View allAll Photos Tagged encroachment
In the sweltering Indian summer of 1988, I encountered a man and his trained monkey in Jaipur, Rajasthan. At the time this was photographed, Monkey Charmers - that are people performing with a pet monkey - were still not outlawed in India. Monkeys are wild animals and they have very sophisticated social structures. When snatched away from their family groups they are severly hurt and crippled psychologically; they end up quite unpredictable in their actions towards people - as they are most unsuitable to be pets. That is why Monkey Charmers often kept their monkey chained and confined to cages when not roaming the streets.
Though outlawed in India animal cruelty in form of animal performances, snake charming, bear baiting are still present in this vast country. Steadily these traditional forms of entertainment are eradicated and people understand that wild animals belong only to their natural habitat. Sadly the encroachment of natural habitats has not ended and there is a long way for us people to live in harmony and sustained way with our fellow species.
From my slide archives: the picture was originally photographed on Fuji Chrome film with my Nikon FE2 camera and 130mm lens. I photographed the slide bracketing it with a Nikon D850 camera and enhanced the picture in Lightroom, Photoshop, and Topaz.
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (m)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
Thor, the brawny thunder god, is the archetype of a loyal and honorable warrior, the ideal toward which the average human warrior aspired. He’s the indefatigable defender of the Aesir gods and their fortress, Asgard, from the encroachments of the giants, who are usually (although far from invariably) the enemies of the gods.
In addition, Thor also played a large role in the promotion of agriculture and fertility of the land. This was another extension of his role as a sky god, and one particularly associated with the rain that enables crops to grow. Legend has it that when Thor struck the land with his mighty lightning, it insured the land's fruitfulness and the abundant harvest, which ultimately meant the survival of the inevitably long and brutal Scandinavian winter.
Group: SHIELDWALL!!! RUNGARDVIK - SECOND LIFE
Album: The Norse Gods and Goddesses
Inspiration: 🎶 Sacrifice to Thor - Old Norse Music 🎶
The poster image is created with the help of AI in Night Cafe Art Studio creator.nightcafe.studio/
Bighorn Sheep of the Canadian Rockies
There are two subspecies of the bighorn – Californiana (California Bighorn Sheep) and Canadensis (Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep).
In Canada, the Bighorn Sheep are found in scattered parts of southern British Columbia and more prolifically in western Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. Their range continues down into the American Rockies, and they can be found as far south as Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The Bighorn’s ideal environment has a dry climate and is rugged with areas plentiful of low grasses and herbs. Herds will often migrate long distances in the winter to areas with minimal snowfall.
There are just over 3,000 Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia, and the population there is considered vulnerable in part due to human encroachment on their habitats. In Alberta, however, where the mammal is the official provincial mammal, the Bighorn Sheep is considered secure, with more than 11,000 inhabiting its national parks and provincial lands, representing over 15% of the Bighorn Sheep population in North America.
For more Info: naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-bighorn-sheep-majestic-and-...
I was determined to get at least one shot of the northeastern flank of Mt. Diablo. Other than the fact that it's been brown for the last four years, I haven't been able to find a way to get back to my favorite trail. When I heard that the poppies were out, well I found the way to go with the will.
Mount Diablo is a mountain of the Diablo Range, in Contra Costa County of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. It is south of Clayton and northeast of Danville. It is an isolated upthrust peak of 3,849 feet (1,173 meters), visible from most of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mount Diablo appears from many angles to be a double pyramid and has many subsidiary peaks. The largest and closest is North Peak, the other half of the double pyramid, which is nearly as high in elevation at 3,557 feet (1,084 m), and is about one mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of the main summit.
The summit is accessible by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle. Road access is via North Gate Road or South Gate Road. Also you can hike in various places in Mount Diablo. in the past 23 years, I have done this by hiking and bicycle mostly, and I've only driven to the summet twice, both times when we had visitors from "back east."
And this is one of my favorite trails and, therefore, one that I want our visitors to see. Mt. Diablo is a special place and, thanks to private funding to but up foothills and stop the encroachment of private homes from the mountain (and with the top third a state park which will always be public and undeveloped. The trail you see rising from the bottom of this image is hill and flat and hilly. It can be a killer in summer, but imagine hiking that trail right now and all by yourself. You can get figuratively lost within yourself and spend many hours doing the six miles from "home" to the twon of Danville. (Just remember: you have to come back. In summer, limit yourself to two miles - four round trip). Right in this section of the mountain, you will find coyote, bobcat, mule deer, and once in a great while, a cougar. There are 21 species of birds that visit during the year, and "my" Acorn Woodpeckers are in several groves of Live and Valley oaks off to the right by about two miles.
