Wildflowers of the Yellowstone Ecosystem
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In 1967, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park. Formed within a volcanic cone, today Hanauma Bay offers a pristine marine ecosystem after the City and County of Honolulu laid out a plan in 1990 to restore the bay, after years of use from the millions of visitors who visit and love to snorkel Hanauma Bay. Voted Best Beach in the United States in 2016, volunteers have a booth located on the beach level to help visitors learn about conservation of the reef and the types of fish that live there.
In 2002 a marine education center was opened for visitors and part of the conservation plan requires first-time visitors to watch a 9 minute video before entering the park so they can learn about the marine life, preservation and safety rules for the park.
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
Lézard Vert
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Western green lizard | Lacerta bilineata | adult male | Ticino (Switzerland) | 05-2022
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
In case you're interested, you'll find a less cropped version of the photo above: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi...
The story behind the photo:
For the most part, I try to show photos here that come with an entertaining anecdote that my fellow Flickerites can identify with and enjoy; the world offers enough misery as it is, so my goal is to cheer you up, not to drag you down. But here for once I feel I have a responsibility to share with you what I see as a cautionary tale - and I don't blame you if you turn away now, because what follows is not a pleasant read.
But before I get into that I want to say that the year 2022 was - at least as far as my photographic endeavors were concerned - an amazing one, and I'm very grateful. It was a year of many firsts for me; I managed to produce my first acceptable bird photo; I was for the first time able to capture a roe deer as well as a swallowtail, a mantis and even a fox (which I can't wait to show you): all from within my tiny garden in Ticino.
But while there were many wonderful encounters with the fascinating creatures that share "my" vacation home and its adjacent garden with me that I was only too happy to show here, you might have noticed that the lizard species whose Latin name is my alias on Flickr and that - still - "kinda" serves as the main focus of my gallery, has been absent for a long while.
One of the reasons for holding back on new Lacerta bilineata photos is obviously that I decided to widen my focus a bit and that I now concentrate on all the species I manage to capture in my garden and its immediate surroundings.
But there is another reason I haven't uploaded any western greens this summer. Even though I shot dozens of photos of some of the most gorgeous individuals of the species I've ever seen (many of which you can also find here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi... ), those were all taken on the other side of the village, and not in my garden.
The beautiful male above was in fact one of only 3 western greens I found (alive) in the vicinity of my garden between May and October in 2022 - and out of those he's the only one I was able to photograph.
So what happened? Well, a year ago the neighbor to my immediate left got a young cat, and at the same time, the neighbor to my right also adopted two kittens. Before I continue, it is important to me that you know that I myself am very much a cat person: I adore felines of any kind, and in our own household (though not at our vacation home) we've always had generations of cats, and they were and are as dear to us as our human family members.
So I have no interest in pushing any sort of "anti-cat agenda"; I'm just telling you what happened. By the time spring 2022 came around, my neighbors' cats were almost fully grown and had developed their hunting skills. Between the three of them, they killed up to a dozen western green lizards every day once the reptiles started re-emerging from their winter hiding places which is when they generally are at their most slow and vulnerable.
It was easy to count the dead lizards, because the cats didn't eat them, and whenever I was outside rarely an hour passed without one of the cats showing up with a lizard or some other animal in its mouth. They also killed most of the snakes, even the slightly longer ones at 50-70cm.
Within only a few weeks, the entire Lacerta bilineata population in and around my garden was gone, and the same was true for the population of green whip snakes, while even the number of common wall lizards, which were extremely abundant before, markedly went down during that same time period.
There had always been cats in our village, and I was aware or at least suspected that the ebb and flow of the bilineata population in the past was somewhat tied to how many cats were permanently present at any given time, but my immediate neighbors had never had cats before (which is probably why a tiny population of this protected reptile species had managed to survive around my house).
Now experiencing up close what an impact only 3 cats can have on an isolated, small reptile population was absolutely shocking. What I witnessed made me sad, but I'm not angry at the cats - nor do I hold a grudge towards my neighbors, who are kind, generous and all around lovely people.
And while I don't want to lecture anybody, what I would like to do is offer a few ideas how we as cat-lovers can help mitigate the averse effects our beloved pets' predatory nature (which is nobody's fault: least of all the cats') has on the ecosystems around our homes.
If we live in areas where there's threatened/protected species close to our homes that our cats will prey upon, the time when we let our pets out of the house can already make a huge difference. For example, western green lizards are at their most active between 8am and 11am, and not letting our cats out during that period can already increase the lizards' chance of survival.
If you're a cat lover like me but you also want to protect your local fauna, knowing when during the day birds and reptiles are the most active as well as knowing their breeding/nesting cycles is crucial, and by adjusting the times or time periods when you let your cat out of the house (or not) accordingly will make a vital difference.
