The same Great Horned Owl as yesterday's upload, taken shortly after I found her. She was amazingly close, and I had walked right by her without noticing her presence.

Once I was over the shock of seeing this beauty, I ignored her, and in a relative slow, quiet and methodical fashion, started setting up my tripod. I chimped by pointing the camera in some similar shady spots in another direction before placing the camera on the tripod directing it at her.

She was looking a bit tense, so even though a shot of her looking directly at me would be engaging, I didn't think it was worth the risk if it caused her to fly away. Instead, I wanted to build a tentative trust and reassurance, that I would not overly disturb her and I wasn't a threat. When she relaxed and looked away, I then took some shots.

I'm so glad I waited, for she did take exception to the noise of the shutter. This started the wait game for me. Take a few shots, she would get tense, I'd wait till she relaxed, and when she presented a better pose, I'd snap a few more.

I have found, with owls in the past, that this give and take can work quite well. Each time the owl becomes more relaxed more quickly, and regards one as a noteworthy and stressing subject less and less.

It wasn't perfect with her, for she really disliked the shutter. I am so glad she was patient with me when the sun broke through and I relocated to a greater distance away that provided the dark backdrop of yesterdays upload.

There she stayed till the dog walkers woke up and started coming through the forest. It was only then, that she decided it was time to leave. I didn't follow...

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.

"A small, dark heron arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance."

Cornell Lab of Ornithology"

Photograhed in the wild, Florida, USA.

Found this Crow collecting nest-building materials… seems there’s always work in progress... somewhere !!

American Crows are large, intelligent, all-black birds with hoarse, cawing voices. They usually feed on the ground and eat almost anything – typically earthworms, insects, other small animals, and seeds, and fruit. Their flight style is unique, a patient, methodical flapping that is rarely broken up with glides.

Crows congregate in large numbers in winter to sleep in communal roosts. These roosts can be of a few hundred up to two million crows. Some roosts have been forming in the same general area for well over 100 years.

Young Crows do not breed until they are at least two years old, and most do not breed until they are four or more. In most populations the young help their parents raise young for a few years.

Crows sometimes make and use tools. Examples include a captive crow using a cup to carry water over to a bowl of dry mash; shaping a piece of wood and then sticking it into a hole in a fence post in search of food.

The oldest recorded wild American Crow was at least 16 years 4 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in New York. A captive crow in New York lived to be 59 years old.

(Nikon, 300/4.0 + TC 1.4, 1/320 @ f/9.0, ISO 1250)

One of the largest North American birds, the American White Pelican is majestic in the air. The birds soar with incredible steadiness on broad, white-and-black wings.

Their large heads and huge, heavy bills give them a prehistoric look. On the water they dip their pouched bills to scoop up fish, or tip-up like an oversized dabbling duck. Sometimes, groups of pelicans work together to herd fish into the shallows for easy feeding.

American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do.

They are superb soarers (they are among the heaviest flying birds in the world) and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical.

Tufted Titmice look large among the small birds that come to feeders, an impression that comes from their large head and eye, thick neck, and full bodies. The pointed crest and stout bill help identify titmice even in silhouette.

Tufted Titmice are acrobatic foragers, if a bit slower and more methodical than chickadees. They often flock with chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers and are regular visitors to feeders, where they are assertive over smaller birds. Their flight tends to be fluttery but level rather than undulating.

You’ll find Tufted Titmice in most eastern woodlands below 2,000 feet elevation, including deciduous and evergreen forests. Tufted Titmice are also common visitors at feeders and can be found in backyards, parks, and orchards.

I found this one in my backyard in Polk County, Florida.

Little Blue Heron

A small, dark heron arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance. Little Blue Herons build stick nests in trees alongside other colonial waterbirds. In the U.S., their populations have been in a gradual decline since the mid-twentieth century.

Breeding adult birds have blue-grey plumages except for the head and neck, which are purplish and have long blue filamentous plumes. Their beak becomes blue around their eyes while the end remains black. Their legs and feet are dark blue/green or greenish. Both males and females are similar in the way they look.

This warbler species is one of the easier to spot if one is in the area since they forage near or not far above eye level and tend to be a little more methodical in their feeding by staying in an area for several minutes rather than flitting about like a number of other warblers.

They glean a lot of insects and have a fondness for insects that feed on the sap of trees as they excrete sweet sap droplets or "honeydew" from their exterior and these warblers like to lap it up. They will also eat small fruits and nectar.

