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Parsonsfield, Maine.
Panorama of our sunset on this cool first day of October from Rt-160 / North Road in Parsonsfield.
Put it to your eye. You never know. There are lots of reasons, some of them even good, to just leave it on your shoulder or in your bag. Wrong lens. Wrong light. Aaahhh, it’s not that great, what am I gonna do with it anyway? I’ll have to put my coffee down. I’ll just delete it later, why bother? Lots of reasons not to take the dive into the eyepiece and once again try to sort out the world into an effective rectangle.
It’s almost always worth it to take a look :-)
― Joe McNally
HBW!!
prunus, Blireana plum, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina
Compared to Northern hemisphere fires this is totally not on the radar of the news media or environmentalists. And no, I'm not implying the world is burning down, but I am interested if these fires are natural or part of agricultural practices or living conditions.
Grok3 AI:
The Windy application’s global fire view, which likely incorporates data from sources like NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), shows numerous small fires across Africa south of the equator due to a combination of human activities, environmental conditions, and ecosystem dynamics. Below, I outline the primary causes of these fires, focusing on regions south of the equator, such as southern and central Africa, during their respective fire seasons. Primary Causes of Small Fires in Africa Below the EquatorAgricultural Practices (Slash-and-Burn and Land Clearing):Slash-and-Burn Agriculture: In southern and central Africa, particularly in countries like Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, small-scale farmers commonly use fire to clear land for agriculture. This practice, known as slash-and-burn, involves cutting vegetation and burning it to create nutrient-rich soil for crops. The ash fertilizes the soil, and the practice is cost-effective for smallholder farmers. These fires are typically small, localized, and widespread, contributing to the pattern observed on Windy’s fire view.
Crop Residue Burning:
After harvests, farmers burn leftover crop residues to prepare fields for the next planting season. This is common during the dry season (April to August in southern Africa), when vegetation is dry and flammable, leading to numerous small fires.
Land Management for Grazing:
Fires are deliberately set to manage rangelands for livestock. Burning removes old, dry grass, encouraging fresh grass growth for grazing animals. This practice is widespread in savanna ecosystems, which dominate much of southern Africa. These controlled burns are typically small and scattered, aligning with the pattern seen in the Windy application.
Seasonal and Climatic Conditions:
Dry Season Dynamics: South of the equator, the fire season peaks from April to August, coinciding with the dry season when vegetation dries out, creating abundant fuel. The savanna and grassland ecosystems, prevalent in southern Africa, accumulate dry biomass during the wet season, which becomes highly flammable during the dry months.
Climate Change and Drought:
Increasing temperatures and drought conditions, exacerbated by climate change, enhance fire susceptibility. In some areas, hotter and drier conditions have extended the fire season and increased fire frequency, particularly in regions like the southern Congo Basin.
Natural Causes (Lightning):
Lightning strikes during the transition from wet to dry seasons can ignite fires in savanna and grassland ecosystems, which are fire-dependent and adapted to periodic burning. While less common than human-induced fires, lightning contributes to the overall fire activity observed.
Deforestation and Land Use Change:
In tropical forest areas, such as parts of the Congo Basin, small fires are increasingly linked to deforestation. As forests are cleared for agriculture or logging, fragmented landscapes become more fire-prone. These fires are often small but numerous, as they occur in patches of cleared or degraded forest.
Aerosol Feedback Mechanism:
Research indicates that fire-induced aerosols (e.g., smoke particles) in Africa create a feedback loop that sustains fire activity. Aerosols influence local climate by reducing rainfall and increasing temperatures, drying out vegetation and making it more flammable. This mechanism amplifies fire seasons, particularly in central and southern Africa, contributing to the widespread small fires seen on Windy’s map.
Why Small Fires DominateFire Size and Detection:
Many fires in Africa south of the equator are small (<100 hectares) because they are set intentionally for specific purposes (e.g., clearing small plots or managing grazing land). These fires are often missed by coarser-resolution satellite data but are detected by higher-resolution tools used by platforms like Windy, which likely integrates data from MODIS or VIIRS sensors. Small fires account for a significant portion of burned areas (up to 41% in sub-Saharan Africa) and contribute substantially to emissions.
Cultural and Historical Practices:
Fire has been used for thousands of years in African savannas and forests for land management, making small, controlled burns a traditional practice. These fires are less intense than large wildfires but are numerous and frequent, creating the dense pattern of fire hotspots on Windy’s global fire view.
Regional ContextSouthern Africa (e.g., Angola, Zambia):
The savanna-dominated landscapes experience widespread burning during the dry season (April–August). Angola and Zambia, for example, saw 67,162 and 21,034 fires, respectively, in a single week in 2018, many of which were small agricultural burns.
