Legend of The Winter Soldier
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With its distinctive plumage and evocative cry, the African fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) is probably the most familiar bird of prey in Africa. Perched majestically on a high branch, the contrast between the white upper-body and tail (not obvious in this shot), the chestnut belly and the black wings is unmistakable.
Aside from fish, this efficient raptor will also take the young of water birds such as the lesser flamingo, and very occasionally will go for monkeys, crocodile hatchlings, frogs and insects.
I took dozens of shots of Fish Eagles in Kanana Nature Reserve before I was satisfied with this one, and a few others. My recycle bin is filled with rejected Fish Eagle shots.
When you think of the Netherlands, it is easy to picture never-ending fields of brightly coloured flowers. Many of the country’s most famous artists have portrayed the flower fields of the Netherlands in their work, and these fields are just as spectacular when they are seen in real life. However, these flower fields are more than just aesthetically beautiful: they are also economically important to the country. A significant proportion of the country’s agricultural exports are derived from the sale of freshly cut flowers, bulbs and mature plants, and the Netherlands contributions to the flower industry are so significant that they make up around two-thirds of the world’s total flora sales and completely dominate the European marketplace. Thanks to highly efficient supply chains, it is actually possible to buy flowers in New York which were freshly cut in the Netherlands that morning!
is what this flower looks to me, or a very efficient hiding place for insects. :))
Of Asian origin, Celosia Cristata ("Crista-de-galo" in Portuguese) can also be found in Africa and South America. Easily recognized for its flowers, which look more like a brain, with flowering between the beginning and end of Summer, the species has bright colors, being red, pink, cream, purple and white.
Very bright and with a velvety texture, they are extremely easy plants to cultivate but in full sun (6 to 9 hours a day). Well-drained and nutrient-rich soils will keep the plant more lush.
Celosia flowers can last up to 30 days, but they need pruning after this time for new inflorescences to appear while the summer climate is still favorable for its development.
This plant hides a great medicinal and cultural power. Because it has anti-metastatic and immunostimulant effects, it is used in alternative medicine by many people for cataract treatment purposes, eye spill, hyperopia, astigmatism and myopia.
Celosia is also very popular in African cuisine as an ingredient, being in Nigeria the most consumed vegetable by the population. Its seeds are also a great source of natural edible oil.
Amritsar is the site of one of the British Empires most efficient massacres.
The city is in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab, 28 kilometers from the border with Pakistan. At the center of its walled old town, the gilded Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) is the holiest gurdwara (religious complex) of the Sikh religion. It’s at the end of a causeway, surrounded by the sacred Amrit Sarovar tank (lake), where pilgrims bathe.
Cleo still likes to play but she would NEVER run after a toy. As she is an energy efficient creature she prefers to play while she is comfortably lying on a cushion and only has to lift the paw to catch the toy. Cleo has always tried to avoid any waste of energy, even 16 years ago when she was a kitten....
Posted for the Happy Caturday theme "My cat is ...".
Noi umani siamo osservatori grossolani, anche in ragione di sensi di efficienza assai inferiore a quelli di numerose specie animali, ma soprattutto per l'incorreggibile superficialità che ci distingue. Questi alberi, questi cipressi, ad esempio, sembrano a prima vista tutti uguali. Invece sono tutti diversi: ciascuno, proprio come accade agli individui della nostra specie, esprime la propria individualità ..... ..
Gli occhi delle libellule sono portentosi. Strumenti sovradimensionati rispetto al corpo dell'organismo ospite, essi consentono alle diverse specie una notevole efficienza predatoria e, al tempo stesso, una elevata capacità di controllo dell'ambiente circostante. Questo presenta anche il vantaggio di potersi sottrarre efficacemente all'attenzione dei predatori, che sono numerosi e sempre in agguato ..... ..
... literally "sun chimes" may be? But you must know - it´s very fleeting!...
Exactly it isn´t existent anymore... altough - we have a very wintery week here in Austria - snowing every day so far... (but not very efficient everywhere) Seems to get a looooong winter this season.
