The Beautiful Wolf-Hybrid
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This very MOOtiful double act were busy posing just outside my brother's property near Orange in New South Wales.
Cattle—colloquially cows—are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos taurus.
Cattle are commonly raised as livestock for meat (beef or veal, see beef cattle), for milk (see dairy cattle), and for hides, which are used to make leather. They are used as riding animals and draft animals (oxen or bullocks, which pull carts, plows and other implements). Another product of cattle is dung, which can be used to create manure or fuel. In some regions, such as parts of India, cattle have significant religious meaning. Cattle, mostly small breeds such as the Miniature Zebu, are also kept as pets.
Around 10,500 years ago, cattle were domesticated from as few as 80 progenitors in central Anatolia, the Levant and Western Iran. According to an estimate from 2011, there are 1.4 billion cattle in the world. In 2009, cattle became one of the first livestock animals to have a fully mapped genome.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle
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 Little Owl is not a native species, having been introduced to Britain in the 1870s, but it appears to have occupied a vacant niche without having any detrimental impact on other species. Numbers and breeding distribution increased gradually, reaching an estimated breeding population of between 4,000 and 8,500 pairs at the time of Project Barn Owl. The current distribution extends across England, north to the Scottish borders and west into Wales, where it is largely confined to Anglesey and to eastern parts of the country. There have been very few records from Ireland.
Pairs remain on their breeding territories throughout the year, with territorial calling evident during autumn – when young birds are searching for breeding territories – and again during spring. Small cavities are favoured for breeding, these often located within hedgerow trees or the walls of old agricultural buildings. Favoured nesting chambers tend to be located some distance from the cavity entrance and with little daylight reaching them. The male will often perch close to the nest cavity while his mate is incubating her clutch of eggs.
Little Owls often hunt from a perch, taking small mammals and large invertebrates, including earthworms, cockchafers and other beetles. There is evidence to suggest that breeding success is linked to the availability of small mammals, though some pairs evidently do well on other prey; a pair breeding on the island of Skomer, for example, took a large number of Storm Petrels (Courtesy BTO).
Thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
Dún Aonghasa (Unofficial anglicised version Dun Aengus) is the best-known of several prehistoric hill forts on the Aran Islands of County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It lies on Inis Mór, at the edge of a 100-metre-high (330 ft) cliff.
A popular tourist attraction, Dún Aonghasa is an important archaeological site.
History
It is not known exactly when Dún Aonghasa was built, though it is now thought that most of the structures date from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. T. F. O'Rahilly surmised in what is known as O'Rahilly's historical model that it was built in the 2nd century BC by the Builg following the Laginian conquest of Connacht.Excavations at the site indicate that the first construction goes back to 1100 BC, when rubble was piled against large upright stones to form the first enclosure. Around 500 BC, the triple wall defenses were probably constructed along the fort's western side.
The 19th-century artist George Petrie called "Dún Aonghasa" "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe". Its name, meaning "Fort of Aonghas", may refer to the pre-Christian god of the same name described in Irish mythology, or the mythical king, Aonghus mac Úmhór. It has thus traditionally been associated with the Fir Bolg.
Form and function
The fort consists of a series of four concentric walls of dry stone construction, built on a high cliff some one hundred metres above the sea. At the time of its construction sea levels were considerably lower and a recent Radio Telefis Eireann documentary estimates that originally it was 1000 metres from the sea. Surviving stonework is four metres wide at some points. The original shape was presumably oval or D-shaped but parts of the cliff and fort have since collapsed into the sea. Outside the third ring of walls lies a defensive system of stone slabs, known as a cheval de frise, planted in an upright position in the ground and still largely well-preserved. These ruins also feature a huge rectangular stone slab, the function of which is unknown. Impressively large among prehistoric ruins, the outermost wall of Dún Aonghasa encloses an area of approximately 6 hectares (14 acres).
Today
The walls of Dún Aonghasa have been rebuilt to a height of 6m and have wall walks, chambers, and flights of stairs. The restoration is easily distinguished from the original construction by the use of mortar.[citation needed]
There is a small museum illustrating the history of the fort and its possible functions. Also in the vicinity is a Neolithic tomb and a small heritage park featuring examples of a traditional thatched cottage and an illegal poteen distillery.
Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica
Scottish Moors
The red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica, is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan but is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Lagopus scotica. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scoticus is "of Scotland".
The red grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal British Birds.
The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The red grouse is endemic to the British Isles; it has developed in isolation from other subspecies of the willow ptarmigan which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. They are only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt.
In Wales there are strong populations in places but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. There are reports of Welsh birds crossing the Bristol Channel to Exmoor.
In England it is mainly found in the north – places such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor, and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd, where they breed. The Exmoor population would now appear to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2005. An introduced population in Suffolk died out by the early 20th century, though a population on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire lasted longer.
The British population is estimated at about 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. Numbers have declined in recent years and birds are now absent in areas where they were once common. Reasons for the decline include loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators such as the hen harrier feed on grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on grouse numbers.
Red grouse have been introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is a keen competition among some London restaurants to serve freshly killed grouse on August 12, with the birds being flown from the moors and cooked within hours.
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 Atacama desert lies between the slopes of the Andes and the pacific ocean in Chile and Peru. It is estimated to cover over 100.000 square km and is the driest place on earth.
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
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.
- Pose - R.Bento ::R.B:: -Charlie's Angel- 5 Bento static stands
- Pants - Key Style - Katya Pant Black @ SWANK Event
- Top - Key Style - Katya Shirt Top Black @ SWANK Event
Sh2-68 is a planetary nebula in the Serpens constellation, estimated to be around 980 light years from earth (planetary nebulae are extremely difficult to perform distance measurements on, let alone accurate ones). It's sometimes refered to as "The flaming skull" nebula. Usually, I think these names are quite far-fetched; with this one I can sort of see it though.
At first sight, this is your typical planetary nebula. Meaning a low to intermediate mass star came to the end of its life and the colourful gas we see is what used to make up the outer shell of said star. However, the "tail" of gas moving away (towards the right of the frame) is somewhat unusual. So what's going on there?
The central star within the nebula is moving through space at a fairly high speed. Additionally, the area of space it's in contains a fair bit of gas/dust of its own. As a result, the material being expelled by the star is meeting some resistance as it collides with the already present gas (and is being slowed down if you will), while the star itself continues on its merry way. Over a long period of time, the distance between the star and the expelled gas becomes great enough to be perceived as a "tail".
Image acquisition details:
50x1800" HA
23x1800" OIII
15x1200" Luminance
12x900" Red
12x900" Green
12x900" Blue
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a gorgeous woodpecker bird with a bright red head from which it got its name. This North American species, with its boldly-patterned plumage, is popular among the bird-watchers and is widely spread almost all across the country, and is known in different names like ‘flag bird’ and ‘patriotic bird’. Once a very common bird in the country’s eastern part, this species has been showing long-term declines in a moderately rapid rate, which is primarily because of their degradation and loss of habitat in recent decades.
The red-headed woodpecker was a favorite to celebrated ornithologists like Alexander Wilson and Audubon.
These birds are ‘monomorphic’, which means, the males and females look so similar that, they are practically indistinguishable even when taken in the hand. To know the gender, you actually need to run a DNA test or a dissection of the bird.
This species is the only woodpecker in the eastern part that has a completely red head.
In 1996, the RHW was featured on a United States Postal Service 2-cent stamp.
These are one of the only four woodpecker species that cover their reserved foods with bark or wood. They would even store live stocks like grasshoppers wedged so tightly in a crevice that it is impossible for the insect to escape.
This species of woodpeckers is relatively small compared to others in its family.
The presence of white patches on its wings makes them especially noticeable when they are flying.
In this species, the annual adult survivorship is estimated to be around 62%.
This bird can dig holes that can measure up to 20 to 60 centimeters in depth.
A red-headed woodpecker takes 2-3 weeks or more to excavate one single hole.
I found this one along Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, Florida.
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...
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)
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.
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
Kaziranga National Park
Assam
Northeast India
To see the rhinos, you need to ride on elephants. It is an experience which is hard to forget. Image in the first comment section.
