The female Common Kestrel is noticeably larger than the male with an adult weighing around 184 g (6.5 oz) on average. They are small compared with other birds of prey, and with a typical wing span of around 75cm they are roughly the size of a magpie.

As seen here, the Kestrel is a vole specialist, with the field vole accounting for the majority of its diet. It will also take mice and shrews, as well as small birds and occasionally worms and insects. Birds are taken more often in places where voles are scarce, such as in urban areas.

Red Squirrel - Sciurus Vulgaris

Highlands, Scotland.

The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands. The squirrel makes a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, several red squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies within and between sexes; although males are not necessarily dominant to females, the dominant animals tend to be larger and older than subordinate animals, and dominant males tend to have larger home ranges than subordinate males or females.

Red squirrels that survive their first winter have a life expectancy of 3 years. Individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to availability of autumn–winter tree seeds; on average, 75–85% of juveniles die during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.

Although not thought to be under any threat worldwide, the red squirrel has nevertheless drastically reduced in number in the United Kingdom; especially after the grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 1870s. Fewer than 140,000 individuals are thought to be left in 2013; approximately 85% of which are in Scotland, with the Isle of Wight being the largest haven in England. A local charity, the Wight Squirrel Project,[26] supports red squirrel conservation on the island, and islanders are actively recommended to report any invasive greys. The population decrease in Britain is often ascribed to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America, but the loss and fragmentation of its native woodland habitat has also played a role.

In January 1998, eradication of the non-native North American grey squirrel began on the North Wales island of Anglesey. This facilitated the natural recovery of the small remnant red squirrel population. It was followed by the successful reintroduction of the red squirrel into the pine stands of Newborough Forest. Subsequent reintroductions into broadleaved woodland followed and today the island has the single largest red squirrel population in Wales. Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour is also populated exclusively by red rather than grey squirrels (approximately 200 individuals).

The average weight of the Eurasian Wren is 9 g.

EM112956

(Culicicapa ceylonensis)

Di Linh

Vietname

This charming little bird, despite its name, it is not actually a canary or a true flycatcher. It was long classified as a member of the Old World Flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. However, recent genetic analyses have revealed that it actually belongs to a distinct family, Stenostiridae.

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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.

So, you may find:

- All the photos for this trip Vietname (2022) (206)

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- All the photos taken this day 2022/12/13 (30)

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Lake Seliger is located on the Valdai Hills at an altitude of 205 meters above sea level. The coastline is very intricately cut and, for the most part, covered with coniferous and mixed forest. The area of ​​260 square meters. km (Seliger area in the twenty of the largest lakes in Russia), the average depth of 5-6 meters, maximum 24 meters. There are many islands on the lake, mostly small, but there are two large ones, Hachin and Gorodomlya. Lake Seliger has a maximum size of 70 km from north to south and 40 km from east to west. By origin Seliger is a glacial lake formed 70-11 thousand years ago. Not far from here at the village. Volgoverhove. is the source of the Volga River. Seliger has many islands, the largest of them are Hachin and Gorodomlya.

(Lophophanes dichrous)

Chopta

Uttarakhand

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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.

So, you may find:

- All the photos for this trip Índia (2023) (213)

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- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/06 (13)

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The day before our departure from the Vosges, we climbed the Col de la Schlucht from a different direction. We made the trip through the town of Plainfaing. Before arriving at the Col de la Schlucht we had to cross the Col du Bonhomme

Climbing the Col du Bonhomme from Plainfaing is an ascent that is 8.6 kilometers long and spans 418 vertical meters with an average gradient of 4.9%. You have beautiful views at various places during the climb

'Small, average, large...' On White

one day a Dear Friend of mine asked me "a rose a day"...

