The Moon [*current* photos only]
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Explored April 13th, 2009 #240 -- thanks to all for being amused and commenting.
View my photos larger and on black at Flickriver
Invites are always welcome, but please ... no animated ones. Your comments are exciting to receive and appreciated.
Sliders Sunday - Post Processed to the MAX!
Got this off my camera and have no memory of taking it, lol. I used a Summer preset in LRC.
Happy Sliders Sunday : )
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!!! 🎉 😊 ❤!
Last night, I found the most beautiful swampy, marshy, lushly forested sim and I was completely enchanted with it. I grabbed up my mischievous teddy bear, and lil Dox and we set off for an adventure!
Dox was not completely on board, especially when I suggested that we should camp here for the night and go home in the morning. Granted we weren't exactly set up for a camp out! But there was a lovely, dilapidated covered bridge behind us. Dox said that wasn't nearly covered up enough for him, and that he wanted to go home to his cozy pup bed. Teddy and I told him he was being wimpy, and that it would be fun to spend the night in the woods, counting stars.
"Wait, I hear something!" Ted said, nervous himself all of a sudden. Ooohh...I think I hear it too! Squealszzz!! (the power of suggestion!) We were home and drinking hot chocolate in a flash! But not before we grabbed a photo for our adventure memory album!
I hope everyone is having a week filled with happy! ♥
What do think this is? Have a guess ;-))
And I'm looking for a title too, so if you have a suggestion, don't hesitate!
Happy Tuesday ;-))
Update on Wednesday: It is a macro of origami foil paper with has the textures that looks like peacock feathers.
I also got some very beautiful titles:
- Toscaans heuvellandschap in het laatste licht, gezien door de ogen van een nachtvlinder. / Tuscan hilly landscape in the last light, seen through the eyes of a moth
- Gold dust
- Mesmerized
- a jewel from Tiffany
- Fan Club Night &Day
Sri Lanka grey hornbill (Male) at Habarana Lodge Sri Lanka
Taken using a Gimbal head on a tripod very early in the morning.
Thank you for your visits, faves and comments. Constructive criticism and suggestions are most welcome!
DFC_9325
In this phase you can see it better how many pre-folds had to be made. It took two days to do it.
This pre-folding does not apply to all origami models.
I made a kind of blue print. ;-))
If you want you still can make suggestions what it will be…….
What you see here is an in-between-step of an origami ….???
I made a little series about it: Paper Art:
Update:
Model: origami Hedgehog
Design: Kouji Nakagawa
Diagrams in Tanteidan Convention Book #8
Paper: 35x35cm brownish elephant-hide paper.
Final size: height 5cm, width 12cm, length 12cm
if you want to see more photos of this origami model, please visit my Origami - Kouji Nakagawa album.
I'm doing some experimental work here and I not only welcome but I would like any suggestions and comments on this image. I feel there is something lacking in it, but I don't know what.
When in Banff I recommend a visit and tour of this iconic "Castle of the Rockies." Amazing inside and out. With the Bow River flowing below and the river's falls just to the right in this frame and Mt. Rundle rising majestically across the valley there is much to admire around it as well.
"The hotel opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as one of the earliest of Canada's grand railway hotels. The original wooden structure burnt down in 1926, the replacement structure was made up of a steel frame, clad in Rundle limestone.
The Banff Springs Hotel includes 757 guest rooms and suites spread throughout the hotel property plus 12 restaurants."
Wikipedia
I appreciate you taking the time to look and for any comments, faves and suggestions.
Wicked skies above the Tetons. Seems the tops are generally covered when I'm there. Beautiful regardless. I'll keep trying...
Thanks for taking a look and for any comments, faves or suggestions.
Otra de las alegrías de la temporada pasada fue visitar, por indicación de Mª José Tarruella, dos puntos en Biar donde encontramos a Lestes barbarus, Lestes virens y Sympecma fusca que no solemos ver en nuestros puntos de seguimiento.
Fotográficamente fue un buen año.
Fotograma recortado un 4% adaptado a formato 4x3
Cerca de Biar (Alicante) España
Another of the joys of last season was visiting, at the suggestion of Mª José Tarruella, two points in Biar where we found Lestes barbarus, Lestes virens and Sympecma fusca that we do not usually see in our monitoring points.
Photographically it was a good year.
4% cropped frame adapted to 4x3 format
Near Biar (Alicante) Spain
Another natural marvel along Alaska's Glenn Highway. IMHO only Alberta's Icefield Parkway can top this stunning drive.
"Matanuska Glacier is a valley glacier in the US state of Alaska.
At 27 miles (43 km) long by 4 miles (6.4 km) wide, it is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. Its terminus feeds the Matanuska River. It lies near the Glenn Highway about 100 miles (160 km) north-east of Anchorage."
Wikipedia
Your visit, comments, faves and suggestions are always appreciated.
Il Castello fu costruito secondo alcuni nella prima metà del tredicesimo secolo, secondo altre tesi attorno al 1150(di certo la prima citazione è del 1222), dai conti di Salorno che gli diedero il nome di Castello di Salorno (solo più tardi venne chiamato Haderburg). Successivamente il castello diventò del Conte Mainardo II di Tirolo-Gorizia, e successivamente, nel XIV secolo, della casata degli Asburgo. Nell'anno 1514 l'Imperatore Massimiliano d'Asburgo decise di rafforzare le fortificazioni a monte del castello.Negli anni, il castello perse il suo significato strategico, e quindi fu abbandonato a se stesso già dopo la seconda metà del XVI secolo.Nell'anno 1648 il castello fu aqcuisito dai Conti Zenobio, provenienti dal Veneto.Al castello nel'arco della sua storia ha ospitato alcuni illustri personaggi, come nel 1551, Melantone uno dei più stretti collaboratori di Martin Lutero, ed in un'epoca più recente il pittore Albrecht Dürer. Nella sua pluricentenaria storia, il castello ha subito delle sostanziali modifiche, ampliamenti e vari rifacimenti. Interessante e particolare è la disposizione del castello, che è stato costruito su 2 pinnacoli rocciosi, che si vanno a distaccare dalla parete verticale del monte Gaier. I due pinnacoli sono collegati tra di loro da un ponte levatoio.