Central Africa (e.g., Democratic Republic of Congo):
The Congo Basin, while historically wet, has seen increased fire activity due to deforestation and drier conditions, particularly in its southern and northeastern parts. Small fires in these areas are often linked to forest clearing.
Environmental and Social Impacts:
While these small fires are often intentional and culturally significant, they have consequences.
Air Quality: The cumulative smoke from numerous small fires degrades air quality, affecting rural communities and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., 1.44 PgC annually from African fires).
Ecosystem Effects:
Savanna ecosystems are fire-adapted, but excessive burning can lead to soil degradation and biodiversity loss, especially in deforested areas.
Climate Feedback:
The aerosol feedback loop and climate change exacerbate fire frequency, potentially increasing the number of small fires over time.
Conclusion:
The massive number of small fires observed on the Windy application’s global fire view in Africa south of the equator is primarily driven by traditional agricultural practices like slash-and-burn and land clearing for grazing, amplified by dry season conditions and, increasingly, climate change and deforestation. These fires are typically small and intentional, reflecting long-standing cultural practices in savanna and forest ecosystems. However, their frequency and environmental impact, including emissions and air quality degradation, highlight the need for monitoring and sustainable land management. For real-time data, platforms like Windy and NASA’s FIRMS are valuable tools for tracking these fires.
Grok3 Further Question:
What percentage of these fires are due to charcoal fuel production?
There is limited specific data directly attributing the percentage of fires in Africa south of the equator to charcoal fuel production, as most studies focus on broader causes like agricultural burning, land management, and natural fires. However, charcoal production is a known contributor to fire activity in the region, particularly in forested areas, and I can provide an informed estimate based on available information. Key Points on Charcoal Production and FiresCharcoal Production Process: Charcoal is made by cutting trees and burning them in low-oxygen conditions (e.g., in kilns or pits) to produce charcoal for cooking fuel. These fires are typically small and controlled but can spread if not managed properly, contributing to the fire patterns observed on platforms like Windy’s global fire view. In some cases, the initial clearing of forests for charcoal production involves slash-and-burn techniques, which also generate fires.
Prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Charcoal is a critical energy source, with over 70% of sub-Saharan African households relying on woodfuel (including charcoal) for cooking. In urban areas like Kinshasa, up to 90% of residents depend on charcoal, driving significant demand and production-related fires.
Environmental Impact:
Charcoal production contributes to forest degradation and is often unregulated, leading to fires that may escape control. A 2019 report notes that charcoal production in countries like Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo is linked to widespread tree cutting and fires, exacerbating deforestation and desertification.
Fire Characteristics:
Studies indicate that fires in southern Africa, particularly in savanna and grassland ecosystems, produce small, elongated microcharcoal particles, some of which are associated with charcoal production. However, these fires are often smaller than agricultural burns and may not dominate satellite-detected fire points.
Estimating the Percentage:
While no source provides an exact percentage of fires south of the equator caused by charcoal production, we can infer from related data:Dominance of Agricultural Fires: Research shows that savanna and grassland fires, primarily for agriculture and land management (e.g., slash-and-burn, grazing land preparation), account for 82.6–85.9% of burned areas in sub-Saharan Africa, with small fires (<100 ha) contributing 41% of total burned area. These agricultural fires are the primary driver of the numerous small fires seen on Windy’s fire view.
Charcoal Production as a Subset:
Charcoal production is often categorized under human-induced fires, which include agricultural, pastoral, and fuelwood-related activities. A 2020 study on East Africa notes that charcoal burning is one of several human activities causing fires, alongside slash-and-burn and pastoral burning, but does not quantify its specific contribution. In tropical forests like the Congo Basin, fires linked to deforestation (which includes charcoal production) have increased, but they remain a smaller fraction compared to savanna fires.
Indirect Evidence:
The high dependence on charcoal (e.g., 90% in Kinshasa) suggests that charcoal production contributes significantly to fire activity in forested regions south of the equator, such as the southern Congo Basin, Angola, and Zambia. However, savanna fires for agriculture and grazing likely dominate the total fire count due to the vast extent of savanna ecosystems.
Best Estimate:
Based on the available data, charcoal production likely accounts for a small but non-negligible percentage of the fires observed south of the equator. Given that agricultural and pastoral fires dominate (likely 80–90% of total burned area), and considering charcoal production’s role in forested areas, I estimate that 5–15% of the small fires in Africa south of the equator may be directly or indirectly linked to charcoal production. This range accounts for:Controlled burns for charcoal kilns and forest clearing for charcoal, which are smaller in scale than agricultural fires.
