View allAll Photos Tagged encroachment
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.
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.
Widespread species found in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia, it still is threatened by human encroachment and hunting. There has been a 70% decline in their world-wide numbers in the last 50 years, according to allaboutbirds.com.
NS 65R got held out at Chesterton to allow some eastbound traffic to run which resulted in a lot of shadow encroachment at the Whiting signal bridge.
The Erie heritage motor was dodging the shadows as it finally rolled west.
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Copyright © Antoniociro 2014 All Rights Reserved
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La Marina, uno dei quattro quartieri storici di Cagliari venne fondata dai Pisani nel XIII secolo come zona destinata ad ospitare magazzini e dimore di quanti lavoravano presso il vicino porto. In quei tempi lontani, venne cinto da mura e bastioni, riammodernate in seguito dagli spagnoli e infine demolite a partire dalla seconda metà del XIX secolo per far posto ai tre importanti assi viari Cagliaritani.
Dal XIV secolo, con la dominazione aragonese prima e spagnola poi, Marina crebbe come numero di abitanti e assunse sempre di più la connotazione di quartiere vivamente trafficato e animato da commerci dove per lo più dimoravano mercanti e pescatori e, comunità di persone rappresentanti le terre e le città con cui vi erano più stretti rapporti commerciali (ad esempio la comunità di siciliani, che faceva capo alla chiesa di Santa Rosalia e la comunità di genovesi, che facevano capo alla chiesa dei Santi Giorgio e Caterina).
Oggi la Marina si presenta come un quartiere carico di storia, (ma anche di localini dove poter trascorrere piacevolmente con amici la serata) che cerca lentamente di trovare il giusto modo per valorizzare le sue bellezze, spesso messe in pericolo dall'incuria e dal degrado e dalla speculazione edilizia del dopoguerra.
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The Marina, one of the four historical quarters of Cagliari was founded by Pisans in the 13th century as the area destined to accommodate warehouses and dwellings of those who worked at the nearby port. In those distant times, was surrounded by walls and ramparts, later refurbished by the Spanish and finally demolished starting from the second half of the 19th century to make room for three major axis Cagliari.
From the 14th century, with the aragonese domination first and then Spanish, Marina grew as the number of inhabitants and increasingly took on the connotation of a highly trafficked area, and animated by shops where dwelt mostly merchants and fishermen and community of people representing the lands and cities with which we were closer business relations (e.g. the Sicilian community, who was head of the Church of Santa Rosalia and the community of Genoa, who were headed to the Church of Saints George and Catherine).
Today the Marina looks like a neighborhood full of history, (but also of places where you can spend the evening with friends) that slowly tries to find the right way to valorise its beauties, often jeopardized by the neglect and degradation and encroachments by the post-war period.
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 scarlet ibis inhabits tropical South America and islands of the Caribbean. The highest concentrations are found in the Llanos region between western Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The fertile and remote tropical grassland plain of the Llanos provides a safe haven far from human encroachment.
In form it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago. This medium-sized wader is a hardy, numerous, and prolific bird, and it has protected status around the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_ibis
Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú, Cartagena, Colombia.
Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.
This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!
www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...
WOW! Look how this tree has encroached upon the fence! Nature taking over!
Happy Fence Friday, Everybody!
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.
While IRS heralds April 15th as a flush day for income filling the Treasury's coffers, I herald that same day as a day I can count on for the Great Egrets to be gathering for the spring courtship. Give or take a week, mid April is the time for these birds to gather in large groups on the Great Marsh. As time progresses, they break off that group in mating pairs. You can figure out the rest. Here a male sports his mating plumage, the long ornate feathers hanging off the side. Not that long ago, these birds were hunted to near extinction so these feathers could adorn ladys' hats. We've come full cycle, as our encroachment on the wetlands threatens them once again.
Nearly hunted to extinction for their feathers to adorn lady's hats, these beautiful birds have rebounded, only to find their current threat is wetlands encroachment. Seems we just continue to disrupt nature's delicate balance.