The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as populations are fragmented and restricted to less than 20,000 km (7,700 sq mi). Moreover, the extent and quality of the rhino's most important habitat, alluvial grassland and riverine forest, is considered to be in decline due to human and livestock encroachment.
The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, but excessive hunting and agricultural development reduced their range drastically to 11 sites in northern India and southern Nepal. In the early 1990s, between 1,870 to 1,895 rhinos were estimated to have been alive. In 2015, a total of 3,555 Indian rhinoceros are estimated to live in the wild. – Wikipedia
Laowa 2X Super Macro
These are 3" x 3" Post-It Notes that have been rolled in half and held together with a paper clip. The light source is a large window at the top left. The 3 main circle-top areas are less than 1.5" total width, so the estimated total width is less than 2.5" W. It's fun to turn the paper and adjust the camera to see numerous views of the same subject. Plus, the super macro lens allows me to get very close to the subject, and the depth-of-field is extremely shallow. This lens blurs the background at f/8.0 or less, but unfortunately doesn't record the depth-of-field in the EXIF data. I'm guessing this is f/4.0 or lower. I'm a rookie with this lens and have plenty to learn. But, I like that it allows me to think "outside the box". In other words, it's fun.
Please have a great day.....
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
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.
Some give it two years; others say, half a year. The latest estimate is three months, at most ...
Elton John : Candle in the Wind
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdrRLTgavus
Heifetz plays Melodie by Gluck
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tenI_FyFeZ0
Rachmaninoff plays Melodie by Gluck
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2O0mVzmftY
Heifetz plays Wieniawski Scherzo Tarantelle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv5XZbgNWEo
Heifetz, Tchaikovsky's Melodi
www.youtube.com/watch?v=22YUP0zQ3sA
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Many music lovers find Horowitz and Martha Argerich spellbinding, yea, they are exciting but somehow I don't return to them often. Instead I would revisit Samuil Feinberg's Well-tempered Clavier from time to time. Needless to say, Mieczyslaw Horzowski and Maria Yudina's Bach are very inspiring too, particularly so for those who miss the chance of going to the Church:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=94XFV8X77U0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZJcpbDAxY
The French pianists of the older generation like Marguerite Long, Robert Casadesus, and Yves Nat or even Cortot are interesting too. Lesser known but equally amazing is
Lazare-Levy : Mozart Sonata in A Minor, K310
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0GEXiWBN8
Later on, we have :
Marcelle Meyer: Complete Inventions & Sinfonias, Partitas, Toccatas, Italian Concerto ..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=spHBTyagfZ4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAQ-FI5gGk&list=RDCMUC2zlRzq...
Scarlatti
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iiyzo9vdYA
And,
Yvonne Lefébure (among her pupils were Dinu Lipatti, Samson François) Mozart Concerto, No 20 with Furtwangler
www.youtube.com/watch?v=idX9c58bdZE
Reine Gianoli
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hga9MGCpJXk
Then,
Nikita Magaloff in recital 4/4/1991 Tokyo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CLrpIfatSg
Chopin Etudes Op.10 & 25
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQOK1MuTP8o
And then Samson Francois
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIw2mfcYpBM
Last but not the least, Brigitte Engerer who went the opposite direction of Magaloff who was first trained in Russia (by Siloti, Francis Lizst pupil, Rachmaninoff's cousin/mentor and assistant to Tchaikovsky ) ended up studying in France. Brigitte Engerer was first trained in France having won the first prize in Concours International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud. She furthered her studies in Russia under Stanislav Heuhaus for 9 years:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU8_upVBnT4
There was also the Polish pianist with a little bit of French Veneer, Halina Czerny-Stefańska : Chopin complete Polonaises, Heroïque, Militaire, Brillante, Fantaisie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHiamaEen4&t=1639s
More French was Lithuania/Russia born Vlado Perlemuter who landed in France since he was three, who lost one eye and who actually spent quite sometime in an asylum:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zCli50F3xQ
86 Tokyo Recital
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-svcMlCIxJ0
Well, never say never, the finishing touch of the winner of 2015 Chopin Internation Piano competition, a Korean, was also done in Paris, even though the influence of the Russian School seems to be stronger than the French in his Chopin:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZYYoDDmg8M
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I further stumbled into Edwin Fischer's WTC recorded in 1933-36 which I haven't gone through as yet. But Edwin Fischer, unlike his pupil Alfred Brendel, is almost always interesting despite his slips :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JysTlgUXuXk
Later on, we have Samuil Feinberg whom most serious pianists view as the best recorded WTC ever. After Feinberg, we have Tatiana Nikolayeva whose WTC ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNpwAZf6thY&t=72s ) is so fascinating. And then we have Evelyne Crochet, a more modern French reading of WTC and before her Walter Gieseking also recorded WTC. In between, I find Horszowski's WTC celestial. Wilhelm Kempff's WTC is appealing albeit in a totally different way from Yudin. But I'm unable to find the whole book of WTC from the latter two in record. Instead we have one from Canada and another lady pianist from US who was musically educated in Russia. Personally, I don't spend much time on the latter two. Oh, yes, Richter and Gulda recorded WTC as well. But it seems Bach music is so interwoven with spirituality, and by nature it snubs any showmanship at all...
