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Throughout the past few months, there has been a closure on the famous Kořenov cog railway and services between the Polish town of Szklarska Poręba and Czech Tanvald were broken up. A quick solution was found by employing a fleet of railbusses owned by various private companies - among them KŽC.
The tiny motor wagons were transported from Czechia the long way around to avoid the track closure and 5 of them found their way onto the short stretch of track between Szklarska Poręba Górna and Kořenov. We photographed 2 of them on the 27.08.2025 on the RMM 97065 Szklarska Poręba Górna - Harrachov (-Kořenov) as they were snaking around the track between Szklarska Poręba Huta and Polana Jakuszycka - one of the highest (above sea level) points on the Polish railway network. We were lucky enough to see two of the railbusses in the old livery - the 810.618 and 810.157. Simultaneously to each train, there is also a bus service running on the very same route, albeit omitting a couple of harder to reach spots on the line and also continuing further down the closed section of track.
Just recently the railbusses were withdrawn as the line has (to my knowledge) been closed on its entire length for more repair works
In the background the Karkonosze/Krkonoše/Riesengebirge mountain chain. The predominant landscape feature in this region. The most recognisable peak in the background is the Łabski Szczyt/Violík/Veilchenstein.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels.
The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7+1⁄2 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in), and a mass of 250 to 340 g (9 to 12 oz). Males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz and 1 lb 12 oz).
The long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep.
The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp curved claws to help it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. Its strong hind legs let it leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel also can swim.
The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. There are several coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. Red coats are most common in Great Britain; in other parts of Europe and Asia different coat colours coexist within populations, much like hair colour in some human populations.
The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the ear-tufts (in adults) and smaller size, distinguish the Eurasian red squirrel from the American eastern grey squirrel.
The red colour is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees.
Red squirrels occupy boreal, coniferous woods in northern Europe and Siberia, preferring Scots pine, Norway spruce and Siberian pine. In western and southern Europe they are found in broad-leaved woods where the mixture of tree and shrub species provides a better year-round source of food. In most of the British Isles and in Italy, broad-leaved woodlands are now less suitable due to the better competitive feeding strategy of introduced grey squirrels.
The image of trees and cloudy sky is reflected in the serene and calm surface of an idyllic pond in autumn. You are looking at inverted treetops, so you know they’re not real, but merely reflected. In the pond there is an abundance of delicate, floating water lilies: they are not inverted, so they are real. The shot contains both real and reflected elements, easy to tell from one another.
If only it were equally easy to distinguish truth from illusion hidden in our world: It is hard to detect or comprehend a grand scheme that has carefully and deceitfully been masterminded, planned and prepared throughout entire millennia by evil in order to disguise something ghastly as pleasing to the eye by exploiting Imagination rather than reflections!
📷 Settings:
Canon EOS RP
Canon RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 37 mm
f/11 - ISO 320 - HDR of 2 shots with shutter speed: 1/40 sec & 1/15 sec
Friday Frenzy Storm Photo Images captured throughout the night! First sets I was able to be outside to capture as still light rain with wind just starting to pick up! 2nd set I was sitting on my couch inside my living room. The window is to the left! The rains were intensifying! 3rd set was from my inside front porch to the right looking out my row of windows that overlook the right side of my yard. Stay tuned as I go through the night. Photo images credited to Vickie L Klinkhammer of Vickielynne Photography and Designs (VLP&Designs)
Throughout Thailand and it would seem Vietnam too there are always an enormous amount of these brushes for sale. They are a lot more practical than vacuum cleaners on bare floors
The Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are medium-sized, very popular songbirds found throughout the eastern half of the United States, most of Mexico, and northern areas of Central America. In recent history, they have been expanding their ranges north and southwest facilitated by the increasing supply of food offerings at residential bird feeders and dense underbrush found in gardens and parks that serve them well for nesting. Unlike many creatures that disappeared after urbanization, this bird species seems to have greatly benefited from it.
They are sometimes referred to as "Red Birds" "Common Cardinals" or "Virginia Nightingales."
According to legend, these birds were named for the red color of the male's plumage that is reminiscent of the red-robed Roman Catholic Cardinals and the crest of feathers on top of the head that bears a resemblance to a bishop's mitre (formal headdress).
Northern Cardinals breed between March and September. They usually raise two broods a year - one beginning around March and the second in late May to July. When ample of food is available, or if one of the clutches is destroyed, a third clutch may be laid.
Pairs typically form in early spring and males are observed performing physical courtship displays to attract females, which typically involve raising their crests, swaying side-to-side while singing to the desired mates.
Once accepted by a female, the male collects foods and feeds the female as part of their bonding behavior. He can also be seen carrying nesting material to the female.
Seven U.S. states - namely Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia - have chosen these well-loved songbirds as their state birds.
I found this loving couple in my front yard. Polk County, Florida.
