Generally quite dark compared to other orb web spiders and can be found close to water where their webs are spun on fencing, buildings and bridges and rarely on vegetation. Close to a river near me where I live a river flows under a road in a tunnel these Orbweb spiders can be found and seen in their webs close to the lights that help to light up the pathway where they have the best of both worlds, warmth from the lights where I have even seen the adults spiders here in February with snow outside and plus their prey such as moths and flies are attracted to the lights also. Its amazing to see their webs so close together and not eating each other, nature can be truly amazing at times.

This is a tiny (the marks on the ruler say 5mm) watch cog. (MM not imperial)

Placed on a metal ruler, you can see the size compared to the markings and the depth of the ruler itself. Had to use extension tubes on top of my usual 90mm macro to get in this close. I even used a tripod instead of hand held.

(Going to be interesting to see how may tags get autocorrected to My Closet as mine tried too!)

HMM!

In Explore.

Just thought I'd mention that this Wednesday morning (30-12-15) from about 8:30 to 10:30 looks like being good for storm photos at Porthcawl Lighthouse. Sunrise is 08:20, High tide is 09:19 and the forecast is for strong winds. There are no guarantees, it may not be the strongest storm of recent years, but if the forecast doesn't change it should be worth a visit - oh, and be careful out there!

Any excuse to post a Porthcawl photo, eh? This is a crop of a photo I held back on previously as I thought people would not see the lighthouse in the wave. On reflection you lot are more observant than that, so I may post the full version later today for you to compare.

If any of you go down on Wednesday please feel free to share any photos you post with me, I'd love to check them out. Me? I've got to work

Compare the architecture of the Historical Museum of Russia and the Cathedral of our Lady of Kazan

La verdad es que esta hermosa vista no se puede comparar con lo que vieron nuestros ojos. No. No es lo mismo. Son sensaciones, son vibraciones, alegrías con frío con sol, con nieve, con agua, con olores. Algo que no se puede expresar. Hay que vivirlo !

The truth is that this beautiful view can not be compared to what our eyes saw. No, it's not the same. They are sensations, they are vibrations, joys with cold with sun, with snow, with water, with smells. Something that can not be expressed. You have to live it!

La vérité est que cette belle vue ne peut être comparée à ce que nos yeux ont vu. Non, ce n'est pas pareil. Ce sont des sensations, ce sont des vibrations, des joies du froid avec le soleil, de la neige, de l'eau, des odeurs. Quelque chose qui ne peut pas être exprimé. Vous devez le vivre!

Scandalize Melange Set Jeans/Belt/Top/Sleeves

In-World Store

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Scandalize/115/127/1502

Marketplace

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*Vanilla Bae* Grace Boots

.:EMO-tions:. * STEPHANIE *

Roosters (McGraw) Classic Western Hat

LeMont- Hummingbird Dreadnought Whiskey Guitar

For Male and Female.

In-World Store

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Citrine/210/126/2497

Marketplace

marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/220061

Fence & Horses NorthMont Farm (PG) ♥ CHEZ MOI

In-World Store

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Marketplace

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shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2021/02/my-korner-487-amazing...

BLOG NAME: Amazing Redwoods!

DESIGNERS: 1 Hundred, Monso, Tantrum & Avada

Fact: 1. Redwoods are as old as the dinosaurs — almost!

The earliest redwoods showed up on Earth shortly after the dinosaurs—and before flowers, birds, spiders... and, of course, humans. Redwoods have been around for about 240 million years, compared to about 200,000 years for “modern” humans.

Today I'm wearing:

TOP: 1 Hundred. Cuter Than Ever Tank. Lemon @Vanity

SHORTS: 1 Hundred. Cuter Than Ever Shorts. Lemon @Vanity

HAIR: [monso] Mabel Hair @ C88

SUNGLASSES: Tantrum - Stella Sunglasses - Gradients

LIPSTICK: Avada ~ Kissa Lipstick

NAILS: Avada~ Stiletto Nails - Zahavah

Cuter Than Ever tank and shorts are rigged for Freya, Legacy, Maitreya, Petite and Hourglass. Comes in blush. fuschia, lemon, lilac, peach and pink. Showing lemon.

Mabel hair has 2 styles and is available in 3 color sets (brown&blonde, mix&pop and black&red).