It does boast one of the largest viewsheds in the Western United States and played a key role in California history.
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (Juvenile)
Parent bringing in prey for Fledglings.
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
Sadly I don't know which one as my tape is incoherent for that one and meadow was the only word I could make out so here's some background about Yosemite meadows in general sourced from Yosemite website www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/meadows.htm where further info can be found.
When Euro-American settlers first set their eyes on Yosemite's meadows in the 1850s, large meadow complexes were surrounded by open conifer forests and oak woodlands. Deer and small mammals probably lightly grazed the meadows. Conditions rapidly changed as settlers transported stock, both cattle and sheep, onto Yosemite Valley meadows and often planted non-native forage species for grazing purposes. Summer grazing at higher elevations by "hoofed locusts," as Muir referred to domestic sheep, could denude a landscape. In the 1860s, grazing in the mountains increased due to droughts in the Central Valley—during the peak of the wool industry after the decline of the Gold Rush. Joseph LeConte, in 1870, observed: "Tuolumne Meadows are celebrated for their fine pasturage. Some twelve to fifteen thousand sheep are now pastured here. They are divided into flocks of about twenty-five hundred to three thousand." Use of meadows by sheep declined shortly after 1900. Settlers also influenced meadow ecology by stopping anthropogenic burning of the meadows by the American Indians. From an ecological viewpoint, it is likely that fire historically promoted meadow stability by reducing the encroachment of surrounding forests; however, based on the observed geologic stability of many of Yosemite's meadows, it is unlikely that those Indian fires were key to maintaining all meadows. Today, more than a century later, it remains a huge scientific (and management) challenge to decipher the relative impacts to Tuolumne Meadows of a variety of factors—including historic sheep grazing and burning, more "modern" infrastructure developments, current recreational use, and documented climatic changes like less snowpack and earlier snowmelt.
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International trade is prohibited by the Wildlife Protection Act in Pakistan. Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) in Pakistan conducts research on the current status of Himalayan brown bears in the Pamir Range in Gilgit-Baltistan, a promising habitat for the bears and a wildlife corridor connecting bear populations in Pakistan to central Asia. The project also intends to investigate the conflicts humans have with the bears, while promoting tolerance for bears in the region through environmental education. SLF received funding from the Prince Bernhard Nature Fund and Alertis.[3] Unlike its American cousin, which is found in good numbers, the Himalayan brown bear is critically endangered. They are poached for their fur and claws for ornamental purposes and internal organs for use in medicines. They are killed by shepherds to protect their livestock and their home is destroyed by human encroachment. In Himachal, their home is the Kugti and Tundah wildlife sanctuaries and the tribal Chamba region. Their estimated population is just 20 in Kugti and 15 in Tundah. The tree bearing the state flower of Himachal — buransh — is the favourite hangout of this bear. Due to the high value of the buransh tree, it is being commercially cut causing further destruction to the brown bear’s home. The Himalayan brown bear is a critically endangered species in some of its range with a population of only 150-200 in Pakistan. The populations in Pakistan are slow reproducing, small, and declining because of habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, and bear baiting.
A photo to reflect on the impact of mankind on the natural environment, taken in Cardiff Bay Wetlands, with the St Davids Hotel in the background.
See more at my portfolio :-
Bighorn Sheep of the Canadian Rockies
There are two subspecies of the bighorn – Californiana (California Bighorn Sheep) and Canadensis (Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep).
In Canada, the Bighorn Sheep are found in scattered parts of southern British Columbia and more prolifically in western Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. Their range continues down into the American Rockies, and they can be found as far south as Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The Bighorn’s ideal environment has a dry climate and is rugged with areas plentiful of low grasses and herbs. Herds will often migrate long distances in the winter to areas with minimal snowfall.
There are just over 3,000 Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia, and the population there is considered vulnerable in part due to human encroachment on their habitats. In Alberta, however, where the mammal is the official provincial mammal, the Bighorn Sheep is considered secure, with more than 11,000 inhabiting its national parks and provincial lands, representing over 15% of the Bighorn Sheep population in North America.