Their nest can be found about 3 feet off the ground tucked into the "Y" of a bush in a dense tangle. The female will lay 3 - 5 eggs and incubate for 12 or 12 days. Some years they may raise two broods in one mating season.

This male exhibits the strong black, blue and white colouring which makes the female look a bit drab in her overall grayish, olive hue.

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southwest Florida

USA

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.

The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects. - Wikipedia

Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.

Lorimer Park, Abington, PA, USA

A warbler that looks like a thrush with its long legs and long body. Brown above with a white eyebrow stripe that is wider at the rear. Louisiana Waterthrush are almost always seen near fast-flowing forested streams or creeks.

They methodically bob their rear ends as they forage.

Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.

Nikon Z9 camera with Nikon 500mm f 5.6 E PF lens.

1/250 F5.6 ISO 2500, with fill flash

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me

Isaiah 46:9

Standing alone at the water’s edge or on a branch just above the water, the green heron waits patiently for its prey before driving its head into the water and catching its target in its pincer-like bill . Feeding primarily on fish, the green heron is one of very few tool-using bird species and uses a variety of baits and lures, including insects, earthworms, twigs or feathers, to entice fish to where it can grab them. This versatile, intelligent predator has a rather large bill for its size and, as such, can feed on a variety of other large prey, including frogs, reptiles, small mammals and crustaceans. It feeds by day and night in shallow waters, often as little as five centimetres deep, and tends to walk between hunting sites in a slow, methodical, deliberate fashion with the body crouched.

An extremely adaptable wetland bird, the green heron occupies almost any shallow fresh, brackish or saltwater habitat within its range. It is typically found in swampy thickets, preferring to forage around dense vegetation, but may feed in the open when food is available.

I found this one along Peavine Road in Osceola County, Florida.

This little warbling vireo is easily mistaken for a drab warbler since it's the same size, but its bill is very stout in comparison to the needle-like beaks on warblers. Warbling vireos tend to work more methodically than warblers too, sometimes sitting for a couple seconds before moving on.

'I'm sure there's something down there!?'

Mr Bitterns fishing technique is slow., patient and methodical

But also highly effective!

He displayed all his skills plucking one fish after another out of the water

This was one Bittern that wasn't going to go hungry today!

Thanks very much everyone this is the most views, favs and I believe comments I have received in one day without an explore. You are all too kind, thank you very much for making my experience on Flickr an amazing one!

We were learning how to use kayaks the past few days, this morning I felt confident enough to carry my camera in a dry bag. Only a few hundred yards from where we launched we discovered this very busy Mother Merganser with 8 chicks. Photography from a kayak is a whole new learning curve plus I did not want to frighten these darling little fuzz balls, so everything I did was in slow motion and very methodical. I got a few shots and the camera survived another adventure :)

"Hutton’s Vireo is a small greenish songbird of the Pacific Coast that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, even down to the off-center eyering. Over most of its range, Hutton’s Vireos live in coniferous, evergreen oak, and mixed woodlands, where they forage methodically for insects fairly high in the trees. Hutton’s Vireos are unusual among North American vireos in that they don’t migrate. Individuals in coastal regions tend to be richer green and yellow than those in arid inland regions, which are grayer. The range of the Hutton's Vireo is broken up into distinct areas separated by wide desert. Across these areas, up to 12 subspecies have been described, varying in size and plumage." Information from the All About Birds website, www.allaboutbirds.org, © Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

For quality Japanese calligraphy, the ink is prepared before each use, by methodically and gently grinding an ink stick on an ink stone, adding small quantities of water as fits for the right consistency. A brush with a combination of horsetail and sheep hairs ensures the appropriate softness and absorbance.

I've brought back those three elements, ink stick, stone and brush, from a travel to Japan almost three years ago, but haven't used them yet... It was about time for them to get prime time!

And now that the Macro Mondays picture of the week is done, I feel a growing urge to finally start using them. 😊

Alongside the beautiful tawny owl, this cryptic character shuffled out of the darkness. I haven’t had a good look at a badger for years, so it was delightful to watch it for such a long time, rhythmically and methodically swinging its snout to and fro across the ground in search of food.

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southwest Florida

USA

The immature little blue heron was photographed standing on a fence, so I decided to crop it to just show the upper part of the body.

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.

The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to seven light blue eggs are laid. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects.