Stella sunglasses come in 3 packs (pack 1, pack 2 and gradients). Pack 1 and 2 have 5 colors and gradients pack has 3 color choices. Unrigged and resize scripted.

Kissa lipstick has appliers for Catwa HD, Genus and Lelutka Evo. Comes with 17 shades of red, pink and purple.

Zahavah nails are rigged for Belleza, Kupra, Legacy, Maitreya, Signature, Slink and Tonik and come with applier HUD with 17 colors. Love these nails.

Links:

Vanity

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Scandalize%20Land/47/202/2073

1 Hundred. Mainstore

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Leather%20and%20Lace/73/16...

1 Hundred. Marketplace

marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/99739

C88

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/8%208/170/193/1093

Monso Mainstore

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sweet%20Isle/196/108/23

Monso Marketplace

marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/105079

Tantrum Mainstore

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Tantrum Marketplace

marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/227681

Avada Mainstore

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elmira/136/134/27

Avada Marketplace

marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/147505

Photo Taken Here

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cha/120/53/4064

Brown Shrikes are migratory birds and sighted in winters across the country. I suppose they migrate from Northern Asia / China. They are not common as compared to their other cousins, the Long Tailed Shrike and the Bay Backed Shrike which are seen lot more. This year, we have seen several Brown Shrikes during the summer too much to my surprise.

This kind of surveying from a tall perch is a typical behavior demonstrated by Shrikes. This bird family prefers to perch on dry branches around 2-3 meters high and survey the nearby area, often within 10 meters for any insects or small larvae etc... Once it identifies the prey, it quickly dives, catches and gets back to the perch. On this occasion, this juvenile was excited, fluttered its wings several times, but think it lost sight, so it didn't make the jump.

Thank you so much for your views, favorites and feedback. Much appreciated!

Aruba is an island in the south of the Caribbean in the Caribbean Sea. It is westernmost island of the ABC Islands and of the Leeward Antilles and is located 25 km north of the coast of Venezuela. The island has a total area of 193 km2 and a coast line of 68.5 km. Mount Jamanota, at 188m is the highest point.

Politically, Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Oranjestad is the largest settlement with a population of 32,748.

Aruba lies on the continental shelf of South America, and is thus geologically considered to lie entirely in South America.

Aruba's northern coast is rocky and mostly formed by corral plateaus with many small sandy bay like openings called 'Bocas', Papiamento for mouths. The sea is rough and dark blue compared with the southern coastal areas and swimming here is discouraged. (Wikipedia)

Aruba. April 2012.

The bees are very scarce this year compared to last year so I was thrilled when I saw this one.

Best viewed large. If you look closely, you can see the sun, sky and tree reflections in his wing joint and eye.

Thank you for your visits, faves and kind comments.

To quote Sinead O'Connor (RIP) - Nothing compares to actual clarity

Demerara sugar is partially-refined raw sugar that is made from the first pressing of sugar cane. Once the extracted cane juices evaporate, you're left with large grain sugar that has a golden brown color and a subtle molasses flavor. The small amount of molasses that remains in demerara sugar allows it to retain a more mineral and nutritional content compared to granulated sugar.

Please click on the pic for larger view of these beautiful crystals.

Have a great week and thank you for visiting,

HMM!

but compared to your eyes

nothing shines quite as bright

and when we looked to the sky

it's not mine but i want it

and i need it

~mayday parade

happy early bokeh wednesday? :D

thank you owlfeathers. and nakano.photography for the testimonials. :) :)

Commodore Barry Bridge.

Compared to the previous photo this is lower down the valley and spring is more advanced. The weather was also warmer with some light sun.

At this point the track is part of the Bewerley Industrial Heritage Circular Trail. The trail explores nearly a thousand years of lead mining history while also offering splendid views of the beautiful Nidderdale area.

This track also leads to what was Ivin Waite Farm which is now described as a fully-modernised farmhouse with panoramic views over Nidderdale, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

On the horizon, over the end of the stone wall is Blazefield. Blazefield is situated nearby to a lime kiln, and close to Hollin Hill Wood

Compared to the coralroot flowers yesterday that were like looking for a needle in a haystack, cardinal flowers wave their beautiful blossoms around like bright red banners that beg us to see them. Fall is officially here according to nature's calendar when the cardinal flowers show their colors in shady wooded wetlands.