*********************************************************************************

2 photos stitched

C'est un lac naturel d'origine glaciaire à 2230 m d'altitude. Sa surface est de 43 hectares, la profondeur maximale de 50 m et 25.5 en moyenne. Longueur : 950 m, largeur : 640 m (source : Wikipedia). Les arbres au premier plan sont des mélèzes (Larix decidua).

This is a natural lake of glacial origin at 2230 m alt.. Its surface is 43 hectares, the maximum depth 50 m and 25.5 on average. Length: 950 m width: 640 m (after Wikipedia). Trees in the foreground are European larches (Larix decidua).

Please, have a visit to the" World Scientist's Warning to Humanity" and share the article as widely as possible. Thanks.

(French, Spanish and Portuguese translations are available in the supplementary information file S1 of the original article)

academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/67/12

They are amazing.

At an average altitude of 2,400 meters above sea level.

The approx.490 kms long Manali-Leh highway connects Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh to Leh in the state of Jammu & Kashmir in India.This highway is open for only about 4-5 months of the year from May-June till around mid-October.The average elevation of the highway is over 13000 feet and the highest elevation is at Tanglang la Pass (17480 feet).The highway passes through some spectacular mountain scenery and one can see some amazing rock and sand formations along the way.We must have been at an altitude of around 12000 feet when I took this shot.

Another first find for me - the Eastern Phobe doesn't hang around Iowa to much - except during breeding season. A beautiful little bird about 6" long on average with a plump look!

Happy Fence Friday!

www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/eastern-phoebe

Marie-Claire welcomes the apparition of the sun on the salty shores of Laguna Lejia…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYDrgLRK_p4

Laguna Lejía (Bleach Lagoon) is a salt lake in the Atacama desert.

It is located in the Chilean Altiplano of the Antofagasta Region,

100 km (62 mi) south-east of San Pedro de Atacama,

at an altitude of 4325 m (14,200 ft).

It is shallow and has no outlet, currently covering an area of

nearly 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) with an average depth of 1.2 m (4 ft).

© 2021 Jacques de Selliers. All rights reserved.

For reproduction rights, see www.deselliers.info/en/copyright.htm.

Photo ref: j8e_29238-ps4-Atacama

From 1840 Cononley produced an average of 470 tons of lead ore per year until 1870, when output fell rapidly as the available ore was exhausted and new reserves were not found. The mine closed briefly in the slump of 1872, but reopened with a much smaller workforce before finally closing in 1881. www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/metal/mid-pennine-mines/fsouth/...

The lake is located at the northern end of the endorheic Altiplano basin high in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia. The western part of the lake lies within the Puno Region of Peru, and the eastern side is located in the Bolivian La Paz Department.

The lake consists of two nearly separate subbasins connected by the Strait of Tiquina, which is 800 m (2,620 ft) across at the narrowest point. The larger subbasin, Lago Grande (also called Lago Chucuito), has a mean depth of 135 m (443 ft) and a maximum depth of 284 m (932 ft). The smaller subbasin, Wiñaymarka (also called Lago Pequeño, "little lake"), has a mean depth of 9 m (30 ft) and a maximum depth of 40 m (131 ft).

The overall average depth of the lake is 107 m (351 ft).

Name:

Neither the protohistoric nor prehistoric name for Lake Titicaca is known. Given the various Native American groups that occupied the Lake Titicaca region, it likely lacked a single, commonly accepted name in prehistoric times and at the time the Spaniards arrived.

The terms titi and caca can be translated in multiple ways. In Aymara, titi can be translated as either puma, lead, or a heavy metal. The word caca (kaka) can be translated as white or gray hairs of the head and the term k’ak’a can be translated as either crack or fissure, or alternatively, comb of a bird.

According to Weston La Barre, the Aymara considered in 1948 that the proper name of the lake is titiq’aq’a, which means gray, discolored, lead-colored puma. This phrase refers to the sacred carved rock found on the Island of the Sun. In addition to names including the term titi and/or caca, Lake Titicaca was also known as Chuquivitu in the 16th century. This name can be loosely translated as lance point. This name survives in modern usage in which the large lake is occasionally referred to as Lago Chucuito.

