Curlew - Numenius Arquata

They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills.

Curlews feed on mud or very soft ground, searching for worms and other invertebrates with their long bills. They will also take crabs and similar items.

Curlews enjoy a worldwide distribution. Most species show strong migratory habits and consequently one or more species can be encountered at different times of the year in Europe, Ireland, Britain, Iberia, Iceland, Africa, Southeast Asia, Siberia, North America, South America and Australasia.

The distribution of curlews has altered considerably in the past hundred years as a result of changing agricultural practices. Reclamation and drainage of marshy fields and moorland, and afforestation of the latter, have led to local decreases, while conversion of forest to grassland in some parts of Scandinavia has led to increases there.

Population:

UK breeding:

66,000 pairs

UK wintering:

140,000 individuals

Dynamic Range Increase (DRI) is similar to HDR. In DRI, the bracketed images are not tone mapped in HDR software. Instead, the images are blended in Photoshop using layers and masks. This is my first one and I like it better than the HDR image.

Female seen here depositing here eggs. Although when both male and female emerge into adults they are both pale green with brown markings with the male later taking on a sky blue abdomen and an green thorax with the female being mainly green. Can be seen on the wing from June to August and sometimes can go beyond September depending on the weather. Can be found widespread and fairly common in Britain and are increasing in numbers in Scotland and Ireland.

Taken locally on our walks!

Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

The common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia.

It is a migratory passerine which winters in southern and western Europe, southern Asia and north Africa. Greenish-brown above and off-white below, it is named onomatopoeically for its simple chiff-chaff song. It has a number of subspecies, some of which are now treated as full species.

This warbler gets its name from its simple distinctive song, a repetitive cheerful chiff-chaff. This song is one of the first avian signs that spring has returned. Its call is a hweet, less disyllabic than the hooeet of the willow warbler or hu-it of the western Bonelli's warbler.

The common chiffchaff breeds across Europe and Asia east to eastern Siberia and north to about 70°N, with isolated populations in northwest Africa, northern and western Turkey and northwestern Iran. It is migratory, but it is one of the first passerine birds to return to its breeding areas in the spring and among the last to leave in late autumn. When breeding, it is a bird of open woodlands with some taller trees and ground cover for nesting purposes. These trees are typically at least 5 metres (16 ft) high, with undergrowth that is an open, poor to medium mix of grasses, bracken, nettles or similar plants. Its breeding habitat is quite specific, and even near relatives do not share it; for example, the willow warbler (P. trochilus) prefers younger trees, while the wood warbler (P. sibilatrix) prefers less undergrowth. In winter, the common chiffchaff uses a wider range of habitats including scrub, and is not so dependent on trees. It is often found near water, unlike the willow warbler which tolerates drier habitats. There is an increasing tendency to winter in western Europe well north of the traditional areas, especially in coastal southern England and the mild urban microclimate of London. These overwintering common chiffchaffs include some visitors of the eastern subspecies abietinus and tristis, so they are certainly not all birds which have bred locally, although some undoubtedly are.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,200,000 territories

UK wintering:

500-1,000 birds

Great White Egret - Ardea Alba

The great egret is generally a very successful species with a large and expanding range, occurring worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. It is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. In North America, large numbers of great egrets were killed around the end of the 19th century so that their plumes could be used to decorate hats. Numbers have since recovered as a result of conservation measures. Its range has expanded as far north as southern Canada. However, in some parts of the southern United States, its numbers have declined due to habitat loss, particularly wetland degradation through drainage, grazing, clearing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants. Nevertheless, the species adapts well to human habitation and can be readily seen near wetlands and bodies of water in urban and suburban areas.

The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

In 1953, the great egret in flight was chosen as the symbol of the National Audubon Society, which was formed in part to prevent the killing of birds for their feathers.

On 22 May 2012, a pair of great egrets was announced to be nesting in the UK for the first time at the Shapwick Heath nature reserve in Somerset. The species is a rare visitor to the UK and Ben Aviss of the BBC stated that the news could mean the UK's first great egret colony is established. The following week, Kevin Anderson of Natural England confirmed a great egret chick had hatched, making it a new breeding bird record for the UK. In 2017, seven nests in Somerset fledged 17 young, and a second breeding site was announced at Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk where a pair fledged three young.

In 2018, a pair of great egrets nested in Finland for the first time, raising four young in a grey heron colony in Porvoo.

