View allAll Photos Tagged decimate
Fototour NW55plus im Kölner Zoo
Amurtiger - Sibirischer Tiger
Panthera Tigris Altaica
Zu Beginn des letzten Jahrhunderts gab es noch ca. 100.000 Tiger in acht Unterarten. Doch Trophäenjagd, seine Bekämpfung als "Konkurrent" und die Nachfrage in der Traditionellen Chinesischen Medizin (TCM), die den Knochen des Tigers eine heilende Wirkung gegen Rheuma und andere Krankheiten zuschreibt, haben seine Bestände stark dezimiert. Mit Streifgebieten von etwa 500 km² benötigen Tiger riesige zusammenhängende Gebiete mit einem ausreichenden Bestand an Wildschweinen und Rotwild. Doch der Wald ist von Straßennetzen zerschnitten.
Amur tiger - Siberian tiger
Panthera Tigris Altaica
At the beginning of the last century there were still around 100,000 tigers in eight subspecies. But trophy hunting, the fight against tigers as "competitors" and the demand in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which attributes healing properties to tiger bones against rheumatism and other diseases, have decimated their populations. With roaming areas of around 500 km², tigers need huge, contiguous areas with a sufficient population of wild boar and red deer. But the forest is cut up by road networks.
A golden oldie, but there won't be any this year, the woodland has b been decimated over the last couple of years as the timber has been harvested.
After being decimated by avian flu, the population of northern gannets on Bird Rock at Cape St. Mary's is slowly making a recovery. Of course, recovery requires mating and successful nesting. This image (big crop) shows bonding in progress. The male has just brought some seaweed, known as wrack or rockweed (Ascophyllum
nodosum), to the cliff-side nest site. It will be added to the simple nest they have made. Along with displaying the seaweed, there was some rubbing of necks and heads. That latter behaviour is shared with other species of seabirds, such as the common murre.
A Canadian pointed out how distasteful it is to build them next to a cemetery. I replied..."you are a Kanuk you don't understand how we operate in Indiana. It take 3-5 people in a county to make zoning and set environmental policy and we rank 43rd in college grads and last in regulation of political contributions and political regulations.
Indiana ranks 50th in pollution and VERY low in other health measures and our life expectancy has fallen for 13 years-since Republicans took total control of state government.
It takes 3-5 people in a county to approve turbines and Confined Agriculture Feeding Operations- In other words factory farms with 500-8K cows and steers. 2-3 million hens were killed or died within 20miles from my parents nature property.( It is not Biden's fault eggs are so expensive. )the avian flu spread like wildfire and decimated the bird population in a VERY ecologically unique and large area at the confluence of 3 watersheds.
Before liberals bash others yard bird feeders and cats by FAR have decimated world bird populations.
A snowy egret scans the shallow waters of one of the former gravel pits at Sawhill Ponds in Boulder Colorado, searching for fish and crustaceans. Though a regular visitor, sightings of snowy egrets are somewhat uncommon and celebrated when they do occur.
Snowy egrets were once prized for their beautiful feather plumes that were incorporated into hats and clothing, reaching prices twice that of gold (per pound) in the late 19th century. As a result killing the birds for their feathers decimated populations, but thankfully greater awareness of the consequences of indiscriminate hunting led to protection for snowy egrets and eventual recovery of populations. An amusing description of the allure of feathers in fashion and fly tying can be found in the book “The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century.”
Severely endangered. Since these images were made, this habitat has been decimated by a hurricane.
Key Largo, Monroe County, Florida, USA.
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My garden , UK
An invasive species , who's caterpillars are decimating Box trees and shrubs .Still a very pretty moth though.
At one point in February there was five CL's operating various SSR grain trains in Southern NSW. However, the fleet has been decimated, with CLF1/CLF4 severely damaged in a derailment, and CLF2 suffering a major mechanical failure.
