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Hello
Since October I've had very little opportunity to indulge in any transvestite activities whatsoever. By this I don't mean those rare and wonderful moments when I do actively engage in dressing up as a woman but I have not even had much opportunity to go on line and discuss the topic on forums or browse the pictures of other cross-dressers (an activity I always find positive and inspiring).
I am very keen to dress as a woman but as usual I have no opportunity to do so. I found I had a few hours alone today whilst monitoring a job that requires periodic attention and have at last managed to get on line for some Helene time. As a result I cannot resist the indulgence to post another video I made in October as Helene.
I am aware my pictures and videos are barely looked at with very low viewing numbers but I never really expect anyone to look at them anyway. I've always felt the reward was the sheer daring of actually posting a picture or video on a public forum such as Flickr or You Tube. I acknowledge the content of my images and videos is highly personal and offers no insight or interest to other transvestites but as a transvestite who so rarely gets to cross-dress the outlet is important to me personally.
If by chance you are actually reading this then the point I am trying to make is do not be concerned with being popular and avoid the expectation of high views or comments. If you do receive them then that is undeniably nice and a bit of a thrill but I know my pictures and videos are not very good so I never expect others to look at them. As I say the main thing is the personal reward of actually posting publicly. Don't feel disappointment if no-one looks. To have had the nerve and courage to post publicly is, I find, reward enough and brings a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
There are certain T-girls on Flickr and You Tube who always attract a lot of attention and I know some feel disappointed their own pictures do not achieve the same response. This is not something one should feel low about. It's just how it is in all social groups, not everyone is popular and there are always those who are. One should enjoy their own indulgence in cross-dressing and gain from the excitement and contentment it can bring. Posting the picture publicly is a memento to oneself and that I find is truly rewarding. Any views or comments are nice bonus but not something one should place to much emphasis upon.
I acknowledge some transvestites do desire a lot of attention and compliments but that's human and to be expected. Not all of us can look great as women despite our inner desire to look feminine when we cross-dress, we can only try our best and enjoy the experiences. The popular transvestites who do attract attention I personally find to be inspiring in making me try harder in my own meager efforts to look like a woman. They do actually push me to more self reward so I'm pleased they post their pictures.
I am trying to stress that self contentment is more important than popularity. The popular T-girls are fortunate as they physically can look female. As we are men it is difficult for us to look female but the achievements of those who are rightly popular with browsers can aid us to get the most from our own efforts by inspiring and firing our enthusiasm. It's all about enjoying yourself and pushing your boundaries. Flickr has at times been inspiring to me and always gives me renewed enthusiasm to try and improve in my own cross-dressing efforts. We can't all be popular and acknowledging this will lead to more reward and contentment.
Have a great 2012 - Helene x
Just browsing through old photo shoots this evening, and I ran across this one from 2011. A few of us took a photo road trip to Mansfield, OH. Decided to give this one a fresh edit.
I should not be allowed to browse on Rightmove.com, or Globrix, or Gumtree or Redtube.
When animals are caged they develop pacing behaviours. When I am caged in an office, tethered to a desk I develop browsing behavior on the internet for the ideal flat.
I should be blocked from all letting agents’ websites.
I am a heinous, time wasting browser.
I see a flat that I can immediately imagine myself living in; I picture myself slobbing around in dusky pink cashmere pyjamas, trailed by a kindle of kittens. I imagine where exactly I would install my fantasy piece of furniture – a pole dancing pole, flanked by antique Venetian mirrors. I imagine bringing my dream man to this perfect dwelling, plying him with wine, before slowly undressing him and laying kittens nose to tail along his naked body and, like a plate spinner on Paul Daniel’s Magic show trying to keep them all purring simultaneously.
All these thoughts flash through my mind as I stare at a blurred, and badly lit photograph of half a doorway, a 50 quid Ikea wardrobe made of corrugated cardboard and a 3 bar electric fire all at a jaunty angle.
In those 30 seconds of pondering my whole future happiness has become dependent on me living in that flat. Suddenly my life cannot go on until I have arranged a viewing.
I ring up.
I book a viewing.
In the thirty seconds it has taken to do this I have changed my mind.
Suddenly I imagine all of the wine I will no longer be able to afford. The bars I will not be able to go to in order to meet the man who I will spread with kittens. The silk ties I won’t be able to hoard, the amount of cashmere pyjamas I will probably need to be wearing as I won’t be able to afford to put the heating on.
I go to bed as two people, on my left side in a cold sweat that I won’t get to live in that flat, on my right side a cold sweat that I will. I have read the same page of The Shining ten times whilst thinking about sofas and it is the bit where Danny is saying RED RUM a lot – and instead of revelling in the horror I am thinking about evenings spent spinning round a pole to Shakira whilst glugging on cocktails.
This week my perfect property was a live/work studio in a huge industrial warehouse. I spent two hours leading up to the viewing imagining the eclectic, battered furniture, huge unpainted canvases, bare pipes, the dappled light through the gaffer taped windows, the deep-thinking, long eyelash’d artists who I would run into on the rusty iron staircase who are pondering just how much they love kittens and women in gasmasks as they toy with a tiramisu.
As I got to the viewing there were two other couples circling the agent predatorily. We eyed each other suspiciously and growled. We had clearly each been having our very separate, personal fantasises about this apartment, had imagined all of the ways our lives would change once we start flushing the toilet of this place rather than the one we currently flush. It’s like getting a new mobile phone and feeling as if a whole new set of people must surely come as a package with the phone that will text
and phone you and invite you to a whole new world of ring tones and buttons configurations.
I look around the various warehouses and I am starry eyed in wonder and love as if Jeremy Clarkson has just walked up to me and handed me six bunches of supercar keys and said, “Here, have my life, I don’t want it anymore.”
It is as I am leaving the industrial yard that reality hits and I realise that I probably wouldn’t even make it up the three flights of external stairs on my first night without being mugged. And what would I do if I even made it home to this vast empty space? I couldn’t then afford wine or food or friends or clothes.
If I met Jeremy Clarkson he too would probably be a massive waste of money with no heating, a funny damp smell and would threaten to kick my back door in all night.
