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 👍

Okay ... I just played with some PS functions, the drawing tablet, using paths with some effects, differen technics for moving light and placing it on the surfaces... not a big deal but some increase in knowing some PS contents for me xD

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My "explored" album is here:

www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/LzXVPNJ098

My 2019-2023 tours album is here:

www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/SKf0o8040w

My nature album is here:

www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/27PwYUERX2

My Canon EOS R / R5 / R6 album is here:

www.flickr.com/gp/jenslpz/bgkttsBw35

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Eurasische Eichhörnchen (Sciurus vulgaris)

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasisches_Eichh%C3%B6rnchen

Das Eurasische Eichhörnchen (Sciurus vulgaris), häufig nur als Eichhörnchen bekannt, ist ein Nagetier aus der Familie der Hörnchen (Sciuridae). Es ist der einzige natürlich in Mitteleuropa vorkommende Vertreter aus der Gattung der Eichhörnchen und wird zur Unterscheidung von anderen Arten wie dem Kaukasischen Eichhörnchen und dem in Europa eingebürgerten Grauhörnchen auch als Europäisches Eichhörnchen bezeichnet.

Regionale Bezeichnungen des Tieres sind Eichkätzchen, Eichkatz(er)l, Eichkater, überdies – umgesetzt aus der jeweiligen Mundartform – Eicher(li) (Schweiz), Eichhase (Österreich), Baumfuchs (Hessen), Konradchen (Nassau), Eichhalm (Württemberg) sowie niederdeutsch Katteker (Katzeicher) und Ekenaape (Eichenaffe). Zur nicht restlos geklärten Wortherkunft siehe Artikel Eichhörnchen.

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_squirrel

The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.

In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising[3] due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels.

This species is one of the most widespread terns in all North America which is quite remarkable considering their numbers were almost wiped out entirely by hunters seeking feathers in the late 19th century. The protection they needed came in the form of the Migratory Bird Treaty in 1918 and their population increased steadily until human disturbance, habitat loss and pollution in recent decades has lead to their numbers receding again.

This migrant spends its winters in Central and South America and can be listed as a long distance migrator since one banded in Great Britain was recovered in Australia.

In the spring and fall they can be found patrolling the shorelines of lakes and rivers plunge diving for food.

This bird is shaking off the excess water from a dive while if flight.

Beachy Head, Sussex

Although, once a widespread and relatively common woodland butterfly in southern England, the Large Tortoiseshell has been considered extinct in Britain throughout my lifetime. Occasional sightings since the 1960's were deemed migrants from the continent or, more often, released captive bred stock.

However, with records along the south coast slowly increasing over the last few years (14 already this year), and confirmed breeding in at least 2 Sussex locations last year, it seems re-colonisation from the continent is a real possibility. In the meantime, it remains a very rare sight in the UK, so it was great to catch up with this one on Good Friday.

Hi There!

I thought it would be great fun to increase vibrancy and add some effects to a group of tulips. The blooms were already bold, but I wanted them bolder! Happy Sliders Sunday! HSS!

Editing and effects were done in Topaz Studio.

Thank you for stopping by and for your comments. I do appreciate hearing from you! Have a wonderful day!

©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved

Temperatures were increasing and the snow pack was beginning to melt, but this was the "Spring scene" at Grand Traverse Lighthouse State Park in mid March.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft, designed to be a supremely effective dogfighter in combat. Later production aircraft have been increasingly better equipped to undertake air-to-surface strike missions and to be compatible with an increasing number of different armaments and equipment, including Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles. The Typhoon had its combat debut during the 2011 military intervention in Libya with the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Italian Air Force, performing aerial reconnaissance and ground-strike missions.

This Typhoon was coming into land at RAF Coningsby and the name of the image 'Three Greens' comes from the 3 green light indications that tell the pilot the landing gear is down and locked.

Guillemot /Murre - Uria aalge

The common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk. It is also known as the thin-billed murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.

Common murres have fast direct flight but are not very agile. They are more manoeuvrable underwater, typically diving to depths of 30–60 m (98–197 ft). Depths of up to 180 m (590 ft) have been recorded.