For more Info: naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-bighorn-sheep-majestic-and-...
for the location of this rare plant. There are only 5 sites in Canada (there used to be 7) all near Nanaimo. It is also located in the Cascade Mountains , northwestern Washington to Central California and some in Idaho. ATV's and development- habitat loss and encroachment of invasive species are damaging the existing populations.
A herd of elephants in Green Park, London. " 'CoExistence' is an environmental art exhibition featuring 100 life size lantana elephants. These elephants are making their way around the globe to tell the story of our over-populated planet, the effect of human encroachment on wild spaces and the inspiring ways we can coexist with animals."
deepening december shadows of sculpted bridge masonry on a nearby building. for more images in the vrbs series, click here
All the ponds he and all his friends and neighbors have enjoyed for the last several months are all drying up now since they've turn the water off flowing into this wildlife refuge area. The birds are having a very hard time giving up on this wonderful place they've called home since early fall of last year.
There are a handful of puddles here and there where aquatic creatures are trying to survive and I can tell you they're not to happy about it either. There are large numbers of crayfish trying to find enough oxygen in the water to live while begin attacked by a myriad of birds and animals that need them to survive. But come early next fall, they will again irrigate this wildlife refuge and everything will flourish once again.
So many wild creatures depend on these little refuges from the encroachment of man on their habitats. It can be life threatening when they allow them to dry up and disappear for 5 or 6 months of the year. But I guess it's a necessary occurrence? I know I really miss it when they're gone, strictly for selfishly reasons of course, because I love watching the wildlife and taking photo's of them.
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Bighorn Sheep of the Canadian Rockies
There are two subspecies of the bighorn – Californiana (California Bighorn Sheep) and Canadensis (Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep).
In Canada, the Bighorn Sheep are found in scattered parts of southern British Columbia and more prolifically in western Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. Their range continues down into the American Rockies, and they can be found as far south as Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The Bighorn’s ideal environment has a dry climate and is rugged with areas plentiful of low grasses and herbs. Herds will often migrate long distances in the winter to areas with minimal snowfall.
There are just over 3,000 Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia, and the population there is considered vulnerable in part due to human encroachment on their habitats. In Alberta, however, where the mammal is the official provincial mammal, the Bighorn Sheep is considered secure, with more than 11,000 inhabiting its national parks and provincial lands, representing over 15% of the Bighorn Sheep population in North America.
For more Info: naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-bighorn-sheep-majestic-and-...
A foot (30 cm) of new snow and colder temperatures, and the waters of the sloughs are freezing up.
Mentasta Mountains barely visible beyond the slough, obscured by falling snow.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Kenya
East Africa
Click On Image To Enlarge.
Zebra grazing on the plains in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
The plains zebra (Equus quagga) , also known as the common zebra, or locally as the "quagga" is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Botswana and eastern South Africa. The plains zebra remains common in game reserves, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide, as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat.
The plains zebra is a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring; there are also bachelor groups. Groups may come together to form herds. The animals keep watch for predators rather than attempting to hide; they bark or snort when they see a predator, and the harem stallion attacks predators to defend his harem. The species population is stable and not endangered, though some populations such as in Tanzania have declined sharply. - Wikipedia
In the early 1850s, one Nicholas Pike, director of the Brooklyn Institute, decided to import this bird from England. The first few attempts to establish the bird weren't successful but eventually the house sparrow took hold when the birds were released into Greenwood Cemetery, Central Park and a few other places. The rationale apparently was the control of some bug called a canker worm. The sparrow supposedly would pig out on the critters and reduce the canker worm population. Soon, cities and towns throughout the country were importing house sparrows to "aid people against encroachment of insects."
But others soon noticed that house sparrows don't have much of an appetite for bugs. On top of that, they were driving out native songbirds.The infatuation with the house sparrow turned to hatred, so much so that some states began paying bounties for dead sparrows. However it was too late; house sparrows had spread throughout the continent.
They're now found as far north as Canada's Northwest Territories and as far south as Cape Horn, the remote tip of South America. That extreme range indicates how adaptable house sparrows are. They can be found anywhere there are people, in big cities and small towns, in suburbs and around farms. The only place they're not found: deep, deep woods. In more extreme locales, they require human presence to survive.
