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Rhinoceros Beetle, Sumatra Indonesia. Pretty sure this beetle is from the Family of Scarabaeidae in the genus of Oryctes, however I need to confirm. But a rose by any other name is still a rose and this critter was pretty cool no matter who it actually is!
Nestled in the rugged heights of Valmasque Valley, this alpine lake reflects the jagged peaks and clear blue sky like a natural mirror. The water is so transparent that submerged rocks are visible beneath the surface, adding depth to the serene composition. Surrounded by steep slopes, gravel shores, and sparse vegetation, this tranquil scene captures the raw elegance of Mercantour National Park. A moment of stillness in the wild heart of the French Alps.
In Indonesia where internet has been uncooperative – took about an hr to fav a few photos – not good. About to head to Sumatra to look at palm oil and paper pulp plantations and conservation actions in the Riau Sumatra where I suspect internet will be bad. Posting a string of photos from Fall trip in Mongolia. Will catch up when I am back in the wifi world!
Photo here:
Down time at base camp includes eating a lot, sleeping a little and downloading data.
In the secluded heights of Valmasque Valley, a pristine alpine lake lies perfectly still, mirroring the jagged cliffs and brilliant blue sky above. The water’s clarity reveals submerged stones near the shore, while the surrounding rocky terrain and steep ridges frame this tranquil scene with dramatic elegance. Captured in Mercantour National Park, this image is a testament to the quiet majesty of the French Alps—where silence speaks and nature reflects its own grandeur.
San Miguelito River. Sunset lights on chiquitano forest drained by this clear water river. Picture taked (I suppose) inside San Miguel Municipal protected area.
2018
Thought it might be cool to share a series of the snow leopards during the day - rare as it may be to see them active then. You can also see how green the Gobi can get - rare and short lived like the snow leopard's daytime activity.
Congrats on the 10 years and keep up the good work TNC Mongolia!
Camera traps courtesy of the Snow Leopard Trust in Mongolia. Read more about the great work of the snow leopard trust in Mongolia:
In the pristine heights of Valmasque Valley, a chamois stands poised on a grassy ledge, overlooking the rocky slopes and shimmering alpine lake below. With its curved horns and agile frame, this mountain dweller embodies the grace and resilience of alpine wildlife. The clear blue sky and rugged terrain frame a moment of quiet majesty in Mercantour National Park—a place where nature reigns and solitude speaks.
This photo was taken in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. It shows a landscape of smooth sand dunes interspersed with freshwater lagoons formed by seasonal rain. The water reflects the blue sky and scattered clouds, creating a vivid contrast with the pale sand. These lagoons appear during the rainy season, when rainwater accumulates in the valleys between dunes. The scene illustrates the park’s unique hydrological cycle, where desert-like terrain coexists with temporary aquatic ecosystems. This protected area is known for its rare combination of sand, water, and light.
Cette photo a été prise dans le parc national des Lençóis Maranhenses, dans l’État du Maranhão, au nord-est du Brésil. Elle montre un paysage de dunes de sable lisses entrecoupées de lagunes d’eau douce formées par les pluies saisonnières. L’eau reflète le ciel bleu et les nuages dispersés, créant un contraste saisissant avec le sable clair. Ces lagunes apparaissent pendant la saison des pluies, lorsque l’eau s’accumule dans les creux entre les dunes. La scène illustre le cycle hydrologique unique du parc, où un relief désertique coexiste avec des écosystèmes aquatiques temporaires. Cet espace protégé est reconnu pour sa combinaison rare de sable, d’eau et de lumière.
Caribou in Autumn Brush ~ Denali National Park ~ Alaska
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 400, f/10.0, 300mm, 1/200s
This photo was taken in the Vallée des Merveilles, Mercantour National Park. It shows a chamois standing on a rocky and grassy slope in a high-altitude alpine environment. The terrain includes green shrubs, exposed rocks, and patches of grass. In the background, a steep rock face and hillside vegetation are visible. The image documents local wildlife in its natural habitat and highlights the ecological diversity of the region.
Golden Hour Coneflowers ~ Fox River Trail ~ Geneva, Illinois
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 220, f/6.3, 300mm, 1/250s
Nymph Lake ~ Rocky Mountain National Park ~ Colorado
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/10.0, 18mm, 1/320s
I was photographing birds using fast shutter speeds when I saw this fawn. I quickly shot without adjusting the shutter speed, hence the 1/4000 sec. shot and the ISO of 6400.
Whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus - Cervidae) fawn at White River Marsh State Wildlife Area
Princeton/Berlin, Wisconsin
JU201176m
A wildflower catches the day's last light on the slopes of Buffalo Point at Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah.
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/6.3, 300mm, 1/400s
In Indonesia where internet has been uncooperative – took about an hr to fav a few photos – not good. About to head to Sumatra to look at palm oil and paper pulp plantations and conservation actions in the Riau Sumatra where I suspect internet will be bad. Posting a string of photos from Fall trip in Mongolia. Will catch up when I am back in the wifi world!
