View allAll Photos Tagged Syllables
Rarely Clicked
Pseudopodoces is somewhat similar in appearance to the unrelated ground jays (Podoces) but much smaller – about the size of a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) – and lacks any conspicuous markings. More strongly however, it resembles a wheatear (Oenanthe) in habitus, but lacks black feathers and has a strong and slightly downcurved bill resembling that of a chough (Pyrrhocorax) in shape (though not in colour). Its soft, lax body plumage is extremely cryptic in its natural habitat. The underside is a greyish-fawn in colour, with a tawny hue. The upper parts are mostly a darker fawn-brown, with the central rectrices and the primary remiges a little darker still; the head is colored like the underside, with a darker cap and light nape patch, somewhat reminiscent of some tits and chickadees, especially those from the genera Parus sensu stricto and Periparus. The bill, legs and feet are black. Males and females look alike.
The voice is described as a plaintive whistling, cheep-cheep-cheep-cheep and it also has a two syllable finch-like call
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
This common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, apparently is a very common mongoose. Not that the amount of sightings would attest to the commoness of this adorably cute (in my opinion) critter.
Normally you "see" a slender mongoose out of the corner of your eye and before you can say the first syllable of "Stop for the Spot" it's already vanished in tall grasses, under bushes, or some random holes in the ground that seemingly just popped up out of nowhere, JUST because said critter needed one for its vanishing act.
This was the first slender mongoose that not only deigned to hang around for a few precious seconds, but did so in low grass and did not let us disturb its hunt for a slug.
I finally can actually truthfully claim, that I REALLY saw a slender mongoose :D Wheeee!
PS: Of course the mongoose did not do us the favour of coverting out in the open in broad daylight... That would have been too much to ask. Thus, please do excuse the poor lighting, barely recovered and the ridiculous high ISO.. (did I mention yet that I do love my R6Mii for its LowLightPowers?)
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
NEW CHALLENGE: MIXMASTER CHALLENGE #43 - Chef: skagitrenee
CHEF skagitrenee urges us to become poets – in word and image!
➤ Your image must be an open-card-style diptych (not just side-by-side panels … see first two entries below for examples).
➤ Your diptych must portray an illustrated, self-created HAIKU OF EXACTLY 17 SYLLABLES** with the haiku on one side panel and the illustration on the other (though it’s okay if your illustration bleeds onto the haiku side).
➤ Your illustration must include purple and/or blue flower(s).
➤Also one or more black or dark-colored silhouettes (human and/or animal).
➤ NO WATER of any kind.
cat, moon and some flowers PNG tree
These wee birds sure make a lot of noise as they sing, declaring their availability or claiming it's spot in the trees and surrounds
Both males and females sing. Males often sing 9-11 times per minute during breeding season. Songs are a long, jumbled bubbling introduced by abrupt churrs and scolds and made up of 12-16 recognizable syllables. Females sing mainly in answer to their mates shortly after pairing up; their songs can include high-pitched squeals unlike any sounds males make. " Cornell"
Great Tit:-
The largest UK tit – it is green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird, which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a bird table, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks, which scour gardens and countryside for food.
Courtesy: RSPB
Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops)
From the cycle - Birds of Europe. You can see more my photos from this cycle by entering "Pawel's Birds of Europe" in the search box.
The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop". It is native to Europe, Asia and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. The clutch of seven to eight eggs is laid in an existing cavity. The eggs are incubated by the female and hatch asynchronously.
The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats.
The call is typically a trisyllabic oop-oop-oop, which may give rise to its English and scientific names, although two and four syllables are also common. An alternative explanation of the English and scientific names is that they are derived from the French name for the bird, huppée, which means crested.
The Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus), also known as the common wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Europe and Asia. It was once widespread throughout Eurasia prior to the Middle Ages. Aside from an extensive paleontological record, Indo-European languages typically have several words for "wolf", thus attesting to the animal's abundance and cultural significance. It was held in high regard in Baltic, Celtic, Slavic, Turkic, ancient Greek, Roman, Dacian, and Thracian cultures, whilst having an ambivalent reputation in early Germanic cultures.