EN: Once found throughout the country, Portuguese Railways 1900s are now hard to find. There are currently only 3 locomotives left in the entire country, all of them wearing a different livery.
Eva, the yellow locomotive 1903, was a first attempt to give the diesel locomotives a new outfit some years ago. Basically, it was a model for a special paint scheme, which had not been seen at Medway before. Apparently it was only an idea, because there was no other locomotive of any series in this livery anymore.
In the background you can see mineira de Neves-Corvo, one of the largest copper mines in Europe. Every day Medway runs 2 - 3 trains to bring the valuable freight to the port of Setubál. Expansion plans of foreign investors are already on the table, we are eagerly awaiting how it will continue in the Portuguese Algarve with copper mining.
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DE: Einst im ganzen Land anzutreffen, sind die 1900er der Portugisischen Eisenbahn heute schwer zu finden. Es gibt aktuell nur noch 3 Loks im ganzen Land, welche alle eine andere Farbe tragen.
Eva, die gelbe Lok 1903, war vor einigen Jahren ein erster Versuch den Dieselloks ein neues Outfit zu geben. Quasi ein Modell für eine spezielle Bemalung, welche bei Medway so noch nicht zu sehen war. Anscheinend blieb es bei dem Versuch, den es gab von keiner Baureihe eine andere Lok in dieser Bemalung.
Im Hintergrund ist die Mineira de Neves-Corvo zu sehen, eine der grössten Kupferminen in Europa. Täglich führt Medway 2 - 3 Züge ab um die wertvolle Fracht an den Hafen von Setubál zu bringen. Ausbaupläne der ausländischen Investoren liegen bereits auf dem Tisch, wir warten gespannt wie es in der portugisischen Algarve weitergeht mit dem Kupferabbau.
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 ages, it has been the simple buildings that solve a problem that become the representative buildings of their time."
- William "Bill" Robb
This is the Fort Collins Savings and Loan Building, built in 1970. It is an example of one of Bill Robb’s “simple buildings” in Fort Collins, Colorado. I chose it for the We’re Here! theme today – Black and White Architecture.
It is also fitting topic 5/123, "Angles” for 123 pictures in 2023
I found an article about Bill Robb and learned he was the only architect in town when he set up shop in 1953, and it stayed that way for some years. Fort Collins was an agricultural town and quite conservative. The area never broadly embraced Googie, New Formalist, or Brutalist design, but its offices, residences, and churches reflect some profound local examples of Modern architecture. The key, defining examples of the movement for Fort Collins, largely Contemporary or Usonian in inspiration, in many cases, sprang from the desk of William Robb.
- Jim Bertolini, Historian/City Planner – City of Fort Collins
docomomo-us.org/news/the-simple-buildings-the-career-of-w...
Black-throated Mango (male) - Widespread but uncommon. Occurring throughout the tropics of South America from Panama to northeast Argentina, the Black-throated Mango is the most widespread member of its genus, and among the most widespread of all hummingbirds. It is primarily found in open vegetation with bushes and scattered trees in many kinds of humid and dry habitats. Despite its widespread distribution, the species shows almost no geographic variation due perhaps to its impressive dispersal capabilities. Migratory, they are seen in São Paulo during spring / summer.
Have a Peaceful Day!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
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Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
Throughout the course of these travelogue posts about the trip, I’ve used the word sacred quite a few times. Yes, it’s out of necessity and objective truth, as native tribes hold these public lands as sacred in their creation myths, but I’ve also felt that these lands should be sacred to everyone for these cultural reasons and for their sheer beauty. It should come as no surprise, then, that Mesa Verde National Park also fits into this category and might be the undisputed superlative of the whole collection of places that we visited. Situated high on a verdant mesa in the Colorado wilderness that’s rife with natural beauty, the anthropological side of Mesa Verde is far beyond anything that I’ve ever experienced: hiking and climbing and crawling (more on that later) to get in and out of 700 year old dwellings. Wooden beams and art that’s withstood the elements and tests of time even though they’re exposed to the elements because those elements (desert heat and elevation!) helped preserve them. Ornate pottery remains in cliff dwellings and preserved in stellar museum exhibits. All of this and more felt like I was stepping into a page in one of my history books. So yes, Mesa Verde is sacred for the fact that it is a place of cultural heritage, but it’s also sacred for any visitor that comes to it and revel in the experience of this special National Park.
Keep calling your reps. Public lands and the National Park Service budget is still at risk. Experiences like this must be kept for all.
Mesa Verde is in the southwestern corner of Colorado was constructed throughout the thirteenth century by cliff-dwelling Ancestral Puebloans. Cliff Palace, which is the largest cliff-dwelling in North America, is believed to have sustained a population of about 100 people until a drought lasting longer than two decades forced relocation. Mesa Verde is still thought to inhabit the spirits of the ancestors of the Pueblo.
oots, shoots, flowers, and young seeds are edible.
