselves up this and other Turkish beaches at night during the summer months. They excavate a pit in the sand, into which they deposit some 50 to 200 eggs, and then cover them with sand. The incubation period is around 60 days. The gender of the young depends on the temperature of the sand; if it is 32°C, they are female; 28° and they are male. The hatchlings are nidifugous -- they are able to survive independently from birth without any parental assistance. They instinctively dig themselves out of their pit and make for the sea.

Conservation measures are in place to protect the nests: beaches are out of bounds at night; dogs are not permitted in case they dig up the eggs or predate the young. Known nest locations are protected with a cage and a warning sign.

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Karettschildkröte

Excerpt from www.komoot.com/highlight/303530:

The Valkhof is a hill with a small park. There is the Barbarossa ruin and the St. Nicholas Chapel. The Nikolauskapelle is one of originally two chapels of the Nimweger castle Valkhof. It is one of the oldest buildings in the Netherlands.

The construction of the chapel of St. Nicholas on the Valkhof of the Nimweger Kaiserpfalz, built by Charlemagne, was probably commissioned by Emperor Konrad II in 1030. From the oldest building stock but only parts remain.

The octagonal central space, which encloses a sixteen-cornered handling, is clearly oriented towards the Palatine Chapel in Aachen. The Carolingian model has long led to the Nimweger Nikolauskapelle was predated. It is the only surviving Romanesque central building in the Netherlands.

In 1047 the Valkhof complex was completely destroyed by fire. Only under Frederick Barbarossa, the chapel was rebuilt in 1155 in the old form. After another undated massive destruction, a second reconstruction was added in the late 14th century.

On the Valkhof grounds are also the remains (choir capsis) of the former 12th-century Martinskapelle. It is popularly referred to as Barbarossa-ruïne.

Ruins of the fortress in Počitelj :)

Počitelj is a settlement and a historic village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Municipality of Čapljina. Its walled nucleus is protected National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an open-air museum. The settlement is situated on the left bank of the river Neretva. The earliest mention of or recorded reference to Počitelj is in charters of king Alfonso V and Fridrich III from 1444 to 1448. However, the village most likely predates these documents. In the period between 1463–1471 the town housed a Hungarian garrison and was fortified into a strategic defense stronghold. In 1471, following a brief siege, the town was conquered by the Ottomans, and remained within the Ottoman Empire until 1878. After the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and started deteriorating rapidly. The population declined gradually. The loss of the town's strategic role assisted in the preservation of the original urban architectural ensemble, so that the town remained in its original form to present day. Počitelj represents one of the most important and best preserved architectural ensembles within the city walls in the region. The town can be compared with some of the noted world heritage sites as the old towns of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ohrid (North Macedonia), Safranbolu (Turkey), Gjirokastër (Albania).

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Ruiny twierdzy w Počitelj :)

Počitelj – wieś w południowo-zachodniej Bośni i Hercegowinie, w kantonie hercegowińsko-neretwiańskim. Leży w dolnym biegu rzeki Neretwy, około 30 kilometrów na południe od Mostaru. Znajduje się tu jeden z najlepiej zachowanych zespołów urbanistycznych z okresu dominacji tureckiej na terytorium Bośni i Hercegowiny. Nad miastem górują pozostałości średniowiecznej tureckiej twierdzy wzniesionej na gruzach starożytnego rzymskiego zamku. Pierwsza osada powstała w okresie rzymskim. W późniejszym okresie swoją kryjówkę mieli tutaj piraci. W XV wieku cały ten teren znalazł się pod władzą króla Węgier Macieja Korwina, który przy pomocy Dubrownika odbudował dawne rzymskie fortyfikacje, tym razem przeciw Turkom. Już po kilkudziesięciu latach (w 1471r.) Turcy zdobyli te tereny i do XVIII wieku Počitelj z krótką przerwą znalazł się w granicach Wysokiej Porty. W tym czasie powiększono fortyfikacje (powstała m.in. wysoka wieża, tzw. Kula Gavran-kapetanovića). Miejscowość została poważnie zniszczona w czasie wojny w Bośni, a wielu mieszkańców wymordowano. Najbardziej ucierpiał meczet Hadži-Alija – najpierw uszkodził go serbski ostrzał artyleryjski, następnie został wysadzony przez wojsko chorwackie. Zawaliła się kopuła oraz minaret. Inne obiekty także ucierpiały. Większość z nich w pierwszym dziesięcioleciu XXI wieku została zrekonstruowana.

