They have long whiskers, and small ear flaps, which differentiate them from seals.

After a disappointing couple of days in Bryce Canyon, I moved on to my next location which was to be Kodachrome Basin National Park, which is located between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Staircase Escalante Region of Utah. I found a great site in the primitive campground at the back of the park, I think I like this campground better than the front campground because of the dirt road leading in to it. This prevents most RV's from attempting access and is a much more serene environment, although the front campground has free showers but they can be used by all visitors, so I seized the opportunity. :)

This is the Bryce View Campground and is named so because its view overlooks not just Kodachrome Basin but also Bryce Canyon, which can be seen here off in the distance with a spectacular sunset in progress. Wouldn't you know it, the day I leave Bryce the sky explodes over it. Bah!! I guess a fourth trip to Bryce is on the itinerary in the future. "If at first you don't succeed try try again" is what I was taught. :)

I found this tree just off of the dirt road that leads back to some of the more remote formations in the park. It sits perched atop a red stone formation and stands only waist high. I tried to get a POV and composition that portrayed this tree as much bigger and an alternate composition capitalizing on it's stunted nature. I ended up liking this one better.

I am considering this to be an FDR image "Full Dynamic Range." Not an HDR image. HDR is usually associated with software designed specifically for that purpose. The problem with these software solutions is that by the time you get something you like, they introduce strong haloing properties and unpleasant artifacts which give it a fake unnatural look. By blending exposures manually you control what aspects of each exposure will be included in your final result, leading ultimately to a "Full Dynamic Range" image. Maybe we can start differentiating the two different types of processes. Have you ever had someone ask "Is it HDR" I like being able to say "NO", then again, if they have to ask then I'm getting close to real looking FDR photos.

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at my photos, and as always, your views, comments, faves, and support are greatly appreciated!! Have a great day everybody!! :)

Please do me a "solid" and follow me on my other social sites found below:

500px | Facebook | Flickr | Google+ | Instagram | Youtube

Copyright 2016©Eric Gail

The Scottish wildcat's fur can be differentiated from the average domestic cat by its distinct stripe with a solid tabby pattern. Its black ringed tail is bushy with a black tip and there is no stripe. It differs from the domestic cat with stripes on the cheeks and hind legs. There are no spots or white markings. It is heavier and slightly bigger than a domestic cat. It also does not take to being stroked or patted and will hiss, bite and scratch at the first opportunity.

The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), also known as the grey squirrel depending on region, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus. It is native to eastern North America, where it is the most prodigious and ecologically essential natural forest regenerator.The generic name, Sciurus, is derived from two Greek words, skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail. This name alludes to the squirrel sitting in the shadow of its tail. The specific epithet, carolinensis, refers to the Carolinas, where the species was first recorded and where the animal is still extremely common. In the United Kingdom and Canada, it is simply referred to as the "grey squirrel". In the US, "eastern" is used to differentiate the species from the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus).

Fairly small gull, common and widespread throughout most of North America. Breeding adults are white-headed with a bold black ring around the bill; nonbreeding adults have smudgy brown markings on the head. Note pale eye and yellow legs. Immatures are mottled brownish overall; note pink bill with black tip. Found along lakes, rivers, ponds, and beaches. More common inland than most other gull species, and quite fond of parking lots and urban areas. Often in flocks. Most similar to Short-billed Gull, but larger and larger-billed. Immatures of the two species are especially difficult to differentiate, but Ring-billed is usually more coarsely mottled. (eBird)

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

Gulls fascinate me, probably becuase of the challenge they present when trying to identify them. This one, at least, was no problem. The ring around his bill is pretty diagnostic. He'd found a tiny island to stand on so that his feet did not get wet, and was watching us watching grebes.

Shsirley's Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. April 2023.

Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

A resident shrike species - the most beautiful of the 3-4 we have here and a common bird in the countryside. They are easy to id and differentiated from their 2 other cousins by the thick brownish red coat on their backs. Size wise, they are also small and easy to distinguish visually.

Apart from the minor coloration difference, behaviour wise they are very similar the Long Tailed Shrike and Brown Shrike, though the Long tailed Shrike is the biggest of all.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

This mockingbird was hanging out in the Beauty Bush today. It should have a full belly!

Like the Gray Catbird, mockingbirds are able to differentiate Brown-headed Cowbirds eggs from their own.

The Northern Mockingbird was named the official state bird of Tennessee in 1933.