White little blue herons often mingle with snowy egrets. The snowy egret tolerates their presence more than little blue herons in adult plumage. These young birds actually catch more fish when in the presence of the snowy egret and also gain a measure of protection from predators when they mix into flocks of white herons. It is plausible that because of these advantages, they remain white for their first year. – Wikipedia

A distinctively marked turtle slowly and methodically climbs up a rock.

A small, dark heron arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance. Little Blue Herons build stick nests in trees alongside other colonial waterbirds. In the U.S., their populations have been in a gradual decline since the mid-twentieth century.

Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

There aren't many birds more enchanting to watch than a Barn Owl, with that slow methodical flight.

It is the most widely distributed owl in the world, but its behaviour varies signficantly depending on the number of aerial predators, luckily in the UK there are not that many - so we are sometimes lucky enough to see Barn Owls daylight hunting morning and afternoon.

It was a very special moment when this one flew towards me in the morning sun.

I don't normally drop the shutter speed this low if I can help it, but do like the motion blur it creates on the wing tips.

Taken in Norfolk.

Santa Paula is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. Situated amidst the orchards of the fertile Santa Clara River Valley, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "Citrus Capital of the World." Santa Paula was one of the early centers of California's petroleum industry. The Union Oil Company Building, the founding headquarters of the Union Oil Company of California in 1890, now houses the California Oil Museum. The population was 29,321 at the 2010 census, up from 28,598 at the 2000 census.

The area of what today is Santa Paula was originally inhabited by the Chumash, a Native American people. In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the Santa Clara River Valley from the previous night's encampment near Fillmore and camped in the vicinity of Santa Paula on August 12, near one of the creeks coming into the valley from the north (probably Santa Paula Creek). Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, had previously named the valley Cañada de Santa Clara. He noted that the party traveled about 9 to 10 miles (14 to 16 km) that day and camped near a large native village, which he named San Pedro Amoliano. The site of the expedition's arrival has been designated California Historical Landmark No. 727.

Franciscan missionaries, led by Father Junipero Serra, became active in the area after the founding of the San Buenaventura Mission and established an Asistencia; the town takes its name from the Catholic Saint Paula. Santa Paula is located on the 1843 Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy Mexican land grant.

In 1872 Nathan Weston Blanchard purchased 2,700 acres (10.9 km2) and laid out the townsite. Considered the founder of the community, he planted seedling orange trees in 1874. Several small oil companies owned by Wallace Hardison, Lyman Stewart and Thomas R. Bard were combined and became the Union Oil Company in 1890.

In April 1911, Gaston Méliès moved his Star Film Company from San Antonio, Texas to a site just north of Santa Paula.

The large South Mountain Oil Field southeast of town, just across the Santa Clara River, was discovered by the Oak Ridge Oil Company in 1916, and developed methodically through the 1920s, bringing further economic diversification and growth to the area. While the field peaked in production in the 1950s, Occidental Petroleum continues to extract oil through its Vintage Production subsidiary and remains a significant local employer.

A 500-acre (200 ha) master-planned community of 1,500 homes is expected to expand the town significantly when it begins construction in 2016.

Yes it's a play on the words of Alice Cooper. The back story is stranger than that though. This Caterpillar in the web i'm suspecting is another type of Tussock variety as this garden spider came at it fast, touched it and promptly backed off. Each time the caterpillar would turn to it's web center it'd poke it with it's legs but no more. The caterpillar literally ate the web all around it methodically til it just dropped to the ground.

Adult male

It is not the most often seen, because it tends to stay out of sight in the leafy treetops, searching methodically among the foliage for insects.

When fall arrives, they head for the Amazon basin, fuelled by a summer of plucking caterpillars from leaves in the treetops.

We were hanging out at Schwabachers Landing in Grand Tetons N.P. waiting for the sunset when a pair of beavers left their lodge and started to dine on the brush down-river from their dam. They were very methodical, shearing the bark off a stick like you or I would eat corn on the cob. Starting on one end they would rotate the branch with their front paws stripping and eating the bark off until reaching the other end. Then off to another branch.

Schwabachers Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. Elevation: 6,563 ft. September 25, 2015.

The rich song of the Warbling Vireo is a common sound in many parts of central and northern North America during summer. It’s a great bird to learn by ear, because its fast, rollicking song is its most distinctive feature. Otherwise, Warbling Vireos are fairly plain birds with gray-olive upperparts and white underparts washed with faint yellow. They have a mild face pattern with a whitish stripe over the eye. They stay high in deciduous treetops, where they move methodically among the leaves hunting for caterpillars.

