AFTR the Fact Couture SL
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Despite the fact that there are around 20,000 species of this large family of Longhorn beetles there a few to be found living in the UK. Just proves that you don't have to always take a trip to a tropical rainforest to find some amazing looking bugs. Fond of damp grassland areas and chalky soils where the larvae of this beetle develop in the stem tissues of herbaceous plants such as hogweed. Can be seen from May to June and found widespread in the UK but local in eastern England.
Jellyfish have been possibly around 700 million years or longer, before dinosaurs lived on the Earth.
Jellyfish bodies are actually made up of as much as ~98 % water.
Jellyfish have no heart, bones, brain, ears, noses or even
eyes(some have eyes).
Jellyfish mouth is found in the centre of its body, they use mouth for both eating and pooping.
Some Jellyfish's may never actually die (Theoretically Immortal!).
Some jellyfish are clear, but others are vibrant colours of pink, yellow, blue and purple.
Jellyfish produce their own light!
texture by ipiccy.com
Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.
-― John Muir
[Well, maybe not quite yet "joyful" and certainly still well-disguised. In fact, we had a few inches of snow overnight.]
Some Facts-
1. Inexperienced young woodpeckers frequently crash into windows: this is a major cause of death of juvenile birds.
2. An unpaired male may drum as many as 600 times a day; a paired male just 200 times.
3. Drumming has been recorded on many objects other than trees, ranging from weather vanes to metal poles.
Skin by: 7DS - RITUALS ~BOM in Pineapple @ Dubai
Face Moles by: 7DS - Face Moles ~BOM #01 @ InWorld Loc.
Body Moles by: 7DS - Body Moles ~BOM @ InWorld Loc.
Necklace by: #MG - Secret ~Jewelry Set @ Level
Tattoo by: [ATI] - Becky Tattoo ~BOM @ InWorld Loc.
Top by: Amataria - Top "Luna" [Fatpack] @ InWorld Loc.
~More info/photos on blog
(copy/paste in google. I can't add direct link)
Blog:https://myslphotocreations.blogspot.com/2020/09/846.html
People watch the sun set and listen to the man melodiously plucking the strings of his guitar at the Erba Park northern point (where river and canal come together). Yes, it was a colorful sunset, but the silhouettes look good in monochrome, too. (In fact, the reflected colors on the water didn't look so good, no matter how I adjusted WB.) [DSC04980_lr_2000]
Thank you all for the clicks, comments & faves.
Some interesting facts about the Black-Necked stilt:
They feed in both salt and fresh water on half webbed feet that allow them to swim, although they rarely do.
They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.
-Himantopus mexicanus
“Symmetry is what we see at a glance; based on the fact that there is no reason for any difference...”
― Blaise Pascal
Balboa Park. San Diego, CA
A few fun facts:
1-The Marble House has over 500,000 cubic feet of marble.
2-Alva Vanderbilt fought for women's rights & suffrage. (right to vote).
3- She is quoted as saying "Pray to God, She will help you."
4-She ( Alva) held a "coming out" party, with 400 guests, for her only daughter Consuelo.
5-At the party, 300 live hummingbirds were released, to hover around the indoor fountain.
6-She later moved to France permanently, to the Chateau d'Augerville, to be near her daughter.
Thank you, in advance, for any likes or comments. Peace, light, and blessings
More water than normal - and this was before Christoph arrived. Guess it might be worth another visit tomorrow - with an umbrella unless the rain stops!
nb if this looks a little familiar, I posted a very similar shot in Dec 2018 not long after we moved to Alnwick flic.kr/p/PLFkBK
Later note in response to a couple of comments- no humans were harmed in the taking of this shot! In fact I only had to walk about 2-3 yards from the car!
Taken at the Queen Victoria Gardens on a rainy day.
Best viewed enlarged for more details.
Some facts on flies...
Flies form one of the five most diverse insect orders, including about 150,000 described species in 150 families.