Head: LELUTKA SKYLER at Main Store

NEW: Not Found - Marshal Hairbase (Lelutka) at Shiny Shabby

Not Found - Chris Facial Hair (Lelutka) at Main Store

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a gorgeous woodpecker bird with a bright red head from which it got its name. This North American species, with its boldly-patterned plumage, is popular among the bird-watchers and is widely spread almost all across the country, and is known in different names like ‘flag bird’ and ‘patriotic bird’. Once a very common bird in the country’s eastern part, this species has been showing long-term declines in a moderately rapid rate, which is primarily because of their degradation and loss of habitat in recent decades.

The red-headed woodpecker was a favorite to celebrated ornithologists like Alexander Wilson and Audubon.

These birds are ‘monomorphic’, which means, the males and females look so similar that, they are practically indistinguishable even when taken in the hand. To know the gender, you actually need to run a DNA test or a dissection of the bird.

This species is the only woodpecker in the eastern part that has a completely red head.

In 1996, the RHW was featured on a United States Postal Service 2-cent stamp.

These are one of the only four woodpecker species that cover their reserved foods with bark or wood. They would even store live stocks like grasshoppers wedged so tightly in a crevice that it is impossible for the insect to escape.

This species of woodpeckers is relatively small compared to others in its family.

The presence of white patches on its wings makes them especially noticeable when they are flying.

In this species, the annual adult survivorship is estimated to be around 62%.

This bird can dig holes that can measure up to 20 to 60 centimeters in depth.

A red-headed woodpecker takes 2-3 weeks or more to excavate one single hole.

I found this one along Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, Florida.

Please, no invitations to award/forced comment groups or to those with large/animated comment codes.

Small, brightly-colored leaf warbler. Yellowish green above and pale below, with bright yellow brow stripes, a pale crown stripe, and a bicolored bill (dark above, orange below). Has two wingbars, of which upper can be quite pale or absent. Note white undertail and distinct behavior of flicking both wings at the same time (Blyth’s, Claudia’s, and Hartert’s leaf warblers flick their wings alternatingly). More extensively yellow and with a stronger, more contrasting head pattern than Blyth’s and Emei leaf warblers, and lacks the bright rump patch of “Pallas’s-type” leaf warblers. Closely related Kloss’s Leaf Warbler is extremely similar; look for Davison’s brighter and more extensively white undertail coverts. Breeds in deciduous broadleaved and mixed hill and montane forest; descends into forested foothills in the non-breeding season. Song is short and sweet: “wih-chew-chee wih-chew-chee-wih”. Calls are high and liquid-sounding: “chew-wee” or “wit-chew-wee”. (eBird)

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We saw these little warblers quite frequently, flitting rapidly through the trees. This one was chasing insects in the more inaccessible sections of the trees, but came out to give us a quick once-over before resuming the hunt.

Thanks to Daren who alerted me to the fact that I had mis-ID'd this warbler. I used Merlin Photo ID and compared my other photos with those from eBird to realize that this was not a Hume's Warbler, but a Davison's Leaf Warbler.

Here's a link to our Thailand bird trip list: ebird.org/tripreport/328567

Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand. February 2025.

Rockjumper Birding Tours.

Zeiss 50mm Planar f/2

in large game reserve in Eastern Cape, South Africa

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

diceros bicornis

zwarte neushoorn

rhinocéros noir

Spitzmaulnashorn

Major differences compared to the Square-lipped (or White) Rhino:

* smaller (weight and height)

* no hump on the neck; also the head is shorter and held well above the ground

* has a pointed prehensile upper lip and uses it to grab leaves and twigs

* less social

* typically more temperamental

Your views, favorites and supportive comments are highly appreciated.

All rights reserved. ButsFons©2019

Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.

I dont usually do birds in flight, but as ive been not able to spend much money during lockdown.. Ive upgraded my Canon 7Dmk1 to a 7Dmk2 and the difference is huge! Im over the moon! Tracking birds in flight justs feels effortless compared to the mk1. So thought id share this photo taken with me new 7Dmk2 :)

Compared to Four in the Dark:

PUBLISHED:

bdaily.co.uk/articles/2021/04/27/post-pandemic-in-store-e...