So every agent who I email should get a warning at the end saying, ‘this applicant is a flippertigibbet, a fantasist’ give her a night to toss and turn over this, there will be no viewing, no kittens.
But it is jolly nice to receive those chummy emails updating you on new properties. It’s as if a very thoughtful friend is writing to you, trying to better you, move you forward in life. It certainly makes a change from reading emails from the health and safety department demanding that I take the temperature of all the toilet bowls in the office and put up signs asking employees not to trim their pubic hair over the sink in the kitchen.
❤Sponsor Grasshopper Street, UNA, ANTAYA, {Fantasy world}, MILKBATH, Raven Bell and Ruxy store.❤
(For the link to work, copy the address and paste it into the address bar of your browser without @.)
➡Grasshopper Street
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gallimaufry/135/165/32
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/282a854c-fa5a-3209-8aea-92ef21ac9482/about
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/grasshopper-st/
In game: 127cd67b-1046-4599-9192-a7f350870d3e Mitra Ardwyad (mitraardwyad)
➡UNA
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Impulse/169/97/22
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/ddfab6d9-b253-a666-cc94-1ae0b02921f7/about
👪Flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/2100229@N24/pool/
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/unadaxterfantasyurban
In game: f8b02444-1079-470a-afb7-29dc0fb71571 Bulbasaur (una.daxter)
➡ANTAYA
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Veles/205/149/21
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/2450fb74-bb65-af3a-e60d-49fdcc211d65/about
👪Flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/4518868@N24/
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/antaya
In game: ffa7c81d-74f5-4c67-8b5e-2b35e7fd93f6 Anna Tison
➡{Fantasy world}
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Tau/112/208/22.
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/cf6fd751-270a-f4db-5eb5-7a8280c731d6/about
👪Flickr: www.flickr.com/groups/14766696@N20/pool/
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/184714631@N02/
www.flickr.com/photos/sindiabulus/
In game: bccaaf5a-e893-4be1-9f11-0dde9ec482f2 xSmitx
➡MILKBATH
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mukti/128/33/955
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/e01226e0-eb1b-b6b4-47f3-96ed2bb5a30d/about
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/185448095@N04/
In game: 2199b42c-463d-44df-83e1-1c9f99213d5a MιƖкƜєєɗ Vση Ɗαєηαι. (milkbath.xoxo)
➡Raven Bell
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Neo Star/27/224/3502
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/5fb8b029-24ef-6fed-2e74-041449af2c29/about
👪Flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/4125811@N22/
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/71086839@N02
In game: bd377bff-6a1d-4fe6-92d4-37c0d2c08d6d Raven Bell
➡Ruxy
🚕Taxi: @maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Summer%20Time/232/243/21
👪Group: secondlife:///app/group/63fd87dd-7fe2-ef22-3ffe-c960a117ff2c/about
👪Flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/1553322@N22/pool/
👲Owner/Creator: www.flickr.com/photos/36849167@N07/
In game: 330abd65-f9d4-4e9c-8d49-d4c251f28375 Rux Anatra
------------😿GIRL WITHOUT A CAT😿:
HEAD:
Hair: .EscalateD. Robyn
Creator: 562b1bf6-d7d1-4629-817e-b787e464f1db Dolphin Ayres www.flickr.com/photos/145948990@N02/
❗Hat: Grasshopper Street Tudor Cap
www.flickr.com/photos/grasshopper-st/53660872663/in/datep...
BODY:
❗Dress: {Fantasy world} Candy (Size for: Legacy, Legacy Perky, reborn, Maitreya) Shown on Maitreya. www.flickr.com/photos/184714631@N02/53166689484/in/datepo...
Tights BoM: EstyssEon -Eon- White (100%) gift
Creator: cf464ab9-d0a2-4601-b6aa-1ef001385318 EonSL (estysseon)
Gloves: *OAL* Gem (Size for: Maitreya, Slink) Shown on Maitreya. www.flickr.com/photos/127853456@N06/50135342377/in/pool-2...
Creator: cef49b41-efd0-4345-99fc-615a6cb16d94 Lark (discovering.destiny) www.flickr.com/groups/2804477@N22/pool/
==============
------------🎩GENTLEMAN WITH A PIPE🎩:
HEAD:
Hat: BONDI . The Gentleman Top Hat www.flickr.com/photos/141375325@N05/49494347851/in/datepo...
Creator: aefeb35b-5266-41b1-ae2e-7ca3144274de Manu Wrydan www.flickr.com/photos/141375325@N05/
BODY:
Gloves: [ContraptioN] Dapper Dandy's www.flickr.com/photos/waltonwainwright/49178027427/
Creator: 93b985da-06bd-43de-885e-65ad75e68eee Walton F. Wainwright (walton.wainwright) www.flickr.com/photos/waltonwainwright/
❗Tailcoat/Breeches: Grasshopper St Incroyable (Size for: Legacy, Belleza Jake, Anatomy) Shown on Legacy m. www.flickr.com/photos/grasshopper-st/53770090448/in/datep...
(❗❗❗ATTENTION❗❗❗You can find this set on Vintage Fair event in June 7th-17th ❗❗❗)
❗Tights BoM: from Grasshopper St Poulaines & Pattens - Male pack. - GHS Full Foot Joined Hose White color www.flickr.com/photos/grasshopper-st/53307131166/in/datep...
==============
------------👥LADY IN BLACK👥:
HEAD:
❗️Hair: Raven Bell - Theodora Hair
www.flickr.com/photos/71086839@N02/51091586445/in/datepos...
❗Hat: Raven Bell - Theodora www.flickr.com/photos/71086839@N02/51076641917/in/datepos...
BODY:
❗Lace gloves - Bom: :: ANTAYA :: www.flickr.com/photos/antaya/53520721258/in/dateposted/
❗Lace cuffs: :: ANTAYA :: "Elise" (Size for: Legacy, Maitreya) Shown on Legacy. www.flickr.com/photos/antaya/51950485106/in/dateposted/
❗Neck decoration: Raven Bell - Lorien Jewelry [Set] www.flickr.com/photos/71086839@N02/52923540570/in/datepos...