Regional variations, with higher contributions in forested areas like the Congo Basin compared to savanna-dominated regions like Angola or Zambia.
The lack of precise data, as most studies do not isolate charcoal-related fires from other human-induced fires.
LimitationsData Gaps:
No recent, comprehensive study specifically quantifies charcoal production’s contribution to fire counts in southern Africa. Satellite data (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS) used by Windy may detect charcoal-related fires but does not distinguish their purpose.
Regional Variability: The contribution of charcoal production varies by country and ecosystem (e.g., higher in forested Congo Basin areas than in savanna-dominated Zambia).
Uncontrolled Fires: Some charcoal-related fires may spread unintentionally, but these are likely a small fraction compared to intentional agricultural burns.
Conclusion:
While agricultural and land management fires dominate the fire landscape in Africa south of the equator (80–90% of burned area), charcoal production likely contributes 5–15% of the small fires observed on Windy’s global fire view, particularly in forested regions like the southern Congo Basin. This estimate is based on the high reliance on charcoal as a fuel source and its association with deforestation and burning practices, though precise data is lacking. For more accurate figures, region-specific studies or higher-resolution fire purpose analysis would be needed.
Note: this photo was published in a Oct 1, 2011 issue of Everyblock NYC zipcodes blog titled "10023."
Note: I chose this photo, among the ten that I uploaded to Flickr on the morning of Oct 1, 2011, as my "photo of the day." It won't win any prizes or awards, but it serves as a good reminder to me that the focus, perspective, and "angle" of a photo can make a significant difference. Normally I would take a photo like this while standing upright, with the camera at my eye, and facing directly toward the woman. But this was taken with my Sony SLT-A55V camera, which has a "swivel" LCD that made it easy for me to bend over a little, lower the camera to roughly the height of my knees, and take a slightly upward-pointing picture. It puts more attention on the pigeons -- not that they really need it, but the point is that it provides a different perspective and focus than what I would normally be doing...
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This is a continuation of Flickr sets that I created in 2010 (shown here), 2009 (shown here), and 2008 (shown here) -- which, collectively, illustrate a variety of scenes and people in the small "pocket park" known as Verdi Square, located at 72nd Street and Broadway in New York City's Upper West Side, right by the 72nd St. IRT subway station.
I typically visit a local gym once or twice a week, and I get there by taking the downtown IRT express from my home (at 96th Street) down to the 72nd Street stop. Whenever possible, I try to schedule an extra 30-60 minutes to sit quietly on one of the park benches, and just watch the flow of people coming in and out of the park -- sometimes just passing through, to get from 72nd Street up to 73rd Street, but mostly entering or exiting the subway station.
You see all kinds of people here: students, bums, tourists, office workers, homeless people, retired people, babysitters, children, soldiers, sanitation workers, lovers, friends, dogs, cats, pigeons, and a few things that simply defy description. Sometimes you see the same people over and over again; sometimes they follow a regular pattern at a particular time of the day.
If I focus on the people entering the park at 73rd Street, and walking southwards toward the subway entrance, I typically have five or ten seconds to (a) decide if they're sufficiently interesting to bother photographing,(b) wait for them to get in a position where I can get a clear shot of them, and (c) focus my camera on them and take several shots, in the hope that at least one or two of them will be well-focused and really interesting.
While you might get the impression that I photograph every single person who moves through this park, it's actually just the opposite: the vast majority of people that I see here are just not all that interesting. (It's not that they're ugly, it's just that there's nothing interesting, memorable, or distinctive about them.) Even so, I might well take, say, 200 shots in the space of an hour. But some of them are repetitive or redundant, and others are blurred or out-of-focus, or technically defective in some other way. Of the ones that survive this kind of scrutiny, many turn out to be well-focused, nicely-composed, but ... well ... just "okay". I'll keep them on my computer, just in case, but I don't bother uploading them.
Only about 5% of the photos I've taken get uploaded to Flickr -- e.g., about 10 photos from a one-hour session in which a thousand, or more, people have walked past me. So it is indeed only a tiny, tiny subset of the "real" street scene in New York City. On the other hand, it is reassuring to see that there are at least a few "interesting" people in a city that often has a reputation of being mean, cold, and heartless...
If you look closely you can see the ambush bug between the wasp and the thistle blossom. This marvelous little creature (a subset of the assassin bug) will sit patiently and wait all day hidden in a flower waiting for someone like a wasp to fly by. His big strong powerful raptorial (prey-grabbing) forelegs are strong enough to down a bug at least twice his size. Such a thrill to find this action just after the strike.
