View allAll Photos Tagged electrocution
The West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, was first opened in 1876, but closed in 1995. It's seen riots, fires and the execution of nearly 100 prisoners through either hanging or electrocution.
This flying contraption belongs to one Vladimir Elektrokutin, one of the countless many admirers of Tesla.
A humble entry for the Agents of the Imperial Crown contest.
Eeyugh… What happened again? Right, Mr.“my name makes sense now” zapped me. So that's what electrocution feels like. Zero out of ten, would not get shocked again. Wait a second, why am I in a glass cage? Whuh-oh, Shocker must've finally handed me over to his mysterious employer. At least, it won't be a mystery for long.
-Spider-Pip stands up and examines the room-
Hm, whoever it is must’ve been going for a creepy, medieval motif, I swear it looks like Latveria in he--Oh snap. Doom. I am literally in Dr. Doom’s house! I need to get out of here!
-Spider-Pip tries to escape by attacking his cage but is met with another, smaller shock-
Spider-Pip: “Argh! Again, really?”
-Suddenly, a door at the other end of the room opens and out walks the literal personification of intimidation itself...-
Spider-Pip: “Dr. Doom.”
Doom: “You are familiar with me, Spider?”
He’s trying to intimidate me, I can't show any fear.
Spider-Pip: “I'm familiar with the fact that your a big, metal jerk.”
(Seriously though, I'm kinda’ freakin’ out!)
Doom: “Strong words from the one in the cage.”
That is a good point. Still, I need to stay stoic.
Spider-Pip: “What I want to know is how you know who I am?”
Doom: “Simple. Know thine enemy, Spider-Pip. I’m sure you’re familiar with what I’m capable of?”
Spider-Pip: “Let’s see... Telekenisis, teleportation, telepathy, telemarketing. Wait, not that last one.”
Doom: “I’ll have you know that I am not in a gaming mood.”
Spider-Pip: “Why? You just were delivered a superhero. I imagine that's the supervillian version of buying a new phone.”
Doom: “Because, you are of no use to Doom.”
Spider-Pip: “If I’m so useless, then why did you pay Shocker to capture me?”
Doom: “I didn’t, that buffoon mistook me for his overseer, the two having never met.”
Spider-Pip: “Wow, you were sure at the right place at the right time.”
Doom: “...Indeed. Now silence yourself while Doom seeks out a use for you.”
-Doom steps over to a console and begins typing-
Spider-Pip: “Did you just refer to yourself in the third-person?”
Doom: “Doom shall not take criticism from the likes of you.”
Spider-Pip: “Well then, Spider-Pip shall not give criticism to the likes of you.”
Doom: “It is unwise to test me.”
Spider-Pip: “You mean it's unwise to test Doom.”
Doom: “Enough.”
-Doom presses a button on the console and Spider-Pip is zapped unconscious for a third time-
Doom: “Don't say I didn't warn you.”
-------------------------------------------
Quick note for this part and basically all parts going forward, give me a break with the sets. I really don't have a lot of good bricks for building stuff like walls, and it's hard to have sets without those. :P Also, after spending so much time writing I have very little patience for building.
Also, thanks once again for all your great feedback! It's more than helpful and I appreciate it. (As long as it's not about the sets. xP)
Robe OOAK handmade de la nouvelle collection pour pullip de ma marque Electrocute. Le set comprend une robe et un bloomer assorti.
nekounette-toxicmushroom.blogspot.com/
Merci ^^
The white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) As it is rarer than previously believed, its conservation status was reassessed from Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List. In 2012 it was further uplisted to Endangered. In October 2015, its status was changed to Critically Endangered because the ongoing decline is more severe than previously thought.
The population size of the white-backed vulture has been decreasing significantly within the past few decades. In 1922, the population was estimated at 270,000. Over the past two decades, its population has noticeably decreased. While not much is known about the current population, a recent study found that white-backed vultures have a high survival rate. Individual adults have the highest survival rate, while 2 year old birds have the lowest survival rate. Across all ages, the survival rate is estimated to be 90.7%. This means that the deaths of adult vultures will lead to rapid population declines. The loss of adults will cause less reproduction and with younger birds less likely to survive, the population will drop drastically. A major cause of population decrease is the loss of habitat. Elephants have been endangering the vultures, since they destroy the trees the vultures live and nest in. Vultures tend not to nest in areas with high elephant populations.Fires have also caused the destruction of trees. Humans also have a large impact. Our power lines have caused many vultures to be electrocuted. In Kenya especially, humans are using a very toxic pesticide called Furadan, which has led to many vulture deaths. Vultures are also being poisoned by humans, although not intentionally. In order to kill hyenas, lions, and other predators, herders add poisons into their livestock. Vultures ingest the poison upon eating a deceased animal's carcass. This poisoning generally occurs outside of protected areas, but is a leading factor in the population’s decline. Habitats are being also disturbed by human land management and direct nesting persecution patterns.
More recent studies have indicated a new plausible factor in the current declination of the vultures. Researches have seen that there has been a rise in toxicity in the liver, kidneys, pectoral region, and internal organs. This toxicity is caused by higher levels of lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper. Although most of these metals level out as either non harmful or normal levels, the lead concentrate in the liver of the vultures (8.56 µg/g wet weight) and in the kidneys (9.31 µg/g wet weight) is higher than the average levels.
Studies have also been performed on the white-backed vulture and some species of Asian vultures within the Gyps clade to see the effect of veterinary diclofenac. Regardless of whether the vultures were given an oral or intravenous dose of the substance, the effects was nearly identical and the diclofenac eventually poisoned the subjects. This chemical is one of the greatest contaminants for the general vulture population because of its presence in livestock: easy food for the vultures.
Another study shows that there are heightened levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, HPA’s, which isn’t as likely a product in the endangerment resultant, but still concerning. HPA’s, also known as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, are formations of hydrogen atoms surrounding rings of carbon. As common as these compounds are found in foods, engines/incinerators, fires, combustion there are many forms, and some carcinogenic. Although there is no direct correlation of the high levels of HPA’s in the vultures, there is still a plausibility that it can result in a negative outcome for the species.
White-backed vultures are an endangered species, and they need all their resources in order to survive. One trait that the vultures have is their vocalization when it comes to eating. White-backed vultures give out a yell when they are locked onto a target or even when they are eating. These creatures are in great danger though, as they have been slowly disappearing. It does not help their survival rate with a diminishing environment, causing a decrease in the amount of food available, and then the competition for food. The competition affects the vultures in a variety of different ways. First, the white-backed vulture is not a species that shares food with others of its own species. Second, there is the competition that the white-backs face with other animals in their habitat. It is just not what the vultures eat that is a huge part to their diets.
The main food source of the creature is eating the remains of the dead bodies around its habitat or home. The creature lives in Africa, in the Savannah, so it will either soar around in the sky or from some trees in this grassland area, or even wooded areas. The vulture will also follow the water streams during the wet season in the Savannah, this is an ideal place to find food, as other animals are gathered to get water. Some examples of what a white-backed vulture would actually eat are warthogs, zebras, gazelles, or ostriches, but it will basically feast on any animal.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatian_pelican
The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a massive member of the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe to India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a crude heap of vegetation.
No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, Pelecanus crispus palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.
Description
This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living bird species. It measures 160 to 183 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 0 in) in length, 7.25–15 kg (16.0–33.1 lb) in weight and 290–345 cm (9 ft 6 in–11 ft 4 in) in wingspan.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Its median weight is around 11.5 kg (25 lb) makes it perhaps the world's heaviest flying bird species, although the largest individuals among male bustards and swans may be heavier than the largest individual Dalmatian pelican.[4] More recently, six male Dalmatians were found to average 10.4 kg (23 lb) and four females 8.7 kg (19 lb), around the same average weight as the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and slightly lighter than mean body masses from other huge birds such as the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) or Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).[8] A mean estimated body mass for the Dalmatian pelican of 10.9 kg (24 lb) was also published, around the same mass as the afforementioned largest swan and condor.[9] It also appears to have one of the largest wingspans of any living bird, rivaling those of the great albatross (Diomedea ssp.) es and the great white pelican.[7][10]
The somewhat similar-looking great white pelican broadly overlaps in size but has greater size sexual dimorphism, female great whites can be noticeably smaller than female Dalmatians but male individuals of the two species are essentially the same size and weight.[7][10] However, the Dalmatian differs from this other very large species in that it has curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white (rather than pure white) plumage. In winter, adult Dalmatian pelicans go from silvery-grey to a dingier brownish-grey cream colour.[11] Immature birds are grey and lack the pink facial patch of immature white pelicans. The loose feathers around the forehead of the Dalmatian pelican can form a W-like-shape on the face right above the bill.[10] In the breeding season it has an orange-red lower mandible and pouch against a yellow upper mandible. In winter, the whole bill is a somewhat dull yellow. The bill, at 36 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in) long, is the second largest of any bird, after the Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).[10] The bare skin around the eye can vary from yellow to purplish in colour.[12] Among standard measurements, compared to the great white pelican, the Dalmatian's tarsus is slightly shorter, at 11.6 to 12.2 cm (4.6 to 4.8 in), but its tail and wing chord length are notably larger, at 22 to 24 cm (8.7 to 9.4 in) long and 68 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in), respectively.[13][14] When the Dalmatian pelican is in flight, unlike other pelicans, its wings are solid grayish-white with black tips.[10] It is an elegant soaring bird. When a whole flock of Dalmatian pelicans is in flight, all its members move in graceful synchrony, their necks held back like a heron's.
The Dalmatian pelican is often silent, as most pelicans tend to be, although it can be fairly vocal during the mating season, when it may engage in a wide range of guttural, deep vocalisations, including barks, hisses and grunts.
Habitat
The Dalmatian pelican is found in lakes, rivers, deltas and estuaries. Compared to the great white pelican, the Dalmatian is not as tied to lowland areas and will nest in suitable wetlands at many elevations. It is less opportunistic in breeding habitat selection than the great white, usually returning to a traditional breeding site year after year unless it becomes completely unsuitable. During the winter, Dalmatian pelicans usually stay on ice-free lakes in Europe or jheels (seasonal lakes) in India. They also visit, typically during winter, inshore areas along sheltered coasts for feeding.