They are strong, reliable, fair and conscientious, inspiring confidence in others. They are also calm, patient, methodical and can be trusted. Although they say little they can be very opinionated.

An exceptionally appreciated place in Poland is the Old Town in Warsaw, entered on the UNESCO list in 1980, not because of its historic value, but as an example of exceptional piety in the almost complete restoration of the oldest part of the city, methodically destroyed by the Germans after the Warsaw Uprising.

www.google.com/search?q=stare+miasto+w+warszawie+lista+un...

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southwest Florida

USA

This little blue was photographed close to its nest which was partially hidden in the shade.

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.

The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to seven light blue eggs are laid. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects.

White little blue herons often mingle with snowy egrets. The snowy egret tolerates their presence more than little blue herons in adult plumage. These young birds actually catch more fish when in the presence of the snowy egret and also gain a measure of protection from predators when they mix into flocks of white herons. It is plausible that because of these advantages, they remain white for their first year. – Wikipedia

A Reddish egret using the slow and methodical approach to catching prey.

Flying over the Pacific Ocean in the desert of Paracas - wild.

Though closely related, the Peruvian Pelican is almost twice as large as its northern congener, the Brown Pelican. The species breeds along the Pacific Coast of South America in Peru and Chile. Though still common, with about half a million breeding adults, the population has been negatively affected by strong El Niño fluctuations and changes in food fish populations, particularly anchoveta. Peruvian Pelicans are easily observed from shore as they fly back and forth in nearshore waters by means of soaring interrupted by deep, methodical wingbeats. It's an amazing bird.

Conservation Status - Near Threatened

For a Peaceful Bokeh Wednesday!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

My instagram if you like: @thelmag and @thelma_and_cats

They compliment its weather. They complain of the earlier months as cold, and so spend them in the city; and they complain of the later months as hot, and so refrigerate themselves on some barren sea-coast. Mother Nature offers us yearly a necklace of twelve pearls; most men choose the fairest, label it June, and cast the rest away :-)

Thomas Wentworth Higginson, "April Days," 1861 [a little altered —ist]

HPPT!!

rose, little theater rose garden, raleigh, north carolina

What a delight to see an adult male Western Tanager in the backyard in the early afternoon. I couldn’t believe my eyes.…I was stunned by the striking flaming vibrant colours…not something that you’d typically see in the backyard.

“Western Tanagers are common in western conifer forests during the breeding season. These birds live in open woods all over the West, particularly among evergreens, where they often stay hidden in the canopy. Western Tanagers forage slowly and methodically along branches and among leaves or needles of trees. They eat primarily insects, supplemented with small fruits in fall and winter. They sometimes catch insects in the air. In spring and summer, males sing their hoarse, American Robin-like song frequently. “(Source: AllAboutBirds.org)

Photography: Nikon Z50, Nikkor 200-500mm, @f8, 500mm.

O Rage, O Despair! On June 6, 1944, the D.DAY took place in Normandy! On June 10 the village of Oradour sur Glane is massacred !!!!!

Ce titre est en rapport avec les quelques lettres qui restent sur un des bâtiments de la gare d'Oradour sur Glane,

This title is related to the few letters that remain on one of the buildings of the station of Oradour sur Glane

------

Samedi 10 juin 1944 : la vie du paisible bourg limousin d’Oradour-sur-Glane est anéantie en quelques heures par une action brutale, méthodique et délibérée d’une partie de la division Waffen SS Das Reich. Comment un tel acte a-t-il pu être mené et préparé ? Les dépositions des survivants et témoins, complétées des auditions des accusés entendus par la suite, ainsi que l’étude des documents d’archives, permettent de restituer le déroulement du massacre et d’éclairer l’implacable logique l’ayant suscité.

Oradour avant le massacre

Situé à une vingtaine de kilomètres au nord ouest de Limoges, Oradour est un bourg rural dont la population s’élève, lors du recensement de 1936, à 1574 habitants. Du fait de la guerre, on y compte également de nombreux réfugiés, comme dans tout le département : espagnols chassés par le franquisme, évacués alsaciens, expulsés mosellans, Juifs français ou étrangers fuyant les persécutions.

Sa situation et son activité commerçante et agricole attirent également, en ces temps de rationnement, de nombreux citadins venus se ravitailler ou s’y mettre à l’abri : le chemin de fer départemental relie en effet la bourgade à Limoges et Saint-Junien depuis 1911.

Le bourg central compte 330 habitants, regroupe les commerces, artisans, services publics ainsi que quatre écoles. Les hameaux environnants, dépendants de la commune, y envoient leurs enfants.

