View allAll Photos Tagged Throughout
========== A Journey Throughout Europe ==========
Austria (4)✔️
Belgium (4)✔️
Bulgaria (5)✔️
Croatia (5)✔️
Cyprus (4)✔️
Czech Republic (5)✔️
Denmark (9)✔️
Estonia (7)✔️
Finland (5)✔️
France (5)✔️
Germany (5)✔️
Greece (4)✔️
Hungary (4)✔️
Ireland (4)✔️
Italy (6)✔️
Latvia (7)✔️
Lithuania (6)✔️
Luxembourg (7)✔️
Malta (7)✔️
Poland (9)✔️
Portugal (4)✔️
Romania (6)✔️
Slovakia (5)✔️
Slovenia (6)✔️
Spain (6)✔️
Sweden (4)✔️
The Netherlands (4)✔️
A Journey Throughout Europe: HOF
====================================================
The Egyptian goose is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Valley, where it is widespread and common. In fact, I saw plenty of Egyptian Geese at the watering holes located throughout Etosha National Park in Namibia.
Nevertheless, due of their popularity chiefly as an ornamental bird, the species has also been introduced to Europe, the United States and elsewhere outside their natural range.
This particular individual was captured flying above the Main River in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where an urban park running along both banks of the river provide these wild birds with a year-round, all-you-can-but, buffet of fresh grasses and seeds.
Species: Egyptian Goose / Alopochen aegyptiaca / 埃及雁
Thank you for your interest, views, faves, comments and awards ! This image was captured in Germany 德國. (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.
The Starlings have returned to my garden for the summer. These birds are messy eaters; scattering food all around and then grabbing quick a drink before dashing off to the next venue. As unruly as they are, I still find them amusing and enjoy their visit.
Starlings will eat nearly anything, but they focus on insects and other invertebrates when they’re available. Common prey include grasshoppers, beetles, flies, caterpillars, snails, earthworms, millipedes, and spiders. They also eat fruits including wild and cultivated cherries, holly berries, hackberries, mulberries, tupelo, Virginia creeper, sumac, and blackberries; as well as grains, seeds, nectar, livestock feed, and garbage.
Male starlings begin building the nest before mating takes place, filling the cavity with grass and pine needles, along with feathers, trash, cloth, and string. There’s a depression near the back of the cavity where the cup is built and lined with feathers, fine bark, leaves, and grass. Females oversee the final arrangements and may discard some of the material the male added. Starlings also add fresh green plants to the nest throughout the nesting period, particularly during laying and incubation. Nests can be built in as little as 1-3 days. Both sexes incubate the eggs.
(Nikon Z, 600 mm, 1/2000 @ f/6.3, ISO 7200, edited to taste)
Tennessee warblers like to forage for small bugs in shade-grown coffee plantations throughout Central America during the winter. This one is on its way to the boreal forest in Canada where these birds nest on the ground among all the sphagnum moss. Blooming wild plum trees are like a magnet to Tennessee warblers as they migrate through Iowa now in mid-May, and this one was catching lots of little bees to eat.
throughout its astonishing rise from a substitute for skill of hand to an independent art form :-)
Beaumont Newhall
HFF! Peace Now!
peony, 'Do Tell', jc raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
Double click to view
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
throughout its astonishing rise from a substitute for skill of hand to an independent art form :-)
Beaumont Newhall
HBW!! Hate Will Not make Us Great!! Resist the Despicable Authoritarian Orange Cockroach and his Cabinet of Stooges and Buffoons!!
asian aster, 'Ezo Murasaki', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Throughout the galaxy the probes appeared. Their purpose and origins are unknown.
The augmentations of the Kelvaks surged and popped as the alien current burned them from within.
Arana: Cyber Tech tattoo available at Cyberpunk, Noir Tattoo, (and just for the hell of it I used their Chaos tattoo’s materials layer to add complexity)
Reviver: Daydark and Mikele Makeup
Ouroborus: Undead Veins
Neurolab: Cyber Heart (from years and years ago!)
Sole: Nucleus and Wrap Belt
Legacy Athletic
Lelutka: Jon
Set: K&S Hope On (a great backdrop--so many good angles)
Pose and head augmentations are my own
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories
Throughout the galaxy the probes appeared. Their purpose and origins are unknown.