It is the largest of Old World grey wolves, averaging 39 kg (86 lb) in Europe; however, exceptionally large individuals have weighed 69–79 kg (152–174 lb), though this varies according to region. Its fur is relatively short and coarse, and is generally of a tawny colour, with white on the throat that barely extends to the cheeks. Melanists, albinos, and erythrists are rare, and mostly the result of wolf-dog hybridisation. According to Erik Zimen, the howl of the Eurasian wolf is much more protracted and melodious than that of North American grey wolf subspecies, whose howls are louder and have a stronger emphasis on the first syllable.
Many Eurasian wolf populations are forced to subsist largely on livestock and garbage in areas with dense human activity, though wild ungulates such as moose, red deer, roe deer and wild boar are still the most important food sources in Russia and the more mountainous regions of Eastern Europe. Other prey species include reindeer, argali, mouflon, wisent, saiga, ibex, chamois, wild goats, fallow deer, and musk deer.
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
Stacking every little pretty penny that I'm getting
And I'm never giving in to anybody, always winning
Never kidding when I die, I'm taking everybody with me
You're never gonna get me 'cause you'll never see it simply
I'm a motherfucking god, you're a light yawn, I'm a time bomb
And the vibes wrong, is this mic on?
I'm killing the syllables with a loaded refillable
I'm a lyrical, typical super villain, I'm venomous
And I'm never gonna stop until they put me on top of the list
I can't control the monster any longer that's inside
The Chiloé Wigeon is a very popular bird in collections of wildfowl. In common with most southern hemisphere ducks, the plumage is similar in both sexes and it stays in colour year-round. It is undemanding and relatively peaceable, with a melodious three-syllable whistle. The scientific name, sibilatrix, derives from Latin, sibilare — to whistle.This duck is indigenous to the southern part of South America, where it is found on freshwater lakes, marshes, shallow lagoons and slow flowing rivers.
New image set starting today: colour, colour, colour!!!
Okay, color to my American friends... I had an American girlfriend who asked why we put an extra letter in "colour", "harbour", etc. I asked why she put an extra syllable in "hat", ie. "hey-at". She said she didn't and it was my imagination. I said I didn't, and the "u" was all in her mind. Aren't regional differences fun?
But I digress.
Back to this photo. Plains Coreopsis, aka Tickseed, blooms here in late summer. This field was not fenced off, so I was able to walk right in, but before doing so, I made a few shots with a long lens to compress the already densely-packed flowers. No surprise that there were lots of butterflies and bees in there...
Photographed from the edge of a backroad in the unincorporated community of Rosefield, Saskatchewan (Canada), Pop. 16 (according to the most recent census). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
lunch in the country
small breeze rustling the green leaves
of a row of trees
many thanks for all visits, faves, comments
We had over 50 goldfinches under and on our seed feeders yesterday.
They were back again today taking advantage of the only open water, except for Lake Erie, in the area.
A welcome splash of colour in the winter.
Rondeau Provincial Park, Dec 21, 2022.
Spinus tristis.
American Goldfinches use a four-syllable call when they’re ready to take flight. If you listen closely, it sounds like the birds are saying “po-ta-to-chip”. Both male and female Goldfinches use that call.
Widow. The dead syllable, with its shadow
Of an echo, exposes the panel in the wall
Behind which the secret passages lies--stale air,
Fusty remembrances, the coiled-spring stair
That opens at the top onto nothing at all....
Muller camiñando; vista a través do ventanal do Tanatorio Servisa - A Coruña.
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing". — William Shakespeare; from 'Macbeth', spoken by Macbeth.
Joe Walsh — Shadows ♫ youtu.be/jtMNXlO1N_c
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
European Pole Cat ~ British Wildlife Centre ~ Lingfield ~ Surrey ~ England ~ Sunday April 5th 2015.
