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The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is a small shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri (1791–1836).[2]
Adults have dark legs and a short, thin, dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, especially the semipalmated sandpiper. This is particularly the case in winter plumage, when both species are plain gray. The western sandpiper acquires winter plumage much earlier in the autumn than the semipalmated sandpiper.
Their breeding habitat is tundra in eastern Siberia and Alaska. They nest on the ground usually under some vegetation. The male makes several scrapes; the female selects one and lays 4 eggs. Both parents incubate and care for dependent young, who feed themselves. Sometimes the female deserts her mate and brood prior to offspring fledging.
They migrate to both coasts of North America and South America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
These birds forage on mudflats during migration and the non-breeding season by probing or picking up food by sight. Foraging occurs on tundra and wet meadows during the breeding season. They mainly eat insects, small crustaceans, and mollusks.
This is one of the most abundant shorebird species in North America with a population in the millions.
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classificationedit
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Charadriiformes
Family:Scolopacidae
Genus:Calidris
Species:C. mauri
Binomial name
Calidris mauri
(Cabanis, 1857)
Calidris mauri map.svg
Synonyms
Ereunetes mauri
Erolia mauri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shoreline-942419
Pretty much what it says on the tin.
Just wanted a shot of all my Nolan-Specific villains now that I'd made the Gotham Knight antagonists and threw in a few extra. Some of em aren't exact (Harvey) but I think they all work well enough.
Deathstroke and Firefly are the only ones I haven't posted before (Though Selina went through a few changes), and are based on these action figures that were released for the Dark Knight toyline: tommylinspace.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/tdk_deathstroke... which were brought to my attention by one Mister Duncan Young.
Slade's head is from an Onlinesailin fig.
All in all, this shall prove far more popular than my Gilligan post, which is a shame, but such is life. Heh.
Lemme know what you think.
specific name ; Coccinella 7 punctata
sub order ; Coccinellidae
order ; Coleoptera
Endopterygotes, Pterygotes, Insecta, Arthropoda
Lady birds are the most easily recognised of the beetle order and are favoured for their bright colours and voracious Aphid eating habits of most species, of which the 7 spot ladybird is one. It is one of the commonest species and certainly the most conspicuous. Their bright colour advertises to predaters, their bitter taste, and when handled will exume from its leg joints a pungent fluid with a long lasting odour that leaves a stain. The fluid is actually blood and the phenomenom is known as reflex bleeding. It contains several bitter alkaloids and smells strongly of pyrazines (volatile compounds found in many ditasteful insects ).
The Emberiza cia is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
The genus name Emberiza is from Old German Embritz, a bunting. The specific cia is from a local Italian name for this bird, from zirlare, "to chirp"
Licensing
A selection of my photography is available for commercial, editorial and media licensing, with high-resolution files available through my stock photography portfolios.
For licensing enquiries, stock availability, or to enquire about a specific photograph:
• Adobe Stock: stock.adobe.com/uk/contributor/213316334/Chris%20Jones
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• Portfolio: chrisgj6.myportfolio.com
© Chris Jones (chrisgj6). All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce or use this photograph commercially without permission or an appropriate licence.
Flawless is a site-specific installation based on the brightness of nature. The installation encourages visitors to capture the movement of shedding leaves and its reflection, inviting the contemplation of a natural environment that connects water and wind. The natural process of photosynthesis is essential for life in every city. Flawless interprets this phenomenon with a magical chemistry concept called photoluminescence; during the day, the pigments of the leaves absorb energy from the sunlight, giving them a bright green glowing colour at night. In this way, the installation is self-sufficient and self-illuminated.
© Leslie Hui. All rights reserved.
I rarely go out with the specific goal of shooting the hind end of a train. While locomotives have always been the primary focus of railroad photographers since the earliest days of the genre at least a couple generations ago the rear ends were nearly as interesting. Until the mid 1980s every freight train was punctuated by a caboose each dressed in the unique colors and style of the owning road, of which there were far more in the pre mega-merger era. Go back a generation or two further than that to the pre Amtrak era and the rear end of passenger trains were just as interesting often brought up by observation cars of varied styles and colors and frequently adorned with neon logos or stylish nameplates befitting the status of the train.
Alas those days have been relegated to the history books and if you want to photograph a caboose rolling you have to visit a heritage railroad or participate in a photo freight reenactment. Similarly you won't find an observation car on any modern Amtrak trains so unless you want to travel north to see VIA's classic Canadian, you have to visit a museum or be lucky enough to catch a private car or executive train out on the line.
However in recent years the New Jersey based United Railroad Historical Society has begun running regular excursions along the Hudson River (and even a few as far as Chicago!) with their trio of original New York Central Railroad cars that they add to regularly scheduled Amtrak trains.
Bringing up the rear of Amtrak train 233 (Empire Service from New York Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer) are NYC tavern-lounge number 43 (Budd built 1947), Pullman bedroom lounge 'Swift Stream' (Budd 1949), and observation lounge car 'Hickory Creek' built by Pullman-Standard for the 1948 refit of the flagship 20th Century Limited.
All three cars would have regularly traveled these rails on their original trains, though originating at Penn Station instead of Grand Central would seem blasphemous to those old Central men! The Hickory Creek looks right at home as she splits the classic and unique New York Central era small target GRS type SA signals that still serve here at MP 99 on Amtrak's modern day Hudson Line.
This legendary route opened between New York and Albany in 1851 as the Hudson River Railroad, and in 1864 was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt along with the New York and Harlem. Meanwhile in 1853 Erastus Corning had assembled a plethora of small local lines as the New York Central Railroad running from Albany to Buffalo and in 1867 Vanderbilt merged it with his road to create the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the rest as they say is history. The line passed from the NYC, to Penn Central, Conrail, and ultimately CSXT until December 2012 when Amtrak took over control and dispatching of the line from Poughkeepsie to Hoffmans (where it joins the busy Mohawk Subdivision) under a long term lease agreement with CSXT.
Alas this was the final weekend for these popular trips which is why I wanted to make sure I got a couple shots. To learn why, check out this link to the URHS site here:
www.hudsonriverrail.com/keepusrolling
And for an in depth history of each of these three cars check out these links:
www.urhs.org/rolling-stock#/nyc43
Tivoli, New York
Saturday March 1, 2025
We swung through Little Rock on our way to Springdale, as I had long wanted to see Union Pacific's Jenks Shop complex, where locomotives receive heavy overhauls. We had no idea that this would be sitting here: Union Pacific #4141! This EMD SD70ACe was specially painted to commemorate the opening of George H. W. Bush's Presidential Library and Museum about 12 years ago and has mostly been stored since then. When the former President passed away a couple of months ago, 4141 was immediately reactivated and pulled his funeral train in Texas to his final resting place. Now being stripped off its engine and other electronics, 4141 will eventually be donated to GHWB's Museum where it will be part of an interactive display.
Interested in purchasing a digital download of this photo? Let me know and I will add it to my Etsy Shop, MittenRailandMarine! Follow this link to see what images are currently listed for sale: www.etsy.com/shop/MittenRailandMarine
If you are interested in specific locomotives or freighters, please contact me. I have been photographing trains and ships for over 15 years and have accumulated an extensive library!
Not long after sunrise, southbound CN ore train U702 rumbles under the signal bridge near Branchton on the old Bessemer & Lake Erie. A pair of SD70M-2s up front and one more on the rear have the train moving along at a good clip.
Interested in purchasing a high-quality digital download of this photo, suitable for printing and framing? Let me know and I will add it to my Etsy Shop, MittenRailandMarine! Follow this link to see what images are currently listed for sale: www.etsy.com/shop/MittenRailandMarine
If you are interested in specific locomotives, trains, or freighters, please contact me. I have been photographing trains and ships for over 15 years and have accumulated an extensive library!