"I found these ancient inscriptions and writings on the rocks during my recent tour of the valley. Although I couldn't read them, a brief search revealed that they are religious prayers and some names. I believe they are very old, mainly because the script is undotted - and in Arabic, dots are essential for distinguishing letters. Since dots were first introduced in the 7th century AD, this suggests the inscriptions predate that period."

I don't have much to share this week, so I dug this up from last month, along with one other to post later. This thatched cottage predates the 1839 map of this region of Mayo, though of course it has been enlarged and restored as time went by.

For my best shots of 2023, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/191087541@N02/albums/72177720308859...

Grass Snake / natrix helvetica. 09/07/22.

With just head above the water, this stationary Grass Snake was looking for prey.

BEST VIEWED LARGE.

Hard to make any comments without being rude here... as well as the Gallerucella sp beetles having their eggs eaten, they're also predated by Zicrona caerulea - blue shieldbugs!

Brown Moss - Shropshire

Sorry for so many uplaods today, but trying to catch up a bit after the upload issues last week and BH Monday!

Hope everyone has an excellent weekend!

Owls have often been depicted from the Upper Palaeolithic onwards, in forms from statuettes and drawings to pottery and wooden posts, but in the main they are generic rather than identifiable to species. The little owl is, however, closely associated with the Greek goddess Athena and the Roman goddess Minerva, and hence represents wisdom and knowledge. A little owl with an olive branch appears on a Greek tetradrachm coin from 500 BC (a copy of which appears on the modern Greek one-euro coin) and in a 5th-century B.C. bronze statue of Athena holding the bird in her hand. The call of a little owl was thought to have heralded the murder of Julius Caesar.

In Romanian folklore, the little owl is said to be a harbinger of death. In 1992, the little owl appeared as a watermark on Jaap Drupsteen’s 100 guilder banknote for the Netherlands.

In 1843 several little owls that had been brought from Italy were released by the English naturalist Charles Waterton on his estate at Walton Hall in Yorkshire but these failed to establish themselves. Later successful introductions were made by Lord Lilford on his Lilford Hall estate near Oundle in Northamptonshire and by Edmund Meade-Waldo at Stonewall Park near Edenbridge, Kent. From these areas the birds spread and had become abundant by 1900. The owls acquired a bad reputation and were believed to predate game bird chicks. They therefore became a concern to game breeders who tried to elliminate them. In 1935 the British Trust for Ornithology initiated a study into the little owl's diet led by the naturalist Alice Hibbert-Ware. The report showed that the owls feed almost entirely on insects, other invertebrates and small mammals and thus posed little threat to game birds.

There is evidence that from the 19th century little owls were occasionally kept as ornamental birds. In Italy, tamed and docked little owls were kept to hunt rodents and insects in the house and garden.

More common was keeping little owls to use them in so-called cottage hunting. This took advantage of the fact that many bird species react to owls with aggressive behaviour when they discover them during the day (mobbing). Such huntings, particularly with tawny owls, were practiced in Italy from 350 B.C. until the 20th century and in Germany from the 17th to the 20th century. In Italy, mainly skylarks were caught in this way. The main place of trade was Crespina, a small town near Pisa. Here, little owls were traditionally sold on 29 September, which had been taken from their nests and raised in human care. Only since the 1990s has this trade been officially banned; however, because of the long cultural tradition for hunting with little owls, exemptions are still granted. Thus, there is still a breeding center for little owls near Crespina, which is maintained by hunters.

