Birds of Europe
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This is a very old photo that for some reason had been labeled as private in my photostream, all I did was change its status, I have not re-released it, my apologies if it has appeared as a "new" post, I would not have done it if I'd known as this is some really early work that does not represent my current output. Sorry for the inconvenience.
location: North America, Europe
edibility: Deadly
fungus colour: Red or redish or pink
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Ring on stem, Volva on stem
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
Amanita muscaria (L. ex Fr.) Hooker Fly Agaric, Amanite tue-mouches, Fausse Oronge Roter Fliegenpilz Cap 8–20cm across, globose or hemispherical at first then flattening, bright scarlet covered with distinctive white pyramidal warts which may be washed off by rain leaving the cap almost smooth and the colour fades. Stem 80–180×10–20mm, white, often covered in shaggy volval remnants as is the bulbous base, the white membranous ring attached to the stem apex sometimes becoming flushed yellow from the pigment washed off the cap. Flesh white, tinged red or yellow below the cap cuticle, Taste pleasant, smell faint. Gills free, white. Spore print white. Spores broadly ovate, nonamyloid, 9.5–10.5×7–8µ. Habitat usually with birch trees, Season late summer to late autumn. Common. Deadly poisonous. It contains many different toxins see below. Distribution, America and Europe.
This is one of the easiest species to recognize and describe, and consequently its properties have been well documented for centuries. The common name Fly Agaric comes from the practice of breaking the cap into platefuls of milk, used since medieval times to stupefy flies. It is a strong hallucinogen and intoxicant and was used as such by the Lapps. In such cases the cap is dried and swallowed without chewing. The symptoms begin twenty minutes to two hours after ingestion. The central nervous system is affected and the muscles of the intoxicated person start to pull and twitch convulsively, followed by dizzines and a death-like sleep. During this stage the mushrooms are often vomited but nevertheless the drunkenness and stupor continue. While in this state of stupor, the person experiences vivid visions and on waking is usually filled with elation and is physically very active. This is due to the nerves being highly stimulated, the slightest effort of will producing exaggerated physical effects, e.g. the intoxicated person will make a gigantic leap to clear the smallest obstacle. The Lapps may have picked up the habit of eating the Fly Agaric through observing the effects of the fungus on reindeer, which are similarly affected. Indeed, they like it so much that all one has to do to round up a wandering herd is to scatter pieces of Fly Agaric on the ground. Another observation the Lapps made from the reindeer was that the intoxicating compounds in the fungus can be recycled by consuming the urine of an intoxicated person. The effects of consuming this species are exceedingly unpredictable; some people remain unaffected while others have similar, or different, symptoms to those above, and at least one death is attributed to A. muscaria. This unpredictability is due to the fungus containing different amounts of the toxins ibotenic acid and muscimol according to season, method of cooking and ingestion, as well as the subject’s state of mind. Ibotenic acid is mostly concentrated in the coloured skin of the cap. This very unstable compound rapidly degrades on drying to form muscimol which is five to ten times more potent. Traditionally, where A. muscaria is used as an inebriant, it is the dried cap which is taken.
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This strange looking fish is a master ant camouflage. Within a few weeks it can completely change its color to match its surroundings. The frogfish’s illicium rod (front most dorsal fin spine) is topped with worm-like lure appendages that can regenerate if lost. It sits very still and twitches its ‘rod and lure’ to attract prey, and then quickly gulps them up. It can swallow something almost twice its own size. (FloridaMuseum) Anilao, Philippines
A couple of twitchers sitting on the shingle mound looking out to sea at Dungeness. Clearly it was a good for bird spotters, as well as Anglers, walkers and families.
I have posted this owing to the deep shadow effect on the two twitchers, and the amazing effect in the sky, which is natural, and just post processed to stand out.
Shot on Leica X, post processed in Luminar.
Euasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) Portugal 8507
A bizarre and unmistakable small grey woodpecker. Note broad black stripe down middle of crown and back. Cryptic plumage and sluggish habits make it easily overlooked.
Favours open country with scattered trees, orchards, farmland; nests in tree cavities. Feeds mostly on the ground, probing with its long tongue for ants; hops with deliberate, rather jerky motions, often twitching its tail and turning its head.
Song is a rising series of high, piercing notes, similar to that of a falcon.
A trio of Mute Swans bobbing along the River Thames at Lechlade. The sunrise was a beautiful sight, with plenty of mist rising from the water. When you witness something like this in the morning, it really does start the day right!
Canon EOS 5D Mark III|24-105mm L|Lee Grad Filters
I've been teaching Poppy photography, take a look at her Flickr.