Movements
This pelican usually migrates short distances. It is dispersive in Europe, based on feeding opportunities, with most western birds staying through the winter in the Mediterranean region. In the Danube Delta, Dalmatian pelicans arrive in March and leave by the end of August. It is more actively migratory in Asia, where most of the birds that breed in Russia fly down for the winter to the central Middle East, largely around Iran through to the Indian Subcontinent, from Nepal to central India.[11] The pelicans who breed in Mongolia winter along the east coast of China, including the Hong Kong area.[12]
Feeding
This pelican feeds almost entirely on fish. Preferred prey species can include common carp (Cyprinus carpio), European perch (Perca fluviatilis), common rudd (Scardinius erythropthalmus), eels, catfish (especially silurids during winter), mullet and northern pike (Esox lucius), the latter having measured up to 50 cm (20 in) when taken.[10][11] In the largest remnant colony, located in Greece, the preferred prey is reportedly the native Alburnus belvica.[12] The Dalmatian pelican requires around 1,200 g (2.6 lb) of fish per day and can take locally abundant smaller fish such as gobies, but usually ignore them in lieu of slightly larger fish.[10][11] It usually forages alone or in groups of only two or three. It normally swims along, placidly and slowly, until it quickly dunks its head underwater and scoops the fish out, along with great masses of water. The water is dumped out of the sides of the pouch and the fish is swallowed. Occasionally it may feed cooperatively with other pelicans by corralling fish into shallow waters and may even cooperate similarly while fishing alongside cormorants in Greece.[10] Occasionally, the pelican may not immediately eat the fish contained in its gular pouch, so it can save the prey for later consumption.[11] Other small wetlands-dwellers may supplement the diet, including crustaceans, worms, beetles and small water birds, usually nestlings and eggs.[11]
Breeding
Among a highly social family in general, Dalmatian pelicans may have the least social inclinations. This species naturally nests in relatively small groups compared to most other pelican species and sometimes may even nest alone. However, small colonies are usually formed, which regularly include upwards of 250 pairs (especially historically). Occasionally, Dalmatian pelicans may mix in with colonies of great white pelicans.[10] Nesting sites selected are usually either islands in large bodies of water (typically lagoons or river deltas[11]) or dense mats of aquatic vegetation, such as extensive reedbeds of Phragmites and Typha. Due to their large size, these pelicans often trample the vegetation in the area surrounding their nests into the muddy substrate and thus nesting sites may become unsuitably muddy after around three years of usage.[12]
The nest is a moderately-sized pile of grass, reeds, sticks and feathers, usually measuring about 1 m (3.3 ft) deep and 63 cm (25 in) across. Nests are usually located on or near the ground, often being placed on dense floating vegetation. Nests tend to be flimsy until cemented together by droppings. Breeding commences in March or April, about a month before the great white pelican breeds. The Dalmatian pelican lays a clutch of one to six eggs, with two eggs being the norm. Eggs weigh between 120 and 195 g (4.2 and 6.9 oz).[15] Incubation, which is spilt between both parents, lasts for 30 to 34 days. The chicks are born naked but soon sprout white down feathers. When the young are 6 to 7 weeks of age, the pelicans frequently gather in "pods". The offspring fledge at around 85 days and become independent at 100 to 105 days old. Nesting success relies on local environmental conditions, with any where from 58% to 100% of hatchlings successfully surviving to adulthood. The nesting sites often insure limited nest predation, though carnivorous mammals which eat eggs and nestlings can access nests when water levels are low enough for them to cross, as has been recorded with wild boars (Sus scrofa) destroying nests in Bulgaria.[12] Jackals, foxes, wolves, dogs (Canis ssp.) and lynxes (Lynx ssp.) are also regular nest predators when water levels are low and white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) may attack pelicans at the colony to at least the size of fledglings.[16][17] Sexual maturity is thought to be obtained at three or four years of age.[10]
Status
This species of pelican has declined greatly throughout its range, more so than the white pelican. It is possible that up to 10,000–20,000 pelicans exist at the species level.[12] Reportedly, there were once millions of Dalmatian pelicans in Romania alone. During the 20th century, the species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline for reasons that are not entirely understood. The most likely reason was habitat loss due to human activities such as the drainage of wetlands and land development. Colonies are regularly disturbed by human activity, and, like all pelicans, the parents may temporarily leave their nest if threatened, which then exposes the chicks to the risk of predation. Occasionally, Dalmatian pelicans may be shot by fishermen who believe the birds are dangerously depleting the fish population and hence threatening their livelihood.[11] While such killings are generally on a small scale, the worry that these pelicans over-exploit the fishing stock persists in many locales. Another probable reason for the decline in the species' population is poaching. In Mongolia, the local people clandestinely kill these pelicans to use or sell their bills as pouches.[11] On a typical day in a commercial Mongolian marketplace, as many as fifty pelican bills may be on offer for sale, and they are considered such a rare prize that ten horses and thirty sheep are considered a fair price to trade for a single pelican.[18] Due to exploitation at all stages of the life cycle, the species is critically endangered in its Mongolian range, with a total population of fewer than 130 individual birds.[12][18] Dalmatian pelicans also regularly fly into power-lines and are killed by electrocution.[12] In Greece, pelicans are often so disturbed by power boats, usually ones bearing tourists—that they become unable to feed and die of malnourishment.[10] In 1994 in Europe there were over a thousand breeding pairs, most of them in Greece, but also in Ukraine, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania (Karavasta Lagoon). They have been considered extinct in Croatia since the 1950s, although a single Dalmatian pelican was observed there in 2011.[19] The largest single remaining colony is at Lake Mikri in Greece, with around 1,400 pairs, with approximately 450 pairs left in the Danube Delta.[12] The country with the largest breeding population today, including about 70% of pairs or possibly over 3,000 pairs, is Russia. Worldwide, there are an estimated 3,000–5,000 breeding pairs.[12] One report of approximately 8,000 Dalmatian pelicans in India turned out to be a congregation of misidentified great white pelicans.[10]
The Dalmatian pelican is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Conservation efforts have been undertaken on behalf of the species, especially in Europe.[12] Although they normally nest on the ground, Dalmatian pelicans have nested on platforms put out in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania in order to encourage them to breed.[10] Rafts over water have also been set up for the species to use in Greece and Bulgaria.[12] Power-lines have also been marked or dismantled in areas adjacent to colonies in these countries. Additionally, water-level management and educational programs may be aiding them at a local level.[12] Although efforts have been undertaken in Asia, there is a much higher rate of poaching, shooting and habitat destruction there, which may make conservation efforts more difficult.[18] In 2012, when unusually frigid winter conditions caused the Caspian Sea to freeze over, it resulted in the death from starvation of at least twenty of the Dalmatian pelicans that overwinter there. Despite local authorities' initial attempts to discourage it, many people there turned out with fish and hand-fed the birds, apparently enabling the huge pelicans to survive the winter.[20]
Stair stepped cascade of Eagle Creek shot on a Saturday morning in May. BamaWester and I (and Wes' nephew Aaron) quick stepped it in to the Eagle Creek drainage during an active thunder storm. Once there, the skies cleared somewhat and allowed us to extend our tripods without risk of electrocution.
As we headed back up the ridge to the trailhead, the lightning rolled in again, quickening our pace and shortening our time on trail. I think we set a record.
Explore: #19 on Friday, May 15, 2009
A day out visiting the wonderfully vibrant garden at Manoir Le Hot, with an added bonus, this amazing nest, with the parent bill-to-bill feeding three stork chicks. Never again will I regard these ugly concrete electric poles in the same light. I've always associated storks with the North East, the Alsace region but apparently they used to nest here in the North West. War, pesticide, habitat destruction and ironically electrocution from the proliferation of cabling was their downfall but here in the marshes, in the 1980s, storks began to return and to nest. As monogamous birds, they are also faithful to their nesting site, which they improve/enlarge each year. Let's hope next year's couples make their way further South to the rich feeding grounds in the bay of Mont Saint Michel!
_VDE6807Inversé
Fin Avril 2023 – Andalousie - Couloir de Migration – Cigognes blanches
Depuis quelques temps déjà, je souhaitais réaliser une photo mettant en exergue la relation de l’Homme à la Nature.
L’occasion m’en a été donné lors d’un séjour en Andalousie, à proximité du détroit de Gibraltar, couloir majeur de migration de l’avifaune entre l’Europe de l’Ouest (Nidification) et l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Zone d’hivernage), deux fois par an au printemps (période pré nuptiale) et à l’automne (période post nuptiale).
Des linéaires entiers de pylônes électriques étaient « squattés » par des nids de cigognes blanches. En effet, les pylônes constituent des nichoirs de choix pour elles, leur permettant de voir loin, de guetter leurs proies et de se protéger de leurs prédateurs.
Hors cela est dangereux pour elles (électrocution) et engendre de sérieux dégâts sur les lignes (coupures de courants). Un nid de cigogne peut atteindre 2 m de diamètre, 1 m de haut et pesé 200 à 500 Kg. Fait de branchage, cailloux, terre, chaque année les cigognes reprennent leur nid et le rehausse. L’impact n’est donc pas négligeable pour les ouvrages (bâtiments, pylônes, etc.). Forcément, à proximité des lignes électriques, les arbres ne sont pas les bienvenus. Sinon elles les préféraient sans conteste.
Depuis plusieurs années maintenant, la LPO (Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux) travaille avec RTE (Réseau de Transport Electrique) en France pour installer des anémomètres au sommet des pylônes et déplacer les nids sur des plateformes artificielles à côté. La cigogne blanche étant une espèce protégée en France, impossible d’intervenir sur les nids entre Mars et Aout afin d’éviter tout dérangement pendant la période de nidification.
Sur cette photo, il semblerait que plus l’homme invente des subterfuges pour repousser la cigognes (pics) plus elle y trouve son compte pour caler son nid.