Explore Dec 31, 2016 #120
Heliconia, derived from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of these regions. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers (Strelitzia). Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as heliconias.
The Heliconia are a monophyletic genus in the family Heliconiaceae, but was formerly included in the family Musaceae, which includes the bananas. However, the APG system of 1998 and APG II system of 2003 confirms the Heliconiaceae as distinct and places them in the order Zingiberales, in the commelinid clade of monocots.
These herbaceous plants range from 1.5–15 feet tall depending on the species. The simple leaves of these plants are 15–300 cm (6 in-10 ft). They are characteristically long, oblong, alternate, or growing opposite one another on non-woody petioles often longer than the leaf, often forming large clumps with age. Their flowers are produced on long, erect or drooping panicles, and consist of brightly colored waxy bracts, with small true flowers peeping out from the bracts. The growth habit of heliconias is similar to Canna, Strelitzia, and bananas, to which they are related.The flowers can be hues of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens, and are subtended by brightly colored bracts. The plants typically flower during the wet season. These bracts protect the flowers; floral shape often limits pollination to a subset of the hummingbirds in the region.
Heliconia champneiana Splash
Windows to the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
Having been born in rural Zeltros in 45 BBY, to 2 parents both of which were loyal and prominent members of the Republic. She also had a sister, Ally Rae, who was presumed dead during a spying mission in the Clone Wars. Emelry was raised with republic values, and having even interned at the local Republic delegation in her late teens. Towards the end of the war, when the CIS were drawing closer, and ended up with control of Zeltros, the Republic leadership, many of which had been good friends with the Raes, abandoned their supportive communities and fled the planet. Leaving the Raes, as well as millions of other families across the planet, to fend for themselves. This brought out a deep hate for the Republic inside Emelry, as she realized they were all talk and no walk. She grew a desire for revenge, both to avenge her parents, but also to make sure incompetent leadership wouldn't rise to power elsewhere in the galaxy. So after the Clone Wars had ended, and the Republic had been reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, their military ranks opened up to non-clones. Emelry was quick to enlist, as she believed this new ruling method would be much more effective at keeping small communities such as her pwn back on Zeltros safe, than the previous inefficient democratic style. Once joining the Imperial Navy, she was assigned to the 33rd Armored Cargo Battalion, a subset of the 777nd Walker Regiment, which fell under the 88rd Walker Division.
My wife and I had a lovely holiday in the Auvergne region in France this week. One of my favourite locations was the Puy de Sancy mountain which stands at 1883m. I had run this massive randonee the day before and wanted to return. I stayed up ontop after everyone had gone home. The hill fog wafted in as the sun set. It was cold but very beautiful. The run back down was equally exhilarating.
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis. Currently, there are only seven recognised species of honey bee with a total of 44 subspecies, though historically, anywhere from six to eleven species have been recognised. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees. from wikipedia.com
Emerald Peak is a 2,701-metre (8,862-foot) mountain summit located in Yoho National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Carnarvon, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to the northwest. Both are part of the President Range which is a subset of the Waputik Mountains. Emerald Peak is visible from Emerald Lake, rising 1,256-metre (4,121-foot) above the northwest shore.
Explore Apr 12, 2011 #407
Heliconia, derived from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants which are native to the tropical Americas and Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of these regions. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise because of their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers (Strelitzia). Collectively, these plants are also simply called Heliconias. See www.pacificfarmers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/An-Iden...
These plants range from 1 ½ to 15 feet tall depending on species. The simple leaves of these plants range from 6 inches to 10 feet. They are characteristically long, oblong, alternate, or growing opposite one another on non-woody petioles often longer than the leaf, often forming large clumps with age. Their flowers are produced on long, erect or drooping panicles, and consist of brightly colored waxy bracts with small true flowers peeping out. The growth habit of heliconias is similar to Canna, Strelitzia, and bananas, to which they are related. The flowers can be hues of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. The plants typically flower during the wet season. The bracts protect the flowers; floral shape often limits pollination to a subset of hummingbirds.
Heliconias are grown for florists and as landscape plants in tropical regions all over the world. Heliconias need an abundance of water, sunlight, and soils rich in humus. The flower of H. psittacorum (Parrot Heliconia) is especially distinctive, its greenish-yellow flowers with black spots and red bracts are reminiscent of bright parrot plumage. Most commonly grown landscape Heliconia species include Heliconia augusta, H. bihai, H. brasiliensis, H. caribaea, H. latispatha, H. pendula, H. psittacorum, H. rostrata, H. schiediana, and H. wagneriana.