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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Take in Extremadura in May 2019
The European Bee-eater feeds primarily on bees, wasps, hornets and similar species. It catches them on the wing, performing sallies from exposed perches. Before swallowing the prey, the bee-eater strikes it against a hard surface in order to remove the sting. One single bird may eat up to 250 bees per day.
The well-studied European bee-eater is trapped and shot on migration in countries bordering the Mediterranean, an estimated 4,000–6,000 annually being killed in Cyprus alone,
Good excuse to get super close in then you need to fill the frame! This is from the centre of a Gerbera flower that seems to have mistaken being indoors for spring!
Took loads of shots of it from the abstract to the super sharp, this sits somewhere between I think. Estimated 5mm section of the flower.
Bittern - Botaurus Stellaris
Norfolk
The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species.
It is also a Schedule 1 species.
Unlike the similar storks, ibises, and spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, and bitterns fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
Eurasian bitterns feed on fish, small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, hunting along the reed margins in shallow water. British records include eels up to 35 cm (14 in) and other fish, mice and voles, small birds and fledglings, frogs, newts, crabs, shrimps, molluscs, spiders and insects. In continental Europe, members of over twenty families of beetle are eaten, as well as dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers and earwigs. Some vegetable matter such as aquatic plants is also consumed.
Males are polygamous, mating with up to five females. The nest is built in the previous year's standing reeds and consists of an untidy platform some 30 cm (12 in) across. It may be on a tussock surrounded by water or on matted roots close to water and is built by the female using bits of reed, sedges and grass stalks, with a lining of finer fragments. Four to six eggs are laid in late March and April and incubated by the female for about twenty-six days. After hatching, the chicks spend about two weeks in the nest before leaving to swim amongst the reeds. The female rears them without help from the male, regurgitating food into the nest from her crop, the young seizing her bill and pulling it down. They become fully fledged at about eight weeks.
The Eurasian bittern has a very wide range and a large total population, estimated to be 110,000 to 340,000 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its overall conservation status as being of "least concern because although the population trend is downward, the rate of decline is insufficient to justify rating it in a more threatened category. The chief threat the bird faces is destruction of reed beds and drainage and disturbance of its wetland habitats. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern race has suffered catastrophic decline during the 20th century due to wetland degradation and, unlike the northern race, is of high conservation concern.
In the United Kingdom, the main areas in which the Eurasian bittern breeds have been Lancashire and East Anglia with an estimated 44 breeding pairs in total in 2007. However, the Lancashire population at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve has declined in recent decades, while bitterns have been attracted to new reed beds in the West Country. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the mid-19th century, but in 2011 a single bird was spotted in County Wexford and there have been a number of subsequent sightings. In the 21st century, bitterns are regular winter visitors to the London Wetland Centre, enabling city dwellers to view these scarce birds.
Population:
UK breeding:
80 males
UK wintering:
600 birds
Europe:
21 - 29,000 pairs
Rusty Blackbird - a lifer - seen in near dark east of Calgary late last year. This is North America’s most rapidly declining species with an estimated 80-99% decline in the population in the last 40 years.
