I rarely saw such a fantastically beautiful evening sky as here on a bay in the north of the Isle of Skye, left the ruins of Duntolm Castle (June, 3, 2010, 10:36 pm).

Selten sah ich einen solch traumhaft schönen Abendhimmel wie hier an einer Bucht im Norden der Isle of Skye, links die Ruinen von Duntolm Castle (03.06.2010, 22:36 Uhr)

Thanks for visiting! Danke für deinen Besuch

please respect/bitte beachte Copyright © All rights reserved

normally at this time the foxes rarely hunt during the day. it will be different when the little ones need meat. this fox has no fear and that may be what will cause his loss. Here the hunters hunt them all year round and some with pleasure, as I was able to see while talking with one of them. what a bunch of sick foxes feed on more than 90% voles, which makes them an ally of farmers rather than a pest. Killing them is therefore unfortunately only a game for these morons!!

Normalement à cette époque les renards chassent rarement pendant la journée. ce sera différent quand les petits auront besoin de viande. ce renard n'a pas de peur et c'est ce qui causera peut etre sa perte . Ici les chasseurs les chassent toute l'année et certains avec plaisir comme j'ai pu le contaster en discutant avec l'un d'eux . quelle bande de malades les renards se nourrissent a plus de 90% de campagnols ce qui en font des alliés des agriculteurs plutot que des nuisibles .

Le tuer n'est donc malheureusement qu'un jeu pour ces abrutis !!

Jay - Garrulus Glandarius

Although they are the most colourful members of the crow family, jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. The screaming call usually lets you know a jay is nearby and it is usually given when a bird is on the move, so watch for a bird flying between the trees with its distinctive flash of white on the rump. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.

The word jay has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning a person who chatters impertinently.

The term jaywalking was coined in 1915 to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard. The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavior as the convention became established.

In January 2014, Canadian author Robert Joseph Greene embarked on a lobbying campaign among ornithologists in Europe and North America to get Merriam-Websters Dictionary to have a "Jabber of Jays" as an official term under bird groups.

Population:

UK breeding:

170,000 territories

For those of you who are new to my photostream, I rarely go out in the winter because I am at high-risk for frostbite in my hands. However, when hoar frost covered the trees, I decided to head out for a short adventure. I went to an area where chickadees tend to hang out and lucky me, there was one there. This image was quite heavily cropped.

Thanks a million for stopping by and for leaving me a comment! Have a great day!

©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved

At yet another birthday party with the kids this past weekend, at Quassy amusement park located on Lake Quassapaug. The kiddie park area, where I inevitably spend most of my time, is separated from the water by only a fence. So of course, with the sun setting, my attention is being torn by this lovely sunset glittering on the water...and like usual, I feel like I'm the only one noticing the beauty.

I took some shots, but this time for kicks, I tried a few shots in sunset mode, which is something I very rarely use because I don't like the result. It seems to take away the colors and adds an almost sepia tone...maybe because it's an older camera, I don't know. But I actually like the result here, giving everything an amber glow...reminding me of tiger-eye contrasting with the dark areas.

Have a wonderful day, my friends :-)

Rarely I found myself in front of a so incredible landscape. This is white water pond over a salty ground, in the middle of the Death Valley. I think that the name "Badwaters" has not been randomly picked.

Jay - Garrulus Glandarius

Jay - Garrulus Glandarius

Although they are the most colourful members of the crow family, jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. The screaming call usually lets you know a jay is nearby and it is usually given when a bird is on the move, so watch for a bird flying between the trees with its distinctive flash of white on the rump. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.

The word jay has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning a person who chatters impertinently.

The term jaywalking was coined in 1915 to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard. The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavior as the convention became established.

In January 2014, Canadian author Robert Joseph Greene embarked on a lobbying campaign among ornithologists in Europe and North America to get Merriam-Websters Dictionary to have a "Jabber of Jays" as an official term under bird groups.