It's estimated that there are 30,000 species of fly in Australia, of which only 6400 have been described.
Flies can be distinguished from other insects because they have only one pair of functional wings. Almost all flies have mouthparts that are adapted for lapping or piercing and sucking.
A large component of the world's fly fauna is unique to Australia. Flies are ubiquitous and often abundant in Australian terrestrial ecosystems.
They perform important ecological functions such as nutrient recycling, predation and pollination, and their larvae are often parasitoids of other insects.
Many species of fly are regarded as a nuisance, including the bush fly (Musca vetustissima), mosquitoes, sandflies and blackflies.
Flies are responsible for the transmission of a wide variety of disease-causing micro-organisms in humans and animals.
Most of these diseases are absent from Australia, with exceptions such as dengue fever and some types of encephalitis.
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated..
Happy Sunday
Today, I've got a floral tribute for You.
When I passed this bush in the summer (in fact I was just on my way back to the car) suddenly Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave started to sing inside of my head. They still do it, every time I am watching this photograph. This was the decisive factor for the titel and the main reason, why I finally stopped there.
Heute gibt es einen kleinen Blumengruß für Euch.
Als ich im Sommer an diesem Busch vorbei kam (eigentlich war ich auf dem Weg zurück zum Auto) fingen plötzlich Kylie Minogue und Nick Cave in meinem Kopf an zu singen. Sie tun dies bis heute, sobald ich das Foto betrachte. Das war der ausschlaggebende Punkt für den Titel und dafür, dass ich überhaupt stehen geblieben bin.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
The Monumental complex of Valsanzibio was brought to its contemporary magnificence in the second half of the Seventeenth Century by the Venetian noble Giovani Francesco Barbarigo, assisted by his sons Antonio and Gregorio. In fact, it was this last son, the first-born, Gregorio—Cardinal and Bishop of Padua and future saint—who inspired the symbolic meaning of the plan drawn by Luigi Bernini— the top Vatican architect and fountain expert. The then Cardinal Gregorio Barbarigo, as the result of a solemn ‘vow’ made by his Father to our God in 1631 , desired the garden of Valsanzibio to be a monumental, symbolic pathway to perfection; a journey that brings man from the false to the
truth, from ignorance to revelation.
For more informations
www.valsanzibiogiardino.com/about/
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“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…
they are made with the eye, heart and head.”
[Henry Cartier Bresson]
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Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
© All rights reserved
reading fingers have left almost invisible traces on the letters. the story is very old.
what is readable, what can we know...just some shades and hints of the forgotten lives.
Distinctive stocky waterbird. Adult is dark gray overall with a white bill and forehead shield. Immature has a pale breast and a duller bill that becomes brighter white with age. When walking on shore, note big feet with lobed toes. Inhabits both freshwater and brackish marshes, lakeshores, and riverways; occasionally on saltwater. Breeding pairs aggressively territorial but nonbreeding flocks can number in hundreds. Unmistakable throughout much of range, but compare with very similar Red-knobbed Coot in areas of overlap. Calls are diverse, and include various high-pitched squeaks, squawks, and shorter, more clipped notes. (eBird)
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I was not expecting to find out that the Eurasian Coot is a year-round resident of Australia. In fact, it has a huge range across Europe, Asia and Australasia. We saw them several times, but this was the only time one was close enough photograph.
Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.
A misty, foggy morning at the Carrick Flats.
A calm morning and water like glass produced some great reflections with the last remnants of autumn colours.
The Carrick Flats is an area on the River Roe that has two weirs that were used to fuel water down a lade to power a Hydro Electric scheme, in the Roe Valley Country Park, Limavady. A new hydro electric scheme has recently been reinstated using the former lade and a new generator has been installed in the old Generator House at the visitor centre. It has not been used yet, but assume it will be in use in 2017. Some more historical facts can be seen in the link below.
