Ecosystems
View allAll Photos Tagged ecosystems
Tessin
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Whole PHOTO SERIES about my garden on my blog: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/western-green-lizard-lacer...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
AUDIO (if you want to hear the sounds of my garden in the early morning): www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfoCTqdAVCE
ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
Partly out of fear to bore the Flickr community with too many lizard photos, I thought it would make for a nice change - yet in keeping with the main theme of my gallery - to give interested nature and reptile fans the opportunity to get a sense of the lacerta bilineata habitat where I photographed all the animals on this page.
So this is the second of a (as yet planned) series of pictures (if people like them there will be more) that will show you where all the reptile "action" took place: my garden in the beautiful community of Monteggio in the Malcantone region of the Ticino, Switzerland.
The pictures were taken over a period of over a decade, so there were obviously some changes in the garden during that time, but If you focus on the palm tree - which has grown considerably over the years but is visible in all the photos I plan to upload - you get a sense of the geography of the place.
In summer, which is when this photo was taken, the micro-climate in this particular area of the Ticino can be almost tropical in the sense that it's hot and very humid with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain, and I often refer to my garden (half-)jokingly as my "little Swiss rainforest". I guess you can see how animals - particularly lacerta bilineata and other lizards - would feel at home in this "tropical paradise" of mine :-)
Apparently - as I learned in the comments here on Flickr - the occurrence of this particular lizard species is a very good indicator that an ecosystem is intact, and my family and I always took great care not to interfere too much in our garden and let nature roam as free as possible.
In return, over the years we were rewarded for this "calculated inaction" with a wide variety of species of plants, insects, lizards and snakes visiting - or by now residing permanently in - our little nature refuge, some of which I managed to capture on camera.
As mentioned before, if people like these photos or are interested in other flora and fauna from my private jungle, I'll upload one every once in a while between lizards, so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing more of these or if I should stick to just reptiles ;-)
As always, thank you so much for your interest and feedback, stay safe - and have a great week everyone!
Lacerta
Lion fish is harmful to humans. It is a genus of venomous marine fish, officially named Pterois, native to the Indo-Pacific. Also called firefish, turkeyfish, tastyfish, or butterfly-cod, it is characterized by conspicuous warning coloration with red, white, creamy, or black bands, showy pectoral fins, and venomous, spiky fin rays. Juvenile lionfish have a unique tentacle above their eye sockets that varies in phenotype between species. The evolution of this tentacle is suggested to attract new prey.
The lionfish is a successful invader. It’s important to note that in its native region, this species isn’t especially abundant.
To date, there have only been occasional reports of lionfish in the western Mediterranean. But In the past 5 years, the threat of a lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean seems to materialize. Sightings of the lionfish P. miles in the coastal waters of southern Cyprus and Greece are becoming more and more frequent - I met this one snorkeling, as you can see.
It’s important to point out that the invasions of exotic species are not the only threat to Mediterranean ecosystems. In fact, there are multiple threats, including overfishing and climate change. Water temperatures in this sea are constantly increasing and invading species are expanding. Both factors cause changes in the marine community and tropicalization phenomenons.
Karpathos island, Greece.
Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is in Kajiado County, Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2; 151 sq mi) in size at the core of an 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border.
Amboseli National Park offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because the vegetation is sparse due to the long, dry months. The protected area is home to African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, Masai giraffe, Grant's zebra, and blue wildebeest. A host of large and small birds occur too.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboseli_National_Park
Music:
"Repeat" by CHRIS COMBETTE, in 'Les Enfants de Gorée' (2010)
open.spotify.com/track/5ErThqPZNKTeyITR3fYNL9?si=hRygwwzP...
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.
Towering 18 metres above the ground, the Treetop Walkway is a chance to get closer to Kew’s trees.
From its heights you can observe the complex ecosystem of the trees' uppermost branches, a world teeming with birds and insects, lichen and fungi.
At ground level, sculptures carved from tree trunks illustrate microscopic elements of trees to explain how they grow.