Heliconias are an important food source for forest hummingbirds, some of which (for example Rufous-breasted Hermit, Glaucis hirsuta) also use the plant for nesting. The Honduran White Bat, Ectophylla alba also lives in tents it makes from Heliconia leaves.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
A useful Heliconias guide ...
www.pacificfarmers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/An-Iden...
Back from a thoroughly enjoyable long weekend in the Lakes, with uncharacteristically nice weather. Not fantastic the majority of the time for photography but it had it moments, and the sort of temperature Brits start to moan that it's too warm! (me being one of them...)
This wasn't a photocentric trip but I got out for two shoots. One was down at Elterwater which is fast becoming one of my favourite places on the planet. It's just a beautiful place and there is so much variety from a photographic point of view.
Personally, I think this is one of my best. I'm a sucker for a panoramic and this captures a subset of a lovely copse of trees in their spring getup strongly backlit by the rising sun. Taking an original image in such a well known spot adds some extra satisfaction. However, knowing how much I like it, it's guaranteed to bomb on here!
Having said all that, I'm not 100% on the colours here and might return to it when I have a decent monitor in the future.
Any thoughts welcomed.
This was taken outside one of the outdoor restaurants at the north side of Grand Central Terminal.
Note: I chose this as my "photo of the day" for Nov 17, 2015.
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This set of photos is based on a very simple concept: walk every block of Manhattan with a camera, and see what happens. To avoid missing anything, walk both sides of the street.
That's all there is to it …
Of course, if you wanted to be more ambitious, you could also walk the streets of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. But that's more than I'm willing to commit to at this point, and I'll leave the remaining boroughs of New York City to other, more adventurous photographers.
Oh, actually, there's one more small detail: leave the photos alone for a month -- unedited, untouched, and unviewed. By the time I actually focus on the first of these "every-block" photos, I will have taken more than 8,000 images on the nearby streets of the Upper West Side -- plus another several thousand in Rome, Coney Island, and the various spots in NYC where I traditionally take photos. So I don't expect to be emotionally attached to any of the "every-block" photos, and hope that I'll be able to make an objective selection of the ones worth looking at.
As for the criteria that I've used to select the small subset of every-block photos that get uploaded to Flickr: there are three. First, I'll upload any photo that I think is "great," and where I hope the reaction of my Flickr-friends will be, "I have no idea when or where that photo was taken, but it's really a terrific picture!"
A second criterion has to do with place, and the third involves time. I'm hoping that I'll take some photos that clearly say, "This is New York!" to anyone who looks at it. Obviously, certain landscape icons like the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty would satisfy that criterion; but I'm hoping that I'll find other, more unexpected examples. I hope that I'll be able to take some shots that will make a "local" viewer say, "Well, even if that's not recognizable to someone from another part of the country, or another part of the world, I know that that's New York!" And there might be some photos where a "non-local" viewer might say, "I had no idea that there was anyplace in New York City that was so interesting/beautiful/ugly/spectacular."
As for the sense of time: I remember wandering around my neighborhood in 2005, photographing various shops, stores, restaurants, and business establishments -- and then casually looking at the photos about five years later, and being stunned by how much had changed. Little by little, store by store, day by day, things change … and when you've been around as long as I have, it's even more amazing to go back and look at the photos you took thirty or forty years ago, and ask yourself, "Was it really like that back then? Seriously, did people really wear bell-bottom jeans?"
So, with the expectation that I'll be looking at these every-block photos five or ten years from now (and maybe you will be, too), I'm going to be doing my best to capture scenes that convey the sense that they were taken in the year 2013 … or at least sometime in the decade of the 2010's (I have no idea what we're calling this decade yet). Or maybe they'll just say to us, "This is what it was like a dozen years after 9-11".
Movie posters are a trivial example of such a time-specific image; I've already taken a bunch, and I don't know if I'll ultimately decide that they're worth uploading. Women's fashion/styles are another obvious example of a time-specific phenomenon; and even though I'm definitely not a fashion expert, I suspected that I'll be able to look at some images ten years from now and mutter to myself, "Did we really wear shirts like that? Did women really wear those weird skirts that are short in the front, and long in the back? Did everyone in New York have a tattoo?"
Another example: I'm fascinated by the interactions that people have with their cellphones out on the street. It seems that everyone has one, which certainly wasn't true a decade ago; and it seems that everyone walks down the street with their eyes and their entire conscious attention riveted on this little box-like gadget, utterly oblivious about anything else that might be going on (among other things, that makes it very easy for me to photograph them without their even noticing, particularly if they've also got earphones so they can listen to music or carry on a phone conversation). But I can't help wondering whether this kind of social behavior will seem bizarre a decade from now … especially if our cellphones have become so miniaturized that they're incorporated into the glasses we wear, or implanted directly into our eyeballs.
