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There's quite a population of Canada Geese...
Schloss Blutenburg (Blutenburg Castle) was first mentioned in 1432 though it's origins reach back to a moated castle from the 13th century.
In the years 1438–39 Duke Albert III, Duke of Bavaria rebuild the castle as a hunting-lodge.
Nowadays it houses the International Youth Library (Internationale Jugendbibliothek) and the library of the Michael Ende Museum.
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Red backed Shrike - Lanius collurio
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae. The breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia but it only rarely occurs in the British Isles. It is migratory and winters in the western areas of tropical Africa.
Once a common migratory visitor to Great Britain, numbers declined sharply during the 20th century. The bird's last stronghold was in Breckland but by 1988 just a single pair remained, successfully raising young at Santon Downham. The following year for the first time no nests were recorded in the UK. But since then sporadic breeding has taken place, mostly in Scotland and Wales. In September 2010 the RSPB announced that a pair had raised chicks at a secret location on Dartmoor where the bird last bred in 1970. In 2011, two pairs nested in the same locality, fledging seven young. In 2012 there was another breeding attempt, this time unsuccessful, probably due to a prolonged spell of wet weather. In 2013 breeding was again confirmed in Devon, with two young fledged at a new site.
This return to south western England has been an unexpected development and has raised speculation that a warming climate could assist the bird in re-colonising some of its former haunts, if only in small numbers.
Population:
UK breeding:
1-3 pairs
UK passage:
250 birds
Got a shot of a backyard visitor yesterday... the Lesser Goldfinch. He was eyeballing me while I put some sun flower seeds in the feeder. It was a good morning : )
Lesser Goldfinches are tiny, stub-billed songbirds with long, pointed wings, and short, notched tails. They are most common in California and Texas, with pockets of local populations throughout the rest of its U.S. range. They are quite small in stature, approximately 2.5 inches tall and weigh approximately ½ oz
Lesser Goldfinches feed in weedy fields, budding treetops, and the brush of open areas and edges. Depending on food availability, they may concentrate in mountain canyons and desert oases, but they are also fairly common in suburbs.
These finches primarily eat seeds of plants in the sunflower family, and they occur all the way south to the Peruvian Andes. Listen closely to their wheezy songs, which often include snippets from the songs of other birds.
(Nikon, 500 mm + TC 1.4, 1/2500 @ f/5.6, ISO 800, edited to taste)
Red backed Shrike - Lanius collurio
Male - Sutton CF
The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae. The breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia but it only rarely occurs in the British Isles. It is migratory and winters in the western areas of tropical Africa.
Once a common migratory visitor to Great Britain, numbers declined sharply during the 20th century. The bird's last stronghold was in Breckland but by 1988 just a single pair remained, successfully raising young at Santon Downham. The following year for the first time no nests were recorded in the UK. But since then sporadic breeding has taken place, mostly in Scotland and Wales. In September 2010 the RSPB announced that a pair had raised chicks at a secret location on Dartmoor where the bird last bred in 1970. In 2011, two pairs nested in the same locality, fledging seven young. In 2012 there was another breeding attempt, this time unsuccessful, probably due to a prolonged spell of wet weather. In 2013 breeding was again confirmed in Devon, with two young fledged at a new site.
This return to south western England has been an unexpected development and has raised speculation that a warming climate could assist the bird in re-colonising some of its former haunts, if only in small numbers.
Population:
UK breeding:
1-3 pairs
UK passage:
250 birds
Pied Flycatcher (M) - Ficedula hypoleuca
The European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it hybridizes to a limited extent with the collared flycatcher. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia.
It is migratory, wintering mainly in tropical Africa.
It usually builds its nests in holes on oak trees. This species practices polygyny, usually bigamy, with the male travelling large distances to acquire a second mate. The male will mate with the secondary female and then return to the primary female in order to help with aspects of child rearing, such as feeding.
The European pied flycatcher is mainly insectivorous, although its diet also includes other arthropods. This species commonly feeds on spiders, ants, bees and similar prey.
The European pied flycatcher predominately practices a mixed mating system of monogamy and polygyny. Their mating system has also been described as successive polygyny. Within the latter system, the males leave their home territory once their primary mates lays their first eggs. Males then create a second territory, presumably in order to attract a secondary female to breed. Even when they succeed at acquiring a second mate, the males typically return to the first female to exclusively provide for her and her offspring.