Native to the American Tropics, Canna indica (Achira) was a main root crop grown by South American Natives, reported by Spanish explorers.
The leaves, rhizomes, shoots, flowers, and seeds are edible and cultivated for food, tamale wrappers, biodegradable plants, starch, and alcohol throughout the tropics.
Starch Properties
Achira starch contains 31% amylose.
Granules are spheric, oval, or elliptical, ranging in size from 26 to 67 µm, affecting their swelling power and water absorption capacity.
Cultivation and History
Canna indica has been cultivated for over 4000 years as a food crop in Central and South America.
The plant can grow up to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide, making it a member of the Cannaceae family.
Queen Anne's Lace.
A lacy, flat-topped compound of tiny, cream white flowers, with 1 dark reddish brown to purplish flower usually at the center of each compound.
They can be found in dry fields and waste places and range throughout the east except for the Arctic. They are also in much of the west.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
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, allowing the departure of the cruise along the entire length of Milford Sound out to the Tasman Sea, sliding past granite peaks rising thousands of feet from the water’s edge.
Mountains across Milford Sound were gushing water everywhere I looked at. All of the mountains turned into waterfalls!
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Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, 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.
Throughout global folklore and mythology, powerful females appear as deities, formidable creatures, and legendary warriors who command respect and fear. Their influence often governs the natural world, the cycle of life and death, and the fates of both mortals and gods.
For example -
From Greek mythology.
Hecate: A Titaness, goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the night, with a vast sphere of influence and authority over the earth, sea, and heavens.
Norse and Celtic mythology.
Freyja: A prominent goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, and war. She presides over her hall, Sessrúmnir, in the afterlife, receiving half of the warriors who die in battle.
And more recently - Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan's first female prime minister.
Mid Devon show 2025, Tiverton, Devon, UK.
Taken in my back garden south of Brisbane.
Gregarious, territorial and has a beautiful voice. Probably one of the the most familiar bird songsters (after the laughing Kookaburra’s) to most Australians.
Pied Currawongs are found throughout eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria, but are absent from Tasmania. They are one of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, which are closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of the family Artamidae.
The other species include the Grey Currawong, Strepera versicolor, which lives in Australia's south, and the Black Currawong, S. fuliginosa, which is restricted to Tasmania. Both of these species lack white on the rump.
========== A Journey Throughout Europe [4] ==========
Austria -
Belgium -
Bulgaria -
Croatia -
Cyprus -
Czech Republic -
Denmark -
Estonia -
Finland -
France -
Germany -
Greece -
Hungary -
Ireland -
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
The Netherlands
A Journey Throughout Europe: HOF
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Wish everyone of you dear Flickr friends a very happy and a prosperous Hindu, Tamil, and Sinhala New Year!! May there be love and peace in abundance throughout the year!
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of abandoned homes strewn throughout the countryside in Alberta. They did not fall out of the sky, but rather, were thoughtfully placed with the intentions of building a life within the four walls and a roof - a very long time ago.
When I come across these homesteads, I just have to stop. I don’t know why I am drawn to these old relics. Fossils of the past. It is as if can hear their heart beat in the solitude of the countryside.
Who lived here? What kind of life did they have? Did they conquer their hardships or challenges? It is without a doubt that the occupants encountered insurmountable struggles.
I try to imagine the essence of the house. Were there moments of joy and contentment despite the harshness and difficulties of the environment? I find it incredulous that it still stands even though it has been ravaged by time.
My imagination begins to percolate.
I want to hear the happy, contagious squeals of children giggling as they raced to the warmth of their beds at night; the sound of Mother humming as she lovingly brushed her daughter’s hair by the fire, or Father whistling with an air of fulfillment at a satisfying day of work that had been done and in anticipation of the hot meal waiting for him as he walked in, through the door. Goals, dreams and aspirations were quietly shared in the secrecy of night. Stolen kisses and affirmations of love and commitment were whispered as the children slept.
I wonder if this house had been enough for them? Why did they leave? What were their parting thoughts as they turned the key for that one last time? So many questions. No answers…
I snap a photo of the old gal.
I start driving down the lonely road but take one last look in my rearview mirror. I see a house surrounded by mass plantings of flowers, a thriving garden, chickens milling about and a clothesline that has a congregation of well worn clothes that are being gently seduced by an unusually warm summer breeze. The children are playing Kick-the-can out in the fields.
The joy of their laughter is a welcome sound to their Mother and Father who are sitting together on the porch sipping lemonade and enjoying a respite from the monotony of chores. No words pass between them. They bask in the silence of their mutual contentment.