Photo here:
Down time at base camp includes eating a lot, sleeping a little and downloading data.
I took over 500 pics of the redwoods in Southern Oregon and Northern California but it was this v-short video that best depicted the beauty of the site. You can see the biotic pump in action condensing water from fog into rain…and of course all the beautiful trees!
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain...the moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses, ferns and some shrubs and berries.
Temperate rain forests occur in a variety of regions around the world - the Pacific Northwest of the USA & Canada, the Validivian forests of southwestern South America, New Zealand and Tasmania, the Northeastern Atlantic (small, isolated pockets in Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland), southwestern Japan.
These forests pull in large amounts of water vapor from surrounding regions and from nearby bodies of water. As the vapor condenses into rain, the local atmospheric pressure drops...the whole rainforest-water vapor system is called a biotic pump, because the living forests move the water.
You can read about the forest fires that hit the redwoods in 2021 here:
www.eenews.net/articles/when-the-toughest-trees-met-the-h...
Textures: Own & Evelyn Flint
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is 2,000 acres of coastal state park located in the community of La Jolla, in San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Road. Although it is located within San Diego city limits, it remains one of the wildest stretches of land on the Southern California coast. It is bordered immediately on the south by Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course and on the north by the city of Del Mar. The reserve was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1977.
State Natural Reserves have outstanding or unusual natural or scenic values. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a wilderness island in an urban sea. This fragile environment is the home of our nation's rarest pine tree - Pinus torreyana. Once this tree covered a larger area. It now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast near Santa Barbara. The park preserves not only the trees, but also one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California. The reserve features high broken cliffs and deep ravines on headlands overlooking the ocean. Hikers can follow trails through stands of wind-sculpted pines. A picturesque, pueblo-style structure that served as a restaurant when it was built in 1923 houses the visitor center, featuring interpretive displays. Picnicking and camping are prohibited in the reserve. The reserve's rich plant community features wildflowers in the spring and visitors can see the California quail gathered in coveys in the early mornings of fall and winter.
Fallow deer buck (dama dama) with a fine set of antlers resting in the long grass at Petworth Park, Sussex within the South Downs National Park
Spotted Deer checks us out in Pench Tiger Reserve in India - love the newly formed antlers covered in velvet!
The western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), often simply called the marsh harrier, breeds widely across Europe and Asia.It is migratory except in the mildest regions, and winters mainly in Africa.It hunts small mammals, frogs, fish, insects and birds, surprising them as it drifts low over fields and reed beds.Its long legs allow it to pluck frogs and fish from the water mid-swoop.
This photo was taken on the Atlantic coast of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in Maranhão, Brazil. The scene shows a wide stretch of wet sand at low tide, reflecting the sky and scattered clouds. Ripple patterns created by receding water are visible across the surface. Two distant figures walk along the shoreline, providing scale to the open landscape. The area marks the transition between the dune system and the ocean, and is part of a protected zone known for its seasonal lagoons, coastal dynamics, and minimal human presence.
Cette photo a été prise sur la côte atlantique du parc national des Lençóis Maranhenses, dans l’État du Maranhão au Brésil. Elle montre une vaste étendue de sable humide à marée basse, reflétant le ciel et quelques nuages dispersés. Des motifs de rides formés par le retrait de l’eau sont visibles à la surface. Deux silhouettes éloignées marchent le long du rivage, donnant une échelle au paysage ouvert. La zone marque la transition entre le système dunaire et l’océan, et fait partie d’un espace protégé connu pour ses lagunes saisonnières, sa dynamique côtière et sa faible fréquentation humaine.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a large park in the northern part of Mumbai in Maharashtra, India. It encompasses an area of 104 km2 (or for my friends in the USA not on the metric systems that’s about 40 sq mi) and is surrounded on three sides by India's most populous city. It is one of the world’s major national parks existing within a metropolis and is one of the most visited parks in the world. Like many parks in the world it has problem of human wildlife conflicts but given its proximity to such a large population it can create some pretty significant challenges. For example in 2004, in just the span of one week, leopards were responsible for the deaths of 20 humans. And this is not an isolated incident, for years, there have been attacks attributed to leopards. The incident in 2004 raised a public outcry and eight leopards were caught and relocated. Pictured here conservation hero Anand Pendharkar wildlife biologist and CEO for SPROUTS a local NGO that focuses on conservation in Maharashtra holding a deadly venomous snake…just kidding its actually not venomous at all and is totally harmless!
A natural sea arch on the Islas Ballestas, just off the coast of Paracas, Peru. These protected islands are home to sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and thousands of seabirds. Known as the "Mini-Galápagos," the area features dramatic rock formations and abundant marine wildlife.
Days of hiking, up hrs. before dawn, and out until after dark paid off! While I wasn't behind the lens when this was taken - credit goes to the camera trap, its was pretty exciting to see nonetheless! Check out the sequence of images captured in the preceding video.