The other day, on the rather testing climb to the top of Mt Amos, I stopped for a breather and found myself in good company: a cluster of ancient lichen-covered rocks doing exactly the same thing. We sat there in companionable silence, admiring the view they’ve been enjoying for a few million years longer than me.
Mt Amos sits within Freycinet National Park on Tasmania’s east coast, part of the Hazards range of pink-granite peaks overlooking Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay. It’s one of my favourite spots in Australia. Though, to be fair, so is everywhere else I visit!
And when I say, “the other day,” these days that could mean anything from yesterday to about twenty years ago. 😉
Fun Fact: Many mountains are made of granite - which is gneiss of them. Geologists have been known to take them for granite ... but only once. 😉
Happy Hump Day everyone!
Waterscape 88/100 for 2025
Since I am drowning in pictures I am going to hop through all the places where I have been otherwise it might take 100 years before I post really nice shots from locations I would like to share.
This shot was taken in the area of the Lyngen Alps at Lenangsoyra. It is the most northern location I have been during my trip at almost 70 degrees NB in the polar circle. I was here early June and as you can see there still was a lot of snow. In fact in most of the places in Norway at that time there was snow everywhere. It gave a wonderful view to the landscapes.
This area is part of a cape where I enjoyed the views of the fjords but also birds flying by like puffins and razorbills.
Amazing Facts About the Seagull
Seagulls are very clever. They learn, remember and even pass on behaviors, such as stamping their feet in a group to imitate rainfall and trick earthworms to come to the surface.
Seagulls’ intelligence is clearly demonstrated by a range of different feeding behaviors, such as dropping hard-shelled mollusks onto rocks so that they break open so they can eat them, and following plows in fields where they know upturned grubs and other food sources will be plentiful.
Seagulls are attentive and caring parents. The male and female pair for life and they take turns incubating the eggs, and feeding and protecting the chicks!.
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Thank you for your visit and kind comments!.
You all have a wonderful weekend!.
In fact, he wants me to stop with this stupid PC work and go to bed with him :-)
Timmy has no interest in toys at all, he wants to go out and spank Sammy ;-) And when he comes in, he wants to get on the table and cuddle with me. Ok, maybe I am his toy :-)))
I hope this stretching of the definition of 'toy' is acceptable.
Happy Caturday 4.6.2022 "Toys"
Northern class 150 unit 150104 (partnered with 150138) departs Blackpool South with the 3.16pm to Colne (2N78).
With a scheduled 4 minute turnaround at this terminus, there's barely time for the driver to walk from one end of the train to the other before setting off again. On this day the turnaround was even tighter seeing as arrival from Colne was 2 minutes late.
Blackpool South, with its single platform and evidence of former glories en route, is very much the Cinderella line into this popular northern seaside town. In fact a significant part of the remaining platform has been abandoned to nature, as seen in this shot. By contrast Blackpool North is vibrant, recently electrified, and boasts fast direct services to London Euston. No surprise It also handles the vast majority of passenger arrivals and departures.
I arrived into this station on a sunny Sunday afternoon and walked the two miles or so along the bracing, enjoyable and ever vibrant promenade before waltzing back inland to North Station for the rather faster ride back to Preston.
A bit of a record shot so I'm not expecting a ten from Len. Sure I spotted Madge though.....
3.17pm, 10th October 2021
Amazon 4k - The World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest - Scenic Relaxation Film with Calming Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1DR82HzrIU
SinginSongsofScience
The Rain Forest Song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrcU514z6nM
HFF😊😊😍
With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, stay safe and laugh often! ❤️❤️❤️
Giraffa camelopardalis
The Entabeni Game Reserve:
Entabeni means 'place of the mountain', is a 220 km2 (85 sq mi) private reserve situated in the Waterberg in Limpopo Province in northern South Africa. The Entabeni Reserve is popular for safari trips because of the opportunity to see big game and a variety of birds and antelope species, as well as its scenery, and the fact that it is in a malaria-free zone.