I see a house that was once brimming with life and love. It stands proud and tenacious as a testament to those who happen to pass by on this lonely country road and those who have the ears to hear the echoes of laughter wafting in the wind, proclaiming that this house was more than four walls and a roof - it was a home…
The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels.
The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7+1⁄2 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in), and a mass of 250 to 340 g (9 to 12 oz). Males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz and 1 lb 12 oz).
The long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep.
The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp curved claws to help it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. Its strong hind legs let it leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel also can swim.
The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. There are several coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. Red coats are most common in Great Britain; in other parts of Europe and Asia different coat colours coexist within populations, much like hair colour in some human populations.
The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the ear-tufts (in adults) and smaller size, distinguish the Eurasian red squirrel from the American eastern grey squirrel.
The red colour is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees.
Red squirrels occupy boreal, coniferous woods in northern Europe and Siberia, preferring Scots pine, Norway spruce and Siberian pine. In western and southern Europe they are found in broad-leaved woods where the mixture of tree and shrub species provides a better year-round source of food. In most of the British Isles and in Italy, broad-leaved woodlands are now less suitable due to the better competitive feeding strategy of introduced grey squirrels.
Red Deer - Cervus elaphus
In Rut!
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest deer species. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, Iran, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red deer have been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. In many parts of the world, the meat (venison) from red deer is used as a food source.
The red deer is the fourth-largest deer species behind moose, elk and sambar deer. It is a ruminant, eating its food in two stages and having an even number of toes on each hoof, like camels, goats and cattle. European red deer have a relatively long tail compared to their Asian and North American relatives. Subtle differences in appearance are noted between the various subspecies of red deer, primarily in size and antlers, with the smallest being the Corsican red deer found on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and the largest being the Caspian red deer (or maral) of Asia Minor and the Caucasus Region to the west of the Caspian Sea. The deer of central and western Europe vary greatly in size, with some of the largest deer found in the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe.Western European red deer, historically, grew to large size given ample food supply (including people's crops), and descendants of introduced populations living in New Zealand and Argentina have grown quite large in both body and antler size. Large red deer stags, like the Caspian red deer or those of the Carpathian Mountains, may rival the wapiti in size. Female red deer are much smaller than their male counterparts.
The European red deer is found in southwestern Asia (Asia Minor and Caucasus regions), North Africa and Europe. The red deer is the largest non-domesticated land mammal still existing in Ireland. The Barbary stag (which resembles the western European red deer) is the only member of the deer family represented in Africa, with the population centred in the northwestern region of the continent in the Atlas Mountains. As of the mid-1990s, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria were the only African countries known to have red deer.
In the Netherlands, a large herd (ca. 3000 animals counted in late 2012) lives in the Oostvaarders Plassen, a nature reserve. Ireland has its own unique subspecies. In France the population is thriving, having multiplied fivefold in the last half-century, increasing from 30,000 in 1970 to approximately 160,000 in 2014. The deer has particularly expanded its footprint into forests at higher altitudes than before. In the UK, indigenous populations occur in Scotland, the Lake District, and the South West of England (principally on Exmoor). Not all of these are of entirely pure bloodlines, as some of these populations have been supplemented with deliberate releases of deer from parks, such as Warnham or Woburn Abbey, in an attempt to increase antler sizes and body weights. The University of Edinburgh found that, in Scotland, there has been extensive hybridisation with the closely related sika deer.
Several other populations have originated either with "carted" deer kept for stag hunts being left out at the end of the hunt, escapes from deer farms, or deliberate releases. Carted deer were kept by stag hunts with no wild red deer in the locality and were normally recaptured after the hunt and used again; although the hunts are called "stag hunts", the Norwich Staghounds only hunted hinds (female red deer), and in 1950, at least eight hinds (some of which may have been pregnant) were known to be at large near Kimberley and West Harling; they formed the basis of a new population based in Thetford Forest in Norfolk. Further substantial red deer herds originated from escapes or deliberate releases in the New Forest, the Peak District, Suffolk, Lancashire, Brecon Beacons, and North Yorkshire, as well as many other smaller populations scattered throughout England and Wales, and they are all generally increasing in numbers and range. A census of deer populations in 2007 and again in 2011 coordinated by the British Deer Society records the red deer as having continued to expand their range in England and Wales since 2000, with expansion most notable in the Midlands and East Anglia.
Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family, either evergreen or deciduous, and found mainly in Asia, although it is also widespread throughout the lowland and montane forests of the Pacific Northwest, California, and the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains of North America.
DSC_0806
Zoom all the way in, I captured beautiful detail throughout, from the focus stacking.
This is another dinosaur back, grand, Granite Dike. Nestled in the foothills of the East Spanish Peaks, a lone barn sits in ruins below one of many Granite Dikes. Behind the Dike is a drop off with a valley below. (hard to tell because of the telephoto image compression) Then it juts back up to a very large ridge that towers above. This forms one of the many huge undulations in the topography of the Foothills. The Spanish Peak mountains are quite beautiful all year round. Notice the Deer laying down to the right of the barn, I see 3, maybe 4.
