I had the pleasure of photographing many times this butterfly, Calmly and very slowly was stretching its wings to enjoy the sun rays, and from time to time was flying to different spots not too difficult for me to follow.

When I started my photography I had a hard time differentiating the Monarch from this one, the Viceroy, I guess the very similar color was the reason of my confusion.

Macro photography is so enjoyable, the detail we see on flora and fauna is simply amazing. Little faces, little petals, tiny feathers, they are simply wonderful.

If you want to know more about this and other butterflies, this is a very good place to start:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroy_(butterfly)

Photography is really the description of what we see every time we capture something with our camera.

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=looking+through+your...

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Photography is my passion, 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'm in many groups, and I only add my photos to them if they are not private.

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.

I decided that I wanted to get a camouflage cover for my camera, one that was big enough to throw over my head. I am not a big ‘gear’ person, because I tend to be mobile and opportunistic with my camera. But in the last few years I have had a lot of fun getting closer to waterfowl and shorebirds, and I wanted to be able to set myself up and wait.

My first dry run was with a pair of American Black Ducks and a pair of Wood Ducks. Both are localized in a corner of a local lake that gives me a chance to arrive early, set myself up, and see how the disguise works. I should add that neither of these species are as wary in this part oft he world as they are reputed to be elsewhere. So the bar was not set too high.

Neither duck disappointed. I lay down in some brush on the edge of the water. Because they feed along the shorelines, it was early and often that I had opportunities for interesting images. They were pretty clearly unconcerned.

This species is unique among North American ducks because both sexes have the same plumage. The key differentiator is bill colour. I am afraid the early morning light (and it was not sunny) doesn’t help a lot, but my money is on this being a female. The male bill shows more yellow in good light.

American Black Ducks have seen a huge decline in numbers over the last fifty years. It seems they are being outmuscled by Mallards in competition for similar habitat, and the Mallards are winning in part because they are less concerned about people and more urban settings - the American Black Duck prefers wilder and quieter habitats.

En una cantera abandonada, a la que denominamos roja para diferenciarla de otra blanca que también frecuentamos, es donde solemos fotografiar a estos zigópteros junto a otros individuos de Sympecma fusca.

En la foto un macho de Lestes virens.

In an abandoned quarry, which we call red to differentiate it from a white one that we also frequent, is where we usually photograph these zygoptera together with other individuals of Sympecma fusca.

In the photo a male of Lestes virens.

Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. With a population of approximately 240,342 (over 45% of Tasmania's population), it is the least populated Australian state capital city, and second smallest if territories are taken into account (after Darwin, Northern Territory). The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, making it the most southern of Australia's capital cities. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre Mount Wellington, and its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world, with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land. The metropolitan area is often referred to as Greater Hobart, to differentiate it from the City of Hobart, one of the five local government areas that cover the city. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. 30130

A shot taken at low tide on the beach as the sun was rising and reflecting on the surface of the sea and wet sand.

I liked the repeat of the wave shapes in the sand, created by the wave motion, so it was hard to differentiate where one finished and the other began.

I applied a touch of motion blur post processing.

From a distamce, Western and Clark's Grebes have a similar appearance. They were once considered the same species. To make it even more difficult, they are often seen together. The easiest way to differentiate them is to note the feather color near the eye. In a Western, black feathers appear around and under the eye. Clark's have black feathers above, but not below, the eye. Another clue is that the Clark's has a bright yellow or orange-yellow bill while the Western's bill is a much darker olive green.

A gorgeous sunrise at the Ammerse Kade (translates as Ammerse Quay) in Groot-Ammers, province South Holland, in the Netherlands.

Groot-Ammers has it's name from the word 'waterway' (in old-Dutch this was called a 'ammers'). A little waterway floated into the large river Lek at this point. The prefix 'Groot', which is Dutch from 'great' is added to differentiate it from Little Ammers, or Ammerstol, which is situated on the other side of the Lek. This Little Ammers was later known as Ammerstol (where the toll-point was to get across the Lek to the little river), as the suffix 'tol' means toll in English.

Well, the historic waterway is seen on this photo. Further upstream there is a four-staged mill-course along this river, to drain the polder behind it. Because, as you can imagine, when the little river still drained into the Lek, the polder flooded sometimes, as there was no dike then. Later a dike was built and the connection between the Ammers and the Lek was closed.