1CM4 with CLF4, CLP12, C501 and CLF1 is pictured approaching Illabo with a loaded grain train from Ardlethan to Melbourne.
Rhos Point
Rhos Point is a small promontory on the North Wales Coast, it being the east point of Penrhyn Bay and the west point of Colwyn Bay. Battered by the Irish Sea it can appear a barren landscape but look closely and you will be surprised at the abundance of wildlife on Rhos Point. Birdwatchers (Birders or Twitchers) may be the largest creatures to be seen, but their numbers pale into insignificance once your eyes adjust to the light and you realise that many of the beach pebbles are in fact extremely well camouflaged feeding sea-birds including Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Oystercatchers, and Purple Sandpipers. (The hour either side of high tide can be the best time to view the birds from the promenade as it concentrates them close to the shore.) But a walk out to the point at low spring tides can be even more rewarding. With mussels crunching beneath your feet you pass the remains of the ancient fishing weir. Look carefully and you might see the tops of the wooden stakes protruding from the beach that once formed the wooden fencing used to entrap the fish. These ancient weirs were so successful that they were banned for decimating the fish stocks..Rhos Fishing Weir escaping the ban as it was proved to be in service before the time of the Magna Carta!
Click the pic and go LARGE!
PUBLISHED:
issafrica.org/iss-today/trophy-hunting-is-decimating-supe...
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The African Bush Elephant is the largest known land mammal on Earth, with male African Bush Elephants reaching up to 3.5 metres in height and the females being slightly smaller at around 3 metres tall. The body of the African Bush Elephants can also grow to between 6 and 7 meters long. The tusks of an African Bush Elephant can be nearly 2.5 meters in length and generally weigh between 50 and 100 pounds, which is about the same as a small adult Human.
Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is in Kajiado County, Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2; 151 sq mi) in size at the core of an 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border.
240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second most popular national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants. The park also offers spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
NEW ~ DRIFT Vintage Bikini
♦Hair: Truth (Kalli/Oakley) / Tableau Vivant (Coral)
♦Skin: Glam Affair
♦Shoes: Just Design - Decimation [NEW @ Uber]
♦Scene: Consignment/Zigana/Studio Skye
Common Tern as Nikon sees it. and probably now threatened due to Avian flu.
One of the three regular species of tern (Common,Artic and Sandwich) to be found on Inner Farne Island off the Nortumberland coast of the UK.
Unfortunately on 10.08.2022 the NT warden on Inner Farne reported on the BBC that many seabirds were being reported found dead and the Common tern colony on the island had been decimated by the recent outbreak of Avian Influenza on the Island. Many of the chick's were now going unfed and were now starving. Very dark news indeed.
Jeune merle infecté par le virus USUTU qui les a décimés cet été.
Young blackbird infected by the USUTU virus which decimated them this summer.
To some, a bear is just a bear. Nothing special, just another wild animal to be viewed from afar and then move on.
But to me, they are so much more. From the first time I ever spent time amongst the grizzly bears back in 2010, something was touched in me, deep in my soul and it's a feeling I have gotten every year since when I go to see these magnificent animals.
They represent strength, survival, intelligence and sometimes astonishing tenderness. Yes, tenderness. If you have ever seen a grizzly sow with her cubs you would know what I am talking about. They nuzzle each other, touch each other, play together and sleep snuggled together.
Grizzlies are resilient even though humans nearly decimated them at one time as humans are so good at doing, especially when it comes to other humans.
Luckily humans stepped forward and did what needed to be done to help bring their (the grizzlies) numbers back up.
Some people don't like to post a picture here on Flickr of the same thing more than one day at a time, never two days in a row heaven forbid, LOL, but I don't mind doing it at all.
I don't mind showcasing these magnificent animals because to me, the presence of grizzlies in the world, where they are, tells me that that is a healthy eco system if it can support a good population of grizzlies and I will share photos of them probably for as long as I'm here.