The otherworldly sand tufa formations of Navy Beach in Mono Lake have held a specific appeal to me, resembling nothing I’ve ever seen before and which doesn’t even resemble the tower shaped tufas along Mono Lake’s south shore just 200 yards away. It’s been my goal for a long time to capture the Milky Way over these interesting formations, and a spontaneous camping trip this weekend during a new moon finally provided the opportunity. Since these tufas are short, only about 3’ – 4’ in height, Chris and I, with the location entirely to ourselves at midnight, our knees planted in the sand, and tripods down low, encountered another astrophotographer who ventured up to us out of nowhere, all apologetic for walking into our composition, and asked us, “hey, are you Beth and Chris from the Sactown Photogs Facebook group?”. We were all, “hell yes!” and met the infamous Larry Whiting, unexpectedly out there in the middle of freezing nowhere with no one else in sight! Thank you for the awesome lighting setup and great conversation, Larry! We also got to share the experience of a hunting owl swooping overhead while we shared this incredible and unexpected experience.
it is impressive how girls like to change their bags and it feels more often than a mobile phone , however the question is why do they choose specific brands that makes them feel totally sexy and fashionable
8083
From Wikipedia:
Iris versicolor is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Britain and Ireland as purple iris.
It is a species of Iris native to North America, in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. It is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores. The specific epithet versicolor means "variously coloured".
It is one of the three Iris species in the Iris flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper "The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems" as an example of linear discriminant analysis.
Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_versicolor
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REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
From Wikipedia:
Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.
Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.
Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.
She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.
In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.
During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.
In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.
Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.
To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.
Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.
In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)
Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford
Visit : www.refordgardens.com
LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS
Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.
Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
This is the start of a new photo series I am starting to show off my new customs and collections for specific superheroes. Let me know what you think!
Also, the end of the contest is approaching fast, so get your entries in!
P1150775 Market, Beziers, France
No idea which specific uniforms these are - I'm guessing they are mostly French - but maybe also German. I stayed in the hotel in the main square that was used by the Nazi command in WW2.
Anyone have any ideas?
The afternoon spectacle here often includes many views of the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes travelling between the various seed-grain fields. At dusk they will all depart, sometimes in large groups, to selected night roost areas, both on and beyond this specific refuge. You can often view group flights and close singles like this... the photo ops are essentially continuous.
IMG_9461; Sandhill Crane
Brockholes is a new kind of nature reserve, an unreserved reserve owned and managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
There's lots to see and do at Brockholes, you can hunt out our floating Visitor Village with a restaurant, shops and Welcome Centre or explore our family-friendly hides, walking trails and play area.
At Brockholes you can explore our beautiful reserve, see the wildlife that call it ‘home’ or hunt out our Visitor Village with restaurant and shops, all of which float (yes really!) on one of our lakes.
Our floating Visitor Village features a gift shop and a restaurant providing stunning views across the lake. You can also discover our interactive Welcome Centre and learn all about the wildlife that you could see on-site. Be sure to call in to pick up a welcome leaflet that will help you plan your day. You can view the reserve map in our Welcome Leaflet here to help you plan your first visit.
2013/14 Opening Times:
4th November 2013 to 31 March 2014 10am-4pm
1st April 2014 to 31st October 2014 10am-5pm
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only
Car Park Charges
We don't charge for entry and any profits made here go back into looking after the reserve. So every time you pay for parking, treat yourself in the shop or enjoy some lunch, you are helping look after the reserve and the wildlife that visits us!
Sorry no dogs allowed!
There is a good reason! Dogs can disturb wildlife, especially nesting birds. If your dog was to get too close to a nesting bird it would cause the mother to leave the nest. So to avoid any accidents we ask that you don’t bring your dog. (Assistance dogs are welcome.)
Explore the reserve
Brockholes is one of the best sites in the UK for many species of bird and has one of the largest strips of ancient woodland in the county. You can take a stroll by the River Ribble, explore our woods or enjoy the lakes on site, which have all been specially designed to attract all kinds of wildlife for you to see!
Walks around Brockholes
What can I see at Brockholes?
Read about the happy habitats we've been working hard to create at Brockholes.
Watch out!
The Visitor Village floats on water and there are lots of areas of open water on the reserve. Take care in these areas and keep an eye on any children with you. The following activities are not allowed on the reserve:
Barbecues and fires
Fishing
Swimming
Please do not feed the birds
Big gulls know it’s much easier to find food when we leave it lying around rather than finding their own lunch. Here at Brockholes we have lots of species breeding with us, little ringed and ringed plover, lapwing, oystercatcher and redshank. Unfortunately the big gulls will eat the chicks of these special birds so if we feed the gulls and encourage them to stay there is a big chance that they will eat our important chicks, so please do not feed the birds and take your leftover picnic away with you.
www.brockholes.org/our-journey
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has been working on developing Brockholes for nearly 20 years, here is an overview of our journey.
1992 Lancashire Wildlife Trust first contests the quarrying of Brockholes.
27 November 2006 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has four weeks to raise £50,000 to buy the Brockholes site, near Preston, and protect it from development. Brockholes sits next to J31 of the M6 and is the size of 120 football pitches.
15 January 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust makes the biggest land purchase in its history - thanks to donations from Wildlife Trust members, and an investment of £800,000 from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) under the Newlands scheme. The project to buy and develop Brockholes is also supported by The Tubney Charitable Trust.
3 May 2007 Ian Selby is appointed as Brockholes project manager. Ian has 20 years' experience of managing the North West's canal network for British Waterways, followed by environmental regeneration work. Sophie Leadsom, Brockholes' new reserve manager, has worked in conservation for 14 years.
July 2007 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the launch of a new open competition to design new visitor facilities.
5 October 2007 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the shortlist for the new multi-million pound visitor centre. 61 architects from all over Europe submitted designs. The five were Adam Khan Architects, Arca, Architecture 2B, AY Architects, McDowell + Benedetti.
25 February 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and partners announce the winner of its competition to design a visitor facility. Adam Khan Architects was selected for its inspirational design concept: "A Floating World". Designed as a cluster of buildings constructed largely of wood and other sustainable materials, it resembles an ancient marshland village.
April 2008 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust announced the completion of its first phase of preparatory work, including the restoration of the wetlands, creation of ponds, seeding of meadows, planting new hedgerows and trees, making access paths and building proper bird watching hides.
March 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust secured £8million of funding from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The investment was made under ‘Newlands’, a NWDA and Forestry Commission programme that is regenerating brownfield land across the Northwest into economically viable community woodland.
Summer 2009 Volunteers gave us 134 hours of their time to help propagate our own reed seedlings on-site. We ended up with 20,000 new redd seedlings ready to plant out around our new visitor centre, creating two hecatres of brand new reedbed.
August 2009 The Lancashire Wildlife Trust were granted detailed planning permission for the site.
December 2009 Contractors first day of work as they begin to construct the iconic floating visitors centre. Press conference being held with a ‘cutting of the first sod’
November 2010 A herd of longhorn cattle move into Brockholes to graze the reserve.
December 2010 BBC Countryfile fronted by Julia Bradbury visit Brockholes to film a feature that airs in January 2011.
March 2011 Brockholes makes history as the Visitor Village is floated for the first time.
Easter Sunday 2011 Brockholes opens its doors to the public for the first time!
www.brockholes.org/happy-habitats-brockholes
Happy habitats at Brockholes
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust are using their expertise to create habitats that will encourage lots of different species to visit the site, read more about the work we are doing on the reserve...
Number 1 Pit
Uniform and steep, the edges around the original gravel pit used to look very different. The island looked different too – an egg-shaped piece of land sticking out of the water by three metres. These land profiles weren’t great for the bird species and aquatic invertebrates we wanted to attract. So, with bulldozer and digger we pushed earth into the lake to create shallow, underwater ledges and peninsulas where birds can roost and feed, safe from predators. Diving ducks, such as Great Crested Grebe, now hunt for fish in the deep water.
Nook Pool
The edge of this pool has been planted with reed to create places for small fish and aquatic invertebrates like dragonfly larvae to hide and grow, away from predator fish. The shelter provided by the vegetation provides an ideal hunting ground for lots of species of dragonfly including the impressive Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly.