Middle beach in Westbrook...:))

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 👍

Falco tinnunculus

The chicks fledge gradually when they are around four weeks old. They explore increasing distances from the nest, but return to it to roost for another couple of weeks. Adults continue to feed the young for a month after fledging, during which time they will learn to catch their own food.

In the autumn, kestrels readjust their territories to make best use of winter food supply.

Joy is a marvelous increasing of what exists, a pure addition out of nothingness.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Great Egret Juvenile - Explored

From Egret.Org:

....egrets feed their newly hatched young by regurgitating food into the nest and the chicks pick it up and gulp it down. As the chicks increase in size and strength they seize their parents' bills on their own at feeding time and try to pull them down into the nest perhaps hoping to hasten the delivery of food.

After egret chicks are large enough to grasp their parents' bills in this way, food goes directly into the mouths of the young instead of being deposited in the nests.

Not all chicks survive to independence. In broods of 3 or 4, the chicks that hatch later are smaller and weaker than their older nest mates. Older chicks aggressively peck the younger ones at feeding time and force them away from the food. When the adults bring plenty of food all the chicks in the brood survive, but if food is limited, the younger chicks die.

Successful adults usually raise 2 young, sometimes 3 and rarely 4.

This insightful Russian documentary on the personal life of the Dalai Lama had been removed from this site and just now I found it restored and decided to accompany the documentary with a collage.

Please take time to view. It's difficult to find. (Only itunes Australia has it for rent/sale)

In the documentary "Sunrise/Sunset", the Dalai Lama states one does not have to be a believer to attain Enlightenment.

This truth might appeal to you as it does to me.

Also inspired by the Dalai Lama’s baggy eyes in this film, I’ve increased my own practices :)

www.cultureunplugged.com/play/8467/Sunrise-Sunset--Dalai-...

My own recent sunset (including orange ring around the Buddha) photos taken from house viewing window following a torrential rain provide the collage base followed by that gifted by A. Walden. Thank you Alan.

Namaste

jana

A "cap" cloud atop Mt. Rainier commences to break up.

Lenticular clouds, sometimes called "cap clouds," form over mountain peaks when moisture begins to increase in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

Thanks for taking a look and for any comments, faves and suggestions.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

.

An einem einzigen Abend hatten wir klare Sicht. Auf Sommarøy begann mein erstes Polarlicht - Aurora Boealis. Keine Bange, später am Abend wurde es noch viel viel besser.

We had a clear view in one evening. My first Northern Lights - Aurora Boealis - started on Sommarøy. Don't worry, it got a lot better later in the evening.

Ein Panorma aus 5 Bildern - A panorama from 5 images

The 2022-23 Louisiana Sugarcane Harvest is in full swing now. It's reported that sugarcane acreage increased again this year.

In 2021, 469,000 acres were harvested. This season about 475,000 acres are expected to go to the state’s 11 sugar mills.

This is actually the fifth straight year that cane acreage has increased.

In the past, sugar mills were generally finished grinding cane by Christmas.....but the increased acreage has now pushed finishing dates into mid-January. That means there is a chance of a killing freeze. But, if everything goes well, Louisiana farmers are projected to cut 16.6 million tons of cane which should produce approximately 1.6 million tons of raw sugar.

Located in South Central Louisiana in St. Martin Parish, I showcase here, another of the State's 11 remaining Sugar Mills as she "grinds" away.

Thank a Farmer when you see one.

Appreciate everyone taking a look and always appreciate your kind remarks.

Have a great Weekend !

Jeff Hebert © All rights reserved

absolute silence

|_807_|_2.2021_|

-ITA-

1598

Muore Alfonso II, ultimo duca degli Estensi e i territori del Ducato di Ferrara passano allo Stato Pontificio. Nel frattempo il Delta del Po avanzava verso nord con rami di Tramontana, di Levante e di Scirocco.

Il Po di Tramontana, in particolare, cominciò con i suoi sedimenti ad alzare i fondali della laguna verso Chioggia.

1600-1604

Per timore che l'espansione a Nord-Est del Delta andasse ad interrare la laguna di Venezia, agli inizi del 1600 il Po fu deviato a sud verso la Sacca di Goro con un canale artificiale che è il suo letto attuale. Questo intervento detto "Taglio di Porto Viro", determinò l'inizio della formazione del Delta moderno.

Il vecchio letto divenne un canale navigabile, il Canal Bianco-Po di Levante. Se prima del 1600 il Delta si espandeva di circa 53 ettari l'anno, dal 1604 al 1840 si passò a 135 ettari l'anno.