***
End of April 2023 – Andalusia – Migration Corridor – White Storks
For some time now, I was longing to take a photo highlighting Man's relationship with Nature.
The opportunity was given to me during a stay in Andalusia, near the Strait of Gibraltar, a major avifauna migration corridor between Western Europe (Nesting) and Western Africa (Wintering zone), twice a year in spring (pre-nuptial period) and in autumn (post-nuptial period).
Entire lines of electricity pylons were “squatted” by white stork nests. Indeed, the pylons constitute nest boxes of choice for them, allowing them to see far, to watch for their prey and to protect themselves from their predators.
Howerver, this is dangerous for them (electrocution) and causes serious damage to the lines (power outages). A stork's nest can reach 2 m in diameter, 1 m high and weigh 200 to 500 kg. Made of branches, stones, earth, each year the storks take back their nest and raise it. The impact is therefore not negligible for the structures (buildings, pylons, etc.). Obviously, near power lines, trees are not welcome. Otherwise they undoubtedly would preferred them.
For several years now, the LPO (Bird Protection League) has been working with RTE (Réseau de Transport Electrique) in France to install anemometers at the top of the pylons and move the nests to artificial platforms next to them. The white stork being a protected species in France, it is impossible to intervene on the nests between March and August in order to avoid any disturbance during the nesting period.
In this picture, it seems that the more we invent subterfuges to repel the storks (woodpeckers), the more they benefit from propping up their nest.
See more on www.glancesonbiodiversity.com/
ELECTROCUTION HAZARD !
Osprey can touch parts of the energized structure with they body.
Nest on utility poles can pose a significant risk to the adult and juvenile osprey.
Prevention: nest platform - contact electric utiliuty and ask to speak to their environmental staff.
"Human-Coused Environmental Change"
The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken.
The Egyptian vulture is usually seen singly or in pairs, soaring in thermals along with other scavengers and birds of prey, or perched on the ground or atop a building. On the ground, they walk with a waddling gait. They feed on a range of food, including mammal faeces (including those of humans), insects in dung, carrion, vegetable matter, and sometimes small animals. When it joins other vulture species at a dead animal, it tends to stay on the periphery and waits until the larger species leave.Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) form a significant part of the diet of Spanish vultures.Studies suggest that they feed on ungulate faeces to obtain carotenoid pigments responsible for their bright yellow and orange facial skin. The ability to assimilate carotenoid pigments may serve as a reliable signal of fitness.
Egyptian vultures are mostly silent but make high-pitched mewing or hissing notes at the nest and screeching noises when squabbling at a carcass. Young birds have been heard making a hissing croak in flight.They also hiss or growl when threatened or angry.
Egyptian vultures roost communally on large trees, buildings or on cliffs.Roost sites are usually chosen close to a dump site or other suitable foraging area. In Spain and Morocco,summer roosts are formed mainly by immature birds. The favourite roost trees tended to be large dead pines. The number of adults at the roost increases towards June. It is thought that breeding adults may be able to forage more efficiently by joining the roost and following others to the best feeding areas. Breeding birds that failed to raise young may also join the non-breeding birds at the roost during June.
This species faces a number of threats across its range. Disturbance, lead poisoning (from ammunition used in hunting game), direct and secondary poisoning, electrocution , collisions with wind turbines, reduced food availability and habitat change are currently impacting upon European populations with juveniles showing higher declines and mainland populations showing higher rates of juvenile mortality than island populations. Illegal poisoning against carnivores seems to be the main threat operating on the breeding grounds in Spain and the Balkans. Declines in parts of Africa are likely to have been driven by loss of wild ungulate populations and, in some areas, overgrazing by livestock and improvements in slaughterhouse sanitation. Within the European Union, regulations introduced in 2002, controlling the disposal of animal carcasses, greatly reduced food availability, notably through the closure of traditional "muladares" in Spain and Portugal. However, recently passed regulations will permit the operation of feeding stations for scavengers and guidelines about how to operate them exist, and in eastern Europe dietary diversity has no effect on population sizes, but instead could affect territory size. Poisoning is a threat to the species, often through the use of poison baits targeted at terrestrial predators, and through the consumption of poisoned animals. Recent analyses from many countries including Bulgaria have highlighted potential contamination of Egyptian Vultures that may lead to increased mortality. Antibiotic residues present in the carcasses of intensively-farmed livestock may increase the susceptibility of nestlings to disease (e.g. avian pox has been reported as a cause of mortality in Bulgaria ).
It appears that diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) often used for livestock, and which is fatal to Gyps spp. when ingested at livestock carcasses is driving the recent rapid declines in India. NSAIDs are reportedly toxic to raptors, storks, cranes and owls, suggesting that vultures of other genera could be susceptible to its effects. It seems plausible that this species previously had less exposure to the toxin owing to competitive exclusion from carcasses by Gyps spp. vultures In 2007, diclofenac was found to be on sale at a veterinary practice in Tanzania. In addition, it was reported that in Tanzania, a Brazilian manufacturer has been aggressively marketing the drug for veterinary purposes and exporting it to 15 African countries. This drug has recently been approved for veterinary use in Europe, and is commercially available in France and Spain, which is a major concern for the species.
Mortality at power lines has been found to be particularly common on the Canary Islands and potentially risky in other regions of Spain and in Africa, with 17 individuals found killed by electrocution in Port Sudan, over 10 days in 2010, indicating a potentially serious problem that has persisted for decades and will continue to contribute to Egyptian Vulture population declines. In Morocco at least, the species is taken for use in traditional medicine, and it (like all African vultures) may have local commercial value as a traditional medicine throughout Africa. Competition for suitable nest sites with Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) may reduce breeding success in the short-term.
A Red kite - Milan Royale (Milvus milvus) captured at 1200 meters (4000 ft altitude), which is rare.
Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres (2,600 ft). They are native to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite
A building and trees that I passed on my travels and, unless in the unlikely event that I'm lucky enough to visit icy wastes or a barren desert, then I see lots of trees and buildings on my travels :) Oh, by the way, I removed an eyesore danger of electrocution warning sign from this image so be careful if you go there! :)
Having completed his transformation, the once famed Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is no more. In his place, alongside the Emperor, Darth Vader rises to assume command as judge, jury & executioner of his masters’ will.
Vader: “You told me you could save her.”
Palpatine: “In your rage you choose… a different path. Padme… is dead my friend. Even the power of the Dark Side cannot bring her back. But in her death, she has given you a gift. Pain. Now… you must choose. Will you accept that gift? Will you use it… …Or will you die?”
Vader: “I… will live.”
Palpatine: “Good. And now…”
*proceeds to electrocute Vader with force lighting*
“Where is your light saber, Lord Vader? Use its power! Defend yourself!”
Vader: “Lost. In the fight with Obi-Wan. He… took it.”
Palpatine: “No! That blade belonged to another. A Jedi. You are a Sith. I realize this has been a… traumatic time for you. But if you touch me with the force again, I will finish what Kenobi could not. You are my friend, Lord Vader. I do hope we never find ourselves in this position again. Rise. The great work must continue. You think of revenge. You wish to leave, to find the source of all your pain. I can sense it. Set such feelings aside. Your personal vendettas pale next to the needs of our Galactic Empire. Come with me. I wish to show you something.”
Join me over the next few weeks as we explore the story of Darth Vader’s rise to power from the Darth Vader : Imperial Machine Comic Series and his search for the weapon which he would use to strike fear into the galaxy.
Floyd- Bang! Bang! Ha! You're dead! You're dead!
Merlyn- Lawton!
Floyd- Oh, you're double dead. *cocks guns*
========
Alchemy- At last the wayward daughter shows her face! Pray tell, what is it you need my expertise on?
AM- Would you shut up! Just get in!
*The Arkham Moth and Alchemy open the doors*
Alchemy- Goodness gracious... is that-
AM- Let's get down to business.
========
*Slade and Otis are still locked in combat until Otis suddenly moves his staff, knocking Slade off his feet. Before he can react, Ratcatcher grabs his sword and points it at his throat*
Otis- It's been fun Slade but it's over now. The nanotechnology in your neck has been defused.
*Slade grabs the tip of the sword, it's blade digging into his hands, he casts it aside and gets up, drawing a knife and grabbing Otis by the throat*
Slade- What are you talking about?
Otis- Haven't you been paying attention? Y'know, the bombs in your neck preventing you from betraying the Society, bla bla bla...
*Otis removes the tazer from his pocket, electrocuting Slade, making him loose his grip*
Slade- Ha! I'm not one of the rabble Flannegan, I'm on top.
Otis- Nah. You're neither. You're a loose cannon and the Society hate loose cannons.
Slade- Let's say that you're right...at least this job pays well
*Slade whips out his pistol but Otis slaps it out of his hand*
Otis- I'm sure.
*Otis very suddenly headbuts Slade, knocking him out*
Otis- ...That was... exhausting. Anyone else?
*The majority of the remaining villains run to the elevators*
Otis- I thought not.
*Behind him, Sinestro lunges at him, Otis stops mid-air and grabs his fist*
Sinestro- *aghast* What. Are. You?
Otis- I'm the Ratcatcher.
Sinestro- But... You... This isn't possible! The ...ring is... resisting me!
Ring- Otis Flannegan. You have the ability to instill great fear.
Otis- Huh. Neat.
====Down the Corridor====
*Drury and co. run into Volcana and The Rogues*
Gar- Hey! Volcana! Cobb defused the bombs. You're free!
Volcana- Oh Gar.. you think some bombs in my neck were what was keeping me in the Society?
Gar- Yeah, kinda.
Volcana- How precious. I joined the Society for the same reason why I shagged Snow Flame and why I shagged you. Power. And I'm going to get it, one way or another, even if... no... especially if I have to kill you
Gar- ... That hurts...
Drury- There there. *Drury pats Gar on the back*
Gar- But...I thought...
Volcana- I loved you? Who could ever love you?
Gar- Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
Rigger- She's wrong Gar... I love you!
Volcana- What?
Gar- What?!
Rigger- ... nothing...