Meadow Lake
This shallow lake is great for bird watching: when the water level is down, wading birds feed on small invertebrates in the exposed mud. This lake has some of the richest water plant life in and around it, including White Water Lily and Cuckooflower. The reed fringes are becoming well established and hold some of the largest populations of birds on site. The islands provide safe roosting and breeding areas, we keep the vegetation short so the birds can watch out for predators.
Boilton Marsh
This area is part of our newly created wet grassland habitat. We remodelled 17,000 cubic metres of quarry spoil to create 10 hectares of wet grassland with nearly 2km of channels and five pools. This is the ideal habitat for breeding wading birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe. We now graze traditional breeds of cattle and sheep that thrive on the coarse grasses and rushes and provide the low grassland sward that encourages wading birds to nest.
The channels and pools are kept topped up by using a high-level reservoir, filled from Number One Pit by way of a solar pump.
Woodland
Brockholes is fringed by the ancient woodland of Boilton, Red Scar and Tunbrook Woods. Woodland has grown here for thousands of years and developed a very rich variety of wildlife. Looking after our trees and paths will help the woodland to thrive and enable you to see the wildlife safely.
Reedbeds
Reedbeds are home to Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Water Rail. We protect the new reed from grazing birds like Coot, Mute Swan and Canada Goose, by erecting chicken wire fences and baling string barriers. It will take several years before our lak fringes start to look like reedbeds. You might notice that the Visitor Village has been nestled in reedbed. This helps it to blend into the reserve and allows you to hear the song and chatter of the birds that nest there.
www.brockholes.org/brockholes-partners-and-funders
Brockholes partners and funders
For the past ten years, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been working to secure this site of national environmental importance, and restore habitats to their full potential.
The £8.6 million of regeneration funding was provided for the Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Reserve project has been granted under 'Newlands' - a £59 million, Northwest Regional Development Agency and Forestry Commission programme to transform brownfield land into durable community woodland, which act as catalysts for economic, social and environmental gain.
The Lancashire Environmental Fund awarded £446,000 for the development of the education facilities, hides and infrastructure on the site. Tubney Charitable Trust granted £350,000 for Biodiversity and Natural England DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund awarded circa. £300,000. The Environment Agency granted £50,000 for the continued development of Brockholes.
The support of these funders helped make Brockholes a reality, as did the amazing support from our public appeal, which raised an amazing £63,000 - the most successful public appeal the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has ever run!
Volunteering at Brockholes
Around 200 volunteers have now been recruited, inducted and trained to begin volunteering at Brockholes, so we offer an enormous thank you to all who are helping it make such a big impact on our visitors... Volunteers truly are the face of Brockholes.
There are currently some exciting opportunities to be had volunteering here at Brockholes. Please have a look below at roles (you can click on the titles to download a full role description) which might suit you and click here to register, mentioning Brockholes and the role on the form.
Seasonal Activities Volunteer
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
Running throughout all school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
The Seasonal Activities Volunteer role is ideal for friendly, outgoing people who want to utilise their creative skills and help visitors – in particular children – enjoy the reserve. You will work alongside other volunteers to plan and deliver a variety of activities including pond dipping, guided walks, bird watching. The role will also include assisting with larger events such as our Extreme Adventure Weekend and Craft Fayres. Support will be given to you by the Events & Communications Manager.
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
For full details on the role and what it entails, click here.
Seasonal Retail & Visitor Services
Our seasonal activities program is the ideal opportunity for young people aged 16-23 to get involved here at Brockholes.
As a volunteer for Retail & Visitor Services you will provide a warm welcome for visitors, helping to ensure that their Brockholes experience is a positive one. You will help visitors by providing them with information about products on sale in our gift stores and help them plan their visit by telling them about the various events and activities we have on offer.
The role suits a friendly, outgoing person who has an interest in wildlife and conservation.
Running throughout the school holiday periods, you are expected to volunteer for 7 hours per week (normally one full day).
This placement is perfect for those undertaking various award schemes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, as over the course of the summer you have the opportunity to gain upto 50 volunteering hours.
Each volunteer will be required to undergo a minimum of 1 and a half days training before they start. If you’d like to find out more or ask questions about any of these roles do not hesitate to get in touch with Catherine Haddon, Volunteering Support Officer on 01772 324 129 or email volunteer@lancswt.org.uk
Awards
Brockholes has scooped many high profile awards since opening in April 2011:
2013 Lancashire Tourism Award for Best Conference/Meeting venue
VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) 'Excellent'
Green Tourism Gold Award
Customer at the Heart Award
Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards 'Marketing Campaign of the Year'
National Wood Award
BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for the interim design stage
Chartered Institute of Building Services – Building of the Year 2011
Civic Trust Award
Civic Trust Special Award for Sustainability
Highly Commended in portfolio of Newlands sites in Landscape Awards
CIWEM Living Wetlands award
Greenbuilds award
Green Apple Awards for the Visitor Centre
Sustainable Project of the year – 2012 Building Awards
RICS North West – Overall award
RICS North West – Tourism and Leisure
RICS NW – Design & Innovation
RIBA North West Building of the Year
RIBA North West Sustainability Award
RIBA Award for top 50 new buildings in the UK
Brockholes is an award winning-venue, which floats on one of our lakes - the only one of its kind in the UK.
Combine this unique design with access straight off the M6, a beautiful nature reserve, ample parking and on site catering, and you have found yourself the perfect venue for your next event. View our Conference Brochure here.
We think Brockholes is the natural place to do business, our dedicated centre can cater for 50 to 130 delegates.
We have a choice of two conference rooms and a reception/break-out area.
www.brockholes.org/conference-packages
At Brockholes we want you to be in control of your event as much as possible. This is why we have created these basic packages, enabling you to tweak each element to build an individual event.
Alternatively, we can cater to your specific requests if you require half day, early morning or evening hire.
Here is an overview of our conference packages, please contact us for a quote.
Our Conference brochure can be viewed in digi-book format here.
Day Delegate Package
Private room hire from 9am - 5pm
Tea and coffee served on arrival with bacon rolls
Mineral water for each guest
Tea and coffee served mid-morning
Buffet lunch served with tea, coffee and fresh fruit platter
Tea, coffee and biscuits served mid-afternoon
Use of a flip chart, screen and projector
Recycled pen and notepad for each delegate
Dedicated co-ordinator to assist you throughout the planning to delivery of your meeting
24 Hour Delegate Package
All of the above plus;
Three course dinner
Full breakfast
Accommodation in a standard bedroom at our recommended accommodation supplier
Accommodation
Preferential rates are available on request from a local hotel when booking through the Brockholes Sales Team.
We can tailor our packages to suit your needs. Make the UK's first floating venue your next choice
Please contact us for more information or to arrange a meeting or showround with our Conference Sales Co-ordinator
Call us on 01772 872005 or enter your details below and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.
www.brockholes.org/sponsorship-opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
Brockholes is an award winning nature reserve owned and manages by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, which was opened in 2011. The 250 acre reserve is already attracting record numbers of breeding birds and around 170,000 visitors each year. Brockholes runs a wide range of events throughout the year and has a particularly strong offer for families. Events include wild families, school holiday clubs, school and community group visits, self led trails and larger festivals during the summer holidays.
The key marketing campaigns run targeting families include Christmas, Summer and Easter. Each campaign targets a series of family focused publications across the North West, with a monthly average reach online of over 40,000 people through the website and social media. Advertising and direct marketing campaigns have an average reach of 70% of the total North West population.
Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
Summer at Brockholes sees a host of family events each year, from school holiday clubs to open air theatre, guided walks to family fun. Over the Summer period, Brockholes expects to welcome over 60,000 visitors. The marketing campaign is multi channel and will reach a wide audience of families across the North West. Brockholes has also been featured in the National Press for some of the unique events run. We have some new opportunities for sponsorship and partnership, which will allow your business to raise brand awareness and fulfill part of your Corporate Social Responsibility by supporting Brockholes and The Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
Summer at Brockholes Headline Sponsorship £4500
Expose your brand to thousands of families across the North West.