I found these two females in my yard in Polk County, Florida.
Made from far away. I need to get a bit closer but this was the best spot at the time. I am seeing fewer Antelope each year it seems. Encroachment of civilization and the harsh winters the past couple of years is taking its toll.
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for a mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation, and artist community. The population in the 2010 census was 22,723.
Historically a territory of Paleoindians, the Tongva people and then Mexico, the location became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War. Laguna Beach was settled in the 1870s, officially founded in 1887 and, in 1927 its current government was incorporated as a city. In 1944, the city adopted a council-managerform for its government. The city has remained relatively isolated from urban encroachment by its surrounding hills, limited highway access, and a dedicated greenbelt. The Laguna Beach coastline is protected by 5.88 miles (9.46 km) of state marine reserve and an additional 1.21 miles (1.95 km) of state conservation area.
Tourism is the primary industry with an estimated three million people visiting the community annually. Annual large events include the Pageant of the Masters, Festival of the Arts, Sawdust Art Festival, Art-A-Fair, Bluewater Music Festival, and Kelpfest.
Bernie the Bladder Pod has started feeling a little anxious lately. He's noticed the poppies and rocks seem to be moving up the hill toward him. Bernie doesn't have anything against poppies and rocks, but, he doesn't like to be crowded. He likes his space.
Bena Road, Kern County, California 2016
They built a mega church then the huge medical buildings. The encroachment gets closer and closer. Soon she’ll be razed for more development but the heavens proclaimed that today was not the day. Peoria, IL
Rondeau Provincial Park.
We have had powerful east winds for three days in a row.
The waves have been pounding the beach and reaching into the dunes with tremendous force.
The shore has been reshaped and with the high water and where there was 30 feet of beach there is water. It should return when the wind dies and the waves recede
It's all in the timing. When I drove past this at first, there were no shadows on the door, but by the time I parked, walked, and possibly stopped for lunch, this happened. I'm going to have to go back and try again, just to see which is best.
Male Southern Ground Hornbill close portrait, photo captured in the Mara Triangle area.
The largest of the hornbills, the two species of ground hornbill inhabit east Africa, and although they can fly, they spend most of their time on the ground hunting insects and small mammals. They mate for life (40-50 years) unless a mate dies, and only produce a chick on average every 9 years. Partly because of this slow reproductive rate, and encroachment and loss of habitat, they are considered endangered.
Bighorn Sheep of the Canadian Rockies
There are two subspecies of the bighorn – Californiana (California Bighorn Sheep) and Canadensis (Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep).
In Canada, the Bighorn Sheep are found in scattered parts of southern British Columbia and more prolifically in western Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. Their range continues down into the American Rockies, and they can be found as far south as Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The Bighorn’s ideal environment has a dry climate and is rugged with areas plentiful of low grasses and herbs. Herds will often migrate long distances in the winter to areas with minimal snowfall.
There are just over 3,000 Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia, and the population there is considered vulnerable in part due to human encroachment on their habitats. In Alberta, however, where the mammal is the official provincial mammal, the Bighorn Sheep is considered secure, with more than 11,000 inhabiting its national parks and provincial lands, representing over 15% of the Bighorn Sheep population in North America.
For more Info: naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-bighorn-sheep-majestic-and-...
The architecture of the city is as interesting as the concept. The city is planned in a circle of radius 1.25kms, and the center of the city is the famous Matrimandir along with the gardens surrounding it. Just outside this are the industrial zone, the cultural zone, the peace zone, and the residential zone. Outside this, the entire city is surrounded by a “green belt“ - this is supposed to act as a barrier against urban encroachment, a wildlife habitat, and sources of food/timber/etc. This entire area was created out of a wasteland, demonstrating the ability to conserve nature while developing a town.
The main attraction here is the “Matrimandir“ - you can watch an introductory video about the concept of the city, and sit here in silence to concentrate. With water pooling in from different sides, the sound of the water and cool breeze which always flows, provides a perfect atmosphere for meditation.