But there are also simpler approaches: most reptiles and birds (which are by far the most vulnerable to hunting cats) are not active during the night. Rodents like rats and mice on the other hand very much are, so if you mostly let your cat out after sunset, it will predominantly hunt mice and rats, which are usually abundant enough that their populations aren't threatened (this at least is true for western Europe - other regions might have threatened wildlife that is active during the night, so if you do care, try to educate yourself about the creatures that will fall prey to your pet).
Cats are perfectly adapted to night activity, but they switch to more daytime activity in order to better fit the routine of "their" humans. So while our cats probably won't like it at first to have to stay indoors during the day, they will quickly adapt and accept it, as long as they know they will be able to leave the house once the sun has gone down.
Naturally, there might be practical issues involved that make it impossible to try some of the above (like the presence of coyotes who will eat your cats if they are out at night), but who knows, maybe one person or other will find some of these suggestions useful. And while it may be too late for "my" lizards, I just feel an obligation to at least try to help raise awareness on the issue (although I realize this is a touchy subject and people have strong opinions about it).
In any case, thank you so much for taking the time to read this not very pleasant text. And as always, let me know what you think of the photo in the comments below - but please refrain from making any "heated" statements regarding the issue at hand out of respect for other commenters whose feelings you might hurt (if you feel very strongly about this subject and want to "vent", you may always reach me via my Flickr Mail).
Many greetings from Switzerland and a belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!!! 🎉 😊 ❤!
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like seabird.
The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and the world's largest wetland of any kind. The Pantanal ecosystem is also thought to be home to 1000 bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammalian species, 480 reptile species and over 9000 different subspecies of invertebrates.
Brazil, Pantanal
Please don't use my images without my permission. All images © Aivar Mikko.
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
Mara North Conservancy, Kenya
Little Bee-eater
merops pusillus
dwergbijeneter
guêpier nain
Zwergspint
Abejaruco Chico
Gruccione minore
abelharuco-dourado
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
a pair found in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
IUCN Red List Status: ENDANGERED with population trend
updated in 2024 as Decreasing
also Grey Crowned-Crane
Balearica regulorum
Grijze kroonkraanvogel
Grue royale
Grauhals-Kronenkranich
Grulla Coronada Cuelligrís
Gru coronata grigia
grou-coroado-cinzento
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
Eurasian Jays are usually very shy. My experience and encounters with them are more likely by chance or probably where they nested.
Referring to my observation of animals behaviour and food scarcity at one of my usual location shoot yesterday, this particular Eurasian actually came over to ask for food, about 12 feet away. I was very surprised and decided to play it cool pretending not to know its presence whilst feeding the squirrels. However, this Eurasian Jay would moved towards wherever direction I looked at and tried to get my attention. It was actually begging for food. Of course I threw a groundnut over and sure enough it was picked up.
This bird then flew to a nearby branch, cracked the shell and ate it. The brief moment also confirms my observations of the changes in animals behaviour and food scarcity in the bush ecosystem. It actually gave me a nod just before it flew off as if to say thank you. A very interesting game but experience, lots of photos taken during this time for my coming series.
Nikon series-E 1:4 F=70-210 mm (unedited photo)
Brighton 🇬🇧
26th March 2021
For those who follow me you know I love the purity and colors of glacial waters. Most rivers are brown, gray or blue. But rivers fed by glaciers are a wonderful mix of blue and green. They really stand out. And where they flow the ecosystems are spectacular and dynamic, from peaks to rivers/lakes and waterfalls. And wildlife seem to like it there as well.
So hard to pick a favorite place for these special waters, what with Banff's Lake Moraine and Louise, Yoho's Emerald Lake, Jasper's Maligne Lake and other's nearby standing out. Those are my top-spots as you've probably noticed.
Another top favorite tho is Glacier's McDonald Creek, shown here. This shallow pool caught my eye. Shot taken in the fall when flow was low, not cluttered with spring's runoff. I use a polarizer to cut the glare but other than that this is pretty true to what you'll see.
Glacier Park is also amazing for the impressive varied colors of it's rocks, of many hues and tones.
Isn't nature grand?!
Enjoy a wonderful weekend!
I'm glad that I spend the afternoon in this forest and get to see this scenery with the sun rays trying to get through the trees.
If insects and bees disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live. The insects are very important in our ecosystem. They have a number of features that we people depend on. In Europe, the spread of insects is greatly reduced. This is serious because nature and we humans are completely dependent on the insects coming to work.
Dragonflies are important in wetland ecosystems, vulnerable to wetland drainage, excess nutrients, pesticides and shoreline "cleaning." They eat a broad range of insects from mosquitoes to beetles to other dragonflies. Over 60 dragonflies are found in Central Florida. Some species do not venture far from the water where they breed, while others, such as the Wandering Glider, migrate long distances.