Richmond, BC Canada
Finn Slough Heritage & Wetland Society was formed in September 1993 to preserve the natural environment and habitat at the Slough and surrounding area. The group also aims to maintain the heritage values of the community and to protect the Slough from urban encroachment. Finn Slough is one of the last tidal communities on the West Coast. They are working to live in harmony with the environment on a sleepy little backwater on the mighty Fraser River in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
Originally established in the 1880’s by immigrant fishers from Finland, Finn Slough has been a fishing village for over a hundred years. Families have continually occupied Finn Slough since then. The community swelled to 70 households in the 1940’s and 1950’s but by the 1970’s the original settlers were dispersing. Non Finnish fishers and people who appreciated the Slough’s unspoiled historic setting began to take their place.
The Finns eventually stopped living at the waters edge and moved to more permanent homes within a few miles of the Slough. Today Finn Slough holds special status as it is the last working commercial fishing village on the Fraser River. Approximately 50 people live and work at the Slough with 18 households remaining. Here you will see gill-net fish-boats, net-mending floats, and sheds belonging to fifth generation fishers.
**Information posted at Finn Slough
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Thank- you to “IN EXPLORE” for featuring my photo
and thank-you to everyone for their visit! In addition I’d like to add, that any faves or comments left for me, are so very much appreciated! Have a great day!
Sonja :-)
Imagine a day when 30 to 60 million of these formidable beasts roamed the west, at a time before the senseless slaughter and near extinction of a species, just because hunters felt they could. Today, less than half a million bison live across the US and in parks like Yellowstone there are barely 5000. Despite this, we still carry out population control, needlessly slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands, per year. We do so for a variety of stated reasons but mainly to prevent their encroachment on land used for grazing cattle. It’s long past time to move over rover and let nature chart its own course. We have not been the best stewards of nature. #Bison
Heavens! Does anyone even care for God's sake
this plenitude affords our space for pity's sake
but is it enough that we trust in life
when rasping for the air we gasp in strife
that damning cubist vision of pretence
held aloft this vertex dream of florescence
and this then is how my world turns, turns, turns
on it's head, or off, these continual floundering concerns
gift me with surprise in their brilliance of demise
well able to prove the reflection of twilight eyes
is but the light of bringing forward the thoughts lost
that oasis of bribing negativity with cascading feelings embossed
yes, the mind itself is a casket of habitual confusion
and yet, we fight for a life we hate and feed with complete illusion
screaming to the point of silence broken only with pain
the aphorism of sunlight after the rain, where only life can remain
hanging from the fingertips of scrutiny
evolution from country to country to the far cry of mutiny
within view of conscience, at the foothills of the greater good
seen through the blooming zooming lens of cropped enterprise
frozen in time nobody dares alter the way to equilibrise
a heart inside cannot disguise what the mind has to face
every morning it recollects the night before the dream couldn't ignore or place
a shambles of cardiacal chaos that resembled a beat on the run
the puke of unblessed unrest seeking the arrest of this godforsaken rerun
hell's bells enchant a flower garden bordered with thickets of blood curdling vileness
take me away from here before the sound rings true in the unease of breathlessness
dying away to the fades of landscaping design's subdued encroachment
how much longer, how much more to take, and the point is what, exactly?
bugger the whole darn thing, as the horizon stretches to and fro so matter-of-factly
it's so deceiving in the whole scheme of health it is no longer retrieving
it's leaving me again as the feeling adds fragrance to the numbness of believing
all that enabled my world to turn, turn, turn to hell down my back
the bloody desuetude of spineless chills still tempting my fate to crack
spilling blood in my dreams it leads me down the unwakening path
it's blood is pure bull' as I intend to stand my ground in wake of such wrath.
by anglia24
13h00: 03/05/2008
©2008anglia24
Adansonia grandidieri es una especie en peligro de extinción del género Adansonia. Es considerada la especie de baobab más grande y famosa de entre las seis especies endémicas de Madagascar en la Provincia de Toliara, y ciertos individuos alcanzan 40 m de altura.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia_grandidieri
Adansonia grandidieri is the biggest and most famous of Madagascar's six species of baobabs. It is sometimes known as Grandidier's baobab or the giant baobab. In French it is called Baobab malgache. The local name is renala or reniala (from Malagasy: reny ala, meaning "mother of the forest"). This tree is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is an endangered species threatened by the encroachment of agricultural land. This is the tree found at the Avenue of the Baobabs.