Happy Saturday for Stairs!
adult bird found in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
a migratory bee-eater that breeds in semi-arid areas in the southern Sahara and that from October to March can be found in Uganda and parts of Kenya, where it can be seen foraging in woodland, open forest and along the edges of riparian or gallery forest.
Merops albicollis
witkeelbijeneter
Guêpier à gorge blanche
Weißkehlspint
Abejaruco gorjiblanco
Gruccione golabianca
Abelharuco-de-garganta-branca
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved.
Fons Buts©2025
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
this shrike species was called Common Fiscal but now it has been split into 2 species , the Northern and the Southern Fiscal. It was also called Fiscal Shrike in the past
Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
Lanius humeralis
Noordelijke gekraagde klauwier
Pie-grièche à dos noir
Stanleywürger
Alcaudón Fiscal Norteño
Fiscal settentrionale
picanço-fiscal-do-norte/picanço-de-dorso-preto
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved.
Fons Buts©2025
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
flying from the canopy of a fig tree in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
Turaco's ( Musophagidae ) are one of the bird families endemic to Africa. These medium-sized birds live in sub-Sahara Africa.
The only large species is the Great Blue Turaco.
Turaco's are difficult to see and to photograph as they spend a lot of time in tree cover while foraging.
Often their presence in areas with riparian or riverine forest is revealed by the raucous calls but then the challenge of locating them remains, especially when you want to take flight shots
Tauraco Schalowi
Schalow's toerako
Touraco de Schalow
Schalowturako
Turaco de Schalow
Turaco di Schalow
Turaco-de-schalow
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved.
Fons Buts©2025
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
White-fronted Bee-eaters in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
Merops bullockoides
Witkapbijeneter
Guêpier à front blanc
Weißstirnspint
Abejaruco Frentiblanco
Gruccione frontebianca
abelharuco-de-testa-branca
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved.
Fons Buts©2025
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
View form Trail Ridge Road (highest continuous paved road in the US reaching elevation of 12,183 feet), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Driving on this road is little nerve wrecking, but in the end rewarded by breathtaking scenery. Changing elevation takes you from tree lines to alpine tundra which has very fragile ecosystem. Weather up top is ever changing and highly unpredictable.
Lemek Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem , Kenya
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 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.
I associate Goldenrod with the brilliant colour it has to attract pollinators, and with the year round contribution it makes to living creatures in the ecosystem. I used to think it was a source of seasonal allergies, but in fact its pollen is not wind borne - only bees, butterflies and birds can move it around.
I liked the clean look I got at the Honey Bee’s ‘mouth parts’, and the front legs that have dedicated bristles for cleaning the proboscis. The prominent mandibles, used for chewing and eating things, are displaced by the mandible but visible at its base, on either side of the proboscis. The front of the face is a bit dusty, but the compound eyes are unobstructed.
After what feels like days and days of overcast skies, I thought some bright summery colours and activity might be a tonic.
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!
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Yellowstone National Park is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho.
It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world, is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park.
It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.
Eardley Escarpment, Gatineau Park, Québec, Canada
The Eardley Escarpment is home to the richest and most fragile ecosystem in Gatineau Park, primarily because of its geology and location. The Escarpment is the dividing line between the rock of the Canadian Shield, which covers more than half of Canada, and the St. Lawrence Lowland. It rises 300 metres from the floor of the Ottawa Valley, and extends over more than 30 kilometres.
Eleven thousand years ago, the Gatineau Park appears as a peninsula into the Champlain Sea. The Ottawa Valley was under 100 metres of water. The sea lingers in the Ottawa Valley for 2,500 years slowly ebbing away as the land rises.
The Eardley Escarpment can be seen from three scenic lookouts:
Champlain Lookout
Étienne Brûlé Lookout
Huron Lookout
ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/gatineau-park
Escarpement d’Eardley, Parc de la Gatineau, Québec, Canada
L’escarpement d’Earley abrite l’écosystème le plus riche et le plus fragile du parc de la Gatineau en raison de sa géologie de son emplacement. L’escarpement est la ligne de démarcation entre le Bouclier canadien, qui couvre plus de la moitié du Canada, et les basses terres du Saint-Laurent. Il s’élève à 300 mère au-dessus de la vallée de l’Outaouais et s’étend sur plus de 30 kilomètres.
