View allAll Photos Tagged Retractor
Gardena German retractable water hose reel makes life much neater,
I bought one 4 years ago for the back garden, I was so impressed I purchased another last year, if you have one I have a suggestion, as the hose retracts wrap a cloth around the hose that will clean all the debris instead going in the real.
No more straggling to untangle hoses, it is worth the money I spend.
Have a great weekend,
Eyes wide open now and ears starting to unfurl. He is not retracting his claws yet.This is one very vigorous, vocal kitten. 😊
A grey heron landing with a fresh fish in it's beak.
Grey herons are widely distributed, occurring throughout much of Asia as far east as Japan. They also breed in South Africa, while migrants are regular throughout much of Africa. Grey Herons are generalists in habitat use. They are typically found in and around shallow water, generally along watercourses and shorelines, and usually in locations having roost trees nearby. They may occur in inland fresh waters, along estuaries, or in marine habitats. Shallow water, relatively large prey, and 4 or 5 months of an ice-free breeding season seem to be essential characteristics of suitable habitat.
The Grey Heron usually hunts solitarily, but in situations where food is more concentrated, birds may feed in loose aggregations or even mixed species flocks. The usual method of capturing prey is by a rapid Bill Thrust, preceded by retracting its head and neck. Pecking is used on dry ground, such as for earthworms. Food is nearly always dipped in the water, if available, before being swallowed. It is handled by biting, stabbing, and pounding to soften, to remove spines, to position for swallowing (fish are swallowed head first), or for breaking into smaller pieces.
Click to view Larger.
Like all hummingbirds, the Anna’s spends much of its life in overdrive. When flying, their hearts, no bigger than an infant’s fingernail, beat 1,200 times a minute. Every 60 seconds they breathe 250 times. In a typical day they will visit hundreds of flowers, dining every 15 minutes. It’s not an idle pursuit — they must consume twice their body weight in insects and nectar on a daily basis just to survive. They drink the nectar with tubular tongues that work like pumps and are so long that, when retracted, coil up inside the birds’ heads, around their skulls and eyes. The nectar, which is 26 per cent sugar, acts like rocket fuel, powering their high-octane lifestyle.
The ability to slip into a type of hibernation on chilly nights helps the Anna’s survive our cold and rainy winters. The other factor is the abundance of backyard feeders and ornamental flowers found throughout the city, which provide them with a year-round food supply, in addition to the insects, spiders and tree sap they also feed upon.
Magnifique structure prismée de cette coulée de basalte (les colonnes atteignent environ 7 m) située en dessous du village de Chilhac (Haute-Loire / France). Cette coulée très épaisse a noyé une vallée il y a 1,6 Ma. L'érosion a dégagé la roche qui se trouve désormais très nettement au-dessus du cours actuel de l'Allier (phénomène d'inversion de relief). La partie située au-dessus de la colonnade est appelé "entablement" ; cette prismation spectaculaire résulte de la rétractation du magma lors de son refroidissement.
Cerianthus filiformis is a species of tube-dwelling sea anemone in the family Cerianthidae. It is found throughout the tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific Ocean. The tube anemone has a stretched and muscularised body which can reach 35 cm. Its body has the shape of a large polyp with numerous mobile tentacles. The colors of the tentacles can be white, green, orange or purple and the central tentacles may have a different coloration from the marginal tentacles. They feed on all the small-sized and edible drifting food that passes within the reach of its tentacles. It protects itself from predators by retracting back into the tube, which can reach up to 100 cm in length. The animal shows only its tentacles to feed, usually at night time. Mabini, South Luzon, Philippines
Published in Fishipedia. www.fishipedia.fr/
Snowy Egret uses the flight to escape terrestrial predators. Its attitude in flight is that of all egrets and herons, with retracted neck, straight head, and legs extended behind
Source: oiseaux
Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris
Norfolk
The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.
It is also a Schedule 1 species.
Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.
Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.
The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.
In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.
Population:
UK breeding:
80 males
UK wintering:
600 birds
Europe:
21 - 29,000 pairs
This $143 million museum was opened in October 2014. The building was designed by the architect Frank Gehry,
The two-story, 41,441 square foot structure has 11 galleries, a large auditorium with 350 seats that retract from the floor, a number of multilevel roof terraces for events and art installations, and a lower level that includes a pond and permanently installed artwork.
