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While in Detroit I had no choice, well maybe I did, to explore what was and use to be. What was once a thriving metropolis has taken a turn in recent years. The population experienced a sharp decline. it is estimated 78000 abandoned properties in the area. Since my last trip a few years ago, buildings are now being torn down. Many of the residential streets in Midtown, east Detroit and downtown resemble disaster areas. On a street where there should be 40 house may only have 15-20 houses still standing and out of those only about 7-10 are inhabited. The others are boarded, burnt, or falling down.
The Gap of Dunloe was created naturally sometime 25,000 years ago during the last ice age of Ireland.
A glacier situated in the Black Valley, which was estimated to be over 500 metres deep and part of the Templenoe Icecap, broke off into the Head of the Gap, slowly pushing northward which eventually resulted in a carved out U-shaped valley.
The stunning glacial lakes, which are all connected by the river Loe, were also created when this huge glacier broke off.
Estimated to have been built around 340 BCE and has a long history with many uses from ship tax collection, quarantine hospital, radio station, and lighthouse.
Was also featured in the 1999 James Bond "The world is not enough," where the terrorists placed a nuclear submarine underneath the tower.
Today its a restaurant and a great setting for photographers :-)
This baby, estimated to be two months old, was rescued from the rubble after 128 hours.
It is as if the pain of this great disaster is hidden in the eyes of this baby...
Note -1 : Ethically, apart from this photo, I will not share any photos related to the earthquake that may adversely affect human psychology.
Note -2 : This photo is an excerpt.
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İki aylık olduğu tahmin edilen bu bebek, 128 saat sonra enkazdan kurtarıldı.
Bu büyük felaketin acısı sanki bu bebeğin gözlerinde saklı.
Not -1 : Etik olarak bu fotoğraf dışında deprem ile ilgili insan psikolojisini olumsuz etkileyebilecek herhangi bir fotoğraf paylaşmayacağım.
Not -2 : Bu fotoğraf alıntıdır.
I’m estimating that these baby Alligators are a few weeks old. Saw them as I was hiking towards an area known for perching Bald Eagles. Not an eagle in sight, but found these babies, as consolation.
Young alligators remain in the area where they are hatched and where their mother protects them. After two to three years, they leave that area in search of food or when driven out by larger alligators.
Alligators measure 6-8” when they hatch, then juveniles grow about a foot in length each year.
The construction of this brick church (parish church) is estimated at the middle of the 15th century.
In the following centuries, the church was damaged many times as a result of hostilities and by fires. Large losses were caused by the fire of 1629, during which almost the entire city of Września burnt down. As a result of destruction and looting during the Swedish invasion (1655-1656), the northern wall of the nave and the vaults collapsed. After the reconstruction and removal of damage in 1672, the shape of the inter-nave arcades was changed and the naves were covered with wooden ceilings. During the German occupation in 1939-45, the church was turned into a military warehouse, and its equipment was devastated. After the war, the necessary renovation and restoration works were carried out. Currently, it looks magnificent, showing its original late Gothic character.
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Powstanie tego murowanego kościoła (fary) szacuje się na połowę XV wieku, zaś dobudowaną później wieżę na koniec tego samego wieku.
W następnych stuleciach kościół był niejednokrotnie niszczony w wyniku działań wojennych oraz przez pożary. Duże straty spowodował pożar 1629 roku, podczas którego spłonęło nieomal całe miasto Września. W wyniku zniszczeń i grabieży podczas najazdu szwedzkiego (1655-1656) zawaliła się ściana północna nawy głównej oraz sklepienia. Po odbudowie i usunięciu zniszczeń w 1672 roku, zmieniono kształt arkad międzynawowych a nawy przykryte zostały drewnianymi stropami. W okresie okupacji niemieckiej w latach 1939-45, kościół zamieniono na magazyn wojskowy, a jego wyposażenie zostało zdewastowane. Po wojnie wykonano niezbędne prace remontowe świątyni oraz restauracyjne. Obecnie prezentuje się okazale, pokazując swój pierwotny późnogotycki charakter.
The fastest dive by a bird is that of a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), which has been estimated as reaching a terminal velocity of approximately 300 km/h (186 mph) when in a diving stoop. At this point the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal.