A juvenile American alligator from the Zoo America.
The American alligator inhabits freshwater swamps, marshes, rivers, lakes and canals. It can be found throughout the southeastern United States, from the coastal swamps of North and South Carolina, throughout Florida, and west to Texas. (Best in Large)
Thanks for your visit and taking the time to comment so I can visit your photos, too... very much appreciated! Have a great day!
Throughout history, tobacco has been one of the most important agricultural crops for Herzegovina, a source of finance and the foundation of development. Today, growing tobacco in Herzegovina has no economic justification, and placing it on the list of protected products opens up possibilities for protection through tourism.
Tobacco in Herzegovina was produced on small plots with the old technology of drying in the sun, which all required a lot of human work. Everyone in the family, aged from 7 to 77, was involved in the tobacco business.
Smile on Saturday: Anything with A
The Southern Meat Ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) is endemic to Australia. It was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. It is among the best-known species of ant found throughout mainland Australia. Its enormous distribution, aggression and ecological importance have made this ant a dominant species. It is characterised by its dark-bluish body and red head. It is a medium to large species; workers and males are approximately the same sizes at 6–7 mm and 8 mm, respectively. The queens are the largest and appear mostly black, measuring 12.7 mm. The iridescence in workers ranges from green or blue to plain green and purple, varying in different body parts and castes. Meat ants inhabit open and warm areas in large, oval-shaped mounds that are accompanied by many entrance holes. The nest area is always cleared of vegetation and covered with materials including gravel, pebbles and dead vegetation. They are also polydomous, where a colony may be established in a series of satellite nests connected by well-defined paths and trails. Satellite nests are constructed away from the main nest and nearby areas with valuable food sources so workers can exploit them.
Queens mate with a single male and colonies may have more than one queen until the workers arrive, where they both exhibit antagonism. It takes around one or two months for an individual egg to develop into an adult. Colonies range in size, varying between 11,000 individuals to over 300,000. The meat ant is a diurnal species (active throughout most of the day), especially when it is warm. It forages on trees and collects sweet substances such as honeydew and nectar, and also captures insects or collects the remains of animals. A number of predators eat these ants, including the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), numerous species of birds, blind snakes and spiders. Meat ants establish territorial borders with neighbouring colonies and solve disputes through ritualised fighting.
Meat ants play an important role in both the environment and for humans. A single nest is capable of dispersing over 300,000 plant seeds; moreover, meat ants have formed symbiotic relationships with many insects. This ant may be used as a form of pest control to kill the cane toad, an invasive species. They can also help farmers to remove animal carcasses by consuming and reducing them to bones in a matter of weeks.
Lake Moodemere, Rutherglen, Victoria
Water Hyacinth
Pontederia crassipes, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range. Wikipedia
Diplacodes haematodes can be found throughout Australia, except Tasmania. Small and pretty, they are very friendly, too. Three of them visited my garden yesterday, a very rare occurrence.
This one is a female, perched on a fallen piece of branch, on the roof of our garden shed and I had to use a step ladder to capture it :) /
Cette espece de Libellules se trouve a peu pres partout en Australie, sauf en Tasmanie. Petites et jolies, elles sont aussi familieres (assez peu farouches). Trois d'entre elles m'ont rendu visite hier, ce qui est tout a fait inhabituel.
Celle-ci est une femelle, perchee sur un morceau de branche tombe du Chene Soyeux d'Australie sur le toit du cabanon de jardin et j'ai du monter sur un escabeau pour la photographier :)
The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels.
The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7+1⁄2 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in), and a mass of 250 to 340 g (9 to 12 oz). Males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz and 1 lb 12 oz).
The long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep.
The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp curved claws to help it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. Its strong hind legs let it leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel also can swim.
The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. There are several coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. Red coats are most common in Great Britain; in other parts of Europe and Asia different coat colours coexist within populations, much like hair colour in some human populations.
The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the ear-tufts (in adults) and smaller size, distinguish the Eurasian red squirrel from the American eastern grey squirrel.
The red colour is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees.
Red squirrels occupy boreal, coniferous woods in northern Europe and Siberia, preferring Scots pine, Norway spruce and Siberian pine. In western and southern Europe they are found in broad-leaved woods where the mixture of tree and shrub species provides a better year-round source of food. In most of the British Isles and in Italy, broad-leaved woodlands are now less suitable due to the better competitive feeding strategy of introduced grey squirrels.
The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows.
Standing up to a metre tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2.2 to 4.4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown. (Source: Wikipedia)
Photographed on a late evening game drive at the Athi Basin Dam in Nairobi National park, Kenya.