- Logo on all Summer promotional material
- Inclusion in all four of the Summer e-news and Lancashire Wildlife Trust e-news
- Sponsor Feature on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
- Temporary use of Brockholes logo on promotional material directly related to the partnership
Wild Families Sponsorship £4000 per year
Our Wild Families events are always fully booked. With themes ranging from scarecrow hunts to nature detectives, each event provides quality family time for family members of all ages. Events are run throughout school holidays.
-Logo on marketing materials for Wild Families
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity
-Inclusion in Brockholes e-news
Seasonal Trail Sponsorship £500 per trail
Each visitor to Brockholes can collect their free seasonal trail on arrival. The trail helps visitors to explore the reserve, learn more about what to see and how the reserve changes with the season and challenges them to spot things.
-Logo on sponsorship trail
-Inclusion in PR for trail launch
-Inclusion in social media activity around the trail
Half term at Brockholes £1500
-Logo on all marketing materials
-Inclusion in launch PR
-Social media promotion
Annual Headline Sponsorship £10,000
- Logo inclusion on all Promotional Material
- Dedicated web page on Brockholes.org
- On site promotion
- Dedicated stand area on key event days
- Promotion through Brockholes and LWT e-news, member magazine
- Promotion through social media channels
- Inclusion in all PR activity
-Discounted delegate rate on our conference facilities
Children's Corner £500
Would you like to help brighten up the children's corner in our restuarant for our younger visitors?
-Inclusion in PR activity
-Recognition in the children's area
-Inclusion in activity to our database promoting the new area
To talk to us more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Gaskell rgaskell@lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324129.
www.brockholes.org/commercial-opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
Make Brockholes your business
Businesses are being offered an opportunity to become partners in a North West tourism and wildlife success story.
Brockholes nature reserve is entering the second phase of development which will provide commercial opportunities for other businesses and boost local employment.
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust attraction attracted 185,000 people to its nature reserve and the first ever floating visitor village in the UK, last year. It is looking to top that visitor figure this year.
Just off the M6 at Preston and easily accessible from anywhere in the UK, Brockholes has received more than 30 regional and national awards despite only opening in 2011. Visitors continue to pour in despite the reserve being surrounded by the attractions of Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool.
The business has shown year-on-year growth and, as a result, is seeking commercial partners for the next phase of development.
Anne Selby, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust said “Brockholes has performed incredibly well despite being launched in a recession. We have steered the business through the stormy weather and achieved fantastic results.
“We are now looking to move into the next phase of development. As a conservation charity, we want to ensure our focus remains on the nature conservation of the reserve, whilst ensuring the commercial income supports this work. We are looking for expressions of interest at this stage and asking businesses to be creative with their proposals.”
The Visitor Village has a restaurant, shops, conference centre, welcome centre and education centre. Major companies have made use of the conference centre including RBS and Aldi. The surrounding nature reserve is continuing to grow, with an increasing population of resident creatures and rare visitors like red kite, bittern and otter.
Anne continued: “Brockholes received funding for the initial start up and development phases but it was always designed to be a self-sustaining model. By making the most of the commercial opportunities and keeping these balanced carefully with the needs of nature, we believe we can continue to success of Brockholes into the future and achieve even more fantastic results for wildlife, our wide range of visitors and the tourism economy”.
Opportunities include retail, water sports (non-motorised), indoor play provision, events partners and mobile food concessions. However, the Trust is open to hear if any investors would wish to develop sympathetic commercial facilities on the site.
An opportunity information pack is available by request from:
Karen Williams Karen.Williams@brockholes.org
Expressions of interest should initially be made to
Lindsey Poole, Commercial Development Manager lpoole@lancswt.org.uk
Group Visits
Whether it’s a full day out or just a quick stop off on the way to your destination, Brockholes is the ideal place for groups to visit.
There's so much for all ages to see and learn about at Brockholes. Everyone from toddlers to seniors will find something to fascinate them, whether through our exciting range of organised events, or by just wandering around the site.
We are passionately committed to lifelong learning for all – our belief is that everyone should leave knowing something they didn't when they arrived! The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has over a decade of experience in delivering environmental education, so you can relax, enjoy the surroundings and be sure to come away both enchanted and enlightened...
We have several options for various groups, each with a variety of benefits. For more information click on the relevant link below…
Coach Groups
School Groups
Community Groups
To enquire about group visits please call 01772 872000 or email info@brockholes.org. Or leave your details on the form below and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Coach Groups
Situated next to Junction 31 on the M6, we are the ideal stop for coach trips, whether it is for a short stop, as a green motorway services, or as part of a full day visit.
Free entry for coaches and convenient coach drop-off point
We have a variety of walking trails for your group to explore, ranging from half an hour to 2 hours in length.
We have our floating visitor village that features a stunning waterside restaurant, 2 unique gift shops and a welcome centre with exhibits, which are ideal should your guests decide for something less active (or if the weather lets you down)!
All our buildings are fully accessible, while the vast majority of our paths are well surfaced, level and suitable for wheelchairs.
We now have a more convenient drop-off point exclusively for coaches and in addition have a number of benefits for coach groups:
• Free entry to the reserve and visitor centre
• Free coach parking
• Refreshment voucher for the coach driver
• Free familiarisation visit for group organisers
• Free meet and greet at the coach (on request)
• Free Brockholes welcome leaflet and trail guide
• Free events and activities throughout the year (visit our events calendar for details)
• Free play area
• Pre-booked guided tours (available at an extra charge)
• Adapted toilets available at the visitor centre
Please note that there is a 4 metre high bridge on the entrance to Brockholes. We also advise all coaches to let us know of their visit in advance by calling us on 01772 872000.
For any further information please just call 01772 872000, email info@brockholes.org
School Groups
Our 250 acre nature reserve and Visitor Village is a great place for school groups to visit. Children can learn about the geological history and how the quarrying has shaped the land today. And because we are a new nature reserve, you can watch it grow! It is also home to the UK's first floating Visitor Village.
Most importantly of all, the children will be able to see that Brockholes is home to a host of wildlife, with many different species of bird popping by throughout the year, along with brown hare, dragonfly and deer to name a few!
Facilities
Your school will have use of the education centre on our floating visitor village and you will have at least one Education Officer dedicated to your group throughout the day.
Plus... NEW FOR 2014!
Next year your school will be able to get even closer to nature at Brockholes by booking an education session in our new purpose-built bird hide classroom, right on the edge of the lake!
The hide will overlook No 1 Pit Lake which is home to many different species of birds and you'll also be able to look across to the new sand martin wall, which will provide valuable breeding habitat when they arrive in spring.
Why not your details below if you'd like us to keep to informed of these exciting new developments!
Programmes
We offer a wide range of programmes including:
Big Adventure in a Miniature World
Life Cycles
Migration and Hibernation
Environmental Art
Geography and Geology
Forest School
You can read more about the education programmes available at Brockholes here.
Education Team
Our Education Team are based at Brockholes and have a huge amount of experience in inspiring young people about the natural world. They are a lively bunch and pride themselves on creating an exciting and memorable experience for your school. You can read about how great our team is here: Meet the Education Team.
Outreach
Can't get to us? Then we can come to you! Our outreach education programme is very popular and offers a wide range of programmes for those who are unable to reach Brockholes.You can view our Outreach Programmes here.
For any information just call us on 01772 872000 for more information, email eduadmin@lancswt.org.uk
Community Groups
Brockholes is a great place to bring your community group, whether it's the Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies or Beavers or a rambling or photography group, there is something for everyone!
As well as exploring our stunning nature reserve you can enjoy an activity such as a guided walk, a mini-beast hunt or an environmental art session.