Population:

UK breeding:

170,000 territories

A FAMILIAR MIGRANT VISITOR, that can be recognized in flight by its pointed wings and in the adult long tail streamers. But to photograph one is the problem as the adults rarely perch, and then it's on roadside wires, so this had to be taken on something natural !!!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT AND FRIENDSHIP, hope you all have a great weekend, God bless............... Tomx

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"Jesus loves you, yes you !!"

Ask him into your life today.

I very rarely take photos of people, but sometimes something calls to me. These ladies were heading out for the day to the grazing lands near the Chambal River. The bright colours of their saris combined with the warm morning light just begged to be recorded.

Chambal River area, Uttar Pradesh, India. January 2015.

A path rarely taken by me, but on this occasion I was met by a friend and his two dogs, who persuaded me to investigate another route. So glad I went along too, it was lovely ! I like the way the park management have left this area to nature.

We've had a couple of lovely days here, so my morning walks have been pleasant - no mud ! Here in the woods, it's been just perfect.

~ Edited slightly in old fashioned Picasa ~

Here's some music you may (or may not) like, please right click and open in a new tab - thanks !

Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate

Thanks for your views and for listening, my Flickr friends. You're all so valued, and I hope you know that !

I rarely see the Juncos in summer. But when the weather gets cold at this time of the year, a few always make appearance in my backyard, and I see them on the feeder with the house sparrows.

Most of the time, they hop about on the ground looking for insects and seeds. It's a delight to see them fly up to the mountain-ash tree, flashing their white outertail feathers, which I never seem able to capture on camera.

Taken on: Late afternoon light, Sept. Edmonton, Alberta.

* According to 'Birds of Western Canada' (2nd Edition), sixteen subspecies have been described.

This particular individual appears to have more vivid colour than the usual slate-colour ones.

Nikon D500 w/ 500mmf4G

Lightroom 6.0

Thank you very much for the visit and comment

I rarely get close to any Eared Grebes so it sure was nice to find a pair in breeding plumage that swam closely by. They sure are stunning birds they look similar to Horned Grebes in winter plumage but truly distinctive in the breeding season.

This was my lifer folks from my road trip last week, and rarely seen here in South Florida.

Thank you as always for visiting and for all the kind words, always much appreciated.

Well 9 miles and 90 minutes later the difference between my previous photo of the Talybont Dam and this one of the Pontsticill Dam is quite astounding. I've never seen it look better than this, the water was glass calm, giving a clarity to the reflection I've rarely, if ever, come across before.

51°47'53.48"N 3°21'54.70"W

Merry Christmas to everone!

Rarely is there a winter like this in the Palatinate and the Palatinate Forest in Germany.

The snow never stays for long because the temperatures usually settle at 32 degrees Fahrenheit / 0 degree Celcius mark or mostly above.

But winter wonders happen sometimes : even at low altitudes the snow stays.

The picture was taken on the Kalmit (2204.724 feet/ 672 Meter above sea level and highest mountain of the Palatinate Forest) at 10,4 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Selten gibt es so einen Winter wie diesen in der Pfalz und im Pfälzer Wald.

Der Schnee bleibt nie lange liegen, weil die Temperaturen sich meist bei oder über Null Grad einpendeln.

Aber einige Winter ist anders: Selbst in tiefen Lagen bleibt der Schnee liegen.

Das Bild entstand auf der Kalmit (672 m ü. und höchster Berg des Pfälzerwaldes) morgens bei -12 Grad.

Rarely, have I seen a giraffe on a hill. I add this image after learning that they are now among the growing number of endangered African species. They seem to be the target of hunters now especially from America and their guns and bullets can kill from quite a long distance. I feel contempt and disgust for these folks who find it sporting to kill wildlife.

I took many images of this giraffe that day and have added different editions of this lovely animal enjoying the sunlight. This is the latest.