En ce samedi 10 juin, le bourg est donc peuplé, animé, vivant, jusqu’aux toutes premières heures de l’après-midi.

Qui sont les exécuteurs ?

La troupe qui se rend à Oradour est constituée de trois sections de la 3e compagnie du régiment blindé Der Führer de la division Waffen SS Das Reich.

Créée en 1938, cette division est l’une des plus anciennes des formations de la Waffen SS, branche armée des forces nazies. Engagée successivement dans les campagnes d’annexion et d’invasion en Europe occidentale et centrale et dans les Balkans, puis dans les combats du front de l’Est, elle s’y initie aux exécutions de masse de populations civiles qu’elle met en oeuvre impitoyablement sous les ordres de son commandement : la terreur devient sa signature.

Décimée lors de sa retraite du front russe, elle est retirée des combats et reconstituée au camps de Souges, près de Bordeaux, au printemps 1944. On lui adjoint de nouvelles recrues, de diverses nationalités, alors à l’instruction.

La troupe, sous-encadrée, hétérogène et en manque de matériel, est envoyée dans les environs de Montauban où elle commet exactions, exécutions et incendies, appliquant les méthodes utilisées à l’Est.

La division Das Reich en Limousin

Le 8 juin, une partie de la division Das Reich se met en route vers la région de Tulle et Limoges, afin d’y mener des opérations de ratissage en réponse aux actions de la Résistance qui se multiplient. Ce mouvement répond aux propositions formulées par le général Lammerding, commandant de la division, dans un rapport à sa hiérarchie en date du 5 juin visant à la criminalisation des “bandes” par la pression sur les populations civiles, ainsi qu’à l’application de mesures répressives brutales pour une “reprise en main de la zone”.

8500 hommes environ participent à ce déplacement jalonné de massacres, pillages, incendies, et atteignent le 9 juin Limoges, Guéret, et Argenton-sur-Creuse.

Ce même jour, la pendaison de 99 otages et la déportation de nombreux habitants de Tulle s’inscrit dans une succession de drames qui culminera à Oradour, le lendemain 10 Juin.

Un massacre préparé

Le 9 juin, le régiment d’infanterie blindée Der Führer investit la ville de Limoges et sa périphérie. L’état-major s’installe à Limoges, le premier bataillon est positionné à l’ouest, à Rochechouart et Saint-Junien. Il reçoit alors l’ordre de rejoindre le 11 juin le front ouvert par le débarquement des forces alliées en Normandie. Dans l’intervalle, on met au point l’”action exemplaire” préconisée par Lammerding.

Des réunions sont connues grâce aux dossiers d’archives : le vendredi 9 entre miliciens à Limoges, puis le samedi 10 au matin successivement à Limoges et à Saint-Junien, entre officiers Waffen SS et policiers SS en poste à Limoges.

Des miliciens suivent les opérations.

Le cantonnement de la troupe positionnée à Saint-Junien est prévu le 10 au soir à Nieul. Entre les deux localités : Oradour.

Le 10 juin, la 3e compagnie, soit environ 200 Waffen SS commandés par le capitaine Kahn, se met en route aux environs de 13 heures.

La troupe approche du bourg et les hommes reçoivent des ordres. Le périmètre des exécutions est délimité. Lorsque les premiers véhicules entrent dans Oradour, le bourg est déjà méthodiquement encerclé. Les habitants sont systématiquement rabattus vers l’intérieur du bourg et rassemblés sur le champ de foire : ordre est donné d’abattre ceux qui ne peuvent s’y rendre. Sur le champ de foire cerné par les soldats, les hommes sont séparés des femmes et des enfants qui sont conduits dans l’église. Les hommes sont répartis dans des lieux clos repérés préalablement. Un signal est donné : ils sont alors simultanément exécutés. La troupe tue au hasard des rues et des habitations ; le village est pillé et incendié. Femmes et enfants sont massacrés dans l’église, que les soldats tentent de détruire avec des explosifs. En début de soirée, une partie de la troupe rejoint son cantonnement : d’autres hommes gardent le bourg dévasté. Le lendemain, une section revient et procède à l’élimination systématique des corps par le feu et la fosse commune. Cet outrage aux cadavres rend impossible l’identification des morts, prolongeant la terreur jusque dans l’interdiction du deuil. On dénombrera 643 victimes.