Common murres breed in colonies at high densities. Nesting pairs may be in bodily contact with their neighbours. They make no nest; their single egg is incubated on a bare rock ledge on a cliff face. Eggs hatch after ~30 days incubation. The chick is born downy and can regulate its body temperature after 10 days. Some 20 days after hatching the chick leaves its nesting ledge and heads for the sea, unable to fly, but gliding for some distance with fluttering wings, accompanied by its male parent. Chicks are capable of diving as soon as they hit the water. The female stays at the nest site for some 14 days after the chick has left.

Both male and female common murres moult after breeding and become flightless for 1–2 months. In southern populations they occasionally return to the nest site throughout the winter. Northern populations spend the winter farther from their colonies.

Some individuals in the North Atlantic, known as "bridled guillemots", have a white ring around the eye extending back as a white line. This is not a distinct subspecies, but a polymorphism that becomes more common the farther north the birds breed.

The common murre nests in densely packed colonies (known as "loomeries"), with up to twenty pairs occupying one square metre at peak season.[citation needed] Common murres do not make nests and lay their eggs on bare rock ledges, under rocks, or the ground. They first breed at four to nine years old, but most individuals recruit into the breeding population at ages six or seven, although birds may disperse (permanently depart their natal colony) if space is limited. Annual survival probability for birds aged 6–15 is 0.895, and average lifespan is about 20 years. Breeding success increases with age up to age 9-10 to 0.7 fledglings per pair, then declines in the oldest age birds, perhaps indicating reproductive senesence.

High densities mean that birds are close contact with neighbouring breeders. Common murres perform appeasement displays more often at high densities and more often than razorbills.

Allopreening is common both between mates and between neighbours. Allopreening helps to reduce parasites, and it may also have important social functions. Frequency of allopreening a neighbour correlates well with current breeding success.

Allopreening may function as a stress-reducer; ledges with low levels of allopreening show increased levels of fighting and reduced breeding success.

Alloparenting behaviour is frequently observed. Non-breeding and failed breeders show great interest in other chicks, and will attempt to brood or feed them. This activity is more common as the chicks get older and begin to explore their ledge. There has also been a record of a pair managing to raise two chicks. Adults that have lost chicks or eggs will sometimes bring fish to the nest site and try to feed their imaginary chick.

At time of extreme food stress, the social activity of the breeding ledge can break down.

On the Isle of May colony in 2007, food availability was low. Adults spent more of their time-budget foraging for their chicks and had to leave them unattended at times. Unattended chicks were attacked by breeding neighbour which often led to their deaths. Non-breeding and failed breeders continued to show alloparental care.

In areas such as Newfoundland, the birds, along with the related thick-billed murre, are referred to as 'turrs' or 'tuirs', and are consumed. The meat is dark and quite oily, due to the birds' diet of fish. Eggs have also been harvested.

Eggers from San Francisco took almost half a million eggs a year from the Farallon Islands in the mid-19th century to feed the growing city.

Population:

UK breeding:

950,000 pairs

Greenfinch - Chloris chloris

The European greenfinch, or just greenfinch (Chloris chloris), is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.

This bird is widespread throughout Europe, north Africa and south west Asia. It is mainly resident, but some northernmost populations migrate further south. The greenfinch has also been introduced into both Australia and New Zealand. In Malta, it is considered a prestigious song bird, and it has been trapped for many years. It has been domesticated, and many Maltese people breed them.

Woodland edges, farmland hedges and gardens with relatively thick vegetation are favoured for breeding. It nests in trees or bushes, laying 3 to 6 Eggs.

This species can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixing with other finches and buntings. They feed largely on seeds, but also take berries.

The protozoal parasite Trichomonas gallinae was known to infect pigeons and raptors but beginning in Britain in 2005, carcases of dead European greenfinches and common chaffinches were found to be infected with the parasite. The disease spread and in 2008 infected carcases were found in Norway, Sweden and Finland and a year later in Germany. The spread of the disease is believed to have been mediated by chaffinches as large numbers of the birds breed in northern Europe and winter in Britain. In Britain the number of infected carcases recovered each year declined after a peak in 2006. There was a reduction in the number of greenfinches from around 4.3 million to around 2.8 million but no significant decline in the overall number of chaffinches. A similar pattern occurred in Finland where, after the arrival of the disease in 2008, there was a reduction in the number of greenfinches but only a small change in the number of chaffinches.

