Not liked by the average person but some species of blow fly can help forensic scientise pin down the time of death of a body by looking at the size of the maggots. Some species can live for several months or even a year if overwintering. Here you can see the extended mouth part called the pseudo trachea and at the end what looks a bit like a mop is a device that consist of many tubes. Through these tubes the fly will gulp its stomach contents over the food to help digest and turn the food into a liquid to be swallowed up. Which reminds me where did I put my last large slice of Victoria Sponge as I'm very hungry now !

The average weight of the Eurasian Wren is 9 g.

EM112956

(Yuhina flavicollis)

Mandal

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 Zosteropidae (Zosteropídeos) (10)

- All the photos for this species Yuhina flavicollis (2)

- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/08 (16)

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The first of only two supermoon of 2021 climbed out of the thick cloud and made its first appearance...

Some nerd facts:

"The April full moon will be about 222,064 miles (357,378 kilometers) away from Earth, that is about 8% closer than the distance of an average full moon (240,000 miles or 384,400 km).

April full moon is also called the Pink Moon, but it has nothing to do with its color. It's named after the herb pink moss, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox, which is one of the earliest spring flowers appearing in the United States."

Have a happy day!!!

At 9 am, the sky had partly cleared up and the sun had melted most of the fresh snow covering the red mountains bordering Laguna Lejia's northwestern shores.

The highest red mountains are Cerro Lámpara (in the center, 5198 m) and Cerro Corona (behind it to the left, 5291 m).

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).

#308 in Explore on Apr 22, 2023.

© 2021 Jacques de Selliers. All rights reserved.

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

Photo ref: j8e_29280-ps2-Atacama

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

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

.

Uhu (Bubo bubo) - Eurasian eagle-owl

2-day trip.

Lake Ladoga. Islands.

(The northern part of the lake)

The lake has an average surface area of 17,891 km² (excluding the islands). Its north-to-south length is 219 km and its average width is 83 km; the average depth is 51 m, although it reaches a maximum of 230 m in the north-western part. Basin area: 276,000 km², volume: 837 km³. There are around 660 islands, with a total area of about 435 km².

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Thanks to everyone for your visit, kind comments and faves! :-)

Much appreciated!

Have a nice day! :-)

The tortoises are herbivores that consume a diet of cacti, grasses, leaves, lichens, berries, melons, oranges, and milkweed. They have been documented feeding on Hippomane mancinella ('poison apple'), the endemic guava Psidium galapageium, the water fern Azolla microphylla, and the bromeliad Tillandsia insularis. Juvenile tortoises eat an average of 16.7% of their own body weight in dry matter per day, with a digestive efficiency roughly equal to that of hindgut-fermenting herbivorous mammals such as horses and rhinos.

Tortoises acquire most of their moisture from the dew and sap in vegetation (particularly the Opuntia cactus); therefore, they can survive longer than 6 months without water. They can endure up to a year when deprived of all food and water, surviving by breaking down their body fat to produce water as a byproduct. Tortoises also have very slow metabolisms. When thirsty, they may drink large quantities of water very quickly, storing it in their bladders and the "root of the neck" (the pericardium), both of which served to make them useful water sources on ships. On arid islands, tortoises lick morning dew from boulders, and the repeated action over many generations has formed half-sphere depressions in the rock.

This hoary marmot trio really liked each other, snuggling close and tight. Was rather endearing watching them.

"The word "hoary" refers to the silver-gray fur on their shoulders and upper back; the remainder of the upper parts have drab- or reddish-brown fur.

The marmots hibernate seven to eight months a year in burrows they excavate in the soil, often among or under boulders. Each colony typically maintains a single hibernaculum and a number of smaller burrows, used for sleeping and refuge from predators. Each colony digs an average of five such burrows a year, and a mature colony may have over a hundred. Sleeping burrows and hibernacula are larger and more complex, with multiple entrances, deep chambers lined with plant material, and stretching to a depth of about 3.5 metres (11 ft). A colony may have up to 9 regular sleeping burrows, in addition to the larger hibernaculum." Wikipedia

Enjoy a wonderful weekend,

Akeley Hall of African Mammals.

The gemsbok, gemsbuck or South African oryx (Oryx gazella) is a large antelope in the genus Oryx. It is native to the arid regions of Southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert. Some authorities formerly included the East African oryx as a subspecies.