Source Centre de la mémoire Oradour sur Glane Village Martyr

---------------------------

Saturday, June 10, 1944: the life of the peaceful Limousin town of Oradour-sur-Glane is destroyed in a few hours by a brutal, methodical and deliberate action by part of the Waffen SS Das Reich division. How could such an act have been carried out and prepared? The depositions of the survivors and witnesses, supplemented by the hearings of the accused heard subsequently, as well as the study of archival documents, make it possible to reconstruct the course of the massacre and to shed light on the implacable logic that gave rise to it.

Oradour before the massacre

Located about twenty kilometers north-west of Limoges, Oradour is a rural town whose population rises, during the 1936 census, to 1574 inhabitants. Because of the war, there are also many refugees there, as in the whole department: Spaniards expelled by Francoism, Alsatian evacuees, Moselle expelled, French Jews or foreigners fleeing persecution.

Its location and its commercial and agricultural activity also attracted, in these times of rationing, many city dwellers who came to get supplies or take shelter there: the departmental railway links the town to Limoges and Saint-Junien from 1911.

The central town has 330 inhabitants, includes shops, craftsmen, public services and four schools. The surrounding hamlets, dependent on the municipality, send their children there.

On this Saturday, June 10, the town is therefore populated, lively, alive, until the very early hours of the afternoon.

Who are the executors?

The troop going to Oradour is made up of three sections of the 3rd company of the armored regiment Der Führer of the Waffen SS Das Reich division.

Created in 1938, this division is one of the oldest formations of the Waffen SS, the armed wing of the Nazi forces. Engaged successively in the annexation and invasion campaigns in Western and Central Europe and in the Balkans, then in the battles on the Eastern Front, she learned about the mass executions of civilian populations which she put in works ruthlessly under the orders of his command: terror becomes his signature.

Decimated during its retirement from the Russian front, it was withdrawn from combat and reconstituted at the Souges camp, near Bordeaux, in the spring of 1944. New recruits of various nationalities were added to it, then in training.

The troop, under-supervised, heterogeneous and lacking in equipment, is sent to the vicinity of Montauban where it commits atrocities, executions and fires, applying the methods used in the East.

The Das Reich division in Limousin

On June 8, part of the Das Reich division set out for the region of Tulle and Limoges, in order to carry out search operations there in response to the actions of the Resistance which were multiplying. This movement responds to the proposals made by General Lammerding, commander of the division, in a report to his hierarchy dated June 5 aimed at the criminalization of "gangs" by pressure on civilian populations, as well as the application of brutal repressive measures for a “recovery of the area”.

About 8,500 men took part in this movement punctuated by massacres, looting, fires, and on June 9 reached Limoges, Guéret, and Argenton-sur-Creuse.

That same day, the hanging of 99 hostages and the deportation of many inhabitants of Tulle is part of a succession of dramas which will culminate in Oradour, the next day June 10.

A prepared massacre

On June 9, the armored infantry regiment Der Führer invested the city of Limoges and its outskirts. The staff moved to Limoges, the first battalion was positioned to the west, in Rochechouart and Saint-Junien. He then received the order to join on June 11 the front opened by the landing of the Allied forces in Normandy. In the meantime, the “exemplary action” advocated by Lammerding was developed.

Meetings are known thanks to archive files: Friday 9 between militiamen in Limoges, then Saturday morning 10 successively in Limoges and Saint-Junien, between Waffen SS officers and SS policemen stationed in Limoges.

Militiamen follow the operations.

The cantonment of the troop positioned in Saint-Junien is planned for the evening of the 10th in Nieul. Between the two localities: Oradour.

On June 10, the 3rd company, about 200 Waffen SS commanded by Captain Kahn, set off around 1 p.m.

The troops approach the village and the men receive orders. The scope of the executions is delimited. When the first vehicles enter Oradour, the town is already methodically surrounded. The inhabitants are systematically pushed towards the interior of the town and gathered on the fairground: the order is given to shoot those who cannot go there. On the fairground surrounded by soldiers, the men are separated from the women and children who are led into the church. The men are distributed in closed places identified beforehand. A signal is given: they are then simultaneously executed. The troops randomly kill streets and houses; the village is looted and burned. Women and children are massacred in the church, which the soldiers try to destroy with explosives. At the beginning of the evening, part of the troops returned to their quarters: other men guarded the devastated town. The next day, a section returns and proceeds to the systematic elimination of the bodies by fire and the mass grave. This insult to the corpses makes it impossible to identify the dead, prolonging the terror even in the prohibition of mourning. There will be 643 victims.