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Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/24360 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))
You can also buy my WWT card here (The Otter image) or in the shop at the Wetland Centre in Barnes ~ London ~ www.wwt.org.uk/shop/shop/wwt-greeting-cards/european-otte...
Have a Fabulous Blue Monday Y'all..:)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ The European polecat (Mustela putorius), also known as the black or forest polecat, is a species of Mustelid native to western Eurasia and North Africa, which is classed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its wide range and large numbers. The polecat is dark brown with a lighter bandit-like mask across the face, pale yellow underbody fur, a long tail and short legs. It is somewhat larger than weasels but smaller than otters, weighing between 0.7 kg for females to 1.7 kg for males. It is the sole ancestor of the ferret, which was domesticated over 2000 years ago for the purpose of hunting vermin.
Etymology ~ The word "polecat" first appeared in English after the Norman Conquest of England, written as polcat. While the second syllable is self explanatory, the origin of the first is unclear. It is possibly derived from the French poule, meaning "chicken", likely in reference to the species' fondness for poultry, or it may be a variant of the Anglo-Saxon ful, meaning "foul". In Old English, the species was referred to as foumart, meaning "foul marten", in reference to its strong odour. In Old French, the polecat was called fissau, which was derived from the Low German and Scandinavian verb for "to make a disagreeble smell". This was later corrupted in English as fitchew or fitchef, which itself gave rise to the word "fitch", which is used for the polecat's pelt.
Evolution ~ The earliest true polecat was Mustela stromeri, which appeared during the late Villafranchian. It was considerably smaller than the present form, thus indicating that polecats evolved at a relatively late period. The oldest modern polecat fossils occur in Germany, Britain and France, and date back to the Middle Pleistocene. The European polecat's closest relative is the steppe polecat, with which it is thought to have shared Mustela stromeri as a common ancestor. It is however not as specialised as the latter species, being more infantile in skull structure.
Domestication ~ Morphological, cytological and molecular studies confirm that the European polecat is the sole ancestor of the ferret, thus disproving any connection with the steppe polecat, which was once thought to have contributed to the ferret's creation. Ferrets were first mentioned by Aristotle in 350 BC, and Greek and Roman writers in the 1st century AD were the first to attest on the ferret's use in bolting rabbits from their burrows. In size and proportions, the ferret is similar to the European polecat, to the point that dark coloured ferrets are almost indistinguishable from polecats. The ferret's skull has a smaller cranial volume than the polecat's, and has a narrower postorbital constriction. Hybrids between the two animals typically have a distinct white throat patch, white feet and white hairs interspersed among the fur.
Subspecies ~ As of 2005 seven subspecies are recognised.
Tanka Poetry is a Japanese form consisting of 5 lines. The first and third are five syllables and the second, fourth and fifth are seven syllables.
I just copy/pasted that title, I haven't even attempted to read it yet. Without even looking, I bet the trick is taking it one syllable at a time, and it's probably not even that hard.
Anyway, it's a golden-crowned sparrow from Nisqually NWR. They can also be seen anywhere that has grass.
Interestingness!
Besides being a five syllable word suitable for tongue twisters, it is also an amazing new Flickr Feature.
There are lots of elements that make something 'interesting' (or not) on Flickr. Where the clickthroughs are coming from; who comments on it and when; who marks it as a favorite; its tags and many more things which are constantly changing. Interestingness changes over time, as more and more fantastic content and stories are added to Flickr.
We've added some pages (and changed some existing ones) to help you explore Flickr's most interesting content. Before you start though, you might want to take your phone off the hook, send your boss to an executive training session and block off some time on your schedule, because we don't think you're going to be walking away from your screen any time soon. Beautiful, amazing, moving, striking - explore and discover some of Flickr's Finest.
Great Tit:-
The largest UK tit – it is green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird, which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a bird table, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks, which scour gardens and countryside for food.
Courtesy: RSPB
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food.