❗Dress: Ruxy - Alessandra (Size for: Maitreya, Maitreya Domina, Legacy, Legacy Perky, Legacy Perky Nerido) shown on Legacy. www.flickr.com/photos/36849167@N07/52833204902/in/datepos...
❗Shoulders: [:MILKBATH:] Cupid Sleeves (Size for: Belleza Jake, Legacy f/m, Reborn) Shown on Legacy F. www.flickr.com/photos/185448095@N04/53544380233/in/datepo...
BOM top: ::FLO:: Aedos undershirt with lace collar EvoX
Creator: 1a4ee9f2-e2db-464f-9387-7f3491727c23 Florence (flo.udimo) www.flickr.com/photos/146615922@N06/
==============
------------🙋JUST ME🙋:
HEAD:
❗Hat: Raven Bell - Theodora Veiled (P.S i tint hat in emerald color, in build mode) www.flickr.com/photos/71086839@N02/51137429495/in/datepos...
Hair: TRUTH Poetry flickr.com/photos/truthhawks/49992608087/in/dateposted/
Creator: b0c7db7d-1804-414d-abbb-f61e4c491db0 Truth Hawks flickr.com/photos/truthhawks/
BODY:
Short Gloves: On A Lark *OAL* Bento (Size for: Maitreya, Slink, Fitted) For legacy i use fitted size and off hands in alpha HUD) www.flickr.com/photos/127853456@N06/50060006343/in/pool-2...
Creator: cef49b41-efd0-4345-99fc-615a6cb16d94 Lark (discovering.destiny) www.flickr.com/groups/2804477@N22/pool/
❗Neck decoration: [:MILKBATH:] Draped Pearls 1 (Size for: LegacyF/M, Legacy Vtech, Belleza Jake, Reborn, Reborn Vtech, Reborn Waifu, Reborn Mounds, Reborn Teacups) Shown on Legacy F. www.flickr.com/photos/185448095@N04/53609664226/in/datepo...
BOM Shirt: from -foolish- Set (Shirt3) (P.S tint inemerald color)
Creator: 3f4c62a9-3705-4ce5-bcac-0ca484715f50 MarieMcBeth
❗Dress: UNA. Eloise (Size for: Legacy, Legacy Perky Nerido, Legacy Nerido, Legacy Perky, LaraX, Ebody Reborn, Ebody Juicy) Shown on Legacy. www.flickr.com/photos/unadaxterfantasyurban/53756114074/i...
(❗❗❗ATTENTION❗❗❗You can find this dress at FaMESHed event 1 st till the 27th each month. Opens at 12pm SLT❗❗❗)
==============
------------------------📜LITTLE STORY📜
🎩A gentleman with a pipe🎩: - Have you heard what the papers are saying? The Titanic that everyone had such high hopes for has sunk. The whole thing went under when it collided with a block of ice. I was going to buy us tickets to the Titanic, it's like God took me away.
=
👥Lady in Black👥: - God had nothing to do with it. I told you from the beginning that a huge object like that was dangerous. Imagine how many noble families have been affected? I wonder what will happen in the world now that most of the corporations are without their owners?
=
🎩A gentleman with a pipe🎩: - I heard even before the Titanic was built and all the noble families headed for the voyage on it, a lot of the shares in their companies were bought up by the Rockefellers and the like.
=
👥Lady in Black👥: - I think it was a set-up too, but let's not talk about it in the train restaurant in front of everyone. Honey, what are you standing there for? There's a seat, sit down, have a nice cake and tea with us. We've got a long way to go.
=
🎩A gentleman with a pipe🎩: - One can only hope that the new train we're travelling on doesn't suddenly collide with some moose on the way too and we don't die, haha.
=
👥Lady in Black👥: - Oh my God, stop making jokes like that! Bone jokes don't make me happy.
=
😿Girl without a cat😿: - I don't want to sit with you all! I wanted to be with my cat... I have a grudge against you all!
=
🙋Snow Elf🙋: - So, what, a lot of the food and technology famous industries will now go to the Rockefellers?
=
🎩A gentleman with a pipe🎩: - It appears so. Now they will decide which nations will have the right to a cup of coffee and which ones will drink just dung. I feel we're not going to an industrialised world, but a world of slavery and Satanism.
=
👥Lady in Black👥: - I'm asking you all to stop this conversation! Let's talk about something light and positive.
=
😿Girl without a cat😿: - What's positive without that ginger lump?
=
*Everyone switched to everyday conversations occasionally drinking hot tea and eating a tasty cake, and only the red-haired girl looked out of the train window into the distance, remembering the warmth and softness of the sleepy cat.*
The muntjac deer, Colby and Violet, were excited when their keeper delivered browse. My camera and I were glad to see them so happy.
April 23, 2015 on our trip to the blipmeet at Wanaka, Central Otago in New Zealand. www.polaroidblipfoto.com/browse/me
Late in the day we are back in Cromwell. We are now walking over to taste some wines from the Wooing tree vineyard.
Cromwell is located in the valley of the Upper Clutha, deep in the heart of the dry interior of Central Otago... in a landscape of bare brown hills, of tussock and briar, of purple thyme and tors of schist, of broad basins and fertile valleys, of Lake Dunstan's pristine waters and of gorges carved by two great rivers... a landscape first trodden by the Maori hunter and trader, opened to European settlement by the sheepmen, exploited and transformed by the gold seekers and later by the dam builders... and now home to the merino and deer farmer, to orchards and vineyards, to artists and artisans and to those, tempted by the landscape and history, climate and location and the myriad of pursuits offered on land and water, to visit this 'timeless land'.
For More Info: www.cromwell.org.nz/
I heard the killdeer calling to each other by Boyd Lake in northeastern Colorado, USA, and found this loner doing his stroll and little running spurts on the edge of the water.
I've been seeing Moose in recent trips into Grasslands (the national park on my doorstep). They are nowhere to be found during the hot summer months, when tourists fill the single campground and the noise and activity level predictably rises. In fall and winter, however, I am usually the only human prowling around out there. And I'm quiet. And I have moments like this.