The reserve is home to lions, African Bush Elephants, lion, South Africa giraffes, African leopards, South African cheetahs, South African warthogs, African buffalos, hippopotamus and other safari animals in a variety of habitats.
Been a while since I posted one of these, just over a year in fact. I was a bit lazy last winter to go out borealis hunting but think that´ll change this winter, we´ll see. Taken up in Bláfjöll during a trip with my buddy Indriði.
Went to the nursery the other day and walking into the greenhouse was like walking into August. I don't really approve of planting all those garish late summer colors amid the soft pinks, yellows and lavenders of May but of course I bought lots and lots anyway. And now all those poor plants are still sitting on the patio and freezing their buns off in the cold rain. It might, in fact, be August before I get them in the ground.
Thankfully the Tufted Duck's conservation status is classified as of least concern so perhaps its survival is reasonably secure. In fact when we visit reserves they are often the most numerous duck.
This particular male example was photographed on a breezy day down at St Aidans Nature Reserve.
Inspiration struck me tonight, but thanks to everyone for their suggestions. They got the creative juices flowing again. I considered "The Calm Before The Storm" but the fact that the winds were @ 40 mph belied the "calm" part. It was anything but that day.
Cool facts from "all about birds":
Arctic Terns migrate from pole to pole; birds in North America travel around 25,000 miles each year.
Downy Arctic Tern hatchlings come in two colors: gray or brown. And chicks from the same nest aren't always the same color.
Arctic Terns can live for decades, but they usually do not start breeding until they are 3 or 4 years old.
The oldest recorded Arctic Tern was at least 34 years old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Maine. This bird flew at least 850,000 miles, or 3 and a half times to the moon and back!!!
When molting its wing feathers during the winter, the Arctic Tern rarely flies; instead it spends much of its time resting on small blocks of ice at the edge of the pack ice.
Animals never cease to surprise me. Miss Piggy, a Kunekune pig, lives on a little farm which is part of the park where I went yesterday to watch the ducklings. I walked past the farm on my way to the pond and noticed Miss Piggy on the pasture. Actually Miss Piggy is hard to overlook as she is huge but what caught my attention was the fact that she seemed to be very interested in the dandelions. I zoomed closer and this is what I saw, a pig blowing a dandelion ! I should really go to this park more often, the animals there seem to be quite fascinating .....
and that fact will live forever :-)
Raghu Rai
HBW!! Truth Matters! Lies have consequences.
mahonia, Bodinier's grape holly, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Praia do Castelo or Castle Beach is in fact made up of one main beach and several small satellite beaches and coves. The main beach is small and made up of gold sand and is 200.00 metres (656.17 ft) long and is sheltered by 30 feet (9.1 m) high jagged cliffs. Spreading in each direction from the main beach are several small coves, interspersed by rocky outcrops. The beach gets its name from the Watchtower which once stood here. The watchtower was built in the mid-16th century to monitor this stretch of the coast for attacks by Barbary pirates coming from North Africa. This beach is one of sixty nine blue flag beaches (2012) in the Algarve. Google
flat work ...
eine Arbeit von Adrian Schiess aus den 90gern...
der spiegelnde, refelktierende fast weiße Boden des Museums hilft hier einen fast nahtlosen Übergang zwischen der schimmernden Kunst und dem Raum zu erreichen, das Spiel der Deckenleuchten faszinierte mich ...
es scheinen große lackierte, rechteckige Holzplatten oder Aludibond) zu sein, die einfach in T-Form in den Pastellfarbtönen von Orange zu Rosa, Blau- Grau- und Schwarztönen gehen, die Gruppe nennt sich Winter und lässt im Raum auf der rechten Seite kaum Platz das Kunstwerk zu umkreisen, da es direkt ans Fenster stößt und der T-Arm in der Mitte des Raum bis zur Wand geht ...