Throughout the current storm, rest assured, the supply chain is working. Hording toilet paper and other commodities is totally ridiculous and only adds to the unnecessary panic. As a trucker and just a regular guy, I recommend staying calm, behave safely, there's no need to panic, doing the smart little things that our leaders, doctors and scientists ask. Everyone working together will make a huge difference in how well we all get past this difficult time.
I'm home until Monday, got here Thursday. Just hanging out with my mom for the most part. No visiting the grandkids this time just to be safe, not wanting to expose my mom (or myself I suppose) to those beautiful little petri dishes.
Hope all of you are well. Looking forward to spending much of the rest of my time home visiting as many of you on Flickr as I can. Interested in hearing how you're dealing with this pandemic and seeing what you've been doing photography wise.
Together we will get past this and hopefully be better prepared for the next one. Finally, stock up on food and other supplies after things settle down, not right now.
Especie #484
Columbiformes
Columbidae
Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon
Paloma Roquera Alirrufa
Petrophassa rufipennis
** Found only on the sandstone area of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, where it can be encountered at locations throughout Kakadu National Park and beyond. Often roosts on high rocky cliffs or on top of sandstone towers; comes down to the sandy ground in the early morning and evening.
eBird info**
LC
Least Concern
Kakadu National Park--Ubirr
West Arnhem
Northern Territory
Australia
Mallard (male)
18 to 27 inches in length. The male has a green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast and a grayish body. Their secondary wing feathers are metallic purplish blue, bordered in front and back with white. The female is mottled brown with a white tail and purplish-blue secondary wing feathers. The bill is mttled orange and black.
They inhabit ponds, lakes and marshes. Semi-domesticated birds may be found on almost any body of water.
They range from Alaska east to Quebec and south from southern Californiain the west and Virginia in the east. They winter throughout the United States.
Lake Erie Metropark, Monroe County, Michigan.
Throughout the July 4th weekend hot-air balloonists from all over the country converged on our region to float en masse above the Hudson River.
The launches take off from the banks of the Hudson River soon after sunrise and before sunset.
Thank you for your comments,
Gemma
Copyright ©Maria Gemma June, 2014
I've been acutely aware that throughout Lockdown that whilst I've been getting my daily exercise using a stroller that the pace I go at doesn't count as 'breaking sweat' exercise for Huw. Today , under the rules imposed by the Welsh Govt. we went for a 'scootercise' all within a mile radius from home. I felt it apt that today with Wales hoping to beat England in rugby to earn a Triple Crown to photo these Rugby Posts before heading home. ..
AATV L01 - The Wonderful 1000s (P1 C3 Sweeper Active)
AATV L02 - The Terrific 2000s (P1 C3 Sweeper Active)
A Journey Throughout Europe : Austria
A Journey Throughout Europe : Belgium
A Journey Throughout Europe : Bulgaria
A Journey Throughout Europe : Croatia
Super~Six Bronze ☆ Stage #1 ☆ Post 1, Award 5.
Super~Six ☆ Stage #2 ☆ Silver. Post 1, Award 5. Invite Only
Super~Six ☆ Stage #3 ☆ Gold. Post 1, Award 5. Invite Only
Super~Six ☆ Stage #4 ☆ Art. Invite Only (P1/A5)
Super~Six ☆ Stage #5 ☆ Elite. Invite Only (P1/A5)
Super~Six ☆ Stage #6 ☆ Andromeda "50." Invite Only (P1/A5)
Timeless Moments Level 1/ Post 1 Award 5
THE LOOK level 1 RED
THE LOOK level 2 YELLOW
THE LOOK level 3 ORANGE
THE LOOK level 4 PURPLE
THE LOOK level 5 GREEN
THE LOOK level 6 BLUE
THE LOOK level 7 WHITE
Timeless Moments Level 1/ Post 1 Award 5
Timeless Moments Level 2/ Post 1 Award 5
Titanium 1
Titanium 2
Titanium 3 (No Group Limit)
Titanium 4 (No Group Limit)
Titanium 5 (No Group Limit)
Titanium - Gallery of Honor (No Group Limit)
'Wonderful World L1 (P1-A5)
'World in Focus L1 (MUST award 3) - NO FLOWERS
'World in Focus L2 (MUST award 3) - NO FLOWERS
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Like many other kinds of owls, though, burrowing owls do most of their hunting from dusk until dawn, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage. Living in open grasslands as opposed to forests, the burrowing owl has developed longer legs that enable it to sprint, as well as fly, when hunting.
Burrowing owls have bright eyes; their beaks can be dark yellow or gray depending on the subspecies. They lack ear tufts and have a flattened facial disc. The owls have prominent white eyebrows and a white "chin" patch which they expand and display during certain behaviors, such as a bobbing of the head when agitated.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_owl
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/overview
Thank you to all my amazing followers for your incredible support and shared moments throughout the year.