Il y a 11 000 ans, le Parc de la Gatineau forme une presqu’île qui s’avance dans la Mer de Champlain. La vallée de l’Outaouais était sous 100 mètres d’eau. Avec le temps, la croûte terrestre se relèvera graduellement et les eaux de mer se retireront de la vallée après un séjour de 2 500 ans.
L’Escarpement d’Eardley peut être contemplé depuis trois belvédères :
Belvédère Champlain
Belvédère Étienne Brûlé
Belvédère Huron
This male had been in a fight with the male in the image
" Lions, a mating pair " shown in the first comment box and posted 2 weeks ago. This one was lost the fight and had some injuries, mainly on his back.
During the 3 days that I was in the area he kept on following the mating couple
Lemek Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem , Kenya
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
Last weekend of sun before the typical Fall rain, so the aspens still retain their brightly colored leaves and the wild grasses are golden in the light...
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 23,000 acres in eastern Washington on the edge of the Columbia River Basin. The Channeled Scablands ecosystem that predominates the Refuge is unique within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Ponderosa pine, wetlands, meadow steppe and riparian habitat dominate the landscape.
Turnbull Final Autumn Colors 3776
Le syrphe ceinturé Episyrphus balteatus, espèce indigène abondamment retrouvée dans nos agro-écosystèmes, possède de nombreux atouts en tant qu’agent de lutte biologique. En effet, ce Diptère, polyaphidiphage au stade larvaire, est retrouvé sur une large gamme de végétaux et se nourri de nombreuses espèces de pucerons. Particulièrement voraces au second et au troisième stade, les larves peuvent consommer jusqu’à 1200 pucerons. Les adultes présentent aussi un grand intérêt puisqu’ils participent activement à la pollinisation de nombreuses espèces végétales. Par ailleurs, les femelles d’Episyrphus balteatus peuvent pondre jusqu’à 1000 œufs pour assurer leur descendance. Très sélectives quant à leur site d’oviposition, elles privilégient les plants infectés de colonies de pucerons en pleine expansion : ceci assure une lutte biologique optimale sur le terrain et l’éradication des aphidiens dommageables à nos cultures.
Another photo of a white fawn lily photo I stumbled upon from last year’s photo archive...I noticed many of these sprouting up in the backyard meadow recently, some already with buds on them, can’t wait to capture more pics of these white beauties in the coming weeks.
The White fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum) is a captivating Pacific Northwest native with nodding, lily-like white flowers on slender stems with a light overlay of green and burgundy on the outer petals, especially at the base along with brilliant orange-yellow stamens. The green foliage is heavily dappled with a dark eggplant hue...the mottling is reminiscent of a fawn's coloring or that of a trout.
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.
Pronounced MOH-noh, this "is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. These salts also make the lake water alkaline. This desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp that thrive in its waters, and provides critical nesting habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and blackflies (that also feed on the shrimp)." Source: wikipedia.org
“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.
Backyard blooms in May...Camas backlit by the setting sun.
Common Camas (Camassia quamash), is native to western North America in British Columbia, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The deep blue-violet flowers form along a 24-48 inch flower stalk and are native to the Pacific Northwest, often found in meadows within the Garry oak ecosystem.
It is exceptionally beautiful and a highly sought-after bulb in the ornamental flower industry... it has been propagated and sold to flower enthusiasts around the world.
The camas roots are edible sweet bulbs and considered to be an invaluable native food source for the traditional cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Its taste is often compared to a baked pear, fig, or sweet potato, and was also used to sweeten other foods.
The Camas flower serves double duty...not only exceptionally beautiful but also an exotic food.
Photography: Nikon Z50, Nikkor 200-500, @f5.6, 500mm.