One of Australia's most elegant snakes, this venomous whipsnake is found in tropical and semi-arid woodlands in northern Australia. Not often seen, they are a fast-moving snake that are active during the day and mainly predate on skinks

The colour running down the front half of this animal was some of the most incredible patterning I have seen on a snake!

A yellow dungfly predating an unknown fly.

In 1987, my father wanted to take a train trip with me. I suggested that we go to Canada. Our itinerary ended up being a roundtrip from Vancouver to Winnipeg - east through Calgary on the Canadian over Canadian Pacific, west on the Super Continental through Edmonton over Canadian National.

Although the F units on the Canadian had recently been replaced by new F40s, streamlined cab units reigned supreme on the Super Continental and Skeena. During our layover in Edmonton to combine the trains, I captured this image. Shortly afterward, the Skeena was added to the rear of our train.

After I had my fill of photographing streamliners that predated my birth, I went in the station. The gate attendant greeted me with a cheery "You must be the buff from the states, eh? Your Dad said to tell you he was tired of waiting and went in the station to get some snacks."

As I walked down the hallway to the waiting room, I found the following pithy comment scrawled on the wall:

"Jesus saves.

Gretzky scores on the rebound."

Monochrome edited version of St Mary's Chapel ruins.

St Mary's Chapel is a late 12th-early 13th century chapel found in Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was built by William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan during the same period as the Castle of Rattray and was "private chapel for the castle" and its residents.

This ancient site has associations with people and families who have influenced the course of history in Scotland and beyond.

The Chapel, which was constructed in the 13th century, is one of the oldest structures still standing in North East Scotland. The use of this site for religious purposes almost certainly predates the Chapel through an association with the spread of Christianity in Buchan during the 6th to 8th centuries.

A walk near Amerongen

Amerongen Castle (Dutch: Kasteel Amerongen) was built between 1674 and 1680, on the site of a medieval castle that had been burned down by the French in 1673. The gardens still contain historic elements such as a conservatory dating from the 1890s. In 1918, the former German Kaiser Wilhelm II signed his abdication here and stayed till 1920, when he moved to Huis Doorn.

History

The current building was designed by the architect Maurits Post as a baroque palace for the owners Godard Adriaan van Reede and his wife Margaretha Turnor. In the main hall a central staircase with painted ceiling was built by Willem van Nimwegen. Other ornaments were added in the early 20th century by P.J.H. Cuypers. The gardens contain historical elements and the walls predate 1673. Near the entrance bridge dating from 1678 is a wooden clock tower from 1728 that contains the original clock of the same date. In the north-east corner of the gardens is an orangerie dating from the 1880s, and the north wall was raised during the period when Wilhelm II was residing there 1918-1920. He abdicated in Amerongen

From 2002-2011 the castle was restored as a partnership between the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed and various funds in the cultural heritage sector.

The castle functions today as a museum and is popen from 11 to 5 PM from Thursday to Sunday.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerongen_Castle?wprov=sfla1

When I worked up in the Arctic, I used my free time to take photos of the wildlife that called the Arctic home. Some species, like the Red Fox and Raven, were common sights, others, like the Arctic Fox were a lot rarer. The Arctic Fox once was very common, however, all this changed during the 70's. When the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline was being built, the Red Fox followed the workers north. Now, the Red Fox is more common in some areas of the Arctic than the Arctic Fox are.

The Red Fox are much larger, therefore, they predate the Arctic fox. I watched the two species a few times, the Arctic Fox eluding the Red Fox and escaping. Once, a fellow photographer, and close friend, and I watched a chase and inadvertantly, became a safe haven for an Arctic Fox. As the two came towards us, the Arctic Fox put us between it and the Red Fox. Both laid down to catch their breath a few moments. (of course, I took advantage of this and took many photos) When the Red Fox wasn't looking, the Arctic Fox ran away and disappeared before the Red Fox knew it was gone.

In this photo, I love the way the fox stared at me. I spent three days with this particular fox, it was not afraid of the photographer at all. One day, he just sat and watched me work.