Earth, 2064
Faced with the loss of yet another of his hand-reared replicants, Star Marshall Flash vows his revenge.
Reviver: Mikele Makeup
Gabriel: BRSK Coat and Suit
Modulus: Chance Hair
Volkstone: Kurt Skin
Belleza: Jake
Lelutka: Jon
Poses are my own
Kaziranga National Park
State Of Assam
India
The barasingha (Cervus duvaucelii), also called swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It is extinct in Pakistan and in Bangladesh.The specific name commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Duvaucel.
The swamp deer differs from all the Indian deer species in that the antlers carry more than three tines. Because of this distinctive character it is designated barasingha, meaning "twelve-tined." Mature stags have 10 to 14 tines, and some have been known to have up to 20.
In the 19th century, swamp deer ranged along the base of the Himalayas from Upper Assam to the west of the Yamuna River, throughout Assam, in a few places in the Indo-Gangetic plain from the Eastern Sundarbans to Upper Sind, and locally throughout the area between the Ganges and Godavari as far east as Mandla.
Swamp deer are mainly grazers. They largely feed on grasses and aquatic plants. They feed throughout the day with peaks during the mornings and late afternoons to evenings. In winter and monsoon, they drink water twice, and thrice or more in summer. In the hot season, they rest in the shade of trees during the day. - Wikipedia
Florida’s Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is a songbird found throughout rural areas of Florida. Its breeding range covers most of eastern North America and parts of South America. Experts say it is difficult to distinguish between the Eastern and Western species as it can be determined only by voice and location. Seventeen subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark are documented.
Actually, the meadowlark is not a lark at all. It is a member of the blackbird family (Icteridae) which also includes cowbirds and orioles. Meadowlarks are easily identified by the bright yellow throat and belly. However, the most distinguishing mark in adults is the black “V” on its chest. It can often be seen on a fence post belting out its clear, melodious songs and whistles.
Adult birds weigh just over five ounces, are seven to ten inches tall with a wingspan of 14 to 16 inches. Both sexes are similar in size, although females are normally smaller with a shorter wingspan.
This bird prefers grassy fields, pastures, cultivated fields, golf courses and other open habitats. It is a good friend to the farmer/rancher and a bug-eating machine. Insects comprise more than 75 percent of its diet, with grains and seeds making up the balance. It is especially fond of grasshoppers and crickets, as well as insect larvae and grubs. It feeds on the ground, picking insects from the surface or probing the soil to reveal its prey. Meadowlarks also eat the seeds of many weeds.
I found this one along Joe Overstreet Road with three differnt insects (bugs) in its beak!
Indigo Macaws - this is a critically endangered species resident of interior northeastern Brazil. These macaws are metallic blue throughout with a slight green tinge and have yellow on the bare orbital ring and in a semi-circular patch at the base of its lower mandible. These beautiful birds inhabit caatinga thorn scrub vegetation with stands of licurí palm (Syagrus coronata) and pastures near sandstone cliffs which they use for nesting and roosting. Although this species had been known to science through traded birds, a wild population wasn't discovered until 1978. Since then, several smaller populations have been discovered, with a final population estimate of 140 birds being made in 1994. The Indigo Macaw may have never been common, but wide scale clearing or licurí palm stands and hunting for meat and for the pet trade have decimated populations of this bird. Drastic measures are needed to save this bird from following the same path as the similar, and now presumed extinct, Glaucous Macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus). doi.org/10.2173/bow.indmac1.01
For a Blue Monday to raise awareness about the need for preservation.
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
My instagram if you like: @thelmag and @thelma_and_cats
Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the island was one of the world’s most prominent whaling spots. Countless ships flocked there to harvest the abundant whale population. Whaling around the island stopped in the early twentieth century, when a boom in whaling led to overproduction of oil and the industry’s eventual collapse. The remains of a station established by the Hektor Whaling Company are still present on the island, along with a cemetery for whalers, the largest cemetery in Antarctica.
Brasília, DF, Brazil.
I suppose it's a couple. What were they talking about?