I estimate there were 100 to 200 sea lions perched all around on these rocks inside the cave. It is really an extraordinary natural site that suits them very well.
Unlike seals, who are quite clumsy on land, sea lions are able to rotate their hind flippers forward and use them like legs. Despite their size, I saw them nimbly climb up these steep and slippery rocks.
Just off to the right is the solitary rock on which the "sea princess" was posing, a natural stage if I ever saw one!
The Cliffs of Moher are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about 14 kilometres. At their southern end, they rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, eight kilometres to the north, they reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien, then continue at lower heights. The closest settlements are the villages of Liscannor (6 km south) and Doolin (7 km north).
From the cliffs, and from atop the tower, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, and Loop Head to the south. The cliffs rank among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with around 1.5 million visits per annum.
The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300-million-year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs.
At peak season, there are an estimated 30,000 pairs of birds living on the cliffs, representing more than 20 species. These include Atlantic puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island, and razorbills. The site is an Important Bird Area.
A wide range of sea life can also be seen, from grey seals through porpoises, dolphins, minke whales and basking sharks, as well as, occasionally, sunfish. On land, feral goats, foxes, badgers and the Irish hare are found, along with various breeds of farm cattle.
There are an estimated 2000 arches in Arches National Park, but this one is quite unique. Unlike many of the others that are in wide open space, and even some of them being free standing, this one was tucked away in one of Utah's many beautiful slot canyons. It is not what you would expect to see in a place like this. However, the unexpected can be incredibly beautiful! Many times life takes unexpected turns and we have no idea what the end outcome will be. We feel as if we have lost control. Thank goodness that the all powerful and supreme Creator of the universe steers the ship and at the end there is a beauty beyond words with no comparison!
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
It is estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation. Natural Climate Solutions focuses on strategies for protecting and restoring ecosystems and incentivizing more sustainable land uses in order to avoid emissions and/or enhance biological sequestration of carbon. Latest research suggests such strategies are capable of mitigating a third of human emissions, making them critical to achieving climate stabilization of 2 degrees or less. Read more about The Nature Conservancy’s work on this issue:
global.nature.org/our-global-solutions/lands
www.nature.org/science-in-action/our-scientists/bronson-g...
On the right side the fresh demolition is clearly visible. I estimate the crash at 15-20m in height.
Estimated at about 500 years Old ...some say 1,500. orated on John's Island, SC just south od Charleston.
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the lammergeier or ossifrage, is a bird of prey.
The acid concentration of the bearded vulture stomach has been estimated to be of pH about 1 and large bones will be digested in about 24 hours, aided by slow mixing/churning of the stomach content. The high fat content of bone marrow makes the net energy value of bone almost as good as that of muscle, even if bone is less completely digested. A skeleton left on a mountain will dehydrate and become protected from bacterial degradation and the bearded vulture can return to consume the remainder of a carcass even months after the soft parts have been consumed by other animals, larvae and bacteria.
Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly on the remains of dead animals. It usually disdains the actual meat, however, and lives on a diet that is typically 85–90% bone marrow. This is the only living bird species that specializes in feeding on marrow. The bearded vulture can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb's femur and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. The bearded vulture has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 50–150 m (160–490 ft) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below, which smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow. They can fly with bones up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter and weighing over 4 kg (8.8 lb), or nearly equal to their own weight. After dropping the large bones, the bearded vulture spirals or glides down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked. This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to seven years to master. Its old name of ossifrage ("bone breaker") relates to this habit. More seldom, these birds have been observed to try to break bones (usually of a medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched. During the breeding season they feed mainly on carrion. They prefer limbs of sheep and other small mammals and they carry the food to the nest unlike other vultures which feed their young by regurgitation.