RSPB
A small, slim warbler with a long tail. Breeding males are distinctive, with grey upper-parts contrasting with a puffy rufous throat and breast, and a bold white moustache mark. Female and non-breeding males resemble a washed-out version of the breeding male, with much less rufous below. Typically found in scrubby, dense bushy habitats, but also in more open woodland and savanna. Sings from the tops of bushes, giving a rattling and loud sequence of notes. The call is a dry "tek" note, which is also incorporated into the song. Very similar to Moltoni’s Warbler, and best separated by call (single notes rather than dry rattles); breeding male is also richer rufous below. Also very similar to Eastern Subalpine Warbler, but call is subtly different: Western’s is slightly harsher, with only one syllable. Breeding males are separated visually from Eastern by having more rufous on the belly, a paler face, and a narrower white moustache.
(Western) Subalpine Warbler (Curruca iberiae) male flight_7811
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
In the wrong brightness of Winter,
I wish you won't feel ashamed of your smile. (Atsushi Utsunomiya)
まちがった明るさのなか 冬 君が君の笑顔を恥じないように （宇都宮 敦)
www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...
Key information
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food.
What they eat:
Insects, seeds and nuts.
Measurements:
Length:
14cm
Wingspan:
24cm
Weight:
18g
Population:
UK breeding:
2,500,000 territories
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Where and when to see them
Great tits can be seen in woodlands, parks and gardens across the UK. Absent only from the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland.
Your comments and faves are greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
Crimson Rosella
Platycercus elegans
Description: There are several colour forms of the Crimson Rosella. The form it is named for has mostly crimson (red) plumage and bright blue cheeks. The feathers of the back and wing coverts are black broadly edged with red. The flight feathers of the wings have broad blue edges and the tail is blue above and pale blue below and on the outer feathers. Birds from northern Queensland are generally smaller and darker than southern birds. The 'Yellow Rosella' has the crimson areas replaced with light yellow and the tail more greenish. The 'Adelaide Rosella' is intermediate in colour, ranging from yellow with a reddish wash to dark orange. Otherwise, all the forms are similar in pattern. Young Crimson Rosellas have the characteristic blue cheeks, but the remainder of the body plumage is green-olive to yellowish olive (occasionally red in some areas). The young bird gradually attains the adult plumage over a period of 15 months
Similar species: The adult Crimson Rosella is similar to male Australian King-Parrots, but differs by having blue cheeks, shoulders, and tail, a whitish, rather than red, bill and a dark eye. Immature Crimson Rosellas also differ from female and immature King-Parrots by having blue cheeks, a whitish bill and a more yellow-green rather than dark green colouring.
Distribution: There are several populations of the Crimson Rosella. Red (crimson) birds occur in northern Queensland, in southern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia and on Kangaroo Island. Orange birds are restricted to the Flinders Ranges region of South Australia, while yellow ones are found along the Murray, Murrumbidgee and neighbouring rivers (where yellow birds meet red birds they hybridise, producing orange offspring). Red birds have been introduced to Norfolk Island and New Zealand.
Habitat: Throughout its range, the Crimson Rosella is commonly associated with tall eucalypt and wetter forests.
Feeding: Crimson Rosellas are normally encountered in small flocks and are easily attracted to garden seed trays. Once familiar with humans, they will accept hand held food. Natural foods include seeds of eucalypts, grasses and shrubs, as well as insects and some tree blossoms.
Breeding: The Crimson Rosella's nest is a tree hollow, located high in a tree, and lined with wood shavings and dust. The female alone incubates the white eggs, but both sexes care for the young. The chicks remain dependent on their parents for a further 35 days after leaving the nest.
Calls: The Crimson Rosella has a range of calls, the commonest being a two-syllabled "cussik-cussik". It also has a range of harsh screeches and metallic whistles.
Minimum Size: 32cm
Maximum Size: 36cm
Average size: 34cm
Average weight: 129g
Breeding season: September to January
Clutch Size: 4 to 8 (usually 5)
Incubation: 20 days
Nestling Period: 35 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Platycercus-elegans)
__________________________________________
© Chris Burns 2025
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...
Key information
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food.
What they eat:
Insects, seeds and nuts.