The gemsbok is depicted on the coat of arms of Namibia, where the current population of the species is estimated at 373,000 individuals.

Gemsbok are the largest species in the genus Oryx. They stand about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) at the shoulder. The body length can vary from 190 to 240 cm (75 to 94 in) and the tail measures 45 to 90 cm (18 to 35 in). Male gemsbok can weigh between 180 and 240 kg (400 and 530 lb), while females weigh 100–210 kg (220–460 lb).

Gemsbok are widely hunted for their spectacular horns that average 85 cm (33 in) in length.

***

In 1969, the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish decided to introduce gemsbok to the Tularosa Basin in the United States. Ninety-three were released from 1969 to 1977, with the current population estimated to be around 3,000 specimens. They thrive because their natural predators, including the lion, are not present.

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

Its difficult to gauge how large and powerful these strikes are, but here are some statistics.

According to this website www.weatherimagery.com/blog/lightning-facts/

(which cites the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service as its primary source):

The average lightning bolt is up to 6 miles long.

Lightning bolts can reach temperatures as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,760 Celsius). Which is approximately 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

A lightning bolt can range between 1 million to 1 billion volts.

Hudson, Florida

(Cinclus pallasii)

Mandal

Uttarakhand

Índia

==================***==================

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 Cinclidae (Cinclídeos) (5)

- All the photos for this species Cinclus pallasii (2)

- All the photos taken this day 2023/03/07 (21)

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

✔ FashionNatic : Reagan Set – Maitreya- Lara Petite- Legacy – Kupra Marketplace

Blog / Credits

Interestingly, the feathers around the beak are drawn forward signifying a relaxed state. A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the order Psittaciformes. The family has a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia. Cockatoos are recognisable by the prominent crests and curved bills. Their plumage is generally less colourful than that of other parrots, being mainly white, grey or black and often with coloured features in the crest, cheeks or tail. On average they are larger than other parrots; however, the cockatiel, the smallest cockatoo species, is a small bird. Cockatoos prefer to eat seeds, tubers, corms, fruit, flowers and insects. They often feed in large flocks, particularly when ground-feeding. Cockatoos are monogamous and nest in tree hollows. Some cockatoo species have been adversely affected by habitat loss, particularly from a shortage of suitable nesting hollows after large mature trees are cleared; conversely, some species have adapted well to human changes and are considered agricultural pests. 62529

Even with the weather being quite a bit warmer than average (we’ve only dipped below 50 a few times so far!), the skies are still staying pretty overcast, as they tend to do this time of year.

Whenever we take a walk or hike in Kohler Andrae State Park, we usually stop to admire the lake for at least a little while. Too many things are taken for granted and we don’t want living by this wonder to be one of them.

18-march-2022: the perpetual alternation between low and high tide, more marked precisely in this area where the tidal masses are channeled along the entire narrow Adriatic Sea, has greater variation in conjunction with the days around the full moon and the new moon.

It is therefore an astronomical phenomenon, but that Weather Patterns can alter, even massively.

In "my area", for most of the winter and with a peak in March, there were numerous extreme low tides and minimal high tides, this due to the over 1040hpas of adiabatic pressure and the continuous currents prevailing from the East or North-East.

So, every +1hpas over the terrestrial average pressure (gravity) value of 1013hpas corresponds to 1cm less in the level of that sea placed under the adiabatic pressure of the anticyclone and obviously vice versa in case of decreasing pressure.

The north-eastern currents tend to move the water masses towards the West and then towards the South following the anti-clockwise current that goes up the Adriatic along the Dalmatian coast and descends it from the Italian side.

All these factors "empty" the Gulf of Trieste which is also the Northernmost Spot of the entire Mediterranean Sea!

The exact opposite occurs with Low Pressure and the activation of persistent "long currents" from the South or South/East, in which cases not only Venice ends up under the surface of the Northern Adriatic Sea.

HFF!

Captain Gene is out of Rockport, Texas. I researched it as much as possible but ran into a dead in when I found that Gene died in 2011. But, you can see, next to the steps, is a guy holding a kid and getting ready to go aboard. They were both staring at me like they have never seen someone with a camera.