So I guess if that is something you find boring, well then, I don't know what to say to you. I guess my stream isn't for you, LOL.
A crash of rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) crashed out in the dried grass, chilling in the shade of some nearby trees. The Mabula Private Game Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa is fortunate in having a large population of white rhino reproducing and flourishing very successfully. It was wonderful to see how this species under pressure must have lived before it was decimated by poachers for its horns.
23/08/2019 www.allenfotowild.com
Taken at The Victoria Falls Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Zimbabwe.
Judge the Vulture
Judge is a white backed vulture who arrived in late December 2013 as a very ill bird with a deformed wing. She can never be released due to her wing and inability to fly. However, Judge is a charismatic animal and enjoys the company of people. All across Africa, vulture populations are being decimated through urban development and more recently, the increase in commercial poaching using poison.
Through training, Judge has become an ambassador for vultures, educating the public and local school children about the critical need for vulture conservation.
Vic. Falls Wildlife Trust.
Shenandoah National Park, VA.
Genetic analysis reveals that the Blackburnian Warbler is most closely related to the Bay-breasted Warbler. The two species overlap throughout much of their range, share approximately 97 percent of their genetic information, and may occasionally hybridize.
Because the birds prefer fully forested habitat, their numbers often decline when forests are fragmented by development, logging, or disease. For example, the species has largely disappeared from regions where woolly adelgids — invasive insect pests — have decimated fir and hemlock. These areas include the southern Appalachians as well as some New Jersey, New York, and New England forests.
Source: American Bird Conservancy.
This photo was taken just under one year ago. It was on a Friday, around noon, taken in Bucks County, PA looking at the Washington Crossing Bridge and into New Jersey. George and I were the only two people out and about. Normally I would have been at work on a Friday but because of the pandemic and the new lock down, I was home. It was so strange that on this sunny, unseasonably mild day with signs of spring popping up all over, NO ONE was around. It was a ghost town. It felt strange that because of something new and scary, that was decimating families and lives in Italy and NYC, I was getting to experience something so magical.
Just an update on my summer Monarch caterpillars. I had planted more milkweed because they were running out of leaves. Eventually, we had a birth, and things quieted down. The milkweed regenerated with fresh new leaves, albeit some getting aphids moving in. Then recently, I noticed the leaves looking chomped on again. Sure enough, YESTERDAY, that's November 4, I noticed the caterpillars all over the place again. I guessed at least 20-30 or more. And they are voracious eaters. The plants looked so decimated by this morning I went in search of more milkweed. Got the last one in town, the nursery fellow said. So, this is just really a record shot - at least 6 caterpillars in the frame (if you count the part of one lower left). And it's a good example of their leaf-eating skills. I watched - a caterpillar can pretty well devour a leaf while-u-wait. My friend Lou likened it to eating corn-on-the-cob, row by row working its way across the leaf. They do seem to disappear, mostly - I don't know where they go or if they're getting picked off at night. I've only had the miracle of the one pupa hatching into the butterfly, a few weeks ago. I've not yet seen any more. Pretty cool stuff.
Yesterday I found dozens of these grasshoppers decimating one of my roses, took photos and then sprayed them. RIP little ones.
Reddish egrets live in salt flats and lagoons around barrier islands, keys, and mangrove forests. They often build nests in rookeries with other birds such as pelicans, spoonbills and Great Blue Herons. These photos were taken from a boat in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
After decimation by the plume trade in the nineteenth century, populations subsequently protected under the Lacey Act (which prohibited the feather trade) have recovered and generally stabilized. However, this species remains the rarest heron in North America, with Texas representing a large portion of its worldwide range. Globally, it is estimated that there is a breeding population of 15,000. The species is most at risk from climate change, which brings more frequent and stronger tropical storms (causing direct mortality as well as habitat destruction). As is true for many colonial waterbirds, Reddish Egret populations decline when coastal habitats are developed and destroyed as they do not live inland and are highly specific in their foraging and nesting habitat requirements.