Stanish argues that the logical explanation for the origin of the name Titicaca is a corruption of the term thakhsi cala, which is the 15th- to 16th-century name of the sacred rock on the Island of the Sun. Given the lack of a common name for Lake Titicaca in the 16th century, the Spaniards are thought to have used the name of the site of the most important indigenous shrine in the region, thakhsi cala on the Island of the Sun, as the name for the lake. In time and with usage, this name developed into Titicaca.

Locally, the lake goes by several names. The small lake to the south is called Huiñamarca. The large lake also is occasionally referred to as Lago Mayor, and the small lake as Lago Menor. In addition, the southeast quarter of the lake is separate from the main body (connected only by the Strait of Tiquina), and the Bolivians call it Lago Huiñaymarca (also Wiñay Marka, which in Aymara means the Eternal City) and the larger part Lago Chucuito. In Peru, these smaller and larger parts are referred to as Lago Pequeño and Lago Grande, respectively.

Red-footed Falcon,The average number of recorded birds yearly in the UK is less than 15 (BTO) a globally declining population its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory bird wintering in Africa found in eastern Europe and Asia in the summertime.

This beautiful raptor visited Dengemarsh and was feeding on dragon flies with a group of Hobbies. Watching it hunt is amazing so fast and agile making the most incredible turns and dives it can hover like a Kestrel and in the company of the Hobbies there was little competition although it is about the same size and shape at a glance as the Hobbies

In camera stack of 9 exposures

(9 Multiple Exposures with average setting)

(Lophophorus impejanus)

Chopta

Uttarakhand

Índia

Right on our first day in Chopa, early in the morning, we saw a group of three females right by the roadside, completely imperturbable by our presence. We got as close as a few meters from them, took hundreds of photos, and then went in search of the male(s), while they continued to foraging undisturbed by the presence of humans.

I don't remember seeing, in general, birds so confident in any other place we have been, except perhaps in The Gambia.

Of course, in Central/South America, at feeding stations, birds also do not fear humans, and in some cases (e.g., Trilha dos Tucanos in Brazil), they even land on our hands. However, we are talking about a handful of species (hummingbirds, tanagers) accustomed to humans at very specific locations.

Here, especially in Chopta, just like in The Gambia, birds seem not to be (systematically) persecuted by humans and therefore do not maintain a large safety distance as usual.

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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.

So, you may find:

- All the photos for this trip Índia (2023) (213)

- All the photos for this order GALLIFORMES (136)

- All the photos for this family Phasianidae (Fasianídeos) (99)

- All the photos for this species Lophophorus impejanus (8)

- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/04 (19)

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After days of above average temps and the elimination of the accumulated snow, yesterday afternoon brought about 4" of fresh winter, an unhappy surprise for the flocks of ground-feeding juncos and song sparrows who had just arrived that morning.

✔ no match: NO MESSAGE , rigged mesh , 2 styles Store / Marketplace

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my colour palette!

shot by KHWD, lake geneva, on our way across the border to geneva in switzerland

want to see more images or read the blog?

www.motorhome-travels.net/post/blog-71-french-holiday-2014

Lake Geneva, known as Lac Léman in French, is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. It is located on the border between Switzerland and France, surrounded by the stunning Alps and Jura mountains1. The lake is crescent-shaped, with the longer northern shore in Switzerland and the southern shore in France.

Here are some interesting facts about Lac Léman:

Size: It spans about 73 km (45 mi) in length and 14 km (8.7 mi) in width.

Depth: The average depth is 154.4 meters, with the deepest point reaching 310 meters.

Water Source: The main source of the lake is the Rhône River, which enters near Villeneuve and exits in Geneva.

Scenic Views: The lake offers spectacular vistas, especially from the northern side towards the south and far west, where the Alpine mountains are close to the shores.