Arriva Cross Country's (AXC) mid-day service from Plymouth to Edinburgh Waverley passes the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserve at Matford Marshes as it races north towards Exeter led by HST power car #43301 on a bitterly cold early afternoon of Thursday the 8th of December 2022.
D'Arnaud's barbet is a small East African bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds.
It grows to about eight inches, and is equally at home in trees or on the ground. A vertical tunnel two to three feet into the ground with a sideways and upward turn leads to the nest chamber.
In a striking dance the male and female face each on nearby twigs and twitch, bob and sing like mechanical toys.
This was what all the fuss was about. Top of the fantasy wishlist of every twitcher in Britain, an accessible bird on the mainland was found by a dedicated local birder in the village of Easington a couple of miles North of Spurn Point, hot on the heels of a bird found on Shetland, its first day attracted an estimated 1200 birders. A local farmer set aside a field to accommodate the excess of vehicles and to alleviate congestion in the small village. Police patrols were stepped up and minor roads were closed to vehicles.
The bird spent a week feeding in this clearing taking tiny caterpillars, moving around furtively much like a common or garden Dunnock, oblivious to all the fuss it had created.
The last post from my 'misty morning in Devon' series. This is a bird watchers hut in the middle of a small lake.
I have decided during December to Post 2 Pics a day that have not been seen on Flickr for at least 5 years. That allows me to have an "Easy Month"......it also gives some of the "Older Stuff" a bit of an "airing"...…..Hope you like them.
At the moment...….there are some pics that are already accessible "for the public" posted here...…...but the majority are still marked "Private" and will be released when the time comes
So here I was............?
Sober.
And in my sobriety I decided to do a bit of Bird watching.
No patient reader, I wasn't watching the "birds" I used to watch as a younger man....but the variety that has wings (and that can get away from me just as quickly...I might add)
So where was I?.
Oh yes..so I was doing a little vogel watching in the Albufera(don't ask!!!!)....and how bloody boring is that ?...I can tell you....!!!!
Now the little bastards are not that stupid, they knew I was there before I did.......!!!!
Anyway......the squadrons all took off at the same time(what a racket they made I can tell you too......
So I waited and waited and waited in this little shed for the little buggers to return.......but only the stupid ones returned.
So I took this snap quickly and made a quick retreat to the pub.
A twitcher is someone who sets out to see as many different bird species as possible. In this cat's case, I think any bird will do, common or rare. As long as it has feathers and flies, that will suffice.
Last month I spent a couple of days in Holland. First stop was the lively city of Amsterdam. I loved the city especially at night. Among other things because of this famous spot in the red light district. It's a bit a tricky issue to walk around in the red light district with a camera and tripod, because it's not allowed to take photos of the ladies working there. Some critical glances when they discovered me were priceless. :-) I heard that photographers, whose finger twitched at the wrong place, continued their journey with lighter luggage and that a pimp suddenly held a new camera in his hands.
The final moments of the mating (maybe fighting?!) exercise of this pair. It was an aggressive affair with much of the action underwater.
I snagged this rather minimalist shot of one Grebe controlling the other by the neck.
Thanks for looking!
Do animals dream? This mountain lion eyes twitched as his paws shifted nervously, as if he were chasing some sort of imaginary prey in a dream. So, yes, I think so!
-Also known as a cougar, puma, panther, catamount, painter or mountain lion (Felis concolor), this big cat is recognized by its large size, uniform tan color, and long tail.
Once found across North America, the mountain lion now ranges from the Yukon, throughout the western U.S, and into South America. It still has a greater geographical range than any other New World mammal, partly because it's adaptable to a variety of habitats, from forests to deserts and jungles. -
Source: ZooAmerica
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Scanned Lumen Print.
Oranges and plants from the frozen garden on Ilford Bromide "Special for Carbro" (24x30 cm).
Old school.
Citrus slices appear better on warm tone paper. But here they are anyway, just doing their best.
No fixing or toning.
Walmer.
As it was only a mile or so from home I twitched the barred warbler at Walmer.
When I arrived it was showing well but at a bit of a distance (first shot). A little later it moved closer but remained pretty hidden.
A footpath ran right beside the clump of low scrub/weeds it was in and several people walked within a few yards of it including one who fell over then stood within 3-4 yards of the bird whilst she brushed herself down. I had to leave at 11.30 but I'm not surprised it hasn't been reported since that time given the level of disturbance
The Bewicks Wren is a challenge to photograph as some part of it seems to be always in motion. High contrast conditions do not help but I got a couple of interesting images.
Symonds Yat Rock is home to Peregrine Falcons and Gosshawks among other bird species. It attracts bird watchers from near and far. The Peregrine (known as Duck Hawk in America) is the fastest animal on Earth, the highest measured speed in a dive being 242mph (389kph).