Anyway, here's all I found:

Dimensions

Capt Gene is 61.6 feet in length, which is slightly shorter than the average for all Passenger (Inspected) Barges. It is 5.8 feet in depth, which is average for all Passenger (Inspected) Barges.

Volume

Capt Gene's gross tonnage is 66, which is average for all Passenger (Inspected) Barges. It's net tonnage is 45, which is 29% smaller than the average for all Passenger (Inspected) Barges.

(Hydrornis cyaneus)

Di Linh

Vietname

The Blue Pitta, despite not being endemic to Vietnam, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful bird species out there. It was one of our top priorities to capture a stunning photograph of this amazing bird. However, we soon discovered that it was one of the most challenging subjects to photograph, especially the male, which was incredibly difficult to spot, unlike the female that made several appearances.

It was interesting to observe that the Blue Pitta and the Bar-bellied Pitta, both males and females, foraged in distinct geographic areas, albeit not too far from each other.

We spent two mornings in a hide waiting for the male to show up. However, the activity level was weak and disappointing in this particular hide.

On the second session, although he was present, he never revealed himself out of the dense vegetation.

During the first session, he was wary and always stayed behind some fallen trunks, exposing only a fraction of his body.

We waited patiently, and when he finally exposed himself, the lighting conditions were at their worst, making it an extremely challenging task. It is also evident, from the photo, that the orientation of the hides did not take into account the trajectory of the sun! I suppose, and I am almost certain, that most of the time photography is done without direct sunlight!

For me it was very interesting to learn that shooting in (sub)tropical forests requires a different approach. The absence of direct sunlight is preferred, as the intense contrast and glare of the leaves can often cause more harm than good. This was unusual for me, having learned that the best shots (at least in Portugal) are taken with direct sunlight on the birds (at golden hour). However, in tropical forests, such type of light can create sharp contrasts and exaggerate shadows, making it difficult to capture the perfect shot.

==================***==================

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)

- All the photos for this order PASSERIFORMES (3553)

- All the photos for this family Pittidae (Pitídeos) (28)

- All the photos for this species Hydrornis cyaneus (8)

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

==================***==================

Moon canyon, Kazakhstan

Melittis melissophyllum (Lamiaceae) 126 23

Melittis melissophyllum is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Melittis.

It is native to central and southern Europe from the British Isles + Portugal east to Turkey + Ukraine + the Baltic States.

The plant grows in shady deciduous woods, often with oak, beech, and chestnut. It can also be found among pines and junipers. It is common at altitudes of 0–1,400 meters above sea level.

Melittis melissophyllum reaches on average 30–50 centimeters in height. It is a strongly aromatic plant with erect hairy stems. This species is quite variable in the shape of leaves and colors. The leaves reach 5–9 centimeters in length. They are oval, bluntly-toothed, and quite hairy. They have a short petiole and are in opposite pairs up the stems. The inflorescence is composed of large pedunculated lowers (two to six, or more) growing in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are labiate, arranged in pairs, and one-sided (all flowers "look" simultaneously). They are usually white or pale pink with a large pinkish-purple blotch on the lower lip. The flowering period extends from May through August.

Source: Wikipedia.

Thank you very much for the visits, faves and comments. Cheers.

Splendid Fairy-wren

Scientific Name: Malurus splendens

Description: The breeding plumage of the male is predominantly blue, varying from cobalt-blue in the east of its range to violet-blue in the west.It has black bands at the base of the tail (absent in the violet-blue birds), across the breast and from the beak, through the eyes to join a band across the back of its neck. Its crown and cheek patches are paler blue. Wings and long tail are brown with a blue wash. His beak is black and his legs and feet are brown-grey. In non-breeding plumage, called eclipse, he is very similar to the female, being pale brown above and buff to white underneath although he retains the blue wash on wings and tail. The female does not have the blue wash on her wings, but does have a reddish-tan line from beak to eye that extends into a ring around her eye. Her beak is reddish-tan.

Similar species: The male in breeding plumage is quite distinct but in eclipse he is similar to the males of other fairy-wrens in eclipse. A faint wash of blue on male wings during eclipse distinguishes this species from others. The female is similar to females of other fairy-wren species, but has a bluer tail than most.