Males will sometimes care for both mates if the nests of the primary and secondary female are close together. The male may also care for both mates once the offspring of the primary female have fledged. The male bird usually does not exceed two mates, practicing bigamy. Only two cases of trigyny had been observed.
Population:
UK breeding:
17,000-20,000 pairs
Unique sparrow with incredible variation between populations. Generally patterned with gray, white, and shades of tan. All have pinkish bills and white outer tail feathers. Juveniles are streaky. Breeds in a variety of forested habitats, especially with conifers. Found in any wooded habitat in the winter, often in flocks. Usually forages on the ground for seeds, but also fond of brushy thickets or weedy fields. Visits feeders. Subspecies include: Slate-colored (widespread), Oregon (West), Pink-sided (Rockies), Gray-headed (Rockies and southwest U.S. to Mexico), Red-backed (central Arizona and New Mexico), and White-winged (breeds in Black Hills, winters mainly Colorado). (eBird)
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I've finally broken the junco curse. After years of them disappearing even if I though the word "camera", I got several great shots this year. I may never get another, but I am very happy with this most recent shot. He's probably planning on the trip home for breeding, as he now has to compete with the recently arrived Song Sparrows.
Shirley's Bay, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. April 2023.
Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla
The common firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) also known as the firecrest, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It breeds in most of temperate Europe and northwestern Africa, and is partially migratory, with birds from central Europe wintering to the south and west of their breeding range.
The head crest, orange in the male and yellow in the female, is displayed during breeding, and gives rise to the English and scientific names for the species. This bird superficially resembles the goldcrest, which largely shares its European range, but the firecrest's bronze shoulders and strong face pattern are distinctive.
The common firecrest breeds in lowland broadleaf forest, preferring cork oak and alder where available, otherwise beech and holly. It also uses mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland, and stands of spruce, European silver fir, cedar and pines, often with undergrowth of juniper, ivy and wild rose. In drier Mediterranean habitats it is found in conifers, evergreen oak, and mixed woodlands up to 2,800 m (9,200 ft). Unlike more specialised birds such as Eurasian nuthatch and common treecreeper, both of which forage on trunks, the crests do not need large woodlands, and their population density is independent of forest size. In winter it is less reliant on conifers than the goldcrest, moving from forest to fringes and scrub. It occurs singly or in pairs, spending much time in the tree canopy, although frequently venturing into bushes and other lower vegetation. This species can thrive in fairly urban areas, provided that suitable habitat is available in parks or large gardens; population densities in gardens can be comparable with the maximum levels found in natural habitats.
Population:
UK breeding:
550 territories
NEPAL, Royal Chitwan-Nationalpark
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.[1] 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.
Pico Island’s population (just 15k inhabitants) live scattered along the coastline. In the interior of the island you can’t find a soul. Just happy cows grazing and enjoying an easy life from abundant pasture.
That’s a pity (or a blessing…) because you can find there beautiful spots with an endless number of volcanoes, craters, lakes (crater lakes) and views to the sea and nearby islands. And green, a lot of green!
One of the lakes I’ve found there is this “pearl”. An awesome view! The couple of white spots you see in the image aren’t hot pixels. No, they are just cows calmly grazing and enjoying the view…!
*****
Pico Island, Azores, Portugal
© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
P1100558 - Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus arnee)
# 365 - 13 Aug '2019 - 18:45 (13:15 GMT)
Image taken from an open jeep safari at a close distance 🐾
At - Kaziranga National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site - Eastern Himalayas.
Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International ...
WONDERFUL FACTS - The Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus arnee) - also called Asian Buffalo, Asiatic Buffalo and Wild Asian Buffalo.
Is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
It has been listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List since 1986, as the remaining population totals less than 4,000.
A population decline of at least 50% over the last three generations (24–30 years) is projected to continue.
The global population has been estimated at 3,400 individuals, of which 3,100 (91%) live in India, mostly in Assam.
The wild water buffalo is the probable ancestor of the domestic water buffalo
(Wikipedia)
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Happy birding 🍁
Pine Marten - Martes martes
Pine martens are found in the Scottish Highlands and Grampians, with isolated populations in southern Scotland. In England and North Wales pine martens seem to be on the verge of extinction. They are widespread and relatively common in Ireland. Although they occur in a wide range of habitats, pine martens prefer well-wooded areas with plenty of cover.