Live prey is sometimes attacked by the bearded vulture, with perhaps greater regularity than any other vulture. Among these, tortoises seem to be especially favored depending on their local abundance. Tortoises preyed on may be nearly as heavy as the preying vulture. When killing tortoise, bearded vultures also fly to some height and drop them to crack open the bulky reptiles' hard shells. Golden eagles have been observed to kill tortoises in the same way. Other live animals, up to nearly their own size, have been observed to be predaciously seized and dropped in flight. Among these are rock hyraxes, hares, marmots and, in one case, a 62 cm (24 in) long monitor lizard. Larger animals have been known to be attacked by bearded vultures, including ibex, Capra goats, Chamois and Steenbok. These animals have been killed by being surprised by the large birds and battered with wings until they fall off precipitous rocky edges to their deaths; although in some cases these may be accidental killings when both the vulture and the mammal surprise each other. Many large animals killed by bearded vultures are unsteady young, or have appeared sickly or obviously injured. Humans have been anecdotally reported to have been killed in the same way. However, this is unconfirmed and, if it does happen, most biologists who have studied the birds generally agreed it would be accidental on the part of the vulture. Occasionally smaller ground-dwelling birds, such as partridges and pigeons, have been reported eaten, possibly either as fresh carrion (which is usually ignored by these birds) or killed with beating wings by the vulture. While foraging for bones or live prey while in flight, bearded vultures fly fairly low over the rocky ground, staying around 2 to 4 m (6.6 to 13.1 ft) high. Occasionally, breeding pairs may forage and hunt together. In the Ethiopian Highlands, bearded vultures have adapted to living largely off human refuse.
Messier 81 (left) and Messier 82 (right) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Ursa Major. They are relatively close - astronomically speaking! - to our own Milky Way Galaxy, since their distance is estimated to be about 12 million light years. The two galaxies are separated by about 150,000 light years. German astronomer Johann Bode discovered them in 1774, thus M81 is also referred as Bode's galaxy and sometimes both galaxies are called Bode's Nebulae, although M82 is more often referred as the Cigar galaxy.
M81 can be seen with binoculars and small telescopes and a few observers have reported seeing it with just their naked eye under exceptional seeing conditions. With large telescopes M81 presents an exceptional sight, the "grand design" spiral arms becoming visible extending outwards from the core. Its mass has been calculated to be around 250 billion suns, while the galactic nucleus harbors a supermassive black hole with a mass of about 70 million suns.
Astronomers studying the motions of the two galaxies believe that a few hundred million years ago, a close encounter took place between the two galaxies. As a result, tidal forces have deformed the shape of M82 and triggered massive star formation, so M82 is classified as a prototype starburst galaxy. Photographs of M82 taken with large telescopes reveal a bipolar outflow of material emanating from the core of the galaxy, where the rate of star formation has increased ten-fold compared to "normal" galaxies.
M81 and M82 are part of the Messier 81 galaxy group, one of the nearest galaxy groups to our Local Group. Up to now 34 galaxies have been identified as members of this group, including M81, M82 and NGC 3077, the small galaxy seen at upper left. Our Local Group of galaxies (with the Milky Way and Andromeda as the largest members) and the M81 group are in turn members of a larger group, called the Virgo Supercluster of galaxies.
Thanks to all for looking - clear skies!
Image Details:
Telescope: Orion EON ED 80/500 refractor
Mount: Modified Vixen Sphinx (NexSXW)
Camera: Canon EOS 20Da
Light frames: 11 x 2 mins (total: 22 mins), ISO 1600, Daylight WB
Guiding: Skywatcher 80/400 refractor, Skywatcher Synguider autoguider
Date & Location: 2/5/2019 - Chalkidiki, Greece
Processing: DSS 4.1.1, Adobe Photoshop CS6 with Astronomy Tools Actions Set (spikes added to brightest stars)
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
This individual is a subadult. He/she looks almost as an adult, except for the eyes. He/she has dark eyes that soon will become white as in adults.
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
The red-bellied grackle is endemic to Colombia where it is found in all three Andean ranges at altitudes of 800 to 2,400m (2,600 to 7,900ft) above sea level.
Its natural habitat is tropical forest, but the trees are increasingly being felled for timber and to make way for agriculture, and little virgin forest remains within its range.
H. pyrohypogaster was formerly classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but in 2012 the threat level was lowered to "vulnerable". This is on the basis that, although its forest habitat remains under pressure, it has been found at some new locations where it was not known before. The total population is now estimated to be in the range 2,500 to 9,999 individuals.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
The red-bellied grackle is endemic to Colombia where it is found in all three Andean ranges at altitudes of 800 to 2,400m (2,600 to 7,900ft) above sea level.