You can visit Brockholes during the day or we have special community group evenings when the reserve is open beyond our usual opening hours. Group activities usually take place between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Forest Schools
Forest Schools is a unique outdoor learning experience that improves children's self-esteem, confidence and abilities.
Brockholes provides an inspirational setting for Forest Schools sessions and training, and is conveniently located just off junction 31 of the M6 at Preston.
Our Forest School sessions are designed and delivered by our experienced and fully qualified Education Team including our Level 3 Trained Forest Schools Practioner.
Our next Forest Schools adult training session will be running in October. To find out more about Forest School sessions at Brockholes please call 01772 872017 or email kphillips@lancswt.org.uk
Shop til you flock
Why not drop into our two on-site shops, The Nest and Village Store, which are packed with all sorts of goodies. We've a variety of products from local beverages and food, to cards and books and crafts and jewellery. They are the perfect place to pick up a unique gift... and there's plenty of treats for the little ones too!
The Nest
The Nest is home to an inspiring collection of gifts, jewellery, books, toys, arts & crafts. Discover what's inside The Nest here.
The Village Store
The Village Store stocks a wide range of products, from locally sourced food and drink treats to bird food, garden accessories and wildlife books. Come and look inside here.
Membership of the Wildlife Trust
Brockholes is a Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. You can become a member today or talk to our friendly staff members and volunteers on your next visit to Brockholes. Gift membership is available in The Nest or you can buy it online here.
Our restaurant is the perfect place to stop and watch the world go by with panoramic views of our lake. Scrumptious homemade dishes and a taste bud tingling selection of Lancashire's finest local produce are all here to tempt you, along with fair trade tea and coffee.
Our restaurant is open from 10am to 5pm.
www.brockholes.org/very-special-occasions
Brockholes is a fantastic place for your very special occasions.
Our floating venue is one of the newest and most unique in Lancashire and promises you and your guests an unforgetable event whatever the occasion.
We have a dedicated function centre that can accomodate weddings, christenings and all sort of functions.
The clean, contemporary finish of our venue means that you have the perfect opportunity to put your own stamp on your event, with a flexible range of catering available from our on-site restaurant.
We have a dedicated Conference and Events Co-ordinator that will be available to help you plan your special occasion.
Very Special Weddings
We had our first wedding celebration September 2011 and since then it's been all go with Wedding Fayres and lots more bookings for this year and next. Find out more about weddings at Brockholes here.
Very Special Christenings
Brockholes is a real family friendly venue for a Christening celebration that you will remember for years to come. Find out more here.
For general enquiries about holding a function at Brockholes please call 01772 872005 or email philip.dunn@brockholes.org.
This is my first real art specific photograph.
I photographed this scene for my mono entry in the local camera club monthly competition. The theme was "Touch of Red" and it took me quite a bit of thought to come up with this concept,
I set out with a goal in mind, it took me several days to capture this image because every time i went there was no train.
I finally went there yesterday morning and found a train that had broken down, waited around for an hour and when he finally got moving again i snapped the shot as desired.
the desired brief i had in my head was:
Longer exposure to capture the motion blur of the train with a solid foreground.
Capture the light flashing.
Wearing lingerie is a specific invitation to intimacy. Nothing is as sexy as desire and with full on intent as a woman dressed for seduction like in this Wellmade Nyx Lingerie. It is clearly telling that she is planning on having sex with you and that her desire to do so is plainly evident.
Fits: Legacy + Perky + Bombshell. Maitreya + LaraX, Reborn + Waifu
Fatpack 22 Colors. Fully Customizable.
TP: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Capri/153/157/3501
[WellMade] Your home for Second Life fashion
Stepping into a scene like this fills me with a sense of awe and wonder. While I enter with the specific intention of taking photos, that becomes secondary as I begin to acclimate myself to the environment. I spend a good bit of my time simply standing in one place, intuiting for lack of a better word. It's very easy to get so absorbed with the scene that the graves become almost an abstraction. Particularly in the older sections (these stones date to the early 19th century) where the inscriptions are difficult or impossible to discern due to extreme weathering. Frequently pausing and looking around helps me stay in touch with the reality that these are graves and to be respectful of that. But there's much more to it than that. Somehow it helps guide me as to how and where to compose my photographs. It's sort of like divining. It may sound utterly ridiculous, but it's how I work. Time and again I compose and shoot and see nothing but a lackluster image in the review screen. The power of the image is generally not apparent until much later. Because of this I've learned not to get too caught up in the visual because it's often misleading. There's a time to sort out what worked and what didn't work, but for me that time is at home. Anyway on this misty morning I found myself standing here, taking in this forlorn scene at the gave of a woman named Desire. The camera dropped to my side as my eyes took in the name. Desire. Or was it pronounced Dez-i-ray? No; Dez-i-ray was too modern; like those artists I see listed on iTunes that I never seem to recognize. No, this woman was probably born in the late 18th century. I'm sure it was pronounced Desire. My mind wanted desperately to equate the name with her personality. Certainly doesn't equate with the name of a mean-spirited person. But how could her parents have know that when she was born? Or was it a nickname. No way to know. Just felt sad that she wound up in this Godforsaken place. For me, this was yet another proverbial lightning strike. I raised the camera and composed this image of that moment.
Projetos Escalares
PASSAGEM - Site Specific - SESC de Presidente Prudente - 2016
Galhos secos, cimento, terra e grama, 3 x 5 x 18 metros.
Márcio Diegues
Foto de Thiago Ferri.
I rarely go out with the specific goal of shooting the hind end of a train. While locomotives have always been the primary focus of railroad photographers since the earliest days of the genre at least a couple generations ago the rear ends were nearly as interesting. Until the mid 1980s every freight train was punctuated by a caboose each dressed in the unique colors and style of the owning road, of which there were far more in the pre mega-merger era. Go back a generation or two further than that to the pre Amtrak era and the rear end of passenger trains were just as interesting often brought up by observation cars of varied styles and colors and frequently adorned with neon logos or stylish nameplates befitting the status of the train.
Alas those days have been relegated to the history books and if you want to photograph a caboose rolling you have to visit a heritage railroad or participate in a photo freight reenactment. Similarly you won't find an observation car on any modern Amtrak trains so unless you want to travel north to see VIA's classic Canadian, you have to visit a museum or be lucky enough to catch a private car or executive train out on the line.
However in recent years the New Jersey based United Railroad Historical Society has begun running regular excursions along the Hudson River (and even a few as far as Chicago!) with their trio of original New York Central Railroad cars that they add to regularly scheduled Amtrak trains.
Bringing up the rear of Amtrak train 233 (Empire Service from New York Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer) are NYC tavern-lounge number 43 (Budd built 1947), Pullman bedroom lounge 'Swift Stream' (Budd 1949), and observation lounge car 'Hickory Creek' built by Pullman-Standard for the 1948 refit of the flagship 20th Century Limited.
All three cars would have regularly traveled these rails on their original trains, though originating at Penn Station instead of Grand Central would seem blasphemous to those old Central men! The Hickory Creek resplendent in her Henry Dreyfuss designed two toned grey livery splits the Central era small target GRS type SA signals as she sails north up Main1 at MP 99 on modern day Amtrak's Hudson Line which opened between New York and Albany in 1851 as the Hudson River Railroad.
In 1864 the road was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt along with the New York and Harlem. Meanwhile in 1853 Erastus Corning had assembled a plethora of small local lines as the New York Central Railroad running from Albany to Buffalo and in 1867 Vanderbilt merged it with his road to create the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the rest as they say is history. The line passed from the NYC, to Penn Central, Conrail, and ultimately CSXT until December 2012 when Amtrak took over control and dispatching of the line from Poughkeepsie to Hoffmans (where it joins the busy Mohawk Subdivision) under a long term lease agreement with CSXT.
