Empire Builder
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Great blue herons don't mate for life, but they do have elaborate courtship rituals that help pairs form strong bonds. Their mating displays include bill snapping, neck stretching, moaning calls, preening, circular flights, twig shaking, twig exchanging, crest raising and even bill duels. Scuffles over females are common, but never end in death. Once their complex dance is finished, the male and the female heron will have the strong bond necessary to raise their hatchlings together.
Source: Sciencing
I couldn't resist enhancing his muscles in editing when I saw the pose and tough guy expression he gave me.
We have finally seen some snow in southern Wisconsin, making it look and feel a little more like winter. Here on the north side of Watertown, Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder kicks up the powder a little after just crossing over from 2 main to the single track main at Watertown West.
Amtrak 8
AMTK 130,140,133
Watertown, WI.
January 23, 2022
Yes...I know it's another Goldfinch....but how could I refuse to take her portrait when she'd been so industrious,and posed Soooo close to me, and, with a gorse bush as her back drop....Delightful...!
Worth viewing large...she deserves it after all her hard work, thanks.
Osprey Everglades.
No post-processing done to photo. Nikon NEF (RAW) files available. NPP Straight Photography at noPhotoShopping.com
A late-running Amtrak No. 8, the Empire Builder, cruises through Grizzly, Montana, on December 23, 1998. The train is leaving the snow-covered Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park behind on this extremely cold day. Leading the silvery Superliner is an all-GE consist, led by warbonnet-clad BNSF No. 761, with P40DCs (822, 808, 817) in three different paint schemes trailing.
Number 7, The Empire Builder heads westward on the Glasgow Sub with a couple of extra motors. On this trip west, the train was terminated at Glasgow Montana due to avalanche related issues on Marias Pass. The eastbound Empire Builder, #8 picked up the cars and power at Glasgow, and brought the whole consist eastward, with the ultimate destination of Chicago. Passenger service across the northern transcon is currently suspended until the avalanche dangers have passed on Marias.
© WJP Productions 2025
A fantasy synagogue.
Inspired by the novella The ark builder, written by Chaim Potok.
After crossing a snowy Marias Pass, Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder curves through Grizzly, Montana, on a cold December 22, 1998.
The Empire Builder on Main 1 approaching Red Rock. Although I'd rather see the Charger on the point, it's always nice to have a P-42 along for reliability.
Hunting Great Blue Herons wade slowly or stand statue-like, stalking fish and other prey in shallow water or open fields. Watch for the lightning-fast thrust of the neck and head as they stab with their strong bills. Their very slow wingbeats, tucked-in neck and trailing legs create an unmistakable image in flight.
Great Blue Herons have a long back toe that helps them to grab onto branches to sit in trees and to nest in them. They build sturdy stick nests. Most of them nest in colonies of a few to hundreds of pairs, but some Great Blue Herons are more territorial and nest far from others. No one understands why some are so much more solitary than others.
Sources: Cornell Lab of Orthinology
Pennington
Amtrak train No. 8, the Empire Builder, rolls along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River about two hours late on July 23, 2017.
The previous day's eastbound Empire Builder rolled through about an hour ahead of this Christmas day scheduled eastbound Builder. Nothing special about this train other than it's Christmas day passengers traveling by rail, as it should be.
Amtrak Number 8
AMTK 165,19,154
Watertown, WI.
December 25, 2021
Another winter snowfall and brings another late Empire Builder on its trip back to Chicago. Siemens ALC-42 Chargers 302 and 310 are about 5 hours late into the Twin Cities and should arrive at St. Paul Union Deport within the half hour.
Full Youtube video at:
I've made a little decorative birdhouse that's hanging near the front door of my house that's been popular over the years.
-A few years ago, some chickadees checked it out a lot, but didn't move in.
-The next year it got invaded by yellow-jackets.
-This year it has attracted a pair of Bewick's wrens.
Of course the houses I've built specifically for wrens, in ideal locations/heights/etc. so far have had no visitors.
The Empire Builder with Phase VI, P42DC Heritage unit 184 leading at Minnesota City on a very cold morning.
The Empire Builder at MP 322, cruising along the Mississippi River at track speed on a beautiful day.
This is a rare sight in Australia these days. A building where carriages were built since 1864. This is the ornate upstairs residence, but at the back of the building on Paterson Street the workshops existed where carriages were manufactured for locals in the 19th century. This historic building sits right across the road from the Launceston Fire Station.
But the story of Frederick Paine doesn't end with building carriages for horses. In fact he saw the writing on the wall and is responsible for building the first ever motorised vehicle in Launceston in 1908 at this very site.. www.julianburgess.com.au/single-post/2019/09/24/praise-fo...
Negoiating the sweeping curve coming into West Browning on a brutally cold day (the wind here is always a challenge).
Three identical Siemens ALC-42s take the Empire Builder away from Saint Paul Union Depot underneath the bluffs along the Mississippi River. For a long while now Amtrak has only allocated a single coach on the Seattle section while the Portland section retains two. One of those things that makes you say, "Hmmmm...."
We’re looking out the door window on the rear sleeper of Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder moving through a siding over a frigid and barren eastern Montana landscape when the westbound Builder slams by heading into the setting sun on March 4, 1989.
ALC-42 # 311 leads Eastbound Empire Builder at East Frontenac on a beautiful Blue sky day (which, of course, means below 0 Fahrenheit temps).
Second build in my Iron Builder round against Caleb (Cheesie), with the Minecraft Trident in sand green as a seed part.
The seed part was used 10 times.
Stalagtite/stalagmite design by Thorsten Bonsch.