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Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.

Canterbury is a popular tourist destination: consistently one of the most-visited cities in the United Kingdom, the city's economy is heavily reliant upon tourism. The city has been occupied since Paleolithic times and served as the capital of the Celtic Cantiaci and Jute Kingdom of Kent. Many historical structures fill the area, including a city wall founded in Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and a Norman castle, and the oldest extant school in the world, the King's School. Modern additions include the Marlowe Theatre and the St Lawrence Ground, home of the Kent County Cricket Club. There is also a substantial student population, brought about by the presence of the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University for the Creative Arts, and the Girne American University Canterbury campus. Canterbury remains, however, a small city in terms of geographical size and population, when compared with other British cities.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury

struthio molybdophanes

as compared to the Common Ostrich, the plumage of the male Somali Ostrich is more densily black, the bare areas are blue-grey and the eyes are grey-brown. The female has blue-grey eyes.

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: vulnerable

Somalische struisvogel

Autruche de Somalie

Somalistrauss

Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.

All rights reserved. ©

Found this little guy just off the Queens Garden Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park. I thought it was a chipmunk, but comparing other pictures it looks to be a squirrel instead. Happy Weekend Wildlife in Utah.

Distinctive stocky waterbird. Adult is dark gray overall with a white bill and forehead shield. Immature has a pale breast and a duller bill that becomes brighter white with age. When walking on shore, note big feet with lobed toes. Inhabits both freshwater and brackish marshes, lakeshores, and riverways; occasionally on saltwater. Breeding pairs aggressively territorial but nonbreeding flocks can number in hundreds. Unmistakable throughout much of range, but compare with very similar Red-knobbed Coot in areas of overlap. Calls are diverse, and include various high-pitched squeaks, squawks, and shorter, more clipped notes. (eBird)

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I was not expecting to find out that the Eurasian Coot is a year-round resident of Australia. In fact, it has a huge range across Europe, Asia and Australasia. We saw them several times, but this was the only time one was close enough photograph.

Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.

Canon EOS 500 - Ilford HP5

Nothing Compares 2 U - Prince

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-EF60neguk

In memory of Sinéad O'Connor

photo taken at Otter Lake, Second Life

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/my%20otter%20lake/168/72/1251

It's been seven hours and 13 days

Since you took your love away

I go out every night and sleep all day

Since you took your love away

Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want

I can see whom ever I choose

I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant, oh yeah

But nothin', I said nothin' can take away these blues

'Cause nothing compares

No, nothing compares to you

Nothing

Nothing

It's been so lonely without you here

I'm like a bird without a song

Nothing can stop this lonely tears from fallin'

Tell me baby, where did I go wrong?

I can put my arms around every boy I see

But they only remind me of you

I went to the doctor, guess what he told me

Guess what he told me

He said, "Girl, you better try to have fun no matter what you do"

But he's a fool

'Cause nothing compares

No, nothing compares to you

Nothing

Nothing

All the flowers that you planted, mama

In the backyard

All died when you went away, oh

I know that living with me baby was some kinda hard

But I'm willing to give it another try

'Cause nothing compares

No, nothing compares to you

I said nothing compares

I know, no, no, nothing compares to you

I returned to the same location as my last shot, this time early in the morning, compared to dusk. It was quite cloudy, with some low lying cloud over Haystacks, and a very still lake giving near perfect reflections. The long exposure shows the cloud drifting across the hills over the course of 17 minutes.

Brandenburg an der Havel liegt auf einer Fläche von 229,71 Quadratkilometern im Westen des Landes Brandenburg, etwa 70 Kilometer von Berlin entfernt. Im Stadtgebiet verzweigt sich die Havel in mehrere Seitenarme und Kanäle, die einige Inseln bilden, die das Stadtbild prägen.

With a population of 71,778 (as of 2010), it is located on the banks of the River Havel. The town of Brandenburg provided the name for the medieval Bishopric of Brandenburg, the Margraviate of Brandenburg, and the current state of Brandenburg. Today it is a small town compared to nearby Berlin.