-ENG-

1598

Alfonso II, the last Duke of the Este family, dies and the territories of the Duchy of Ferrara pass to the Papal State. In the meantime, the Po Delta advanced northwards with branches of Tramontana, Levante and Scirocco.

The Po di Tramontana, in particular, began with its sediments to raise the depths of the lagoon towards Chioggia.

1600-1604

For fear that the north-eastern expansion of the Delta would bury the Venice lagoon, in the early 1600s the Po was diverted south towards the Sacca di Goro with an artificial canal which is its current bed. This intervention called "Taglio di Porto Viro", determined the beginning of the formation of the modern Delta.

The old bed became a navigable canal, the Canal Bianco-Po di Levante. If before 1600 the Delta expanded by about 53 hectares a year, from 1604 to 1840 it increased to 135 hectares a year.

Ente Parco Regionale Veneto del Delta del Po

Many thanks to everyone for your views, faves and supportive comments. These are always very much appreciated.

you can see the new works in

www.paolopaccagnella.com

All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity.

- No Unauthorized Use. Absolutely no permission is granted in any form, fashion or way, digital or otherwise, to use my images on blogs, personal or professional websites or any other media form without my direct written permission.

This includes Pinterest, FaceBook,Tumblr, Reddit or other websites where one's images are circulated without the photographer's knowledge or permission.

If you recognize yourself in a photo of this gallery, you certainly weren't what I was photographing, if you don't want it to be published let me know and the photo, perhaps, will be removed.

P. Paccagnella. [ph.p.ph.©] TdS Pd Italy

THE FALKIRK WHEEL

I THREW A STONE FOR RIPPLES :-)

explore Oct 20, 2012 #139

Increased the ISO here to get the faster shutter speed in the low light with the light pollution shining on the clouds in night sky just outside Baltimore, Maryland.

Despite the increasing clouds this afternoon, I decided to take a chance on shooting at Ojita for the return appearance of "Pepsican" 160 leading the eastbound Chief. For once, luck was on my side with a nice sucker hole of sunshine as the train splits the blades here.

Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. Ibises usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. It is widespread across much of Australia. It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long down curved bill and black legs. They are monogamous and highly territorial while nesting and feeding. Most nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons. Due to its increasing presence in the urban environment and its habit of rummaging in garbage, the species has acquired a variety of colloquial names such as tip turkey; and bin chicken, and in recent years has become an icon of popular culture, being regarded with passion, wit, and, in equal measure, affection and disgust. 40503

Godafoss (The Waterfall Of The Gods) is Iceland’s most impressive and beautiful waterfall.

Its name is associated with the country’s history. Having been settled on the 9th and 10th centuries, the Norse pagan religion was dominant. With the growth of Christianity throughout Europe, the pressure to abandon Norse increased to the point that Iceland feared an invasion. In 1000 AD it adopted Christianity as the official religion and the decision maker made the symbolic gesture of throwing the pagan idols into the waterfall. Hence its name since then: The Waterfall Of the Gods.

************************

Iceland

© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.

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 👍

Insanely good hunter cum ultimate bad*ss.

The owl typically has 3 talons pointing forwards and one pointing backwards. It can swivel one of the front toes backwards. This talon arrangement enables the owl to spread the talons out wide to increase the chance of a successful strike, and also to grasp with crushing pressure to make sure that the unfortunate prey can not get free easily.

Cool facts from Google search:

-A Great-horned Owl's talon can exert a pressure from 200 to an incredible 500 pounds per square inch (psi).

-Golden Eagle's talon: 400 to 700 psi.

-German Shepherd's bite force: 240psi.

(Taken on: Feb. 2021, Grey Nuns White Spruce forest, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada)

Thank you all very much for the visits and comments.

Rhinoceros: since 1973 the population has recovered well and increased to 544 animals around the turn of the century. To ensure the survival of the endangered species in case of epidemics animals are translocated annually from Chitwan to the Bardia National Park and the Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve since 1986. However, the population has repeatedly been jeopardized by poaching: in 2002 alone, poachers killed 37 individuals in order to saw off and sell their valuable horns.[6] Chitwan has the largest population of Indian rhinoceros in Nepal, estimated at 605 individuals out of 645 in total in the country.