It's a popular destination for tourists, offering activities like boating, hiking, and wine tasting in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed vineyards of Lavaux

(Picus squamatus)

Chopta

Uttarakhand

Índia

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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.

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- All the photos for this family Picidae (Picídeos) (87)

- All the photos for this species Picus squamatus (2)

- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/04 (19)

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ISO 500

26 mm

S10 - full auto mode

low light scenery

-

Brightness Value - 1.15

Exposure Bias - 0 EV

Max Aperture Value - 2.4

Metering Mode - Center-weighted average

vom Muttertags Strauß für Karin

* This might have been posted in December, but there was not space . The Go-Away bird was a constant sound in our campsite in the Selenkay Conservancy within Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

This species averages 20" in length. Its long, pointed grey and black tail with a white median band is characteristic of the species. It has a white under-wing patch, visible in flight. The adult has a grey head and leading to a dark grey to blackish pointed crest with an approximate length of 6 cm. The belly and under-tail coverts are white, giving the bird the first part of its name "white-bellied".

Typical calls are a nasal haa-haa-haa, like the bleating of a sheep, and a single or repeated gwa (or g'away). This distinctive call is where the bird gets the latter part of its name "go-away". It flies from tree to tree in loose, straggling groups, calling loudly.

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The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. Red-shouldered hawks are permanent residents throughout most of their range, though northern birds do migrate, mostly to central Mexico. The main conservation threat to the widespread species is deforestation.

Males are 38 to 58 cm (15 to 23 in) long and weigh on average 550 g (1.21 lb). Females are slightly larger at 47 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in) in length and a mean weight of 700 g (1.5 lb). The wingspan can range from 90 to 127 cm (35 to 50 in). Adult birds can vary in mass from 460 to 930 g (1.01 to 2.05 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing bone is 28–35 cm (11–14 in) long, the tail is 16–24 cm (6.3–9.4 in) long and the tarsus is 7.5–9 cm (3.0–3.5 in).[6] Adults have brownish heads, reddish chests, and pale bellies with reddish bars. Their tails, which are quite long by Buteo standards, are marked with narrow white bars. Red "shoulders" are visible when the birds are perched. These hawks' upper parts are dark with pale spots and they have long yellow legs. Western birds may appear more red, while Florida birds are generally paler. The wings of adults are more heavily barred on the upper side. Juvenile red-shouldered hawks are most likely to be confused with juvenile broad-winged hawks, but can be distinguished by their long tails, crescent-like wing markings, and a more flapping, Accipiter-like flight style. In direct comparison, it is typically larger and longer proportioned than the Broad-wing, though is slightly smaller and more slender than most other common North American Buteos. This bird is sometimes also confused with the widespread red-tailed hawk. That species is larger and bulkier, with more even-sized, broad wings and is paler underneath, with a reddish tail often apparent. The Red-tail is also more likely to soar steadily, with wings in a slight dihedral.

Los Angeles. California.

25-March-2022: this is its average flow rate in the last 11 months, further decreasing in a sub-desert context, where the large basin of the former Lake has only this stream and the embanked pond on the other side of the polje, as you will see in the next photos that I am almost forced to post as a lover of nature in all its forms and even suffering can be fascinating, but it would be better for a short time.

Certainly it should not be ignored!

This vintage Catapiller sits on display at the Guy Goodwin Education Center in Carrizo Plain National Monument, San Luis Obispo County, California. Cattle were brought to the grasslands of the Carrizo Plain by the early 1850s. The next big change came when dryland grain farmers started homesteading in the valley. Eventually vast amounts of the grassland was put to the plow. The farm work was orignally all done with horse drawn euipment but eventually tractors like this one did the heavy work. The Carrizo Plain gets only 8 to 10 inches of rainfall a year on average but the amount during any given year can be highly unpredictable. The risk of crop failure due to insufficient moisture became to great and most of the farming efforts were abandoned. In the last few decades many of the homesteads were bought and became part of the National Monument which is administered by the BLM.