If you have any suggestions about places that I should definitely visit to get some good photos, or if you'd like me to photograph you in your little corner of New York City, please let me know. You can send me a Flickr-mail message, or you can email me directly at ed-at-yourdon-dot-com
Stay tuned as the photo-walk continues, block by block ...
Parsonsfield, Maine.
Panorama view after subset from Rt-160 / North Road in Parsonsfield on the 12th.
Geese, Pond, Dawn Sky. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
Ross’s geese in a wetland pond on a foggy morning beneath dawn sky.
There is often a particular esthetic around bird photography that concentrates on close photographs of individual birds. I've often thought that the reasons for this particular approach are several. For some bird photographers – though not so much for me — this work is an outgrowth of "birding," and in that endeavor being able to view individuals close up is a goal. There's also an element of the technical challenge. It isn't easy to get in position to fill the frame with one bird, and it is even more difficult when the bird is in flight. On top of that, we must acknowledge that for at least a subset of bird photographers, the acquisition and use of really big and really expensive lenses has its attractions.
I'm not immune to those things, but I often find myself approaching birds in a somewhat different way. Few of my photographs feature a single bird filling the frame. (I can do that, and I have, just not that often.) More typically, the photographs include a group of birds — a couple of them together or perhaps thousands — and place them in the landscape. The latter is quite likely linked to my long interest in the landscape as a subject. This photograph clearly fits that lineage — it is what I think of as a "birdscape," a photograph including birds in the landscape they occupy. I made this photograph in a water-filled place on a foggy morning when soft and colorful dawn light briefly lit the sky.
David Hoffman and I have an exhibit of "birdscapes" opening very soon at Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst, California, near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. If you'll be in the neighborhood — going to see the Yosemite Valley snow or to photograph Horsetail Fall? — stop by and take a look at our photographs!
February 16th-March12th. Reception February 16 5-8:00PM. Stellar Gallery, Oakhurst, California
Red Brick Pickup
Here is the brand new video!!
Likely built in the late 1800s in the Victorian Vernacular style. A subset of Victorian architecture that differentiates itself from other subsets by being more simplified and having more regular floorplans. The home as seen in the video and to some extent in the photos has at some point in time had an addition put onto the back of the home. Although listed as a property of historical significance, the home is not yet protected under the heritage act.
The property is owned by the nearby church and the home was likely originally built as the pastor's residence and contains numerous files that were likely being stored there at one time by the church. The church is currently building a driveway through the property for access to a new mausoleum. According to the information I have found on this home the church has proposed to maintain the existing dwelling and will be saved from demolition for the time being.
With a fairly modern look on the inside, the home has definitely been renovated but it still has some older features throughout the home including a basement that has not seen many changes over the years. It also still sports the original red brick exterior which is always nice to see! There are many items left behind including files, furniture and a few personal items.
Heliconia, is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku. Many species of Heliconia are found in the tropical forests of these regions. Most species are listed as either “vulnerable” or “data deficient” by the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia and Thailand. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan beak, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers (Strelitzia). Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as heliconias. These herbaceous plants range from 0.5 to nearly 4.5 meters tall depending on the species. The simple leaves of these plants are 15–300 cm. They are characteristically long, oblong, alternate, or growing opposite one another on non-woody petioles often longer than the leaf, often forming large clumps with age. Their flowers are produced on long, erect or drooping panicles, and consist of brightly colored waxy bracts, with small true flowers peeping out from the bracts. The growth habit of heliconias is similar to Canna, Strelitzia, and bananas, to which they are related.The flowers can be hues of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens, and are subtended by brightly colored bracts. Floral shape often limits pollination to a subset of the hummingbirds in the region. 23495
I started hypothesising on 'warm water forms' around October 2019, and spent much of the first half of 2020 visiting, dissecting and analysing this subset of enigmatic carved monoliths. My texts align to the Flickr images of this period and can be retrieved from the said Flickr album. For those watching from a computer, a sample of key related images can be seen linked below. Many thanks for the interest and support on this quiet subject.
From looking at detailed surface features, such as cups and canals, and by seeing a similarity between the 'polished concavity' from one site with a 'polished concavity' on the orthostate of a nearby late Neolithic dolmen, I pushed dates for the origination of these monoliths back towards the chalcolithic bridge and towards the first ages of metal.
Just such forms are relatively rare and are currently understood as medieval presses, even if their placement and construction and attrition details do not help with the conjecture. Currently surrounded by the vineyards of one of Europe's greatest wine producing regions, it is obviously tempting to imagine this as an example of a very first press for wine, even if wooden presses are and were perhaps more suitable.