Der Park ist bekannt für die Population des Panzernashorns, die bis zur Jahrtausendwende auf 544 Tiere und bis zum Frühjahr 2015 auf 645 Nashörner[6] angewachsen war. Seit 1986 werden alljährlich Tiere von Chitwan in den Bardia-Nationalpark und in das Suklaphanta-Wildreservat übersiedelt. Die Population war aber immer wieder durch Wilderei stark gefährdet: allein im Jahre 2002 haben Wilderer 37 Tiere grausam getötet, um das kostbare Horn absägen und verkaufen zu können. Die letzte Zählung im Jahr 2011 ergab insgesamt 503 Nashörner im Park, im selben Zeitraum starben zwei Tiere durch Wilderer. Bei der Zählung im Frühjahr 2015 wurden 645 Tiere in Nepal gefunden[6], davon 605 im Chitwan-Nationalpark[8], während gleichzeitig in den letzten drei Jahren kein Tier durch Wilderer ums Leben kam.

Winter scene on Grouse Creek in North Idaho. Increased the levels and Saturation. Also intensified the sun's flare a bit.

Happy Cliche Saturday and Slider Sunday!

A Purple Finch increases the air flow to his body on a very hot day.

Torbay, NL

Listen: Increase - David Lang

youtu.be/cJN3Kw4xypg

Taken at Rhossili Beach, Gower one of many shipwrecks around the coast. Trying to do more mono shots! Some history of the Vennerne below:

The Vennerne was a 275 tonne barque on the way from Aberdovey to Swansea when rough seas forced her to take shelter in the protection afforded by Worms Head. Unfortunately that protection did not prove enough as she dragged her anchor and found herself driven onto the beach beneath the cliffs. The Rhossili L.S.A. were quickly on the scene and tried to fire safety lines across from the land to the ship. All were unsuccessful. With the chance of the Vennerne suffering further damage increasing with every minute that past the Captain, along with his family and crew, made the decision to abandon ship and made it ashore on a small boat.

The next day an attempt was made to refloat the Vennerne but this ultimately proved fruitless. She wrecked later that day. The Iron Hull was sold at auction for the princely sum of £54. The remains that can be seen today is all that is left from that salvage operation. Taken from Gowershipwrecks.co.uk

Increase the ISO and opened the aperture to get the fast shutter speed so that the clouds would be keeping their shape versus being smoothed out with the longer exposure. Their definition in the sky was pretty against the far off Baltimore City lights.

The sharpness of the 14mm Sigma lens even at wider apertures to far edges is impressive.

Spoonbills are a genus, Platalea, of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from Latin and means broad, referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Six species are recognised, which although usually placed in a single genus have sometimes been split into three genera. All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day. The spoonbills are most distinct from the ibises in the shape of their bill, which is long and flat and wider at the end. The nostrils are located near the base of the bill so that the bird can breathe while the bill is submerged in water. The eyes are positioned to provide spoonbills with binocular vision, although when foraging tactile senses are important too. Like the ibises the spoonbills have bare patches of skin around the bills and eyes. The six species of spoonbill are distributed over much of the world.

Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. Ibises usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. It is widespread across much of Australia. It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long down curved bill and black legs. They are monogamous and highly territorial while nesting and feeding. Most nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons. Due to its increasing presence in the urban environment and its habit of rummaging in garbage, the species has acquired a variety of colloquial names such as tip turkey; and bin chicken, and in recent years has become an icon of popular culture, being regarded with passion, wit, and, in equal measure, affection and disgust. 48963

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

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

The Noisy Miner clan at the Woodville Football Oval continues to increase. This one had swooped me as it thought I had got too close to its offspring, which I hadn't noticed at this point.

Carrbridge - Scottish Highlands.

Carrbridge is a village in Badenoch and Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. It forms a beautiful area of the Caingorms National Park, and in turn, provides a wonderful home to the Red Squirrel.

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

Increased the aperture here to reduce the DOF.

Vertorama DRI IR 2x2RAW, dxo, ptgui pro, cs5

Fouilloy, somme, picardie, france

14th June 2015 - British Aircraft Corporation TSR 2 XR220 taken in the morning sun on a rare outing outside her hangar at the RAF Cosford 2015 airshow.

The Following is taken from the museum website:

Although never developed beyond the prototype stage, the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 was one of the most exciting and controversial British combat aircraft designs of the 1960s. The cancellation of the project is a subject of great debate to this day.

During the mid 1950s, the increasing sophistication of air defence systems led the RAF to consider the procurement of a high speed, low level strike and reconnaissance aircraft to replace the English Electric Canberra. In October 1957, the Ministry of Supply released the first specification for such an aircraft.