Known in Brazil as "periquito-rei".
This species is common and numerous throughout the Cerrado region in Brazil.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Superfamily: Psittacoidea
Family: Psittacidae
Subfamily: Arinae
Tribe: Arini
Genus: Eupsittula Bonaparte, 1853
Species: E. aurea (Gmelin, 1788)
Binomial name: Eupsittula aurea
Throughout much of September and the first part of October I shifted my birding and photography activities to the Ottawa River. The reasons were many, and included the possibility of shorebirds and clusters of late and fast moving migrants, mostly Warblers. These outings occurred (thanks to work and travel) early in the morning or before sunset.
I also shifted to a primarily horizontal approach. It was a couple of chance sightings, really, that convinced me that I had to be down in the weeds to get the kind of image I was looking for. And once down there, all sorts of things appeared or appeared differently. I would not normally look for images of Mallards, but things seem, well, different.
This bird was sitting in a tiny bay along the River, enjoying late day sunshine.
I have been lying down for images for quite a while, but have always had an aversion to the mucky shoreline stuff. It smells bad and is cold and seems to stain. But if you head out thinking that is where you will be working, and dress accordingly (in the stained grubby stuff you wore last time) and get fun results it doesn’t seem to matter the same way. And you find all kinds of things down there.
The storm raged throughout the night, with torrential rain and cyclonic winds. When morning came, the rain continued, but the wind calmed down a bit.
Sliding past granite peaks rising thousands of feet from the water’s edge is a fantastic experience and under a severe storm it turned into an epic one.
**********
Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
El Tungurahua
Al Volcán Tungurahua, 5,023 meters (16,480 ft) above sea level.
Perched on a hilltop behind Baños, just beyond the village of Runtún, this grassy viewpoint is a photographer's dream.
On a clear day like this one, I could see Volcán Tungurahua behind me.
*I am at 2,660 meters (8,727 ft) above sea level TODAY.
**Climbing to the Tungurahua Volcano Summit, 5,023 meters (16,480 ft) above sea level tomorrow and the next day (2:00 am to 7:00 am).
***
In the Sierra region passing from the Cordillera Oriental, in the central pits the active volcano Tungurahua stands out whose cone rises to the south of the deep gap that the Pastaza has broken, following a transverse fault through the Cordillera Real near Baños . Since the day of its most recent eruption, in September 1999, the Tungurahua Volcano has become the most beautiful and impressive tourist attraction in Ecuador, and perhaps, throughout Latin America.
The Tungurahua volcano is known as "mama Tungurahua".
The province of Tungurahua has the name of this colossus, which houses in its skirts towns such as Baños, presents a unique spectacle, although it announces to the villagers its greatness and destruction in the case of a strong eruption. It is a sight to see volcano activity at night.
From different cities in the provinces of Ecuador, they move to know this tourist place. Many times holidays are provided to be able to do tourism throughout the territory.
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as "hibiscus", or less widely known as rose mallow. Other names include hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon, and tropical hibiscus.
Hibiscus
Biscayne Park FL
Crested Tit - Lophophanes cristatus
Double Click
The European crested tit, or simply crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus) (formerly Parus cristatus), is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in coniferous forests throughout central and northern Europe and in deciduous woodland in France and the Iberian peninsula.
In Great Britain, it is chiefly restricted to the ancient pinewoods of Inverness and Strathspey in Scotland, and seldom strays far from its haunts.
A few vagrant crested tits have been seen in England. It is resident, and most individuals do not migrate.
It is an easy tit to recognise, for besides its erectile crest, the tip of which is often recurved, its gorget and collar are distinctive. It is, like other tits, talkative, and birds keep up a constant zee, zee, zee ,similar to that of the coal tit.
It makes a nest in a hole in rotting stumps. This bird often feeds low down in trees, but although not shy, it is not always easily approached. It will join winter tit flocks with other species.