We always have these friends in the parks, I love watching them. I will never be able to differentiate the female from the male in this type of bird.

Thanks for your visit and taking the time to comment, very much appreciated!

Have a great day!🙋‍♀️

Le Gomphe à pinces (Onychogomphus forcipatus) est un onychogomphe, cette libellule possède sur le dessus de son abdomen des taches jaunes alternant avec des marques noires et non une ligne quasi-continue comme chez les gomphes du genre Gomphus.

Les yeux verts de ce gomphe à pince permettent aisément de le différencier à distance du gomphe à crochets dont les yeux sont bleus. Attention cependant,

certains gomphes à pinces peuvent avoir les yeux bleus, mais il semble que ceux-ci fréquentent des régions plus méridionales que la Bretagne ou l'Alsace!

Ici une femelle..! redoutable....

Dans beaucoup de films de Science Fiction les personnages sont réalisés à partir de telles photos

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

The Clawed clubtail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) is an onychogomphe, this dragonfly has yellow spots on the top of its abdomen alternating with black markings and not an almost continuous line as in the Gomphus genus Gomphus.

The green eyes of this pincer club make it easy to differentiate it at a distance from the hook club with blue eyes. Be careful though,

some pincers may have blue eyes, but it seems that these frequent more southern regions than Brittany or Alsace!

Here a female ..! formidable....

In many Science Fiction films the characters are made from such photos

I always find difficult to differentiate the butterflies of the Nymphalidae family, I think they have the size but the designs of their wings have for sure tiny differences.

This "señorita" is a West Coast Lady.

This year as was pretty happy to see more butterflies in the backyard without looking for them. They flew all over the place at different hours, and even enjoy the tall grass behind the house.

I'm also glad that collecting butterflies as a hobby has been replaced by photography, since some of them are in danger of extinction. Give yourselves a pat on the back you photographers!!

Some interesting facts you might like to know:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly

Something awesome:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd_UxJpxhbM

Have a great Friday everyone!

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Photography is one of my passions, and nature photography is my favorite.

I have been in Explore for more that a hundred times, and it is an awesome experience to have your photos showcased in such a special way.

I thank your for coming today, for leaving a comment, and make a favorite of yours this photo, (if that is the case) thanks again!

The best part of this forum is the contacts and friends that I have made over the years, that have the same passion for this art that is called photography!

Martha.

A large resident and colorful Bee-Eater species that are locally migratory and mostly seen in winters. They prefer the habitats around edges of lakes / ponds / waterbodies and hunt flying insects, dragonflies and bees.

When the lakes are full, they do come and perch on the tall trees nearby. This perching behaviour easily differentiates the common green bee eater vs this bird. The numbers are tad less this time based on the sightings, but then the weather too is quite harsh and different this time. The mornings are amongst the coldest we have, but the daylight is quite harsh and terrible for photography. I sighted a couple of them hunting insects, but the harsh weather an d glare resulted in terrible shots and very little success.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Basilica of San Vitale, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE. It was consecrated in 547 AD to St. Vitale, a martyr of the first centuries of Christianity. The basilica is composed of a central plan, and it features structural elements that clearly differentiate it from any other church with a basilica plan.

Stocky, medium-sized seabird like a mix between a shearwater and a gull. Variable plumage. Light morph birds are white below and gray above like a gull. Dark morphs are generally sooty-gray overall, darker and browner in the Pacific. All but the darkest birds have a pale patch on the upperwing. Also note thick pale bill with orange tip. Flies with stiff wingbeats, often wheeling and arcing like a shearwater. Can be seen singly or in flocks, often loosely associating with other seabirds when feeding. Breeds on cliffs at high latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere; otherwise found offshore in cold water. Rarely seen from land except at colonies. Atlantic and Pacific populations may be separate species. (eBird)

Our boat was bobbing along like crazy so I got lots of photos of bits of bird or fuzzy blobs that hinted at birds. Then I found this one. The crop goes to the bottom of the original photo, so there was very little to play with in terms of composition. Still, you can clearly see the tube nose that differentiates these birds from gulls.

Offshore from Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. May 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Ultimate British Columbia.

The Whale Centre - Pelagic Bird Watching Tour.

Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus

Juvenile

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

Fairly small gull, common and widespread throughout most of North America. Breeding adults are white-headed with a bold black ring around the bill; nonbreeding adults have smudgy brown markings on the head. Note pale eye and yellow legs. Immatures are mottled brownish overall; note pink bill with black tip. Found along lakes, rivers, ponds, and beaches. More common inland than most other gull species, and quite fond of parking lots and urban areas. Often in flocks. Most similar to Short-billed Gull, but larger and larger-billed. Immatures of the two species are especially difficult to differentiate, but Ring-billed is usually more coarsely mottled. (eBird)

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

These gulls were taking advantage of the commotion over the visit of the grebes to hunt around for dropped snacks. This bird had found what looks like a piece of stale bread. He was dropping it in the water and picking it up in the hopes of becoming edible. The other gull was not interested in such scraps.

Shirley's Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. April 2023.

Η λεπτομέρεια του ανάγλυφου και η επίδραση του κλίματος διαφοροποιούν σημαντικά τα μέρη της Αγίας γης όπου μέσα σε μερικές ώρες περνάει κανείς απ’ τις όχθες κάποιας παραδεισένιας λίμνης σε σωρούς ορεινών κορυφών, σε ξεροπόταμους και στοίβες από πέτρες.

The detail of the terrain and the effect of the climate significantly differentiate the parts of the Holy Land where within a few hours one passes by the shores of a paradise lake in piles of mountain peaks, dry rivers and stacks of stones.

Vasco da Gama Bridge (“Ponte Vasco da Gama”) is the second Tagus River crossing in Lisbon. It was built in the late nineties (1998) and has a huge 13 km extension, linking Lisbon’s eastern area (north bank of the Tagus River) to Alcochete (south bank). It is the second longest bridge in Europe.

Alongside the bridge, for about 150/200m runs an elevated pontoon. Its lenght is enough to create the illusion that the pontoon runs indefinitely along its “big brother”. Being an elevated pontoon (something which isn’t obvious from the image), it created shadow on its left side at sunrise, allowing for a nice differentiation on the water tones on the two sides of the pontoon. Finally, the pontoon’s surface (in wood) was wet, which helped to create a wonderful effect with the reflection of the early morning's light.

************************

Lisbon, Portugal

© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.

Le Bécasseau de Baird n'est pas très facile à reconnaître ressemblant au Bécasseau à croupion blanc mais arborant des teintes plus chaudes de beige-bronzé. On pourrait aussi le méprendre pour le Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée avec ses rayures denses sur la poitrine. En compagnie d'autres ami.e.s photographes, notre ami Sylvain Messier a été en mesure de bien l'identifier. Merci Sylvain!

The Baird's Sandpiper is not easy to differentiate from the White-rumped Sandpiper although it has more warm colors of beige-bronze shades. It could also be mistaken for the Pectoral Sandpiper with its dense stripes on the chest. In company of other friends photographers Sylvain Messier, our shorebird expert, was able to rapidly and surely identify the bird. Thank you Sylvain!

Bécasseau de Baird

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Venise-en-Québec

Merci pour votre passage, vos favoris et commentaires. Je lis chaque commentaire attentivement et ils me font grandement plaisir!

Thank you for your visit, favorite and comment. I read closely each comment . They are sincerely appreciated!

Puffins in Dyrholaey, Iceland. It seems to me that they have little morphologic differentiation, so probably much genetic identity. The natural sepia tone of the sand in the background, it was low tide, and their quiet and serious way to pose make me think to the old time family portraits.

A medium-sized dark-backed albatross with pale underwings outlined by a narrow dark border and a dark notch in the armpit. The adult has a whitish head with grayish cheeks that give it a “white-capped” appearance. The gray-green bill has a yellowish tip to both mandibles. Juveniles are grayer on the head with gray bills. The species breeds on islands off Tasmania and New Zealand but disperses widely across the southern Oceans between 15 and 60°S, where it is a frequently encountered pelagic seabird. Similar albatrosses have a dark-tipped (not pale-tipped) lower half to the bill, and Salvin’s Albatross has a pale gray head and Chatham Albatross a slaty-gray head, further differentiating them from White-capped Albatross. Juveniles of these three are very difficult to separate. (eBird)

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

We had a very rough boat cruise out of Adventure Bay, with waves taller than our boat. All the action bumped one of the buttons on my still relatively new camera and it ended up on the timer setting. I could not figure out how to turn it off and so had to take this photo on a 10 second timer as the waves rocked the boat! By some small miracle, I managed to get one photo of this wonderful lifer (formerly called the Shy Albatross).

Adventure Bay, Tasmania, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Tasmania.