L'architettura della città è interessante quanto il concetto. La città è pianificata in un cerchio di raggio 1,25 km, e il centro della città è il famoso Matrimandir insieme ai giardini che lo circondano. Appena fuori ci sono la zona industriale, la zona culturale, la zona di pace e la zona residenziale. Al di fuori di questo, l'intera città è circondata da una "cintura verde" - questa dovrebbe fungere da barriera contro l'invasione urbana, un habitat naturale e fonti di cibo/legname/ecc. L'intera area è stata creata da una terra desolata, a dimostrazione della capacità di conservare la natura mentre si sviluppa una città.
L'attrazione principale qui è il "Matrimandir": puoi guardare un video introduttivo sul concetto di città e sederti qui in silenzio per concentrarti. Con l'acqua che si accumula da diversi lati, il suono dell'acqua e la brezza fresca che scorre sempre, creano un'atmosfera perfetta per la meditazione.
2024: A photo each week No. 13 of 52.
I can't say my traffic light photograph was planned beyond wanting to put principle to practice for Stephen Shore's physical, depictive and mental levels. I walked around the city of Porto wondering if I would be successful and this scene simply caught my eye. I don't know the exact message but it has to do with encroachment: the imposition of the modern into an attractive cityscape. I am not trying to make a value judgement but rather to embed that extra understanding into the image. I could have changed my vantage point and instead taken the postcard shot but that in itself would have been a deceit. Once I realised that was the image I was making I tried to point the viewer in that direction. The active frame is intentional, all colours but the red light have been desaturated and the title refers to the traffic light specifically.
In principal it has everything wrong. The red light draws the eye away from the centre of the frame and from the main subject which in itself has been degraded in terms of saturation, contrast and central positioning. I post it here to gauge people's reaction.
Back to Orkney this morning and the wonder Brock of Gurness. This was the only sunrise I really got during my time on Orkney as most days started off grey. This was a real hard location to get a composition where the broch stood out from the background. Another few steps to the right led to the encroachment of a horrid wee brick tickets/ shop building.
The Broch of Gurness dates back to the Iron Age which housed a substantial community between 500 to 200BC. It would have originally been about 10m high. The tower itself was inhabited by the principal family of the settlement, however in times of attack the surrounding village would also be welcomed in for protection.
The rat-sized water vole has dark chestnut-brown to black fur, short rounded ears, and a hair-covered tail about half the length of the body. It is found throughout mainland Britain, although it is infrequently recorded in northern Scotland.
Habitat
Well vegetated banks of slow flowing rivers, ditches, dykes, and lakes. Lower population density on higher ground.
Behaviour
Excavates burrow systems in banks of waterways with nest chambers at various levels and some under- water entrances. Close cropped grass 'lawns' and chopped food may surround burrow entrances. Black, shiny faeces deposited in latrines throughout and at edges of range during breeding season.
Diet & Feeding
Grasses and waterside vegetation. Broadleaved plants sometimes eaten. 227 species of plants have been identified in diet.
Reproduction
3 or 4 litters of around 5 young per year, with first born March to May depending on weather.
Conservation & Threats
Legally protected in Britain but have undergone a long term decline. Significant threats include predation by the introduced American mink (which has been responsible for some local extinctions), habitat degradation through drainage, overgrazing, and the encroachment of cultivated land into riparian habitats, and water pollution.
Namibia.
Etosha National Park.
Etosha National Park is a national park in northwestern Namibia. The park was proclaimed a game reserve on March 22, 1907 in Ordinance 88 by the Governor of German South West Africa, Dr. Friedrich von Lindequist. It was designated as Wildschutzgebiet Nr. 2 which means Game Reserve Number 2, in numerical order after West Caprivi (Game Reserve No. 1) and preceding Namib Game Reserve (No. 3). In 1958, Game Reserve No. 2 became Etosha Game Park and was elevated to status of National Park in 1967 by an act of parliament of the Republic of South Africa which administered South-West Africa during that time.[1]
Etosha National Park spans an area of 22,270 square kilometres (8,600 sq mi) and gets its name from the large Etosha pan which is almost entirely within the park. The Etosha pan (4,760 square kilometres (1,840 sq mi)) covers 23% of the area of the total area of the Etosha National Park.[2] The park is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including several threatened and endangered species like the black rhinoceros.
The park is located in the Kunene region and shares boundaries with the regions of Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etosha_National_Park
The plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli), also known as the common zebra or Burchell's zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra.[2] It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Botswana and eastern South Africa. The plains zebra remains common in game reserves, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide, as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat.