“The vampire groups in this corridor are hopelessly splintered and very likely decimated by the battle at Braila. The humans are in complete chaos, hiding in villages and being picked up by abandoned night creatures loose in the field… We enclose this corridor with all the humans in it.”
Due to the pandemic - last summer we saw few if any tourists in Alaska. This year the situation is much the same. You can't drive through Canada, and cruise ships cannot sail through Canadian waters. The only choice it seems - is to fly here and rent a RV in Anchorage - and then go tour the state on your own. I don't know how many campgrounds will be open - so it's best to check all of that out before you ever leave your home.
Yup - things are looking pretty bleak again for this summer. Sadly, tourism is being decimated by a virus.
there is a shining light ... The area around Lake Ullswater has taken an horrendous hammering over the past five or six weeks, villages wrecked, so many homes flooded, businesses almost destroyed and the access roads decimated. Fortunately, the spirit of the Cumbrian people is strong and, the restoration process is gaining momentum.
A Winter Road....
Every once in while I like to pour through my photo archives looking for the one or two that got away, yesterday was one of those days; I was home alone and spent the better part of the day reminiscing and remembering some of the adventures Karen and I have been on. I pulled several images that on second sight caught my eye. I will post one today and perhaps when I have time post a few of the others. Each is wonderful in its own right and can stand on its own as a strong image. I love images that tell a visual story that really do not depend on a lot of explanation.
this image taken after a weather event in February of 2016. a sudden ice storm blanketed southern Ontario in a thick sheet of ice. There were so many damaged trees from the ice storm they estimate Ontario lost a fourth of its tree Canopy due to downed branches and split trees. to this date there is still evidence of it as some streets were so decimated that the new trees that were planted are a fraction of the height of the ones lost.
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This is growing in a dark , sheltered corner of my garden. I thought I'd better capture it sooner rather than later because last night's storms and heavy rain have almost practically decimated this and many other flowers.
The ancient pinewood fragments, stretched out beside Loch Arkaig, are a sad, yet beautiful, reminder of how the Highlands used to be. These old pines have been decimated over the years but there is a big push to try and bring them back.
The latest variety of daffodils to bloom in my garden. For the first time I can remember, my earliest daffodils are still looking great. In past years, shortly after they would bloom, we would get very hot Santa Ana winds that would just decimate the flowers. This year, some of us are complaining that it's cold, but not the daffodils.
🇫🇷 Oia suite ..... Puis l’avènement du tourisme a tout inversé.et, aujourd’hui, la dernière strate géologique prend plutôt l’apparence d’une couche de béton, constituée d’un chapelet de boutiques et d’hôtels... On surveille avec inquiétude les entrailles du monstre: entre janvier 2011 et le printemps 2012, 10 millions de mètres cubes de magma sont venus s’ajouter dans la chambre magmatique, et l’île s’est soulevée de quelques centimètres, ce qui fait craindre une éruption à moyen terme...
Depuis, l’activité volcanique s’est arrêtée et tout paraît être rentré dans l’ordre.
🇬🇧 After lunch in Korfos, we board the boat for the return journey ..... via the caldera at the foot of Oia.
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The only island in the Cyclades (along with Milos, which is less spectacular) of volcanic origin, it is unlike any other. Its geology bears witness to one of the most violent eruptions of the last 10,000 years. Fragments of volcanic rock have been found up to 900 km away. The resulting tidal wave is said to have decimated the trading and naval fleets of the Minoan Empire, as well as many of the Cretan coastal towns.
Santorini still suffers tremors of varying severity from time to time. On 9 July 1956, an earthquake killed 48 people and injured 200. The island was subsequently depopulated.
🇬🇷 Μετά το μεσημεριανό γεύμα στον Κόρφο, επιβιβαζόμαστε ξανά για το ταξίδι της επιστροφής..... μέσω της καλντέρας στους πρόποδες της Οίας.