Nowadays a little harbour is situated at the Ammerse Kade, and also the ice club is situated in the house on the left.

President’s Red Hibiscus, or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘President’, has several other names. These names include tropical hibiscus, red hibiscus, and red tropical hibiscus. However, the most common name used in gardening circles is President’s Red Hibiscus, as this helps differentiate this variety of flower from other tropical hibiscus varieties.

A massive, long-necked,mostly black waterfowl with varying amounts of white on the head, belly, and wings. It has a warty red bill, face, and legs. In flight, the white forewings combined with the black body differentiate it from other regional waterfowl. The male is much larger than the female. It forages mostly for plant matter in a variety of wetland habitats and moist grasslands. Size and plumage make it distinctive amongst African waterfowl. (eBird)

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What a cool goose! We saw him peering over the grass as we admired the Shoebill Heron. Choices, choices, choices - which to shoot? So I chose both :-)

Mabamba Swamp, Uganda. January 2017.

Uganda Eco Tours.

I find it hard to differentiate the parents from the baby robins. I thought this was an adult male but then noticed him being fed by the smallest of the robins one day.

A walk in the spring garden.

Thank you for your visits to my photostream, appreciated.

The Holsten Gate ("Holstein Tor", later "Holstentor") is a city gate marking off the western boundary of the old center of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. This Brick Gothic construction is one of the relics of Lübeck’s medieval city fortifications and the only remaining city gate, except for the Citadel Gate ("Burgtor"). Because its two round towers and arched entrance are so well known it is regarded today as a symbol of this German city, and together with the old city centre (Altstadt) of Lübeck it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

The Holsten Gate is composed of a south tower, a north tower and a central building. It has four floors, except for the ground floor of the central block, where the gate’s passageway is located. The side facing west (away from the city) is called the “field side”, the side facing the city the “city side”. The two towers and the central block appear as one construction when viewed from the city side. On the field side, the three units can be clearly differentiated. Here the two towers form semicircles which at their widest point extend 3.5 metres beyond the central block. The towers have conical roofs; the central block has a pediment.

The rich and wealthy Hanseatic city of Lübeck felt the need in the course of the centuries to protect itself from outside threats with ever stronger walls and fortifications. Three gates gave access to the city: the Citadel Gate in the north, Mill Gate in the south, and the Holsten Gate in the west. To the east, the city was protected by the dammed Wakenitz River. Here, the less martial Hüxter Gate led out of the city.

These city gates were initially simple gates which were repeatedly strengthened over time so that they eventually all had an outer, middle and inner gate. Today, only fragments remain of these ancient city gates. The gate now known as the Citadel Gate is the former Interior Citadel Gate; the Middle and Outer Citadel Gates no longer exist. All three Mill Gates have completely disappeared. The gate now known as the Holsten Gate is the former Middle Holsten Gate; there was also an (older) Inner Holsten Gate, an Outer Holsten Gate, and even a fourth gate, known as the Second Outer Holsten Gate. So the history of the Holsten Gate is actually the history of four consecutive gates, although only one of them is left.

The names of the individual gates changed as a matter of course as their components emerged and disappeared. The Middle Holsten Gate was once the Outer Holsten Gate before the gates on either side were constructed. Still today there is a great deal of confusion about the names as one studies the historical record. The four gates and their history are described below.

A male Montagu's harrier on a stone perch.

Montagu’s Harrier is named after the naturalist George Montagu, who is also known for writing the Ornithological Dictionary in 1802. Measuring between 43 and 47 cm, the adult male of the species is a stunning dark grey with black edges on its wings. It also sports rufous (reddish-brown) streaking on its belly, which is one of the ways by which it can be differentiated from the pallid harrier.

They feed primarily on grasshoppers, locusts and other insects, as well as reptiles, rodents, and other small mammals. Following the migratory path of locusts and grasshoppers, Montagu’s harriers were once one of the most common harriers to winter on the Indian subcontinent. This is less and less so as their favourite grassland habitats diminish.

293) LongBilled Spiderhuter

Long-Billed Spiderhunter, Arachnothera robusta, Kelicap Jantung Paruh Panjang

This spiderhunter can be found in the rainforest of SouthEast Asia. Usually hunting in the highest part of the canopy, thus not easy to spot. The long bill is the obvious characteristic that differentiate it from another spiderhunter species.