Diet: Pine martens are generalist predators, feeding on small rodents, birds, beetles, carrion, eggs and fungi. In autumn, berries are a staple.
General Ecology: Marten dens are commonly found in hollow trees or the fallen root masses of Scots pines, an association that probably earned pine martens their name; cairns and cliffs covered with scrub are frequently used as alternative den sites. Martens have territories that vary in size according to habitat and food availability. For males, these are about 10-25 square kilometres and for females about 5-15 square kilometres. They mark their territories with faeces (known as scats) deposited in places where they are conspicuous to other martens; they are frequently left along forestry trails.
Breeding: Young martens are born blind and hairless, in litters of 1-5, in early spring and stay with their mothers for about six weeks. Their eyes open at the end of May and by mid-June they begin to emerge from their den. Male martens play no direct part in rearing the young.
Conservation Status: Martens and their dens are fully protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981); martens must not be trapped, sold or disturbed except under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage, the Countryside Council for Wales or Natural England. Despite this legal protection, poisoned baits and traps, often set for hooded crows and foxes, still probably account for many marten deaths each year. Others are also shot at hen houses, and some are killed when mistaken for mink.
Until the 19th Century, pine martens were found throughout much of mainland Britain, the Isle of Wight and some of the Scottish islands. Habitat fragmentation, persecution by gamekeepers and martens being killed for their fur, drastically reduced this distribution. By 1926, the main pine marten population in Britain was restricted to a small area of north-west Scotland, with small numbers in N Wales and the Lake District. They have now increased their range in Scotland, and now occur throughout the Highlands, N of the Central Belt but remains one of the rarest native mammals in Great Britain, with a total population of around 3-4,000, but Ireland probably also has as many.
Inowrocław is a city with a population of almost 75,000. residents. One of the oldest Polish cities, founded in the years 1231–1267. Already in the 11th century, this area was quite a dense settlement complex, probably associated with the oldest salt works.
The strict city center is typical of towns founded in the Middle Ages. The central square is a rectangular market square with streets diverging from it. Most of the tenement houses existing at them date back to the 19th century. On the developed market square there is a modern fountain and a figure of Queen Jadwiga, the patron of Inowrocław.
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Inowrocław jest miastem, które liczy prawie 75 tys. mieszkańców. Jedno z najstarszych miast polskich lokowane w latach 1231–1267. Już w XI wieku teren ten stanowił dość zwarty kompleks osadniczy, związany prawdopodobnie z najstarszą warzelnią soli.
Ścisłe centrum miasta jest typowe dla założonych w okresie średniowiecza miast. Centralnym placem jest prostokątny rynek, od którego odchodzą uliczki. Istniejące przy nich obecnie kamienice w większości pochodzą z XIX wieku. Na zagospodarowanej płycie rynku znajduje się nowoczesna fontanna oraz figura Królowej Jadwigi, która jest patronką Inowrocławia.
The first town, built by Celts in the first century BC, occupied about 30 hectares along the slopes of Gellért Hill. Archaeological finds suggest that it may have been a densely populated settlement with a separate district of craftsmen (potteries and bronze foundries). It may have been a trading centre as well, as coins coming from different regions would indicate. The town was occupied by the Romans at the beginning of the Christian era. Its inhabitants moved to the Danube plains to a city retaining the Celtic name (Aquincum) in the first century AD. In AD 106, the city became the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia Inferior. The headquarters of the governor and significant military force were stationed here, and its population numbered about 20,000. It was frequently involved in wars on the border of the Roman Empire (formed by the Danube River).
The city of Budapest was officially created on 17 November 1873 from a merger of the three neighboring cities of Pest, Buda and Óbuda. Smaller towns on the outskirts of the original city were amalgamated into Greater Budapest in 1950. ( wikipedia )
Newberry Volcano is a large active shield-shaped stratovolcano located about 20 miles (32 km) south of Bend, Oregon, United States, 35 miles (56 km) east of the major crest of the Cascade Range, within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Its highest point is Paulina Peak. The largest volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, Newberry has an area of 1,200 square miles (3,100 km2) when its lava flows are taken into account. From north to south, the volcano has a length of 75 miles (121 km), with a width of 27 miles (43 km) and a total volume of approximately 120 cubic miles (500 km3). It was named for the geologist and surgeon John Strong Newberry, who explored central Oregon for the Pacific Railroad Surveys in 1855. The surrounding area has been inhabited by Native American populations for more than 10,000 years.