Kousa Dogwood berries are small fruits, averaging 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter, and have a uniform, globular, to slightly oval shape. The fruits are a type of drupe, comprised of 20 to 40 individual carpels that fuse to form a spherical appearance and are connected to slender, elongated, and fibrous light brown-green stems averaging 7 to 10 centimeters in length. The fruit's skin is semi-thick, rough, and taut, covered in small bumps, creating a pointed, ridged appearance. The surface also ripens from green to orange-red or red-purple and has a gritty and grainy feel with a bitter, astringent taste, making it somewhat unpleasant to consume. Underneath the skin, the bright orange-yellow flesh has a slippery, lightly mealy, sticky, custard-like consistency. The solid, pulpy flesh also encases a few to many small seeds that should be discarded when eaten.

Select Kousa Dogwood berries that are bright red and feel soft to the touch. The fruits should be slightly squishy, which signifies that the flesh has converted most of its starch into sugars for a sweeter eating experience. Ripe Kousa Dogwood berries are consumed for their flesh, discarding the skin and seeds. The flesh has a sweet, tropical, and earthy taste with a unique blend of pumpkin, mango, and persimmon-like nuances. Kousa Dogwood berries are available in the late summer through fall.

Kousa Dogwood berries, botanically classified as Cornus kousa, are the fruits of a deciduous flowering tree belonging to the Cornaceae family. [...]. Kousa is derived from the Hakone dialect on Honshu Island in Japan, where the fruiting dogwood tree was once called "Kusa," eventually being altered to "Kousa." The Asian varieties are also known as Japanese dogwood, Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, and Japanese Flowering dogwood. [...].

Kousa Dogwood berries are a source of calcium to build strong bones and teeth and carotene to produce vitamin A in the body.[...]. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the fruits are used as an anti-inflammatory, an aid to cleanse the liver, and as an ingredient to help improve energy levels.

specialtyproduce.com/produce/Kousa_Dogwood_Berries_18370.php

The East African Eland, a sub-species of the Common Eland, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. An adult male is around 1.6 metres tall at the shoulder (females are 20 centimetres shorter) and can weigh up to 942 kg. It is the second largest antelope in the world, being slightly smaller on average than the giant eland.

Mainly an herbivore, its diet is primarily grasses and leaves. Common elands form herds of up to 500 animals, but are not territorial. The common eland prefers habitats with a wide variety of flowering plants such as savannah, woodlands, and open and montane grasslands; it avoids dense forests.

The Common Eland is used by humans for leather, meat and milk, and has been domesticated in many areas. Eland milk contains much more butterfat than cow milk, and can keep much longer without pasteurising.

Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. January 2017.

(Hemixos flavala)

Studio Point - Sattal

Uttarakhand

Índia

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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.

So, you may find:

- All the photos for this trip Índia (2023) (213)

- All the photos for this order PASSERIFORMES (3553)

- All the photos for this family Pycnonotidae (Picnonotídeos) (34)

- All the photos for this species Hemixos flavala (1)

- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/11 (28)

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Common kestrels measure 32–39 cm (13–15 in) from head to tail, with a wingspan of 65–82 cm (26–32 in). Females are noticeably larger, with the adult male weighing 136–252 g (4.8–8.9 oz), around 155 g (5.5 oz) on average; the adult female weighs 154–314 g (5.4–11.1 oz), around 184 g (6.5 oz) on average. They are thus small compared with other birds of prey, but larger than most songbirds. Like the other Falco species, they have long wings as well as a distinctive long tail.

Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.

The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage. Kestrels don’t lay all their eggs at once. They lay eggs every few days to increase the chance of at least some of them surviving. It’s the female that

incubates them, while the male brings food. The young can be capable of leaving the nest by the end of summer.