I don't miss much about working in the Arctic, but there is one thing I miss very much, the wildlife.

El Templo del Cielo (en chino simplificado 天坛, pinyin Tian Tan) es el mayor templo de su clase en toda la República Popular de China. Fue construido en el año 1420 y tanto la dinastía Ming como la Qing lo utilizaron para adorar por las cosechas (en primavera) y dar las gracias al cielo por los frutos obtenidos (otoño). Desde el año 1998 está considerado como Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco.

Está situado en el parque Tiantan Gongyuan, al sur de la ciudad de Pekín. El Templo del Cielo es en realidad un conjunto de edificios: al norte se sitúa el Salón de Oración por la Buena Cosecha; al sur, el Altar Circular y la Bóveda Imperial del Cielo.

El conjunto está rodeado de una muralla interior y otra exterior formadas por una base rectangular que significa la tierra y rematadas con formas redondeadas para simbolizar el cielo. Las murallas dividen el recinto en dos zonas: la interior y la exterior.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templo_del_Cielo

The Temple of Heaven (Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán) is an imperial complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Taoist temple,[1] although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, predates Taoism.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven

www.lonelyplanet.com/china/beijing/attractions/temple-of-...

This is the Abo Salinas Pueblo Missions in central New Mexico. The ruins predate the arrival of the Spanish in 1581.

Tarr Steps, Exmoor. The longest of 40 Clapper bridges in the UK, this ancient one predates the Tudor period. Tarr Steps nestles in the beautiful wooded valley of the River Barle. Tarr Steps is a 17 span clapper bridge (Tarr Steps is an example of a 'clapper' bridge (the term being derived from the Latin 'claperius', meaning 'pile of stones') and is constructed entirely from large stone slabs and boulders.),

The Ship public house and the adjacent Ship House, are the only two surviving buildings left over from what is known as Old Saltburn, the fishing village on the right bank of Skelton Beck that predated the town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The history of a pub on the site dates back to the 1500’s. The pub was used frequently by smugglers, and in the late 18th/early 19th century, the pub landlord, John Andrew, was known locally as the "King of the Smugglers", the pub being used as a base for his smuggling empire.

We visited Squillace with the intent of a walkabout and to grab lunch before we headed to our next stop Santa Severina, but it was not to be, pretty much everyone was closed though we did enjoy our tour of the town. When I remember Squillace it will be for its many key stoned portals scattered throughout town built by craftsmen that stayed on after the Duomo construction, they knew their trade well as many of these portals predate the 1783 earthquake. Squillace may not be on every tourist radar but that is what makes it charming to me and after spending time wandering around I am sure a visit of more than a few hours would be time well spent.

I took this on Sept 19th 2023 with my D850 and Nikon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 at 65mm, 1/250s, f11 ISO 1000 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia ,Topaz, and DXO

ILSX #1359, South Minneapolis' native EMD SW1, is spotted loading hoppers at General Mills on the former Milwaukee Road I&M District. #1359 was built NYC #605 in March of 1939, two years before America's entry into World War 2, predating even some of the 4-8-2 Mohawks built for the NYC during the war. Talk about a seasoned veteran.

This is my oldest friend, Bob, feeling his oats more than 51 years ago. We went to high school together, and our paths have intertwined at various points throughout life. I've said many times that I look at people as just another wildlife species, but the truth is this photo predates all my wildlife photography. Pretty wild nevertheless. Ah, the energy of youth!

Photographed in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada); scanned from the original Kodak Tri-X negative (ISO 400). Taken with a Pentax Spotmatic & 105mm lens. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©1971 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

This art by Gary Simmons is titled "The Lineup." it is at least life sized and made of acrylic on wood with gold plated basketball shoes. I had assumed it was inspired by the movie "The Usual Suspects" but was surprised to see that this art predated the movie by two years.