RSPB Bird Hide Llyn Vyrnwy Llanwddyn Oswestry Wales
What3Words
///boils.weeks.acrobatic
The Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small, lively songbird in the finch family (Fringillidae), known for its acrobatic feeding style and vibrant yellow-green plumage.
Key Characteristics
Appearance:
Males are distinctive with a bright yellow breast, black crown, and a small black bib. Females and juveniles are more subdued, appearing grey-green with heavy dark streaking on their undersides and no black cap. Both sexes have prominent yellow wing bars and a deeply forked tail with yellow sides.
Size:
They are very small, typically 11–12.5 cm long with a wingspan of 20–23 cm.
Diet:
Primarily granivorous, they specialize in extracting seeds from conifers (like spruce), alder, and birch trees. In spring, they may supplement their diet with insects to provide protein for their chicks.
Behavior:
Siskins are highly social and often form compact, mobile flocks, sometimes mixing with redpolls. They are famous for their agility, frequently hanging upside-down to reach seeds.
Habitat and Distribution
Range:
They are widespread across Europe and Asia (Eurosiberia) and parts of North Africa.
Habitat:
They favor coniferous and mixed woodlands, particularly those with spruce, pine, or alder trees.
Movement:
While some southern populations are residents, northern birds are migratory. They exhibit "irruptive" behavior, where large numbers may migrate south unpredictably if seed crops fail in their northern range.
Breeding and Lifecycle
Nesting:
Females build small, neat nests high in conifer trees using twigs, moss, and lichen, lined with hair or feathers.
Reproduction:
They typically lay 3–5 eggs and can raise up to two broods per year between April and July.
Conservation Status:
The species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable global population estimated between 24 and 46 million mature individuals.
Garden Interaction
In the UK and other parts of Europe, siskins have become more common garden visitors, especially in late winter when natural food supplies dwindle. They are particularly attracted to niger seeds, sunflower hearts, and peanuts in mesh feeders.
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.
The tiger is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late Pleistocene, for about 12,000 to 16,500 years. Today, it is threatened by poaching, loss and fragmentation of habitat, and was estimated at comprising fewer than 2,500 wild individuals by 2011. None of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within its range is considered large enough to support an effective population of more than 250 adult individuals.
The Bengal tiger's historical range covered the Indus River valley until the early 19th century, almost all of India, Pakistan, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and southwestern China. Today, it inhabits India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and southwestern China.India's tiger population was estimated at 2,603–3,346 individuals by 2018. Around 300–500 individuals are estimated in Bangladesh, 355 in Nepal by 2022,and 90 individuals in Bhutan by 2015
In 1988, the total population of this species was estimated at only 2,500 individuals. It is threatened with extinction due to the destruction of its habitats and illegal trade. In 2014, the Hyacinth Macaw moved up one position on the IUCN Red List, now being classified as "vulnerable" (VU).
Due to the fight against illegal trade and the creation of ecological reserves, the number of individuals of this species has increased slightly to approximately 4,000 in 2010. There are also conservation programs in the Pantanal for planting Manduvi and distributing artificial nests that may be contributing to the population increase of this Psittacidae.
Sadly due to the last fires in Pantanal, the species has been dramatically reduced.
Here you can see a wild Hyacinthy Macaw feeding at a Manduvi tree - Pantanal - Mato Grosso.
Have a Peaceful Blue Monday!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
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Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
Stonehenge prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. The origines are estimated from the Neolithic age at ~3000 BC.
At DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley Iowa. Estimated to be 500,000 to 700,000 birds. Incredibile sights and sounds when the geese took to flight.
One thousand people are estimated to have died in the Mediterranean Sea during the days of Hurricane Harry. They were desperate, people searching for hope. Their deaths have passed almost unnoticed by the media. We have grown so accustomed to this tragedy that we barely pause to acknowledge it. One thousand lives vanished into the silence of our society.
Si stima che mille persone siano morte nel Mar Mediterraneo durante i giorni dell’uragano Harry. Erano persone disperate, in cerca di speranza. Le loro morti sono passate quasi inosservate dai media. Ci siamo talmente abituati a questa tragedia che ormai non ci fermiamo più a riflettere. Mille vite sono svanite nel silenzio della nostra società.