Greenfinch populations declined during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but increased dramatically during the 1990s. A recent decline in numbers has been linked to an outbreak of trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease which prevents the birds from feeding properly.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,700,000 pairs

The ferry could not handle the strongly increased traffic in the 60’s anymore and the need for a good north-south connection grew. That’s why, in 1963, the province of Zeeland finalises the order for the Zeeland bridge between Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland to be built. With its 5 kilometres in length, the bridge – then still called the Oosterschelde bridge – becomes the longest in the Netherlands. The Zeeland bridge exists of 54 pillars with spans at intervals of 95 metres. There is also a passageway for ships by making part of the bridge, which is 40 metres wide, moveable.

The bridge is officially opened on 15 December 1965 by Queen Juliana. In April of 1967, the Oosterschelde bridge is renamed Zeeland bridge. Until 1993, users of the bridge had to pay toll, after then the bridge has been toll free. The opening of the Zeeland bridge makes Schouwen-Duiveland a lot more accessible. This leads to mass tourism to Schouwen-Duiveland. Especially the Westhoek with its dunes and 18 kilometres of beach profits from this.

THE FALKIRK WHEEL

I THREW A STONE FOR RIPPLES :-)

explore Oct 20, 2012 #139

The coronavirus lockdown has seen an increase in domestic abuse around the world as women, and sometimes men, have been locked in with their abuser, unable to speak out or get away. It is thought that cases of domestic abuse may have increased by between 20% and 50% during the pandemic. As we come out of lockdown our support and friendship may be needed more than ever. Listen out for the 'silence'.

Created for Treat This 249 in the Kreative People Group www.flickr.com/groups/1752359@N21/discuss/72157714665943252/72157714677886836.

All rights reserved. This photo is not authorized for use on your blogs, pin boards, websites or use in any other way. You may NOT download this image without written permission

FRONT PAGE EXPLORE. Thank You

Turn Off the lights and view this LARGE ! Highly Recommended

This was taken using my 18-200 VR lens. The lights on the opera house made it stand out. I decided to increase the darkness of the surrounds - selectively to make it stand out even further.

DRI - Digital Blending of 5 exposures including layer masking . Then processed thru lightroom to increase blacks

My passion for photographs, every day increases more!

A year ago today CN was making their last run to 3M in Wausau. The FOXY was set to take over the next day which appears to have been a good move. WATCO has increased service to the facility which now gets switched twice a day, just as they did with WC.

It`s becomming colder,, frost and mist is increasing.

This picture was taken right after the heavy rain, when the sky cleared up and visibility increased.

Instagram • 500PX

I have partnered with the city of Richmond now for 2 years in a Tree Swallow nest box project in 3 city parks. This year we are off to a great start. Most of the nest boxes are occupied with huge increases in occupancy rates. Also most of the swallows are laying 6 eggs this year rather than 4-5 which is a great sign.

Adults can feed up to 7000 insects a day to their young.

This is a small series on a beautiful male Tree Swallow.

Despite to blue sky and sunlight it was a bitterly cold day with a blustery wind blowing along the reservoir. Patches of the previous days snow showers can be seen especially on the moor tops

The blue of the water I think comes from the depth of the reservoir as much of the water running into the reservoir is peaty or discoloured from ore deposits The out flow is the River Dibb

Grimwith House (now holiday cottages) can be seen in the distance

It is a wild and lonely place to walk on the moors around the beautiful Grimwith Reservoir which has a good wide path (pronounced Grim'ath) There is a sailing club on the reservoir just visible on the far bank to the right

Grimwith Reservoir is located in the Yorkshire Dales (Craven District) in North Yorkshire, England between Pateley Bridge and Grassington

The original reservoir was built in 1864 by the Bradford Corporation. This involved the abandonment of the hamlets of Grimwith and Gate Up, which would be flooded as part of the reservoir. Following an agreement made in 1970 the size of the reservoir was increased by seven times and the water level was raised by 66 feet.