Like other tits it is found in pairs and it feeds on insects (including caterpillars) and seeds.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,500 pairs
UK wintering:
5,200-9,500 birds
========== A Journey Throughout Europe ==========
Austria (8)✔️
Belgium (5)✔️
Bulgaria (8) ✔️
Croatia (6)✔️
Cyprus (6) ✔️
Czech Republic (7)✔️
Denmark (7)✔️
Estonia (9)✔️
Finland (6)✔️
France (8)✔️
Germany (6)✔️
Greece (7)✔️
Hungary (5)✔️
Ireland (5)✔️
Italy (7)✔️
Latvia (8) ✔️
Lithuania (7)✔️
Luxembourg (8)✔️
Malta (6)✔️
Poland (8) ✔️
Portugal (5)✔️
Romania (7)✔️
Slovakia (8) ✔️
Slovenia (6)✔️
Spain (5)✔️
Sweden (5)✔️
The Netherlands (4)✔️
A Journey Throughout Europe: HOF
====================================================
A Common resident duck found throughout the year in the subcontinent. They are large ducks and make for wonderful target practice for shooting birds in flight.
I think this is the breeding season and hence we could hear their calls quite often. Due to rains, there are few shallow lakes in our region now. Most of them are filled up / overflowing which makes them unsuitable for ducks or waders. I wonder how these ducks will manage their chicks when food becomes a problem in these deeper lakes.
This one is a male as noted by the bright red patch on the forehead above its beak. The females lack this red patch.
Thanks in advance for your views and feedback.
Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, commonly found in gardens.
The Small Tortoiseshell is among the most well-known butterflies in Britain and Ireland. The striking and attractive patterning and its appearance at almost any time of the year in urban areas have made it a familiar species. It is one of the first butterflies to be seen in spring and in the autumn it often visits garden flowers in large numbers.
Click on image for larger view
The Small Copper is a fast flying butterfly that, once settled, is unmistakable with its bright copper-coloured forewings. It is a widespread species and a familiar and welcome sight for many naturalists throughout the summer months. This butterfly occurs in discrete colonies throughout Britain and Ireland, but is absent from mountainous areas and far north-west Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland. Most colonies are fairly small, with just a few adults being seen on the wing at any one time.
These are resident waders found throughout the year around large lakes, shallow rivers, wetland areas and water logged paddy fields. End of Summer is the nesting time for these waders / reed birds and they contine to nest till the end of rainy season.
The swamphens nest in the reeds and I observed that the colors get more vivid around that time. There was a huge bed of reeds and there were around 15-20 of them sighted in it - I thought many were pairs and they are starting their nests around that time. The birds don't move far away from their nests and prefer to hunt for insects, beetles etc.. around the vicinity.
During this period, these birds turn predators and they attack the chicks of Jacanas, snipes and eat them. All these birds share the same habitat and hence become easy prey for these Swamphens and other birds like Black Kites.
Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.
Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum, primrose family) are widespread throughout western North America. Locally in Colorado they grow from the plains (5000' / 1500 m) to above treeline (12,000' / 3700 m). They are most abundant in moist areas of the subalpine zone, where these flowers were photographed (9000' / 2700 m).
The reflexed petals make landing on the flower difficult for potential pollinators. However shooting stars rely on a "buzz" pollination strategy, where the positioning of the pollinator's (usually bumble bees) flight muscles causes tightly held pollen to fall off the anthers and land on the legs and body of the pollinator or directly on to the stigma of the same flower. Buzz pollination occurs in other species with similar flower morphology, including plants in the tomato family.
The name for the plant’s genus “Dodecatheon” was bestowed by the Roman naturalist Pliny (61-113 CE), who delighted in the flowers and believed they were protected by the 12 Roman gods.
I made a visit to the Gwash Trout Farm Osprey hide at Rutland this morning leaving home at 2 am for a 4 am start so a real early one. Its a great set up but unfortunately we only had one visit from Osprey 28 so photographically it was a bit disappointing given the lack of action/visits. We did however have a real treat with some squabbling male Kingfishers right in front of the hide throughout the morning which relieved the boredom a tad.
Asolo Archway. Sunset colors shine throughout the town of Asolo, Italy. Color photography by Donna Corless.
This photo is now available as stock phography through GettyImages Flickr Collection.
Prints and notecards are available in my Italy in Color Gallery.
If the link is broken, please see the Italy in Color Gallery at PhotosAndArt.com.