This is your average uncut cooking onion, skin still on.

2972 frames averaged over 3m 1s

Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (M)

(Double click)

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".

This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.

Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.

Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.

Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.

The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.

Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.

Population:

UK breeding:

46,000 pairs

Moon canyon, Kazakhstan

Dactylorhiza sambucina (Orchidaceae) 116 21

The Elder-flowered Orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) is an herbaceous plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae. It is quite common and widespread throughout much of Europe from Portugal east to Finland and Ukraine. The flowers appear in spring and summer, in various colors from yellow to purple.

This orchid reaches on average 10–40 centimeters in height.

The inflorescence is 5–10 centimeters long and it is composed of flowers gathered in a dense spike. The flowers grow in the axils of bracts that are membranous and lanceolate-shaped. The flowers appear from mid-April to early July. Their colors vary from yellow with light reddish stains or purple speckled with darker spots on the labellum.

It prefers fresh or dry meadows (subalpine and alpine grasslands), light woods, and clearings or scrubland.

February 14th

You say you wanna see me

I'm thinking chocolate and flowers

We meet for breakfast

I'm feeling restless

Been gettin' ready for hours

Time to say goodbye to these for another year. The skies seem empty over my house without the screams.

ice Storm, Ellenville, NY.

Devils Lake is a beautiful 23-acre shallow lake located adjacent to Cascades Lakes National Scenic Byway about 30 miles southwest of Bend. The water's exquisite turquoise color and scenic views makes this lake a delightful place to visit for travelers on the Cascade Lakes Highway.

Devils Lake was formed by a lava flow that lies as a mass of jumbled volcanic rock at the lake’s east end. It is a shallow lake with an average depth of just over 3 feet and a maximum depth of 10 feet.

Near emerald-green Devils Lake, a jumble of lava boulders tumbles down from Devils Hill. Archaeologists have found evidence of Native American encampments here, along with pictographs on Devils Hill dating back thousands of years. As NASA readied for its moonlanding missions in the 1960s, astronauts trained in these lunar-esque lava fields. Astronaut James Irwin carried a sliver of rock from Devils Hill on his Apollo 15 mission and left it on the moon. (Taken from Travel Oregon).

I got this shot one week before the road into this area closed for the winter. The lake had started to ice over.

I love see and hear Canada geese. This is 37 of a huge flock that flew in this morning. They certainly woke up the neighbourhood with their honking. Canada geese fly at an average speed of about 40 miles per hour when migrating, but may increase their speed to 70 miles per hour if they catch a strong tailwind. They typically fly at an altitude of 2,000 to 8,000 feet, although pilots have reported sightings of Canada geese at altitudes of up to 9,000 feet. Amazing birds!

Another laying on the banks of Marsworth while passers by point and laugh. This time for out most common duck, the tufty.

In an uncharacteristic stroke of better-than-average luck, I finally catch an eastbound Rock & Rail train at CP RG130 Swallows on UP's (ex-D&RGW) Tennessee Pass subdivision, after many years of infrequent trips to West Pueblo. And, I got the new-paint leader I've only ever seen parked behind the yard "office" in Portland. Guess I've used up all my karma for 2023.

The 401 was reportedly built in 1968 as Penn Central GP40 3128, and repainted from RRRR's older red-yellow scheme in 2021.

[Cameo]: A20 Gaze Tattoo

[Cameo] Mainstore: Teleport

[Animosity]: Dirty Face and Hand BOM

[Animosity] Mainstore: Teleport

[Badwolf]: Tarja Set

available at Sabbath Teleport

[Badwolf] Mainstore: Teleport

[Rezz Room]: German Shepherd

Available at Uber Teleport

[Rezz Room] Mainstore: Teleport

[No Match]: No Average Hair

[TF] Grizzly Body Hair and Scar Vol3.

Above available at TMD Teleport

Taken at Natthimmel Teleport

Lonely girl standing alone on her house