Measurements:
Length:
14cm
Wingspan:
24cm
Weight:
18g
Population:
UK breeding:
2,500,000 territories
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Where and when to see them
Great tits can be seen in woodlands, parks and gardens across the UK. Absent only from the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland.
Great tit - Parus major, perching on the branch of a Silver Birch tree.
RSPB information.
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food.
99/365
How could I not photograph a red balloon for the 99th day of the year? So actually, I am pretty certain that in the original German version of the song there is no mention of specifically red balloons and the only reason the English version is 99 Red Balloons was to keep the number of syllables the same.
Of course, it was last night that I had the idea, possibly in a dream. What was definitely a dream was telling my dad about the idea in fluent German. Although I probably could have, it would not have been fluent (my English is not, and that is my first language). I also had a dream about nobody caring that my sock has a pear on the bottom - I am wearing that sock today.
Anyway, I had the idea and thought I had told Dad about it, but it turns out that telling him about it was in my dream, so at half five this afternoon we dashed out to the village shop to buy a bag of balloons. It only had two red (normal shaped) ones and so my idea of three red balloons did not happen, but one works well. I do not think that any more than one would have worked in the wind anyway. If we had thought about it before, we would have tried to get some helium balloons, because this required copper wire to keep it almost upright, and even then the wind hindered rather than helped.
Did you know that it is illegal to release helium balloons in many states of America? I can understand why, but it a balloon is properly inflated and not weighed down at all, the balloon should, in theory, raise to the point in the atmosphere (/troposphere/stratosphere - I cannot remember which part of the bit surrounding the earth) at which it will in a sense shatter into tiny, tiny pieces that do not do anything to harm wildlife. Of course, weather conditions can alter this, and if balloons are not properly inflated, or weighed down or there is anything else to prevent it reaching that point, then it can cause harm to wildlife.
Burrowing Owl: Call is a two-syllable "who-who." When disturbed in the nest, young sound an alarm that imitates a rattlesnake.
Created for the "PANO-Vision" Group's first semi-annual "Kick Out the Winter Blues" contest.
www.flickr.com/groups/2892788@N23/discuss/72157689531935342/
"Pano-Vision" as an approach or an aesthetic is a fluid, malleable and open-ended medium. By it's very nature, set orthodoxies or established methods are called into question and "sabotaged". Ultimate viewpoints are seen as arbitrary and forcefully imputed on to the more complex and often indeterminate nature of reality.
In the PANO-Vision Group artists are invited and encouraged to push the medium as far as they can, incorporating fresh, new and unexpected elements while ensuring that the markers of the medium are still visible.
"Pano-Sabotage" is unique in photographic art in that the distorted or fragmented nature of the image is achieved WITH THE CAMERA, not through post capture manipulation ( e.g. Photoshop etc ). Attempts to mimic the medium in software like Photoshop are always a dead give-away. The "markers" are missing. So Pano-Sabotage is a unique and tell-tale medium.
It's great, 4 years on, to be finding ways to take Pano-Sabotage into new and unexpected places. It's fluid and experimental nature allow for that easily.
Image created 2017.
The title comes from a line of lyric from a song by Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera called "Miss Shapiro", perhaps the very best of Eno's explorations of glossolalia and similar word play. Early in his career he explored this to extraordinary effect resulting in such classics as "Miss Shapiro", "Backwater", "Kurt's Rejoinder" ( with a snippet of a recording of Dadaist Kurt Schwitters sputtering improvised syllables - an early inspiration for Eno ) and the brilliantly backward "Tzima N'arki" done with Cluster in Germany.
Music Link: "Miss Shapiro" - Brian Eno & Phil Manzanera from Manzanera's album "Diamond Head".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mA4m6y1Ifw
___________________________________________________
© Richard S Warner ( Visionheart ) - 2017. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission.
* - See my Galleries featuring some of the best of Flickr's purely Abstract Art at:
Interestingness!
Besides being a five syllable word suitable for tongue twisters, it is also an amazing new Flickr Feature.