I don't believe it. The first person to like this has a huge number of guns and rifles as subjects of his post. Guess who just got blocked. Good news for me was that he wasn't from America. He the first gun enthusiast that I know of to like one of my images of endangered species. Perhaps he learned something positive by reading my post, but probably not.

Lézard Vert

My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...

Western green lizard | Lacerta bilineata | adult male | Ticino (Switzerland) | 05-2022

More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)

My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI

In case you're interested, you'll find a less cropped version of the photo above: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi...

The story behind the photo:

For the most part, I try to show photos here that come with an entertaining anecdote that my fellow Flickerites can identify with and enjoy; the world offers enough misery as it is, so my goal is to cheer you up, not to drag you down. But here for once I feel I have a responsibility to share with you what I see as a cautionary tale - and I don't blame you if you turn away now, because what follows is not a pleasant read.

But before I get into that I want to say that the year 2022 was - at least as far as my photographic endeavors were concerned - an amazing one, and I'm very grateful. It was a year of many firsts for me; I managed to produce my first acceptable bird photo; I was for the first time able to capture a roe deer as well as a swallowtail, a mantis and even a fox (which I can't wait to show you): all from within my tiny garden in Ticino.

But while there were many wonderful encounters with the fascinating creatures that share "my" vacation home and its adjacent garden with me that I was only too happy to show here, you might have noticed that the lizard species whose Latin name is my alias on Flickr and that - still - "kinda" serves as the main focus of my gallery, has been absent for a long while.

One of the reasons for holding back on new Lacerta bilineata photos is obviously that I decided to widen my focus a bit and that I now concentrate on all the species I manage to capture in my garden and its immediate surroundings.

But there is another reason I haven't uploaded any western greens this summer. Even though I shot dozens of photos of some of the most gorgeous individuals of the species I've ever seen (many of which you can also find here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi... ), those were all taken on the other side of the village, and not in my garden.

The beautiful male above was in fact one of only 3 western greens I found (alive) in the vicinity of my garden between May and October in 2022 - and out of those he's the only one I was able to photograph.

So what happened? Well, a year ago the neighbor to my immediate left got a young cat, and at the same time, the neighbor to my right also adopted two kittens. Before I continue, it is important to me that you know that I myself am very much a cat person: I adore felines of any kind, and in our own household (though not at our vacation home) we've always had generations of cats, and they were and are as dear to us as our human family members.

So I have no interest in pushing any sort of "anti-cat agenda"; I'm just telling you what happened. By the time spring 2022 came around, my neighbors' cats were almost fully grown and had developed their hunting skills. Between the three of them, they killed up to a dozen western green lizards every day once the reptiles started re-emerging from their winter hiding places which is when they generally are at their most slow and vulnerable.

It was easy to count the dead lizards, because the cats didn't eat them, and whenever I was outside rarely an hour passed without one of the cats showing up with a lizard or some other animal in its mouth. They also killed most of the snakes, even the slightly longer ones at 50-70cm.

Within only a few weeks, the entire Lacerta bilineata population in and around my garden was gone, and the same was true for the population of green whip snakes, while even the number of common wall lizards, which were extremely abundant before, markedly went down during that same time period.

There had always been cats in our village, and I was aware or at least suspected that the ebb and flow of the bilineata population in the past was somewhat tied to how many cats were permanently present at any given time, but my immediate neighbors had never had cats before (which is probably why a tiny population of this protected reptile species had managed to survive around my house).

Now experiencing up close what an impact only 3 cats can have on an isolated, small reptile population was absolutely shocking. What I witnessed made me sad, but I'm not angry at the cats - nor do I hold a grudge towards my neighbors, who are kind, generous and all around lovely people.

And while I don't want to lecture anybody, what I would like to do is offer a few ideas how we as cat-lovers can help mitigate the averse effects our beloved pets' predatory nature (which is nobody's fault: least of all the cats') has on the ecosystems around our homes.