The Damme Canal (French: Canal de Damme. Dutch: Damse Vaart or Napoleonvaart) is a canal in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The canal links Bruges with the Western Scheldt at Sluis, Netherlands. It was constructed on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte who wished to create a canal network in order to permit the efficient transport of troops without the risk of disruptive interventions from the British navy.
Following the defeat of Napoleon, the original strategic imperative for the canal was removed. The plans in the Napoleonic era had called for a link to the Scheldt at Breskens. Half a century later the canal opened to traffic in 1856, and the link with the sea had moved to Sluis.
At Damme the canal crosses the Leopold Canal and the Schipdonk Canal, both of which were dug in the middle years of the nineteenth century in order to reduce the vulnerability of the Belgian canal network to Dutch interference, after the achievement in 1830 of Belgian independence. It was necessary to create a system of Siphons because of the differences in water level of the three canals. The canal was used until 1940 when French troops destroyed the siphon system: this put an end to maritime transport on the Damme Canal.
After World War II use of the canal resumed, but it was used now by pleasure boats, along with a tourist boat connecting Damme and Bruges.
No wonder herons are so efficient at catching fish swimming below as they stand motionless or stroll along the shore; it's those eyes!
This is my blue parrot called "Blue" as she's blue.
She's a female parrot 🐦
She had a parrot bath this morning. Just sticks her head into a bowl of water and shakes, and can wash whole her body. Amazing but very efficient. You can never do that.
She was an escaped bird. She flew into our yard in April 2014.
She was so hungry and miserable, so we gave her budgie's food and she followed us.
I still remember the date as it was in the Easter Holiday period and the day after she flew in, she opened a tight plastic container with full of small Easter chocolate bunnies and stole one. When we realised she was already eating it.
We never expected such an event and it was very shocking😱 as chocolate is highly toxic for your birds, dogs, cats, and most of the animals as well as human (eating too much, you'll become like me 😄)
We looked for her owner using from telegraph pole posters to all the social media tools, such as lost and found animal search sites, Facebook, etc. I even uploaded her video on Youtube.
Then very bad bad guy from Western Suburb claimed Blue was his bird but obviously not. He just thought she was very cute in the video.
Anyway, we couldn't find the owner and she is still with us.
Now she is very lonely and getting older and older. We're trying to find her boyfriend from a local breeder. We have to make sure he is definitely a boy 🐥🐦
*I just grabbed the camera and took her quickly. The lens is from yesterday's flower shoot. I didn't have a time to change the settings (AV, f/3.5, ISO: Auto), so it looks a bit funny. If you find a flower photo with the same camera and lens somewhere else it's probably me.
Heart - Alone (youtube)
I trulli di Alberobello
I trulli più antichi di Alberobello risalgono al XIV secolo: le abitazioni a poco a poco si accorparono fino a formare dei veri e propri villaggi, in seguito soprannominati Aja Piccola e Monti.
La costruzione a secco, senza malta, dei trulli, permetteva che potessero essere smantellati in fretta: un metodo efficace per evitare le tasse sui nuovi insediamenti imposte dal Regno di Napoli La maggior parte degli storici tuttavia concorda che questa tecnica edilizia fosse dovuta, innanzitutto, alle condizioni geografiche del luogo, che abbondava della pietra calcarea utilizzata nelle costruzioni.
Trulli, in Apulia are small round dry-wall construction of stone with a conical roof.
The oldest trulli we know of today are at Alberobello, dating back to the 14th Century: the habitations gradually grew into villages, later called Aja Piccola and Monti.
The dry-wall construction, without mortar, could be dismantled in a hurry: an efficient means to evade taxes on new settlements under the Kingdom of Naples
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Southwild Pantanal Lodge
The Pantanal
Brazil
South America
Happy Caturday!!!
The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 7 and 15.5 kg (15 and 34 lb) on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described it in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized.
The ocelot is efficient at climbing, leaping and swimming. It prefers areas close to water sources with dense vegetation cover and high prey availability. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, such as armadillos, opossums, and lagomorphs. It is typically active during twilight and at night and tends to be solitary and territorial.
Both sexes become sexually mature at around two years of age and can breed throughout the year; peak mating season varies geographically. After a gestation period of two to three months, the female gives birth to a litter of one to three kittens. They stay with their mother for up to two years, after which they leave to establish their own home ranges.
The ocelot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by habitat destruction, hunting, and traffic accidents. While its range is very large, various populations are decreasing in many parts of its range. The association of the ocelot with humans dates back to the Aztec and Incan civilizations; it has occasionally been kept as a pet. – Wikipedia
In Terneuzen ging uiterst efficiënt de 6463 meteen weer los retour Sas van Gent. De set Tads'en zou de rest van de ochtend één van de drie sporen op Terneuzen Zuid blijven blokkeren. Ondertussen waren de Lineas loccen die in het weekend overstaan met de suikertrein los vanuit Axel naar Terneuzen gekomen om de Blauwe Kade van Verbrugge te bedienen. Er werd een homogene sleep knikketelwagens uitgehaald, waarna er nog een set geplaatst moest worden die op de noodzijde stond opgesteld. De uitgehaalde wagens konden echter niet op Terneuzen Zuid worden achtergelaten, want dan zouden beide sporen waarvan je naar de kade kan bezet zijn. En dus werden de uitgehaalde meegenomen naar de noordzijde. Het tweetal 77'ers komt hier aan met de knikketels; achter deze wagens staat de set die nog geplaatst moest worden. Op de achtergrond wordt druk gewerkt aan een nieuwe sluis in het kanaal.
31 mei 2021, 08:46
Ruddy darter - Sympetrum sanguineum
The dragonflies are wonderful. They are very efficient predators, they can intercept prey mid-air, they can move each of their four wings independently from the others, they have near-360-degree vision with their eyes which contain 30,000 facets, each bringing in information about the insect's surroundings. Top of it they're beautiful insects :)
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Thank you very much for viewing my photos, I appreciate the faves and comments!
Autumn is here.
Buckpool and Fens Pool Local Nature Reserve
What3Words
///thin.spill.bravo
The Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) is a common, distinctive waterbird known for its all-black plumage and a conspicuous white bill and frontal shield, which gives rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot". A member of the rail family (Rallidae), it is found across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North Africa.
Appearance: Adults are entirely sooty-black with a bright white bill and a "shield" or blaze on their forehead. They have striking red eyes. Their feet are a distinguishing feature, with large, lobed toes that help them swim effectively and walk on land, unlike the webbed feet of ducks.
Feet: Unlike ducks, which have webbed feet, coots have large, grey, lobed toes. These lobes help them swim efficiently and also allow them to walk and run well on land or soft, muddy ground.
Size: They are around 36-38 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-80 cm.
Habitat: Coots are widespread and commonly found on shallow, still or slow-moving freshwater bodies such as lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and canals, often in urban park settings.
This shot is the last one from this close up flight display, and definitely one of my favourites.
Despite being a highly developed and efficient hunter, luck was not on her side.
It was though wonderful to see her hover silently alongside the car. To capture her hunting style at close quarters was a dream come true.
Having failed to make a kill she landed on a post adjacent to me before again flying within feet of me.
The barn owl is renowned for it's silent wing beat, as it quarters the countryside in search of unsuspecting voles.
Barn owl (Tyto alba)
Yorkshire Dales - Lower Barn/ Embankment Female
Many thanks to all those who take the time to comment on and fave my photos. It is truly appreciated and welcome.
DSC_3103
DPR-1 leads another load of Colorado coal to the power plant in Utah. It is powered by the plant itself, rides on a well maintained right of way, and has efficient cars for loading/unloading. May 9, 2019.
© Eric T. Hendrickson 2019 All Rights Reserved
If the grasshopper had been a little quicker it might have lived to hop another day, but no such luck against this efficient hunter. Logerhead Shrike along Old Port Isabel Road in Cameron County, Texas.