Architect: Frank Gehry
Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.
A relatively small stork species with a grayish to white body and black wings and tail with a hint of gloss. The Asian Openbill gets its name from a distinctive gap in the dull grayish yellow bill. Note the pinkish legs. Asian Openbills inhabit wetland habitats including shallow marshes, flooded agricultural fields, and lakes. From a distance they could be confused with herons, but they can be clearly distinguished from herons by their feeding habits—wading slowly through shallow water. Soars frequently, often in large dense flocks; note extended neck, unlike retracted neck of herons and egrets. (eBird)
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Just a very small part of around 200 of these interesting storks to be found preening on the mudflats. We saw them frequently all around Thailand, often flying in huge murmurations.
Here's a link to our Thailand bird trip list: ebird.org/tripreport/328567
Lam Takhong Dam, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. February 2025.
Rockjumper Birding Tours.
Kurz nach Sonnenaufgang an den retanurierten Dalkeauen an der "Neuen Mühle". Ein leichter Nebel sorgte für eine ganz besondere Stimmung und ein fantastisches Licht.
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Shortly after sunrise on the retracted "Dalkeauen" at the "Neuen Mühle". A light fog created a very special mood and a fantastic light.
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
Thanks to all who take the time to view, Comment or Fav, It is Always Appreciated.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Scottish Moors
Double click!
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
En longeant la côte coté Océan on découvre parmi les falaises entre Anse bois vert et Anse bénitier, au premier plan, des vestiges de l'édification de l'ile: Des orgues d'andésitiques, stalactites pétrifiés, formées par la rétractation de la lave en fin de refroidissement.
Along the coast on the ocean side we discover among the cliffs between Anse bois vert and Anse bénitier, in the foreground , the remains of the building of the island: Andesitic organs, petrified stalactites, formed by the retraction of the lava in end of cooling.
absolut calm and quiet in our Sandvika bay (Lofoten islands), where we lodged for 10 days. This I call holidays :)
(Photo no 2)
Elle se retrouvait sur la route...
Et elle courait un grave danger de se faire écraser par les automobiles...
Si vous avez vu la photo précédente, vous connaissez l'histoire...
Description:
La tortue serpentine est la plus grosse tortue d’eau douce du Canada. Elle a un corps musclé et une mâchoire puissante.
Elle peut peser jusqu'à 16 kg et sa carapace grandit généralement jusqu’à 35 cm de long, et parfois jusqu’à 50 cm. Cette espèce robuste possède une épaisse dossière striée (carapace dorsale) de couleur brun clair, olive ou noire, et une longue queue munie « d’épines ». Son plastron est petit, comparativement à celui d'autres espèces, ce qui laisse ses membres et son cou à découvert.
Puisqu'elle ne peut se rétracter complètement dans sa carapace, la tortue serpentine cherche à mordre ses prédateurs quand elle se sent menacée.
Cette tortue aquatique vit dans des habitats d’eau douce à courant faible et à fond boueux ou sablonneux.
La tortue serpentine a peu de prédateurs naturels en raison de sa taille, mais elle connaît tout de même un déclin à cause de la perte des milieux humides, son habitat. Cette espèce est aussi particulièrement vulnérable à la mortalité sur les routes, car la femelle les traverse souvent en quête d'un site de nidification adéquat. La tortue serpentine a une réputation de prédateur vorace et agressif, ce qui en fait malheureusement une espèce persécutée. Elle n’attaque pas les nageurs et devient agressive seulement si on la provoque. Espèce charognarde, elle joue un rôle important en contribuant à garder les eaux propres.
La tortue serpentine peut vivre jusqu’à l’âge de 70 ans et n’atteint sa maturité sexuelle qu’entre 15 et 20 ans. Toute perte d’individus matures peut ainsi avoir un impact sur sa population. Les nids bâtis aux abords des routes sont susceptibles d’être détruits par des véhicules, alors que les œufs et les petits peuvent être dévorés par d’autres animaux.
Merci de vos visites, commentaires et favoris !!
Thank you for your visits, comments and favorites !!
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Scottish Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Cairngorms
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
Le héron pourpré vole lentement avec le cou rétracté, et les longues pattes et doigts projetés vers l’arrière. Son vol est puissant et régulier, avec de lents battements d’ailes.