If we live in areas where there's threatened/protected species close to our homes that our cats will prey upon, the time when we let our pets out of the house can already make a huge difference. For example, western green lizards are at their most active between 8am and 11am, and not letting our cats out during that period can already increase the lizards' chance of survival.

If you're a cat lover like me but you also want to protect your local fauna, knowing when during the day birds and reptiles are the most active as well as knowing their breeding/nesting cycles is crucial, and by adjusting the times or time periods when you let your cat out of the house (or not) accordingly will make a vital difference.

But there are also simpler approaches: most reptiles and birds (which are by far the most vulnerable to hunting cats) are not active during the night. Rodents like rats and mice on the other hand very much are, so if you mostly let your cat out after sunset, it will predominantly hunt mice and rats, which are usually abundant enough that their populations aren't threatened (this at least is true for western Europe - other regions might have threatened wildlife that is active during the night, so if you do care, try to educate yourself about the creatures that will fall prey to your pet).

Cats are perfectly adapted to night activity, but they switch to more daytime activity in order to better fit the routine of "their" humans. So while our cats probably won't like it at first to have to stay indoors during the day, they will quickly adapt and accept it, as long as they know they will be able to leave the house once the sun has gone down.

Naturally, there might be practical issues involved that make it impossible to try some of the above (like the presence of coyotes who will eat your cats if they are out at night), but who knows, maybe one person or other will find some of these suggestions useful. And while it may be too late for "my" lizards, I just feel an obligation to at least try to help raise awareness on the issue (although I realize this is a touchy subject and people have strong opinions about it).

In any case, thank you so much for taking the time to read this not very pleasant text. And as always, let me know what you think of the photo in the comments below - but please refrain from making any "heated" statements regarding the issue at hand out of respect for other commenters whose feelings you might hurt (if you feel very strongly about this subject and want to "vent", you may always reach me via my Flickr Mail).

Many greetings from Switzerland and a belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!!! 🎉 😊 ❤!

I rarely come across a lone tree and this one had a border for foreground interest.

Took several shots and liked this off-centre composition best.

It was an overcast day so made this b/w and added a suble texture in Topaz Studio.

HSS

We rarely get thunderstorms here. In fact I've been waiting since 2016, since I first learned the art of photography, for a storm close enough and active enough, (not to mention not occurring at 3 am), in order to try my hand at capturing lightning.

Last Sunday night, a large storm edged just close enough for success. These three bolts came down simultaneously during a single 30 second exposure at 11:06 pm. It was the second to last successful frame I took that night, and I was thrilled!

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.

I rarely get to capture butterflies successfully but was fortunate to have fast shutter speed already set up. And hand held for me is most unusual. This was taken on a lovely walk through Roddlesworth Nature Trail, Lancashire.

If you're out for a country walk and you see any of these thistle type flowers with the purple heads, stick around if you're after butterflies because they do seem to be drawn to them.

Sometime rarely to find a seat at there:))

..............

flickeflu.com/explore

bighugelabs.com/scout.php?username=11569107%40N06&sor...

bighugelabs.com/dna.php

www.flickr.com/photos/kornrawiee/8241418424/lightbox/

www.flickr.com/groups/1768570@N20/pool/with/8454377503/

..............

Do not note on my images.

I rarely manage to get close to a Buzzard. This one was a chance encounter - out of the blue as it flew across my path.

Thank you all for your kind responses.

Sehr selten in Bremen zu sehen.

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Die Weissflügelseeschwalbe ist die seltenste der drei Sumpfseeschwalben, zugleich aber die am schönsten gezeichnete Art. Sie ist hauptsächlich in Osteuropa beheimatet

Very rarely seen in my city Bremen

The White-winged Tern is the rarest of the three Marsh Terns, but at the same time the most beautifully marked species. It is mainly native to Eastern Europe

One rarely finds a place so full of historical memories, which unfold before our eyes with exquisite skill through the architecture of the buildings looking onto the Venetian harbour, bearing scents from past times, drawing the visitor into a nostalgic game of the senses, a mixture of East and West...