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As always, your faves and comments are appreciated. Constructive criticism and suggestions are especially welcome as I believe they help to make me a better photographer. Thank you for taking the time to look at my photos.
Best viewed on black, so please press "L" to view large in Lightbox mode and "F" to fave.
The Mound of the Hostages (Irish: Dumha na nGiall) is an ancient passage tomb located in the Tara-Skryne Valley in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland.
The mound is a Neolithic structure, built between 3350 and 2800 BCE. It is circular in form, roughly fifteen metres in diameter and three metres high. It is built in the same style as the Newgrange tomb. The structure is dome-shaped with an inset for the entrance and a small doorway, set almost one metre into the side of the monument. The doorway is framed with undecorated standing stones. As is common in passage tombs, this alignment allows for the rising sun to shine down the passageway at only two times of the year, illuminating the chamber within. At this mound, the passage is illuminated on the mornings of Samhain and Imbolc, at the beginning of November and February, respectively. Inside, the passage into the Mound of the Hostages stretches for four metres in length, one metre in width, and is 1.8 metres high. It contains decorated siltstones with images of swirls, circles, and x-patterns—designs associated with Mesolithic passage tomb art. Three compartments once housed buried remains.
The mound was used for burials from the early Neolithic up to 1600 - 1700 BCE. There are an estimated 250 - 500 bodies buried in the mound, organised into layers under the passage. The dead were most often cremated, and their ashes and grave goods spread on the floor of the tomb. These grave goods include decorative pottery and urns, stone beads, and bone pins. The remains were then covered with stone slabs. With this method, layers of ashes and stone built up over time and successive burials. More burials occurred at this site in the Bronze Age, and space in the passage eventually became unavailable, so the bodies were then placed in the mound itself. Over 40 remains have been removed from the mound. They had been buried in the Bronze Age style, with inverted cinerary urns placed over the cremation ashes. The full body of a Bronze Age adolescent was also discovered in the mound. The body was placed in a crouched position in a simple pit dug in the mound. Grave goods found with the body include a decorated bead necklace, a bronze knife, and a bronze awl—a suggestion that he was a person of some importance.
Unlike some similar structures, there is no evidence of a ditch dug around the mound. The Mound is situated north of the King's seat and Cormac's house (teach Cormaic) and slightly south of the Rath of the Synods. The top of the mound is the highest point on the hill and offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
The excavation of the site started back in 1952 with Seán P. Ó Ríordáin -Celtic Archaeology Professor at University College, Dublin- as its director. After Ríordáin's death, he was replaced by Ruaidhrí de Valera who finished the excavation in 1959. However, the excavation was only published in 2005 by Dr Muiris O’Sullivan.
Another Kite photo, following a suggestion from David Jenkins on the previous post that I should keep 'em coming!
Here take-off is made to appear ever-so-easy.
Black-shouldered Kite, A.C.T.
Captured on a walk in the neighborhood, with a lovely, very old, Vivitar Series 1 105mm/F2.8 Macro lens. (K1BD8648)
My wife had spotted this little beauty on the ground and she said, "this could make a very nice shot" and so I went for it. This is the outcome result of her discovery. She made me proud!
Hey everyone!! I've been very busy recently,, I have exams this week :(
I hope I had more time to take new photos,, but I promise I'll catch up in the Teleidoscope project as soon as I can!!
This is an edit of another photo from the photoshoot with my friends Ale and Paola.. Maybe I'll upload another one later..
Thankyou for ur comments/visits/faves/suggestions!!
Pleasseee press L :)
after many suggestions I have cropped the original.
Original is in my set "Variations on Vermeer"
www.flickr.com/photos/kelsk25/sets/72157622222344743/
Chosen as 1 of 7,'Pick of the Weeks' for week of Oct 16th 2011 in
The lights and a fan from a place I had lunch the other day.
Music choice: Foo Fighters - The Deepest Blues Are Black right click and open in new window/tab
Come and visit me @ ...-Winks Place-... when you have some time :-)
INVITES ARE GREAT, BUT PLEASE IN MODERATION
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM/SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
All my public photos are free for personal use
I was shooting with my back to this scene, but when I turned for a moment and glimpsed the reflection of the older brick building + the ivy + the sign -- I thought it really spoke to the location.
That reflected brick building is the 1898-built Fulton House that was converted into a cold storage facility in 1908 -- which is the same year that they moved the building that I was actually there to photography (because it was being torn down). The "Cassidy Tire Building" [not pictured] was built in 1902 and physically moved 52 feet south and 168 feet east 6 years later.
Presumably they were also adding on to and converting Fulton House at the exact same time. ...and the reason to move the building was to make way to for the Chicago and North Western Terminal. For a short period in time, this corner was a flurry of activity.
seen as I walked today, I think there might be even more snow
geese this year, endless waves of them fly over our house, its quite spectacular.
song suggestions welcome :)
crop on earlier photo based on suggestion by moslihh (thanks, I like this one!)
and thanks to Art (LeapFrog) now you can hear all about the sunshiny day tomorrow coming!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPKpmN1EJ_c
now it won't go very large, but it still looks good on black!