There are lots of elements that make something 'interesting' (or not) on Flickr. Where the clickthroughs are coming from; who comments on it and when; who marks it as a favorite; its tags and many more things which are constantly changing. Interestingness changes over time, as more and more fantastic content and stories are added to Flickr.
We've added some pages (and changed some existing ones) to help you explore Flickr's most interesting content. Before you start though, you might want to take your phone off the hook, send your boss to an executive training session and block off some time on your schedule, because we don't think you're going to be walking away from your screen any time soon. Beautiful, amazing, moving, striking - explore and discover some of Flickr's Finest.
What is Explore?
Flickr’s Explore page is one of the most beloved features for photographers in the Flickr community. Powered by an algorithm we continue to fine-tune, the page displays a rotating array of about 500 images from Flickr members every day. Explore is a great way to seek inspiration, discover fantastic talent from the community, and connect with photographers who share your interests.
Do I have to be popular to be on Explore?
It depends on your definition of popular, but the short answer is no. The images on Explore are picked by an algorithm based on activity on the photo. What really matters is the amount of authentic, organic interactions in the form of comments, faves, and views your photo gets after being posted, regardless of how many followers you have.
Do I have to be a Pro member to be featured in Explore?
No. We did experiment with giving priority exposure to Pro members in the past, but we found the best Explore experience when giving every member an equal chance to be featured. There is currently no consideration of account or billing status. Nevertheless, we continue to look at new ways to give our Pro members more exposure.
Why do I see photos with fewer faves or comments or views than mine on Explore?
The images featured in Explore aren’t necessarily the ones that gathered the most views, faves, or comments. We try to weigh in the quality of those actions over quantity. The timing of when you posted also plays a role.
Is there a limit on how often a Flickr member can be featured in Explore?
Yes. There are limits to how often a single member can be featured on the Explore page. We try to avoid predictability and give more of our members a fair share of exposure by setting some frequency limitations.
Is there a frequency with which I need to post photos in my account to be considered for Explore? Do people who post daily have a higher chance of being featured?
Regular posting is one of the factors that helps keep your audience engaged, but your focus should be on building an authentic community of people who value and interact with your work in a genuine way.
Does adding tags, titles, and descriptions to my photos impact my chances of being in Explore?
Yes. Providing more metadata and information about the upload influences the scoring of the photo. The more the system can understand the content uploaded, the better the chances of it being Explored.
Does adding my photo to groups help my chances of getting into Explore?
Adding your photos to on-topic groups is a great way to connect with other Flickr members interested in the same kind of photography that you do. It is also a great way to build community and interaction around your work, thus improving your chances of getting featured!
Why are there so many birds on Explore?
If you see that a particular theme is more popular in Explore than another, that’s a sign of a very deep community on Flickr that’s coming together to show their appreciation for those photos. The best you can do to get a more diverse range of topics showcased in Explore is to get your audience to engage with other members interested in the sort of photography you’d like to see featured.
The Sounds of… Parks and Gardens – Tits and Finches includes some of the more well-known birds which appear in our towns, cities and countryside. In fact, some of them, like the Great Tit, appear almost anywhere.A very simple song of two syllables, sounding a little like a squeaky bike pump. Some say it sounds like they’re saying “teacher, teacher” like a right tell-tale tit.
When all my five and country senses see,
The fingers will forget green thumbs and mark
How, through the halfmoon's vegetable eye,
Husk of young stars and handfull zodiac,
Love in the frost is pared and wintered by,
The whispering ears will watch love drummed away
Down breeze and shell to a discordant beach,
And, lashed to syllables, the lynx tongue cry
That her fond wounds are mended bitterly.
My nostrils see her breath burn like a bush.
My one and noble heart has witnesses
In all love's countries, that will grope awake;
And when blind sleep drops on the spying senses,
The heart is sensual, though five eyes break.