I rarely take photos through plane windows because they are filthy. Anyway, Virgin Australia flight from Emerald - a French-Italian made ATR 72-600 - on landing approach to Brisbane airport, looking north west across Woolloongabba to the CBD. The Pacific Motorway at the bottom is the road to Sydney, 1,000 km to the south. See it Large.

Location: Witsand Beach, near Misty Cliifs.

Description: Here is a Vertorama from my recent visit to the dune pools at Witsand Beach.

Tip: The best landscapes are rarely found at the side of the road. Be prepared to take a hike with a map or GPS unit in an effort to seek out the most interesting locations.

Click here to view this one large.

Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.

Equipment: Nikon D300 (Sigma 10-20mm)

Date: October 2008

I rarely get a take off shot. This is a decent one. I was happy to get it. Have a great weekend. It is raining now and a strong cold front is supposed to come through Monday morning.

Large view is better.

Often, even if I don't always want to, I have to leave my forests and travel to the nearest city or to Helsinki. Helsinki is a dear city to me, I work there from time to time, people dear to me live there and I have also lived there temporarily for long periods of time. The city has given me a lot. I've rarely photographed it though, maybe because the days there are always so busy.

This ICM version of Helsinki is made of two stacked ICM photos, captured on a sunny November morning. The stacked photo itself was boring, so I colored it more and painted a few cars and a bench so that my image of Helsinki would be what the city really means to me. Joy, success and love.

This particular part of Helsinki is completely new and my eyes are not used to it. There are, for example, really tall tower blocks under construction, some already ready. On the left is the sea and the commercial port.

The video depicts a more traditional and more familiar Helsinki in January, during the bitter cold.

youtu.be/_shamKZhbqo

"A descending whinny emanates from the depths of cattails and rushes, but the source of this sound rarely shows itself. This secretive brown-and-gray marsh bird is a Sora, but drab it is not. When it finally pokes its head out of the reeds its bright yellow bill might have you thinking about Halloween candy corns. The Sora walks slowly through shallow wetlands a bit like a chicken that has had too much coffee, nervously flicking its tail and exposing the white feathers below." The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Photographed in the wild, Nova Scotia, Canada

credits

I rarely include people in this shot from the top of Mt. Tammany but this year the Fall colors are peaking and the overlook has been pretty crowded even on a Tuesday! Just couldn't pass up this photo shoot of sorts, and to be clear, I don't know any of these people that are taking up all this prime real estate. Eventually I walked up in the front and took my "official" pano shot that I always take from the same rock, just to the right of the photoshoot subject. While I was processing, I found in this stitch that the two men on the right were out of focus a bit and I passed it up. Today I tried a restitch leaving out the offending frame and it still stitched up fine! The benefit of shooting with significant frame overlap.

I have rarely seen a camping that offers yurt living. It was worth a shot.

I rarely post two photos a day but I wanted to post a shot that contrasted with the other shot and more showed the positive energy that comes about when people get together and celebrate an acceptance of all people. I loved the camaraderie!

**All photos are copyrighted**

I rarely post two of the same band on the same day but these two. Also, I decided not to cover the band's set with a review and photos...it's a lot of work and I just have a ton of things going on this weekend and a busy work week always.

I hope you enjoy! The Chills are an amazing band and it was wonderful to see them!

**All photos are copyrighted**

I rarely do wildlife...don't have the equipment or the patience, but this little fellow (a downy woodpecker) braving the snow was just begging to be photographed.

Rarely found low, but this one was very friendly bouncing from branch to branch near a river earlier in migration. I absolutely love the colours of this bird!

Rarely, the Sunol Regional Wilderness in SF East Bay, its elevation only several hundred feet high, but their heads were covered by snow after storm attacked for one week.