Volcana- That's right Joey, be a good boy. Oh... I'm going to roast you like a slab of beef.
Drury- Look, we don't want no beef. Stand. Down.
Volcana- Ha! I don't think so-
*Volcana fires a blast of molten energy at The Bug Family but before it reaches them it stops mid air. Leonard Snart lowers his cold gun*
Volcana- You! You bastard!
Gar- Hey!
*Volcana stops, and in that split second she's knocked cold in one punch*
Gar- I think we should see other people.
Drury- Snart. Thanks for-
Snart- Don't get buddy buddy with me Walker. I stepped in because you defused the bombs. That's all it was.
Drury- Oh... So... we're good?
Snart- We're good.
*Snart and the Rogues turn to leave*
Drury- Actually... Axel's in trouble, frankly I wouldn't mind your help
Snart- The kid's tough. And he's got a good pop. He'll manage.
*And the Rogues leave*
Phosphorus- Wait. I'll come.
Drury- Oh. Great
Miranda- We should regroup with the rest of the gang first, right?
Drury- Right. Good plan. You go on ahead. I'll be right with you.
*Miranda exits with Gaige, Simon and Cypher. Drury reloads his gun*
Rigger- Guys, before you go. Well... I brought these... just in case.
*Rigger opens his satchel bag, a mess of purple and black inside*
Drury- Are those what I think they are?
Gar- Heh. Rigger I could kis- ... Moving on.
Drury- So, is there a changing screen we could-?
Rigger- I did not think this through.
Gar- Or maybe you did.
#AbFav_PHOTOSTORY
#AbFav_The_COLOUR_BROWN_
PURE JOY...
IGOR THE WORLD CHAMPION.
Once a horse won that title... it becomes invaluable and is used as a stud.
Igor had just sired a few mares and was feeeeeeeeeling GOOD...
(to sire is to inseminate.)
The Belgian horse, Belgian Heavy Horse, Flemish or Brabant is a horse breed that comes from the West-Brabantian region of Belgium.
They are one of the strongest of the heavy breeds.
The world's Largest Horse was a Belgian named Brooklyn Supreme, who weighed 3,200 pounds, and stood at 19.2 hands.
On average the Brabant will grow to be slightly over 1 ton or 2,000 pounds.
Colours normally are a blond with a brighter mane, or a sorrel/ chestnut colouring.
In history their main use was to work farms.
They are able to pull tremendous amounts of weight-up to over 4,500 pounds for a pair.
They also played an important role in the first World War, where quite a few perished.
I walked around and started to photograph, I discovered another blond stallion in an adjacent field and in order to get his whole head, with the velvet nose and pricked up ears all in, I had pushed through the fences and the top (danger!!!) ribbon... well I got the shot, but what a SHOCKING experience!
I straightened too soon and was electrocuted, in the neck, I called Paul, yelling: IS THE CAMERA GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT???
The horse got as much of a fright as I did, bolted and ran off.
Farmers are the same all over the world, they are only allowed a low voltage BUT... this was 240, my heart felt like I was 25 again. Bouboum.
I turned around into the 'safer' stables, obviously the nursery, since there were about 6 stables all with foals, that's where I captured those two lovelies.
The adventures of a photographer he, tee hee.
The Belgian horse is a much-loved gentle giant.
This large heavily muscled horse most likely descended from the heavy prehistoric horses and was indispensable as a workhorse in the Middle Ages when this horse was known as the Flanders (Flemish) Horse, now it is known as the Brabant.
Thank you and have a super day, M, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
Please do not use any of my images on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
brown, Flanders, Brabander, horses, foal, farm, stable, working-horse, daylight, natural, suckling, Flanders, horizontal, Nikon D200, "Magda indigo"
Pika Pika!
This build has a movable tail, head, arms, ears, and legs.
He carries with him a magnifying glass, hat, and coffee cup.
I don't really enjoy Pokemon (Sorry for all you fans) But after seeing the trailer for the new movie; I thought it looked awesome!
So, I ended up building this. What do you think? Please comment! :D
Have a good day.
It took 70 years, but the last survivors of Auschwitz remember like it was today the horrible cries of electrocution, the permanent anguish of death and the faces of women and children on their way to the gas chambers.
The West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, was first opened in 1876, but closed in 1995. It's seen riots, fires and the execution of nearly 100 prisoners through either hanging or electrocution.
SAD DAY
I came out to Sunset Park hoping to find the Osprey that I've seen several times. For several days it was nowhere in sight so I figured it found another spot to fish. But as I was walking to my car to leave Sunset Park I happen to look up at the telephone pole in the parking lot and this is what I saw.I guess it was electrocuted while perched here. =(
We are somewhat regular visitors to Antrim's Causeway Coast, but had not visited Dunluce Castle before. As BeachcomberAustralia points-out, we've ridden the Giant's Causeway Tramway before - the "third rail" of which we see here. It is this third rail that helps date the image in fact, as beachcomberaustralia tells us that it was replaced with overhead wires in 1899. A move that is perhaps unsurprising given the danger it posed - electrocuting at least one unfortunate visitor....
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Though likely before c.1899 (tramway rail replaced)
NLI Ref: L_CAB_05555
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Saoirse don Liobáin agus don Phalaistín/ Frankiz d'al Liban ha da Balestin ▪️ Manceinion/ Manchester/ Manchain
▪️▪️▪️ "Israel has dropped the equivalent of multiple nuclear bombs in explosive ordnance on an area that's less than half the size of Hiroshima. ▪️The statistics alone are unfathomable. But what's more terrifying is the pleasure that Israelis - across nearly all sectors of their society - seem to take from witnessing the unimaginable misery, pain, and terror of Palestinians. Their soldiers set their acts of cruelty to music and post them on TikTok. Families across Israel dress up in blackface to mock Palestinians mourning their dead and bloody children. People across Israeli society call for greater violence, even a nuclear strike to wipe out all Palestinians in Gaza." Novara Media
▪️▪️▪️"Dr Mark Perlmutter, an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon from North Carolina who volunteered as an emergency doctor in Gaza, has said that of "all the disasters I've seen ... 40 mission trips, 30 years, Ground Zero, earthquakes, all of that combined doesn't equal the level of carnage that I saw against civilians in just my first week in Gaza ... almost exclusively children. I've never seen that before.
I've seen more incinerated children than I've ever seen in my entire life. I've never seen more shredded children in just my first week." He said children are "definitively" being shot by snipers." Novara Media
▪️▪️▪️"In a rare moment of candour, the New York Times reported UN findings of systematic torture, including sexual torture. According to the UN's report, Israeli soldiers have allegedly kept Palestinian captives in severely overcrowded prison cells, subjected them to sleep deprivation and forced nudity, threatened them with gang-rape, and penetrated or electrocuted male and female prisoners' genitals and anuses with electrified batons and other objects. Released Palestinian hostages and Palestinian civilians in Gaza have reported being mauled and sexually assaulted by trained dogs. A lawyer who has been granted rare access to a Palestinian captive inside an Israeli detention centre reported the activation of a fire extinguisher inside the body of a 27-year-old man through a hose inserted into his rectum." Novara Media
▪️▪️▪️ "UN experts say countries enabling Israel’s “unlawful occupation” of the occupied Palestinian territories and assisting it despite warnings of war crimes and possible “genocide” in Gaza should be deemed “complicit." Al Jazeera
And here was me expecting that the end of the world might mean me being up to my ears in sea water. Apparently we're due some kind of Flibblocalypse or something. Crikey.
You know, if you like my photos, you can buy yourself a splendid book of them all at www.idrinkleadpaint.com
I think you'll love it. Makes the perfect present. Yup.
Also...er maybe you'd love to:
Strobist:
Bowens Gemini Pro 500 through beauty dish camera above and right at 45 degrees set on 3.0. Second and third Bowens camera left and right through softboxes at 80 degrees set on 3.0. Triggered by PC cord cable.
The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region of Europe and northwest Africa, though it formerly also occurred in northern Iran. It is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and Central Europe winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey. Vagrants have reached north to Finland and south to Palestine and Israel, Libya and Gambia.
Red kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–179 cm (69–70 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz), and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz). It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard. There is a rare white leucistic form accounting for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes.
Usually red kites first breed when they are two years old, although exceptionally they can successfully breed when they are only one year old. They are monogamous and the pair-bond in resident populations is probably maintained during the winter, particularly when the pair remain on their breeding territory. For migrant populations the fidelity to a particular nesting site means that the pair-bond is likely to be renewed each breeding season. The nest is normally placed in a fork of a large hardwood tree at a height of between 12 and 15 m (39 and 49 ft) above the ground. A pair will sometimes use a nest from the previous year and can occasionally occupy an old nest of the common buzzard. The nest is built by both sexes. The male brings dead twigs 30–50 cm (12–20 in) in length which are placed by the female. The nest is lined with grass and sometimes also with sheep's wool. Unlike the black kite, no greenery is added to the nest. Both sexes continue to add material to the nest during the incubation and nestling periods. Nests vary greatly in size and can become large when the same nest is occupied for several seasons.
The eggs are laid at three-day intervals. The clutch is usually between one and three eggs but four and even five eggs have occasionally been recorded. The eggs are non-glossy with a white ground and red-brown spots. The average size is 57 mm × 45 mm (2.2 in × 1.8 in) with a calculated weight of 63 g (2.2 oz).[16] In Britain and central Europe, laying begins at the end of March but in the Mediterranean area laying begins in early March.[20] The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but the male will relieve her for short periods while she feeds. The male will also bring food for the female. Incubation starts as soon as the first egg is laid. Each egg hatches after 31 to 32 days but as they hatch asynchronously a clutch of three eggs requires 38 days of incubation. The chicks are cared for by both parents. The female broods them for the first 14 days while the male brings food to the nest which the female feeds to the chicks. Later both parents bring items of food which are placed in the nest to allow the chicks to feed themselves. The nestlings begin climbing onto branches around their nest from 45 days but they rarely fledge before 48–50 days and sometimes not until they are 60–70 days of age. The young spend a further 15–20 days in the neighborhood of the nest being fed by their parents. Only a single brood is raised each year but if the eggs are lost the female will relay.