Distribution: These birds are widely distributed across Australia in two areas. One area is from about Shark Bay south through WA, through SA except the coast to about the Flinders Ranges and the southern and central parts of NT. The eastern area include SA from the Flinders Ranges, the far north-western tip of Vic, NSW east to about Moree and Balranald and south central Qld.

Habitat: These birds live in arid to semi-arid areas, in mostly dense shrublands or woodlands of acacia, and mallee eucalypt with dense shrubs.

Seasonal movements: These birds are mostly sedentary, defending a territory all year, but the younger females may disperse to another territory. In some areas they are semi-nomadic, depending on local conditions.

Feeding: Like most of the fairy-wrens, Splendid Fairy-wrens eat mostly insects and forage on both the ground and in shrubs. They live in groups which forage together.

Breeding: The Splendid Fairy-wren female builds an oval domed nest of dry grass, strips of bark and rootlets, with an entrance two thirds of the way up one side. The female is the only member of the group to incubate the eggs, but all members of the group feed the chicks.

Calls: A rapid series of slightly metallic, high-pitched pips that blend into an "undulating" call.

Minimum Size: 12cm

Maximum Size: 14cm

Average size: 13cm

Average weight: 9g

Breeding season: mostly September-December, but can extend from August to April

Clutch Size: 2 to 4, mostly 3

Incubation: 15 days

Nestling Period: 11 days

(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)

© Chris Burns 2022

__________________________________________

All rights reserved.

This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded,

displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic,

mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

ice Storm, Ellenville, NY.

Another late evening shot from Ivinghoe Beacon. Loads about at the moment including more small coppers than I have seen there in a long time.

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

It snowed on and off all day today; at times I couldn't see two meters ahead of me. We've had it unconventionally well this year that many were surprised at the above-average temperatures and little snow. Well, here it all comes in a package: snow, wind, snow, wind, and chill, chill, chill. We're expecting a -39 with wind-chill effects in some areas around us (Southwestern Ontario). Still, not complaints. The kids are having the time of their lives and are enjoying every inch of snow... Wish you all a warm weekend! Stay warm...

The Brodten cliff is a so-called active cliff, which recedes by an average of around 50 to 100 cm per year due to the influence of the Baltic Sea. The demolition occurs mostly in the winter months due to the impact of waves during storms and after heavy rains due to the sliding of parts of the cliffs when they are destabilized by the water escaping from individual layers.

Ludwig Erhard Haus

Berlin

Architect: Sir Nicholas Grimshaw

"There are many places in Berlin, which are almost unknown, because the average tourist won't visit them.

Most of them are symbols of the ambitious construction programs initiated by the government of the reunified Germany in order to give to the city a new distinctive character and to launch Berlin into the third millennium.

The Ludwig Erhard Haus is a unusual and futuristic building located in the borough of Charlottenburg, just a few meters from the famous Zoolisches Garden and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

It was designed by the English architect Nicholas Grimshaw in 1994.

Fifteen tremendous arches create the building’s signature ribbed structure that adapts to the slight curve in the irregular property at its base.

The Ludwid Erhard Haus was designed as a service center for the Chamber of Commerce and the Berlin Stock Exchange and it hosts many public and private offices as well as fairs, conferences and forums

Today, a vertical facade on the side of the building facing the Fasanen Strasse hides the actual round form of the structure. Due to his external structure, Berliners call the building "armadillo"."

www.digitaljournal.com

673 frames averaged over 30s

(Struthio camelus)

Tarangire NP

Tanzânia

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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 Tanzânia (2025) (377)

- All the photos for this order STRUTHIONIFORMES (6)

- All the photos for this family Struthionidae (Estrutionídeos) (6)

- All the photos for this species Struthio camelus (6)

- All the photos taken this day 2025/05/02 (70)

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CATALÀ

Astrantia major és una espècie de planta apiàcia. És una planta herbàcia i perenne amb un rizoma. Família Apiaceae.

Astrantia major arriba a fer 60 cm d'alt. La tija és erecta i glabra. Les fulles basals tenen un gran pecíol (10-20 cm). Les fulles caulinars són normalment dues i són sèssils. La umbel·la de 2 a 3 cm. Les flors són petites i blanc-verdoses d'un mmm. Floreix de juny a setembre.