Grandidier's baobabs have massive, cylindrical, thick trunks, up to three meters across, covered with smooth, reddish-grey bark. They can reach 25 to 30 m (82 to 98 ft) in height. The crown is flat-topped, with horizontal main branches.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia_grandidieri
Adansonia grandidieri es la más grande y famosa de las seis especies de baobabs de Madagascar. A veces se le conoce como baobab de Grandidier o baobab gigante. En francés se llama Baobab malgache. El nombre local es renala o reniala (del malgache: reny ala, que significa "madre del bosque"). Este árbol es endémico de la isla de Madagascar, donde es una especie en peligro de extinción por la invasión de tierras agrícolas. Este es el árbol que se encuentra en la Avenida de los Baobabs.
Los baobabs de Grandidier tienen troncos macizos, cilíndricos y gruesos, de hasta tres metros de ancho, cubiertos de una corteza lisa de color gris rojizo. Pueden alcanzar de 25 a 30 m (82 a 98 pies) de altura. La copa es plana y tiene ramas principales horizontales.
Encroachment upon the Past: old row houses surrounded by asphalt and newer buildings in the Strip District of Pittsburgh.
Vrindavan is a town of much dusty countenance which perhaps when the Indian epics retrospect must have been lush and green and full of gardens where Krishna played out his childhood.
In India, history and culture and civilisation remain subdued and shadowed by hardships and vagaries of nature and conquests running for thousands of years.
The weather and neglect and the pressure of survival must have made Vridnavan a place of not much importance till in the 16th century efforts were made and the place became a pilgrimage.
Vrindavan, a town steeped in the rich tapestry of Krishna's lore, has long been celebrated for its serene flower groves and spiritual ambiance. However, as urbanization sweeps across this sacred landscape, it’s hard not to feel a pang of nostalgia for what is slowly fading away. The vibrant flower groves that once painted the town with their colors and fragrances are now facing encroachment from concrete structures and bustling streets.
It's a bittersweet reality; on one hand, development brings progress and opportunities, but on the other, it threatens to erase the very essence of what makes Vrindavan special. The delicate balance between preserving its natural beauty and accommodating modern growth is a challenge that locals grapple with daily. Many residents cherish the stories of Krishna playing among those flowers—stories that seem to fade with each new building erected.
Now there are no flower groves, the river Yamuna is a stinking sewage and the influx of devotees , the noise and the filth abound to wipe out any spirituality that might have once been.
_DSC2915 nef 2025 color
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-...
Built on the eastern most point of Long Island in 1796, it is the fourth-oldest lighthouse in the United States. The tower was built on a bluff 300 feet from the edge of the water, but due to erosion it is now 100 feet from the Atlantic. Stone barricades have been added in hopes of stopping the ocean's further encroachment.
This is the same beach as my muddy water photos of my beautiful pets Beau and Merry. On some photos the sea is very blue in appearance but as you can see by the lines left by the receding tide how muddy both the sand and water are. There is a lot of work going on to dredge up millions of tons of sand from the sea bed then dropped and levelled out higher up the beach.
Tbh..I never saw such a waste of time effort and money in my life being spent trying to keep the encroachment of the sea at bay
( forgive the pun 😂 ) every day the seafront is different and a fortnight ago the shelving meant a wave came in on a hidden slope and took a little boy straight of his feet and his grandad quickly pulled him out.
The following day that shelve was flat again…the planted Marram grasses have been ripped away leaving dangling roots.
All the huge granite boulders placed near the pier at Skegness its self were completely covered by the tide which just hit the promenade. It is clear now why the ER signs in red are there.
Escape Route it stands for..lots of tiny country roads leading to the mains road. I am thinking of putting life jackets in the car 🤔
Unfortunately too many photographers leave the dyke pathway and encroach on owl's hunting (and resting) areas in hopes of a good photo. This photo was taken from the broom that lines the dyke at Brunswick Point. Waiting in the weeds paid off in this instance when this Barn Owl came in low over the marsh and landed on a perch very near me. I stayed still, the owl rested for a few minutes and went back to its hunting.
Every bird photo I have taken was from marked public pathways and in the case of Brunswick Point within 3 meters of the dyke path. I hope you will agree that these vantage points yield some good photos - and don’t distress the birds.
African Elephant
The African Elephant faces an uncertain future. Although many exist in Africa, unregulated and illegal trade in ivory could lead to their demise. Human encroachment and the conversion to farmlands are also serious threats to their survival.