========== A Journey Throughout Europe ==========
Austria (5)✔️
Belgium (6)✔️
Bulgaria(5)✔️
Croatia (7)✔️
Cyprus (6)✔️
Czech Republic (7)✔️
Denmark (4) ✔️
Estonia (5)✔️
Finland (5) ✔️
France (8)✔️
Germany (6)✔️
Greece (6)✔️
Hungary (5)✔️
Ireland (5)✔️
Italy (5)✔️
Latvia (5)✔️
Lithuania (6) ✔️
Luxembourg (6)✔️
Malta (6) ✔️
Poland (5)✔️
Portugal (7)✔️
Romania (6)✔️
Slovakia (5) ✔️
Slovenia (7) ✔️
Spain (7) ✔️
Sweden (6) ✔️
The Netherlands (4)✔️
A Journey Throughout Europe: HOF
====================================================
A common garden bird throughout much of Asia, found in open forests, fields, and parks; introduced to several regions around the world. Often tame and approachable. Brown overall with a rosy breast and a unique white-spotted black nape patch. Plumage shows slight regional variation: western birds have dark centers to wing feathers, lacking in eastern birds. Turtle-doves are larger, have black centers to wing feathers and stripes rather than spots on the neck. Coos loudly and often: “coo-a-roooo”. (eBird)
---------------
A familiar bird to us but welcome nevertheless. We saw or heard this pretty dove most days during our time in Singapore, usually deep in the trees or on the ground.
Lorong Halus Wetland, Singapore. March 2024.
Birding Singapore.
Duranta erecta is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places. It is considered an invasive species in Australia, China, South Africa and on several Pacific Islands. Common names include golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and skyflower. Duranta erecta is a sprawling shrub or (infrequently) a small tree. It can grow to 6 m tall and can spread to an equal width. Mature specimens possess axillary thorns, which are often absent on younger specimens. The leaves are light green, elliptic to ovate, opposite, and grow up to 7.5 cm long and 3.5 cm broad, with a 1.5 cm petiole. The flowers are light-blue or lavender, produced in tight clusters located on terminal and axillary stems, blooming almost all year long. 51616
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Sacred Kingfisher
Scientific Name: Todiramphus sanctus
Description: The Sacred Kingfisher is a medium sized kingfisher. It has a turquoise back, turquoise blue rump and tail, buff-white underparts and a broad cream collar. There is a broad black eye stripe extending from bill to nape of neck. Both sexes are similar, although the female is generally lighter with duller upper parts. Young birds are similar to the female, but have varying amounts of rusty-brown edging to feathers on the collar and underparts, and buff edges on the wing coverts.
Distribution: The Sacred Kingfisher is common and familiar throughout the coastal regions of mainland Australia and less common throughout Tasmania. The species is also found on islands from Australasia to Indonesia and New Zealand.
Habitat: The Sacred Kingfisher inhabits woodlands, mangroves and paperbark forests, tall open eucalypt forest and melaleuca forest.
Seasonal movements: In Australia, Sacred Kingfishers spend the winter in the north of their range and return south in the spring to breed.
Feeding: Sacred Kingfishers forage mainly on the land, only occasionally capturing prey in the water. They feed on crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae and, infrequently, fish. The birds perch on low exposed branch on the lookout for prey. Once prey is located, the Sacred Kingfisher swoops down and grasps it in its bill, returning to the perch to eat it.
Breeding: For most of the year Sacred Kingfishers are mainly solitary, pairing only for the breeding season. Usually two clutches are laid in a season. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is normally a burrow in a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank. The nest chamber is unlined and can be up to 20m above the ground. Both sexes also incubate the eggs and care for the young.
Calls: The voice of the Sacred Kingfisher is a loud "ek ek ek ek" repeated continuously throughout breeding season. Birds also give a "kee kee kee" in excitement and a series of chirring, scolding notes when alarmed.
Minimum Size: 19cm
Maximum Size: 24cm
Average size: 21cm
Average weight: 45g
Breeding season: September to December; occasionally extended to March, if conditions are favourable.
Clutch Size: 3 to 6
Incubation: 18 days
Nestling Period: 26 days
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")
__________________________________________
© Chris Burns 2021
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.