This beautiful holiday wreath, courtesy of MadPea (Holiday Wreath – Fatpack), is the MadPea Unlimited VIP Group December 2024 Gift—a perfect touch to celebrate the season!
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MadPea/63/88/35
Wishing you all a joyful and love-filled Christmas! ❤️
Happy Holidays,
Harleen💋
Albizia julibrissin, the Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to southwestern Asia and eastern Asia. The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid-18th century. It is sometimes incorrectly spelled Albizzia. The specific epithet julibrissin is a corruption of the Persian word gul-i abrisham (گل ابریشم), which means "silk flower" (from gul گل "flower" + abrisham ابریشم "silk").
Albizia julibrissin is a small deciduous tree with a broad crown of level or arching branches, growing to 5–16 m (16–52 ft) tall. Its bark is dark greenish grey, becoming vertically striped with age. Its leaves are large and frond-like: They are bipinnate, divided into 6–12 pairs of pinnae, each with 20–30 pairs of leaflets. Individual leaflets are oblong, 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) broad. The true leaves are 20–45 cm (8–18 in) long and 12–25 cm (5–10 in) broad.
The flowers bloom throughout the summer in dense inflorescences, which resemble starbursts of pink silky threads. The true flowers have small calyx and corolla (except the central ones), with a tight cluster of prominent stamens, 2–3 cm long and white or pink with a white base. They have been observed to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.[2] Its fruit is a flat brown pod 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1.0 in) broad, containing several seeds inside. R_27003
www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/pleuroptya-ruralis/
63.038 BF1405
Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
(Scopoli, 1763)
Wingspan 26-40 mm.
One of the largest of Britain's so-called 'micro-moths'; in fact it is larger than many of the 'macro-moths', though this division is largely artificial.
The moth rests with all four wings on display, which show a colourful rainbow-like lustre in certain lighting conditions, as the English name suggests.
Common throughout most of Britain, the adults fly from dusk onwards, and are often attracted to light.
The larvae feed on nettle (Urtica dioica), in a rolled-up leaf.
There were a few things throughout my photography career I never seemed to be in the right place to shoot. These CP Barns were one of those things. I did finally find one in my scanning process! The UP got the Ford contract out of St. Paul after the IC&E couldn't compete with it. The trains ran down the Spineline from Dayton Bluffs to Kansas City on the UP as AHAKS. They were usually daylight trains through Iowa. Here one closes in on Des Moines as they pass through Cambridge. The bridge abutments are what's left of the old MILW mainline from Green Island to Council Bluffs.
Scanned slide on 4-08-03.
(From my own photos archive, 2022)
Remains of the vault of the Church of San Martín de Tours in the town of Belchite.
Belchite is a town in the province of Zaragoza, autonomous region of Aragon, Spain.
At the end of the bloody Spanish civil war (1936-1939), which was the prologue to the Second World War, it became a symbol of the cruelty of war by order of General Franco.
The bloody fighting that took place here, house by house, with several changes of hands throughout the war, had a more political than strategic purpose, with a great cost of human lives and military resources.
General Franco's decision to turn it into a symbol of the cruelty of war, led to the order not to restore the damaged city and to build a "new" city.
But the truth is that the real damage, which is the cause of the current state of the "old" city, was caused from 1964, when the tenants of the last inhabited houses moved to the new Belchite.
From that moment on, the ruins of the houses, completely unprotected, were looted to take recyclable materials, as well as scrap metal, pipes, cables...
The lack of materials that provided support for the old buildings caused collapses.
The inclement weather, the lack of respect of the people in general and the lack of interest of the national authorities to at least preserve what exists, lead us to the current state.
In reality, the fighting during the war had only caused 30% of the damage.
Restoration campaigns are being carried out on the most significant buildings that are still standing.
The entire area is now fenced and protected and visits can only be guided, which are coordinated by the local authority.
The concept of a "Theme Park" came too late.
This ruined church of Saint Martin of Tours was used as a hospital, but was systematically bombed when word spread that weapons and ammunition were stored there.
Given the state of this ruined city, many films and documentaries have been shot, including "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" directed by Terry Gilliam (1988) and "Pan's Labyrinth" directed by Guillermo del Toro (2005). (Source: Wikipedia)
RESTOS DE LA BOVEDA DE LA IGLESIA, 2022
(Del archivo de mis propias fotos, 2022)
Restos de la bóveda de la Iglesia de San Martín de Tours de la localidad de Belchite.
Belchite es un pueblo en la provincia de Zaragoza, región autónoma de Aragón, España.
Al terminar la sangrienta guerra civil española (1936-1939), que fue el prólogo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, se convirtió por orden del General Franco en símbolo de la crueldad de la guerra.
Los cruentos combates que se celebraron aquí, casa por casa, con varios cambios de manos a lo largo de la guerra, tenían una finalidad más política que estratégica, con gran coste de vidas humanas y recursos militares.