Acer rubrum, "October Glory," one of three medium- to fast-growing vibrantly colored trees with dense glossy foliage we had planted last year. It just turned this remarkable hue!

Glory, indeed, particularly in the rain and overcast sky we had today. NO increase in saturation or vibrancy.

Thanks for looking, for your faves, and for your comments.

(Rental camera)

Explore Front Page (#7) on February 19th. Thank you!.

More nightscapes in my Night Photography Set.

Please also check my Earth - Water - Sky Set.

5 exposures (one of them with ND8 filter), blended manually with Photoshop CS3. More shots using this technique in my Digital Blending Set.

My most interesting pictures according to flickr.

By the time I took this shot near Tomahawk Point the wind was really starting to increase in speed. As you'll see here, the trawler has dropped anchor to keep from drifting towards the shoreline and dangerous rocks. The sky from this angle was bereft of clouds and is already taking on an interesting complexion - a combination of the salt air and the sand being whipped up in the foreground. But as far as the composition was concerned, that sky provides some interesting negative space to balance the trawler. Too much water here would have been, well, too much.

P.S. Those dark smudges in the air behind the boat are not spots on my sensor, but sea birds.

The Butterfly Palace, Branson, Missouri. Sony A6500 and FE90/2.8 Macro G. This is a wonderful butterfly theater. They allow flash photography, so in the next day or so, I want to return and try my A7II flash rig with larger f/number to increase depth of field.

Increased the ISO here to get the shutter speed faster to get more of the pattern in the water falling over the rocks.

Captured with just the CPL filter.

This is a very small echinacea (cone flower) bloom. The image is an example of photo stacking. It used 19 photos stacked together to increase depth of field. It was one of my first efforts to use a new focusing rail and macro reverse adapter. The adapter reverses a lens to create a macro lens.

Indigo Buntings are actually black; the diffraction of light through their feathers makes them look blue. This explains why males can appear many shades from turquoise to black.

They are more common now than when the pilgrims first landed. This is due to an increase in their favorite habitat of woodland edges, such as power line clearings and along roads.

They migrate at night, using the pattern of stars nearest the North Star to guide them. In captivity, these birds will become disoriented if they can’t see the stars in April/May and September/October.

It is assumed that Gorinchem was founded circa 1000 CE by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river Linge at the Merwede. (Home of Gorik) is first mentioned in a document from 1224 in which Floris IV granted people from Gorinchem exemption of toll payments throughout Holland.

Somewhere between 1247 and 1267, Gorinchem became property of the Lords of Arkel. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounts reinforced with palisades were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real city walls were built complete with 7 gates and 23 watchtowers. Otto van Arkel granted it city rights on 11 November 1322.

Jan van Arkel had a dispute with Albert I, brother of Willem V of Holland, leading to war and subsequently to the annexation of Gorinchem to Holland in 1417. This resulted in increased trade and Gorinchem grew to be the eighth city of Holland.

On 9 July 1572, the Watergeuzen (Dutch rebels against Spanish rule) conquered the city and captured 19 Catholic priests and monks. Because they refused to renounce their faith, these priests and monks were brought to Brielle where they were hanged and were from then on known among Catholics as the Martyrs of Gorkum.

By the 16th century, the city walls were so deteriorated that they were replaced with new fortifications and eleven bastions that still are almost completely intact. The new walls were completed in 1609 and were located further from the town centre, making the city twice as large. In 1673, Gorinchem became part of the old Dutch Water Line.

The city walls had four city gates: the Arkel Gate in the north, the Dalem Gate in the east, the Water Gate in the south (where the ferry to Woudrichem was), and the Kansel Gate in the west. Of these four gates, only the Dalem Gate remains. The others were removed in the 19th century to make way for vehicular traffic. A portion of the Water Gate was preserved in the gardens of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Map of Gorinchem of 1869.

In the 18th century, the economy went into decline. After the French domination, the retreating French troops took station in the bastion fortress of Gorinchem. After a three-month siege they capitulated but the city was heavily damaged.