ich bekam direkt Schwierigkeiten mit der Aufsichtsperson, die mich den schmalen Restraum an der wand entlang bist zur Mitte nicht gehen lassen wollte und nur nach meinem Einwand, das ich es gewohnt bin vorsicht eng an millionenschwerer Kundt vorbei zu gehen ohne sie zu beschädigen, ließ er mich widerwillig gewähren ...
was dazu führte, dass ich mich zunächst nicht traute mich und die Kamera richtig auszurichten, zumal er fortfuhr zu remonstrieren, dass ich doch bei Gegenlicht keine Chance hätte ...
aber gerade die Überstrahlung war mein Ziel und die späteren ausgerichteten Bilder gefielen mir nicht so gut, wie dieses erkämpfte erste "provisorische" Foto mit Geschichte ... zumal ich schauen musste, dass die Aufsichtsperson nicht in meinen Kompostionsraum lief ... :-) ...
a work by Adrian Schiess from the 90s...
the mirrored, reflective almost white floor of the museum here helps to achieve an almost seamless transition between the shimmering art and the space, the play of the ceiling lights fascinated me ...
it seems to be large painted rectangular wooden panels (or Aludibond) that simply go in T-shape in the pastel shades of orange to pink, blue gray and black tones, the group is called Winter and leaves in the room on the right side hardly any space to circle the work of art, because it directly abuts the window and the T-arm in the middle of the room goes to the wall ...
I got directly into trouble with the supervisor, who would not let me walk the narrow rest of the room along the wall to the center, and only after my objection that I am accustomed to walking carefully close to millions of dollars worth of art without damaging it, he reluctantly let me ...
which led to the fact that I did not dare to align myself and the camera correctly, especially since he continued to remonstrate that I would have no chance with backlight ...
but just the overexposure was my goal and the later aligned pictures did not please me as well as this fought for first "provisional" photo with history (with a story) ... especially since I had to look that the supervisor just did not go into my composing space ...
;-) ...
_V0A0337_pa2
As winter tightens its grip, much of the natural world takes a well deserved rest. But that doesn’t mean your walks will be devoid of life. In fact, there’s plenty to marvel at during Febuary..
ursus arctos
length: 1 to 2.8 m
weight: 139 kg (male), 95 kg (female)
lifespan: 20 to 30 years
predators: humans
habitat: boreal forest, mountain alpine, arctic tundra
yukon population estimate: 6,000-7,000
they breed for the first time around their 8th year and reproduce every 3 to 4 years
bears routinely distinguish between threatening and non-threatening human behaviour
bears are not mean or malicious; they are very gentle, curious, and tolerant animals
shih shòh (gwich’in)
shär cho (hän)
dlēze (kaska)
srà cho (northern tutchone)
akłaq (inuvialuit)
atsìá sho (big grandpa) (southern tutchone)
shash chō (tagish)
shüh choh (upper tanana)
xóots or xûts (tlingit)
A combination of moments,
light and shadows.
Lines and dots.
All inconspicuous and at the same time quite clear.
Green Lacewing (Mallada signatus) larva
I was happy to see this Green Lacewing larva on the Jade Plant. I haven't seen a Green Lacewing for a few years.
You can see the debris on its back as it was scuttling towards the 'hole' between the Jade leaves. They carry the debris as a disguise against predators. In fact until it moved I thought is was just some seed material from the Pittosporum tree.
Recently one of my friends made a joke, saying that I am The River Thames' personal photographer. Basically he was eluding to the fact that the vast majority of my snaps include the Thames... and upon further inspection by myself, I realised this is true! So, for a change here is a London Scene without the Thames. In view is St Mary Axe (or the Gerkin) and some London buses zooming by on their daily business of picking people up.