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These are not trees but wooden poles of this trabucco.

A trabucco is a massive construction built from wood, which consists of a platform anchored to the rock by large logs of pine of Aleppo, jutting out into the sea, from where two (or more) long arms called antennae stretch out suspended some feet above the water and supporting a huge, narrow-meshed, net (called trabocchetto).

The morphology of the Gargano coast and of Abruzzo determined the presence of two different types of trabucco: the Garganic trabucco is usually anchored to a rocky platform, longitudinally extended to the coastline, from which the antennae depart.

The variant of Abruzzo and Molise, also called bilancia, often insists on shallower coasts and therefore is characterized by the presence of a platform, transversal to the coast, which is connected by a tight bridge made of wooden boards. A bilancia has just one winch, often electrically operating, even when the sea is perfectly calm. Abruzzo bilancia has also a net much smaller than that of Gargano trabucco, another feature that differentiates the two types is the length and number of antennae, more extensive Gargano (also double that of Abruzzo and Molise) in Termoli balances were more than two antennae, Gargano always two or more. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabucco

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Pentax K-5

Kepcor Auto Wide Angle MC 28mm 1:2.8

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© 2016 stefanorugolo | All rights reserved.

Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica

Scottish Moors

Double click!

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 number is not the number of cats I have. They are numbered to give an overview and a differentiation possibility.

This is McDonald's store No. 1.000 here in Brazil, located on Avenue Paulista (city of São Paulo) with a differentiated space, including a green area, space for shows and table service, and included 15 exclusive items on the menu , such as lactose-free products and sandwich on cheese bread.

The name Méqui is an informal use of the term Mc.

* I appreciate the visit, favs and comments of my photo.

Lelutka Fleur 3.1 and Insol

TECHNOFOLK_Nivek Kit( (Legacy & Maitreya) @ mainstore

The Miniature Amaryllis Hermitage, has conical, large, beautiful, red-orange flowers with white stripes.

Dutch variety created in 1995 to compete with the popular Minerva. The two are very similar, but the 'Hermitage has less contrast, the "red and white" flowers are marked with a shade of reddish orange and the Minerva more red or pure bright orange.

The shape of the flower is what differentiates the most, the general impression is that the flower has a somewhat square or geometric quality.

Its foliage is also quite ornamental.

This green-winged teal drake is showing the reason that he's called a green-winged teal! And, that wing differentiates him from the Eurasian teal that otherwise looks very similar.

Hello friends, we will visit Sicily in the next few 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 day my friends!!I

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.

FP4 N+1 in Tanol,After a relatively short Gold toning this Kallitype turned out too dark with unsatisfying differentiation in the dark aereas. Five minutes Gold toning is not sufficient for a complete toning, that´s why it is possible to brighten up the print by a bleach to remove a part (or all) of the remaining silver in a following fixer.

A couple days ago I found and photographed a ruby-crowned kinglet as it returned to the Driftless region. That male had a bright red or ruby-colored crown on its head. This golden-crowned kinglet is a close cousin but the crown shows some gold instead of being all red. This male did have an orange band in the center of his gold crown that differentiates him from the female with her solid gold crown. You can just see a hint of his golden crown on top of his head here. This guy will be breeding in the boreal forests of southern Canada by June.

In geomorphology, a butte (/bjuːt/) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller land-forms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word "butte" comes from a French word meaning "small hill"; its use is prevalent in the Western United States, including the southwest where "mesa" is used for the larger land-form. Because of their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently landmarks in plains and mountainous areas. In differentiating mesas and buttes, geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is narrower than its height.(Wikipedia)

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)

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Our most common gull, they breed on the river and can be found everywhere, from beaches to parking lots. This bird is moving into its non-breeding/winter plumage, with just the beginning on the dark streaks on his head. In summer plumage, its head is pure white. I have a fondness for gulls and enjoy trying to puzzle out species and ages. I have lots of books and apps to help me with the challenge.

Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. August 2025.

"It's surprising how much of memory is built around things unnoticed."

~Barbara Kingsolver

Memory is such a fragile, wonderful thing....mostly it's glimpses for me that can trigger thought. I can't always differentiate the memory from my analysis of it....maybe a good thing because difficult memories can be healed and thought of in a new way.

FlyPaper textures used.