Small, slender oriole. Adult males are a unique rich chestnut-brown color with a black head. Females are dull yellow-green with white wingbars. Immature males are similar to females, but with a black throat and mask. Breeds in open woodlands, river edges, pastures with scattered trees, and brushy orchards. Visits feeders with nectar and fruits. Departs breeding grounds early and heads to wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America, where it can be found in any open or wooded habitat. Compare with female Hooded Oriole, which is larger and longer-tailed and has a narrower, more curved bill. (eBird)

----------------

This lovely oriole was feeding on the plants at our B&B in Belize on our first day. A great way to start our Belize birding trip.

Ladyville, Belize. January 2011.

This 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT, driven by Urs and Arlette Muller, was sporting a set of black wire wheels at the Goodwood Revival instead of its usual Borrani silver set I've seen it with previously, adding a sense of menace to the car that was previously missing. It also looks like the suspension has been worked on as well, with the car sitting slightly lower than normal (although this may be the combination of wheels/offset/angle of shot that give this illusion).

I've struggled to find any information about this DB4GT, so don't know its provenance, although I think its likely to be a continuation/replica given that there were only 75 genuine DB4GT's produced, 6 of which were in the lightweight spec where aluminium was used along with some extensive drilling of solid parts and stripping of luxury items such as the radio, clock, window washer bottle and bumpers.

A number of standard DB4GT's were brought closer to the lightweight spec after they were produced, but its not clear how extensive this was in terms of fitting of aluminium panels or the drilling of the chassis members.

The DB4GT itself is shorter in the wheelbase by 5 inches compared to the regulat DB4, and features closed headlights abd the larger bonnet vent. In keeping with Aston Martins luxury ethos, the DB4GT's were still fitted with leather upholstery and wilton carpets, something I'm sure was soon replaced or removed by owners keen to further improve performance.

________________________________

Dave Adams Automotive Images

"È vegetariana o vegana solo una percentuale bassa della popolazione italiana (circa l’8%), ma l’ultimo rapporto dell’IPCC (Intergovernamental Panel on Climate Change) è molto chiaro nel sollecitare la popolazione mondiale “a favore di diete che implicano un minor uso di risorse.” Secondo il rapporto, un deciso cambiamento delle nostre diete in senso vegetariano potrebbe liberare milioni di chilometri quadrati dallo sfruttamento intensivo, riducendo le emissioni di CO2 fino a sei miliardi di tonnellate l’anno rispetto ai livelli attuali.

Ma chi sceglie di diventare vegetariano o vegano non lo fa per un astratto amore verso l’ambiente o per il futuro dell’umanità, quanto piuttosto per la raggiunta consapevolezza della simile sensibilità delle altre specie con la nostra, e del pari diritto alla vita. E’ del 1975 il saggio del filosofo Peter Singer “Liberazione animale”, un testo fondamentale dell’animalismo e dell’anti-specismo.

Ho fotografato alcuni miei amici vegetariani o vegani."

"Only a low percentage of the Italian population is vegetarian or vegan (about 8%), but the latest report by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is very clear in urging the world population" in favor of diets that involve less use of resources. " According to the report, a decisive change in our diets in the vegetarian sense could free millions of square kilometers from intensive exploitation, reducing CO2 emissions by up to six billion tons per year compared to current levels.

But those who choose to become vegetarian or vegan do not do so for an abstract love for the environment or for the future of humanity, but rather for the awareness of the similar sensitivity of the other species to ours, and of the equal right to life. 1975 was the essay by the philosopher Peter Singer "Animal Liberation", a fundamental text of animalism and anti-speciesism.

I photographed some of my vegetarian or vegan friends. "

15 photos

Baby fox in explore mode near den. Took one glance at the camera lens and then went on with his discovery route ignoring us. Guess we were not interesting enough compared to the stuff it could chew along the route.

Kent Gardens Park, McLean, Virginia

Another shot from Govetts Leap for sunrise which was only 5 minutes from the hotel. The previous shot was at 120mm so easy to compare the difference of a 10x zoom ;-)

The sun rays came out nicely at f/16.

The trees in left foreground lit up nicely in the early morning sunlight!

Victor and I were hoping for the sky to go crazy with the high level cloud but there must have been too much cloud on the horizon unfortunately. Still a great a sunrise though.

Govetts Leap lookout is right at the carpark so no hiking required.