By the second week in October, the rut is over or nearly so. The big bull (in the middle) was sticking close to the cow, browsing on the bushes, when he became very focused on the dense thickets. A moment later, a second, smaller bull appeared. The big guy moved to head him off, keeping his bulk between the smaller moose and the cow. Then, across the field, a second cow showed up with her calf, and the smaller bull decided to check her out - and I shot this frame. For a few moments we had five moose in view. Pretty exciting!
I was accompanied by a friend who shoots video. We had approached the first two moose using available cover. It helped that a river ran between us; the animals probably felt secure behind that barrier. They were aware of us but paid little attention. I was shooting with the Nikon 200-500 mm that morning, and the 36 mp D810 body allowed for a moderate crop with no perceptible falloff in sharpness.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Although a tough winter for our wild game in Idaho, this mule deer seems to be taking it quite well. This is one of the areas IF&G are feeding the animals.
» www.myspace.com/jacktherippermusic
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Notes I didn't know. It was beautiful.
Uploaded with the Flock Browser
Nyala
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.
To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").
The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.
(Wikipedia)
The lowland nyala or simply nyala (Tragelaphus angasii), is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Tragelaphus, previously placed in genus Nyala. It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. The body length is 135–195 cm (53–77 in), and it weighs 55–140 kg (121–309 lb). The coat is maroon or rufous brown in females and juveniles, but grows a dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue, in adult males. Females and young males have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only males have horns, 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. It exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. It is not to be confused with the endangered mountain nyala living in the Bale region of Ethiopia).
The nyala is mainly active in the early morning and the late afternoon. It generally browses during the day if temperatures are 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and during the night in the rainy season. As a herbivore, the nyala feeds upon foliage, fruits and grasses, and requires sufficient fresh water. A shy animal, it prefers water holes rather than open spaces. The nyala does not show signs of territoriality, and individuals' areas can overlap. They are very cautious creatures. They live in single-sex or mixed family groups of up to 10 individuals, but old males live alone. They inhabit thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands. The main predators of the nyala are lion, leopard and African wild dog, while baboons and raptorial birds prey on juveniles. Mating peaks during spring and autumn. Males and females are sexually mature at 18 and 11–12 months of age respectively, though they are socially immature until five years old. After a gestational period of seven months, a single calf is born.
The nyala's range includes Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It has been introduced to Botswana and Namibia, and reintroduced to Eswatini, where it had been extinct since the 1950s. Its population is stable, and it has been listed as of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The principal threats to the species are poaching and habitat loss resulting from human settlement. The males are highly prized as game animals in Africa.
Taxonomy and naming
The nyala was first described by George French Angas, an English naturalist, in 1849. The scientific name of nyala is Tragelaphus angasii. The name angasii is attributed to Angas, who said that John Edward Gray had named this species after Angas' father, George Fife Angas of South Australia. According to Article 50.1.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, though, this is insufficient to state Gray as the author. The name "nyala" is the Tsonga name for this antelope, which is likely the source of the English, along with Zulu inyala. Its first known use was in 1899. The word has a Bantu origin, similar to the Venda word dzì-nyálà (nyala buck).
The nyala is the second taxon to branch off from the tragelaphine family tree just after the lesser kudu. As the nyala line has remained separate for a considerable time (over 5 million years), some authorities have placed it in its own monotypic genus Nyala. Nyala was proposed in 1912 by American zoologist Edmund Heller, who also proposed Ammelaphus for the lesser kudu, but it was not widely recognized. It was re-erected as a valid genus in 2011 under the classification of Peter Grubb and Colin Groves, but has not been embraced by taxonomic authorities such as the Mammal Diversity Database.
In 2005, Sandi Willows-Munro (of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) and colleagues carried out a mitochondrial DNA analysis of the nine Tragelaphus species. Mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA data were compared. The results showed the tribe Tragelaphini to be monophyletic, with the lesser kudu (T. imberbis) basal in the phylogeny, followed by the nyala. On the basis of mitochondrial data, studies have estimated that the lesser kudu separated from its sister clade around 13.7 million years ago. However, nuclear DNA data shows lesser kudu and nyala forming a clade, which collectively separated from the sister clade 13.8 million years ago.
Genetics and evolution
The nyala has 55 male chromosomes and 56 female chromosomes. The Y chromosome has been translocated onto the 14th chromosome, as in other tragelaphids, but no inversion of the Y chromosome occurs. Cranial studies have shown that the mountain nyala and nyala, though sharing a common name, are actually distant relatives.
Fossil evidence suggests that the nyala has been a separate species since the end of the Miocene (5.8 million years ago). Genetic evidence suggests that the proto-nyala had some early hybridization with the proto-lesser kudu, but the two have remained separate long after this crossing.
Physical description
The nyala is a spiral-horned and middle-sized antelope, between a bushbuck and a kudu. It is considered the most sexually dimorphic antelope.[The nyala is typically between 135–195 cm (53–77 in) in head-and-body length. The male stands up to 110 cm (43 in), the female is up to 90 cm (3.0 ft) tall. Males weigh 98–125 kg (216–276 lb), while females weigh 55–68 kg (121–150 lb). Life expectancy of the nyala is about 19 years.
The coat is rusty or rufous brown in females and juveniles. It grows a dark brown or slate grey in adult males, often with a bluish tinge. Females and young males have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Other markings are visible on the face, throat, flanks and thighs. Stripes are very reduced or absent in older males. Both males and females have a white chevron between their eyes, and a 40–55 cm (16–22 in) long bushy tail white underside. Both sexes have a dorsal crest of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail. Males have another line of hair along the midline of their chest and belly.
Only the males have horns. Horns are 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. There are one or two twists.The spoor is similar to that of the bushbuck, but larger. It is 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) long. The feces resemble round to spherical pellets. The nyala has hairy glands on its feet, which leave their scent wherever it walks.
The condition of the nyala often varies between the sexes. According to a study, this can be attributed to the differences in their body sizes. It was noted that during nutritional stress, old adults died in more numbers, of which most were males. During an attempt of blood sampling in the nyala, it was found that Vitamin E levels varied during stress.