ENGLISH

Astrantia major, the great masterwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to central and eastern Europe. Growing to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) broad, it is an herbaceous perennial, much used in gardens.

Astrantia major reaches on average 60 centimetres (24 in) of height. The stem is erect and glabrous, with little branches and few leaves. The basal leaves have a long petiole 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in), 3 to 7 lobes and toothed segments. Size: 8–15 centimetres (3.1–5.9 in). The cauline leaves are generally two, sessile, amplexicaul and lanceolate-shaped with a trilobed apex. The inflorescence is umbrella-shaped, with 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.18 in) of diameter. The floral bracts are numerous (10 - 20), 10–18 millimetres (0.39–0.71 in) long, reddish (sometimes white) with acuminate apex. The small flowers are greenish-white with reddish shades. The central ones are hermaphrodite, while the external ones are male. The petals are five, white (or slightly reddened), while the stamens are five and much longer. Size of the flowers: about 1 mm. The flowering period extends from June through September.

WIKIPEDIA

The Ferruginous Hawk, befitting the second part of its scientific name, is a regal-looking species: large and with a distinctive rufous plumage. The pronounced yellow gape, which persists with adults, is a reliable field mark. This is on average the largest of the buteos, a group of soaring hawks with broad wings. These raptors hunt mainly small mammals. This impressive individual was seen near Tillebrook Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada. The breeding range of these birds (which one gets the feeling are disdainful of humans, or at least aloof toward them) takes in the prairies of Canada and the USA. Some birds move south in winter to the southern USA and northern Mexico.

Lonely girl standing alone on her house

I noticed this pigeon with unusual colours and markings the other day. We’ve had quite a few of them around recently!

Figures from Pixabay ,background room is in Bodie Ghost Town which is my image.All texture and tints done in Nik Efex and Perfect Effects.Thank you.

Average daylight, darktime (colortime)

Last night. 6x10-min. Exp. averaged and merged in-camera with multiple exp. mode. Enhanced in Adobe Lightroom. 14mm Rokinon F/2.8 manual lens. Milky Way is diagonally across frame.

Bioparc, Valencia.

El gorila de montaña es el más grande de los primates, con un peso promedio de 140-180 kg para los machos y 100-130 kg para las hembras. Tienen una franja característica de pelo negro grueso y denso en la cabeza, el cuello y el torso, donde es más largo y se ve como un manto o manchas que pueden llegar a ser plateadas.

Siempre muy agradecido por vuestras visitas, comentarios y favoritas.

Bioparc, Valencia.

The mountain gorilla is the largest of the primates, with an average weight of 140-180 kg for males and 100-130 kg for females. They have a characteristic stripe of thick, dense black hair on the head, neck and torso, where it is longest and looks like a coat or spots that can be silvery.

Always very grateful for your visits, comments and favorites.

Ο Γαλαξίας φωτογραφήθηκε με ISO 3200 και χρόνο έκθεσης 10sec σε 8 συνεχόμενες φωτογραφίες με την μέθοδο του Image Averaging

Longlands Lake is on the site of the former Longlands iron ore mine, which first produced ore in 1879 from four pits. West Cumbria haematite was particularly valued because of its high metal content (51% on average at Longlands). However, by 1924 the mines had been abandoned, and in 1939 the mines started to subside, flooding the area to create what is now Longlands Lake.

Longlands was aquired by Cumbria County Council in 1980, and through sensitive management is now a haven for wildlife of all kinds. The combination of open water, the confluence of the Rivers Ehen and Keekle, herb-rich grassland, gorse scrub and broadleaved woodland invites a broad range of bird species. There is a wide variety of wildflowers, which are at their best in early summer.

Just like the female purple finch yesterday, this lucky little dark-eyed junco enjoyed another balmy November day with temperatures twenty degrees above average in the Driftless Region. Those nice warm temperatures start to tumble tomorrow.

Cooper’s Hawk

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. The birds found east of the Mississippi River tend to be larger on average than the birds found to the west.

For More Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper%27s_hawk

The Cornell Lab: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/id#

(Halcyon cyanoventris)

East Java

Indonésia

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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 Indonésia (2025) (69)

- All the photos for this order CORACIIFORMES (245)

- All the photos for this family Alcedinidae (Alcedinídeos) (97)

- All the photos for this species Halcyon cyanoventris (1)

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