Its natural habitat is tropical forest, but the trees are increasingly being felled for timber and to make way for agriculture, and little virgin forest remains within its range.
H. pyrohypogaster was formerly classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but in 2012 the threat level was lowered to "vulnerable". This is on the basis that, although its forest habitat remains under pressure, it has been found at some new locations where it was not known before. The total population is now estimated to be in the range 2,500 to 9,999 individuals.
Reddish Egret - One, from the estimated 2,000 pairs in the US.
Merritt Island Morning
From Audubon:
Numbers were decimated by plume hunters in late 1800s. Reportedly not seen in Florida between 1927 and 1937, but numbers have gradually increased under complete protection. Current United States population roughly 2000 pairs.
A conspicuously long-legged, long-necked wader of coastal regions, more tied to salt water than any of our other herons or egrets. Often draws attention by its feeding behavior: running through shallows with long strides, staggering sideways, leaping in air, raising one or both wings, and abruptly stabbing at fish. Also notable for its two color morphs. Reddish Egrets are either dark or white for life, beginning with the downy stage in the nest. Mated pairs may be of the same or different color morphs, and broods of young may include either or both morphs. Over most of range, dark birds are far more numerous.
Space Coast Photo #15
with an adult Spectacled Caiman in the background
Llanos Orientales in eastern Colombia
The lowest estimates I found of the number of these remaining in the wild vary between 250 and 500. We saw 2 of these.
From Wikipedia:
"The Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is a critically endangered crocodile. Its population is very small, and they can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Venezuela and Colombia. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19th and 20th centuries, it is one of the most endangered species of crocodiles. It is a very large species of crocodilian; males have been reported up to 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) in the past, weighing over 900 kg (2,000 lb)] but such sizes do not exist today, 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) being a more widely accepted maximum size. A large male today may attain 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) in length and can weigh up to 450 kg (1,000 lb), while females are substantially smaller with the largest likely to weigh around 225 kg (496 lb). Sexual dimorphism is not as profound as in other crocodilian species.
The coloration is light even in adults.
The ecology of the Orinoco crocodile is poorly documented in the wild, mostly due to its small population. It is thought to have a more piscivorous diet with an opportunistic nature, resulting in generalist predatory behaviour. It is an apex predator and preys on a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles, including caimans on occasion. Its prey base is mostly large predatory fish, challenging the general view by locals complaining about crocodiles hunting local fish to very low numbers. Reproduction takes place in the dry season when the water level is low. It is a hole nester and digs holes in the sand for its clutch of eggs. The females guard the nests and young for several years."
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Iceland estimates there are over 8,000 arctic fox in the country. Most live in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in the remote area of north western Iceland. People see them on rare occasions all over the country. I wasn't so lucky in my 12 days of travel. They are not very big and really blend into the terrain. This image I took at the Reykjavík Zoo.
There is estimated to be more than a hundred billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Again, experts suggest that there are more than a hundred billion galaxies like the Milky Way in the universe.
No one really knows for sure quite how many stars there are; apart from the original designer, of course!
Psalm 147:4-5
He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Worldwide, it is estimated that there are about 650,000 Sandhill Cranes; 450,000-500,000 being Lessers. "The Merced NWR hosts the largest wintering concentration of Lesser Sandhill Cranes in the Pacific Flyway with as many as 20,000 cranes using the Refuge." Source: Merced NWR online brochure. "It takes a patient and sharp eye to discern the difference between Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes. They have a similar body shape, plumage and color. Lesser Sandhill Cranes stand four feet high, with a four-inch, dagger-like bill. The greater is five feet tall, with a five-inch bill. These sub-species both migrate northward. The lesser breeds in northern Canada and Alaska, and the greater breeds in northeastern California, the Northwest and Great Lakes states. Greater sandhill cranes are threatened due to the loss of wetlands." Source: cranefestival.com
A view of the Lincoln Theater, last known as the Lincoln Grand 8, in the 200 block of S. Kickapoo St. in downtown Lincoln. The architectural style of the original theater is Italian Villa, a design that is typically asymmetrical while the Italianate style emphasizes symmetry. The Lincoln Theater is a contributing property in the Lincoln Courthouse Square Historic District that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985
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The Lincoln Theater opened in early-1923 with the Lon Chaney film “John Quincy Adams Sawyer”. In addition to cinema, the theater featured an organ and live stage shows well into the 1930’s. In 1985, the Lincoln Theater was twinned, and was turned into a quad in the mid-1990s. A $6M addition in 2016 added four more screens, 775 seats, a new lobby and exterior streetscape. Rechristened as the Lincoln Grand 8, the theater closed in late 2018 after the owners defaulted on a $3.9M bank loan. Additionally, the city of Lincoln, which had bet on the theater project helping to attract more business and customers downtown, was out $2.3M in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bond proceeds.