Parasites
A study of the helminths from 77 nyalas from four game reserves in Natal revealed the presence of ten nematode species and four nematode genera, a trematode species and paramphistomes (members of superfamily Paramphistomoidea), and two cestode genera. The research discovered new parasites that the nyala was host of - namely a Cooperia rotundispiculum race, Gaigeria pachyscelis, a Gongylonema species, Haemonchus vegliai, Impalaia tuberculata, an Oesophagostomum species, a Setaria species, Trichostrongylus deflexus, Trichostrongylus falculatus, the larval stage of a Taenia species, a Thysaniezia species and Schistosoma mattheei. Ostertagia harrisi and C. rotundispiculum were the most dominant nematodes in the antelope.
Another study of 97 blood samples of South African nyalas revealed the presence of tick-borne hemoparasites (blood parasites). The methods used were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization. The dominant parasites were Theileria species, T. buffeli, T. bicornis, Ehrlichia species, Anaplasma marginale and A. bovis. Ten tick species, two louse species and a louse fly species were recovered in a study of 73 nyalas at Umfolozi, Mkuzi and Ndumu Game Reserves in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal in 1983 and 1984 and an additional six individuals in 1994. It was found that nyalas were hosts to all stages of development in Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and R. muehlensi and the immature stages of Amblyomma hebraeum and Rhipicephalus maculatus. Adult males served hosts to more number of ticks and lice than adult females did. Also, a trypanosome was isolated from a nyala, wild-caught in Mozambique, which was diagnosed and found as akin to Trypanosoma vivax, based on biological, morphological and molecular data.
Diseases
The nyala can also suffer from myopathy. In between January 1973 and June 1981, 21 nyalas succumbed to the disease. The main symptoms were stiffness, inability to rise, and failure to suckle in newborns. Necrosis (that is, the premature death of cells in a living tissue) and mineralization were found in the skeletal muscle after a histological analysis. In the juveniles there was acute necrosis of the cardiac muscle. In adults, there was interstitial fibrosis of the cardiac muscle, along with arteriosclerosis.
In a report published in 1994 entitled "Epidemiological observations on spongiform encephalopathies in captive wild animals in the British Isles", it was noted that spongiform encephalopathy had been diagnosed in one nyala captive in a zoo. The nyala was formerly affected by the disease rinderpest, although the viral disease is considered eradicated now.
Ecology and behavior
he nyala is active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon. It browses during the day if temperatures are 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and during the night in rainy season. These antelopes rest in thick bushes during the hot hours of the day. The nyala is very shy and cautious in nature, and often remains hidden rather than coming out in the open. Most sightings of the nyala in the wild are at water holes. But in protected areas they become less shy and often come out in view of tourists.
Nyala groups are according to sex or mixed. Herds usually browse and drink water together. Each group consists of two to ten individuals. A study in Zinave National Park at Mozambique showed that 67% of the observations were of groups of one to three nyalas, and the rest of the herds consisted of up to 30 nyalas. Herds often broke up and re-formed. Generally adult males remain alone. Females often remain near their mothers when they have their offspring, so the relationships in female herds may be closer than those of males.
Alert and wary in nature, the nyala use a sharp, high, dog-like bark to warn others in a group of danger. This feature is mainly used by females. They also react to the alarm calls of impala, baboon and kudu. The impala has been found to react to the calls of the nyala as well. The main predators of nyala are lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, African wild dog and nile crocodile while baboons and raptorial birds are predators of juveniles.
Diet
As a herbivore, the nyala's diet consists of foliage, fruits, flowers and twigs. During the rainy season they feed upon the fresh grass. They need a regular intake of water, and thus choose places with a water source nearby. However, they are adapted to live in areas with only a seasonal availability of water. A study in Zululand showed that the nyala fed mainly in the early morning and the late afternoon. They feed at night during the rainy season.
A study in Mkhuze Game Reserve and Ndumu Game Reserve in Natal focused on the dietary habits of the impala and the nyala showed that the amount of dicotyledons in their diets varied seasonally. In the dry season, the nyala's dicotyledon diet content was 83.2% and the impala's 52%. In this season, the diet grew richer in fiber and dietary proteins were less. The reverse occurred in the rainy season. As the rainy season arrived, both species took to a diet of mainly monocotyledons, and the impala consumed more of them. The diet contained more proteins than fiber.
Another study was done to find whether the sexual dimorphism in the nyala influenced its foraging habits. Vegetation surveys were conducted with the end of each feeding bout. It was found that females spent equal periods of time foraging in all the three habitats, but males preferred sand forest more. More differences were noted, as males ate woody species at a greater average height whereas females fed from the low herbaceous layer. It was concluded that the differences resulted from varying nutritional and energetic demands according to their diverse body sizes and differing reproductive strategies.
Reproduction
The nyala breeds throughout the year, but mating peaks in spring and autumn. The reason for this is still unknown, but attributed to the photoperiod and the feeding habits of the animal. Females reach sexual maturity at 11 to 12 months of age and males at 18 months (though they are socially immature until five years old), though they begin to show active spermatogenesis at 14 months.
Before ovulation, the Graafian follicles reach a length of at least 6.7 cm (2.6 in). A female's estrous cycle is about 19 days long. Males will attempt to mate with the female for two days of the cycle, but she allows it for only six hours per cycle. When the male enters a females' herd during mating, he makes a display by raising his white dorsal crest, lowering his horns and moving stiffly. As in many other animals, the males fight over dominance during mating.
The kidney fat indices (KFIs) of impalas and nyalas have been studied to understand the influence of social class and reproduction on them. To determine the KFI, the kidney is removed and weighed with the fat and once again excluding the fat. The resultant difference is the amount of fat on the kidney. The more the fat, the healthier the animal. In rut, male nyalas had lower KFIs, which did not vary much with the season. Pregnant females of both nyala and impala had higher KFIs than non-pregnant ones.
There is a significant increase in corpus luteum in the last third of gestation. Gestation is of seven months. A single calf is born, weighing 5 kg (11 lb). Birth takes place generally away from the sight of predators, in places such as a thicket. The calf remains hidden for up to 18 days, and the mother nurses it at regular intervals. The calf remains with its mother until the birth of the next calf, during which males in rut drive it away from the mother.