Bruny Island Cruises.

El claustro de Silos es de doble planta, siendo la inferior la más antigua, que se levantó en la segunda mitad del siglo XI y primera del XII, mientras que el claustro superior se construyó en los últimos años de ese mismo siglo.

Como rasgos diferenciadores, los fustes de las columnas de la primera etapa están más separados y presentan mayor éntasis, y las tallas son de poco relieve y escaso movimiento. Las figuras del segundo taller son más realistas y poseen mayor volumen.

En el plano artístico lo más destacable es la colección de los 64 capiteles de que consta el claustro bajo y los relieves que ornamentan las caras interiores de las cuatro pilastras que forman los ángulos de la galería.

The Silos cloister has a double floor, the lower one being the oldest which was built in the second half of the 11th century and the first half of the 12th, while the upper cloister was built in the last years of that same century.

As differentiating features, the shafts of the columns of the first stage are further apart and present greater entasis, and the carvings are of little relief and little movement. The figures from the second workshop are more realistic and have greater volume.

On an artistic level, the most notable is the collection of 64 capitals that make up the lower cloister and the reliefs that decorate the interior faces of the four pilasters that form the corners of the gallery.

Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus

Juvenile

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

A locally migratory Bee-Eater species and one which are a tad large than many other types of Bee-Eaters. I find these quite beautiful and love to shoot them, but it was hard to find them this season due to heavy rains. These are resident birds in the country, but locally migratory with movements aligned to availability of water. They usually are seen during the end of rainy season and onset of winter in our region near and around the edges of water bodies.

When the lakes are full, they do come and perch on the tall trees nearby. This perching behaviour easily differentiates the common green bee eater vs this bird. Additionally they have beautiful blue tail from which they get their name. I sighted this on a dry tree above a lake from where they were hunting.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback.

El claustro de Silos es de doble planta, siendo la inferior la más antigua, que se levantó en la segunda mitad del siglo XI y primera del XII, mientras que el claustro superior se construyó en los últimos años de ese mismo siglo.

Como rasgos diferenciadores, los fustes de las columnas de la primera etapa están más separados y presentan mayor éntasis, y las tallas son de poco relieve y escaso movimiento. Las figuras del segundo taller son más realistas y poseen mayor volumen.

En el plano artístico lo más destacable es la colección de los 64 capiteles de que consta el claustro bajo y los relieves que ornamentan las caras interiores de las cuatro pilastras que forman los ángulos de la galería.

The Silos cloister has a double floor, the lower one being the oldest which was built in the second half of the 11th century and the first half of the 12th, while the upper cloister was built in the last years of that same century.

As differentiating features, the shafts of the columns of the first stage are further apart and present greater entasis, and the carvings are of little relief and little movement. The figures from the second workshop are more realistic and have greater volume.

On an artistic level, the most notable is the collection of 64 capitals that make up the lower cloister and the reliefs that decorate the interior faces of the four pilasters that form the corners of the gallery.

If you zoom into this Black Oystercatcher's eye, you will notice a dark speck right next to the black pupil of the bird. This is the female. Males do not this large speck.

Due to their almost identical plumage and size this is really the only way to differentiate sex of this bird.

This photograph was taken in BC, Canada

-Haematopus bachmani

In Explore Dec 8, 2022

A common but migratory species of the Bee-Eaters which are very beautiful. These are resident birds in the country, but locally migratory with movements aligned to availability of water. They usually are seen during the end of rainy season and onset of winter near and on the edges of water bodies upto 100-200 metres.

When the lakes are full, they do come and perch on the tall trees nearby. This perching behaviour easily differentiates the common green bee eater vs this bird. Additionally they have beautiful blue tail from which they get their name

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback.

This female wigeon was flying at Commonwealth Lake in the rain. Hard to differentiate between the splash of the take-off and the rain.

Fairly small gull, common and widespread throughout most of North America. Breeding adults are white-headed with a bold black ring around the bill; nonbreeding adults have smudgy brown markings on the head. Note pale eye and yellow legs. Immatures are mottled brownish overall; note pink bill with black tip. Found along lakes, rivers, ponds, and beaches. More common inland than most other gull species, and quite fond of parking lots and urban areas. Often in flocks. Most similar to Mew Gull, but larger and larger-billed. Immatures of the two species are especially difficult to differentiate, but Ring-billed is usually more coarsely mottled. (eBird)

Just walking along, minding his business, and keeping an eye on both us and the Canada Geese. He seemed to be on a mission :)

Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. May 2022.