Shelter in Place, San Francisco
This is another story of a flower out of season. Yesterday, as I admired the dainty blossoms on the Velvet Elvis (Day 180), I spotted from the corner of my eye what appeared to be a bud on the azalea down below. The plant itself has been nearly buried this year by the showier hydrangea above it, and by the wild geranium ever creeping towards its roots. In spite of this encroachment, the azalea managed its normal March/April spray of candy-colored blooms well before the hydrangea had filled out. But nearly buried in the shadows now, had it managed to bloom again so out of season? I couldn’t believe my eyes.
www.flickr.com/photos/184806716@N02/53509951401/in/pool-i...
The Royal Bengal Tiger, also known as the Indian Tiger, is one of the most majestic and charismatic big cats on the planet. These large felines are native to the Indian subcontinent and are the most numerous tiger subspecies, with an estimated population of around 2,500 individuals.
The Royal Bengal Tiger is a carnivorous predator, feeding mainly on deer, wild pigs, and buffalo. They are also known to hunt other animals such as monkeys, birds, and reptiles. Their strong jaws and sharp teeth, combined with their powerful legs and muscular body, make them incredibly efficient hunters.
These tigers are famous for their distinctive orange fur with black stripes. The pattern of the stripes is unique to each individual, and scientists can use these stripes to identify individual tigers. Their fur also helps them blend into their surroundings, providing camouflage in the tall grasses and forests where they live.
Unfortunately, the Royal Bengal Tiger is also one of the most endangered big cats in the world, with habitat loss and poaching being the main threats to their survival. Their habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate due to human encroachment, and poaching for their bones, skin, and other body parts is a major issue.
Conservation efforts are underway to protect the Royal Bengal Tiger, including the establishment of protected areas and the implementation of anti-poaching measures. These efforts have helped stabilize some populations, but more work is needed to ensure the long-term survival of this magnificent animal.
The Royal Bengal Tiger is a fascinating and beautiful animal, but sadly, it is also endangered. We must continue to work towards protecting and conserving this species to ensure that future generations can admire and appreciate these majestic creatures in the wild.
The Green Sea Turtle is one of seven species of sea turtles worldwide. It gets its name from the greenish color of its flesh and fat. Adult green turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on seagrasses and algae. This diet is thought to give them greenish colored fat, from which they take their name. The green sea turtle is an endangered species. Their populations have drastically declined in the last 50 years. Their meat and eggs are highly prized and eaten in some countries; they can drown when caught in fishing nets or die after eating trash such as plastic bags that they see as jellyfish. Their numbers are also reduced by boat propeller accidents, fishnet-caused drowning, and the destruction of their nesting grounds by human encroachment.
-- Fun Facts --
‧ Green sea turtles are unique—they are one of the largest species of turtle and the only turtle that is strictly herbivorous as an adult (although juvenile green sea turtles will also eat crabs, sponges and jellyfish).
‧ Like all sea turtles, green turtles have a protective shell but can’t pull their head and flippers inside like land turtles can.
‧ Green sea turtles nest on the same beach where they hatched. Since they don’t reach sexual maturity until at least 20 years old, this is even more impressive. So, how do they find their way home more than 20 years later? Green sea turtles actually use the Earth’s magnetic forces to navigate their way home.
‧ Like humans, green sea turtles breathe oxygen. Unlike humans, they can spend up to two hours underwater before they need to come up to the surface to breathe.
‧ Green sea turtles can also survive by drinking salt water because are able to excrete the extra salt through “salt glands” behind their eyes.
‧ Green Sea Turtles can live to be more than 70 years old and weigh up to 700 lbs.
‧ Green Sea Turtles in the Eastern Pacific actually have darker shells and are known locally as "black turtles".
-- Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff) --
‧ Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)
‧ Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
‧ ISO – 1600
‧ Aperture – f/4.2
‧ Exposure – 1/30 second
‧ Focal Length – 30mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
The Tellico Blockhouse (as seen above from across the lake at Fort Loudon State Historic Park) was a United States fortification used officially from 1794 through 1807. The site functioned in some smaller capacity through December 1811. The Tellico Blockhouse served as a check against white encroachment as those of European decent were required to have written passes from the commander of the Blockhouse before entering deeper into Cherokee land. This site was also home to the Tellico Factory, part of Henry Knox’s civilizing policy and its aim of teaching modern methods of agriculture and industry to the American Indian.