Galápagos Sea Lion on bench in Puerto Villamil.

The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).

Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf.

Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands.

They are the smallest sea lion species.

***

How to distinguish a seal from a sea lion?

Seals and sea lions share many characteristics and that is why they are part of the same suborder, but there are many important traits that we can use to differentiate them. Here, they can learn who's who quickly and easily.

At first glance, certain species of sea lions look like seals, but there are some anatomical differences.

The easiest difference to detect are the ears: sea lions have a set of tiny ears, whereas seals do not have them, having only auditory cracks.

Locomotion is another point that differentiates the two animals. While seals use their posterior fins for swimming and move around on crawling land, sea lions use their pectoral fins to swim and also lean on them to walk on land.

There are five species of sea lions spread across the planet and, in general, the seals that shine as circus stars are actually sea lions of the species Zalophus californianus.

Another interesting curiosity is the percentage of fat in the seal's breast milk. There is even one species, the crested seal, whose percentage of fat in milk is so high that it allows the holding of a record in the animal world: it is the species that most quickly wean a young, and this can happen in just four days.

A small, colorfull bird that is endemic to the hills of the Indian west coast and high-altitude grasslands of peninsular India. It is easily identified by its striking deep red bill and legs. The bird is gorgeous and easily differentiated from other quails in the region.

These quails are elusive, usually found in small coveys of 6 to 10 birds. They forage on the forest floor for seeds and insects, often in the early morning and late evening. When startled, a covey will scatter in different directions with a liquid alarm call before regrouping with soft whistles.

We went to the western part of India to see these birds / lifer and were not disappointed. They are quite active in the monsoon season and we could hear them a lot in several places. Most of the time we saw solitary birds, and not in groups as the literature suggested.

Many thanks in advance for your feedback and faves - much appreciated.

Explore 10/28/09 #392 Thank you:-)

Painting with my camera (and straight from a camera. No photoshop. It is hibiscus - just in case you can't figure it out:-))

Medium Egret (Ardea intermedia) - 20240325-04

Medium Egret: A stocky egret that is larger than Eastern Cattle and Little Egrets, but smaller than the Great Egret. Often confusing and difficult to identify, this bird is truly intermediate between potential confusion species. Things to look for include a yellow bill that is shorter than Great Egret but longer than Eastern Cattle Egret, a relatively rounded head, and shorter legs than Great Egret, approaching Eastern Cattle Egret. Like most egret species, associates with all types of water bodies including wet fields, often flocking with other egrets.

Great Egret: Large, lanky, long-necked white heron. Size and black legs help separate from other egrets. Widespread and fairly common across the globe. Bill color varies across range: always yellow in the Americas, black in breeding season elsewhere. Occurs in any shallow wetland, including ponds, marshes, and tidal mudflats. Slowly stalks prey in shallow water. Often seen singly, but sometimes gathers in large numbers where food is plentiful. Breeds in colonies, frequently mixed with other egrets and herons. (eBird)

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Almost the first bird that we saw when we got to the wetland was the Medium Egret (here pictured with a Great Egret), a rare vagrant to Dubai! Thrilled to get this photo of the two passing each other, clearly demonstrating the massive size difference between the two. Both birds occur regularly in Singapore, so I had spent the previous week trying to differentiate them when seeing them from a distance.

Ras al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai, UAE. March 2024.

The number is not the number of cats I have. They are numbered to give an overview and a differentiation possibility.

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 quotidian life in your streets.

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

Good morning everyone and have a nice day! =O)

found in Gran Canarias if anyone wants to take a stab at identification. This is where colour blindness is a complete nightmare for me as I can't differentiate between species.

The ovenbird is a warbler that looks like a small speckled thrush. A good look at the ovenbird’s head will help you differentiate it from larger thrushes and same-sized waterthrushes.

TEAcher-TEAcher-TEAcher song is distinctive and rings through the woods in spring and summer

If you like this and some of my other images, I invite you to take a look at my wildlife/birding blog, which I try to update every few days. ... grenfell.weebly.com and my web page at www.tekfx.ca

I appreciate your feedback and comments! so feel free to contact me for any reason. I can be reached at billm@tekfx.ca or on Flickrmail

All images are copyright. Please don't use this, or any other of my, images, on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission © All rights reserved

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.