Pico Island’s population (just 15k inhabitants) live scattered along the coastline. In the interior of the island you can’t find a soul. Just happy cows grazing and enjoying an easy life from abundant pasture.
That’s a pity (or a blessing…) because you can find there beautiful spots, with an endless number of volcanoes, craters, lakes (a lot of crater lakes) and views to the sea and nearby islands. And green, a lot of green!
This amazingly beautiful lagoon is such an example. You won’t be able to see any references to it on guides or mentions to its existence on websites. Those are focused almost exclusively on the coastline and its (admittedly) beautiful landscapes/seascapes. If they only knew better…
From the vantage point where this shot was taken you have a magnificent view of the lagoon and its beautiful surroundings but, being so high (at clouds level!), you can see as well in the distance the blue ocean and the nearby S. Jorge Island (another of the nine Azorean islands).
*****
Pico Island, Azores, Portugal
You will find this one and other photos of mine in my new website:
© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
Okavango Delta
Botswana
Southern Africa
Happy Caturday!
Lions are commonly seen in most parts of Botswana. Even though lions don't like water, sightings of lions in the northern Okavango Delta are spectacular. The lions have learned to thrive there - mainly due to the large buffalo population.
The Lions of Botswana have torn up the rule book as we know it. Lions don't like water, lions seldom, if ever, hunt elephants, hippos and lions need water to survive - these are some of the ideas that we have learnt over the years. In Botswana lions take to the water regularly, lions do hunt elephant and hippo and in some areas of the country lions can go for months without drinking water.
Home ranges of the lions vary in size for the same reasons - availability of food. In the arid areas the home ranges will be much larger and a great deal of overlapping with neighbouring prides occurs.
Lions in the Okavango Delta are adept at negotiating the channels and floodplains in order to hunt. Prey moves between the islands and lions have to cross the water to follow. Because of this water activity the front quarters of the Okavango Delta lions are more developed than those of other lions. From buffalo to hippo and even adult elephant. there are prides that have adapted to preying on all. – Internet
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
The red-bellied grackle is endemic to Colombia where it is found in all three Andean ranges at altitudes of 800 to 2,400m (2,600 to 7,900ft) above sea level.
Its natural habitat is tropical forest, but the trees are increasingly being felled for timber and to make way for agriculture, and little virgin forest remains within its range.
H. pyrohypogaster was formerly classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but in 2012 the threat level was lowered to "vulnerable". This is on the basis that, although its forest habitat remains under pressure, it has been found at some new locations where it was not known before. The total population is now estimated to be in the range 2,500 to 9,999 individuals.
Becán ist eine archäologische Stätte und vormaliges Zentrum der Maya der präklassischen Periode. Sie befindet sich im mexikanischen Bundesstaat Campeche, im Zentrum der Yucatán-Halbinsel, 150 Kilometer nördlich von Tikal.
Der Name Becán bedeutet in Mayathan „Schlucht, von Wasser geformt“ und bezieht sich auf den umgebenden Graben, der einzigartig für eine Maya-Stätte ist. Becán, das im Rio-Bec-Stil erbaut ist, war ein regionales religiöses und politisches Zentrum der Maya. Die ersten Nachweise menschlicher Besiedelung gehen ins Jahr 600 v. Chr. zurück. Die Blütezeit der Stadt war jedoch in den Jahren 600–1000, bewohnt war die Stadt bis etwa 1250.
Die Stadt ist von einem Graben umgeben, der an sieben Stellen unterbrochen war. Er war damit kein wirksames militärisches Hindernis, oder wurde nicht als solches fertiggestellt.
Becan is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Becan is located near the center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche,Archaeological evidence shows that Becan was occupied in the middle Preclassic Maya period, about 550 BCE, and grew to a major population and ceremonial center a few hundred years later in the late Preclassic.
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
Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination :-)
Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
HFF!! a little statistical humor for these infinitely unusual times ;-)
narcissus, 'Sweet Smiles', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
A male common, or ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus, Phasianidae) sits on a tree stump in pleasant lighting.
The ring-necked pheasant is a Eurasian bird that was introduced as a game bird in North America where it is widespread in the U.S. and parts of southern Canada. Although the bird reproduces in the wild, released captive bred birds are required to maintain adequate populations especially for hunting. I viewed this bird a few days after a release. I'd assume that the bird was part of the release given its lack of concern for my presence.