As a trading post, the Tellico Blockhouse offered trade items for hides. Furs and hides were the primary currency that the Cherokee could barter with. Through years of such trade the fur-bearing animals of the region were decimated. This trade had an economic and environmental impact on the area. The Tellico Factory offered a solution when spinning wheels, cotton seed, looms, and training were brought to the Cherokee at the Tellico Blockhouse. Much of the Little Tennessee River Valley was planted in cotton. This new commodity took some of the stress off of fur bearing animals and provided the Cherokee with a valued item of trade.
The Tellico Blockhouse was in use during a time when the future of the United States was uncertain. Spain controlled the Mississippi River, the port city of New Orleans, and had built a fort where Memphis now stands. At times, Spain and the United States seemed close to war. The young U.S. Army had suffered devastating losses at the hands of American Indian confederations. The United States could not face both American Indian and Spanish forces.
Through establishments such as the Tellico Blockhouse better relations were fostered between the U.S. and many American Indian cultures. The Cherokee people and the U.S. citizens could remember recent atrocities. This garrison of American soldiers was a symbol of military power but also of the government’s intent to keep order. No longer would roaming militias and bands of Cherokee repay violence for violence. Negotiations would take the place of violence. Much of what is now known as Tennessee was signed over by the Cherokee at the Blockhouse.
By 1807 few Cherokee remained in the Little Tennessee River Valley. The Blockhouse was no longer a convenient place for them to meet. The garrison was relocated down along the Hiwassee where many of the Cherokee had moved. A few soldiers did remain at the Blockhouse through December 1811 but official functions were taking place elsewhere.
Today the Tellico Blockhouse is in a state of stabilized ruin. Visitors can walk the ground once walked by the Cherokee, soldiers, and agents of government. The site is part of Fort Loudoun State Historic Area and is a day use area. This establishment, spurred by the governor of the Territory Southwest of the River Ohio, is now overseen by the State of Tennessee.
fortloudoun.com/tellico-blockhouse/
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park is 1,200-acres and is one of the earliest British fortifications on the western frontier, built in 1756. The fort was reconstructed during the Great Depression and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
tnstateparks.com/parks/fort-loudoun
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Below that mountain road is the pristine old hardwood forest of Lilley Cornett Woods. Untouched. Really old. This nature preserve conserves the diverse Appalachian biome that the first settlers would have seen before the profound changes brought by lumber folks, coal mines, mountain top removers, haul roads, settlements, and invasive species encroachment.
Kentucky historian Thomas Clark felt that all Kentuckians should see Lilley Cornett Woods to understand what Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia looked like before the onslaught of man.
To take this photograph, I launched a drone through a hole in the forest's canopy made by a large fallen tree. The drone's software stitched together multiple photographs that it took in order to make this 180º panoramic scene.
Flickr winning explore in date February 7, 2017 Highest position: 91
Orden: Passeriformes
Familia: Fringilidae
Nombres comunes: Pico Cruzado - Periquito - Turquesa - Piquituerto de la Española
Nombre científico: Loxia megaplaga
Nombre Ingles: Hispaniolan Crossbill
Status: ENDEMICA DE LA HISPANIOLA EN PELIGRO DE EXTINCION.
Lugar de captura: Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco.
Justification of Red List Category
This species has a very small, fragmented and declining range. Although its numbers fluctuate naturally, its available habitat is decreasing as a result of logging, small-scale agriculture and uncontrolled fires. It therefore qualifies as Endangered.
Population justification
The population is estimated to number 600-3,375 individuals, roughly equating to 400-2,300 mature individuals.
Trend justification
There are no new data on population trends; however, the species is suspected to be declining at a slow rate, owing to agricultural encroachment into its habitat.
Wikipedia Information:
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loxia_megaplaga
Wikipedia Informacion:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniolan_crossbill
Avibase scientific information:
avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=30E...
©2017 Carlos A. Objio Sarraff, All Rights Reserved
This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or any other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
©2017 Carlos A. Objio Sarraff, Todos los derechos reservados
Esta imagen no está disponible para su uso en sitios web, blogs o cualquier otro medio sin la autorización expresa y por escrito del fotógrafo.
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
concrete former flood-defence barriers being used to deter encroachment by Gypsy-Travellers along the Trent bank.