During the Industrial Revolution, Gorinchem recovered. Increased shipping led to new canals being dug and a railway connection to the city. Its population quickly increased, filling the innercity, and new neighbourhoods had to be built outside the city walls.

At the beginning of the 20th century, expansion took place in the Lingewijk and West neighbourhoods. After World War II, expansion started in the north-western portion of the municipality which was completed in the 1970s. This was followed by developments of the neighbourhoods Wijdschild and Laag Dalem east of the city center. In 1986, the town Dalem was added to the municipality.

In August 2021 ANWB named Gorinchem the most beautiful star fort in the Netherlands.

27.11.2020

die Luft ist klar und kalt, der Himmel ist Wolkenfrei und der zunehmende Mond leuchtet am Himmel.

the air is clear and cold, the sky is free of clouds and the increasing Moon shines in the sky.

Waiting

Posting this as I do not have any more left...need to work on some raw ones whenever I get some time. The noise was intentional.

These are the last birds of the summer to breed and raise little goldfinches. Since these primarily eat seeds (granivores), they wait until late July. Isn’t that clever?

I should have increased the shutter speed to capture the feathers in flight better.

Please: NO BANNERS OR COPY AND PASTE.

almost sooc, i increased the contrast a bit.

according to my brother, i look like "some goth weirdo" if i wear tights with those boots.

i made a photoblog

Explore Front Page (#2). Thank you!

My first shot using a fisheye, thanks to my buddy Rajesh who sold it to me (he does not need it anymore for his full frame D700 camera). Very challenging indeed to find a suitable composition for this lens. This tiny lens is really razor sharp, I am very impressed.

I am again not very active on flickr these days and lagging behind comments. Sorry about that! I'll catch up, but slowly! ;-)

Dubai Set | Digital Blending Set | Night Photography Set | Most Interesting shots

Explore Front Pages.

Buy my art at Imagekind!

The combination of isolation, attacks on the Evans Cherry Tree community and adolescent cherry testosterone has led to an increase in incidents of bizarre and freakish behaviour.

One example of this increase in cherry rage was this past Sunday at the C.F.L. (Cherry Football League) game. A small group of adolescent cherries got into a fight which resulted in some sliced cherries, one to the pit. Thank goodness the injuries were not life threatening.

A tip through Cherry Stoppers led the authorities to the alleged instigator of the fight, which in turn led to a key witness having to identify the sour cherry.

This freak behaviour has to stop. It's time to make Sundays great again and put the cherry on top.

Take care and stay safe

Letting the yard go in the backyard (and keeping weeds picked) has greatly increased the flowers growing and thus the insect pollinators

Die ersten Arbeiten am U-Bahnhof Überseequartier hatten schon Anfang 2007 in offener Bauweise begonnen. Die Schildeinfahrt des Tunnelbohrers VERA von der HafenCity aus in die Haltestelle Jungfernstieg für den ersten Tunnel erfolgte am 13. Oktober 2009, die zweite am 3. Dezember 2010. Im Sommer 2010 begann der Innenausbau des U-Bahnhofs.

Als permanente Kunstinstallation befinden sich neben den Fahrtreppen bei jeder Lampe eckige Lautsprecher, aus denen Meeresrauschen und andere maritime Geräusche dringen, was den optischen „Unterwasser-Eindruck“ der mit zunehmender Tiefe dunkler werdenden Wandverkleidung akustisch verstärken soll. (Quelle: Wikipedia)

The first works on the subway station „Überseequartier“ in open coverage type had already begun in the beginning of 2007. The entry of VERAs cutterhead from harbour city into the stop Jungfernstieg for the first tunnel occurred October 13, 2009, second December 3, 2010. In summer 2010, the interior finish of the subway station began.