Adelaida, AUSTRÀLIA 2023
The General Post Office is a colonial-era building situated on 141 King William Street on the north-west corner of King William Street and Victoria Square. It is the former General Post Office for South Australia. Postal services operated from the building between 6 May 1872 and 11 October 2019.
A 14-story hotel was built behind the historic structure, starting in 2021. It opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel in 2024.
History
General Post Office
The original building was constructed in the period 1867–1872, and was the most expensive building constructed to that time by the colonial government in South Australia. It was constructed from Glen Osmond and Glen Ewin stone, and ornamented with Bath limestone.
A competition was held in March 1866 for the design of the building, with the winning design submitted by Edmund Wright in collaboration with Edward Hamilton. They were at the time in practice with Edward John Woods, and Robert G. Thomas may have had a hand in the design.
Prince Alfred, The Duke of Edinburgh, was involved in laying the foundation stone, who also officially named the clock tower Victoria Tower on 1 November 1867. The capstone was put in place at a ceremony on 25 May 1870. The height of the tower was put at 154 feet (46.9 m), a little taller than the Albert Tower of the Town Hall on the other side of King William Street. The original plans had the tower somewhat taller, but R. G. Thomas was obliged to redesign it, as a cost-saving measure.
The building was extended in 1891-92.
There was also an office tower addition to the original post office in the 1920s.
Hotel
On 14 October 2019, Adelaide's GPO was relocated to the adjacent GPO Exchange tower at 10 Franklin Street. Plans were announced for the original building to have with a Westin hotel built atop it.
In April 2021, South Australian premier Steven Marshall attended a sod-turning ceremony, to mark the beginning of construction on the hotel. The hotel was estimated to cost A$200, with property developer Greaton handling the construction. Designed by local architects Baukultur, the tower, on the site of the 1920s addition, will retain the entire original GPO building, with some sections incorporated into the new hotel. Upgrades to the structure as well as additional seismic retrofit have been added, to ensure the structural integrity of both the old and new buildings. The topping out ceremony took place in October 2023, and included an Aboriginal smoking ceremony by traditional owner representatives Kuma Kaaru.
The 285-room, 14-story hotel opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel on 22 August 2024.
Wikipedia
Staldzene – an old fishing village with some homesteads surviving from the 19th century, lies to the North of Ventspils on the way to the Kolka point. Here fishermen can still be seen going out to sea, and on calm evenings the scent of dry-cured Baltic plaice wafts through the air.
Staldzene is popular with both townsfolk and tourists alike for its walking paths, swimming beach and its dramatic steep coastline. Staldzene steep coast is the highest in Latvia.
It is a typical abrasive-type coastline 4 to 8 m high, where deposits of various stages of the Baltic Sea development are exposed for approximately 400 m.
As a result of the erosion of the sea, the steep coast is washed away. Based on marine coastline monitoring data, the annual deviation of the coast is estimated at 1 m, because of which the area of the natural monument is reduced and is currently about 6 ha. Therefore, this outcrop has a limited lifetime, reports the information source of the Specially protected nature territory of Ventspils City. Its height has also decreased in the last decade. In the 70s of the last century, the height of the steep coast reached 12 m. Washing away of the steep coast is determined by the combination of several factors, including specific meteorological conditions – wind speed and direction, air temperature, sea level height, currents, waves, ice formation, etc. The Ventspils Port Piers and the deep fairway channel still have a significant impact, which completely stops the natural movement of sediments past the port to the north.
Staldzene steep coastline contains protected habitats of European and Latvian importance: wooded seaside dunes, boreal forests, calcareous sand meadows and gray dunes covered with herbaceous plants. There are also 8 specially protected plant species in the territory of the nature monument. Some plants are found only in Ventspils and Pape area in Latvia.
www.visitventspils.com/en/activity/staldzene-steep-coastl...
E’ l’ultima delle 10 Nart Spider prodotte e la terzultima della serie 275.
E’ l’unica Nart venduta in Europa, certificata da Ferrari Classica.
Nata grigia, anzi esattamente grigio scuro, ora è rossa.