White River Marsh State Wildlife Area
Green Lake County, Wisconsin
OC223639m
It's a town at the mouth of the Hastings River in New South Wales, Australia. It’s known for its beaches, wildlife and penal colony past. Port Macquarie is a coastal destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its koala population, being the home to the Billabong Zoo (a wildlife park and koala breeding center) and the Koala Preservation Society's Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles. In 2016 the war memorial was relocated from Town Green to its original location at the intersection of Clarence and Horton Streets. The residential suburbs stretch to Lighthouse Beach in the south, Thrumster to the west and to North Shore, on the northern bank of the river. In July 2010, Sovereign Hills began development in the west. Port Macquarie was found to be the least affordable smaller market in Australia by Demographia's 2013 International Housing Affordability Survey. 20961
A glimpse of the Galena skyline as seen looking northwest from Depot Park, location of the old Illinois Central Railroad Depot I posted last week. The Galena Historic District encompasses 85 percent of the City of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with modifications in 2013.
Galena is the seat of Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. This is the unglaciated area of northwestern Illinois. The rolling hills, history and abundant 19th century architecture draws visitors from throughout the country. The population of Galena at the 2020 census was 3,101.
Standing on the fresh pastures at Highfield provides the best view of Stanley. Here we can see how The Nut at 143 metres high protects the town from the prevailing weather conditions and high seas of Bass Strait. In the distance at the far left is Table Cape (also an extinct volcano). On the right is the town's water supply. At the centre of everything (especially in the warm summer months) Stanley's magnificent beach draws holiday makers to swell the permanent population of 550.
The population of birds at The Ocean City Welcome center in New jersey has really shifted this year. There were way more Egret Nests, White Ibis have taken over the place, at least 50 juvs. The Night Herons were few and far between.
A view of the west side of the square (200 block of Washington St.) looking south from W. 2nd St. The buildings on this block appear to be the most heavily altered of the buildings on the four sides of the square.
On the corner is an old commercial building now repurposed as the Casa De Dios Para Las Nacinones (House of God for the Nations) church. A large pork slaughterhouse is a major employer and has attracted a substantial immigrant population to Beardstown in recent years. According to the 2020 census, 36 percent of the population of Beardstown is now Hispanic or Latino.
Located in West Central Illinois, Beardstown had a population of 5,951 at the 2020 census making it the largest city in Cass County.
Located in Devonport, building architecture is impressive. Devonport is a city in northern Tasmania, Australia. It is situated at the mouth of the Mersey River. Devonport had an urban population of 23,046 at the 2016 Australian census. A larger urban area, including Latrobe has a population of 30,297 at June 2018, having grown at an average annual rate of 0.17% year-on-year over the preceding five years. The main CBD is on the west side of the Mersey River and includes a pedestrian mall, cinema, speciality stores, chain stores such as IGA and hotels. There are several local restaurants and cafes. 29419
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Southwest Florida
USA
Great Blue Heron photographed at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The bird was photographed in the swampy water from a five-foot-high boardwalk over the water. Because of this, the plants growing in the water became the background.
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to coastal Spain, the Azores, and areas of far southern Europe.
An all-white population found only in the Caribbean and Florida was once treated as a separate species and known as the great white heron.
The primary food for the great blue heron is small fish, though it is also known to opportunistically feed on a wide range of shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, and other small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Primary prey is variable based on availability and abundance. – Wikipedia
Florida is home to a relict population of northern caracaras that dates to the last glacial period, which ended around 12,500 BP. At that time, Florida and the rest of the Gulf Coast were covered in an oak savanna. As temperatures increased, the savanna between Florida and Texas disappeared. Caracaras were able to survive in the prairies of central Florida and the marshes along the St. Johns River. Cabbage palmettos are a preferred nesting site, although they also nest in southern live oaks. ~ Wikipedia
Otavalo, has a population largely made up of the Otavalo indigenous group. They are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous market. During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool.
Populations of this cormorant have greatly increased; they now commonly feed on stocked fish in park lakes.
Population: 1380
The medieval castle ruin rises 255 meters above sea level surrounded with the small village.
Castle of Nógrád - The Hungarian history millennial silent witness - old tower of the castle visible from far distant waiting for curious visitors.