I went for sunset and happy I did. Although you can't see much of the sunset (at least not as much as you would near the river), the sky was a gentle orange and pink hue. It was a freezing evening. But happy I ventured out :)
Check out my blog: Christine's observations
And my Facebook: Facebook Page
Instagram: @christines_observations
Fun fact: It's a scene you’ve probably seen countless times in movies and on TV: An eagle flies overhead and emits a rough, piercing scream. It's a classic symbol of wilderness and adventure. The only problem? Bald eagles don't make that sound. Instead, they emit a sort of high-pitched giggle or a weak scream. These noises are so unimpressive that Hollywood sound editors often dub over bald eagle calls with far more impressive sounds: the piercing, earthy screams of a smaller bird, the red-tailed hawk. (Mentalfloss.com)
There’s something deeply transformative about watching the sun gently touch the dunes, as if time slows down to remind us of what truly matters. Every grain of sand holds the memory of ancient winds, movements beyond our control yet shaping us all the same. In this open space, we’re invited to quiet our minds and feel the weight of our footprints, knowing they’ll soon disappear. Life, much like the dunes, is shaped by the unexpected and the fleeting. And maybe that’s what makes it so beautiful: the fact that everything is temporary, but, for a brief moment, entirely ours.
"The fact that people are born with two eyes but only one mouth,
suggests that they should see twice as much as they should talk".
- Marie Marquise de Svign -
Rolleiflex Automat One (1938) recently restored by myself, although I'm unsure as to whether to do anything about the worn leather as I quite like the fact that it shows the marks of it's 85 years of use. Film was Kodak Tri X and a yellow/green bay 1 filter was fitted to the taking lens only. Film developed in Rodinal.
Les marais salants s'étendent de Trapani à Marsala quasiment (côté ouest de l'île) et couvrent une zone d'environ 970 hectares. Certains sont encore en exploitation, et la zone des marais est une réserve naturelle gérée par le WWF depuis 1995. Cette gestion par le WWF permet la restauration des moulins, qui souvent tombent en ruine. Mais cette gestion fait de cette zone aussi une très belle réserve animalière riche en oiseaux type échassiers, flamands, faucons pêcheurs... et toutes sortes d'oiseaux migrateurs.
La récupération du sel dans la région date des phéniciens, le sel était alors essentiel pour la conservation des aliments. Le port de Trapani a alors vu croître son importance au XIIème siécle avec l'exploitation du sel, considéré comme le meilleur d'Italie. Aujourd'hui encore ce sel est considéré comme un sel de luxe, très utilisé dans la haute gastronomie.
Contrairement au sel de Guérande légèrement gris, sauf pour la fleur de sel, le sel de Trapani et de la région est très blanc. Ce blanc est vraisemblablement du au fait qu'il fait plus chaud qu'en France, et donc que l'évaporation étant plus rapide, le sable n'a pas le temps de se déposer sur le sel.
The salt marshes extend from Trapani to Marsala almost (west side of the island) and cover an area of approximately 970 hectares. Some are still in operation, and the marsh area is a nature reserve managed by WWF since 1995. This management by WWF allows the restoration of mills, which often fall into disrepair. But this management also makes this area a very beautiful animal reserve rich in wading birds, Flemish birds, fishing hawks ... and all kinds of migratory birds.
The recovery of salt in the region dates from the Phoenicians, salt was then essential for the preservation of food. The port of Trapani then saw its importance grow in the 12th century with the exploitation of salt, considered to be the best in Italy. Even today this salt is considered to be a luxury salt, widely used in haute cuisine.
Unlike the slightly gray Guérande salt, except for the fleur de sel, the Trapani and regional salt is very white. This white is probably due to the fact that it is warmer than in France, and therefore that evaporation is faster, the sand does not have time to settle on the salt.
A sample of some of the books on my bookshelf. Taken with a vintage Canon AE-1-Program camera with a FD 55mm S.S.C f1.2 lens using a Konica VX400 Monochrome film that expired in October 2005.