Habitat and distribution
The nyala inhabits dense lowland woodlands and thickets, mainly in southern Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and eastern South Africa. It chooses places with good quality grasslands as well as provision of fresh water. It also inhabits lush green river country. The nyala's natural range stretches across southeast Africa from the Lower Shire Valley in Malawi through Mozambique and Zimbabwe to eastern South Africa and Eswatini.
The geographic distribution of the nyala may be based on the genetic variation. According to a study of nyala in South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, there was a marked difference in the gene frequencies at three microsatellite loci. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed the presence of a unique haplotype in individuals from each location. Thus, the geographic variation in the nyala may be due to a distribution pattern based on habitat specificity.
Today nyala are found in South African protected areas in the Ndumo Game Reserve, uMkuze Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, all in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as in Kruger National Park. As of 1999, 10–15% of nyala occurred on private land. Efforts are being made to retain the populations of nyala in Gorongosa National Park and Banhine National Park in Mozambique. Nyala also thrive in Lengwe National Park in Malawi.
Nyala have never been observed showing territoriality. Territories of either sex overlap extensively. The home ranges of males are approximately equal to that of females, about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) in area.
Threats and conservation
The major threats to the population of the nyala are poaching, habitat loss, agriculture and cattle grazing. Rinderpest outbreaks have also contributed in population loss. This species is currently of Least Concern, and the population is considered stable by both the IUCN and CITES. As of 1999, the total population of the nyala was around 32,000 individuals. More recent estimates show that South Africa has at least 30,000 nyalas, with 25,000 in KwaZulu-Natal. There are now more than 1,000 on protected areas and ranches in Eswatini. In Mozambique there are not more than 3,000, in Zimbabwe over 1,000, and numbers in Malawi have fallen from 3,000 to about 1,500. Namibia has the smallest population, at about 250.
Today over 80% of the total population is protected in national parks and sanctuaries, mostly in South African protected areas. In South Africa there is a high demand for adult males as game trophies.
(Wikipedia)
Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.
Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.
(Wikipedia)
Der Nyala (Nyala angasii, Syn.: Tragelaphus angasii) ist eine südostafrikanische Antilope aus der Gruppe der Waldböcke. Zur Unterscheidung vom Bergnyala wird er manchmal auch als Flachland-Nyala oder Tiefland-Nyala bezeichnet. Die Bezeichnung Nyala stammt aus dem Swahili.
Der Nyala galt lange als eine der seltensten Antilopenarten. Strenge Schutzmaßnahmen haben dazu beigetragen, dass sich die Bestände wieder erholt haben. Trotzdem zählt der Nyala zu den immer noch sehr wenig erforschten Hornträgern.
Aussehen
Diese Antilopenart erreicht eine Kopfrumpflänge von 140 cm und eine Schulterhöhe von 110 cm. Das Gewicht beträgt 55 bis 125 kg, wobei Männchen deutlich größer und schwerer als Weibchen sind.
Weibchen und Männchen lassen sich vor allem anhand ihrer Körperfärbung unterscheiden: Während die viel größeren männlichen Tiere schiefergrau gefärbt sind und schraubenartig gedrehte Hörner tragen, die mit einer weißen Spitze versehen sind, sind die weiblichen Tiere ebenso wie Jungtiere hornlos und überwiegend rötlichbraun gefärbt. Alle Tiere haben bis zu 18 schmale, weiße Querstreifen. Die Männchen tragen sowohl eine lange, erektile Mähne, die das Rückgrat bedeckt, als auch von der Kehle bis zu den Hinterläufen hängende Bauchmähne. Dieses Merkmal unterscheidet sie von den meisten anderen Antilopenarten. Der buschige Schwanz ist bei beiden Geschlechtern an der Unterseite weiß.
Verbreitung
Nyalas sind in Mosambik, Simbabwe und im äußersten Nordosten Südafrikas verbreitet. Eingeführt wurden sie außerdem in Nationalparks Botswanas und Südafrikas, in denen sie ursprünglich nicht heimisch gewesen waren. Sie leben bevorzugt in dichtem Buschwerk in der Nähe von Wasser. Das Vorkommen ist in den Naturschutzgebieten Hluhluwe/Umfolozi, Mkuzi, Ndumo und Krügerpark bekannt. In den letzten Jahren wurde ebenfalls eine Population im Isimangaliso Park wieder angesiedelt.
Lebensweise
Während Weibchen und Jungtiere kleine Herden bilden, sind die männlichen Tiere Einzelgänger. Die Nyalas ernähren sich vorwiegend von Laub, doch werden gelegentlich auch Gräser gefressen. Zu den Fressfeinden des Nyalas zählt unter anderem der Leopard, dieser hat jedoch keine signifikante Auswirkung auf den Bestand dieser Art.
Fortpflanzung
Nach einer Tragzeit von gut sieben Monaten bringt das Weibchen ein Junges zur Welt. Das Höchstalter der Tiefland-Nyalas liegt bei etwa 16 Jahren.
(Wikipedia)
Actualy, I don't even have one in my room. I prefer spending my time reading, browsing the web or practing some sport or yoga. "I'm not audience for solitude". But I love movies. Indepent and alternative ones, I've got lots of them in DVD.
Since I've taken dozens of shots for week 6, consider this a "week 6 1/2". Credits and mini tutorial on comments. Large on black looks good.
This is specially form my new group: Insolitus Portraiture, a place for exotic portraits. Join us!
Wild deer browsing at the base of the sea dyke near Cushaven-Duhnen (North Sea).
Captured with the old BIGMA lens (Sigma 50-500/f4-6.3) and the Nikon FTZ adaptor.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/minsmere/about.aspx
Minsmere offers families and keen birdwatchers a great day out. Nature trails take you through a variety of habitats to excellent birdwatching hides. In spring, you can watch avocets and marsh harriers, or hear booming bitterns. On the beach, a special area is cordoned off to protect nesting little terns. In autumn and winter, many wading birds and swans, ducks and geese visit the reserve. There is a visitor centre where you can find out more about the wildlife, browse in the shop or enjoy a meal in the tearoom. There are events all year and family explorer backpacks and trail booklets are available.