As a permanent art installation, angular loudspeakers are located beside the moving stairs with every lamp, from which sea rushing and other maritime sounds reach the ears, in order to intensify acoustically the optical "underwater impression" of the wall covering becoming darker with increasing depth. (Wikipedia)

Website: www.heiko-roebke-photography.de

to report a sharp increase in circles completed :-)

Robert Brault

HBW!! best viewed large :-)

www.flickr.com/photos/itucker/30387137693/in/photostream/...

orange twig littleleaf linden, 'Winter Orange', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, Raleigh, north carolina

I walked down by the local creek the other afternoon. The recent rains have increased flow rates and the water in Cherry Creek is tea like from all the fallen leaves. Downstream about 75 feet I notice a disturbance in the water but don't see anything. Then I see something moving upstream on the surface of the water like a big fish. It gets a little closer then I realize it must be an otter swimming vigorously in my direction! It wasn't an otter but an American Mink (Mustela vision). It's in the weasel family and is almost as aquatic as an otter and a nocturnal hunter. They eat voles, frogs, crayfish, waterfowl and their eggs, mice, rabbits, snakes, and aquatic invertebrates.

It got to within about 6 feet of where I stood backlit with camera on the monopod, it looked up at me then swam a little circle around a rock then scurried out of the water on the opposite bank and darted under a fallen log! Wow, glad I had the long lens! Pinch me and I do believe in luck. Mendocino County, North California U.S.A.

According to Venetian official statistics approximately 16 million people visited the province of Venice in 2011, with increases projected for 2012-13. Most if not all visitors, come to visit the central island Venezia in order to see and be in the heart of the city. Geographically the city center which includes St. Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, as well as the homes and businesses of Venetians exists on a land mass that is roughly six square miles. These six square miles are criss-crossed by the Grand and the not-so-grand canals which invite tourists to explore the nooks and crannies of a medieval powerhouse that still displays its heritage.

However, as a frame of reference, visitors should do the math. Public access to the six square miles of the central part of Venice is reduced by the areas occupied by private housing, businesses and by canals. Effectively the 80,000 to 100,000 daily visitors and the 40,000 to 60,000 local residents or business employers and employees are competing for approximately one to two square miles of open space. Regardless of the crowds it should be noted that while tourists may travel stem to stern in seemingly endless lines of gondolas, on Venice’s solid ground no car, bus or motor scooter challenges a visitor’s right to live long and prosper. In Venice the trucks, cars, and buses come with keels and rudders. All vie for space on and in the canals. Gondoliers weave their boats and passengers through the Grand Canal water traffic much like carriage driver guide their clip-clopping horse drawn carriages through any busy city’s tourist center. To paraphrase Shakespeare, in Venice all the water’s a stage,

Red Kites:-

This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail.

The RSPB is celebrating the "remarkable" comeback of the Red Kite, a bird which had almost become extinct in Britain.

For more than 400 years the bird of prey was killed as vermin and by the 1960s there were just 20 pairs.

But the organisation's 2011 Big Garden Birdwatch survey recorded as many as 2,000 breeding pairs, an increase of over 130% since last year.

Its return began in the 1990s with re-introductions in several areas.

At the turn of the 20th century it was extinct in England and Scotland with just a handful of breeding pairs in the Welsh valleys.

The Welsh birds began to expand slowly in the 1980s with legal protection, reduced persecution and efforts of conservationists, but remained very vulnerable.

Courtesy: RSPB

Increased the ISO some to see if it provided better overall results ... I think the version at ISO 2500 was better. But then that could have also been because the wind was gusting more or less.

The winds were around 20 to 30 MPH last evening ... and bitter cold with temperatures heading towards 15 degrees F.

Had to have the gloves off to manually focus the lens ... brrrrr.

The Hunter’s Moon drops below the clouds on its way to the horizon on a brisk October morning. Warm sunrise light shines through to the ridges of Kiowa Peak and clouds draped on the Continental Divide. The wind (20 km/h- 40 mph gusts) made shooting this a challenge- even with adding weight to the tripod there was a fairly significant movement at slow shutter speeds, and I had to increase the iso up a bit. The forecast suggested a breezy cool cloudless morning, but the sky drama added nicely to the scene. Winter on the horizon… literally.

The full moon of October is called the Hunter’s Moon to denote the time of the year when game have bulked up for the winter season, and the leaves helping to hide them from hunters have fallen from the trees and shrubs, making them more vulnerable.

Explored #59. Thank you!

Taken at dusk (at this latitude, the blue hour last for much longer time than near to the equator, which is a great advantage for night photographers!), 15 minutes walk from my hotel in downtown Helsinki, a place called Ursinin Kallio.