Thousands of footprints can be seen among the eternal sands of the Dunas de Maspalomas (Maspalomas Dunes), a mixture of desert and oasis located on the southern coast of Gran Canaria.

The Maspalomas Dunes are a Protected Natural Area with the category of Special Natural Reserve since 1994, but it was first declared a protected area in 1987. This immense sea of sand occupies almost 404 hectares. Together with the Oasis of Maspalomas and the Pond of the same name, they form a group whose differentiated ecosystems have a unique natural and scenic value in the world.

San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias

Green Woodpeckers are one of few birds that it is possible to differentiate the sexes in juvenile plumage. This is a juvenile male. This view shows the juvenile's extensive dark spotting on head and underparts and some of the smallish white spots on crown, moustache - red-centred on the male, and back, giving it a scaly appearance.

Thank you all foryour kind responses.

I took this photo at work, with the raven sitting on my pickup mirror.

This guy became quite friendly over a couple month period while we were constructing a new clean water ditch.

It only took a couple of snacks and after that I was his best friend (well, besides Mrs Raven, who was usually nearby). One thing that amazed me was his ability to recognize my vehicle. I had a cover over the box and he must have been able to differentiate between my pickup and the others. Sometimes he would fly along with me for several kilometres, hoping I would stop and share a treat.

Another thing I found interesting is that ravens will not gorge themselves - they eat a little and then hide food in secret caches. They will even fake putting food in some locations, just to fool any ravens that might be watching.

Apparaissant assez tardivement , l'Aeschne mixte (Aeshna mixta) est un patrouilleur actif qui se déplace rapidement et ne se pose que rarement. En septembre, elle est avec l'Anax empereur, la Grande Aeschne et le Sympétrum strié l'une des dernières espèces d'anisoptères encore présentes au-dessus des étangs. Plus petite (six centimètres de long) que l'Anax empereur, l'Aeschne mixte s'en distingue par le thorax brun présentant deux bandes jaunes latérales et par la marque jaune en forme de clou sur les deux premiers segments de l'abdomen. Les mâles matures ont un abdomen sombre marqué de bleu. Les femelles matures présentent des taches plutôt vertes sur l'abdomen, mais certaines présentent des marques bleues. Le meilleur critère pour différencier les mâles des femelles reste la forme des premiers segments de l'abdomen (rétrécis chez les mâles, plus épais chez les femelles) si l'extrémité de l'abdomen n'est pas visible. Les femelles possèdent un ovipositeur.

Image prise dans un milieu naturel .

PS : Un grand merci à toutes celles et ceux qui choisissent de regarder , de commenter et d'aimer mes photos . C'est très apprécié , comme vous l'avez constaté , je ne répond plus directement suite à votre commentaire juste pour dire en fait " merci et bonne journée " , mais en retour je passe laisser une petite trace chez vous sur une ou plusieurs de vos éditions . Merci de votre compréhension

****************************************************************

Appearing quite late, the Mixed Aeschne (Aeshna mixta) is an active patroller that moves quickly and rarely lands. In September, it is with the Emperor Anax, the Great Aeschne and the Striated Sympetrum one of the last species of anisoptera still present above the ponds. Smaller (six centimeters long) than the Emperor Anax, the mixed Aeschne is distinguished by the brown thorax with two lateral yellow bands and by the yellow nail-shaped mark on the first two segments of the abdomen. Mature males have a dark abdomen marked with blue. Mature females have rather green spots on the abdomen, but some have blue markings. The best criterion for differentiating males from females remains the shape of the first segments of the abdomen (narrowed in males, thicker in females) if the end of the abdomen is not visible. Females have an ovipositor.

Image taken in a natural environment.

PS: A big thank you to everyone who chooses to watch, comment and love my photos. It is very appreciated, as you noticed, I do not answer any more directly following your comment just to say in fact "thank you and good day", but in return I pass to leave a small mark with you on one or more of your editions. thank you for your understanding

Here's a chance shot taken in the Alabama Hills During a New Moon with Mars being at it's closest to Earth during it's orbit around our solar system. It was a very misty night which has created a cool glow around the larger participants in the sky and the foreground was lit with a commonly misunderstood technique called Low-level-Lighting, or "LLL". This is "NOT" light painting. It is a constant light source that is dimmed down and diffused until it mimics moonlight/starlight when done correctly. "Light Painting" consists of several light bursts and movements, similar to how an artist paints with acrylics. Done at given times during the exposure it is much less consistent but can give some great results, but it also requires a lot of trial and error using up valuable time. An "LLL" lighting scenario is a matter of getting the lights set up, that way you can shoot away to your hearts content. It also allows for a series of images to be captured such as those required for a panorama.