Opening times
The reserve is open daily during daylight hours. Visitor centre open daily: 9 am - 5 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November - 31 January). Shop open: 10 am - 5 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November to 31 January). Tearoom open: 10 am - 4.30 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November to 31 January); last orders 15 minutes before closing. Hot food served 11.30 am - 2.30 pm. Reserve and visitor centre closed 25 and 26 December.
Entrance charges
RSPB members free. Non members: adults £5, children £1.50, concessions £3, family £10.
If you are new to birdwatching...
There is an extensive programme of guided walks, many of them aimed at beginners. Our guides may be on hand at other times to help visitors in the hides. The birdwatching hides provide excellent opportunities to see birds at close range throughout the year.
Information for families
There are Wildlife Explorer back packs that can be borrowed, free of charge (deposit required). These include an activity booklet, binoculars, bug box, identification charts and books, colouring pencils and much more. There are also free seasonal Discovery Trail guides for families. During the school holidays there are several family activites on the events programme.
Information for dog owners
We are sorry, but no dogs are allowed on the nature trails or in hides, except assistance dogs. There are a limited number of shaded car parking places available for dog owners on a first come, first served basis - please ask at reception on arrival. Dogs are allowed around the visitor centre and car park only. Dogs cannot be taken on guided walks. Dogs are, however, welcome on public rights of way that cross the reserve, including a five mile circuit around the reserve perimeter, but these are not accessible from the main car park. Dogs are also welcome on Open Access land on Westleton Heath, if kept on a lead. A leaflet of walks at Westleton Heath is available from reception.
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Avocet
The famous scrape hosts a large colony of avocets and these can be seen at close quarters from the hides overlooking this impressive man-made wetland from early spring to autumn.
Bearded tit
Bearded tits can be seen flitting over the reeds as you walk along the North Wall, the path along the west side of the scrape and from Island Mere and Bittern Hides all year-round.
Bittern
Minsmere holds a sizeable proportion of the UK population of bitterns. Visit in spring to hear them 'booming' or summer to watch the parents making feeding flights. Bittern Hide and Island Mere Hide offer a great chance of a sighting.
Marsh harrier
The extensive reedbeds play host to several breeding marsh harriers. The elevated Island Mere and Bittern Hides will reward you with excellent views. They can now be seen here throughout the year.
Nightingale
Nightingales can be heard singing in the deciduous woodland in spring. Their performance is best early in the morning or in the evenings - but they do of course sing through the night!
Seasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Avocets return to breed on the Scrape - about 100 pairs nest annually. From mid-April see returning common terns, while wildfowl start to leave in March, and migrant wading birds pass through. Look for marsh harriers displaying over the reedbeds. Minsmere is the best place in Britain to hear booming bitterns. Listen for nightingales singing in the scrub from mid-April, and listen for various other warblers around the reserve. Look for Dartford warblers on the heath, and listen for great spotted woodpeckers drumming. Sand martins return to nest outside the tearoom. Bluebells are in flower in May. Adders emerge from hibernation.
Summer
Look for young avocets, common terns and gulls on the Scrape. The first spotted redshanks, ruffs and other wading birds return from late June. Little terns nest in a specially fenced area on the beach. Young marsh harriers will be flying from late June. Bitterns are easier to see on feeding flights. Look for family parties of bearded tits in the reedbeds. Listen for nightjars and look for glow-worms on the heath at dusk in June and July. Dragonflies and butterflies are easy to see, and the former may attract hunting hobbies. Rare flowers include yellow-horned poppy and sea kale on the beach and marsh mallow around the Scrape. Heather is in full flower on the heath. This is the best time of year to see water voles.
Autumn
Migrant wading birds continue to pass through, including curlew sandpipers, little stints and ruffs. Winter wildfowl return, with teal numbers increasing rapidly. Brent geese move south from late September. The first Bewick's swans arrive in late October. Large starling flocks gather to roost in the reedbeds. Swallows and house martins flock together before departing. Look for bearded tits on calm mornings. The red deer will be rutting on the heath in October. Redwings and fieldfares return and will be feeding on hawthorn berries. Look out for rarities.
Winter
Several hundred wigeons, teals and lapwings will be joined by other wildfowl and wading birds on the Scrape. Look for Bewick's swans and goldeneyes on Island Mere, and white-fronted geese on the Levels. Look for hunting hen and marsh harriers, barn and short-eared owls and peregrines. There's a chance seeing of otters on Island Mere. Look for tit and finch flocks in the woods. Great spotted woodpeckers start drumming on mild days. Red-throated divers and great crested grebes gather offshore. The former can sometimes be well out to sea.
Facilities
Facilities
•Visitor centre
•Information centre
•Car park : Large car park on site. No overnight parking. Parking for two coaches by advance booking only. Bicycle racks outside visitor centre.
•Toilets
•Disabled toilets
•Baby-changing facilities
•Picnic area
•Binocular hire
•Group bookings accepted
•Guided walks available
•Good for walking
•Pushchair friendly
Viewing points
Seven birdwatching hides and a public viewing platform. Four hides and the viewing platform overlook the Scrape. Three of these hides are wheelchair accessible. Two hides overlook the reedbed. One of these is on stilts and accessed via steps. The final hide is in the woodland, and accessed via steps.
Nature trails
Two circular trails, each about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, from the visitor centre. Allow about two hours for each trail. The circuit of the Scrape takes you through scrub, reedbeds, and along the beach. North, West and South Hides and the North Wall viewing platform are fully accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, but East Hide and the public viewing platform are accessed via the beach. The Island Mere circuit takes you through woodland and reedbeds. This route is not wheelchair accessible, although access to Island Mere Hide is possible by parking in a small layby (blue badge holders only) and walking about 300 m to the hide. This path is accessible for wheelchairs with difficulty, except after wet weather.
Tearoom
The tearoom also sells light meals.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Hot meals
•Cold meals
•Snacks
•Confectionery
Shop
Large selection of books, optics, outdoor clothing, bird food and gifts.