Why are the Blue Mountains blue? Wikipedia tells us

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)

....the tinge is believed to be caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming ultraviolet radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named...

or that we really don't know but the blue can be easily seen at 120mm.

One more photo for the Surin night market. A close-up shot of a food stall selling grilled pork.

I chose this as it is a relatively safe shooting object as compared to other local gourmets.

Food purchased from street stalls is carried home in plastic bags.

Memories blow through the air

Of a rose, without compare

An elegant vision in the skies

Placing beauty before my eyes

Making love, beat in my heart

Where it does never part

As memories float in the air

Of my rose without compare

Nothing Compares...

I really don't know!

If you compare the title and the photo, you might think that Mr. Kaiser is completely crazy now.

After all, it's just an old tree stump that the years have already hollowed out (with the active support of wind, weather, mushrooms and other tiny forest creatures, because time alone can do almost nothing) and which is now filled with autumn leaves and over them a young fern leans over the edge. So much for the observable facts.

But what makes this scene a magical sight is once again the warm light of the evening sun that shines over to us from the edge of the forest. Not only does it change the entire atmosphere here but it also brings in the ferns and moss. which envelops our miniature volcano to glow.

Without this light, it would actually just be a tree stump filled with beech leaves that I might have walked past carelessly (but only maybe).

But when I stood in front of this scene, I immediately had the image of a volcano crater covered in jungle in my mind.

And now I'm kneeling here in the forest, as if in front of an altar, admiring the almost endless beauty of nature.

Wenn Ihr Titel und Foto miteinander vergleicht, dann denkt Ihr möglicherweise, dass der Kaiser jetzt völlig durchgeknallt ist.

Schließlich ist das ja nur alter Baumstumpf, den die Jahre bereits ausgehölt haben (mit tatkräftiger Unterstützung von Wind, Wetter, Pilzen und anderen Kleinstlebewesen des Waldes, denn die Zeit alleine kann so gut wie garnix) und der nun mit Herbstlaub gefüllt ist und über dessen Rand sich ein junger Farn neigt. So viel zu den beobachtbaren Fakten.

Doch was diese Szene zu einem magischen Anblick macht ist einmal mehr das warme Licht Abendsonne, die vom Waldrand zu uns herüber scheint. Sie verändert nicht nur die gesamte Atmospäre hier sondern bringt auch noch den Farn und das Moos. welches unseren Miniaturvulkan umhüllt zum Leuchten.

Ohne dieses Licht wäre das wohl tatsächlich nur ein mit Buchenlaub gefüller Baumstupf an dem ich eventuell achtlos vorüber gelaufen wäre (aber nur eventuell).

Doch so hatte ich sofort das Bild eines vom Jungle bedeckten Vulkankraters vor Augen, als ich vor dieser Szene stand.

Und nun knie ich hier im Wald, wie vor einem Altar und bewundere die schier unendliche Schönheit der Natur.

more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de

I never go far from a beach as I am always drawn to the sea so when in North Wales we had to visit a lot of beaches to see how they compare with home and yes they are very beautiful also! A long exposure shot of Porth Oer on the Llyn Peninsula. The light was not good but then it suddenly got a bit better so out with the filters to get a long exposure. The beach is also known as Whistling Sands due to the noise the sand makes when you walk on it!

Candid portrait of two men, seen at Ballinrobe Racecourse on a blindingly sunny day.

Another from under the stairs😉 or Tanygrisiau. It was meant to be just a quick snap with no intentions of posting, but looking through the photos from the trip I quite liked this one as there was a lot of contrasts going on.

With today being GCSE results day in the U.K. I felt it fitting to have a comment on the following and pull out the contrasting components in this capture!

It's Tanygrisiau reservoir and power station

Thanks for the views, faves and comments

Little compares to the astonishing and piercing stare of a Short-eared Owl! Bright yellow eyes, set in black which seem kohl-rimmed and a bird not afraid to stare at you, whilst sitting in the open during the day.

The bird is named after two small feather tufts on the top of its head, which look like ears (although the bird’s real ears are hidden away on the side of the head, covered in the head feathers), but most of the time these are not visible as they are held flat to the head. (Hawk and Owl Trust).

My thanks to anyone who views, faves or comments on any of my photos. It is much appreciated.