This image was taken from my backyard, the distance to the Wilderness about 45 miles (72km) far away. Thanks for your stopping-by and wishing you and your family a Happy Lunar New Year!

I rarely share both colour and mono, but I'm feeling indulgent this aft.

It was getting very late to be out by this time, and what little light and colour there was in the sky, it was engulfed by storm clouds, a gift from Lancashire. But what caught my eye was the Hart’s-tongue fern (Asplenium Scolopendrium) harbouring in the relative tranquility of the limestone grike.

Copyright: © 2023 john bleakley photography. All rights reserved. All images protected by Pixy. No unauthorised use.

an expected but rarely found winter visitor to Arizona from their breeding grounds in California. Usually, they migrate north to south in California and into Baja. Occasionally they migrate west to east and come to the arid areas of southern Arizona and Mexico; I think the male is one of the prettiest songbirds in North America. This guy is acquiring his breeding plumage. Most birds molt to get their breeding plumage. Lawrence's Goldfinch colors are revealed as tips of the gray feathers wear away showing the bright yellow.

I rarely get to see swans swimming in water here so when I saw many in a flooded field this weekend in Skagit County I jumped at the chance to photograph them.

I very rarely get the chance to get down low at Reddish vale. I was walking along the river Tame when I saw this Goosander coming toward me with young on her back. I was able to get down on the floor. I struggled for focus and missed tons of shots but managed to get this one that I was really pleased with ! :-)

This is a record shot of the rarely seen opened wings of a female Clouded Yellow Butterfly (Colias croceus). They never seem to settle with their wings open so I was pleased to capture this shot in flight. Not the sharpest of images I know, but chuffed that I had accidentally managed to capture it.

Many thanks to all who take the time to view, comment or fave my images.

i rarely share my pics ~ here's a raw shot from a series that i love sm.

add me on fb for more >

facebook.com/tekila.vella

Pics taken in firestorm ♥

Ann's Norwegian and in Norway they call this the 'Ice Bird'

They very rarely breed their and

you'd be very very lucky to see one., neither of us ever have

But If we did it'd most likely be in the winter., thus the name... Ice Bird

How lucky we are here in the UK

Saying that for all the obvious reasons we've not exactly had a 'sack-full' of photo's this year!

Selten diese Farben den 2. Tag in Folge vor einem Gewitter, es sah schlimmer aus als es dann am ende war!

On a decent day, this view across Gruinard Bay in Wester Ross rarely disappoints.

The scenery does all the hard work for you.

Many thanks as always for your welcome views and comments.

We rarely get Redheads in the park, and we seldom get heavy fog, so the two combined was an opportunity not to be missed…. At the Pool, Central Park, New York

Rarely in the garden!

Pas souvent dans le jardin!

Welcome to the Dolomites and my first edited image from my first two days in this part of the world.

Now for those of you who know me I am rarely stuck for words when it comes to describing a location that I visit and how it makes me feel when I am on location photographing it but the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Monte Paterno that I visited yesterday has me stumped.

I have seen beauty that has stunned me, silenced me even but this place took me to a whole new level. Standing high up on a rocky ridge watching the sun go down behind the 9,000ft+ mountains was almost a spiritual experience.

The scale of the landscape before me had me not know where to look first but it mattered little for beauty that is hard to register lay all around me. The colour, texture and shape of the mountains was staggeringly beautiful. The Dolomites has captured my heart entirely and hose who have visited and witnessed this level of beauty for themselves will I am absolutely sure, agree.

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Canon 5D MK4

Canon 24-70mm f4 @ 24mm

f8

1/50 sec

ISO100

0.6 Medium ND Grad filter

Benro TMA48CXL Mach 3 Tripod

Benro GD3WH Geared Head

3 Legged Thing QR11-LC L Bracket

Mindshift Backlight 26L Bag

Kase Filters

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