The shop stocks:
•Binoculars and telescopes
•Books
•Bird food
•Bird feeders
•Nestboxes
•Outdoor clothing
•Gifts
Educational facilities
Minsmere is an exciting place for young people to learn. We offer a varied programme of educational visits led by experienced field teachers. All activities are linked to the National Curriculum and are fully risk-assessed. Activities for Key Stages 1 and 2 include bird adaptations, food chains, birdwatching, minibeast safari, pond dipping and seaside habitat. Programmes can be tailored to suit particular requirements. Educational visits cost £3 per pupil for a half-day visit (10 am-12.30 pm) or £4 per pupil for a full day (10 am-2.30 pm), and accompanying adults are free. Special programmes can be arranged for secondary schools, including behind the scenes tours with an RSPB warden to look at how the reserve is managed. For further details and booking arrangements, please contact the visitor centre.
Accessibility
Car parking
The car park is accessed via an entrance from Westleton (brown tourist signs from A12). The entrance road is 2 km (1.5 miles) and has several 'sleeping policemen'. The car park is surfaced with rolled limestone and is rough in places. There are six allocated parking spaces on the right. An 80 m sloping path on rolled gravel leads from the allocated parking bays to the visitor centre. Wheelchair users can be dropped off and collected from outside the visitor centre, although caution is needed as delivery vehicles and pedestrians use this area.
Access to visitor centre
An 80 m sloping path on rolled gravel leads from the allocated parking bays to the visitor centre. Alternatively, there are steps from the nearest parking bays, which are 30 m from the visitor centre.
The visitor centre is accessed via double doors into a reception area, which has information and displays about the reserve and is staffed by friendly RSPB volunteers. Chairs are available in the reception area.
Access to the shop is via double doors from reception. Space is limited in places within the shop, light levels are poor in some areas, and some goods are on high shelves. Please ask the staff for assistance if required.
The tearoom is accessed via double doors from the shop. Space is limited within the tearoom, making it difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair. Staff are available to help if required. Additional seating is available outside, including two tables that are fully accessible to wheelchair users. There is a bird feeding station outside the tearoom.
Access from the tearoom to the nature trails is via a short series of steps, or back through the shop and down a gentle ramp.
Toilets
There are unisex adapted toilets and baby changing facilities within the main toilet block and in the shop. The main toilet block is open at all times.
Access to the hides and nature trails
Some nature trails and hides are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and work is continuing to upgrade many of the surfaces. Recent flooding has caused deterioration in the surface of some paths, making wheelchair access more difficult. We are working to improve these routes. There are regular benches on many parts of the trails.
The path from the visitor centre to North Hide is 320 m with a mixture of surfaces including tarmac, boardwalk, rolled gravel and 'natural' surface. This route is level apart from one gentle ramp.There are two benches. North Hide is wheelchair accessible.
North Hide to the beach viewpoint is 660 m of rolled gravel and is fully wheelchair accessible. There are two benches, plus two at the viewpoint.The path from this viewpoint to the sluice, via East Hide and the Public Viewpoint is 965 m along sand and shingle through the dunes so is inaccessible to wheelchair users. There are steps into both East Hide and the Public Viewpoint.
The path from the Visitor Centre to West Hide is 405 m of tarmac and rolled gravel on a level surface. This route is fully wheelchair accessible, although can be muddy after heavy rain. There is one bench on route. South Hide is a further 415 m along this path, with one bench on this section. West and South Hides are both wheelchair accessible via a dog-leg concrete ramp. The path continues to the Sluice (490 m), where there is a bench. This section is a gravel surface, which is accessible with difficulty.
The Visitor Centre to Bittern Hide is 485 m, with a mixture of rolled gravel and a natural surface. There are two benches. There is a slope down to Bittern Hide, which is accessible only via steps.
The path from Bittern Hide to Island Mere is 675 m on a natural surface, including a steep incline, making access for wheelchair users inadvisable. There are two benches.
Island Mere is accessible for wheelchair users from a lay-by opposite Scotts Hall Holiday Cottage. This path is 325 m on rolled gravel, with a gentle incline on boardwalk to the hide. The hide has wheelchair accessible viewing slots, but restricted visibility at times.
Scotts Hall Cottage to the Visitor Centre is 975 m on tarmac, along the reserve entrance road. This includes a steep slope. Canopy Hide, which is 600 m from the Visitor Centre, is accessible only via wooden steps.
Wheelchair loan
A Batricar is available to borrow, free of charge. This is popular, so advance booking is highly recommended, by telephoning 01728 648281. A Remploy wheelchair is also available for loan. These can be used during the visitor centre opening hours. Visitors are welcome to use their own wheelchair and mobility vehicles.
Guided walks for wheelchair users
We regret that many guided walks are unsuitable for wheelchair users as they take in sections of the beach or hides that are accessible only via steps. However, we will try to cater for requests for guided walks, if booked in advance, through our Hire-a-guide programme. Please phone 01728 648281 for details.
No exciting action but interesting to see. they will eat any type of vegetation. Can be a pest, I have one visiting my garden unfortunately.
In music you can totally let go.
Model deviantart: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?qh=§ion=&q=v...
lightning:deviantart browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=storm&order=9&...
texture: Joes SIstah www.flickr.com/photos/27805557@N08/
Some more handheld people watching shots from the regular street market in the Old Town's Grassmarket area
A couple of "hardback" books ~ I love reading and read lots and I used to love reading a new hardback book but for sometime now I've been reading e-books from my Kindle ~ I just find that easier and of course my books are with me at all times!
Stay Safe Everyone!
Flickr Lounge - Weekly Theme (Week 39) ~ They Come In Two's
Thanks to everyone who views this photo, adds a note, leaves a comment and of course BIG thanks to anyone who chooses to favourite my photo .... Thanks to you all!
Browsing through photos from the summer and I thought how nice it would be if it were warm enough to go outside and capture the moon. Oh well, we'll all soon be complaining about the heat and mosquitos.
Hope your Christmas was wonderful! Time spent enjoying being together with family and friends is the best time spent.