Source Centre de la mémoire Oradour sur Glane Village Martyr

-----------------------

Robert Hébras, dernier témoin direct du massacre d'Oradour-sur-Glane (Haute-Vienne), est mort le samedi 11 février à l'âge de 97 ans, ainsi que l'a annoncé sa famille.

-----------

Robert Hébras, the last direct witness of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre (Haute-Vienne), died on Saturday February 11 at the age of 97, as announced by his family.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkd3PNibon0&t=6s

N'ai-je donc tant vécu que pour cette infamie

Et ne suis-je blanchi dans les travaux guerriers

Que pour voir en un jour flétrir tant de lauriers ?

Le Cid de Pierre Corneille

---------------------

Have I lived so long only for this infamy

And am I whitewashed in the labors of war

Only to see so many laurels wither in one day ?

Le Cid by Pierre Corneille

What a delight to see an adult male Western Tanager in the backyard blackberry bushes in the early afternoon. I couldn’t believe my eyes.…I was stunned by the striking flaming vibrant colours…not something that you’d typically see in the backyard.

“Western Tanagers are common in western conifer forests during the breeding season. These birds live in open woods all over the West, particularly among evergreens, where they often stay hidden in the canopy. Western Tanagers forage slowly and methodically along branches and among leaves or needles of trees. They eat primarily insects, supplemented with small fruits in fall and winter. They sometimes catch insects in the air. In spring and summer, males sing their hoarse, American Robin-like song frequently. “(Source: AllAboutBirds.org)

Photography: Nikon Z50, Nikkor 200-500mm, @f8, 500mm.

I watched dozens of gulls yesterday in the middle of the lake on a sand bar with shells/clams on it. They would methodically take one in their beak and fly up and hover and then release it! I thought they were doing this to break open the clams on the sand below, but they would dive bomb it after they dropped it, and catch it before it hit, only to wash it in the water. I'm not sure what was going on, cause most of the time they would catch it in mid-air, but sometimes it would fall in the water, and they would retrieve it again. They all seeemd to be doing this, and they didn't seem to be stealing from one another. Fascinating to watch and shoot. 1 of 5

I took a picture of this house over a year ago and it was in a pretty bad state (see the first comment). When I went by it the other day, I noticed that work was being done. The L-shaped back of the house has been completely removed. This is the same viewpoint as the first picture. They have removed the two windows on the side and boarded over them.

At this point, I’m not sure if they are methodically tearing it all down or fixing it up.

I’ll be keeping my eye on it.

The rich song of the Warbling Vireo is a common sound in many parts of central and northern North America during summer. It’s a great bird to learn by ear, because its fast, rollicking song is its most distinctive feature. Otherwise, Warbling Vireos are fairly plain birds with gray-olive upperparts and white underparts washed with faint yellow. They have a mild face pattern with a whitish stripe over the eye. They stay high in deciduous treetops, where they move methodically among the leaves hunting for caterpillars.

This Yellow Warbler was busy gobbling up every insect it could find when I encountered him a few days ago. I really enjoyed watching him methodically explore every little hiding place in the leaves and branches in his search for fuel for the rest of this tiny bird’s LONG flight north. What an amazing thing it is to be able to witness this spectacle of nature.

www.texastargetbirds.com

_MG_4577-web

Setophaga petechia

Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland, USA

Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.

Wilson’s Snipes forage by methodically probing in muddy ground for earthworms and other invertebrates. Their heads move up and down somewhat like a sewing machine running at slow speed. Individuals usually sit tight until suddenly flushing near your feet and flying off in fast zigzags.

Nikon Z9 camera with Nikon Z600mm f 6.3 PF lens.

1/2500 F6.3 ISO 1600

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you".

Luke 6:27-28

Genova Pegli, Villa Durazzo Pallavicini (Liguria - Italia): ripetuti e metodici, attirano lo sguardo e richiamano l'attenzione.

Genova Pegli, Durazzo Pallavicini Manor (Liguria - Italy): repeated and methodical, they attract the eye and draw attention.

A small flock of the Roayal Spoonbills arrived on the drying wetlands. I observed one of them foraging in the shallow waters using its beak with methodical "metal detector" movements, Suddenly it began to dance in some frenetic ballet ....

TBC

(Platalea regia)

The Tit Hylia (Pholidornis rushiae) is one of West Africa’s smallest forest birds, It is also the smallest bird native to Africa! a delicate and easily overlooked presence high in the canopy. Cloaked in soft green tones that mirror surrounding leaves, it moves quietly through fine branches, often betraying its presence only with a thin, high-pitched call. Tiny yet energetic, it forages methodically for insects along twigs and foliage, rewarding patient observation rather than quick glances.