The maximum age recorded is 25 years and 8 months for a ringed bird in Germany. The longevity record for Britain and Ireland is 23 years and 10 months for a bird found dead in Wales in 2012.
The red kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms form an important part of the diet, especially in spring. In some parts of the United Kingdom, red kites are also deliberately fed in domestic gardens, explaining the presence of red kites in urban areas. Here, up to 5% of householders have provided supplementary food for red kites, with chicken the predominant meat provided.
As scavengers, red kites are particularly susceptible to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. There have also been a number of incidents of red kites and other raptors being targeted by wildlife criminals.
In the United Kingdom, there have been several unusual instances of red kites stealing food from people in a similar manner to gulls. One such occurrence took place in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (a town near a major reintroduction site for the species in the UK in the nearby village of Stokenchurch), in which Red Kites swooped down to steal sandwiches from people in one of the town's parks.
Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres (2,600 ft). They are native to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.
German populations declined by 25%–30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since. The populations of the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffered an estimated 50% decline from 1991 to 2001. In Spain, the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001–02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003–04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41–47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in the northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and Corsica. Populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden, the species has increased from 30–50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have stabilised. According to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the red kite population is increasing. Red kites are decreasing in their strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.
In the United Kingdom, red kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and rubbish. Shakespeare's King Lear describes his daughter Goneril as a detested kite, and he wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing hung out to dry in the nesting season. In the mid-15th century, King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.
By the 20th century, the breeding population was restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified, at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire.[34] Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought from Germany to populate areas of Dumfries and Galloway. Between 2004 and 2006, 94 birds were brought from the Chilterns and introduced into the Derwent Valley in north East England. In Northern Ireland, 80 birds from wild stock in Wales were released between 2008 and 2010, and the first successful breeding was recorded in 2010. The reintroductions in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been a success. Between 1989 and 1993, 90 birds were released there and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding. They can commonly be seen taking advantage of thermals from the M40 motorway. Another successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire, which has become a stronghold for the red kite. Thirty Spanish birds were introduced into Rockingham Forest near Corby in 2000,[38] and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from the initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest for release in Cumbria. From the Chilterns they have spread as far east as Essex and can be seen over the Town of Harlow.
A sighting of the first red kite in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear for the first time since the re-introduction.
In 1999, the red kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology.[31] According to the Welsh Kite Trust, it has been voted "Wales's favorite bird".
In June 2010, the Forestry Commission North West England announced a three-year project to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest, Cumbria under a special license issued by Natural England. The Grizedale program was the ninth reintroduction of red kites into different regions of the UK and the final re-introduction phase in England.
The stated aims of the Grizedale project were:
To establish a viable population of red kites in Grizedale, South Cumbria by 2015.
To increase the rate of red kite expansion into North West England and link up with existing populations in Wales, Yorkshire, North East England and South West Scotland and so increase the chances of a continuous geographical range.
To develop community involvement and create educational opportunities arising from the project.
As of July 2011, non-breeding birds are regularly seen in all parts of Britain, and the number of breeding pairs is too large for the RSPB to continue to survey them on an annual basis.
Red kites were extinct in Ireland by the middle nineteenth century, due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance. In May 2007, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche announced an agreement to bring at least 100 birds from Wales to restock the population as part of a 5-year program in the Wicklow Mountains, similar to the earlier golden eagle reintroduction program. On 19 July 2007, the first thirty red kites were released in County Wicklow. On 22 May 2010, 2 newly hatched red kite chicks were discovered in the Wicklow mountains, bringing the number of chicks hatched since reintroduction to 7.
Sweden is one location where the red kite seems to be increasing, with around 2,000 pairs in 2009, some of which are overwintering and some flying south to the Mediterranean for the winter. They return around March–April. The red kite is the landscape bird of Scania, and the coat of arms of the municipality of Tomelilla. The kite is often seen along the roadsides and roaming the open colorful wheat and rapeseed fields of Scania.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite
I put my mask on very quick, because I see Black Orchid being electrocuted by the Electrocutioner. Shado draws her sword and Connor makes his bow ready to fire.
When I have my hood on I see Killer Croc running towards Connor, and Cheshire jumping towards Shado. What the hell is going on all of a sudden!
Oliver: "Black Orchid?! Are you okay?!"
But as soon as I ask her she punches Electrocutioner in the face.
Orchid: "I can take a hit Arrow! I'll deal with sparky over here, you three take care of Alice in Wonderland and Crocy McUgly over there."
Oliver: "Shado?! Can you take Cheshire?!"
Shado: "With ease."
Oliver: "Ready Brave Bow?"
Connor: "Always."
Connor and I start firing arrows at Croc, but they bounce of pretty easy of of him.
Connor: "Why are the three of them attacking us?"
Oliver: "I guess Brick hired them to keep us buisy or even kill us, so he could keep his drugdeal going."
Connor: "If we are quick, we can take these guys down and then still go after Brick."
Oliver: "What about A.R.G.U.S.?
Connor: "Screw A.R.G.U.S."
Photo taken around the Sierra Del Cristo Mountain Range and scrub lands near Orihuela. The Bonelli's eagle is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an exploration of Sardinia. Some antiquated texts also refer to this species as the crestless hawk-eagle. Like all eagles, Bonelli's eagle belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its feathered legs marked it as member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. This species breeds from southern Europe, Africa on the montane perimeter of the Sahara Desert and across the Indian Subcontinent to Indonesia. On the great Eurasian continent, this species may be found as far west as Portugal and as far east as southeastern China and Thailand. It is usually a resident breeder. The Bonelli's eagle is often found in hilly or mountainous habitats, with rocky walls or crags, from sea level to 1,500 m. Habitats are often open to wooded land and can occur in arid to semi-moist climate. This eagle, though it can be considered partially opportunistic, is something of a special predator of certain birds and mammals, especially rabbits, galliforms and pigeons. On evidence, when staple prey populations decline or are locally scarce, Bonelli's eagle switch to being an opportunistic predator of a wide variety of birds. Despite its persistence over a large range and its continued classification as a least concern species by the IUCN, the Bonelli's eagle has declined precipitously in various parts of its range, including almost all of its European distribution, and may face potential local extinction. The species' declines are due to widespread habitat destruction, electrocution from electricity pylons as well as persistent persecution.
Quay didn't think that mere days after he ¨successfully¨ completed his latest job, reconnected with an old friend from his past, and even got a Lightsaber from a Jedi he met, he would be running through the depths of Coruscant being chased by the Empire. As a child, the parents of Quay used to tell him stories about what lies in the depths of the planet. Back then, he didn't believe them, but now he is starting to think that there was some truth in their stories. While the top of the planet was filled with skyscrapers, the lower you would go inside the planet the more dirty and crime-invested it would become. Even right after the death of his parents, when he had to find a new home in the lower levels of the planet, he never went much further down than level 1500. He didn't know at what exact level he was at that moment; During his chase by the Empire he didn't feel the need to pay attention to where he was at that moment. He could say for certain that he was already below level 1313; He had paid a short visit to that exact level once in his life, and not for good reasons. A quick look around already gave away that it was much more polluted and crime-invested than the already poor living conditions of that level.
The chase started about an hour ago. Quay had packed his stuff so he would be able to leave right when he got his credits, and while waiting for that to happen he was talking with Terras Gratt, the friendly owner of the cantina that was located right below the apartment Quay stayed at for a few days. Suddenly, a few Stormtroopers made their way through the lots of people who were trying to enjoy a drink there. Since at this exact place a few days ago dozens of troopers died, they were investigating this place to see if there was anything of interest here. They explained to him, not knowing that he was there that night, that apparently a couple of people wielding Lightsabers and using the Force caused chaos at this location. The troopers showed Gratt a recording of the night it happened, and Quay was noticeably present in these recordings. Luckily, the footage of when Quay used a Lightsaber was apparently lost, which could have gotten him in way more trouble than he already had. Although Gratt denied knowing anything about who was behind the attack for the sake of keeping Quay out of the trouble, the troopers quickly noticed the similarities between the person on the recording and the person enjoying a drink right next to them. They pointed their weapons at Quay and demanded that he would surrender himself, but miraculously a customer bumped into the two, creating some minor mayhem. Quay took advantage of the confusion by quickly sprinting out of the cantina, and making sure he would be well ahead of the troopers by the time they would come out of there.
Out of options, Quay grabbed the old and rusty speeder that had been standing outside the cantina, and tried to use that to escape. At first, it seemed like the speeder did not work anymore, but after a few tries he miraculously made it work again. Just as the Stormtroopers made it out of the cantina, Quay raced away on the speeder. His luck didn't last long; Shortly after he made it away from the cantina, a Republic Police Gunship, that were now being used by the Empire, started to give chase. Quay managed to dodge most of the blaster fire from the ship, but one of the blaster bolts hit the speeder pretty badly. Although it wouldn't be a direct problem, he could not keep on driving with this thing if he wanted to stay alive. He did see a possible way to make it out in one piece right in front of him; a big Underworld Portal, leading right into the core of the planet. He made the speeder go as fast as possible, and he raced into the gateway. Despite this manoeuvre, the Gunship did not give up its chase. Since the engine of the speeder kept having more trouble keeping it up and running with each second, Quay tried to turn the engine off for a short period of time, which meant he would be making a freefall during his descent into the planet. Although he hated the feeling of falling for a long period of time, he had no other considerable choice. But if he was right, if he would turn the engine on again when he neared an approachable landing spot, he would be able to land without dying due to the big fall. After falling for a short while and having dropped thousands of levels below the surface of the planet, Quay finally saw an approachable landing spot; An landing pad, on which an Republic Gunship could easily fit, was located right below him. Only having a short time to turn the engine back on, he immediately tried to do that, but the engine did not get running again. Quay had to think of something fast; dying due to the impact of a big fall was not the way he would like to pass away. He desperately tried to get the engine up and running again, and at the last moment the engine started again, slowing the speeder down just enough to survive the landing. Unfortunately, this didn't mean that Quay would survive the crash without any injuries; The speeder crashed down on the landing pad with still quite some speed, and Quay got launched off the vehicle when it landed and hit the ground of the landing pad with full force. While the completely wrecked speeder rolled over the edge, Quay managed to hit a wall, preventing a similar fate. He felt blood flowing out of his nose and noticed that some of his bones had definitely broken, but it was not anything that would require immediate medical attention. For now, he had survived it, but the Empire did not give up its chase. The police ship stopped at the edge of the landing pad, and at least half a dozen Stormtroopers jumped out of the ship. Quay forced himself to stand up although he felt pain in his body everywhere, and made a run for it once again.