The purple heron flies slowly with the neck retracted, and the long legs and toes thrown back. Its flight is powerful and regular, with slow flapping of the wings.
After I had captured Matariki ( flic.kr/p/2nvCHUV ) I decided to hang around for a while, enjoying a beautiful still morning at Waikuku overlooking the Ashley Estuary. I was rewarded with the presence of the majestic white heron.
The white heron or kotuku is well-loved by the New Zealand people, but it is rarely seen except by those who specifically seek it out. Its sole New Zealand breeding site near Okarito Lagoon in Westland is well-known and well-protected, but elsewhere it is 'He kotuku rerenga tahi' or the bird of single flight, implying something seen perhaps once in a lifetime. When seen in close proximity it is a magnificent bird, with its large size and clean white plumage.
A large white heron with a long pointed yellow bill, a gape that extends well behind the eye, long dark legs, and a very long neck. In flight, it retracts its head so that the length of its neck is hidden, giving it a hunched appearance.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Scottish Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
A few interesting cheetah facts:
Those black tear lines on either side of a cheetah’s nose function like a football player’s face paint, keeping the sun out of the big cat’s eyes while they hunt.
A cheetah’s claws don’t retract when they run. Instead, they act like cleats to help the cheetah reach its top speeds.
When running, cheetahs use their tail to steer, like a rudder for a boat.
***Challenge Day 7 - “Beginnings” - Flickr 21 Day Photo Challenge
Monarch butterfly/milkweed butterfly/Danaus plexippus.
The adult emerges from its chrysalis after about two weeks of pupation. The emergent adult hangs upside down for several hours while it pumps fluids and air into its wings, which expand, dry, and stiffen. The butterfly then extends and retracts its wings. Once conditions allow, it flies and feeds on many nectar plants.
Columbia, South Carolina. USA
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
In flight the legs were retracted but on touchdown when they were lowered this Common Darter gripped the textured surface of the wood firmly enabling it to raise and turn its head as it did when seemingly responding to the sound of a bird in a nearby bush.
Thank you all for your kind responses.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Scottish Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
Every once in a while you stumble upon a magical scene that has to be captured and this is one of them for me,
I happened upon this on the Bogaardlaan in Valkenburg a City in the Limburg province of the Netherlands.
Valkenburg is in the middle of Limburg province which is thrust between Belgium and Germany like some forgotten piece of the Netherlands that was never retracted, the area is probably the most elevated terrain that can be claimed by the Dutch and possibly may be the attraction for so many Dutch to visit each year.
I took this with my D750 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens at 45mm 5s, f/11 ISO 100 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz Denoise
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress.
Vue prise en hydroglisseur, au débouché de la Néva dans la Mer Baltique.
Le stade de Saint-Pétersbourg, localement appelé stade Krestovski, est un stade de football situé sur l'île Krestovski à l'ouest de la ville de Saint-Pétersbourg en Russie, terminé en 2016 et doté d'une capacité de 68 134 places. Il héberge depuis 2017 le club du Zénith Saint-Pétersbourg, anciennement basé au stade Petrovski en centre ville. Après la Coupe des confédérations 2017, il accueille quelques rencontres de la Coupe du monde 2018 devant 67 000 spectateurs (sa capacité est moindre pour cette compétition) et le championnat d'Europe 2020 de football.
Conçu par l'architecte japonais Kisho Kurosawa en forme de vaisseau spatial, près du golfe de Finlande, le stade est équipé d'un toit rétractable et d'un terrain coulissant, ce qui lui permet de maintenir une température d'au moins 15° même en hiver. Il peut également accueillir des concerts, spectacles et diverses manifestations sportives.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Yorkshire Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
Thanks to all who take the time to view, Comment or Fav, It is Always Appreciated.
Eye to eye with the King of the Alps
It was one of those incredible moments you probably experience once in your life. I was hiking in the mountains with my eldest son and daughter-in-law, hoping to see ibex. Hopes were slim, as the area we were hiking through was vast and partly impassable. The weather was far from ideal, with thick fog. But life writes its own stories, and after hiking for some time, the fog suddenly lifted, and we couldn't believe our eyes. Not far ahead, we saw not one, but several ibex, their faces obscured by the thick mist. To our great astonishment, all these magnificent creatures, the kings of the Alps, approached us, leaving us speechless. They all walked ahead of us and settled down comfortably on the alpine meadow. The ibex were undisturbed by our presence and continued to enjoy themselves in the flower-filled meadow. But then, another large ibex approached us from the other side and watched us curiously. But even this ibex wasn't bothered by our presence and walked past us just a few meters away. I had to retract my telephoto lens completely to be able to photograph the whole szenery at all. We could hardly believe it and looked at each other in amazement. None of us had ever experienced anything so fascinating.