Read more about the great work of the snow leopards trust in Mongolia:
This photo shows a coastal section of the Los Ajaches Natural Park, located in the south of Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The beach features fine golden sand with visible wind patterns and footprints. Rocky cliffs border the shoreline, displaying layered volcanic formations typical of the island’s geological history. The sea is calm, and the light conditions suggest a clear day with mild cloud cover. This area is part of a protected zone known for its remote beaches and eroded volcanic terrain.
Cette photo montre une portion côtière du parc naturel de Los Ajaches, situé au sud de Lanzarote, dans les îles Canaries. La plage présente un sable doré fin, marqué par le vent et quelques empreintes. Des falaises rocheuses bordent le rivage, avec des formations volcaniques stratifiées typiques de l’histoire géologique de l’île. La mer est calme, et la lumière indique une journée claire avec quelques nuages. Cette zone fait partie d’un espace protégé connu pour ses plages isolées et son relief volcanique érodé.
Saturday 23-Aug-2025, 11:22:43.
none, Hamerská cesta, Bartmichlgütl, Hojsova Stráž, Železná Ruda, okres Klatovy, Plzeň Region, Southwest, Czechia, CZE, altitude 765.90 m.
NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D850, serial number 6032919, AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR, 60 mm, F/14, 1/2 s, ISO 64.
Two ponies stand next to a horsebox vehicle at the livestock sales in the New forest National Park in Hampshire.
On the trail of the ghost cat with Amra snow leopard ranger in Tost Uul protected area - Gobi Desert Mongolia.
Fallow deer buck (dama dama) with a fine set of antlers photographed in Petworth Park, Sussex within the South Downs National Park
The Ngorongoro crater is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world. It was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed two or three million years ago. The caldera is a huge bowl with walls of more than 600 meters high, covered with forests, plus a flat ground and land of about 260 km2. This particular natural world is organized in several ecosystems - forests, savannas, lakes and marshes, salt ponds, arid lands ... -, embedded in an area that does not exceed 20 kilometers in diameter.
The crater houses about 25,000 animals of very different species. It is considered one of the smaller areas where it is possible to see the big five, the five most representative animals of Africa: the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the buffalo and the rhinoceros (if the hippopotamus is included, then it should be enlarged the denomination to the big six). In addition, in the circle it is possible to observe, with a bit of luck, the exotic black rhinoceros, possibly the biggest attraction of the park.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, February 2016
Front Page - Perfections in Pictures. January 2019
The Ngorongoro crater is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world. It was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed two or three million years ago. The caldera is a huge bowl with walls of more than 600 meters high, covered with forests, plus a flat ground and land of about 260 km2. This particular natural world is organized in several ecosystems - forests, savannas, lakes and marshes, salt ponds, arid lands ... -, embedded in an area that does not exceed 20 kilometers in diameter.
The crater houses about 25,000 animals of very different species. It is considered one of the smaller areas where it is possible to see the big five, the five most representative animals of Africa: the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the buffalo and the rhinoceros (if the hippopotamus is included, then it should be enlarged the denomination to the big six). In addition, in the circle it is possible to observe, with a bit of luck, the exotic black rhinoceros, possibly the biggest attraction of the park.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, February 2016
Cruising around Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska was a total enjoyment, particularly seeing those breathtaking sceneries of the wilderness. I was also very lucky with the weather....as there was no rain and it was not too cold:-)
Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska's Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site—one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration. [Source: National Park Service, USA]
Sun sets over Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park - perfect ending to an epic day!
ČESKÝ RÁJ • BOHEMIAN PARADISE • Protected area in the Czech Republic.
The locality of the " Hrubá skála " offers hundreds of climbing trails directed to all towers in solid rock. More than 400 rock towers reach up to 55 metres high. They are so close to one another that climbers often move from one rock to another at height, fixed on the rope.
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Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada
Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area located near the south end of Pitt Lake in British Columbia, Canada. The property was purchased by the Nature Trust of British Columbia in 1973 and declared a National Wildlife Area by the Canadian Wildlife Service in October of that year. The Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area is a biologically diverse marsh wetland. It is the traditional territory of various First Nations groups. The Widgeon Valley Wildlife Area is a protected wildlife area that is home to a number of sensitive waterfowl and fish species. The public uses the channels through the Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area for recreational canoeing, anywhere else within the protected area is strictly off-limits to the public. There are future plans to develop interpretive trails through the park and open it to the public.
In Indonesia where internet has been uncooperative – took about an hr to fav a few photos – not good. About to head to Sumatra to look at palm oil and paper pulp plantations and conservation actions in Riau Sumatra where I suspect internet will be bad. Posting a string of photos from Fall trip in Mongolia. Will catch up when I am back in the wifi world!
Photo here: Gang Searches for Ibex and or signs of Snow Leopards.
Cruising around Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska was a total enjoyment, particularly seeing those breathtaking sceneries of the wilderness. I was also very lucky with the weather....there was no rain and it was not too cold:-)
Southeast Alaskan Wilderness
Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska's Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site—one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration. [Source: National Park Service, USA]