As of October 2020, the Lincoln Grand 8 Theater is on the market for $1.2M. The sale includes more than 42,000 square feet spread among three buildings - the original theater which opened in 1922, the 2016 addition, and a 1920s-built commercial building at the corner of S. Kickapoo and Clinton St.
Although the current pandemic environment has not been disastrous to cinemas, hopefully the theater will find a buyer.
Lincoln is the seat of Logan County, which is situated in central Illinois approximately 26 miles northeast of Springfield, the state capitol. The estimated population of Lincoln in 2018 was 13,685.
Photo taken from the balcony of Hotel Milliano in Breskens ( Zeeuws Vlaanderen ) nearby de ferryport Breskens-Vlissingen with the city of Vlissingen on the other side of the Westerschelde. Estimated distance 5 to 6 kilometers.A little left of center the Arsenal watchtower.
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), also called Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognised—E. m. maximus from Sri Lanka, E. m. indicus from mainland Asia and E. m. sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. The Asian elephant is the largest living land animal in Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered. It is primarily threatened by loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation and poaching. In 2003, the wild population was estimated at between 41,410 and 52,345 individuals. Female captive elephants have lived beyond 60 years when kept in semi-natural surroundings, such as forest camps. In zoos, Asian elephants die at a much younger age; captive populations are declining due to a low birth and high death rate. In general, the Asian elephant is smaller than the African bush elephant and has the highest body point on the head. Tusks serve to dig for water, salt, and rocks, to debark and uproot trees, as levers for maneuvering fallen trees and branches, for work, for display, for marking trees, as weapon for offence and defence, as trunk-rests, and as protection for the trunk. 26628
Giraffe are widely spread across Namibia occurring in National
Parks, private land as well as communal land. Giraffe population
numbers and distribution in Namibia has increased over the past
30 years due to well managed conservation efforts.
Most giraffe in Namibia are Angolan giraffe. Based on a recent
survey by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia it is
estimated that there are approx. 12,000 Angolan giraffe; 6,500 on
private land, 2,000 on communal land, and 3,500 in National Parks.
Eldgjá 20210717
Eldgjá is the largest volcanic canyon in the world, located in the South of Iceland.
At 270 meters at its deepest, 600 meters at its widest, and around 40 km long, Eldgjá covers a significant part of the country. It stretches from Landmannalaugar, a popular hot-spring and hiking area in the Icelandic Highlands, to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a village with a long religious history on the South Coast.
Eldjá’s first recorded eruption in 939 was an incredibly powerful one. It produced the largest flood of basalt of all time; it is estimated that 18 kilometers cubed of lava was released, which spread over an area of around 800 square kilometers.
Of course, the eruption would have devastated growing agriculture at the time, as well as decimated the forests surrounding it. Iceland was very forested at this time, but eruptions like this one, and the mini-Ice Age that followed them, have left it one of the most barren countries on earth.
Further afield, it was even more impactful. Temperatures as far as Central Asia dropped two degrees, and the ash cloud made 940 AD the coolest summer in 1,500 years.
It is little wonder, therefore, why Eldgjá translates to ‘Fire Canyon’.
Source: Guide to Iceland.
It is estimated that there are more than 120,000 Black Bears in British Columbia and over 7000 Black Bears on Vancouver Island making it one of the more dense places in the world for this bear population. The Vancouver Island black bear is slightly darker in colour and larger than the mainland bear and is considered one of 6 subspecies in British Columbia.