Strongly associated with mature forest, the Tit Hylia favours dense woodland where its subtle plumage provides near-perfect camouflage. Its unobtrusive behaviour and preference for shaded, leafy habitats make sightings brief but memorable, especially for those willing to pause and watch carefully.

This photograph was taken from the canopy walkway in Kakum National Park, Ghana — one of the highest and most exhilarating canopy walks in Africa. Suspended high above the forest floor, the walkway offers a rare perspective into the upper levels of the rainforest, where birds like the Tit Hylia spend much of their lives. Photographing such a small, active species from such a high canopy added an extra layer of challenge, making the encounter all the more rewarding.

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southwest Florida

USA

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.

The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to seven light blue eggs are laid. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects.

White little blue herons often mingle with snowy egrets. The snowy egret tolerates their presence more than little blue herons in adult plumage. These young birds actually catch more fish when in the presence of the snowy egret and also gain a measure of protection from predators when they mix into flocks of white herons. It is plausible that because of these advantages, they remain white for their first year. – Wikipedia

With the approach of the annual Remembrance Sunday and having quite often written about my father and his mémoirs, I thought to create this post about my mother. Let's call her May, her second name and used by my father because she really disliked her first name, Gladys.

I've always loved this photo of her in a country lane near home at No 20, The Street, Claydon, a sleepy village in the county of Suffolk. She lived there with her parents and three brothers. I wonder where she was off to, dressed so elegantly, her beret at a jaunty angle. Nobody left to ask now....

May and Bert met as teenagers at school and were married in March 1941: Bert, already a conscript - Sept '39 aged 20 - wore his army uniform on the day; May was in traditional white with a large trailing bouquet of red carnations, the custom at the time.

Just 4 months after their wedding day, Bert was despatched to war, sailing on the New Zealand troopship, the Rangitiki, to the Middle East. May became a 'land girl' working in the Women's Land Army (WLA) on farms in her native Suffolk - and waiting for news. Looking at the photo, you can see her on the left in the first row at harvest time with her 'gang' wearing their dungarees and picking apples.

Of course May features in my dad's mémoirs but any communication between a wife at home and her husband in a PoW camp was spasmodic and limited. The last photo in my collage is one May sent to Bert. He, in his careful and methodical way, wrote on the back of the photo: Sent 21-2-43. Recd 1-7-43

Some time in June 1942, May received notification that Bert was missing and it must have been such a relief to her to learn 6 weeks later that he was alive, albeit in a PoW camp in Benghazi.

At last, in spring 1945, Bert returned home to May and their cottage in Paper Mill Lane, Claydon.

And the rest is history, some of it mine, I'm happy to say!

thank you for all your visits

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southern Florida

USA

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron. It breeds in the Gulf states of the US, through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern US or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the Canada–US border.

The little blue heron's breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Three to seven light blue eggs are laid. The little blue heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, small rodents and insects.

White little blue herons often mingle with snowy egrets. The snowy egret tolerates their presence more than little blue herons in adult plumage. These young birds actually catch more fish when in the presence of the snowy egret and also gain a measure of protection from predators when they mix into flocks of white herons. It is plausible that because of these advantages, they remain white for their first year. – Wikipedia

My sparrow journey continues with one of North America's most common sparrows, very friendly, never flying too far, being a slow, methodic mover. I always thought its most prominent feature was a large chest spot....but unless I have the ID wrong, it's not always there! They form groups on migration with other sparrows and I never saw one in south Florida, although infrequently they are reported in the upper part of the state.

Member of Nature’s Spirit

Good Stewards of Nature

All through January while I was working at home I watched these redwings methodically strip this holly from the top to the bottom.

They have moved on now I hope they found another source of food

Watching the methodical hunting of shorebirds is pretty entertaining for me. I love seeing how they move, look around and poke their beaks down into the sand from time to time. This Marbled Godwit provided some nice photography opportunities yesterday morning out at the Texas City Dike.

www.texastargetbirds.com

_MG_7878-web

Limosa fedoa

These guys just dropped into the local pond and methodically criss cross the surface scooping up all its delicious offerings. They almost seem robotic with the synchronized movements of the team.

I think they will make short work of our little pond much to the dismay of the local great blue heron and red winged blackbirds who are not impressed.