I heard Wayne Pinkston coin this term on our last photoquest and I think that it nicely differentiates the differences between the two techniques. Here, there is a small mini lantern placed behind the arch about 10ft away, There is a second light source behind me to my left at about 45 degrees oblique to the subject at a distance of around 100ft away set to it's lowest setting with 2 handkerchiefs dimming and diffusing creating some depth with shadows. This is not really creating light but more like molding shadows to illuminate and shape your scene, much like a portrait photographer in his studio.

I'm Hoping that the "LLL" terminology is adopted and photographers start using it to more accurately describe their techniques. Have you ever run a Google search on "Light Painting"? Lots of pictures of people running around with flashlights and writing their names in the air. :/ What we are doing is definitely not light painting. :-)

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at my photos, and as always, your views, comments, faves, and support are greatly appreciated!! Have a great weekend!! :)

If you have any questions about this photo or about photography in general, I will do my best to help, just post a comment or send me a Flickr mail and I will respond as quickly as possible.

For those of you new to photography, I would like to provide you with some very helpful videos that will help you get more from your photography. They where very useful to me while I was learning and I hope that they will help you out as well. Just click the link below and on the left side column there are pre-made playlists on everything you could ever want to know about photography. I hope you enjoy them and as always my friends "Happy Shooting"

www.youtube.com/user/EricGaildot21Studios/playlists?sort=...

Il est facile de le reconnaître, car c'est un canard au plumage complètement blanc, avec un bec jaune ou orange, et des pattes qui sont orangées. Son cou est épais et sa tête est ronde. Il a un corps de forme rectangulaire quand il est vu de côté. Il a un corps qui mesure dans les 65 cm, une envergure dans les 140 cm, et pèse entre 2.5 et 3.5 kilos une fois adulte.

La femelle et le mâle sont identiques. On peut différencier le mâle qui est plus volumineux que la femelle, et il a la queue bien droite, alors qu'elle a les plumes de la queue au bout recourbé. Comme les autres espèces il a un bec large et plat, au bout rond.

************************************************************

It is easy to recognize because it is a plumage duck completely white, with a yellow or orange beak, and legs that are orange. His neck is thick and his head is round. It has a rectangular shaped body when viewed from the side. It has a body that measures in the 65 cm, a wingspan in 140 cm, and weighs between 2.5 and 3.5 kilograms when adult.

The female and the male are identical. We can differentiate the male who is larger than the female, and has the tail very straight, while it has the feathers of the tail at the end curved. Like the other species, it has a broad, flat bill with a round tip.

Do ducks differentiate or have any preference between clean and muddy water? Am I being too philosophical?

Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus

Juvenile

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

With this perspective, the gape line (stopping near the middle of the eye) and nostril shape (more slit shaped vs. round) differentiate this bird from other similar looking "booted" and "spotted" eagles.

Jaguars (Panthera onca) are the only member of the Panthera family to be found in the Americas.

Jaguars consume a diet of meat and fish, and their prey includes caimans!

(www.internationaljaguarday.org)

Jaguar (Panthera onca), Corixa Três Irmãos, Pantanal, MT, Brazil

... and for a Peaceful Travel Tuesday as well!

Chenonceaux is a commune in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, and the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France.

It is situated in the valley of the River Cher, a tributary of the Loire, about 26 km (16 mi) east of Tours and on the right bank of the Cher.

The population of permanent residents hovers about 400, as of 2012, but there is a large influx of tourists during the summer months, because the village adjoins the former royal Château de Chenonceau, one of the most popular tourist destinations in France. The chateau is distinctive in being built across the river. The village is also situated in Touraine-Chenonceaux wine-growing area, and bordered on its northern edge by the Forest of Amboise.

The difference in spelling between the Château's name (Chenonceau) and the village (Chenonceaux) is attributed to Louise Dupin de Francueil, owner of the chateau during the French Revolution, who is said to have dropped the "x" at the end of its name to differentiate what was a symbol of royalty from the Republic. As a result of her good relations with the village, the Chateau was spared the iconoclastic damage suffered by many other monuments during the Revolution. Although no official sources have been found to support this claim, the Château has ever since been referred to and spelled as Chenonceau.