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Το μοναδικό νησί των Κυκλάδων (μαζί με τη Μήλο, η οποία είναι λιγότερο εντυπωσιακή) ηφαιστειακής προέλευσης, δεν μοιάζει με κανένα άλλο. Η γεωλογία του μαρτυρά μία από τις πιο βίαιες εκρήξεις των τελευταίων 10.000 ετών. Θραύσματα ηφαιστειακών πετρωμάτων έχουν βρεθεί σε απόσταση 900 χλμ. Το παλιρροϊκό κύμα που προέκυψε λέγεται ότι αποδεκάτισε τους εμπορικούς και πολεμικούς στόλους της Μινωικής Αυτοκρατορίας, καθώς και πολλές από τις παράκτιες πόλεις της Κρήτης.
Η Σαντορίνη εξακολουθεί να βιώνει σεισμούς κατά καιρούς, διαφορετικού βαθμού σοβαρότητας. Στις 9 Ιουλίου 1956, ένας σεισμός σκότωσε 48 ανθρώπους και τραυμάτισε 200. Στη συνέχεια το νησί ερημώθηκε.
🇩🇪 Nach dem Mittagessen in Korfos geht es wieder an Bord für die Rückfahrt ..... entlang der Caldera am Fuße von Oia.
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Oia ist die einzige Insel der Kykladen (neben der weniger spektakulären Insel Milos), die vulkanischen Ursprungs ist. Ihre Geologie zeugt von einer der gewaltigsten Eruptionen der letzten 10.000 Jahre. Die dadurch ausgelöste Flutwelle soll die Handels- und Kriegsflotte des minoischen Reiches sowie einen Großteil der kretischen Küstenstädte vernichtet haben.
Auch heute noch wird Santorin regelmäßig von kleineren und größeren Erdbeben erschüttert. Am 9. Juli 1956 kamen bei einem Erdbeben 48 Menschen ums Leben, 200 wurden verletzt. In der Folge wurde die Insel entvölkert.
🇪🇸 Después de almorzar en Korfos, volvemos a embarcar para hacer el viaje de regreso a través de la caldera situada al pie de Oia.
Es la única isla de las Cícladas (junto con Milos, que es menos espectacular) de origen volcánico, por lo que no se parece a ninguna otra. Su geología es testimonio de una de las erupciones más violentas de los últimos 10 000 años. Se han encontrado fragmentos de roca volcánica a 900 km de distancia. Se dice que el maremoto resultante diezmó las flotas mercantes y de guerra del Imperio minoico, así como muchas de las ciudades costeras cretenses.
Santorini sigue sufriendo temblores de vez en cuando, de mayor o menor gravedad. El 9 de julio de 1956, un terremoto causó 48 muertos y 200 heridos. La isla quedó entonces despoblada.
🇮🇹 Dopo pranzo a Korfos, si riparte per il viaggio di ritorno passando per la caldera ai piedi di Oia.
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Unica isola delle Cicladi (insieme a Milos, meno spettacolare) di origine vulcanica, è diversa da tutte le altre. La sua geologia testimonia una delle più violente eruzioni degli ultimi 10.000 anni. Frammenti di roccia vulcanica sono stati ritrovati fino a 900 km di distanza. Si dice che il maremoto che ne seguì decimò le flotte mercantili e da guerra dell'Impero minoico, oltre a molte delle città costiere della Creta.
Santorini è ancora soggetta a scosse di terremoto di diversa intensità. Il 9 luglio 1956, un terremoto causò 48 morti e 200 feriti. L'isola fu poi spopolata.
During the feathered-hat fashion craze of the early twentieth century, Little Blue Herons’ lack of showy “aigrette plumes” saved them from the hunting frenzy that decimated other heron and egret populations.
Well I did say I would post a nice picture of this fella. It seems the bank vole population has been decimated (I wonder how?) and he seems a little fed up with himself.