-- Dylan Thomas
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Crimson Rosella
Platycercus elegans
Description: There are several colour forms of the Crimson Rosella. The form it is named for has mostly crimson (red) plumage and bright blue cheeks. The feathers of the back and wing coverts are black broadly edged with red. The flight feathers of the wings have broad blue edges and the tail is blue above and pale blue below and on the outer feathers. Birds from northern Queensland are generally smaller and darker than southern birds. The 'Yellow Rosella' has the crimson areas replaced with light yellow and the tail more greenish. The 'Adelaide Rosella' is intermediate in colour, ranging from yellow with a reddish wash to dark orange. Otherwise, all the forms are similar in pattern. Young Crimson Rosellas have the characteristic blue cheeks, but the remainder of the body plumage is green-olive to yellowish olive (occasionally red in some areas). The young bird gradually attains the adult plumage over a period of 15 months
Similar species: The adult Crimson Rosella is similar to male Australian King-Parrots, but differs by having blue cheeks, shoulders, and tail, a whitish, rather than red, bill and a dark eye. Immature Crimson Rosellas also differ from female and immature King-Parrots by having blue cheeks, a whitish bill and a more yellow-green rather than dark green colouring.
Distribution: There are several populations of the Crimson Rosella. Red (crimson) birds occur in northern Queensland, in southern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia and on Kangaroo Island. Orange birds are restricted to the Flinders Ranges region of South Australia, while yellow ones are found along the Murray, Murrumbidgee and neighbouring rivers (where yellow birds meet red birds they hybridise, producing orange offspring). Red birds have been introduced to Norfolk Island and New Zealand.
Habitat: Throughout its range, the Crimson Rosella is commonly associated with tall eucalypt and wetter forests.
Feeding: Crimson Rosellas are normally encountered in small flocks and are easily attracted to garden seed trays. Once familiar with humans, they will accept hand held food. Natural foods include seeds of eucalypts, grasses and shrubs, as well as insects and some tree blossoms.
Breeding: The Crimson Rosella's nest is a tree hollow, located high in a tree, and lined with wood shavings and dust. The female alone incubates the white eggs, but both sexes care for the young. The chicks remain dependent on their parents for a further 35 days after leaving the nest.
Calls: The Crimson Rosella has a range of calls, the commonest being a two-syllabled "cussik-cussik". It also has a range of harsh screeches and metallic whistles.
Minimum Size: 32cm
Maximum Size: 36cm
Average size: 34cm
Average weight: 129g
Breeding season: September to January
Clutch Size: 4 to 8 (usually 5)
Incubation: 20 days
Nestling Period: 35 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Platycercus-elegans)
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© Chris Burns 2024
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The “AUM” symbol (or OM – the symbol in the center) symbolizes the Universe and the ultimate reality. It is the most important Hindu symbols. At the dawn of creation, from emptiness first emerged a syllable consisting of three letters – A-U-M (often written as OM).
what does this mean
to see walking men
wrapped in the color of death,
to hear from their tongue
such difficult syllables?
are they the spirits
of our hope
or the pale ghosts of our future?
who will believe the red road
will not run on forever?
who will believe
a tribe of ice might live
and we may not?
-Lucille Clifton
Dull old day testing out in camera 1.6 crop of the R5 effectively
896mm.
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)
A stream in the forest
Flowing gently through the trees
Soothing sound of life
I asked a chatbot to write a haiku to describe this photo. I think that there may be one too many syllables in the first line, but I still liked it.
The base of the Flaminio Obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy.
Built to honour the sun god Ra in 1300 BC, under Seti I and Rameses II (also known as Ozymandias), the ancient Egyptian obelisk was brought to Rome by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus (Octavian) in 1 AD, and placed in the centre of the Circus Maximus. Lost after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was rediscovered in the 1500s and placed in the its current location by Domenico Fontana under the direction of Pope Sixtus V.
Shot with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G lens, and processed in GIMP and Photoscape.
Next train is delayed,
so there's time to take photos.
Enjoy the shadows.
(*A haiku is a traditional Japanese form of short poetry, with just three sentences - five, seven and five syllable length).
The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. (RSPB)