4 exposures digital blending, the longest exposure being 2 minutes at f/22. No color processing, these are the colors captured by the D300 sensor.

Helsinki Set | Digital Blending Set | Night Photography Set | Most Interesting shots

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The Hertefeld Castle estate, consisting of a castle ruin and attached park, stands in the town of Weeze in North Rhine-Westphalia. It was established in the fourteenth century.

The castle was first mentioned as a knight's seat in 1322. However, it appears that a family of this name lived nearby for significantly longer, since a man named Theodoricus de Hertevenlde was first mentioned in 1179.

In the fourteenth century the castle was the center of an independent domain. However, this independence disappeared in the following years de to increasing subservience to the dukedom of Cleves. In 1322, the domain excluding the castle was sold in 1322 by Wilhelm von Herteveld to Graf Dietrich VII of Cleves. Three years later, the castle too entered the ownership of Cleves. However, the castle was later returned to the Herteveld family in the person of Stephan II von Herteveld, but now as a loan from the house of Cleves.

Following the death of the count Stephan IV in 1485, the family was divided via his two sons into two branches. With the senior branch acquiring through marriage the castle of Kolk in Uedam, Hertefeld castle passed to the junior branch under count Heinrich. This branch later died out in the direct line with Elbert von und zu Hertefeld, who however transferred the estate to his stepbrother Elbert von Steenhaus. Facing financial difficulties, Elbert in turn passed it to his relative Jobst Gerhard von Hertefeld, thereby reunifying the property of the two branches. The hartefeld properties had by this time become quite extensive, incorporating not just Uedam and Weeze but also Boetzelaer castle, Hoennepel, Kervenheim and Zelhem (today part of Bronckhorst).

Jobst Gerhard's father had previously through his good relations with the Duke of Brandenburg, Friedrich Wilhelm, inherited the property of Liebenberg in Brandenburg, which he later made the principle residence of his family. His grandson, Samuel von und zu Hertefeld, was raised to the rank of Freiherr by Friedrich I of Prussia, who frequently lodged at Hertefeld castle during his tours of inspection along the lower Rhine. Another prominent guest was Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

The male line of the family died out in 1867 with Karl von Hertefeld, whose grandniece Alexandrine inherited the property. Since she was married to Philipp Konrad zu Eulenburg, Hertefeld became incorporated into his family property. Alexandrine's son Philipp zu Eulenburg became a personal friend of Wilhelm II, who raised him in 1900 to the rank of Furst. Since the family had also acquired the title of Graf from the king of Sweden, he and his successors were henceforth able to style themselves "Fürst zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld, Graf von Sandels". Philipp himself became notorious only a few years later as a result of the Harden-Eulenburg-Affäre, in which he became a target of the influential publicist Maximilian Harden. In several court cases, he defended himself against allegations of homosexuality without being convicted.

Alexandrines second, Botho Sigwart, became the first family member for some time to make Hertefeld his long-term residence. His opera "Songs of Euripides", which premiered in 1915 at the royal Staatstheater Stuttgart. The principal line of the family returned to Hertefeld at the end of the Second World War, after their principal residence at Liebenburg was confiscated by the East German government.

Turquoise is used to describe things that are of a light greenish-blue colour. ... a clear turquoise sea.

Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it is autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the spring (or vernal) equinox, days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses.

Gulf Of Mexico

Southwest Florida

USA

Photographed in the Gulf of Mexico from a pier. It has a fish in its pouch.

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a North American bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae. It is one of three pelican species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving in water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Chile, including the Galapagos Islands.

The brown pelican mainly feeds on fish, but occasionally eats amphibians, crustaceans, and the eggs and nestlings of birds. It nests in colonies in secluded areas, often on islands, vegetated land among sand dunes, thickets of shrubs and trees, and mangroves.

It has been rated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act from 1970 to 2009, as pesticides such as dieldrin and DDT threatened its future in the Southeastern United States and California. In 1972, the use of DDT was banned in Florida, followed by the rest of the United States. Since then, the brown pelican's population has increased. – Wikipedia