Juvenile Grey Heron at Adel Dam Nature Reserve
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Many thanks to all those who take the time to comment on my photos. It is truly appreciated.
These disgusting bugs couldn't even give me a decent image with the light on them instead of behind them. Allegedly, they aren't particularly harmful to the plant and allegedly feed on the seeds. (The coupled pair are on an unopened seed pod.) Tell that to my milkweed patch of decimated plants. Cripes there's even a hatchling there in this image. I hate them. I pretty much went after them on this poor plant with every bug killer I could find in my garage. I drenched them with the insecticidal soap. They seemed impervious so I kept going for more and more nasty stuff. They didn't go down easily, but I think they went down. I didn't want to treat this plant because the Monarchs had been coming to it, but I figured the bugs were destroying it so I might as well destroy them.
All is quiet on the CN Lac La Biche Subdivision, as a trio of SD40s rest with train L557 in tow, waiting to head to Fort McMurray as L553.
Before CN took over, the railroad was originally the Alberta and Great Waterways Railroad. The original plan in 1909 was to lay the track away from the Lac La Biche community, around the west end of the lake. Before construction neared the Lac La Biche region, controversy and uproar over the railroad caused the collapse of the provincial government at the time, as premier Alexander Rutherford resigned.
When railway contractor J.D. McArthur took over the railroad, he revised the route to pass through the community of Lac La Biche, with the dream of tourism and timber in mind.
Rails reached Lac La Biche in 1915, and in 1919, the railroad reached it's destination of Fort McMurray. That same year, a forest fire decimated Lac La Biche, leaving only the railroad depot and inn that McArthur had constructed. During the fire, a train even plowed through the destruction to save people.
Eventually, the provincial government took over again, and Canadian National took over completely in the 1980's, after CN bought out Canadian Pacific's shares of the railroad. From hauling supplies and personnel in second World War, to uranium for the Manhattan Project, to today's freight of coke and sulfur, the Lac La Biche Subdivision has a lot of neat history for both the province and the country.
CN Lac La Biche Subdivision
CN L55751 (Mixed Freight)
CN SD40-2 5369
CN SD40-2W 5321
CN SD40-2W 5305
Canon EOS R6 | Canon 24-70 f/2.8 II
July 19, 2025 - 12:20 PM MT
American alligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
The conservation status of the American alligator is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Historically, hunting had decimated their population, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from endangered status in 1987. The species is the official state reptile of three states: Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Wikipedia
Numbers were decimated by plume hunters in late 1800s. Reportedly not seen in Florida between 1927 and 1937, but numbers have gradually increased under complete protection. Current United States population roughly 2000 pairs. White morph apparently made up a higher percentage of the total population prior to persecution by plume hunters.
For the record, :)
I did not crowd this beauty, zoom lens requires me to give room, this one not shy at all and kept coming towards me.
SOURCE:
An August 2020 evening shot from my Bushnell trail cam at our back gate. I'm guessing this is mama but she could be an older sister since she's small? We had twin fawns again this year & have had as many as 9 deer in a group come thru the yard recently. The trail cam hasn't captured a bobcat in a good while - but the habitat around us has been decimated and they may have left our area. Coyotes are still being seen. North Georgia
The Pronghorn is North America's fastest runner, and second only to the cheetah worldwide. During the winter of 2010-11, deep snow decimated their population in southwest Saskatchewan, as they were unable to find sufficient forage. A brutal die-off ensued. Some of the starving animals managed to travel south, into Montana, crossing the Missouri River on the ice, but were unable to swim the floodwaters back to their calving grounds in Canada the following spring. The herds that used to thrive in Grasslands disappeared.
Gradually, populations have been rebuilding since that disastrous winter, and this year I've been seeing herds of over 100 for the first time in more than a decade. A heart-lifting experience. On this day in March, seeing several dozen as they galloped across the open prairie, I pulled up and shot a burst as they poured across the park road. What a sight!