Willow Warblers seemed to be singing from every bush and tree yesterday morning. They seem to arrive each spring just as the leaves are starting to appear and I think this one looks good among the fresh Alder foliage. Willow Warblers usually arrive about a week later than Chiffchaffs, and apparently Willow Warbler is about twice as common as Chiffchaff. In 2013 the UK population of Willow Warbler was estimated as 2.4 million pairs whereas Chiffchaff was a mere 1.2 million. Though still a very common summer migrant, Willow Warbler numbers have declined. They used to be abundant throughout Britain but the latest breeding Bird Atlas (2007-11) shows a worrying decline in abundance throughout England, but especially in the south. Numbers have held up in Wales and even appear to have increased in Scotland. Its scientific name is Phylloscopus trochilus. Phylloscopus means leaf-gleaner, whereas trochilus comes from the Greek word for a Wren (Trokhilos). Interestingly, its earlier British name was Willow Wren.
They estimate there are only about 7000 snow leopards left in the world but due to community education and support to those who live with snow leopards their numbers are slowly increasing.
LYCAON PICTUS, also known as Painted Dog, African Wild Dog, Cape Hunting Dog, and Painted Hunting Dog are listed as Endangered in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa, and it is estimated there are fewer than 5 500 free-ranging wild dogs in Africa.
In South Africa, the population is estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals. Wild dogs need large home ranges, and habitat fragmentation has led to population declines. Unfortunately they have a mistaken reputation for attacking livestock, and therefore are often persecuted by humans. Infectious diseases, especially canine distemper and rabies are also exacting a toll, and recently road accidents and incidental snaring have also become major threats to this species.
The individual in this image was photographed in the southern part of the Kruger National Park and we counted at least 8 individuals during this special sighting, the first of two packs we saw within a week's time.
© Gerda van Schalkwyk. All rights reserved.
Of the estimated 150 glaciers which existed in the park in the mid-19th century, only 25 active glaciers remained by 2010. Scientists studying the glaciers in the park have estimated that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030 if current climate patterns persist.
Of the estimated 150 glaciers which existed in the park in the mid-19th century, only 25 active glaciers remained by 2010. Scientists studying the glaciers in the park have estimated that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030 if current climate patterns persist.
An estimated 45,000 people visited Morecambe for this year's Vintage by the Sea festival including record crowds on the first day.
The event on Morecambe Promenade, in its 11th year, celebrated the iconic music, fashion, film, art, design and dance of the 20th century on Saturday and Sunday.
The vintage festival, centred around the Midland, the Platform and the Promenade Gardens, was blessed with glorious sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday was mainly dry too, with rain only coming late in the afternoon.
People dressed in fashions from the 20s to the 90s to strut their stuff and the Vintage Marketplace at The Platform and the local and regional makers' market in The Midland were huge attractions.
Perfectly preserved classic cars outside the Midland and Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust’s vintage bus rides from Heysham to Bare also proved very popular.
Other events included the iconic Best In Show catwalk, vintage cycle bike rides, and the new Boogie Ballroom with popular classes including Bhangra with Sohan Kailey, the Charleston, Northern Soul and even breakdancing with the nationally acclaimed UC Crew Powered by Hip Hop.
"We were absolutely thrilled to see so many thousands and thousands of people in Morecambe this weekend, enjoying not only the joyful festival programme made possible by so many artists and performers, but also to see our audiences take in everything else Morecambe has to offer as so many local cafes, restaurants, bars and shops put on their own Fringe events, ensuring the Promenade has never felt so vibrant," said Elena Jackson from Deco Publique and the festival organising team.
"Vintage by the Sea really is a shared celebration of this place and we’d like to thank each and every person who had a role in making the event happen and who joined as a visitor over the weekend”.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Raymond Saunders' first steam clock was built in 1977 at the corner of Cambie and Water streets in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood. It was built to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver's distributed steam heating system, as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather. Although the clock is now owned by the City of Vancouver, funding for the project, estimated to be about $C58,000 was provided by contributions from local merchants, property owners, and private donors. Incorporating a steam engine and electric motors, the clock displays the time on four faces and announces the quarter hours with a whistle chime that plays the Westminster Quarters. The clock produces a puff of steam from its top on the hour. The clock is featured on the cover for the 2011 Nickelback album Here and Now.