It was simply breathtaking and beautiful to see a wild animal of such elegance and size right in front of us. It was especially impressive for my daughter-in-law from Japan, who had never ever seen anything like this before. We were overwhelmed and so grateful for this magnificent and memorable experience in the Swiss alpine landscape.
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
(Albert Einstein)
If we can bring people closer to the animal world, they will be touched. Share my love for the animal world with me. Because people want to preserve what they love. It is not enough to love animals; we must actively protect and preserve them.
Le Caracal est largement répandu en Afrique et en Asie depuis le Moyen-Orient jusqu'au sous-continent indien. Le caracal possède de longs pinceaux de poils noirs caractéristiques à l'extrémité des oreilles. Il est également connu pour les bonds pouvant atteindre 3 mètres qu'il est capable d'effectuer pour attraper des oiseaux en vol.
Bien qu'il soit également appelé « lynx du désert » ou « lynx de Perse », il n'est pas apparenté au genre Lynx mais bien au genre Caracal.
Le Caracal est un mammifère de la famille des félidés de taille moyenne avec de longues jambes et une queue relativement courte. Il se distingue par la présence d'un bouquet de longs poils noirs à l'extrémité des oreilles, dépassant quasiment leur longueur, caractéristique qu'il partage avec le Lynx et avec le chat des marais (Felis chaus). Son poil est court d'une couleur gris fauve à rougeâtre. Les pattes du Caracal sont assez larges avec cinq doigts sur les pattes antérieures (dont le premier ne touche pas le sol) et quatre sur les postérieures munis de griffes rétractables de 3 cm de long]. Le Caracal possède de nombreux poils raides qui émergent d'entre ses coussinets lui assurant un bon appui sur les sols meubles. Les yeux sont de couleur claire, généralement verdâtres pouvant varier du marron au bleu.
L'image du caracal est régulièrement utilisée sur les timbres postaux.
Le caracal figure également sur des séries spéciales de pièces de monnaie .
Le caracal a été choisi comme mascotte des 13e championnats du monde d'athlétisme en salle qui ont eu lieu à Doha au Qatar en 2010.
Ses aptitudes de prédateur valent probablement au caracal une utilisation de son image dans le domaine militaire. Ainsi, caracal est le nom utilisé dans l'armée de l'air française pour désigner l'hélicoptère militaire Eurocopter EC725 Caracal -c'est également le nom d'un véhicule militaire blindé d'origine israélienne, le Plasan Sand Cat.
La société Caracal International LLC des Émirats arabes unis produit le pistolet Caracal.
Une unité de l'armée israélienne porte également le nom de bataillon Caracal.
Merci beaucoup à tous pour votre aimable commentaire et vos favoris très appréciés - bien cordialement ! au plaisir !
Thank you very much to all for your kind comment and your very appreciated favorites - well cordially - au plaisir -
Herzlichen Dank an alle für Ihren freundlichen Kommentar und Ihre beliebten Favoriten - herzlich! zum Vergnügen
Quite a well resolved image. The words ‘Trestle here’ directly below the 4 in the serial number can easily be discerned. Also, the left main wheel can be seen to still be spinning from the take-off run as it retracts.
Thank you, my friends, for all the views, faves and comments.
American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus).
Prey motion elicits feeding behavior. First, if necessary, the frog performs a single, orienting bodily rotation ending with the frog aimed towards the prey, followed by approaching leaps, if necessary. Once within striking distance, the bullfrog begins its feeding strike, which consists of a ballistic lunge (eyes closed as during all leaps) that ends with the mouth opening. At this stage, the fleshy, mucous-coated tongue is extended towards the prey, often engulfing it, while the jaws continue their forward travel to close (bite) just as the tongue is retracted. Large prey that do not fit entirely into the mouth are stuffed in with the hands.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American bullfrog.