There is something particularly satisfactory in the fact of posting this picture. And it's a satisfaction that, I am sure, people living in this area will understand very well … Every year in the end of Fall, lakeside is covered by a sea of fog that remain unmoved for month. During the last two weeks, people living above it had perfect clear weather and warm sunny days while people living under it were experiencing the despairing boring constancy of gray light. Most of the time, people living by the lakeside (who don't climb the mountains really often) just don't realize that there's only a few dozen of meters between their depressing weather and the heaven above. And it's probably a good thing for them : knowing it would just make it harder …
Now imagine my situation : I live above the sea of fog, but I work under it (and I'd rather say INSIDE it) ! So now that the days are really short, I leave home late enough to be sure that the day is going to be perfect, but too soon to enjoy even the beginning of it. All day long I think about people above who are enjoying it (recently, my mother-in-law called: she was hesitating between spending her afternoon biking or roller skating). And when I come back home the sun is already down, and the last colors of the cloud are just telling me : “yes, you miss some very nice pictures ...”. And this every morning for the last two weeks. Of course, there's terribly worst situations. But I am sure you will agree : how frustrating it is!!
So yesterday, I decided to take half an hour before going to work to enjoy the sunrise just above the sea of fog, and here is the result. I am sure you'll understand that it is a kind of revenge ;) !
What you see is taken from "Les Hauts-Geneveys" : the "massif du Mont-Blanc", the highest peak of the Alps (4808,73m, France) about 135 km away.
The 406R family of tanker wagons has been the predominant type of tanker carriages on the Polish railways since the 1960s onwards, until the large influx of modern wagons from abroad in the 1990s. In recent years, it's really hard to spot them.
An interesting fact is, that some terminals were built specifically to handle the length of those wagons exactly, and trains heading to them have to be entirely formed with the now archaic type of carriage. On such terminal is the crude oil loading point near Barnówko.
This train was heading a rake of 35 such empties from the Orlen fuel refinery as TMS 584003 Gdańsk Olszynka - Gorzów Wielkopolski Towarowy GT (and later Barnówko). Those trains, along with loaded tanker trains to Kostrzyn (also ran by Orlen Kolej), are nowadays the only source of regular traffic on this part of the old Ostbahn. The trains usually run at night and with a more modern loco, this one was an exception - with a modernised M62-282 and in pleasant afternoon light. The picture presents it minutes after entering the Ostbahn line on the Suchostrzygi junction. It has just passed the passenger stop Rokitki Tczewskie and is heading towards Starogard Gdański.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
The fact that the Laughing Buddha has no hair is something Tofu seems to have notived for the first time. As Tofu is very proud of his fur he can't imagine being "naked", even more so if you are outside all the time like the buddha.
Some interesting facts about the Roseate Spoonbills...
The Roseate Spoonbill is one of the newest birds to join the Birdorable family. Here are some fun facts about this unique species.
1. The collective noun for spoonbills is bowl. Have you ever seen a bowl of Roseate Spoonbills?
2. Roseate Spoonbills get their pink color from their food! They feed on crustaceans who in turn have fed on algae.
3. In parts of their range, especially in Florida, Roseate Spoonbills are sometimes confused with another large pink wading bird: the flamingo.
4. There are six species of spoonbill in the world; the Roseate Spoonbill is the only one with pink plumage. Roseate Spoonbill
5. The Roseate Spoonbill is also the only spoonbill species found in the Americas.
6. The beaks of chick spoonbills are straight; the spoon-shape grows as the chick develops.
7. Spoonbills use their specialized bills to feed. They sweep their open bills through the water, and when a prey item like a fish or insect comes between the mandibles, the bill snaps shut.
8. The oldest wild Roseate Spoonbill was discovered in the Florida Keys in 2006. The bird had been banded in 1990, and was an amazing 16 years old. The previous known longevity record for the species was seven years.
9. Roseate Spoonbills are highly social. They feed with each other and with other wading birds. They also nest in colonies and fly in flocks.