Downy Woodpecker (female).
A sparrow-sized woodpecker at 6 inches in length. Black and white with the males only having a small red patch on the nape of the head. Similar to Hairy Woodpeckers but tamer and smaller and with a short stubby bill.
Its habitat includes woodlands, parks and gardens.
Except for the U.S. southwest they range throughout Canada and the United States.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it gets in captivity in marine parks and dolphinariums, and in movies and television programs. It is the largest species of the beaked dolphins. It inhabits temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world, and is absent only from polar waters. While formerly known simply as the bottlenose dolphin, this term is now applied to the genus Tursiops as a whole. As considerable genetic variation has been described within this species, even between neighboring populations, many experts think additional species may be recognized.
Common bottlenose dolphins are grey, and between 2 and 4 m (6.6 and 13.1 ft) long, and weigh between 150 and 650 kg (330 and 1,430 lb). Males are generally larger and heavier than females. In most parts of the world, adult length is between 2.5 and 3.5 m (8.2 and 11.5 ft); weight ranges between 200 and 500 kg (440 and 1,100 lb). Dolphins have a short and well-defined snout that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle, which is the source for their common name.
This image was taken just off the coast of Northumberland, near Amble on a boat trip to Coquet Island
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) known simply as the Robin or Robin Redbreast in Ireland.
Robins are found throughout Ireland, and are common in towns and cities as well as in the country.
Unusual among birds the female robin also sings, and the robin is the only bird in Ireland that keeps singing right through the winter. Adult male and female Robins look identical, but immature birds lack the red breast and have spotted brown plumage with a scalloped golden pattern on the breast.
Robins are wonderful opportunists, and take full advantage of their proximity to people to supplement their diet – particularly during the winter months. When the days are cold and short, Robins will be among the first to visit our bird-tables and feeders to boost the meagre pickings available in nature. At any time of the year they will flit restlessly around gardeners feet as they turn the soil, eager to cash in on a free meal of earthworms and insect larvae. Robins get bolder with repeated offers of food, and some become so tame that they will even enter houses or feed from the hand.
Irelands Wildlife by Calvin Jones
Island Of Madagascar
Off The East Coast Of Africa
Palmarium Reserve
Two Chameleons Cryptic Chameleon (Calumma crypticum) And O'shaughnessy's Chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) side by side on a branch at the reserve.
O'Shaughnessy's chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) is a species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar. It was named after the British poet and herpetologist Arthur O'Shaughnessy.
O'Shaughnessy's chameleon has a range of about 18,000 square kilometers throughout the southeastern portion of the central highlands of Madagascar. Its distribution extends from Tsinjoarivo, Ambatolampy in the north to Andohahela National Park in the south. The species is highly dependent on intact, humid forest as its habitat, living in lower densities on selectively logged territories.
Calumma crypticum, commonly known as the cryptic chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in Madagascar.
The species is endemic to Madagascar and has a broad latitudinal distribution between the Anosy Mountains in the south and the Tsaratanana Massif in the north.
It is a forest chameleon that occurs in mid-altitudes between 1,050 and 1,850 m elevation, where it appears to be more abundant in semi-open areas associated with trails, gaps and rivers.
The chameleon species is only found in humid forest and the loss or severe degradation of these habitats due to agricultural conversion and logging is a threat, especially outside of protected areas.
6 focus points each at 3 bracketed exposures, stack in Photoshop.
Aquilegia (common names: granny's bonnet or columbine) is a genus of about 60-70 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers. The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila), because the shape of the flower petals, which are said to resemble an eagle's claw. The common name "columbine" comes from the Latin for "dove", due to the resemblance of the inverted flower to five doves clustered together. The Colorado Blue Columbine (A. caerulea) is the official state flower of Colorado. Large numbers of hybrids are available for the garden, since the European A. vulgaris was hybridized with other European and North American varieties. Aquilegia species are very interfertile, and will self-sow. Some varieties are short-lived so are better treated as biennials. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilegia
Ella was the type to lean a little more towards ‘live and let live’ when given the chance, but she didn’t take lightly being cheated or otherwise done wrong. It was the principal of the thing that she tended to take issue with. Even on the wrong side of the law, she still had a moral compass, though perhaps it didn’t always point due north.
Ella had met her share of shady characters throughout her travels. There was always some degree of dishonesty to a man, she reckoned, but it was all about how much you could live with at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, they’d pin these little tin stars to just about anyone’s chest that would have them, and sadly, hiding behind that little star tended to make a slightly bent man break completely bad.
Ella could wager the lawman had no clue what he was doing when he made eyes for the dappled stud she rode into town on, and she had hard money on the fact that he had no idea what he was calling down on himself when he pulled his gun on her, telling her she’d make it to see another day if she just handed over the reins. Little did he know…
There were few things she held in high regard these days, with all the hard living she’d come to know so well, but Mille and the dappled palomino were two things she held dearest. A history of loyalty had tied them together, and it would take more than some twisted town sheriff to pull them apart.
There are times when knowing when to fold means living to see another day, and though the reins about burned her hand as she handed them over, she knew she’d be seeing the man again, and very soon.
-------
❁ Lelutka
⍟ Doux
❁ Amias
☼ Hazel
⍟ Stoic
☼ Salem
⍟ Riders
❁ Tres Blah
☼ Cheval D'or
⍟ Teegle
Special thanks to my bestie, Tupper, for putting up with my shenanigans
Resident waders found throughout the year around large lakes, shallow rivers and wetland areas. Summer is the nesting time for these waders / reed birds and they contine to nest till the end of summers to rainy season and through it. This year, our summer is varying between moderate and cool temperatures. The swamphens haven't started nesting yet, but I suspect some of them have started demonstrating the breeding plumage - the colors are more vivid than usual and quite beautiful - like in this picture.
These swamphens are sighted in large numbers now around reed beds where they usually nest. The birds don't move far away from their nests and prefer to hunt for insects, beetles etc.. around the vicinity. During this period, these birds turn predators and they attack the chicks of Jacanas and snipes and eat them. All these birds share the same habitat and hence become easy prey for these Swamphens and other birds like Black Kites.
Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.
(Kassina senegalensis) Kassina is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs or kassinas. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more traditional frog-hopping.
Eguisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand In May 2013 it was voted the «Village préféré des Français» (Favorite French Village), an annual distinction that passes from town to town throughout France.
This American Marten is usually a shy mammal found throughout Canada in coniferous and mixed-wood forests. Those found in Algonquin Provincial Park have become too accustomed to People, Campers and can be found around the Garbage receptacles in the campgrounds. This was one of 3 visiting that food source.
This 1948 Vignale bodied Packard started life on a 1938 Packard 120 chassis, and drivetrain, and was finally completed and registered as a 1948 automobile! More of the story below.
Throughout the Second World War mysteries would abound; pieces of art and precious metals would be hidden or disappeared. Then there would be the mysterious case of a Vignale-bodied Packard. In the years following the Second World War, American automakers wanted Europe as much as European builders needed America. This mutual need for each other would produce a one-off Packard that would cause many to wonder what could have been.
In 1948, Alfredo Vignale's firm in Turin would produce a purpose-built Packard. The combination would be intriguing in its own right. However, the story surrounding it would make it all the more captivating.
According to Ralph and Adeline Marano, the current owners of the 1948 Packard Vignale Victoria, 'Nobody knows much about it'. The legend the Marano's believe true would include the 1938 One Twenty chassis being shipped to Vignale's studio before the war and then being hidden away until it was completed in 1948. While plausible, there would be the simple fact Vignale had not established his own carrozzeria until after the end of the war. It is entirely possible he took on the project fully intending to establish his own place, then came the outbreak of the war and everything would be put on hold.
However, there is another theory about the order of events. Following the war the United States was stronger economically than Europe. However, Packard would actually be on the decline and would need that 'something' to help bolster its sales and widen its market. Amongst American audiences, Packard was synonymous with quality. Unfortunately, the company's sales base appeared to be reaching its limit. Therefore, the company would not only seek a new look to foster sales at home, but, they would also look to those more affluent customers in Europe who could still afford to pay for the quality of one of their cars.
In addition to longing to widen its possible market, Packard would realize that there was a market for the smaller European sportscars in the United States. Throughout the war, American servicemen had had the opportunity to see, and perhaps drive, some of the smaller coupes from European automakers. Returning to the States, this would be a potential market Packard believed it could address.
Packard was keen to test the waters. Therefore, they would take one of their One Twenty chassis, originally registered in 1939, and would send it across the Atlantic to Italy. The chassis' destination would be a coachbuilder in Turin, Italy by the name of Carrozzeria Vignale.
Alfredo Vignale had started out working for none other Pinin Farina. After the Second World War Vignale would decide to start his own effort and would soon earn praise for his designs. This recognition and praise would lead to Vignale creating bodies for the great Italian automakers Ferrari and Maserati. Vignale's reputation was well deserved and was the perfect place for Packard to send their chassis in hopes of receiving a fresh and inspiring design.
Vignale would set to work. Abiding by the purpose and the inspiration Vignale would end up designing and building a convertible coupe to rest atop the One Twenty chassis. The result would be striking. Though the chassis underneath would be nearly a decade old, the body resting on top would be ahead of its time and of great quality.
Some of the features of the car include a hood capable of being opened from either end and beautifully-blended sheetmetal that wraps completely around the undersides of the car to form belly pans. Right down to the Fiat model taillights, the overall design of the car would a European flair to it. Lighter than a standard One Twenty and powered by a straight-eight engine producing around 120hp, it is more than likely the Vignale Packard would be faster. But, even if the car wouldn't win a drag race with its more standard brethren, the Vignale Packard would go on to win a number of awards in major concours events
Unfortunately, while much of the story surrounding the car's birth would be something of a mystery, so too would its early years. It would seem clear the car would be owned for a period of time by Mark Smith and Norman Wolgin. What is much more obvious is the fact the Maranos would negotiate to purchase the car in 1989 and has remained with them ever since.
In 1954, Packard would purchase Studebaker in hopes of benefiting from the company's larger dealer network. Unfortunately, the merger would be fraught with conflict, which would hurt both companies terribly. Looking at the merger of Packard with Vignale's design, while it would be a surprising, if not strange, marriage, there are a whole lot of questions based around the notion of what could have been. Perhaps Packard and Vignale could have been one of the first to bring two continents together in car design. In the end, both companies would eventually fade from existence altogether. Packard would be lost forever while Vignale would be absorbed by an American company in Ford, but, would well and truly cease to exist by the mid-1970s. Perhaps Packard needed Vignale and Vignale needed Packard, and, the 1948 Packard Vignale Victoria is a mere taste of what the future might have held.
Ghost crabs are semiterrestrial crabs of the subfamily Ocypodinae. They are common in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.
A colorful resident bird common throughout the country and is the state bird for many South Indian States. These are found all the way to the Middle East and are easily identified by their unique colors. The are about 30-35 cms tall and often sighted perched on power lines, fence posts and sometimes on grass bales in the countryside.
The birds hunt insects like beetles, grasshoppers and dragonflies. Sometimes they are seen on the ground in the grass picking up insects. They are not social birds and sightings are of solitary birds or at best two of them. During our last weekend trip to a grassland, sighted one of them foraging in the grassland. It flew to various trees sometimes coming to the ground and catching insects.
Thank you very much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
Found throughout Europe and Asia, as far as northwestern China, it can be seen throughout the summer months fluttering gracefully along the margins of slow moving water, particularly where there is lush vegetation.
As beautiful as may look, they are predators of other insects, which they takes on the wing.
To attract female, males perform aerial displays, while showing off their banded wings. The female lays her eggs beneath the surface of the water, and is able to submerge herself if necessary, using air trapped between her wings to breathe.
They prefer water bodies with muddy bottoms, where larvae thrive, which hunt prey over a period of two years, before emerging as adults.
Seen at Gripsholm Castle Park, Mariefred, Sweden
The ruddy darter is to be found in temperate regions throughout Europe as far east as Siberia and as far south as the northern Sahara. Its conservation status is regarded as secure, and indeed numbers seem to be increasing in some locations.
This species tends to prefer quiet bodies of water that feature semiaquatic vegetation such as rushes and reeds.