Mme Dupin hosted the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Chenonceau as tutor to her children, and among her descendants was the writer Georges Sand, born Aurore Dupin.

In fact I went to that place because I was captured by that beautiful tree silhouette in the fog from the distance already. Just when I came closer, I realized the difference between the field and the meadow. It seems that the meadow, even in deep winter, is emitting some kind of heat, strong enough to let the snow melt. I'm quite sure that the snow was not differentiating while falling down. The field, made by humans, even if there are growing plants too, is not able to spend that energy. Spontaneously it’s bringing me to some philosophical thoughts.

Eigentlich war ich an dieser Stelle, weil mir die wunderschöne Silhouette des Baumes im Nebel schon von Weitem aufgefallen ist. Erst als ich näher kam ist mir dieser Unterschied zwischen dem Feld und der Wiese aufgefallen. Es scheint, als ob die Wiese, selbst im tiefsten Winter, Wärme abstrahlt und so den Schnee zum Schmelzen bringt. Ich gehe mal fest davon aus, dass der Schnee beim herunterfallen diese Unterscheidung nicht gemacht hat. Das von Menschen angelegte Feld, auch wenn dort ebenfalls Pflanzen wachen, bringt diese Energie nicht auf. Das bringt mich spontan auf philosophische Gedanken.

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

Lens took from vintage Dacora Digna 6X6 medium format film camera - rarely comes up for sale.

Initial test results looks promising; can't differentiate the bokeh character from Trioplan. Looking forward to use this lens in 2017.

Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus

Juvenile

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).

The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.

The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,500 pairs

Hello friends, you will visit Sicily with me, the next two weeks? = O)

Last summer's trip, Sicily is a land full of beauty and contrasts, contrasts that I want to differentiate in two parts, the first with photos of the most tourist sites and the second is a look of a most quotidian life in your streets.

Welcome to my series "La Sicilia è ..."

Have a great weekend!!

This was the first time I photographed this species. They can be differentiated from Cooper's Hawks with their head that is more round, their mottled chest feathers, and no white band at the tip of the tail. I was surprised to see that this juvenile was not much bigger than a Robin.

C'était la première fois que je photographiais cette espèce. L'oiseau peut être différencié de l'Épervier de Cooper par sa tête plus ronde et le plumage marbré comparativement à des rayures chez le Cooper. De plus, ils n'ont pas de bande blanche au bout de la queue. Ça m'a surprise de voir que cet Épervier brun juvénile n'était pas beaucoup plus gros qu'un merle.

Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica

Scottish Moors

The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".

The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.

The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.

The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.

It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.

In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.

In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.

The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.

Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.

The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.

The head is red; the belly is on the pale side. But despite the obvious, this is the red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, not the red-headed woodpecker.

The red-bellied is, the most common of the woodpeckers likely to be seen in Florida. It roams pretty much anywhere there are trees, in the woods and in the "burbs". You might come across one in your backyard.

The red-bellied is found throughout much of the eastern United States as far north as Minnesota and New England and as far west as Texas and Nebraska. It does not migrate anywhere in its range. It has the same combination of reds, blacks and whites that most other North American woodpeckers have. What differentiates the red-bellied from the red-headed are two obvious features. The head on the red-headed is completely red, face and all, and the back is completely black. The face of a red-bellied is mostly white with only a hint of red, and its back has black-and-white stripes. The red-headed, by the way, is the only member of the woodpecker family with a completely red head.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, with a body length of about nine inches and a wingspan of less than 18 inches. It has a fairly long and stout bill and a slightly red tinge to an otherwise pale underside.

Dinner for the red-bellied includes insects and spiders, nuts, seeds and various fruits and occasionally small fish and nestling birds. They can be acrobats of sorts, maneuvering, up, down and around, even upside down as they hunt for food. Red-bellieds are more likely to pick through the surface of a tree in search of food than to pound a hole in one.

I have both male and female in my backyard. This is the male. I like this shot because you can see more of the red on the belly than you normally get in most shots.

Polk County, Florida.

Brugmansia arborea is a perennial bush that grows up to 16 feet tall.

The flowers of these, and all Brugmansia plants, hang straight down, differentiating them from members of the Datura genus, in which the flowers mostly grow upwards.

They are known as Angel's Trumpets, sharing that name with the closely related genus Datura.