The original Runcorn - Widnes road bridge (known as the Silver Jubilee Bridge) is presently closed as it receives a major refurbishment. Behind it is the railway bridge (known as the Ethelfleda Bridge) which predates it and which carries all the mainline West Coast rail services to and from Liverpool. Here's a Wikipedia link to an article about the Silver Jubilee Bridge - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Jubilee_Bridge and here is a link about the railway bridge from the same source - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runcorn_Railway_Bridge

Dabchick ( poliocephal;us rufopectus ) Mum, to the bird in the previous image...

These particular birds live very close to housing and Industry yet raise chicks to maturity every year.

I believe they, recognising that predators such as ferrets, Stoats and Weasels are absent, rather run the gauntlet with humans.

Cats, though present do predate Ducks around the pond edge. Grebes, I guess remain safe-ish as they spend most of their time on the water

最熟悉的所在，最熟悉的美好 -- 台中公園

Taichung Park is located on the site of the original settlement that predates the founding of Taichung City, making it one of the longest-standing landmarks in the city. The park itself was established over 100 years ago during the Ching Dynasty and was developed further under the Japanese colonial authorities, who completed it in 1903 and built the park's famous pavilions as a special residence for the visiting Japanese crown prince. More than any other landmark, the distinctive pavilions remain the most enduring symbol of Taichung City.

臺中公園是台灣臺中市歷史最悠久的公園，亦稱為「中山公園」，興建於日治時代，佔地約32,889坪（包含日月湖約4,100坪）。1999年4月17日，臺中市政府將其列為市定古蹟。

zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%87%BA%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92

We are already going down from the tower. Here you can see small mosque, standing near the fortress in Počitelj :)

Počitelj is a settlement and a historic village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Municipality of Čapljina. Its walled nucleus is protected National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an open-air museum. The settlement is situated on the left bank of the river Neretva. The earliest mention of or recorded reference to Počitelj is in charters of king Alfonso V and Fridrich III from 1444 to 1448. However, the village most likely predates these documents. In the period between 1463–1471 the town housed a Hungarian garrison and was fortified into a strategic defense stronghold. In 1471, following a brief siege, the town was conquered by the Ottomans, and remained within the Ottoman Empire until 1878. After the establishment of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Počitelj lost its strategic importance and started deteriorating rapidly. The population declined gradually. The loss of the town's strategic role assisted in the preservation of the original urban architectural ensemble, so that the town remained in its original form to present day. Počitelj represents one of the most important and best preserved architectural ensembles within the city walls in the region. The town can be compared with some of the noted world heritage sites as the old towns of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ohrid (North Macedonia), Safranbolu (Turkey), Gjirokastër (Albania).

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Powoli schodzimy już z wieży. Na zdjęciu niewielki meczet stojący obok twierdzy w Počitelj :)

Počitelj – wieś w południowo-zachodniej Bośni i Hercegowinie, w kantonie hercegowińsko-neretwiańskim. Leży w dolnym biegu rzeki Neretwy, około 30 kilometrów na południe od Mostaru. Znajduje się tu jeden z najlepiej zachowanych zespołów urbanistycznych z okresu dominacji tureckiej na terytorium Bośni i Hercegowiny. Nad miastem górują pozostałości średniowiecznej tureckiej twierdzy wzniesionej na gruzach starożytnego rzymskiego zamku. Pierwsza osada powstała w okresie rzymskim. W późniejszym okresie swoją kryjówkę mieli tutaj piraci. W XV wieku cały ten teren znalazł się pod władzą króla Węgier Macieja Korwina, który przy pomocy Dubrownika odbudował dawne rzymskie fortyfikacje, tym razem przeciw Turkom. Już po kilkudziesięciu latach (w 1471r.) Turcy zdobyli te tereny i do XVIII wieku Počitelj z krótką przerwą znalazł się w granicach Wysokiej Porty. W tym czasie powiększono fortyfikacje (powstała m.in. wysoka wieża, tzw. Kula Gavran-kapetanovića). Miejscowość została poważnie zniszczona w czasie wojny w Bośni, a wielu mieszkańców wymordowano. Najbardziej ucierpiał meczet Hadži-Alija – najpierw uszkodził go serbski ostrzał artyleryjski, następnie został wysadzony przez wojsko chorwackie. Zawaliła się kopuła oraz minaret. Inne obiekty także ucierpiały. Większość z nich w pierwszym dziesięcioleciu XXI wieku została zrekonstruowana.