Taken with the Nikon Z6 iii at the Nikon Workshop hosted by Ted's Cameras Maroochydore at the Wildlife HQ.
"Wildlife HQ at the Big Pineapple in Woombye, Queensland, is home to African Wild Dogs (also called African Painted Dogs), an endangered species they care for in conservation efforts, allowing visitors to see their unique coat patterns and social pack dynamics, especially during Night Zoo tours where they are active.
AFRICAN PAINTED DOGS are one of the most efficient hunters in the animal kingdom, with a success rate of up to 80 percent. These highly social animals live in packs led by a dominant breeding pair and are known for their strong bonds and teamwork. Each individual has a unique coat pattern, making them easy to identify within the group. Their agility and energy are truly remarkable."
Ferocious efficient killer., dressed in fine and elegant clothing., If I were a Vole or a mouse this is last thing I would want stalking my field., but next only to the Kite surely the most beautiful large Raptor in the skies of the UK
Learning how to skillfully and efficiently handle an as wide as possible range of photo - processing tools is an additional reason that turned me into a "serious" lover of the art of photography ... All advanced digital photo-processing programs and their related plugins form literally a whole new world ready to help you present effectively and successfully whatever is imprisoned into your Micro SD drive via your camera's sensor ..
I don't like modifying the capture's fundamental traits ... I also strongly dislike removing or even adding elements that weren't there in the first place ... But I very much enjoy creating a low light surrounding ambient atmosphere that exhales tranquillity and helps revealing all the effort hidden behind the scene's capture ... I like stressing out the subtle contrast between the light around the frame's main point of interest and its surrounding environment ...
I enjoy giving special attention to every single detail of any image I find worthy enough to be exhibited in front of your eyes ...
NIKON D90 DSLR with Nikon Nikkor 18 - 55 lens, Manual Mode, shutter speed 1/16 s, ISO 200, f 8, focal length 40 mm, use of HOYA ND X 2 filter, cloudy weather white balance, center weighted average metering mode, HDR processing derived from only one RAW file, no flash, use of tripod ...
Rheas, like many other birds, cannot create suction to drink water as mammals do. Instead, they rely on gravity to help them swallow. When drinking, a rhea dips its beak into the water to scoop it up, then tilts its head back to let gravity carry the water down its throat. This method is not precise, so they spill a significant amount of water in the process. This behavior is common among large, flightless birds such as rheas, ostriches, and emus, whose anatomy prioritizes other functions over efficient drinking.
Neotropic Photo Tours. www.neotropicphototours.com
Train is the best efficient transport on the heavy snowy days. This photo captures the train connecting Paris and the surrounding areas running through Evry.
"You might think the Praying Mantis only has two eyes, but it actually has five! They use their two large compound eyes to detect movement and depth, and gives the mantis panoramic vision of its surroundings. Each compound eye contains numerous individual facets called ommatidia, which detect light and motion. This compound structure grants the mantis excellent depth perception and a wide field of view, ideal for spotting prey and potential threats.
Situated between the two compound eyes are three smaller eyes, often arranged in a triangular pattern. While not as sophisticated as the compound eyes, the ocelli are sensitive to changes in light intensity and help the mantis orient itself with respect to the sun and other light sources. They also aid in regulating the mantis's circadian rhythms and navigation. These eyes contribute to the mantis's prowess as an agile and efficient predator, allowing it to stalk, ambush, and capture its prey with remarkable accuracy!
Stereo vision, also known as binocular vision, refers to the ability of an organism to perceive depth and three-dimensional (3D) spatial information by combining the slightly different views provided by each eye. This depth perception is essential for accurately gauging distances and spatial relationships between objects in the environment.
In the case of the praying mantis, its stereo vision is primarily facilitated by its two large compound eyes, which are positioned on opposite sides of its head. Each compound eye captures a slightly different perspective of the surrounding environment due to their lateral placement.