Ps: Nart sta per North American Racing Team (NART) che era la scuderia creata nel 1958 da Luigi Chinetti.
E’ una Ferrari da film. Una 275 Gts/4 Nart Spider ha infatti recitato in The Thomas Crown affair accanto a Steve McQueen,uno che le auto (e non solo) le ha sempre amate. Anche se nel film la definisce “one of those red italian things“. Una di quelle cose rosse italiane…. Una di quelle cose rosse e italiane che gli hanno fatto perdere la testa (un po’ come Fay Dunaway nel film) tanto che proprio durante le riprese, ordinò la prima Ferrari della sua collezione.
Hollywood a parte, la 275 Gts/4 Nart comincia la sua storia grazie a Luigi Chinetti, l’importatore americano delle vetture di Maranello.E’ stato lui a convincere Ferrari a produrre la versione spider da affiancare alla 33o Gts e alla 275 GTB/4 per soddisfare la sofisticata clientela statunitense. Un modello con una rispettabile storia sportiva: seconda di classe (17° posto totale) alla 12 ore di Sebring del 1967.
L’esemplare che va all’asta a Monaco fu venduta in Spagna, a Madrid nel 1968 a un colonnello della Legione Straniera che le mise targhe Sahariane (Spanish Sahara per la precisione) senza mai esportarla in Nord Africa però. Qualche anno più tardi cambiò di mano, restando in Spagna (con targa di Madrid) ed entrando a far parte della collezione di José Segimon che la testò a fondo anche in pista a Jarama. Nel 1982 emigrò in Inghilterra dove fu ridipinta di rosso e nel 1983 è entrata a far parte della scuderia di Albert Obrist, uno dei collezionisti svizzeri più famosi. Nel 1995 la famiglia Obrist la vendette però negli Stati Uniti dove il suo proprietario Terry Hoyle la sfoggiò spesso facendola arrivare anche sulla cover di Octane nel 2005. Nel 2009 la Nart cambio ancora proprietario finendo nel garage di Lord Laidlaw nel West Sussex. la moglie di Lord Laidlaw la guidò personalmente in un raduno riservato alle signore in Toscana… Una storia fatta di una decina di proprietari che fanno parte di una ristretta schiera di grandi cxollezionisti Ferrari (in 5 hanno avuto anche delle Gto in garage).
E’ una Ferrari gioiello, insomma.
topspeed.gazzetta.it/2016/05/09/la-ferrari-da-23-milioni-...
One of the rarest roadsters in the world, the 1968 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider was first seen on the big screen in the The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen—a model the actor himself subsequently owned. Built at the behest of Luigi Chinetti, the first Ferrari dealer in the United States, Enzo Ferrari and Sergio Scaglietti produced only 10 examples—and each was given an acronym that referenced the marque’s North American Racing Team. Chinetti believed the American market desired the power of Ferrari’s GTB/4 coupe but in a convertible configuration, and that is exactly what the 300 hp, drop-top tourer provided. Still a competitor at heart, the first NART Spider took second in class at the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, driven by wonder women Marianne “Pinkie” Rollo and Denise McCluggage.
Fit with a V-12 engine, 5-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel disc brakes, Chassis No. 11057 stands out in significance as it was the last NART Spider produced and the only one that was sold new in Europe. Bought by a Spanish colonel in the Foreign Legion, the car later travelled through several owners and became a prominent addition to the collections of both Chris Cox and Carlo Monteverde before eventually parking in the possession of Lord Irvine Laidlaw. Certified by Ferrari Classiche, the exceptional example is estimated to fetch up to $26.3 million, but who knows? If the bidding exceeds $38,115,000 (the price paid for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta through Bonhams in 2014), this Prancing Horse could take the prize as the most expensive car to ever sell at auction.
robbreport.com/automobiles/rare-1968-ferrari-thomas-crown...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAtqfZtzdJI
Grazie antonè per collaborazione!
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”.
September 2021 - [DUS/EDDL] Düsseldorf - International
Performing a test flight prior estimated delivery to Nordwind Airlines as VP-BUQ.
cn 1256, delivered to Vietnam Airlines as VN-A379 in 2011.
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 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.
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”.