After finally finding a safe spot to rest out for a short while, Quay sitted down and stopped to take a look at how badly he got hurt from the crash. He found a shard of reflective glass he could use to take a look at his face. He immediately noticed the black eye he got, and a flow of dried blood below his nose. He rolled up the sleeves of his jacket, and saw that at least some of the bones had visibly broken. He could say with certainty that he would not die from these injuries, at least not before the Empire would get their hands on him. He took a small Stimpak out of his pockets, and injected himself with some painkillers. Those would keep Quay fit enough to hopefully escape this planet and find some medical help. He stood up again, and took a look out of the window to see if there was any immediate danger in his surroundings. The area he was in was abandoned with the exception of a homeless person sitting by a fireplace made out of an astromech droid on the street. He didn't hear any Stormtroopers or Imperials screaming orders at each other either, so he assumed he would be safe for another while. He turned around, and took his Lightsaber out of his pocket to take a quick look at it. Quay ignited the saber, and took a moment to admire the beauty of the purple saber. The hilt of the Lightsaber was carefully designed by Quay, and it featured removable plating made from Neuranium metals. The saber featured parts of the Lightsaber Shaella Xalrich, a Jedi he met days ago used to own, as well as parts of the Lightsaber her master owned. He brought some metals from a local scrap dealer, and also found some other materials he could use on a scrapyard not far from the place Quay stayed at for a while. Just like any other Lightsaber, Quay had spent hours customizing it to his liking. Since him carrying around an object that was obviously a Lightsaber could get him arrested, he made sure that he could make it look like a normal mechanical object instead of a Lightsaber within seconds, and vice versa.
Quay was quickly reminded of the situation he was in when some people on the street screamed out loud and begged for mercy. He took a look out of the window, and saw an Imperial officer together with an Stormtrooper and another Imperialist assaulting the homeless person on the street below him. The officer kicked the homeless person on the ground, and pointed his blaster at his face. Quay tried to hear what the officer was saying, but the officer pulled a small speaker out of his uniform before he said anything.
"Quay Sta'nn.'' The officer said, with a voice Quay vaguely recognized. ''You are currently wanted for aiding Red Hand criminals in their raid on the Data Vault on this planet, and with that also assisted an Force User in her escape off this planet. We know you are near this location, so if you don't give yourself up within 5 minutes, I will execute this person and maybe even some more. Trying to escape will be useless; I have brought an Inquisitor with me, who is ready to catch you within minutes if you try to escape.''
Quay quickly put his Lightsaber in his jacket, and went over all of the options he had. Quay had heard rumors of the Inquisitors, Dark-Side users made specifically to hunt down Jedi, but he never thought those were real. Quay could try to make it a shootout, but he assumed that as soon as he did that reinforcements would arrive. Despite that. he was not willing to give himself up without a fight, so he estimated that trying to run away would be his best option. Even though the officer said trying to escape was useless, all of the other options he had were cowardly or downright stupid to attempt. Quay stood up, and prepared himself for a long run from the Empire once more. He walked towards the ladder he used to enter the place he had rested at for a short while, and as soon as he stood on the roof he started to run. As he passed a G0NK droid and a homeless person on the roof, he saw a thin, metal bridge he could use for his escape. Although it did not look sturdy at all, and it was located right above the street the officer was at, he did not see any other option to run to. He jumped on the bridge, but just as he was halfway across and got spotted by one of the Imperials, the walkway collapsed. Quay tried to make it to the other side, but he made a great fall to the ground before he could do so. He landed on the hard ground of the street, and an unnerving sound implied that his leg had broken due to the fall. Despite this, Quay still managed to take a run away from the Imperials, and even managed to hit the Stormtrooper with his blaster. He felt that the odds of survival were very low for him, especially now that his broken leg made it impossible to properly run anymore. He still tried to stay ahead of the Imperials. After another short while, Quay got the impression that despite his broken leg he managed to outrun the Imperials once more. He limped into a dark alleyway, and tried to catch his breath. He thought he was safe for a second, but the sudden sound of metal boots walking towards him and the dark alleyway abruptly being lightened up by a red light said otherwise.
''Going somewhere, Quay?'' The Inquisitor said. She wielded a red Lightsaber, wore an all-black outfit with red accents, and her voice was distorted by a voice scrambler, presumably built into her helmet. Quay gathered the last of his remaining energy to escape, but it was of no use. As soon as he turned around and ran a couple of meters away, Quay was suddenly unable to move any further. As the Inquisitor slowly walked towards him while saying something into her comm system, Quay remembered something the Jedi he met a couple of days told him about. While she was telling him about Force abilities, she mentioned an ability certain Jedi could use that could temporarily leave their opponents immobile for seconds, and sometimes even minutes. By the time he was able to move again, he was surrounded by Stormtroopers and the one officer who was threatening to execute an homeless person minutes before. Although he wanted to resist his arrest, he simply did not have any energy left to really do anything. Quay was given an electric shock, handcuffed, and dragged into an Imperial prison ship since he could barely stand on his own legs anymore. He was thrown into a holding cell on the ship, and passed out as soon as he hit the hard, metal floor.
Quite some time later, Quay was woken up by the ship heavily shaking. As he slowly regained consciousness, his hands went over his jacket to feel if he still had his Lightsaber. He sighed with relief when he felt the metal object sitting safely in his pocket, and was surprised that the Empire did not search him in any way yet. Quay tried to stand up, but quickly realised that the chase through the depths of Coruscant took a heavy toll on him. His whole body hurted like hell, he had a massive headache, and he was barely able to properly move. Quay took a look around his cell and outside of the cell, and the first thing he noticed were the excessive amount of Stormtroopers walking around the fairly small ship. He estimated that there were about 60 cells on the ship, all holding one or two prisoners. Every prisoner who tried to scream for help was quickly electrocuted to make them shut up. Seeing Quay's bad shape, he decided that doing that would most likely kill him. As he did his best to sit up, he suddenly noticed someone familiar walking by his cell. Although he almost didn't recognize him due to him wearing an Imperial uniform, Tyree Somer, an old friend who he last saw after they completed a job on Vandor together, was walking through the halls of the prison. Quay tapped on the metal floor to get his attention, and Tyree soon noticed his old friend laying on the floor of the prison cell. Like Quay, he was surprised to find an old friend in a place like this.
''Quay? What are you doing here?'' Tyree asked him.
''I could ask the same to you. Why are you wearing that Imperial uniform?'' Quay said.
''Kind of a long story. After that job on Vandor, I crashed on a nearby planet after we found ourselves a couple of working starfighters. Without credits or food, I did not have any other option except to join the Empire. I've been here for some time now. And how did you get here?''
''Not too difficult to explain. The empire wasn't too happy that I aided in the vault raid on Coruscant a couple of days ago. Long story short; They chased me through the depths of the planet for about an hour, leading in me breaking a lot of bones in my body, being unable to stand on my own, and ending up here.''
While the two were having a chat, two Stormtroopers walked towards them.
''Out of the way. The Admiral wants to see Prisoner 0701.'' one of them said.
''What a coincidence; i was just about to transport him to the Admiral!'' Tyree said nervously. ''I got a message on the comm system they wanted him to room 2006, right? I'm able to take him there on my own.''
''No, no, we got orders from the Admiral himself to take him there. Out of the way, now.''
''Quay, I am so very sorry for this. I'll make sure to be there when you reach room 2006, since it always takes a while before someone can enter there.'' Tyree whispered.
Quay nodded, while the two Stormtroopers unlocked the prison door and dragged him to stand up. After a short walk, they made it to room 2006. As promised, Tyree was there waiting for him. The Strormtroopers put Quay on a seat, and after that they walked away.
''Hey, what is this room made for, if i may ask?'' Quay said.
''Its...its a torture chamber.'' Tyree stuttered. ''Made specifically to question people. I've never been inside that room myself, but people have told me that they use Inquisitors to extract information, in combination with torture droids and other devices that can give somebody a lot of pain.''
Quay suddenly remembered that he was still holding his Lightsaber in his pocket. Since Lightsabers were now outlawed by the Empire, chances are high he would be executed on the spot if they would find it. One of the only persons he trusted enough to keep it safe for him for a while, was Tyree. He did decide to not tell him what it actually was, to prevent him from accidentally telling others about it.
''Hey Tyree, can i ask you a favor? I still have a piece of equipment in my pockets, would you mind keeping it safe for a while?''
''Sure, if that makes you happy then i'll do that.''
Quay struggled to get the Lightsaber out of his pockets due to him still wearing handcuffs, but he still managed to do it.
''Here. Please be careful with it, it's an explosive. So whatever you do, don't press the button. If the Imperials catch me with that in my pockets, i am dead for sure.''
Although Tyree was hesitant to keep the item for a while, he agreed to look after it for some time. Just as he put the item in his pocket, the door of room 2006 opened. A couple of Stormtroopers dragged an unconscious person out of the room, and Quay quickly noticed the red glove the person was wearing. There was no doubt about it; at least some Red Hand members, a crime syndicate located on Coruscant who had hired him for his most recent job, were kept at this prison. Two Stormtroopers stepped out of the door, and dragged him into the room. To his surprise, Quay did not see the Inquisitor in the room. Only an interrogation chair, some medical supplies, and the same officer that was hunting him on Coruscant was standing in the room as well. The Stormtroopers put Quay in the chair, tightened the restraints on the armrests, and hooked him up to some medical device. The officer walked towards Quay, and began to talk.