The steam used is low pressure downtown-wide steam heating network (from a plant adjacent to the Georgia Viaduct) that powers a miniature steam engine in its base, in turn driving a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces. The steam also powers the clock's sound production, with whistles being used instead of bells to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time.
Stonehenge prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. The origines are estimated from the Neolithic age at ~3000 BC.
Vieja fotografía revisada y reeditada, capturada hace años con mi veterana Canon 60D, en la provincia de Huelva, entre los municipios de Alosno, Tharsis, Villanueva de las Cruces y Cabezas Rubias, en el corazón de la comarca del Andévalo, a un tiro de piedra de la frontera con Portugal y a unos 50 kms de la capital, Huelva.
Toda esta vasta extensión de terreno en Andalucía, está encima de la mayor franja pirítica del mundo, extrayéndose mineral en sus minas a lo largo de la historia desde hace 5000 años, siendo a partir de los fenicios y sobre todo de los romanos, cuando se empezó a extraer ingentes cantidades de cobre, oro, plata, zinc y plomo. Se calcula que hasta la fecha se han extraido unos 2000 millones de toneladas de mineral y aún queda una reserva de unos 500 millones de toneladas por explotar, siendo esta franja pirítica la mayor reserva de minerales no férricos del mundo con unas dimensiones de aproximadamente 250 Kms de largo por unos 50kms de ancho...¡ Y encima de toda esta riqueza mineral...¡Estos campos y el cielo sobre ellos !
English
Old photograph reviewed and re-edited, captured years ago with my veteran Canon 60D, in the province of Huelva, between the municipalities of Alosno, Tharsis, Villanueva de las Cruces and Cabezas Rubias, in the heart of the Andévalo region, a stone's throw from the border with Portugal and about 50 km from the capital, Huelva.
This entire vast expanse of land in Andalusia is on top of the largest pyrite belt in the world, with minerals being extracted from its mines throughout history for 5,000 years, starting with the Phoenicians and especially the Romans, when huge quantities of copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead began to be extracted. It is estimated that to date some 2 billion tons of mineral have been extracted and there is still a reserve of some 500 million tons to be exploited, this pyritic belt being the largest reserve of non-ferrous minerals in the world with dimensions of approximately 250 km long by about 50 km wide... And on top of all this mineral wealth... These fields and the sky above them!
Cámara Canon 60D con lente 17-85 F4-5.6/IS USM. Imagen editada con Photoshop 2025
It's been estimated they spend roughly 60 to 80 % of their time perching, resting and conserving their energy -- breathes go from 500 per minute down to 250 at rest.
When your heart beats up to 1,200 times PER MINUTE it pays to take it easy when you can.
This also shows the iridescence of the crown and gorget -- those two guys on the left, if they changed a fraction of an inch the colours would reverse.
An estimated 45,000 people visited Morecambe for this year's Vintage by the Sea festival including record crowds on the first day.
The event on Morecambe Promenade, in its 11th year, celebrated the iconic music, fashion, film, art, design and dance of the 20th century on Saturday and Sunday.
The vintage festival, centred around the Midland, the Platform and the Promenade Gardens, was blessed with glorious sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday was mainly dry too, with rain only coming late in the afternoon.
People dressed in fashions from the 20s to the 90s to strut their stuff and the Vintage Marketplace at The Platform and the local and regional makers' market in The Midland were huge attractions.
Perfectly preserved classic cars outside the Midland and Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust’s vintage bus rides from Heysham to Bare also proved very popular.
Other events included the iconic Best In Show catwalk, vintage cycle bike rides, and the new Boogie Ballroom with popular classes including Bhangra with Sohan Kailey, the Charleston, Northern Soul and even breakdancing with the nationally acclaimed UC Crew Powered by Hip Hop.
"We were absolutely thrilled to see so many thousands and thousands of people in Morecambe this weekend, enjoying not only the joyful festival programme made possible by so many artists and performers, but also to see our audiences take in everything else Morecambe has to offer as so many local cafes, restaurants, bars and shops put on their own Fringe events, ensuring the Promenade has never felt so vibrant," said Elena Jackson from Deco Publique and the festival organising team.
"Vintage by the Sea really is a shared celebration of this place and we’d like to thank each and every person who had a role in making the event happen and who joined as a visitor over the weekend”.