Often referred to as antelopes, the pronghorn's closest living relatives are the African okapi and giraffe. They are the last surviving antilocaprid from about a dozen species that roamed North America during the Pleistocene epoch, 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, Approximately.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2025 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Carolina Wren.
At 5 1/2 inches long, the carolina Wren is a rich brown above and a buff below with a conspicuous white eyebrow.
They inhabit woodland thickets and swamps, ravines, and rocky sloped covered with brush.
They are resident in the southeastern United States north to Wisconsin and Michigan, southern Ontario, New York and southern New England. They do not migrate and at the norhten end of their range they increase in mild years but a severe cold season with heavy snows can possibly decimate their numbers.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
One from warmer days - Freightliner hog 70016 does its bit to decimate Cheshire's air quality as it approaches Acton Bridge in charge of 6H34, the 11.15 binliner from Runcorn Folly Lane to Brindle Heath R.T.S.
Took off for Hawksbill Mtn on 5/13 to catch the rhododendron blooms. But a hard freeze the night before decimated most of the blooms. I did find this composition with a nice full rhododendron bush for a foreground element. You can see the other plant on the left isn't as nice and full. When I first arrived the sky was pretty sunny. But later in the morning some better clouds rolled in.
Lesson learned if trying to photo stack with fast moving clouds - don't try it. At least the way I did it. When I stacked them, the clouds really came out bad. To cap it off, I shot at f/9, which didn't help my depth of field. Oh well, it was the 13th after all.
But how can you not simply enjoy one of the best views in all of North Carolina. So happy to live here.
Thanks for viewing my photos. Comments are always welcome.
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Copyright Reid Northrup, 2021. All Rights Reserved, Worldwide. Please don't use my photos in any way without my written permission.
For a boy raised in the Mountains of Wyoming, a hot desolate plain with lots of dry grass in the San Joaquin Valley of California hardly seems a likely place to find one of the 3 varieties of elk native to the United States. It is certainly not one of the most scenic areas in California. I visited the small viewing area on the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve twice before without seeing one elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes) up close. But on this visit my luck changed. I could hear bull elk bugling as I left my vehicle but could only see shadowy shapes behind the tules (native reeds) that blocked most of the view at the so called viewing area. But with some patience; and waiting; I finally got some shots of these beautiful animals including this one of a bull elk. The high ridge behind him is the Elk Hills.
The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve located at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, protects a small herd of tule (toó-lee) elk. Three subspecies of elk (Cervus elaphus also known as Cervus canadensis) still survive in the United States, Roosevelt elk, Rocky Mountain elk and tule elk. Most of the elk familiar to westerners in the US are Rocky Mountain elk. The smaller Tule elk are an endemic California subspecies that was once hunted nearly to extinction. Before the California Gold Rush in 1849 an estimated half a million tule elk ranged the length of the Central Valley of California which includes to San Joaquin Valley. Depending on the availability and quality of vegetation, each tule elk needs several acres of forage to thrive. California’s lush Central Valley originally provided ideal grazing range for the tule elk.
Even so, the elk subspecies began its California decline in the 1700s with the arrival of European settlers. They imported grasses and grazing animals that competed with both native vegetation and native animals. Hunters and traders further decimated the state’s elk population when they began killing them for hide, tallow, and later meat to feed the 49ers (as the Gold Rushers were called). By the time elk hunting was banned by the State Legislature in 1873, the tule elk was believed to be extinct.
As ranchers worked their land they found a few survivors. Cattle rancher Henry Miller led a movement to protect any remaining tule elk by providing 600 acres of open range (near today’s preserve) and protecting the elk from hunters and others. In 1874, one lone pair of elk were found hiding in the tules near Buena Vista Lake. An 1895 count showed 28 surviving tule elk the herd began to increase on Millers 600 acre reserve. In 1932 the State Park Commission purchased 953 acres for a preserve near the town of Tupman. This Tupman Zoological Reserve would become the modern State Reserve.. About 140 elk were finally enclosed. In the 1950s, with new dams on the Kern River, the habitat shrank and so did the elk population. In 1954 just 41 surviving elk lived on the refuge. The Department devised a feeding program to keep the elk in good health; they also built artificial ponds, so the animals could drink and cool off during summer heat by wallowing in mud and water. It worked. The elk numbers increased. Elk from the reserve have been successfully transplanted to other areas in California. Today nearly 4000 tule elk are again free roaming the foothills and grasslands of California.
References:
www.parks.ca.gov/pages/584/files/TuleElkSNRWebBrochure201...
New Zealand smallest wren and indeed bird, only as big as the second digit of your thumb.
A tiny emerald speck in a vast forest.
Sadly like most birds vanishing from the home it once shared with millions of others bush birds before man arrived to decimate the scene.
In the early to mid 1900's there were a number of whaling stations operating on the islands of South Georgia. Based on records, it is believed that between 1904 and 1965, about 175,250 whales were killed and processed.
On top of the decimation of the southern ocean whale population, because there were no trees or other fuel available, whalers burned millions of penguins to render the much more valuable whale oil.
This image shows the mostly abandoned site of a Norwegian whaling station called Grytviken. It is the final resting place for the bones of the famous Ernest Shackleton and tens of thousands of whales and penguins.
Currently, the UK is maintaining Grytviken as an historic site, with a few well maintained buildings, including a post office, small museum, and a church. There are quite a few oil storage tanks on the site. They were used for the whale oil and some for fuel for the ships and heating.
On the shore and grass, there are a number of brown blobs. Those are mostly Antarctic fur seals. The islands are now a massively important location for wildlife and is protected. There is even an active rat eradication programme underway.
It is sad to see the state of some of the ancient trees on the Limestone Scars of the Yorkshire Dales. The Ash trees are decimated with die back and these old Hawthorns all seem to be on an "end of life" programme.
John Bleakley and I wandered around Twisleton Scar in the misty gloom of dawn and both shot lots of these statuesque trees as we waited in forlorn hope of some sunrise light.
I was drawn to this tree, which I shot many years ago in much better health, it looked a bit like the "Road Runner" cartoon character from a distance. It had lost one of its limbs in the recent storms and cut a lonely figure with the backdrop of Ingleborough completely shrouded in early morning mist.
The rabbit population in Elliðaárdalur, Reykjavík was decimated last year by some sickness but of course they seem to multiplying again. They're cute but they really shouldn't be living wild here, it's a bad life for them.
An endemic and highly threatened New Zealand species of wattle bird. More like a squirrel than a bird, they are noisy and conspicuous forest dwellers, preferring to hop and scuttle through foliage rather than fly. Introduced mammal pests have decimated their numbers, meaning they only survive on a few offshore islands or in heavily trapped or fenced mainland sanctuaries. Their growing numbers and breeding success in heavily protected reserves so they can rebound so-long as they're just given a chance.
The busy section of GWML through Sonning Cutting near Reading was always a draw for photographers. Unfortunately the onward march of electrification meant that this popular location was only weeks away from decimation by the growing number of masts through the area - the summer of 2016 being the final year of photography possible at this spot. Thankfully, my swansong visit here coincided with a day of sunshine and plenty of freight in a 4-5 hour window, with the pleasant inclusion of additional liners, not normally found in large numbers on this route, due to diversions via London.
The best of the day was of one of the regular workings, featuring 59101 "Village of Whatley" atop a uniform rake of Hanson JHA wagons on the 6V18 11.20 Allington-Whatley empty aggregates. Nearly bowled by a unit heading in the opposite direction, it was a "relief" for the huge gallery assembled on this bridge (comprised of around 30 people) who just about got away with it (re-upload of a previous image).