Wildwood Nature Preserve, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Hay una gran corriente a favor de los proverbios prudentes y pusilánimes. Los sentimientos de un hombre, mientras está lleno de ardor y esperanza, deben ser recibidos, se suele creer, con ciertas atenuaciones. Pero cuando la misma persona ha fracasado ignominiosamente y tiene que empezar a retractarse de sus palabras, entonces debe ser oído como un oráculo. Mucha de nuestra sabiduría de bolsillo está concebida para uso de la gente mediocre y consolarlos de su mediocridad. Y puesto que la gente mediocre forma masa de la humanidad, no hay duda de que así debe ser.
(...) Todavía es más difícil de entender para el término medio de la gente que mientras todos sus maestros, desde Salomón a Benjamín Franklin y el impío Binney, han venido inculcando los mismos ideales de buenas maneras, cautela y respetabilidad, aquellos personajes de la historia que han desobedecido abiertamente y de modo más notorio tales preceptos son citados en términos de las más hiperbólicas alabanzas y honrados con monumentos públicos (...) Su vida no es lo que uno escogería para poner en manos de chicos; más bien deberíamos hacer todo lo posible por mantenerla alejada de su conocimiento como una roja bandera de aventura y una demoledora influencia. El tiempo llegaría a faltarme si quisiera pasar revista a todos los grandes nombres de la historia cuyas hazañas resultan perfectamente irracionales y hasta ofensivas para la mente calculadora. La contradicción es patente y yo supongo que debe engendrar entre la gente mediocre una peculiar actitud hacia las partes nobles y destacadas de la vida nacional.
(...) Por más desacreditados que estén en la práctica los proverbios pusilánimes, se mantienen firmes en la teoría; creencia común de que las opiniones de los viejos acerca de la vida deben ser aceptadas como concluyentes. A las ilusiones de la juventud se hacen toda suerte de restricciones y ninguna, o casi ninguna, a los desengaños de la vejez.
(...) “La opinión en los hombres buenos –dice Milton- no es otra cosa que conocimiento en formación”. Todas las opiniones propiamente dichas son etapas en el camino hacia la verdad. (...) Tener en los labios una consigna no es lo mismo que mantener una opinión y, menos aún, que el habérnosla formado nosotros. Existen en el mundo demasiadas de estas consignas y la gente nos las lanzan como juramento o a modo de argumentación. Corren como falsa moneda intelectual y muchas personas respetables no pagan sino con ella. Parece como si fueran la representación de una vaga masa de teorías que quedaran allá, en el fondo. Se supone que en ellas reside la virtud atribuida a los infolios llenos de argumentos irrebatibles, del mismo modo que en la porra del guardia reside algo de la majestad del imperio británico.
(...) Todas mis pasadas opiniones fueron solamente distintas etapas en el camino hacia la que sostengo, lo mismo que está, a su vez, es una etapa para otra por venir. (...) Y mientras tanto, debemos hacer algo, ser algo, creer en algo. No es posible mantener el ánimo en un estado de perfecto equilibrio y vacío; y aun en el caso de que pudiéramos, es muy posible que, en lugar de llegar a la postre a la acertada conclusión, nos quedáramos en un estado de equilibrio y vaciedad ya para siempre.
(...) No se puede negar que el hombre que llega a una edad considerablemente avanzada lamenta sus pasadas imprudencias, pero he notado que lamenta, a menudo en un tomo mucho más genuino y amargo, su juventud..
Se suele decir que debemos precavernos para la vejez, (...) pero cuando un hombre se ha estado escatimando a sí mismo su propia vida por ahorrarlo todo para el momento del festival que nunca había de llegar a ser, resulta ya esa clase de tragedia que conmueve histéricamente y que linda con la farsa. (...) Tener un vino exquisito y guardarlo sin beber hasta que llega a ponerse agrio no es, ciertamente, un rasgo de sagacidad; ¡cuánto más si se trata de toda una bodega, toda una existencia! (...) Navegamos en barcos que hacen agua sobre vastos y peligrosos mares. (...) Viejos y jóvenes, todos, estamos en nuestra última travesía.
(...) Cuando el viejo señor sacude la cabeza y dice “Ah, lo mismo pensaba yo cuando tenía tus años”, no hace sino dar la razón a la juventud. (...) Todos los hombres mientras fueron jóvenes han pensado de la misma manera desde que hubo rocío en la mañana y flor de espino en mayo; y aquí tenemos a otro hombre joven sumando su voto al de muchas previas generaciones y ensartando otro eslabón a la cadena de testimonios.
(...) En una palabra: si es verdad que la juventud no siempre acierta en sus opiniones, hay también una fuerte probabilidad de que la ancianidad no ande mucho más acertada en las suyas. El corazón humano está regido conjuntamente por una esperanza que no muere y por una inagotable credulidad. El hombre reconoce que se ha equivocado en todas las etapas anteriores de su vida y saca de ello la asombrosa conclusión de que ahora, por fin, sí que está en lo cierto.
(..) La ancianidad puede tener uno de estos puntos de vista; pero la juventud tiene otro. Es cierto que las dos tienen razón; pero quizá es más cierto aún que se equivocan. Las dos concuerdan en una cosa: en diferir. ¿No será tal vez más una concordancia que una diferencia?
Debe estar escrito que todo aquel que se las quiera dar un poquito de filósofo tenga que contradecirse en sus propias narices.
(Virginibus puerisque y otros ensayos) Robert L. Stevenson
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Highland Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
Mala Mala Game Reserve
Kruger National Park
South Africa
The saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.
This is a close relative of the widespread Asian black-necked stork, the only other member of the genus Ephippiorhynchus.
They are silent except for bill-clattering at the nest. Like most storks, these fly with the neck outstretched, not retracted like a heron; in flight, the large heavy bill is kept drooping somewhat below belly height, giving these birds a very unusual appearance to those who see them for the first time. To experienced birdwatchers on the other hand, this makes them easily recognizable even if seen from a distance.
The saddle-billed stork, like most of its relatives, feeds mainly on fish, frogs and crabs, but also on small birds and reptiles. They move in a deliberate and stately manner as they hunt, in a similar way to the larger herons. Taken from Wikipedia.
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
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Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris
The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.
It is also a Schedule 1 species.
Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.
Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.
The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.
In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.
Population:
UK breeding:
80 males
UK wintering:
600 birds
Europe:
21 - 29,000 pairs
It is amazing how fast the Hummingbird Moth can retract and extend it's long tube like tongue to get nectar. This one was no more than an 1 & 1/4" long.
"Feeding at sunrise."
Great Egret
The Great Egret (Ardea alba), also known as the Common Egret, Large Egret or (in the Old World) Great White Heron, is a large, widely distributed Egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized. In North America it is more widely distributed, and it is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. The Old World population is often referred to as the Great White Egret. This species is sometimes confused with the Great White Heron of the Caribbean, which is a white morph of the closely related Great Blue Heron (A. herodias).
It is only slightly smaller than the Great Blue or Grey Herons. It has all white plumage. Apart from size, it can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. It also has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_egret
Manolines, which are vegetable slicers and not musical instruments, usually have a guide or handle which is used to hold the food item in place to allow safe movement of the food over the blade. This is the underside of a mandoline guide showing the tiny conical knobs and the 3 small pins which hold the food item securely. The metal pins retract and protract.
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"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." Vincent Van Gogh 1853-1890, Dutch Post-Impressionist painter
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Taken for the "Macro Mondays" theme "Contraption"
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Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
Taking a rest bankside!
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds
16th July 2017 - SAAB Gripen JAS-39C '39215' of the Swedish Air Force Gripen Solo Display team with Major Peter Fällén retracting the under carriage after take off.
Grey Heron - Ardea Cinerea
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
The birds breed colonially in spring in "heronries", usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for a period of about 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when seven or eight weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about five years.
In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially-prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, four hundred herons were served to the guests.
The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Fish, amphibians, small mammals and insects are taken in shallow water with the heron's long bill. It has also been observed catching and killing juvenile birds such as ducklings, and occasionally takes birds up to the size of a water rail. It may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, it moves slowly and stealthily through the water with its body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an "S". It is able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very fast.
Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed, or have hunks of flesh torn off. For prey such as small mammals and birds or ducklings, the prey is held by the neck and either drowned, suffocated, or killed by having its neck snapped with the heron's beak, before being swallowed whole. The bird regurgitates pellets of indigestible material such as fur, bones and the chitinous remains of insects. The main periods of hunting are around dawn and dusk, but it is also active at other times of day. At night it roosts in trees or on cliffs, where it tends to be gregarious.
Population:
UK breeding:
13,000 nests
UK wintering:
63,000 birds