22, the eastbound Texas Eagle, arrives Austin, Texas with a single P42DC and four Superliners. The depot on the right was built by the Missouri Pacific in 1947, predating all of the high-rises you see in the background.

The Monash Gallery of Art has now become the home of the Museum of Australian Photography. maph.org.au/

The photographer Bill Henson played a leading role in its establishment. There is always something interesting to see here, and photographers of all levels will be inspired. Here I have employed an old surrealist technique that predates the digital era - solarization. www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/52958567916/in/album-72...

A series of shots taken at Swansea Vale Duckpond . As a rule the Canada Geese here have a clutch of four or more , but this year, there was only one. I can only assume therefore that the others were predated on by a black backed gull .

These twelve images, out of about 150 frame sequence I captured, shows the basics of a great grey owl as it eats a dietary staple, a vole.

1. This great grey owl has a vole trapped in its talons down in the grass and is now looking around for anything threatening.

2. Proof that it has indeed captured the vole.

3. Giving the rodent a little squeeze to damage it sufficiently so that it dies or becomes otherwise inert.

4. Next is to reposition the vole so it can be swallowed headfirst.

5. The first part of swallowing smaller prey whole is to lean over, quickly open the beak, and thrust the head down over it.

6. Typically, this motion is done two to three times.

7. Once about halfway in, the owl will typically tip its head back a bit, and open wide.

8. Between gravity and swallowing actions, the prey is pulled fully into the throat.

9. Well, except for the tail and possibly a leg, as in this case.

10. Job done! But what to do with that dried grass?

11. Open wide, give the head a shake and swallow a few more times to try to ingest or dislodge the grass.

12. Finally, give a satisfied smirk to the photographer. That last bit of grass can be dealt with later.

And that, my Flickr Friends, is how it is done. You are now fully versed in the process, so feel free to try this at your convenience at home.

2 of the 3 Osprey chicks have dissappeared in the last 4 days and it is likely they were predated by Bald Eagles.

The nest was located very close to a marina and heavy boat traffic disturbance likely facilitated the predation by Bald Eagles.

Flood debris rests on top of the large rock in the center of the Colorado River. The debris probably predates the completion of the Glenn Canyon Dam in 1966. For scale, please note the raft on the right side of the rock.

Grand Canyon National Park

This wasn't what I had planned. I have a California Gull in flight which predates my other "first bird" in flight by a year. But, when I clicked on it, this came up instead.

Anyway, my relationship with gulls has been a love/don't like one from the beginning when, on the east coast, a Herring Gull stole half my sandwich from me while I was taking a break on the quay outside the factory. No lunch trucks in those days, so I went half hungry until quitting time.

Anyhoooo, they're noisy. They're thieves. Wait a sec. That's what I said about jays. Okay, they noisy thieves, one of which crapped on a brand new jacket on the Monterey boardwalk! There, that's sufficient.

But, they're also beautiful once having reached adulthood. We have quite a few species, but the California Gull is one of the few that comes inland to this neck of the ... Strait. This one was parked at the Duck Pond on the Carquinez Strait in Martinez. He wasn't going to be bothered flying off. That was left to all the plovers and stilts. Instead, he was fishing, and I was following ... for five minutes. Have to thank him for just sitting by the bank.

Btw, in Europe, the most common name for a gull is the Mew Gull. As I said to somebody this morning, isn't that redundant, a Gull Gull?

6/8/21 was our second full day in the park. We drove down to the southern section and passed this super charming hotel along the way. Built in 1856 as Big Trees Lodge, it predates the 1890 creation of Yosemite National Park. It is an original CA mountain resort hotel and a National Historic Landmark.

HWW!