I was excited at the prospect of seeing Big Horn Sheep in Colorado. After a week of driving and hiking in the mountains, we didn't see any of the iconic Big Horns, the State Animal of Colorado. So, it took a quick trip to the Denver Zoo to see this one.
Unfortunately, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep are not as common in Colorado as they once were. Hunting and disease in the past reduced their numbers; and habitat loss today (due to ever-increasing human encroachment) has limited their range. But I am assured that they are still there in the "wild", just not widespread in occurrence.
A pretty sunrise.
Note how my clear horizon is quickly disappearing as new home construction encroachment occurs. I fortunately anticipated this and purchased my home because my backyard faces a 40 foot high ridge. With just a 20 foot walk up, I have a million dollar view: www.flickr.com/photos/cloud_spirit/52999023678
Picture of the Day
Back in 1676, the Abenaki people had finally had enough of the English colonists living in this village and the continual encroachment of the Abenaki lands. The Abenaki completely destroyed the village. Unfortunately for the Abenaki, the English colonist were persistent buggers and colonists returned two years later.
Eventually, the Abenaki were decimated and the English colonists could drink tea without fear.
The above story is fictitious American history for the most part.
Portland, Maine 2014
At the periphery of Vienna fields are converted into buildings.
Am Stadtrand von Wien werden Felder in Gebäude umgewandelt.
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
Actually the northern side of the long curving high street, wide enough to take the much photographed 17th market hall, but also a long island of other buildings, like here on the right, typical of the encroachment into market spaces that was common throughout history.
Most summers these golden-stone streets are made even more picturesque by rows of gently coloured, towering hollyhocks, self-seeded in the crack where the pavement meets the walls. They do make walking more difficult as they lean over but are so beautiful.
But last year I noticed they had gone, cut down or destroyed by pesticides I don't know which.
I hope the locals are up in arms about it!
From Wiki:
The global population of grasshopper sparrows in 2016 was estimated to be around 31,000,000 by the PIF North America Landbird Conservation Plan. It was also estimated that the population had undergone a 68% decrease between the years 1970 and 2014 with an annual decline of about 2.59%. The 2022 State of the Birds reported a long-term, range-wide decline of 2.13% per year, and a more recent decline of 3.48% per year. The leading cause of population decline across its range is linked to habitat loss and management, particularly conversion of grasslands to intensive agriculture and encroachment of shrubs and trees. Despite declining population sizes, grasshopper sparrows are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and are also not included as a "Bird of Conservation Concern" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) on a national level. The Florida grasshopper sparrow subspecies (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) is classified as endangered by the USFW.[48] This subspecies hit an all time population low of 15 breeding pairs in 2017, and reported a population of 120 in 2022.
Honoring lions today on World Lion day, August 10, 2017. A pair of brothers drink from a small pool of water in the plains of Ndutu in Tanzania. Having seen a severe decline in population since the later decades of the 20th century, lions are listed by the IUCN as vulnerable to becoming endangered. The population, once around 200,000 is down to between 20,000 and 30,000. Habitat loss due to human encroachment and human conflict are among the major contributors to their decline. Today is about raising awareness and celebrating these beautiful and iconic cats.
Staying in a country cottage and looking out of window early one evening I spotted a group of riders contemplating a huge dip (just after where the grass ends) that would take them up to the Selkirk racecourse.
I believe they were practicing - hence the informal dress - for the Common Riding festival (If you know different please let me know). The Scottish flag was carried.
The tradition of common riding dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, during the continual land border wars both with England and against other clans. It was a Border Country custom to plunder and thieve cattle, known as reiving (a historical name for robbing), and commonplace amongst the major Borders families. In these lawless and battle-strewn times, it became the practice of the day for the local laird to appoint a leading townsperson, who would then ride the burgh’s boundaries, or "marches", to protect their common lands and prevent encroachment by neighbouring burghs and their peoples.
Long after they ceased to be essential, the ridings continued in commemoration of local legend, history, and are "devoted to pageantry, singing, and unique traditions centred around equestrian events."
Chinquapin Mountain Trail, Nantahala National Forest
Rhododendron is a native species, but this level of encroachment on Appalachian cove forests is a relatively recent (last hundred years or so) phenomenon. Fire management and loss of the American Chestnut are factors.
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SMC Pentax 1:1.8 55mm
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