As for these trips check out this website to learn more about what the URHS offers:
www.hudsonriverrail.com/experiences
And for an in depth history of each of these three cars check out these links:
www.urhs.org/rolling-stock#/nyc43
Tivoli, New York
Saturday October 26, 2024
I needed a break from studying so I set out to create a very specific image. The result was something entirely different, but to me that is what's so beautiful about creative expression. Intent is important when creating a photo but being open to new possibilities, to truly living in the moment and reacting fluidly to what is around you...Responding to the forces that surround you while you're creating - that is just as special.
This photo is rooted in two thoughts...The first is from one of my favourite movies, Chronicles of Narnia (I read the book a long time ago, I'm sure it's amazing but the visuals in the movie are incredible <3)...The image has to do with the scene where the little girl meets Mr. Tumnus and learns that winter has lasted for a long time. So that connects to the whimsical aspect of the photo. The second part is that this looks like an ad for something. It has that element of sexuality and smoking. The materialism that is symbolized represents how obsessive we have become over consumer goods, over trivial nonsense. The two girls face the same direction, and one even looks straight at the camera. The earth behind them is warm, green and lush but there is no way of knowing whether or not they are aware of this. They are huddling together for warmth. Ultimately, they are immersed in the lifeless cold of winter but there is always hope for summer and what summer represents :)
BTS shots are on my blog
Woodwardia radicans est une grande fougère tropicale aimant les lieux humides, elle a la capacité de former des bulbilles en touchant le sol qui repartiront, formant de nouveaux individus. Les sores allongés sont également caractéristiques. L'épithète spécifique radicans signifie « à tiges qui prennent racine », en référence aux plantules enracinées apparaissant à l'extrémité des frondes.
Woodwardia radicans is a large tropical fern that thrives in humid environments. It has the ability to form bulbils upon touching the ground, which will then sprout and give rise to new individuals. The elongated sori are also characteristic. The specific epithet radicans means "rooting stems," referring to the rooted plantlets that appear at the tips of the fronds.
The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".
At 23 to 29 cm (9.1 to 11.4 in) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
The little grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds.
Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black in adulthood.
In winter, its size, buff plumage, with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The little grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated weet-weet-weet or wee-wee-wee which sounds like a horse whinnying.
Kawasaki Motorcycle/Motorbike Cake
Golden Luxury Butter Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream.
Covered with fondant.
Edible motorcycle cake topper (fondant/gum paste), hand molded and replicated from specific model of Kawasaki motorcycle (7'' /18 cm/ long).
I did a couple sketches, and the guy wanted a wildstyle graffiti piece, I was like you sure, dude was like yeah, do your thang, So, I did a color scheme and wanted midnight dark blue for the background, the idea was going for a blue print background, dude came back after I already made the paint order with, yeah a couple people arent feeling the wall color being that dark....pause...I was like okay go with what you want i guess...so, there goes the concept and the color scheme, commission jobs...yuuup!
There are so many different kinds I don't know their specific names.
They are only visible at low tide.
This is the kind of image I very rarely post - general and scenic rather than specific - but reflections always appeal to me and I liked the varying qualities of distortion in the water.
Because I don't usually take shots of overall scenes, I really have to think about how to frame them, which is good practice.
I was uncertain as to whether I should include the swan, or wait for it to pass. I think it looks OK.
This is Huron Basin, part of the Salford Quays area of Manchester. The three buildings are known as the NV Buildings. Over the other side of the bridge is Harbour City metrolink stop, and behind me is the way to the Lowry Centre and the Imperial War Museum North.
🇬🇧 English
Shot at the Roma Foto Show in 1990, this portrait was my attempt to capture a very specific kind of elegance—the kind that arrives senza sforzo, with a touch of attitude and a dash of mystery.
I loved the way the soft light slid across her skin and how that single lock of hair insisted on doing its own thing. The pose, half-poised and half-improvised, felt like a moment suspended between confidence and curiosity.
A small reminder that sometimes the best portraits happen when the subject forgets the camera… and the photographer remembers to stay quiet.
🇮🇹 Italiano
Scattata al Roma Foto Show nel 1990, questa foto nasce dal desiderio di raccontare un’eleganza tutta sua: naturale, un po’ ironica e con quello sguardo che sembra dire più di mille pose studiate.
La luce morbida sulla pelle, la ciocca ribelle e la posizione a metà tra spontaneità e intenzione hanno creato un momento sospeso, quasi rubato.
Una di quelle immagini che ricordano come i ritratti migliori arrivino quando il soggetto si dimentica della macchina fotografica… e il fotografo si ricorda di non disturbare.
I always wondered who he was before the war.
He holds an overmolded BrickArms M1911 with the safety switch molded into the trigger guard. This figure will be the only way to get this specific variant of the overmolded M1911. All later versions omit the safety.
I'll have him at WWB, and maybe BrickFair VA.
The first formal description of the Chinese rubythroat was by the Russian geographer Nikolay Przhevalsky in 1876. He introduced the current binomial name Calliope tschebaiewi. The specific epithet tschebaiewi is in honour of the Cossack Pamfili Tschebaeiv who accompanied Przevalsky on his travels. The Chinese rubythroat was subsequently considered as a subspecies of the Himalayan rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis). The species complex was given the English name "white-tailed rubythroat" and placed in the genus Luscinia. A large molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that the Luscinia was not monophyletic. The genus was therefore split and several species including the white-tailed rubythroat were moved to the reinstated genus Calliope.Another study published in 2016 compared the mitochondrial DNA, vocalization and morphology of several Calliope pectoralis subspecies. Based on their results the authors recommended that C. p. tschebaiewi be promoted to species rank with the English name Chinese rubythroat. At the same time the English name "white-tailed rubythroat" was changed to Himalayan rubythroat.The species is monotypic.
A young couple on the street of Hanoi. It's weekend and this specific street is open only for pedestrians. This city is the best destination in Vietnam for wanderers like me.
____
Gears I use:
[I put them all here to increase my search visibility - sorry for long post]
Camera 1: Sony a9
Camera 2: Sony A7III
Actioncam: Gopro Hero 8 Black
___
Lens: Wide angle Sony 24mm f1.4 G-Master
Lens: Walk around Sony FE 35mm f1.8
Lens: Long tele Sony 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 G-Master
Lens: Versatile - portrait Sony FE 55mm f1.8 Zeiss
Lens: Wide angle zoom Sony 16-35mm GM
Lens: Ultra wide angle MF zoomLaowa 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 C-Dreamer FE
Lens: Macro - portrait - product Sony FE 90mm G macro OSS
Lens: Do-it-all Sigma 24-70mm DG DN Art
Lens: Dreamy bokeh Samyang 85mm F1.4 AF E-mount
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanderling
The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yrðling, "sand-ploughman".[2] The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific alba is Latin for "white".[3]
It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
It is somewhat unlike other sandpipers in appearance, which has led to the suggestion that it should be placed into a monotypic genus Crocethia. A more recent review (Thomas et al., 2004) indicates, however, that the sanderling is a fairly typical "stint" or small sandpiper and should be separated from the large knots with its closest relatives in a distinct genus.
This bird is similar in size to a dunlin, but stouter, with a thick bill. It shows a strong white wingbar in flight, and runs along the sandy beaches it prefers with a characteristic "bicycling" action of its legs, stopping frequently to pick small food items. It eats small crabs and other small invertebrates. In spring, birds migrating north from South America consume large numbers of horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay area.
In spring, the birds arrive on the High Arctic breeding grounds (see map), where they lay 3–4 eggs in a ground scrape. On the nesting grounds, these birds mainly eat insects and some plant material.
The sanderling is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Description
The sanderling is a small plump sandpiper, 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) in length. Its weight ranges from 40–100 g (1.4–3.5 oz). The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. This is the source of the specific name, alba, which is the Latin for "white". Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. The juvenile bird is spangled black and white, and shows much more contrast than the adult.
Standard Measurements[4][5]
length180–220 mm (7.1–8.7 in)
weight60 g (2.1 oz)
wingspan430 mm (17 in)
wing114.5–121.6 mm (4.51–4.79 in)
tail47.3–53 mm (1.86–2.09 in)
culmen22.5–26.6 mm (0.89–1.05 in)
tarsus23.5–25.8 mm (0.93–1.02 in)
If its size is misjudged, a sanderling in breeding plumage can be mistaken for some varieties of stint, or a sanderling in winter plumage can be mistaken for a dunlin or red knot. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe. Its behavior is also distinctive.