On 1 January 1959 the Ministry of Supply announced a design had been selected for production. Christened the TSR2 (Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance Mach 2), this aircraft was developed by a joint design team. A contract for eleven TSR2 prototypes was concluded on 6 October 1960, the first (XR219) made its maiden flight from Boscombe Down on 27 September 1964.

By 31 March 1965 XR219 had completed twenty-four flights, and a second, the aircraft you see here, was to join the programme. Initial reports indicated that the TSR2 was an outstanding technical success. However political opposition to the project led to it being cancelled from 6 April 1965.

Its heyday was in the 1920s, when together with Potsdamer Platz it was at the heart of Berlin's nightlife, inspiring the 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz and the two films based thereon, Piel Jutzi's 1931 film and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 15½ hour second adaptation, released in 1980. About 1920 the city's authorities started a rearrangement of the increasing traffic flows laying out a roundabout, accompanied by two buildings along the Stadtbahn viaduct, Alexanderhaus and Berolinahaus finished in 1932 according to plans designed by Peter Behrens.

The numbers of Greater Scaups continues to increase in the Great Lakes with the growing population of zebra mussels which this species has a huge fondness for. Lake Ontario is a winter home for several diving duck species like Redheads, Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneyes and now includes the Greater Scaup.

I am particularly fond of the feathers in the back of the two Scaup species and like the way they are displayed in the image.

One of only 140,000 red squirrels across Britain. Such a sad story but thankfully there's an increase in the North Yorkshire population of this beautiful creature.

Canon EOS 6D - f/11 - 1/60sec - 100mm - ISO 1600

encapsulated lights in oval soft gels

- for challenge Flickr group Macro Mondays, theme iSpy.

- soft-gels

All modern soft-gel encapsulation uses variations of a process developed by R. P. Scherer in 1933. His innovation was to use a rotary die to produce the capsules, with the filling taking place by blow molding. This method reduced wastage, and was the first process to yield capsules with highly repeatable dosage.

Softgels can be an effective delivery system for oral drugs, especially poorly soluble drugs. This is because the fill can contain liquid ingredients that help increase solubility or permeability of the drug across the membranes in the body. Liquid ingredients are difficult to include in any other solid dosage form such as a tablet.

Ponta da Air France - Fernando de Noronha, PE, Brazil.

This species is the only bird in the genus Elaenia found in Fernando de Noronha and it's also an endemic species to the island.

The total global range of this species is only 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi), and most of the forest on Fernando de Noronha has been lost since the arrival of European settlers, and this species is the least common landbird remaining on the island.

Fortunately the population seems to be increasing.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Suborder: Tyranni

Family: Tyrannidae

Genus: Elaenia Sundevall, 1836

Species: E. ridleyana Sharpe, 1888

Binomial name: Elaenia ridleyana

With a population of 282 the village of Petruro is the second smallest municipality in the Avellino province (Irpinia) in southern Italy. Since 2017 the population has slightly increased with the arrive of 20 asylum seekers.

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.

of red dressed women ...

;-) ...

ƒ/6.3 24.0 mm 1/500 200

_NYC5500_pt2

Like the earlier shot posted we're still in a Northerly airstream as evidenced by the increased snow on the ground and the similar cloud pattern.

The sun had just disappeared behind the hillside and but was still colourfully illuminating the Cumulus Clouds. This was the view looking due West towards Troforth from the front of my home in Betws yn Rhos, Conwy, North Wales.

Increased the de-hazing and some vibrancy to add some color and pop to this gray toned wintry take of the pretty seagull.

Happy Sliding Sunday

Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. Ibises usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. It is widespread across much of Australia. It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long down curved bill and black legs. They are monogamous and highly territorial while nesting and feeding. Most nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons. Due to its increasing presence in the urban environment and its habit of rummaging in garbage, the species has acquired a variety of colloquial names such as tip turkey; and bin chicken, and in recent years has become an icon of popular culture, being regarded with passion, wit, and, in equal measure, affection and disgust. 42076

Last trip to Bernardo this season… went with 24 Enchanted Lens Camera Club (ELCC) fellow Marauders… I think I have enough Sandhill Crane images from this season so I really focused on the Snow Geese and worked on increasing shutter speed and getting the EV right as they are a white feathered denizen in the late afternoon sun. I also kept the 2.0xTC on the 600mm lens - challenging but rewarding in the end, I think.