The four-spotted pennant dragonfly is found throughout the southern tier of the United States as far west as Arizona. It's also been spotted in New Jersey. In Florida, its found in most peninsular counties, including all of South Florida, and in a few panhandle counties as far west as Leon and Wakulla. Like other dragonflies, it likes to be around lakes and ponds, since that's where it spends the first part of its life, and that's where it reproduces. The scientific name of the four-spotted pennant is brachymesia gravida. Mature individuals have a dark, slender body, a large black spot between the nodus and stigma of each wing and white stigmas (the only dragonfly with white stigmas). Juveniles are mostly orange-brown with white spots on the side of the face.
This Four-spotted Pennant is from my archives! (Hope I am right about the ID Mary)
another shot from one of my favourite places, the 'Two Water' mangrove forest in Krabi.
Quite a unique little biosphere, where at high tide saltwater from the Andaman Sea and fresh water from the mountain forests mix in a small stream. The constant exchange of nutrients combined with shelter from the mangrove trees create an ideal nursery for everything that thrives in this climate. An incredibly rich little biodiversity hotspot, besides providing a visual spectacle.
Please feel free to check my Thailand album for some other views from this same place published previously, e.g. a close up of a tree reflected and one of the magnificent palms that grow in the surrounding wetlands.
© All rights reserved. Please do not use my images and text without prior written permission.
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Source Wikipedia.
生態系の話は別として、とりあえず僕はメジロの写真がいっぱい撮れて満足しました。
Aside from the topic of ecosystems, I was satisfied because I was able to take a lot of pictures of white-eye.
Zerene Stacker 120 subs. Two speed lights - snoot to the right and reflector bowl with grid about 30 degrees off-axis to left. The shell is 2.25 inches in greatest dimension.
We found this beautiful shell several years ago in Myakka State Park, which consists mostly of a freshwater marsh. My semi-educated guess is that this is an Apple Snail shell. The Florida apple snail is 2-3 inches in size, consistent with this specimen of 2.25 inches. There are four exotic species that are highly invasive, and are now widespread throughout freshwater ecosystems in Florida. They were introduced in the 1980s through the aquarium trade.
When we want to see a Turkey Vulture we usually look skyward where they can be seen soaring in wobbly circles riding the thermal currents with their wings raised in a shallow "V" position searching the ground for dead carcasses.
They have an extremely keen sense of smell necessary to locate carrion since the section of their brain that processes odors is so very large. Because they seem to readily accept humans they are often seen hunting roadsides, landfill sites and farmers fields.
The stomach acid of these birds is so acidic they are capable of digesting almost anything. Their practice of cleaning up carcasses helps us to keep a healthy ecosystem for if the carcasses were left to accumulate and rot diseases would be allowed to spread. They can digest carcasses tainted with rabies, tuberculosis and anthrax without getting sick.
The astonishing fact is this species that stands 2.5 feet tall with a wingspread of 6 feet weighs only about 3 pounds.
This adult bird is approaching a carcass that other birds have been feeding on and left.
Arts nature dans le Sancy
Du crochet pour fixer ces pépites en verre coloré et pierres volcaniques (environ 3m de hauteur)
une "histoire de résilience et d'harmonie dans l'écosystème" de la tourbière de Picherande
A micro-ecosystem of mushrooms and lichens nestled in the bark of a red maple tree in Eagle River, Vilas County, northern Wisconsin
SE203576m
The brochure said Mount Rainier is an active volcano and the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. Furthermore, Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier's lower slopes and wildlife abounds in the park's ecosystems. This was going to be a great day.
We made an early start, the coach driver/guide was a congenial man and the day was fine. By the time we arrived at the Park entrance it was raining, but no spirits were dampened.
“Urban Ecosystem Restoration” mural painted by Millo for Street Art For Mankind
From the Street Art For Mankind instagram post:
It features the artist’s signature clumsy character in a surreal setting, attempting to reclaim his space in an urban jungle that has forgotten our primary needs. It poetically and powerfully underscores the importance of green spaces in urban environments. The character demonstrates the strength of these spaces, their transformative impact on our reality, and how they enhance our well-being. It’s a clear invitation to reconnect with nature in our cities.
A bridge, and many species of birds, trees, grasses and aquatic plants in, around, and over Creekfield Lake in Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, TX.
For the Remote theme of Flickr Friday.
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The 9,100-acre (37 km2) property includes several themed gardens with American figurative sculptures placed in them, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property. It was founded by Archer Milton Huntington, stepson of railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington, and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington to feature sculptures by Anna and her sister Harriet Randolph Hyatt Mayor along with other American sculptors. Brookgreen Gardens was opened in 1932, and is built on four former rice plantations, taking its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation.1124