La decisión del General Franco de convertirla en un símbolo de la crueldad de la guerra, provocó la orden de no restaurar la ciudad dañada y construir una ciudad "nueva".
Pero lo cierto es que los auténticos destrozos, que son los causantes del estado actual de la ciudad "vieja" se provocaron a partir de 1964, cuando los inquilinos de las últimas casa habitadas se trasladaron a la nueva Belchite.
A partir de ese momento las ruinas de las casas, totalmente desprotegidas, fueron saqueadas para llevarse materiales reciclables, así como chatarra, tuberías, cables...
La falta de los materiales que aportaban apoyo a las viejas construcciones provocaron derrumbamientos.
Las inclemencias meteorológicas, la falta de respeto de la gente en general y la falta de interés de las autoridades nacionales por al menos preservar lo existente, nos llevan al estado actual.
En realidad, los combates de la guerra sólo habían causado el 30% de los daños.
Se están llevando campañas de restauración de los edificios más significativos que aún quedan en pie.
Todo el recinto está ahora vallado y protegido y las visitas sólo pueden ser guiadas, que son coordinadas por la autoridad local.
El concepto de "Parque Temático" llegó demasiado tarde.
Esta arruinada iglesia de San Martín de Tours fue usada como hospital, pero sistemáticamente bombardeada, al correrse la voz de que allí se almacenaba armamento y munición.
Dado el estado de esta ciudad arruinada, se han rodado múltiples películas y documentales, entre las que destacan "Las Aventuras del Barón de Munchausen", dirigida por Terry Gilliam (1988) y "El Laberinto del Fauno" dirigida por Guillermo del Toro (2005). (Fuente: Wikipedia)
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (/ˈlaɪnənkuːɡəl/), doing business as Leinenkugel's, is an American beer maker based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Leinenkugel's was historically distributed only in the Upper Midwest, but is now available throughout all 50 states. The company is the seventh oldest brewery in the United States, and the oldest business in Chippewa Falls. It is a subsidiary of Molson Coors. It produces both traditional beers, including lagers and ales, as well as a popular line of shandies, which are a mixture of beer with fruit juices, such as lemonade.
FYI - Molson Coors just announced the brewery in Chippewa Falls will be shut down. Bummer...
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Like many other kinds of owls, though, burrowing owls do most of their hunting from dusk until dawn, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage. Living in open grasslands as opposed to forests, the burrowing owl has developed longer legs that enable it to sprint, as well as fly, when hunting.
Burrowing owls have bright eyes; their beaks can be dark yellow or gray depending on the subspecies. They lack ear tufts and have a flattened facial disc. The owls have prominent white eyebrows and a white "chin" patch which they expand and display during certain behaviors, such as a bobbing of the head when agitated.
For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_owl
From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/overview
Manzanitas are a ubiquitous tree throughout the West from Southern BC to Texas. No matter where I've lived in the west, there have always been Manzanitas, and the one thing that has always amazed me is the curling bark on really smooth trunks (flic.kr/p/2kTFsUr). Three years ago, I came upon a Manzanita that I had seen for at least 15 years, but this time in bloom! (flic.kr/p/2mXSMmS) (flic.kr/p/RtyE7w) It reminded me of Lily of the Valley.
I was at the Garden in late February, and for the first time in quite a while, I was there in the afternoon. As I passed under their Manzanita, the sun backlit the leaves. I had to capture that, but the wind was blowing. Big deal. This is digital. No worries as they say in the U.K.
And this is the resulting gem. There are many of these trees in the gardens at Heather Farm and on Mt. Diablo. One of my favorites has three trunks and is at least 18' tall. These are not bushes.
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to Oregon, California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and throughout Mexico. Manzanitas can live in places with poor soil and little water. They are characterized by smooth orange or red bark and stiff, twisting branches. There are 105 species and subspecies of manzanita, 95 of which are found in the Mediterranean climate and colder mountainous regions of California, ranging from ground-hugging coastal and mountain species to small trees up to 20 feet (6m) tall. Manzanitas bloom in the winter to early spring and carry berries in spring and summer. The berries and flowers of most species are edible, but no by me. So all you need now is one more image of the trum of the 18 foot tree at HF (flic.kr/p/YTf6Cn).
The Alter Lily is very thinly scattered throughout the country, but it is most common in the Southwest and the far Southeast.
It is from the family Araceae
Although seen in gardens it is classed as a seasonal wildflower growing from May to September and this one was on some wasteland.
My Thanks to all who visit and comment it is appreciated
this bunny was not too concerned by my presence as it munched on the fresh green grasses---- but he kept a watchful eye turned my way throughout.
iNaturalist link www.inaturalist.org/photos/143365846
Jenny Pansing Photos