Blue-jay
The blue jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also in Newfoundland, Canada; breeding populations are found across southern Canada. Wikipedia
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Newman, Douglas County, Illinois. Population 778. Within its city limits you'll find all the ingredients for a quintessential Illinois hamlet. Quiet brick-and-mortar mainstreet, grain elevator complex, railroad splicing through the center. An unerring formula for small towns all across the Prairie State. The corn and soy crops encroaching on Newman's borders serve as the primary economic driver, as they do for a wide majority of Illinois' 58k square miles. Watco's aptly-named Decatur and Eastern Illinois Railroad earns its keep transporting the region's farm product to market, utilizing former B&O rails spun off from CSX in 2018 to forward large quantities of agricultural goods east from the processing epicenter of Decatur. The rails through Newman are hot on this unseasonably warm winter morning with DREI's eastbound road train #101, its pair of flares moving another 9 carloads towards points east via the CSX interchange at Terre Haute, IN.
female found in Esteros del Ibera ( Ibera Wetlands ), Corrientes, Argentina
South America's largest deer species lives in areas with marshes or lagoons
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable and Population Trend: Decreasing
Blastocerus dichotomus
moerashert
Cerf des Marais
Sumpfhirsch
ciervo de los pantanos
cervo delle paludi
Cervo-do-pantanal
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Moremi Game Reserve
Okavango Delta
Botswana
Southern Africa
Lions are commonly seen in most parts of Botswana. Even though lions don't like water, sightings of lions in the northern Okavango Delta are spectacular. The lions have learned to thrive there - mainly due to the large buffalo population.
The Lions of Botswana have torn up the rule book as we know it. Lions don't like water, lions seldom, if ever, hunt elephants, hippos and lions need water to survive - these are some of the ideas that we have learnt over the years. In Botswana lions take to the water regularly, lions do hunt elephant and hippo and in some areas of the country lions can go for months without drinking water.
Home ranges of the lions vary in size for the same reasons - availability of food. In the arid areas the home ranges will be much larger and a great deal of overlapping with neighboring prides occurs.
Lions in the Okavango Delta are adept at negotiating the channels and floodplains to hunt. Prey moves between the islands and lions have to cross the water to follow. Because of this water activity the front quarters of the Okavango Delta lions are more developed than those of other lions. From buffalo to hippo and even adult elephants. There are prides that have adapted to preying on all. – Wikipedia
Bei unseren heimischen Rotfüchsen ist es nicht immer der Fall, dass man so viele gesunde Tiere antrifft, wie dieses Jahr.
Die heimtückische Fuchsräude geht immer mal wieder um und so werden oft ganze Familienbestände ausgelöscht.
Small, sturdy songbird in the family Muscicapidae.
The bird is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Their preferred habitats are streams, nullahs and rivers with boulders that are shaded, as well as vegetation near riverbanks. Streams with higher populations of insects such as mayflies appear to be preferred.
They are typically found at relatively high elevations, with the ones living in the Himalayas seen between 2000 m and 4100 m. However, they tend to descend to lower altitudes during the winter.
Kathmandu Valley. Nepal.
Valle de Estós, La Ribagorza, Huesca, Aragón, España.
El valle de Estós (en aragonés benasqués Vall d'Estós o Ball d'Estós) es un valle pirenaico situado en la comarca aragonesa de La Ribagorza.
Se ubica en la zona noroccidental del valle de Benasque (noreste de la provincia de Huesca) y dentro del parque natural Posets-Maladeta. Al norte de este valle, que es de origen glaciar, está el macizo del Perdiguero (3.221 m), y al sur el macizo del Posets (3.375 m). Este valle, orientado de oeste a este, tiene una longitud aproximada de 12 km y en el fondo de él transcurren las aguas del río Estós, afluente del río Ésera. Clarabides, Gías, Oô, son picos que también superan los 3.000 m y hacen frontera con Francia. La altitud del valle oscila entre los 1.400 m y los 3.375 m.
Desde el año 1994 forma parte del parque natural de Posets-Maladeta por sus importantes valores ecológicos. El paisaje predominante es el de la alta montaña pirenaica con buena representación de los pisos climáticos alpino, subalpino y montano. La flora predominante son los pastizales de montaña y los bosques, de coníferas (pino negro y abeto), de caducifolios (haya, álamo temblón, abedul, sauce, arce y avellano) y como principales arbustos el boj, enebro y rododendro. También se encuentran algunos endemismos pirenaicos. En cuanto a la fauna, encontramos a todos los animales presentes en los ecosistemasde la alta montaña pirenaica destacando una importante población de sarrios y corzos y como aves más representativas el urogallo, la perdiz nival y el quebrantahuesos.