California's oak woodlands are a unique ecosystem providing habitat to nearly half of the state's vertebrate animals. Historically they have provided food and fiber to their human inhabitants. They are crucial to water quality protection because most of the runoff from higher elevations flows through this ecosystem and most of the state reservoirs are in the oak-woodlands. Yet they are threatened by urban encroachment and conversion to crop agriculture.
California's foothill oak-woodlands cover about 5 million acres along the coast range and in a ring around the central valley. The oak-woodlands form a transition zone between the annual grasslands that surround the agricultural central valley and the mixed coniferous forest at higher elevations.
wrangle.org/ecotype/north-american-oak-woodlands
Spotlight Your Best will feature Woodlands for the rest of August. Coming September 1st: "Transportation"
Bighorn Sheep of the Canadian Rockies
There are two subspecies of the bighorn – Californiana (California Bighorn Sheep) and Canadensis (Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep).
In Canada, the Bighorn Sheep are found in scattered parts of southern British Columbia and more prolifically in western Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. Their range continues down into the American Rockies, and they can be found as far south as Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The Bighorn’s ideal environment has a dry climate and is rugged with areas plentiful of low grasses and herbs. Herds will often migrate long distances in the winter to areas with minimal snowfall.
There are just over 3,000 Bighorn Sheep in British Columbia, and the population there is considered vulnerable in part due to human encroachment on their habitats. In Alberta, however, where the mammal is the official provincial mammal, the Bighorn Sheep is considered secure, with more than 11,000 inhabiting its national parks and provincial lands, representing over 15% of the Bighorn Sheep population in North America.
For more Info: naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-bighorn-sheep-majestic-and-...
Weltvogelpark
The kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore.
The bird is now uncommon outside protected areas. Habitat destruction is a major problem, compounded by bush encroachment due to overgrazing by livestock and agricultural development.
The species features in many native African cultures due to its imposing impressive size, the spectacular displays by adult males and the nature of nesting females. It features in dances and songs of the San people of Botswana. It is associated with royalty in Botswana and since 2014 it is has been the national bird of the country.
Thank you for your visit and your comments, they are greatly appreciated.
The rat-sized water vole has dark chestnut-brown to black fur, short rounded ears, and a hair-covered tail about half the length of the body. It is found throughout mainland Britain, although it is infrequently recorded in northern Scotland.
Habitat
Well vegetated banks of slow flowing rivers, ditches, dykes, and lakes. Lower population density on higher ground.
Behaviour
Excavates burrow systems in banks of waterways with nest chambers at various levels and some under- water entrances. Close cropped grass 'lawns' and chopped food may surround burrow entrances. Black, shiny faeces deposited in latrines throughout and at edges of range during breeding season.
Diet & Feeding
Grasses and waterside vegetation. Broadleaved plants sometimes eaten. 227 species of plants have been identified in diet.
Reproduction
3 or 4 litters of around 5 young per year, with first born March to May depending on weather.
Conservation & Threats
Legally protected in Britain but have undergone a long term decline. Significant threats include predation by the introduced American mink (which has been responsible for some local extinctions), habitat degradation through drainage, overgrazing, and the encroachment of cultivated land into riparian habitats, and water pollution.
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (Male)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
I liked the contrast here between the old and the new. It does make you wonder, with the current rate of encroachment, how long before there is a different background to the tower
Common Milkweed seed pods, photographed at 600mm. Standing in my backyard amidst a sea of goldenrod, using the long lens to photograph birds, I looked over to see this beautiful cluster of Common Milkweed seed pods glowing in the golden light of a late summer sunset. A critical plant to the survival of monarch butterflies, milkweed is the only food eaten during their stint as larvae. Monarchs lay their eggs only on milkweed. Due to habitat reduction, pesticides and human encroachment, availability of this important food source is declining. I recently watched a video on Youtube, created by a woman on a 5th floor apartment in an urban area. She bought a milkweed plant and placed it on her balcony. Soon afterwards, a female monarch flew in and laid her eggs. That illustrates just how critical each and every single plant is for the species. Whether you live in an urban high rise, a suburban development or a rural community, plant milkweed! It’s so easy to do and can directly impact the success or failure of our beloved Monarch Butterflies.