Distribution, habitat and migration
The sanderling breeds in the High Arctic areas of North America, Europe and Asia. In North America, it breeds in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Nunavut, Greenland (and to a lesser extent Alaska). In Eurasia, it breeds in Spitsbergen and areas of northern Russia from the Taymyr Peninsula to the New Siberian Islands. In the northern winter, it has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution across the world's marine coasts. It is a complete migrant, travelling between 3,000 to 10,000 km (1,900 to 6,200 mi) from its breeding grounds to its wintering sites. Birds that travel further also arrive later and leave sooner. Most adults leave the breeding grounds in July and early August, whereas juvenile birds leave in late August and early September. The northward migration begins in March at the southern end of their winter distribution.[6]
The breeding habitat of the sanderling is coastal tundra north of 5 °C (41 °F) July isotherm. The species typically chooses nesting sites on dry stony areas near wet areas, from 60 m (200 ft) above sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft). During the winter and its migration, it is most commonly found on coastal sandy beaches, but also occurs on tidal sand flats, mud flats and the shores of lakes and rivers. More infrequently, it may occur on rocky shores.[6]
Subspecies
The sanderling consists of two subspecies:
C. a. alba, (Pallas, 1764), breeds on Ellesmere Island, north & east Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and the Taymyr Peninsula
C. a. rubida, (Gmelin, 1789), breeds in northeast Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada
Behaviour
Feeding behaviour
Sanderlings feed on invertebrate prey buried in the sand in the upper intertidal zone. In North America, this diet largely consists of the isopods Excirolana linguifrons, Excirolana kincaidii, and the mole crab, Emerita analoga. When the tide is out, these crustaceans live in burrows some way beneath the surface. When the tide comes in, they move into the upper layers of sand and feed on the plankton and detritus that washes over them with each wave. They then burrow rapidly down again as the water retreats. They leave no marks on the surface, so the sanderlings hunt for them by plunging their beaks into the sand at random, consuming whatever they find. Their bills can penetrate only 2 or 3 cm (0.79 or 1.18 in) and as the water swirls around and retreats, the sand is softer; this makes it easier for the birds' beaks to penetrate further. In the spring, when much breeding activity is taking place in the benthic community, there may be as many as 4000 invertebrates per square metre, but their average size is smaller than later in the year. The birds appear to rush madly around at the edge of the surf, but in reality they are maximising their chances of catching as many prey animals as possible when they are at their most vulnerable near the surface.[7]
Breeding behaviour
At breeding time sanderlings are territorial, with the male aggressively defending its territory. They may either form monogamous pairs or polyandrous (one female and two male) pairings.
SN/NC: Abelia x Grandiflora, Caprifoliaceae Family
Abelia × grandiflora is a hybrid species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, raised by hybridising A. chinensis with A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora was first raised in 1886 at the Rovelli nursery at Pallanza (now Verbania), on Lake Maggiore in Italy. It is used as an ornamental plant in specimen plantings in gardens, or in a mixed border with other shrubs. This plant is still widely listed in Australia and the UK under the name Abelia. The Latin specific epithet grandiflora means "abundant flowers".and the Oxford English Dictionary says "Bearing large flowers". However these flowers are not large, but they are abundant, so further research is warranted. "Abelia", the common name and genus name, honors Clarke Abel, physician and naturalist who collected seeds and plants on a British expedition to China in 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora é uma espécie híbrida de planta com flores da família das madressilvas Caprifoliaceae, criada pela hibridização de A. chinensis com A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora foi criada pela primeira vez em 1886 no viveiro Rovelli em Pallanza (hoje Verbania), no Lago Maggiore, na Itália. É usada como planta ornamental em plantios de espécimes em jardins ou em uma borda mista com outros arbustos. Esta planta ainda é amplamente listada na Austrália e no Reino Unido sob o nome Abelia. O epíteto específico latino grandiflora significa "flores abundantes" e o Oxford English Dictionary diz "Produzindo flores grandes". No entanto, essas flores não são grandes, mas são abundantes, portanto, pesquisas adicionais são necessárias. "Abelia", o nome comum e o nome do gênero, homenageiam Clarke Abel, médico e naturalista que coletou sementes e plantas em uma expedição britânica à China em 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora es una especie híbrida de planta con flores de la familia Caprifoliaceae, que se obtuvo mediante la hibridación de A. chinensis con A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora se cultivó por primera vez en 1886 en el vivero Rovelli en Pallanza (ahora Verbania), en el lago Maggiore en Italia. Se utiliza como planta ornamental en plantaciones de ejemplares en jardines o en un borde mixto con otros arbustos. Esta planta todavía se incluye ampliamente en Australia y el Reino Unido con el nombre de Abelia. El epíteto específico en latín grandiflora significa "flores abundantes" y el Oxford English Dictionary dice "que tiene flores grandes". Sin embargo, estas flores no son grandes, pero son abundantes, por lo que se justifica una mayor investigación. "Abelia", el nombre común y el nombre del género, honra a Clarke Abel, médico y naturalista que recolectó semillas y plantas en una expedición británica a China en 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora ist eine Hybridart einer Blütenpflanze aus der Familie der Geißblattgewächse (Caprifoliaceae), die durch Kreuzung von A. chinensis mit A. uniflora gezüchtet wurde. Abelia × grandiflora wurde erstmals 1886 in der Gärtnerei Rovelli in Pallanza (heute Verbania) am Lago Maggiore in Italien gezüchtet. Sie wird als Zierpflanze in Einzelpflanzungen in Gärten oder in gemischten Rabatten mit anderen Sträuchern verwendet. Diese Pflanze ist in Australien und Großbritannien immer noch weithin unter dem Namen Abelia gelistet. Das lateinische Artepitheton grandiflora bedeutet „reichlich blühende Pflanzen" und im Oxford English Dictionary steht „große Blüten tragend". Diese Blüten sind jedoch nicht groß, aber reichlich vorhanden, sodass weitere Forschungen erforderlich sind. „Abelia", der gebräuchliche Name und Gattungsname, ehrt Clarke Abel, einen Arzt und Naturforscher, der 1817 auf einer britischen Expedition nach China Samen und Pflanzen sammelte.
Abelia × grandiflora è una specie ibrida di pianta da fiore della famiglia delle Caprifoliaceae, ottenuta ibridando A. chinensis con A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora è stata coltivata per la prima volta nel 1886 presso il vivaio Rovelli a Pallanza (ora Verbania), sul Lago Maggiore in Italia. È utilizzata come pianta ornamentale in piantagioni esemplari nei giardini o in una bordura mista con altri arbusti. Questa pianta è ancora ampiamente elencata in Australia e nel Regno Unito con il nome Abelia. L'epiteto specifico latino grandiflora significa "fiori abbondanti" e l'Oxford English Dictionary dice "che porta grandi fiori". Tuttavia questi fiori non sono grandi, ma sono abbondanti, quindi sono giustificate ulteriori ricerche. "Abelia", il nome comune e il nome del genere, onora Clarke Abel, medico e naturalista che raccolse semi e piante durante una spedizione britannica in Cina nel 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora is een hybride soort bloeiende plant in de kamperfoeliefamilie Caprifoliaceae, gekweekt door A. chinensis te hybridiseren met A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora werd voor het eerst gekweekt in 1886 in de kwekerij Rovelli in Pallanza (nu Verbania), aan het Lago Maggiore in Italië. Het wordt gebruikt als sierplant in specimenbeplantingen in tuinen of in een gemengde border met andere struiken. Deze plant wordt nog steeds veel gebruikt in Australië en het Verenigd Koninkrijk onder de naam Abelia. De Latijnse soortnaam grandiflora betekent "overvloedige bloemen". en de Oxford English Dictionary zegt "met grote bloemen". Deze bloemen zijn echter niet groot, maar ze zijn overvloedig aanwezig, dus verder onderzoek is gerechtvaardigd. "Abelia", de algemene naam en geslachtsnaam, eert Clarke Abel, arts en natuuronderzoeker die zaden en planten verzamelde tijdens een Britse expeditie naar China in 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora est une espèce hybride de plante à fleurs de la famille des Caprifoliacées, obtenue par hybridation d'A. chinensis avec A. uniflora. Abelia × grandiflora a été cultivée pour la première fois en 1886 dans la pépinière Rovelli à Pallanza (aujourd'hui Verbania), sur le lac Majeur en Italie. Elle est utilisée comme plante ornementale dans les plantations de spécimens dans les jardins, ou dans une bordure mixte avec d'autres arbustes. Cette plante est encore largement répertoriée en Australie et au Royaume-Uni sous le nom d'Abelia. L'épithète spécifique latine grandiflora signifie « fleurs abondantes » et l'Oxford English Dictionary dit « portant de grandes fleurs ». Cependant, ces fleurs ne sont pas grandes, mais elles sont abondantes, donc des recherches plus approfondies sont justifiées. « Abelia », le nom commun et le nom de genre, rendent hommage à Clarke Abel, médecin et naturaliste qui a collecté des graines et des plantes lors d'une expédition britannique en Chine en 1817.