An estimated 45,000 people visited Morecambe for this year's Vintage by the Sea festival including record crowds on the first day.
The event on Morecambe Promenade, in its 11th year, celebrated the iconic music, fashion, film, art, design and dance of the 20th century on Saturday and Sunday.
The vintage festival, centred around the Midland, the Platform and the Promenade Gardens, was blessed with glorious sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday was mainly dry too, with rain only coming late in the afternoon.
People dressed in fashions from the 20s to the 90s to strut their stuff and the Vintage Marketplace at The Platform and the local and regional makers' market in The Midland were huge attractions.
Perfectly preserved classic cars outside the Midland and Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust’s vintage bus rides from Heysham to Bare also proved very popular.
Other events included the iconic Best In Show catwalk, vintage cycle bike rides, and the new Boogie Ballroom with popular classes including Bhangra with Sohan Kailey, the Charleston, Northern Soul and even breakdancing with the nationally acclaimed UC Crew Powered by Hip Hop.
"We were absolutely thrilled to see so many thousands and thousands of people in Morecambe this weekend, enjoying not only the joyful festival programme made possible by so many artists and performers, but also to see our audiences take in everything else Morecambe has to offer as so many local cafes, restaurants, bars and shops put on their own Fringe events, ensuring the Promenade has never felt so vibrant," said Elena Jackson from Deco Publique and the festival organising team.
"Vintage by the Sea really is a shared celebration of this place and we’d like to thank each and every person who had a role in making the event happen and who joined as a visitor over the weekend”.
Meet "Boléra" a graceful Galgo breed female dog.
Lumix S5 - Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8
ƒ/5.6 1/50 ISO 3200 @59mm
Galgos
The Spanish greyhound is thought by some popular writers to have descended from Egyptian dogs brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenicians nearly 3,000 years ago. However the existence of the Celtic vertragus in Roman Iberia 2,000 years ago, as described by Arrian and Martial, suggests that it and its possible descendant the Galgo, may more likely be of Western European type in origin. After it was established in Spain, it is thought to have been cross-bred centuries later with the Sloughi brought from North Africa by the Moors. Some writers suggest that this breed may be ancestral to the English Greyhound.
The Galgo name is probably derived from the Latin Canis Gallicus or 'Dog from Gaul'. The Spanish word for all kinds of Greyhounds — including the Galgo — is lebrel, which means 'harrier' or 'dog for chasing hares', since liebre is Spanish for 'hare'. The same derivative is seen in the Italian levriero and the French lévrier.
Arrian described his personal experience in Spain. His description of hare hunting is very similar to that used with the Galgo nowadays in Spain, adding that it was a general Celtic tradition not related to social class. He indicated that there were not only smooth-haired types of the vertragus but also rough-coated ones.
There is little evidence for mention of the Galgo or its antecedent in the first centuries of the Middle Ages, but it appeared to have survived and flourished in the second half of the period.
In the 9th and 10th centuries, coinciding with the Reconquista, great spaces in Castile were colonised resulting in Christian military repossession of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim control. This open land introduced a new mode of hunting with dogs: while the North of Spain is mountainous, the regions progressively recovered were flat, open areas full of small animals like hares, which provided the Galgo a useful opportunity for hunting. At that time it was considered a noble dog, and was kept mainly by the aristocracy of both the Christian and the Muslim kingdoms in which Spanish territory was still divided. It is likely that the Galgo and the Sloughi (perhaps also Saluki) were interbred during this period.
The Galgo appears to have developed first in the Castillian plains, both in the north (Valladolid, Zamora, Ávila Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Burgos and Palencia) and the south (Toledo, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Madrid and Ciudad Real) of Castilla. And, afterwards, in more southern territories: La Mancha and Andalusia. It became the typical dog type of the Spanish interior, while the bloodhound plays the same role in the coast regions.
The Galgo appears not only in hunting books but also in common Spanish expressions, as well as in literature. The most famous reference is perhaps the one contained in the opening sentence of Don Quixote de La Mancha: "In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a galgo for coursing."
Animal cruelty concerns
There are many reports of Galgos being treated cruelly by their hunters and breeders in Spain. An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 Galgos and Podencos are killed, often brutally, each year by their hunters, also known as galgueros.
Source Wikipedia
An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants.