This image of a handsome Mandarin Duck was captured in an urban park somewhere in London. Although this particular duck was free-living, his relative fearlessness probably meant he interacted regularly with humans.

This species of duck is native to Eastern Asia (China, Japan and Russia), where they are now rare, although a large and thriving introduced population can be found in the British Isles and Western Europe, with additional smaller introductions in North America.

The Mandarin Duck is a very rare winter visitor to Hong Kong. Over the last five years of constant searching, I’ve only ever managed to see a single wild pair in Hong Kong.

Thank you for your interest, views, faves, comments and awards ! This image was captured in London, UK 英國倫敦. (Better viewed on a larger screen.)

© This Image is under full copyright Rick C. Graham. © All rights reserved Rick C. Graham. © This image is subject to international copyright laws and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transferred or manipulated without the express written permission of Rick C. Graham.

This is the church with the Robert Scott, Antarctic window.

Juvenile White Ibis, Alligator Breeding Marsh and Wading Bird Rookery, Gatorland, Orlando, Florida

For M, as always

Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Truly my favorite place to be!

Lake district...

... Sometimes this old barn

Feels like a long lost friend

Yes and hey its good

To be back home again.

- John Denver

...is worth a new perspective and colors... Glienicker Brücke Potsdamer Seite

Watching this magnificent owl hunting from atop a power pole I had the camera in a portrait orientation to try and catch it as it flew to the ground. Instead it flew across the road and right over my vehicle. A horizontal crop from vertical.

Now Playing This is me

Picture Features

No Match No Joke Hair

Aphorism Brooke Military Jacket and Scarf @ May Fameshed

Pants Aphorism Lana @ Kustom9 till May 10

Lyrics

I am not a stranger to the dark

Hide away, they say

'Cause we don't want your broken parts

I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars

Run away, they say

No one'll love you as you are

But I won't let them break me down to dust

I know that there's a place for us

For we are glorious

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out

I am brave, I am bruised

I am who I'm meant to be, this is me

Look out 'cause here I come

And I'm marching on to the beat I drum

I'm not scared to be seen

I make no apologies, this is me

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh

Another round of bullets hits my skin

Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in

We are bursting through the barricades and

Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)

Yeah, that's what we've become (yeah, that's what we've become)

I won't let them break me down to dust

I know that there's a place for us

For we are glorious

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out

I am brave, I am bruised

I am who I'm meant to be, this is me

Look out 'cause here I come

And I'm marching on to the beat I drum

I'm not scared to be seen

I make no apologies, this is me

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh

This is me

and I know that I deserve your love

(Oh-oh-oh-oh) 'cause there's nothing I'm not worthy of

(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh)

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out

This is brave, this is proof

This is who I'm meant to be, this is me

Look out 'cause here I come (look out 'cause here I come)

And I'm marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)

I'm not scared to be seen

I make no apologies, this is me

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out

I'm gonna send a flood

Gonna drown them out

Oh

This is me

For Macro Mondays - Bubbles.

Titled 'This One' as it was the bubble shot I preferred for this weeks theme.

Happy Macro Monday!!

Ricoh GR2

We are in the old mining town of Derby today, and this abandoned old house is a metaphor for what has happened to the place. But Derby lives on in another form and is thriving in its own way. We'll see that over the next few days. But the old Derby is gone, as has the family that once occupied this house.

One can only speculate on the life that once turned this house into a home. But there is a song that captures something of the spirit in this photograph. It was sung by Dinah Washington (1924-1963) in the 1950s and has been newly arranged with her vocals by Max Richter on his incredible album, "On the Nature of Daylight".

"This bitter earth

Well, what fruit it bears

What good is love

mmmm that no one shares

And if my life is like the dust

oooh that hides the glow of a rose

What good am I

Heaven only knows

Lord, this bitter earth

Yes, can be so cold

Today you're young

Too soon, you're old

But while a voice within me cries

I'm sure someone may answer my call

And this bitter earth

Ooooo may not

Oh be so bitter after all"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXHGoaEtmFM

What's to be said? C'est la vie. And perhaps to shed a tear.

This skin is Serena, the current group gift at CH Skins (located in the left rear of the store). Serena for Lelu Evo X, Tone 102 worn on Avalon head.

➡ CH Skins Main Store

➡ CH Skins on Marketplace

Serious yellow, easy for bees to locate, even from space.

auf der Uga Alpe,

Damüls, Vorarlberg

Olympus XA, Ilford FP4, Kodak D-76 (1+1)

SE15 Polychrome auf Imago Baryt

SE5 1+10, +2 f-stops, 6:30 min

Siena 24 + NH4Cl 12 + Carbonat 16 + H2O 800, 4 min

Selentonung MT 1, 1+10, 50 sec

moderat gebleicht, MT 3

Merci ♥ Vous souhaite une bonne semaine ☼

♫

This is the first time I have seen a seagull stalking and chasing down dragonflies. It caught several small ones and a couple of large ones. It was quite a distance and quite a severe crop

Please > View On Black

Long exposure...

Public footpath - Yorkshire Dales

This is another shot from Grasmere Lake on a very still September evening. I wanted to capture the concentric circles around the Swan. I used HDR again from a single RAW image.

This photo was short-listed by National Geographic for their 2015 Photo contest. It can be seen and downloaded as a wallpaper from here: photography.nationalgeographic.com/contest-2015/gallery/w...

Follow me on instagram: @sagesolar

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

Featuring Killers and Fundati out now at The Access Event:

"KIller's" Deep Sea Party Bar

The Access Event: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ACCESS/41/129/21

Killers Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Catalpa/63/50/91

Killers Flickr: flic.kr/ps/35pEmC

(Fundati) Giant Coconut Palm Tree III

(Fundati) Giant Coconut Palm Tree V

(Fundati) Giant Coconut Palm Tree VI

(Fundati) Beach Land Ground Patch

(Fundati) Beach Dunes I -with rocks-

(Fundati) Beach Dunes V -with rocks-

(Fundati) Beach Dunes VIII -with rocks-

The Access Event: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ACCESS/41/129/21

(Fundati) Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kessler/249/56/2552

(Fundati) flickr: flic.kr/ps/Lwmrf

(Fundati) Gritty Rock II

(Fundati) Gritty Rock IX

Many thanks for your support! 😊

This is an unpublished image of a serval that I spotted on my 2019 trip to the Masai Mara region of Kenya.

They are hard to find as they aren't super common. I've been fortunate enough to have seen a couple on two trips to the region(although none last time).

Also on:

www.instagram.com/gregtaylorphotography/

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086780080943

vero.co/gregtaylorphotography

Prints available. For now contact me directly to discuss the specifics.

All images are the property of Greg Taylor Photography. Do not copy, reprint or reproduce without written consent from me.

♫♪♫ Bon Jovi ▶▶ Please Come Home For Christmas ♫♪♫

Bells will be ringing, the glad,

glad news

Oh what a Christmas to have the blues

Choirs will be singing Silent Night

Those Christmas carols by candlelight

Will find you at home

There'll be no more sorrow, no grief or pain

I'll be happy that it's Christmas once again

Head - Lelutka Evolution X Ceylon 3.0

Body - Legacy Mesh Body

Skin - Enfer Sombre - Madison Porcelain @ Anthem

Hair - Monso - Roseanne Hair @ Collabor88 Event

Eyeshadow - Warpaint - Enchanting Eyeshadow

Eyelashes - Michan Coco

Eyes - ARTE Blossom

Lips - The Mars - Petal Gloss Lip Hud 2

Blush - Baby Winter Blush - Cherry

Body Blush CAKE I just want body blush (watermelon)

Chest Tattoo - Juna Anto Tattoo

Dirty Feet - Izzie's Dirty Feet

Rings - Vibing Leah Rings

Nails - e.marie - Mix and Match Coffin - Forever Floral

Necklace - Kunglars Aspacia Necklace

Nose Piercing - .euphoric Hizma No Blink

Earrings - e.marie Keena Earrings

Dress- Zenith Phoebe Dress @ Collabor88 Event

Lavender - ChicChica @ Collabor88 Event

Pose - Lucky Clover - Celentity Poses with adjustment to head

Blogged www.running-in-heels.com

This little guy has been using the birdbath to gain access to the little swing feeder.

First, he comes to the window and looks in to see if anyone is watching. He sneaks around a bit then he hops on over to the birdbath and jumps to the feeder.

He doesn't stay long, he just grabs a few quick bites and off he goes to get into some sort of mischief.

Have a fabulous Friday, happy snapping.

A signpost on my way to Hollingworth Lake Littleborough; The path returns briefly to Piethorne Reservoir and then out of the valley!

Eigentlich wollte ich dieses Bild als Schlusspunkt unter die Serie setzen, aber da nun schon ein paar Aufnahmen von "the Eye" hier gezeigt worden sind, soll euch diese nicht vorenthalten bleiben.

f 7,1

1/8 s

12800 ISO

24 mm

www.rafischatz-photography.de

This is the pedestrian footpath over the second lock at Swansea Marina. HFF!

Taken in the garden next to where I live.

Cropped