Heating water from naturally available solar energy, or by adding heated river stones to a shallow pool, would let communities improve how they clean, how they dye fibres, soften a range of materials prior to, for example, basket making and a range of other day to day activities. The same basin system (basin 3) could easily be used to sift dirt from roots, with the whole array also perfectly adapted as a focal point for leisure and health - mixed function. Saunas can be seen from, at the very least, early Iron age dates, and offering visitors that have been attracted to the area, a privileged and 'pampered' welcome, might have helped to encourage then future trade and exchange. This implies a stable social system with elements of policing and a shared mosaic of protocols and rules.
This site is close to the River Ebro E/W 'highway' and under significant amber deposits. Amber was traded in the Chalcolithic bridge period.
Whilst 'warm water forms' are varied, and whilst the above site has differences from the 'warm water forms' described in past posts from 2019 and 2020, similarities of logic and function are clear, and changes of style understandable when the 500km separation distance is taken into account.
AJM 27.10.20
#491
[Intentional Camera Movement]...another of a series of ICM at same location through the seasons. April sees March out.
Also part of my "SHIFTING SEASONS" series of ICM; This one in subset "QUORUM"
ICM autumn conquered 72resSIGNED P1290408
Gorgeous "Big Bird" Great Blue Heron Takes Flight From Little Harbor Boardwalk As I Walk By - IMRAN™
It was a late afternoon on a cloudy but still bright day over Tampa Bay, Florida. I was in the area likely for the second time, during my 2012 trek to find a second home in Florida for the second time in my life in America.
My current blessed home in Apollo Beach was one of at least three on my list of high-interest homes, among about a dozen I had selected here. Those were a subset of the several hundred I had chosen and checked out during a months-long drive through almost every mile of Florida coastal communities.
As I walked back from the large dock at the tip of the boardwalk at Little Harbor in Ruskin, several birds were eying me while they sat dockside. This great gorgeous heron was among those, which included pelicans as well.
As I approached, it kept an eye on me until it literally leaped into a majestic takeoff when I was merely a few feet away, as you can see from the angle of this view.
© 2012-2021 IMRAN™
#2012, #bird, #boardwalk, #Flight, #Florida, #Flying, #Heron, #IMRAN, #ImranAnwar, #iPhone, #iPhone4S, #memories, #Nature, #pointofview, #roadtrip, #Ruskin, #seaside, #shoreline, #TampaBay, #wings, #birdwatching,
Today my two shots are taken in Redcliffe on the north side of Brisbane.
This image is in the suburb of Woody Point and the Ferris Wheel in the next shot is about a kilometre to the south (right) on the shoreline at Clontarf. The view looks out into what is essentially Bramble Bay which is a subset of the much larger Moreton Bay off South East Queensland.
National Geographic hailed this south-west view as an outstanding sunset scene several years ago. But only in summer when the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere sky.
In the distance is the D'Aigular Range which rings Brisbane's north on its western side while the bridge is the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge across the 2.7 kilometres wide estuary of the Pine River. On the far side of the bridge one enters Brisbane proper. The bridge is paralleled on the western side by the older Houghton Highway bridge.
If you consult google earth, all that may be much clearer!
3m 50 high and 1.85m wide to half a meter thick, the tell-tail lines of being a statue menhir are faded but present, and this megalith is hyperbolic when compared to many local examples and perhaps best comparable with another granite Statue Menhir several kilometres to the south: Menhir du Laouzeto, which is a good third smaller at 2,10 x 1,37 x 0,44 but is also finely shaped and smoothed and perhaps made by persons in contact with the Peyro Levado team. Today this statue menhir is positioned at the entrance to today's town of Lacaune-les-Bain and the attraction of vivid sources of water might be registered. It is presented on Wiki as the largest Statue Menhir in the world. It seems that it was originally discovered near a close by pot hole (trou de l’Aven). The statue menhir is under the Monts de Lacaunes - a series of similar highted peaks that afford views back north over Rance-group Statue Menhir country, and out towards the cliffs of Millau with its implied routes up to the Bondons menhir cluster. The views from the Lacaune summits also look south over the western peaks of the Pyrenees.
As far as I am aware, the last statue menhirs of the Rouergat group occur around 15km to the south, with the minor subset of 'Agout Statue Menhirs', otherwise the 'Monts de Lacaunes' sub group makes up the last substancial Rouergat group which perhaps has around 60 examples - many with a full range of details. There seems to be a buffer of land to the north with the statue menhirs perhaps retaining a culture within a human distance of rivers.