''Quay Sta'nn. Son of a few politicians, lost them both at the age of 19, forced to live as a smuggler after that... downright tragic. I can remember that it was briefly mentioned over the news on Coruscant back when they were assassinated. The brutal murder of some politicians, and their son going missing shortly after. But that is not important for today. As you may have heard, the Empire is currently busy with taking down the Confederate Remnant in the Raxus system. Now, we thought you might be interested to join us to take them down? You might not make it out alive, but that is a sacrifice we are willing to make.''
''Never.'' Quay said, his anger could be clearly heard in his voice.
''We were expecting this reaction.'' the officer said. He activated his comm system, and although Quay could not clearly hear what he was saying he could make out the words ''Bring in the droid.'' A couple of moments after the officer said this, the door of the interrogation room opened. A small, round droid hovered into the room, and Quay immediately knew what that was. An IT-O Interrogation droid, specifically designed to torture people to get information from them. Although Quay had heard many rumors about it, he had never seen one in real life. As the droid came closer and closer towards him, the officer spoke again.
''Last chance. Accept the deal, or I will use this droid against you.'' He said.
''My answer is still the same. No.'' Quay replied.
''Alright then. Let the droid do its job.'' The officer said.
Quay could barely remember the next dozen minutes clearly due to the pain the droid was causing. The pain was unbearable, and he was sure that it could even kill him if it continued for longer. After what seemed to be an eternity, the droid finally stopped.
''Well, Quay, i can imagine that was not a pleasant experience.'' the officer said. ''No worries, we are not planning to kill you, for now at least. I can closely monitor your body functions, and it seems that if i order this wonderful droid to repeat the process you experienced moments ago you won't make it out alive. Seems like the chase on Coruscant really broke you down. So, what will it be now? Accept the deal, or pass away right here in this room?''
Quay was barely able to talk anymore. Everything in his body hurted like he had been shot with tasers thousands of times, and he felt like he was about to pass out due to the pain. Although he was fully aware of the consequences he would suffer if he accepted the deal, he was not ready to die here, at the hands of a droid. With a lot of trouble, he spoke out the exact words the officer wanted to hear.
''Fine. I accept the damn deal.'' He said.
The officer turned his head towards Quay, with a big smile forming on his face.
''Excellent. The exact details of the attack will be revealed shortly before the assault will begin. In the meantime, you will have to stay in your cell.'' The officer replied, before ordering some Stormtroopers to take him away.
Quay was back in his cell, reliving the experience in his head over and over. He felt sick that he actually accepted a deal like this from the Empire, but what else was he supposed to do? He was at the brink of death, and there was no other option he had that would have led to him making it out alive. With all the injuries he had, Quay realised that he had little to no chance at surviving the assault as well. All he could do was hope for the best.
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Well, this took way more time than i'd like to admit. I hope you all enjoy it!
Here are 30 illustrations from the book Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern. These diagrams outline causes of electrical accidents
If you end up linking to this, it would be nice if you attributed me as bre pettis and linked to brepettis.com/blog.
Statue of Romeo the Killer Elephant. Picture taken in Delavan Wisconsin.
In the 1800s more than 25 circuses used Delavan as their winter quarters. It was called the "Circus Capital of the World." The town has chosen to commemorate its heritage oddly, with a life-size statue of its most infamous resident: Romeo, the killer elephant.
Romeo was no misunderstood, one-shot killer. He was a serial murderer, knocking off five people over a period of 15 years. He crushed one, he impaled another with his tusk, he stamped a third to death. Romeo once escaped from his barn and terrorized the countryside for three days. On another occasion, while appearing in Chicago, he nearly tore the theater apart.
We've visited the graves of many circus elephants who were shot, or hanged, or electrocuted after one minor killing. Why was Romeo allowed to live? Perhaps he was spared because of a story, popular at the time, that he was merely acting out his grief after the death of his favorite female companion elephant, Juliet. This sounds reasonable, kind of, except that it was a made-up story from a circus press agent. Romeo was apparently just mean.
Romeo's clown buddy.
To Delavan's credit, the Romeo statue (a fiberglass sculpture made by F.A.S.T.) is not depicted as cuddly and cute. He rears menacingly on his hind legs, eyes glazed, with a strap around his head that probably put him in a bad mood. Inexplicably, a happy clown waves at Romeo's feet, oblivious to the killer pachyderm that is about to fall on him.
If this is an accurate representation of 19th century circus life, then perhaps Romeo wasn't a cold-blooded killer after all. Maybe the people around him were just dumb.
Take caution not to electrocute yourself. A handy multimeter can help ensure that. I use a Fluke multimeter daily, so I based it mostly off that.
Built for Iron Builder; the piece for this round is the dark red cone.
While basking in the peace and quiet at our humble seaside retreat, we try not to venture further than the ocean, a few steps away from our recliners. However, it is with reading material in our lounging position, I admit, we get tempted to visit other stimulating destinations in our favorite state of Maine.
And so it was I got *pumped up* reading an article about Winslow Homer's summer studio in Prout's Neck, not too far from our own little artist's cottage! Well, Homer's relatives must pay the GPS system not to help tourists find their way, so we relied on the old-fashioned "map" to get there. More on this to come . . .
Meanwhile . . . I hate to admit I did think of "Fence Friday" when I shot this! But quickly I was transported to another place in my mind as I envisioned Homer walking this exquisite "Cliff Walk" for his own inspiration.
Please click on the image below for another view . . .
Warning: if you're allergic to goldenrod, don't get too close!
“I believe talent is like electricity. We don't understand electricity. We use it.
You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral,
or you can electrocute a person with it. Electricity will do all that.
~ Maya Angelou ~
On Explore, April 6, 2007, #95
Thank you very much to all of you my dear Flickr friends!
The Good Friday!
Imagine Jesus today electrocuted… and in 100 years someone will call this day Good and will create a little reproduction of Jesus on electric chair to put on the walls! :-(
Les gens sympathisent plus volontiers avec le malheur qu'avec le bonheur!
SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
People are more willing to sympathize with unhappiness than happiness!
La gente simpatizza più volentieri con l'infelicità anziché con la felicità!
La gente se identifica más con la desdicha que con la felicidad!
Die Menschen sind eher dazu, mit dem Unglük als mit dem Glük zu simpatisieren!
люди не так охотно проявляют участие в чьём-либо счастье, как в несчастье!
تتعاطف الناس مع التعاسة أكثر من السعادة
苦恼与快乐相比，人们更加乐意给后者以同感
mense is meer gewillig om met iemand te simpatiseer oor ongeluk as oor geluk!
As pessoas simpatizam mais com a infelicidade que com a felicidade!
хората симпатизират по-скоро на нещастието отколкото на щастието!
Ljudi su spremniji suosjećati u nesreći nego u sreći!
Lidé mají větší pochopení pro neštěstí než pro štěstí!
Mennesker er mere villige til at føle sympati med ulykke frem for lykke!
De mens symphatiseert liever met ongeluk dan met geluk!
οι άνθρωποι τείνουν περισσότερο να μοιράζονται τη λύπη του άλλου παρά τη χαρά του!
אנשים מזדהים ביתר קלות עם צער מאשר עם שמחה
Az emberek hajlamosabbak együttérezni a boldogtalansággal, mint a boldogsággal!
人々は、他人の幸福を喜ぶよりも不幸に同情したがるものである。
žmonės noriau užjaučia nelaimėje negu laimėje!
As pessoas simpatizam mais com a infelicidade do que com a felicidade!
Lumea simpatizează mai degrabă cu nenorocirea decât cu fericirea!
L’udia majú viac pochopenia pre nešťastie ako pre šťastie!
Folk tenderar att känna mer sympati med olycka än med lycka!
Insanlar mutluluktan çok mutsuzluğa ilgi gösterirler!
люди охочіше співчувають біді, ніж таланові!
#AbFav_PHOTOSTORY
#AbFav_The_COLOUR_BROWN_
PURE JOY...
IGOR THE WORLD CHAMPION.
Once a horse won that title... it becomes invaluable and is used as a stud.
Igor had just sired a few mares and was feeeeeeeeeling GOOD...
(to sire is to inseminate.)
The Belgian horse, Belgian Heavy Horse, Flemish or Brabant is a horse breed that comes from the West-Brabantian region of Belgium.
They are one of the strongest of the heavy breeds.
The world's Largest Horse was a Belgian named Brooklyn Supreme, who weighed 3,200 pounds, and stood at 19.2 hands.
On average the Brabant will grow to be slightly over 1 ton or 2,000 pounds.
Colours normally are a blond with a brighter mane, or a sorrel/ chestnut colouring.
In history their main use was to work farms.
They are able to pull tremendous amounts of weight-up to over 4,500 pounds for a pair.
They also played an important role in the first World War, where quite a few perished.
I walked around and started to photograph, I discovered another blond stallion in an adjacent field and in order to get his whole head, with the velvet nose and pricked up ears all in, I had pushed through the fences and the top (danger!!!) ribbon... well I got the shot, but what a SHOCKING experience!
I straightened too soon and was electrocuted, in the neck, I called Paul, yelling: IS THE CAMERA GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT???
The horse got as much of a fright as I did, bolted and ran off.
Farmers are the same all over the world, they are only allowed a low voltage BUT... this was 240, my heart felt like I was 25 again. Bouboum.
I turned around into the 'safer' stables, obviously the nursery, since there were about 6 stables all with foals, that's where I captured those two lovelies.
The adventures of a photographer he, tee hee.
The Belgian horse is a much-loved gentle giant.
This large heavily muscled horse most likely descended from the heavy prehistoric horses and was indispensable as a workhorse in the Middle Ages when this horse was known as the Flanders (Flemish) Horse, now it is known as the Brabant.