These two overlapping visual fields provide the mantis with binocular vision, enabling it to perceive depth and distance effectively. When an object is viewed from two different angles, each eye receives a slightly different image. This difference in perspective, known as binocular disparity, allows the mantis to infer depth information.
By comparing the disparities between corresponding points in the images received by each eye, the mantis can accurately determine the distance to objects in its field of view. The brain processes the information from both eyes to create a single, unified 3D representation of the environment!" www.insectlore.com/blogs/praying-mantis/10-fun-and-intere...
Pennsylvania, US, August 30, 2025, IMGP4726
Check out all from our backyard: www.flickr.com/photos/desralea/albums/72177720326793898/
Wisconsin Central SD45 7496 and F45 6650 rolled a northbound through Leithton with intermodal traffic on the headend of a manifest heading to Fond du Lac in 2001.
Taken quite well after sun set in freezing conditions in Hokkaido January 2020. Great memories. It seems a lifetime ago now. Any comments and or critiques are most welcome and as always much appreciated
Efficient groundcover, it has outgrown its allotted space and is a little invasive, but when these lovely little flowers come out in May I'd rather have too much than not enough...
Looking into the face of the incredible Giant Monsoon Mantis (Hierodula werneri). Did you know that mantids actually have 5 eyes? The two large eyes here are the compound eyes and are for efficiently watching movement, whilst they have three much smaller simple eyes on top of their head (out of frame) which they use to detect light!
This large mantis resides in the greenery of the monsoonal forests of the Northern Territory, predating on anything smaller than itself including frogs and geckos
The red mason bee (Osmia bicornis; rosse metselbij (Dutch)) is an efficient pollinator. Just a few hundred O. bicornis can pollinate an orchard as well as thousands of honeybees.
The scientific name O. bicornis means 'two-horned'. This refers to the tiny projections on the female’s face — used to help manipulate mud while nest-building. These 'horns' can be seen well in the photo.
Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400
Lighting: 2x Zhiyun Molus G60 @5000K
DIY diffusor: styrofoam cup
Magnification: 2.55x
Stacking:
Studio Work
MJKZZ Xtreme PRO rail
Stack: 63 photos
Steps: 70 microns
Stacking software: Zerene Stacker
Post-processing: Photoshop CS
Building a fence across a lake might not be the most efficient way of retaining water, or the smartest use of spare barbed wire and wood... I have to assume the lake wasn't there when the fence went up. Maybe the drainage pattern has changed; maybe there has been more snow and more rainfall in recent years than previously.
That said, I couldn't resist stopping on the way to the bird photo location (same morning as previous shot of road & car). I saw the fence; I braked. There was no traffic. Several ducks swam away. You can see them in this photo, tiny dots with v-shaped wake. Pre-dawn glow began to light up the eastern horizon. The air was cool. I felt unhurried and relaxed; I'm on prairie time now. It differs from regular time - in its timeless quality. I can't explain it any other way.
I've just gotten home and unpacked from another trip to the same location. This time I decided, more or less at the last moment, to take a motel room for the night. That put me within easy reach of my destination, and allowed both an evening and dawn shoot in the same trip. In addition, a grocery run and a slight back strain. Oh, well. We have to accept the consequences of our actions, good and not-so-good. This trip was mostly good. I will catch up with your latest uploads ASAP, but right now a painkiller/muscle relaxant and mid-afternoon nap are calling to me louder than anything else.
Photographed at an unnamed lake south of Cadillac, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2020 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
New energy efficient LED lighting illuminates the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: red, white, and blue for the American arches over the Soo Locks; red and white for the Canadian arch over the Sault Canal. View from Lake Superior State University.
The International Bridge- -a 4.5 kilometer / 2.8 mile long metal Cantilever (suspended deck) Warren Through Truss two lane bridge with a two span arch over the American Soo Locks and a single span arch over the Canadian Sault Canal. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and London; the bridge opened October 1962. The bridge spans the St. Marys River and connects Sault Ste. Marie Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.