El río Estós, al que afluyen múltiples barrancos y torrentes procedentes de los numerosos ibones (lagos de origen glaciar), de las nieves perpetuas y de algunos de los glaciares más meridionales de Europa, recorre el fondo del valle.
El valle tiene un gran atractivo turístico para los amantes de las excursiones de montaña, de la escalada, el esquí de montaña y el alpinismo. También se practica la pesca de la trucha y la caza mayor (sarrios, corzos y jabalíes). En la época veraniega sus laderas son lugar de pasto de un gran rebaño de vacas.
El acceso al valle se realiza preferentemente a pie a través de una red de senderos bien señalizados, aunque hay una pista forestal restringida al tránsito de vehículos autorizados. A lo largo del camino encontramos numerosas cabañas de pastores y un refugio de montaña guardado (1.895 m) gestionado por un guarda de la Federación Aragonesa de Montaña.
The Estós Valley (in Benasquese Aragonese, Vall d'Estós or Ball d'Estós) is a Pyrenean valley located in the Aragonese region of La Ribagorza.
It lies in the northwestern part of the Benasque Valley (northeast of the province of Huesca) and within the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park. To the north of this valley, which is of glacial origin, is the Perdiguero massif (3,221 m), and to the south, the Posets massif (3,375 m). This valley, oriented from west to east, is approximately 12 km long, and the Estós River, a tributary of the Ésera River, flows through its bottom. Clarabides, Gías, and Oô are peaks that also exceed 3,000 m and form the border with France. The valley's altitude ranges from 1,400 m to 3,375 m.
Since 1994, it has been part of the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park due to its significant ecological value. The predominant landscape is that of the high Pyrenees, with a good representation of the alpine, subalpine, and montane climate zones. The predominant flora consists of mountain pastures and forests, including conifers (black pine and fir), deciduous trees (beech, aspen, birch, willow, maple, and hazel), and, as main shrubs, boxwood, juniper, and rhododendron. Several Pyrenean endemic species are also found. As for the fauna, all the animals present in the high Pyrenean mountain ecosystems are found here, with a significant population of Pyrenean chamois and roe deer, and the most representative birds being the capercaillie, the ptarmigan, and the bearded vulture.
The Estós River, fed by numerous ravines and streams originating from the many glacial lakes (ibones), the permanent snowfields, and some of the southernmost glaciers in Europe, flows through the valley floor.
The valley is a popular tourist destination for mountain hikers, climbers, ski mountaineers, and alpinists. Trout fishing and big game hunting (chamois, roe deer, and wild boar) are also popular. In the summer, its slopes serve as grazing land for a large herd of cattle.
Access to the valley is primarily on foot via a network of well-marked trails, although there is a forest track restricted to authorized vehicles. Along the way, you'll find numerous shepherd's huts and a staffed mountain refuge (1,895 m) managed by a warden from the Aragonese Mountain Federation.
For today's get away, a visit to Silverton, a town of around 50 people in the far west of New South Wales. The first time I visited Silverton this street was filled with double parked tourist coaches; my photo was a disaster. The next time I made it my business to be there before the coaches arrived, and even before the hotel opened.
In 1875, two men drilling a well south of the town site hit a lode of silver. Miners flooded in and Silverton was born. By 1890 the town had 3,000 inhabitants, but the high grade ore was soon depleted, and the population drifted away. Most people moved to nearby Broken Hill where an even richer silver-lead-zinc ore body was discovered.
There is a lot more to Silverton than this iconic street. There is a community of artists, mostly attracted by the colour of the country and the vibrant light. There are museums, historic buildings, ruins of houses and a church, several restaurants and some friendly donkeys who will accept handouts from anybody willing to feed them.
The tourist coaches bring visitors to have a beer at the iconic pub, it's been in quite a few movies and commercials, and then turn them loose to buy souvenirs and food from the local businesses.
Lewa Downs
Northern Kenya
East Africa
Grevy's zebra photographed in Lewa Downs in Kenya. Found within the 65,000-acre wildlife conservancy of the Lewa Wilderness Trust, the conservancy is home to the single largest population of Grevy’s zebra in the world.
It also contains about 10% of Kenya’s Black Rhino population. Because of extremely strict anti-poaching measures, there has been no poaching in Lewa Downs for years.
The Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and the largest and most endangered of the three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra.
Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in Kenya and Ethiopia. Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower. Wikipedia
Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya
East Africa
Happy early Caturday!!! But late, because I discovered yesterday was International Cheetah Day Dec. 4, 2025.
The world’s fastest land animal is racing against extinction. Help us win the race! The global population of cheetah now numbers less than 7000 adult individuals. Currently on the IUCN red list as vulnerable.
Dr. Laurie Marker designated December 4th as International Cheetah Day. The annual celebration was set in remembrance of a cheetah cub named Khayam, that she raised at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. She then moved to Namibia and continued her work there.
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae that occurs in North, Southern and East Africa, and a few localities in Iran.
It inhabits a variety of mostly arid habitats like dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs.
The species suffered a substantial decline in its historic range in the 20th century due to habitat loss, poaching for the illegal pet trade, and conflict with humans. By 2016, the global cheetah population has been estimated at approximately 7,100 individuals in the wild.
Several African countries have taken steps to improve cheetah conservation measures. - Wikipedia
Split Painted Bunting Populations.
There are two separate breeding populations of Painted Bunting in the United States, one in the south-central U.S.; the other along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to central Florida. This species winters in Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico south to Costa Rica and western Panama.
Painted Buntings are known to wander widely outside of the breeding season, as illustrated by the bird that spent the winter of 2015 in Central Park, New York.
Interestingly, the western population of Painted Bunting begins its fall migration before molting, then molts at staging areas before continuing its journey farther south. This migration-molt pattern is common among waterfowl but very rare among songbirds. The eastern population molts on its breeding grounds before migration, the more usual pattern.
Lovely Lurker, Fierce Fighter
Like other closely-related species such as the Varied Bunting, this bird's diet consists mostly of seeds, supplemented by high-protein insects during nesting season. Despite the males' bright colors, Painted Buntings are often hard to see outside of the breeding season since they prefer to lurk low in the dense cover of brushy areas and woodland edges.
On the breeding grounds, male Painted Buntings stake out territories of up to several acres through song and displays. Each male aggressively defends its territory and will fight intruding males by pecking, grappling, and striking with their wings. These fights sometimes end in the death of one of the males.
The lime-green female builds a cup-shaped grass nest in a small tree or shrub, where she lays three to four eggs and up to three broods each year. Chicks are fed by the female and fledge when they are 12-14 days old.
Juvenile males are the same green as the females until the fall of their second year, when they finally molt into their bright colors.
Found this male in my backyard. Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
The red-bellied grackle is endemic to Colombia where it is found in all three Andean ranges at altitudes of 800 to 2,400m (2,600 to 7,900ft) above sea level.
Its natural habitat is tropical forest, but the trees are increasingly being felled for timber and to make way for agriculture, and little virgin forest remains within its range.
H. pyrohypogaster was formerly classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but in 2012 the threat level was lowered to "vulnerable". This is on the basis that, although its forest habitat remains under pressure, it has been found at some new locations where it was not known before. The total population is now estimated to be in the range 2,500 to 9,999 individuals.
Ornella (population: 67) was the unexpected gem that highlighted our return trip on a otherwise dull and overcast Sunday. The colors here were just incredible but it started to rain right after i shot a few frames, then low clouds and strong cold winds forced us to leave. We'll be back....
Thank you for your kind visit.
Pink Footed Goose - Anser Brachyrhynchus
Norfolk
There are two largely discrete populations of pink-footed goose. The Greenland and Iceland population winter in Great Britain, while the Svalbard population winters in the Netherlands and Denmark, with small numbers also in Norway (where it is common on migration), northern Germany, and Belgium.
Populations have risen spectacularly over the last 50 years, due largely to increased protection from shooting on the wintering grounds. Numbers wintering in Ireland and Great Britain have risen almost tenfold from 30,000 in 1950 to 292,000 in October 2004. The numbers wintering in Denmark and the Netherlands have also risen, with about 34,000 in 1993. The most important single breeding site, at Þjórsárver in Iceland (holding 10,700 pairs in 1970), was only discovered in 1951, by Sir Peter Scott and his team who made an expedition to seek the breeding grounds. Within Great Britain, the most important wintering areas are in Norfolk (147,000 in 2004), Lancashire (44,000 in 2004), and Aberdeenshire (primarily on autumn and spring passage). Large to huge wintering flocks graze on farmland; individual flocks can be spectacular, such as the 66,000 at Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire in early September 2003.