Thank you and have a super day, M, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
Please do not use any of my images on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
brown, Flanders, Brabander, horses, foal, farm, stable, working-horse, daylight, natural, suckling, Flanders, horizontal, Nikon D200, "Magda indigo"
Griffon vultures have been used as model organisms for the study of soaring and thermoregulation. The energy costs of level flight tend to be high, prompting alternatives to flapping in larger birds. Vultures in particular utilize more efficient flying methods such as soaring. Compared to other birds, which elevate their metabolic rate to upwards of 16 times their basal metabolic rate in flight, soaring griffon vultures expend about 1.43 times their basal metabolic rate in flight. Griffon vultures are also efficient flyers in their ability to return to a resting heart rate after flight within ten minutes.
As large scavengers, griffon vultures have not been observed to seek shelter for thermoregulation. Vultures use their bald heads as a means to thermoregulate in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. Changes in posture can increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%. This change allows for the more than doubling of convective heat loss in still air. Griffon vultures have also been found to tolerate increased body temperatures as a response to high ambient temperatures. By allowing their internal body temperature to change independently of their metabolic rate, griffon vultures minimize their loss of water and energy in thermoregulating. One study in particular (Bahat 1995) found that these adaptations have allowed the Griffon vulture to have one of the widest thermal neutral zones of any bird.
It declined markedly throughout the 19th–20th centuries in much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, mainly due to direct persecution and "bycatch" from the poisoned carcasses set for livestock predators (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). In some areas a reduction in available food supplies, arising from changes in livestock management practices, also had an impact (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). It is very highly vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (Strix 2012) and electrocution has been identified as a threat (Global Raptors Information Network 2015). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used for veterinary purposes pose a threat to this species. One case of suspected poisoning caused by flunixin, an NSAID, was recorded in this species in 2012 in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2015). Diclofenac, a similar NSAID, has caused severe declines in Gyps vulture species across Asia.
To view more of my images, of Birds of Prey, please click
"here" !
Please, no group invites; thank you!
The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran. It is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa, but birds from northeastern and central Europe winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey. Vagrants have reached north to Finland and south to Israel, Libya and Gambia. Red kites are 60 to 70 cm long with a 175–179 cm wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g, and females 1,000–1,300 g. It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard. There is a rare white leucistic form accounting for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes The red kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms form an important part of the diet, especially in spring. As scavengers, red kites are particularly susceptible to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. There have also been a number of incidents of red kites and other raptors being targeted by wildlife criminals. Although adult red kites are sedentary birds, occupying their breeding home range all year in most cases, populations from Central and Northern Europe—although not the United Kingdom—may migrate south to areas such as Spain and the Iberian peninsula during colder winters. Each nesting territory can contain up to five nest sites. Both male and female birds build the nest on a main fork or a limb high in a tree, 12–20 m above the ground. The nest is made of twigs and lined with grass or other vegetation and sheep’s wool. At signs of danger, a mother will signal the young who will "play dead" when a predator is near. Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 metres. They are endemic to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000–25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east into central Europe and Ukraine, north to southern Sweden, Latvia and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is a population in northern Morocco. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey, northern Tunisia and Algeria. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans.
One to scare my mum, lol, when she returns from her holiday!
This is a slightly different view of Arbirlot Falls, which I visited a few weeks ago. I took this shot with my polarizing filter (just to get a slower shutter speed).
The exposure isn't quite right. However, I processed this because I like the `electricity' effect on the water in the foreground. This was caused by bubbles that were being lit with sunlight moving across the water during the long exposure.
Another render of the Suicide Squad. OK, so on the last mission, Bronze Tiger got a sniper to the head and Electrocutioner talked backed to Waller. I think we all know what happened to him. Col. Flagg broke his leg on the last mission and Killer Croc was electrocuted with a batarang so his bomb short circuited and he was taken back to the Asylum. After returning from their time off, the Squad was greeted by their two new members: Killer Frost and Katana. King Shark, after months in the infirmary due to his League of Assassins attack, finally return to the Squad. Harley and Captain Boomerang were happy to have more females join the team.
Boomerang: 'Ello, ladies! Name's Boomerang. Capt'n Boomerang.
Katana: Katana.
Boomerang: Beautiful. And you are?
Captain Boomerang held his arm out and Killer Frost took his hand. She then froze it solid.
Boomerang: Ah!! You crazy bitch!!
Killer Frost: My name is Killer Frost. Emphasis on Killer!
Frost then kicked him right in the groin and he fell on the ground. This caused laughter through the rest of the Squad. Even Katana and Black Spider laughed.
Clock King: I think you ladies are going to fit in quite nicely.
Boomerang: Me ghoulies!
From L to Right:
Clock King, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, Katana, Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, and Killer Frost.
an Unusual Picture, one of the 5 DMU's Class 704 of DB Netz, on work in Karlsruhe Hbf, exceptionally, because of a bird, electrocuted by the catenary.
Uno degli esemplari ormai molto rari da vedere sono i 5 Turmtriebwagen tipo 704 di DB Netz, qui al soccorso eccezionale a causa di un uccello folgorato dalla catenaria (e rimasto appeso) nei pressi di Karlsruhe Hbf.
Great Uncle Javier U. Peg was a clairvoyant who predicted such events as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the arrest of Sheikh Khaz'al of Iran, the vindication of John T. Scopes, and the coming of the television as entertainment. Javier U traveled with Ringling Brothers for a couple of seasons, but he was ostracized by the other sideshow performers. They felt he was an imposter who concocted stories and fabricated half truths.
Then Javier predicted the disappearance of Bilbo the clown after a drunken brawl on the midway in Shegotmenow, Kansas. The missing clown's nose was found near the big cat car of the circus train along with one of his shoes. The circus folk were astonished at Javier's predictive prowess, even though Carl Gulliver noticed Javier was wearing Bilbo's wrist watch and had an excess of cash. Suddenly Javier U. Peg was in demand as the Human Magic 8 Ball.
Immediately prior to this photograph he predicted that the Sarasota Saxophone Playing Triplets would spook the giraffes with their rendition of Gut Bucket Blues. The resulting giraffe stampede through the streets of Eldorado, Arkansas was devastating to the circus as the newly erected electrical lines were not insulated. Gilda the giraffe struck one of the wires and was instantly electrocuted. The fireworks show created by the accident shut down the electricity at Crowley's General Store allowing it to be robbed successfully by three small men dressed as clowns. Some say Javier was in collusion with the triplets to further exhibit his clairvoyant abilities, and that the Crowley Clown Robbery was simply a random crime of opportunity. Mr. Crowley himself was not so sure as he had seen Twisto buying opium and asprin that morning. The circus loaded the still smoldering giraffe on the top of a box car and left town in the middle of the night.
Javier U. Peg predicted the 1956 demise of the Big Top and the eventual closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 2017. At the time nobody believed him. But because he could never seem to predict cheerful events, the management of the Greatest Show on Earth was forced to terminate his contract. Uncle Javier moved back to Manigotapi Mississippi where he worked for his brother Adriano J. Peg as a bookie and roustabout. He also provided communication assistance for the departed at the Deluther Funeral Home and Taxidermy Emporium.
Front row, from left to right:
Ajax, the sword- swallower; Javier U. Peg, the Human 8 Ball, unk, seated: Schlitze, the pinhead (and star of Tod Browning's movie Freaks); unknown; one of the Carlson Sisters; Major Mite, the smallest man on earth; Tom Ton; Slats, skeleton sheik; the other Carlson Sister; Violetta, the living shop window bust; Mlle. Cleo, snake charmer; Twisto, the human knot; and the Sarasota Saxophone Sisters.
Back row, from left to right: Ernie the Elastic Man; Cliko, the African bushman; either Eko or Iko, one of the ambassadors from Mars; Koo Koo, the bird girl (also featured in the movie, Freaks); Baron Paucci, midget; unknown; Carl Gulliver, giant; the Dancing Doll family of midgets (Freaks); again, either Eko or Iko; unknown; and Lionel the lion-faced boy.
Photograph courtesy of Edward J. Kelty
archie's introduction to christmas lights. two seconds later they were in his mouth and had to be removed because of risk of electrocution.
The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans that rival that of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. With a range spanning across much of Central Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the West to the Taiwan Strait in the East, and from the Persian Gulf in the South to Siberia in the North, it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.
As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings appear solid grey in flight. The adults acquire a drabber plumage in winter, however, when they may be mistaken for great white pelicans. Their harsh vocalizations become more pronounced during the mating season. They breed across the Palearctic from southeastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. They usually return to traditional breeding sites, where they are less social than other pelican species. Their nests are crude heaps of vegetation, which are placed on islands or on dense mats of vegetation.
The species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution, and the construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.
This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living flying bird species. It measures 160 to 183 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 0 in) in length, 7.25–15 kg (16.0–33.1 lb) in weight and 245 to 351 cm (8 ft 0 in to 11 ft 6 in) in wingspan. Its median weight is around 11.5 kg (25 lb), which makes it perhaps the world's heaviest flying bird species, although the largest individuals among male bustards and swans may be heavier than the largest individual Dalmatian pelican. More recently, six male Dalmatians were found to average 10.4 kg (23 lb) and four females 8.7 kg (19 lb), around the same average weight as the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and slightly lighter than mean body masses from other huge birds such as the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) or Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). A mean estimated body mass for the Dalmatian pelican of 10.9 kg (24 lb) was also published, around the same mass as the aforementioned largest swan and condor. It is either the heaviest or one of the heaviest birds native to Europe, its closest rival in mass being mute swans (Cygnus olor), which weighs on average around 10.1 kg (22 lb), followed closely by the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) (whose average weight is not known) and the whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus), averaging at just shy of 9.5 kg (21 lb), and the great white pelican. These same five species are probably rank as the largest flying birds in Asia as well, alongside the Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis). It also appears to have one of the largest wingspans of any living bird, rivaling those of the great albatrosses (Diomedea ssp., in particular the two largest species, the wandering albatross and southern royal albatross) and the great white pelican. These four species are the only modern birds with verified wingspans that range over 350 cm (11 ft 6 in).
This pelican usually migrates short distances with varying migration patterns during the year. It is dispersive in Europe, based on feeding opportunities, with most western birds staying through the winter in the Mediterranean region.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatian_pelican