Garnish Island, is an island in Glengarriff harbour, part of Bantry Bay in southwest Ireland, which is a popular tourist attraction. The Office of Public Works, which maintains the gardens on the island, uses the name Ilnacullin to differentiate it from Garinish Island in County Kerry.

100_2331 - Date taken is incorrect, but I cannot remember when!

The heron got it's prize.

Polliwog and tadpole are different words for the same thing. Both words refer to the larval stage of both frogs and toads. Although experts can differentiate many tadpoles by species, all have gills, eyes, a tiny mouth, and a fin-like tail. The metamorphosis from this larval form swimming in a watery environment to adult amphibian with legs and lungs adapted to life out of water is a journey fraught with danger. Among the hazards are numerous predators of various types, and uncertain environmental conditions. Few tadpoles will survive to become adult frogs or toads.

animals.mom.me/difference-between-polliwogs-tadpoles-8555...

Wildwood Park, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Thank you for looking!

The Sierra Madrileña,

The Sierra Norte is an informal region (although it corresponds to the term of the judicial party of Torrelaguna) defined in the Guide to Rural and Active Tourism, edited by the General Directorate of Tourism (Ministry of Culture and Tourism) of the Community of Madrid ( Spain). It is located at the northern end of that community. It covers a total of 1,253 km² and has a population slightly higher than 26,000 inhabitants, spread over 42 terms.

You can differentiate two characteristic areas in the territory of the Sierra Norte. On the one hand the mountain area, which corresponds to most of the region, including the mountains of Somosierra, Sierra del Lobosillo, La Cabrera, La Morcuera and part of the Guadarrama, and the countryside area, at its southeast end .

The main river of the Sierra Norte is the Lozoya, although the Jarama also flows partially through its territory. The Lozoya course is interrupted by five interconnected reservoirs (Pinilla, Riosequillo, Puentes Viejas, El Villar and El Atazar), which gives it vital importance as a source of water supply for the entire Community of Madrid.

La Sierra Madrileña,

La Sierra Norte es una comarca informal (aunque se corresponde con el término del partido judicial de Torrelaguna) definida en la Guía de Turismo Rural y Activo, editada por la Dirección General de Turismo (Consejería de Cultura y Turismo) de la Comunidad de Madrid (España). Se encuentra en el extremo septentrional de dicha comunidad. Abarca un total de 1.253 km² y tiene una población ligeramente superior a los 26.000 habitantes, repartidos en 42 términos.

Se puede diferenciar dos zonas características en el territorio de la Sierra Norte. Por un lado la zona de montaña, que corresponde a la mayor parte de la comarca, incluyendo las sierras de Somosierra, Sierra del Lobosillo, La Cabrera, La Morcuera y parte de la de Guadarrama, y la zona de campiña, en su extremo sudeste.

El principal río de la Sierra Norte es el Lozoya, si bien, por su territorio también fluye parcialmente el Jarama. El curso del Lozoya se ve interrumpido por cinco embalses interconectados (Pinilla, Riosequillo, Puentes Viejas, El Villar y El Atazar), lo que le confiere una vital importancia como fuente de suministro de agua para toda la Comunidad de Madrid.

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 quotidian life in your streets.

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

Have a lovely day! =O)

This duckling is nearly a year old now. I have been following the family of nine including seven ducklings since September last year. The ducklings are similar size as their parents and very difficult differentiate between the parents and them. The parents have richer colours and always stand nearby observing the ducklings and looking out for potential threat. Whereas the ducklings still behave like little ones especially on their facial expressions.

Unedited image.

Sigma F=70-200mm 1:2.8D

Barreiro, Portugal 🇵🇹

July 2022

Good morning everyone. As the title indicates, presented today is the sixth in a series of some of my favorite dragonfly species photographed in 2015. Featured today is the Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa). More specifically the female and immature male since both look similar when males first emerge.

A good quick guide to differentiate gender of immature Widow Skimmers is females typically have darkened wing tips as seen above on the left, while males usually don't...but it isn't an absolute. I have seen an odd male with dark wing tips or a rare female with clear ones. Other easily visible characteristics are male abdomens tend to be narrower and they also have longer cerci than females as seen on the right.

I also posted the two photos used in the above composite in the comment section and my stream so don't forget to click on "view previous comments" if you don't see the photos in the comment section. Even better, scroll to them by clicking on the arrow thingy to the right of the above pic. And if you want to view either picture in the comment section large all you have to do is click on it where you'll also find the text describing this species of dragonfly.