Abelia x grandiflora هو نوع هجين من النباتات المزهرة من عائلة زهر العسل Caprifoliaceae، يتم تربيته عن طريق تهجين A. chinensis مع A. uniflora. تم زراعة Abelia x grandiflora لأول مرة في عام 1886 في مشتل Rovelli في Pallanza (Verbania الآن)، على بحيرة Maggiore في إيطاليا. يتم استخدامه كنبات زينة في زراعات العينات في الحدائق، أو في حدود مختلطة مع شجيرات أخرى. لا يزال هذا النبات مدرجًا على نطاق واسع في أستراليا والمملكة المتحدة تحت اسم Abelia. تعني الكلمة اللاتينية grandiflora "أزهار وفيرة". ويقول قاموس أكسفورد الإنجليزي "تحمل أزهارًا كبيرة". ومع ذلك، فإن هذه الأزهار ليست كبيرة، لكنها وفيرة، لذا فإن المزيد من البحث ضروري. "Abelia"، الاسم الشائع واسم الجنس، تكريمًا لكلارك آبل، الطبيب وعالم الطبيعة الذي جمع البذور والنباتات في رحلة استكشافية بريطانية إلى الصين عام 1817.
Abelia × grandiflora は、スイカズラ科 Caprifoliaceae の開花植物の交雑種で、A. chinensis と A. uniflora を交配して育成されました。Abelia × grandiflora は、1886 年にイタリアのマッジョーレ湖畔のパランツァ (現在のヴェルバーニア) にある Rovelli 苗床で初めて育成されました。庭園の標本植栽や、他の低木との混合境界に観賞用植物として使用されています。この植物は、オーストラリアや英国では今でも Abelia の名で広く記載されています。ラテン語の種小名 grandiflora は「豊富な花」を意味し、オックスフォード英語辞典には「大きな花を咲かせる」とあります。ただし、これらの花は大きくはありませんが、豊富であるため、さらに研究が必要です。一般名および属名の「Abelia」は、1817 年にイギリスの中国探検隊で種子と植物を収集した医師で博物学者の Clarke Abel にちなんで付けられました。
Transformation masks such as this Thunderbird belong to the sky world, which consists of Ancestral Beings that are transported to the heavens from where they can return as material beings in recognizable form such as human. The Kwakwaka’ wakw people say when this bird ruffles its feathers they cause thunder and when they blink their eyes lightning flashes. Each thunderbird is associated with a specific village group or lineage, a specific place of origin unique to each and its details are carefully guarded. Masks can be owned individually or by a family but rights are always inherent, flowing from one generation to the next. The Namgis people relate that this thunderbird flew out of the heavens to assist a man who had transformed into a large halibut. When finished assisting he removed his headdress and winged cape and sent them back to the sky world becoming human. The mask may be worn on the forehead with the dancer’s face showing or it may cover the face to indicate the duality of man and bird. The performer wears a full costume of representing the bird. The mask would be danced during a Winter Ceremony, called a Potlatch, where songs, dances and rituals are performed and gifts may be given. When not used such masks are wrapped carefully and hidden away. When worn and danced and closed the mask portrays a bird head with a large yellow beak. When open, the head and large beak divide, expand, and become a full-bodied bird with outstretched wings. Each wing contains a linear image of a sisiutl or lightning snake. At the center of the full-bodied bird is a human head. Above the head is a small seated figure and below it is still another bird. Opening and closing the mask would add a spectacular effect during the dances. When the mask was first collected it had cord riggings to open its parts. It was collected from the Gigilgam lineage of the Nimpkish. The mask is fragile but stable. There are scattered pigment losses. Red cedar ruff originally surrounded the mask when it was worn for performances.
Legend says that Wild Bill Hickok (real name: James Butler Hickok) was shot in the back of the head during a poker game while holding specific cards, namely the ace of spades, ace of clubs, eight of spades, and eight of clubs and an unknown fifth card and this hand of cards has become known as “the dead man’s hand.”
Although it’s true Hickok was shot and killed that day there is no conclusive evidence what exact cards he was holding at the time of his death were those. To date, no contemporary accounts have been discovered that might reveal what the hand was.
Good story though
OTTAWA - Health Canada has completed a safety review of human health products and veterinary drugs containing gentian violet and has found that exposure to these products may increase the risk of cancer. Given the seriousness of this risk, Health Canada is advising Canadians to stop using all human and veterinary drug products containing gentian violet.
Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye used to treat fungal infections. Products containing gentian violet have been used on the skin, on mucous membranes (inside the nose, mouth or vagina), on open wounds, or on the nipple of a nursing mother to treat oral thrush in infants.
Health Canada’s risk assessment of medical devices containing gentian violet found that the gentian violet is unlikely to come into direct contact with the skin. Therefore, these products do not pose an increased risk of cancer when used for a short time and in most people, and they remain on the market in Canada. However, you should not use dressings containing gentian violet for longer than six months, or if you are pregnant or nursing.
Health Canada's review was triggered by the World Health Organization's Codex Alimentarius Commission's recommendation on the potential risk of cancer associated with veterinary drug residues in foods, including gentian violet. Although the Commission's recommendations were specific to food residues, Health Canada reviewed the safety of human non-prescription drugs, veterinary drugs and medical devices containing gentian violet.
After completing two safety assessments, the Department concluded that, as with other known cancer causing substances, there is no safe level of exposure, and therefore any exposure to these drug products is a potential cause for concern.
Health Canada warns Canadians of potential cancer risk associated with gentian violet
Report a Concern
Starting date:
June 12, 2019
Type of communication:
Information Update
Subcategory:
Drugs
Source of recall:
Health Canada
Issue:
Important Safety Information
Audience:
General Public
Identification number:
RA-70179
Last updated: 2019-06-27
This mantis lives to mimic ants, fire ants to be specific. The nymphs are incredibly fun to raise as they look exactly like ants, all the way down to the mandibles. As they get older, they gradually lose their bright red coloring and begin to sport green and brown markings. The mature adults are green in color and look nothing like ants. Females have small black and orange markings at the end of the wings and males have dark coloring along the entire wing.
Climbing ripples form under specific hydraulic conditions, and tend to be canceled or eroded by the next flow. Sometimes they do get preserved though, such as in this example. This set is part of a turbidite, a sedimentary layer that forms at the foot of relatively steep submarine slopes. I can count at least seven different flows in this small interval (see coin for scale).
Marnoso-Arenacea Formation (Miocene)
Northern Apennines
Palazzuolo sul Senio, Firenze
Italy