The peak of the Monts de Lacaunes that is pictured behind is known as the Roc de Montalet - 1259m and this is probably the largest Statue Menhir of mainland France.
AJ
Epcot's "Living With the Land" attraction.
Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, which is a method of growing plants without soil, by instead using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Terrestrial plants may be grown with only their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid, or the roots may be physically supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates.
The Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor), like the majority of other warblers, is highly migratory. However, a small subset of prairie warblers reside permanently in Florida's mangrove swamps, and they have evolved to be slightly larger than their nomadic brethren; they also have white spots on their tails.
Despite their name, they are not found in prairies, but usually in scrubby fields or forests, where they tend to their young. Often, they can be found on Christmas tree farms and, indeed, this handsome fellow was discovered on one. While he was the only one seen, many others were heard singing--Christmas carols?--in the pines!
The sun emitted a trio of mid-level solar flares on April 2-3, 2017. The first peaked at 4:02 a.m. EDT on April 2, the second peaked at 4:33 p.m. EDT on April 2, and the third peaked at 10:29 a.m. EDT on April 3. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured images of the three events. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.
Learn more: go.nasa.gov/2oQVFju
Caption: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare peaking at 10:29 a.m. EDT on April 3, 2017, as seen in the bright flash near the sun’s upper right edge. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is typically colorized in teal.
Credits: NASA/SDO
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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I recently took a co-worker of mine to Multnomah Falls for his first visit. He hadn't been before because he thought it was a longer hike in. I should him that it wasn't. Naturally it was a really busy day at the falls since it wasn't raining. I always find it fascinating to watch the behavior of photographers in public spots like this. It does run the gamut. Of course there are the photographers that feel like they are shooting you dirty looks for daring to photograph the same thing they are, as if their idea to photograph Multnomah Falls in autumn color was somehow unique to them. But they are just one subset. Another was the photographer who set up next to me and was doing his own thing til I pulled out my pinhole. He saw it and was immediately curious and asked me all about it. But I wasn't the only photographer in that pair with an interesting camera. He had a Nikon Coolpix I had never seen that had something like a 28-2000mm zoom lens on it. He demonstrated by zooming in on the rocks at the top of the falls. I was definitely impressed. We had a good conversation and we ended up friending each other on Instagram. Then there was the lady on the other side of him, who when she heard me explain my pinhole as my answer to the problem of dealing with water-spotted lenses loudly proclaimed that I sucked. She meant it as a joke, but it came out more than a bit obnoxious, which she doubled down a couple seconds later when she equally, loudly proclaimed that she was wondering how long til all the people on the bridge up above got out of her way, and she hoped the bridge collapsed on them. Me and the other photographer did our best to ignore her and I was secretly thankful that he was between her and me.
So yeah, it is an interesting experience to go into a crowded, loud, jostling spot like this and make images that are much quieter. To some degree, it mirrors my mindset while there and photography helps me find a bit of quiet even in busy places.
Anyway, I've been on a pano kick of late, so here is my third pano in a row but with a different camera.
Holga WPC
Kodak Ektar
Headquarters of Clan Campbell, the largest clan in Scotland. I am a member of the clan under the subset (sept) Campbell of Cawdor (as in Macbeth).
Inveraray is: Inver = mouth of and Aray is the river.
I had to carefully make my way across about 50 metres of the slimy boulder strewn river bed shielding my camera in case I fell and smashed it.
I've certainly never seen this before! Since newts (a somewhat more aquatic subset of salamanders) are somewhat toxic and have this orange belly to advertise that fact, I'm wondering how she did with this meal. Perhaps she'll pick something else from the menu next time!
I've never seen a salamander at my regular pond and a friend of mine who should know (thanks Karen!) tells me that any pond with fish will not have salamanders. This is a smaller pond, apparently without fish, where I also spotted the goslings. Hooded merganser hen with probably a rough-skinned newt, Siskiyou County, California
Too early, too cold? It's time to rise and shine. I've got work to do.
Observational understanding of the surrounding area through a deep, philosophical thought process. How to conquer this mountain. Formulating strategy utilizing what is given during the current situation.
The retina is a literal extension of your brain that transforms photons of light into neuronal signals. There are various organs in the ear canal that transform vibrations of air into spatial temporal patterns firing along a specialized nerve. There are also the raised buds on one's tongue, G-protein receptors on the tiny hairs inside one's nose. These are but a subset of touch. Sense receptors that cover the skin, bones, muscles, blood vessels, excetera, transmitting data on temperature; pressure; and pain. So you really only have three senses. But do continue to flatter yourself into thinking you have five. It's an advantage as these senses collaborate with the executive region of the brain.