Thank you for stopping by...and I hope you're having a truly great last week of January.

Lacey

de / from: Wikipedia

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Ceský Krumlov es una pequeña ciudad ubicada en la Región de Bohemia Meridional, en la República Checa. El centro histórico de Ceský Krumlov, incluyendo su castillo, integra el listado del Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la Unesco desde 1992. La población de la ciudad en 2005 era de 13 942 habitantes, y su área de unos 22 km².

Es la antigua capital de la región de la rosa de cinco pétalos de los Rosenberg, la nobleza más rica e influyente del país. Después les sucede Julio de Austria, de la dinastía Habsburgo, los Eggenberg y por último los Schwarzenberg. La construcción de la ciudad y su castillo comenzaron en el siglo XIII, a ambas orillas del río Moldava, entre algunos de sus numerosos meandros flanqueados por abundante vegetación.

El asteroide (2747) Ceský Krumlov está nombrado en honor a esta ciudad.

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Ceský Krumlov, translated sometimes to Czech Crumlaw, is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic where Ceský Krumlov Castle is located. Old Ceský Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district.

The city is named Ceský Krumlov ("Bohemian Crumlaw") to differentiate it from Moravský Krumlov in South Moravia.

Construction of the town and castle began around 1240 by the Vítkovci at a ford in the Vltava River, at an important trade route in Bohemia. It was first mentioned in 1253 as Chrumbenowe. A legend says that the name derives from the German "Krumme Aue" which can be translated as "crooked meadow".

In 1302 the town and castle were acquired by the House of Rosenberg. The majority of inhabitants were German at that time. For 1336 it can be expected that Czechs were only a small minority, who had their own priest.

In late 15th century, when gold was found next to the town, German miners came to settle, which shifted the ethnic balance even more. In the parochial church the sermons were preached in Czech until 1788, when St. Jošt Church was abolished.

I've been digging into the archives lately.

This day, we were at a water treatment facility where some of the holding ponds are allowed to go semi-wild, supporting all sorts of wildlife. It is an easy, nearly flat walk around the ponds and we had already spotted plenty of Tree Swallows, the males sporting beautifully iridescent, blue-green coloration. It was easy to almost miss this plain, brown swallow sitting alone in a tree.

Northern Rough-wingeds are the plainest of all the swallows with only rusty wing bars to differentiate the juveniles from the adults. The buff at their throats is a give-away mark of the species.

Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. With a population of approximately 240,342 (over 45% of Tasmania's population), it is the least populated Australian state capital city, and second smallest if territories are taken into account (after Darwin, Northern Territory). The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, making it the most southern of Australia's capital cities. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre Mount Wellington, and its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world, with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land. The metropolitan area is often referred to as Greater Hobart, to differentiate it from the City of Hobart, one of the five local government areas that cover the city. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. 30161

The number is not the number of cats I have. They are numbered to give an overview and a differentiation possibility.

Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans inhabit a restricted range and are listed as near threatened. They are threatened both by deforestation and subsequent habitat loss, and by illegal capture for the pet trade. These toucans inhabit humid and wet montane forests and secondary growth where they are partial to areas filled with bromeliads, mosses, and epiphytes. They mostly forage on a large variety of fruits but nestlings are also fed insects, eggs, birds, rodents, or snails. During times of limited fruit availability, groups of birds tend to leave their home range. The yellow rectangular plate on the upper bill helps differentiate this toucan from most others.

Another amazing and threatened bird... have a Peaceful day!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!

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I finally have learned to differentiate between Monarchs and Viceroys. That second, inner outline of black along the wings is the difference.

iNaturalist link www.inaturalist.org/observations/134156591

Jenny Pansing photos

This small butterfly has a silvery appearance as it flies low to the ground over sheltered flowery grasslands. In Britain and mainland Europe, the pattern of wing spots is highly variable and many local races (and sub-species) have been described.

In Scotland, most individuals are of the race artaxerxes and have a characteristic white spot in the middle of the forewing (see photo). In northern England, this spot is generally dark brown or black. Similar to Brown Argus but differentiated by orange spots. The butterfly occurs mainly as small, scattered colonies and has declined in northern England (Courtesy Butterfly Conservation).

Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated.