"Il fico comune (Ficus carica L.) è una pianta xerofila dei climi subtropicali temperati, appartenente alla famiglia delle Moraceae. Rappresenta la specie più nordica del genere Ficus, produce il fico, comunemente considerato un frutto.

L'epiteto specifico carica fa riferimento alle sue origini che vengono fatte risalire alla Caria, regione dell'Asia Minore. Testimonianze della sua coltivazione si hanno già nelle prime civiltà agricole di Palestina ed Egitto, da cui si diffuse successivamente in tutto il bacino del Mediterraneo. Se per definizione è detto "Fico Mediterraneo", si considera originario e comune delle regioni caucasiche, e del Mar Nero.

Solo dopo la scoperta dell'America il fico si diffuse in quel continente, in seguito in Sud Africa, per i contatti con l'Oriente si diffuse in Cina ed in Giappone; infine giunse in Australia...."

da: it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_carica

Isola delle Femmine (PA), agosto 2016

Tiny, active, warbler-like bird of tropical and subtropical forest edge, woodland, and gardens. Feeds on nectar and fruit, and in some areas visits bird feeders. Variable plumage across range, especially in the Caribbean, but always note small size and sharp, slightly decurved bill. Most populations have a bold white eyebrow and yellow underparts. Throat color varies from pale gray on mainland (Mexico to South America) to white on some island populations (including Cozumel) or sooty gray (Greater Antilles). Some birds in the Lesser Antilles are entirely black. Song is variable across range but usually high-pitched and scratchy. (eBird)

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Highly variable in plumage, but always recognizable by their energy, antics and boldness. Common around the island, this one popped up on a branch just above my head to sample the delights of the flowers blooming there.

Andromeda Botanical Gardens, Barbados. February 2023.

Uncommon, rather large, fairly short-billed hummingbird of tropical and subtropical forect and edge. Can be agressive when defending flower patches from most other hummingbirds.

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the cattle egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

The cattle egret has undergone one of the most rapid and wide reaching natural expansions of any bird species.It was originally native to parts of Southern Spain and Portugal, tropical and subtropical Africa and humid tropical and subtropical Asia. In the end of the 19th century it began expanding its range into southern Africa, first breeding in the Cape Province in 1908. Cattle egrets were first sighted in the Americas on the boundary of Guiana and Suriname in 1877, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. It was not until the 1930s that the species is thought to have become established in that area.

The species first arrived in North America in 1941 (these early sightings were originally dismissed as escapees), bred in Florida in 1953, and spread rapidly, breeding for the first time in Canada in 1962. It is now commonly seen as far west as California. It was first recorded breeding in Cuba in 1957, in Costa Rica in 1958, and in Mexico in 1963, although it was probably established before that. In Europe, the species had historically declined in Spain and Portugal, but in the latter part of the 20th century it expanded back through the Iberian Peninsula, and then began to colonise other parts of Europe; southern France in 1958, northern France in 1981 and Italy in 1985.

Breeding in the United Kingdom was recorded for the first time in 2008 only a year after an influx seen in the previous year. In 2008, cattle egrets were also reported as having moved into Ireland for the first time. This trend has continued and cattle egrets have become more numerous in southern Britain with influxes in some numbers during the non breeding seasons of 2007/08 and 2016/17. They bred in Britain again in 2017, following an influx in the previous winter, and may become established there.

In Australia, the colonisation began in the 1940s, with the species establishing itself in the north and east of the continent. It began to regularly visit New Zealand in the 1960s. Since 1948 the cattle egret has been permanently resident in Israel. Prior to 1948 it was only a winter visitor.

SÜDAFRIKA (South-Africa), Blyde-Canyon - am Trauer-Freudenfluss, Bourkes Luck Potholes.

Der Blyde River Canyon ist ein 26 Kilometer langer, bis zu 800 Meter tiefer und hauptsächlich aus rotem Sandstein bestehender Canyon. Er befindet sich an der Panorama Route nordöstlich von Johannesburg und gilt als eines der großen Naturwunder Afrikas.

Durch den Blyde River Canyon, der an den Bourke’s Luck Potholes genannten Strudellöchern beginnt, fließt der Fluss Blyde River, der bei dem Thaba Chweu entspringt und in den Olifantsriver fließt.

The Blyde River Canyon is a 26km long Canyon located in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is the one of the larger canyons on Earth but much smaller than those of Asia, the Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon. Unlike the Grand and Fish River Canyon, the Blyde River Canyon is a "green canyon" which is dominated by subtropical vegetation. The canyon forms part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.

Okra (US: /ˈoʊkrə/, UK: /ˈɒkrə/), Abelmoschus esculentus, known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, and South Asian origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world. 'Abelmoschus' is New Latin from Arabic أَبُو المِسْك‎ (ʾabū l-misk, “father of musk”). 'esculentus' is Latin for being fit for human consumption

Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo

It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.

Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.

Population:

UK breeding:

12,000 pairs

The masked water tyrant (fluvicola nengeta) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in its major range in eastern and southeastern Brazil in the caatinga and extreme eastern cerrado, and also Atlantic coastal regions; a second smaller disjunct range occurs on the Pacific side of South America in western Ecuador, and coastal border regions of northwest Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

Masked water-tyrants eat mostly insects like butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers and larvae.

Brazil, Ilha Grande

Please don't use my images without my permission. All images © Aivar Mikko.

Un jeune Renard roux (Vulpes vulpes), Neuchâtel, Suisse.

Parmi tous les prédateurs sauvages terrestres, le renard roux possède incontestablement la plus grande aire de répartition. En Effet, il occupe tout l’hémisphère Nord. Il a une grande capacité d’adaptation pour vivre dans des habitats extrêmement variés comme par exemple, la Toundra arctique ou les régions subtropicales au nord de l’Asie du Sud-est et même les déserts sablonneux en Afrique du Nord. Depuis le 19ème siècle on trouve aussi le renard roux introduit par les humains intentionnellement ou pas, dans de nouvelles zones géographiques. Par exemple en Australie, il a été introduit par des émigrants britanniques pour la chasse à courre et a réussit à s’y installer. Le renard roux a eu un impact considérable sur les marsupiaux, qui sont de nature relativement lente et n’avaient pas de stratégie de défense contre ces carnivores fraîchement introduits. Au sein de son aire de répartition très vaste, le renard colonise actuellement aussi les zones urbaines, même jusqu’au centre de certaines grandes villes.

This beautiful Neotropical hummingbird has been reclassified since I saw it nectaring at a feeder in Panama. The Blue-chested Hummingbird (Polyerata amabilis) was formerly placed in the genus Amazilia. It is also found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Nicaragua, but its numbers are sadly decreasing. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest.

Males – like this one – form leks to try to gain the attention of females during the breeding season.

Created for The Blind Pig Speakeasy Activity - Bring on the Blues: www.flickr.com/groups/photopigs/discuss/72157647521920351/

Little Tern - Sterna Albifrons

This delightful chattering seabird is the UK's smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It is noisy at its breeding colony where courtship starts with an aerial display involving the male calling and carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'.

Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

This bird breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia.

There are three subspecies, the nominate albifrons occurring in Europe to North Africa and western Asia; guineae of western and central Africa; and sinensis of East Asia and the north and east coasts of Australia.[4]

The little tern breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle coasts and islands. It lays two to four eggs on the ground. Like all white terns, it is defensive of its nest and young and will attack intruders.

Like most other white terns, the little tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.

At the beginning of the 19th century the little tern was a common bird of European shores, rivers and wetlands, but in the 20th century populations of coastal areas decreased because of habitat loss, pollution and human disturbance.

The loss of inland populations has been even more severe, since due to dams, river regulation and sediment extraction it has lost most of its former habitats. The Little Tern population has declined or become extinct in many European countries, and former breeding places on large rivers like the Danube, Elbe and Rhine ceased. Nowadays, only few river systems in Europe possess suitable habitats; the Loire/Allier in France, the Vistula/Odra in Poland, the Po/Ticino in Italy, the Daugava in Latvia, the Nemunas in Lithuania, the Sava in Croatia and the Drava in Hungary and Croatia. The status of the little tern on the rivers Tagus and lower Danube is uncertain.

The hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, "buceros" being "cow horn" in Greek. Hornbills have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae (the atlas and axis respectively) are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. A number of mainly insular species of hornbill with small ranges are threatened with extinction, namely in Southeast Asia. In the Neotropical realm, toucans occupy the hornbills' ecological niche, an example of convergent evolution.

The mallard (/ˈmælɑrd/ or /ˈmælərd/) or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.

The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.

Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple blue speculum feathers edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest, though temporarily shed during the annual summer moult. Upon hatching, the plumage colouring of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face (with streaks by the eyes) and black on the backside (with some yellow spots) all the way to the top and back of the head. Its legs and bill are also black. As it nears a month in age, the duckling's plumage will start becoming drab, looking more like the female (though its plumage is more streaked) and its legs will lose their dark grey colouring.

Los Angeles Arboretum and botanic garden.

Arcadia. California.

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

Double click to view

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the cattle egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

The cattle egret has undergone one of the most rapid and wide reaching natural expansions of any bird species.It was originally native to parts of Southern Spain and Portugal, tropical and subtropical Africa and humid tropical and subtropical Asia. In the end of the 19th century it began expanding its range into southern Africa, first breeding in the Cape Province in 1908. Cattle egrets were first sighted in the Americas on the boundary of Guiana and Suriname in 1877, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. It was not until the 1930s that the species is thought to have become established in that area.

The species first arrived in North America in 1941 (these early sightings were originally dismissed as escapees), bred in Florida in 1953, and spread rapidly, breeding for the first time in Canada in 1962. It is now commonly seen as far west as California. It was first recorded breeding in Cuba in 1957, in Costa Rica in 1958, and in Mexico in 1963, although it was probably established before that. In Europe, the species had historically declined in Spain and Portugal, but in the latter part of the 20th century it expanded back through the Iberian Peninsula, and then began to colonise other parts of Europe; southern France in 1958, northern France in 1981 and Italy in 1985.

Breeding in the United Kingdom was recorded for the first time in 2008 only a year after an influx seen in the previous year. In 2008, cattle egrets were also reported as having moved into Ireland for the first time. This trend has continued and cattle egrets have become more numerous in southern Britain with influxes in some numbers during the non breeding seasons of 2007/08 and 2016/17. They bred in Britain again in 2017, following an influx in the previous winter, and may become established there.

In Australia, the colonisation began in the 1940s, with the species establishing itself in the north and east of the continent. It began to regularly visit New Zealand in the 1960s. Since 1948 the cattle egret has been permanently resident in Israel. Prior to 1948 it was only a winter visitor.

Bakoye river seasonal. River man.

El Bakoye River (Río Blanco en manding) nace en las zonas subtropicales de Guinea, escasamente a 700 metros de altitud y se adentra en la República de Malí por el sur, fluyendo fronterizo a Guinea, por orografías más montañosas, alejado del desierto subsahariano en el norte del país. El Bakoye es un río "estacional". La mayor parte del año está seco o con poco caudal, reducido a una simple lámina de agua de escasos centímetros. Se convierte en un río prácticamente innavegable y donde difícilmente se puede sustentar vida piscícola que sirva de alimento a las aldeas por las que transcurre y del cual se extrae escasamente agua para regar pequeños campos y dar de beber a la población. El río estacional Bakoye depende de las estaciones de los grandes monzones africanos y solamente tiene un ligero caudal aceptable en la época monzónica, de julio a noviembre. De diciembre a junio, se convierte en su mayor parte del trayecto en un rio seco y sin agua. "Bakoye" es una canción tradicional que Ali Farka Touré incluyó en su album "Ali Farka Touré", publicado en 1988. Bakoye, habla de la esencia y tradiciones del pueblo maliense y de la relación del ser humano y de su dependencia con el agua, lo más esencial en un país, cubierto por el desierto. Ali Touré recibió el apodo de Farka por parte de sus padres. "Farka" significa "asno" o "burro"... palabra que en Occidente se usa como insulto o signo de estupidez. Pero en los países africanos el asno o burro es un animal venerado, por su fuerza y resistencia pese a su aparente fragilidad, por su tenacidad y terquedad. Es venerado por los malienses por ser el animal que carga materiales, sirve de transporte y ayuda en las tareas de labranza de los campos. Nunca he sabido por qué Ali Touré recibió el apodo de Farka por parte de sus padres. Quizá, la explicación, pueda ser la siguiente: Ali Farka Touré tuvo nueve hermanos. Todos ellos fallecieron durante la infancia por la precaria vida en este país. Solo Farka sobrevivió y consiguió una vida más longeva... Posiblemente su carácter afable y optimista; su terquedad y tenacidad por aferrarse a la vida, fueran la causa de que sus padres decidieran llamarlo "Farka"... Considero a Farka junto a Toumani Diabaté como los mejores músicos de Malí y de la música africana. Ali Farka Touré, murió en el año 2006, a los 67 años, de cáncer de huesos, días después de grabar su último disco, "Savane"

Bakoye / Ali Farka Touré - Ali Farka Touré (1988)

youtu.be/zdXbM6gWn_4

Soya / Ali Farka Touré - Savane (2006)

youtu.be/_bhux4BvquQ

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté / Debe

Palais des Beaux Arts, Bruselas 2005. Un año antes de la muerte de Farka

youtu.be/pJUE03aeaQ4

......................................................................................................................

River Man es una de las más bellas canciones compuesta por Nick Drake, en su corta vida. De ella se han hecho muchas versiones. Posiblemente una de las mejores versiones sea la del músico de jazz Brad Mehldau.

River man / Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (1969)

youtu.be/o9VtfyqgiFE

River man / Brad Mehldau - The Art of the Trio III - Songs (1998)

youtu.be/uKMcePlBwQg

Atlapetes albinucha gutturalis (Yellow-throated brush finch / Gorrión montés gorgi-amarillo)

The Yellow-throated Brush Finch, is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.

Wikipedia

My Backyard

Southwest Florida

USA.

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it tomorrow. Will be off Flickr Thursday.

Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world.

Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as "hibiscus", or less widely known as rose mallow. Other names include hardy hibiscus, rose of sharon, and tropical hibiscus.

The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees.

Several species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants, notably Hibiscus syriacus and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

A tea made from hibiscus flowers is known by many names around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is known for its red colour, tart flavour, and vitamin C content. – Wikipedia

La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.

Atlapetes albinucha gutturalis

(Yellow-throated brush finch / Gorrión montés gorgi-amarillo)

The Yellow-throated brush finch ranges from Mexico to the mountains of W Colombia. All forms of this brush-finch have a white stripe down the midline of the crown from the forehead to the nape.

White-naped Brush-finches are found in subtropical to temperate elevations, from 1200 to 3100 m in elevation. They forage on the ground, often in family groups.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...

Brazil

Cuiaba River

The Pantanal

South America

Happy Caturday!! Jaguar entering the water of the Cuiaba River.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large felid species and the only extant member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico in North America, across much of Central America, and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; and its numbers are declining. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat.

Overall, the jaguar is the largest native cat species of the New World and the third largest in the world. This spotted cat closely resembles the leopard, but is usually larger and sturdier. It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps and wooded regions.

The jaguar enjoys swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain. As a keystone species it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations. – Wikipedia

Cope Wildlife garden, La Unión de Guapiles, Costa Rica

While driving out of the Kaeng Krachan National Park I encountered a troupe of stump-tailed macaques alongside of the road. I quickly exited the vehicle and took this picture of the alpha male. Before I could reduce my focal length he had quickly slipped into the jungle.

Wikipedia: The stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. In India, it occurs south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country.

This Old World monkey travels quadrupedally, usually on the ground, as it is not very agile in trees. It is generally found in evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, at different elevations depending on the amount of rainfall in the area.

Conservations status: Vulnerable

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stump-tailed_macaque

Finca Alejandria, Km 18 Via Cali-Buenaventura, Cali, Colombia.

Chalcothraupis ruficervix ruficervix -Prévost & Des Murs, 1842- (Golden-naped tanager / Tangara nuquirrufa)

The golden-naped tanager is found in South America from Colombia to Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest. Six subspecies are recognised.

Golden-naped tanagers have plumage similar to those of the metallic-green tanager, the swallow tanager and the blue-and-black tanager as adults of all three species are primarily blue with black facial masking, however, the golden-naped tanager is the only primarily blue tanager with a golden or reddish crown patch or nape.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-naped_tanager

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited again in 2020 and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited again in 2020 and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

The little bunting breeds across the taiga of the far north-east of Europe and northern Eurosiberia to the Russian Far East. It is migratory, wintering in the subtropics in northern India, southern China and the northern parts of south-east Asia.[3] The birds remain in their winter quarters for quite long; specimens were taken in Yunnan in late March.[5] It is a rare vagrant to western Europe (Wiki).

Only showed 3 times, pretty briefly but once it did appear in the nearest hedge tree, otherwise, further back along the hedge at the limit of effective range. Inevitably a very twiggy shot and it only sat facing front, but great to see it in some decent light.

Thank you for your faves and comments

Geographically located in the subtropical zone, Taiwan’s winter is not too cold. But the color of the color-changing plants is warm and beautiful, taken in January 2018.

This is not a scenic area, 😂 which is a peasant's cash crop, Planted in the middle of a paddy field, Generous peasants, Free for tourists to visit and photography. Taiwan media reports, Saplings purchase price of about $ 67, 10 years later sold for $ 670.

地理位置在亞熱帶地區，台灣的冬天不是太冷，但變色植物的顏色溫暖而美麗，於2018年1月拍攝。

這不是風景區，😂 這是農民的經濟作物，種植在一片稻田的中央，慷慨的農民，免費讓遊客參觀和攝影。台灣媒體報導，樹苗購入價格大約2000台幣，10年後以2萬台幣售出。

台灣俗稱落羽松，其實它是杉木

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited this year and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

.Scientific name: Caesalpinia pulcherrima

.Common Names: Red Bird of Paradise, Garden Flamboyam, Peacock Flower, Flower of Paradise

.Family: Fabaceae

.Category: Shrubs, Tropical Shrubs, Trees, Ornamental Trees

.Climate: Equatorial, Subtropical, Tropical

.Origin: Central America, Antilles

.Height: 1.2 to 1.8 meters, 1.8 to 2.4 meters, 2.4 to 3.0 meters, 3.0 to 3.6 meters

.Luminosity: Half Shade, Full Sun

It is a perennial shrub or tree, very popular in tropical landscaping, which has a woody, erect, branched and thorny stem.

The inflorescences are composed of red, orange-red, pinkish-red or yellow flowers, depending on the variety, all characterized by long stamens. Flowering occurs in spring and summer.

The fruits are of the vegetable type and appear in Autumn.

It should be grown in full sun or partial shade, but is tolerant of light cold, in subtropical or Mediterranean climates, becoming deciduous (loses its leaves in Winter). It is multiplied by seeds.

Some peoples use the plant as a medicinal plant, with anti-inflammatory properties, but care must be taken as it is a toxic plant, including abortifacient.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited again in 2020 and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited this year and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

Distributed throughout subtropical montane forest in the Andes and northern Venezuela, the Pale-edged Flycatcher is a fairly typical member of the genus Myiarchus.

This species is typically a bird of humid forests and is one of the few species of Myiarchus that is restricted entirely to humid montane forest.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...

Near My Home

Southwest Florida

USA

Another orchid photographed at a monthly orchid meeting.

Laelia is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Laelia species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. Laelia is abbreviated L. in the horticultural trade.

Mostly epiphyte herbs (with a few lithophytes) with laterally compressed pseudobulbs. One to four leathery or fleshy leaves are born near the top of each pseudobulb, and can be broadly ovate to oblong. The inflorescence is a terminal raceme. The flowers have 8 pollinia; petals are of a thinner texture than the sepals; sepals and petals are of similar shape, but the sepals being narrower; the lip or labellum is free from the arched flower column.

Species of Laelia can be found from western Mexico south to Bolivia, from sea level to mountain forests. - Wikipedia

Tipica de bosques tropicales y subtropicales y áreas semi-abiertas junto a arboles altos. Suele verse a mitad o en lo alto de los arboles con frutos, a veces en grupos pequeños. Fácil de identificar por la base rosada del pico y su máscara rosada alrededor de los ojos, su nombre coloquial deriva del sonido que emiten similar a un puerco aunque en El Salvador se le conoce tambien como Torreja

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited this year and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited this year and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.

Welcome in Fuengirola

Fuengirola in ancient times known as Suel and then Suhayl, is a large town on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain.

It is a major tourist resort, with more than 8 km (5 miles) of beaches and a medieval Moorish fortress.

The town has its origins in Phoenician, Roman, and Arab civilisations.

With the subtropical Mediterranean climate it is a wonderful place to visit, with a grand view over the Mediterranean sea.

In the 1960s Fuengirola started to become a leading tourist centre, eventually having the expected facilities for eating, sleeping, and entertainment. The town has broad beaches along a promenade extending east and west from the town.

It's many restaurants have a wide range of food a of which we enjoyed much, and there is a big choice for everybody; seafood, vegetarian, and a wide range of meat.

And don't forget to taste the fresh orange juice! That's something you have to drink before the beer guys...

It was a happy time with lots of fun , and good to go on holiday again!

The Subtropical Lady is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South America, from the mountains of Colombia and west of Caracas (Venezuela) through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, southern Brazil, and Paraguay to Patagonia in Argentina. It is also found on Easter Island and Tuamotus.

The larvae feed on Achyrocline flaccida and many other species.

Jardín Botánico de Quito, Ecuador. January 2010.

Welcome in Fuengirola

Fuengirola in ancient times known as Suel and then Suhayl, is a large town on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain.

It is a major tourist resort, with more than 8 km (5 miles) of beaches and a medieval Moorish fortress.

The town has its origins in Phoenician, Roman, and Arab civilisations.

With the subtropical Mediterranean climate it is a wonderful place to visit, with a grand view over the Mediterranean sea.

In the 1960s Fuengirola started to become a leading tourist centre, eventually having the expected facilities for eating, sleeping, and entertainment. The town has broad beaches along a promenade extending east and west from the town.

It's many restaurants have a wide range of food a of which we enjoyed much, and there is a big choice for everybody; seafood, vegetarian, and a wide range of meat.

And don't forget to taste the fresh orange juice! That's something you have to drink before the beer guys...

It was a happy time with lots of fun , and good to go on holiday again!

Strelitzia reginae

Herbaceous plant originating in South Africa.

It is grown in gardens of tropical and subtropical regions and appreciated by the beauty of its flowers.

The scientific term for this plant "Strelitzia reginae" is a tribute to Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of England, who died in 1818.

Very sought after for sophisticated landscaping projects.

São Bento do Sapucaí, São Paulo, Brazil.

This is not a good idea, Such an unsafe shot method XD

Tonight the temperature is 9 degrees Celsius and the humidity is 50%. Taiwan is in the subtropical zone. Oh my God, It feels very cold.

The overall appearance is like a harp, The bridge height is 72 meters, It is the highest cable-stayed bridge in central Taiwan.

The bridge is also a scheduled MRT route, It connects Central Taiwan Science Park and the urban area.

If the image is blurred, Please click refresh !

Thank you for your visit, Have a nice day.

這不是好主意，如此不安全的拍攝方法 XD

今天晚上氣溫攝氏9度，濕度50%。台灣位於亞熱帶，我的天啊，感覺非常冷。

整體外型如豎琴，橋梁高度72公尺，是台灣中部最高的斜張橋。

這座橋也是預定的捷運路線，它連接台灣中部科學園區和市區。

如果圖像模糊，請點擊重新整理！

謝謝您的訪問，恭喜發財，新年快樂。

The earth is 4.6 billion years old. Scaling to 46 years, humans have been here 4 hours, the industrial revolution began 1 minute ago, and in that time, we’ve destroyed more than half the world’s forests.

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Yakushima is a subtropical island off the southern coast of Kyushu and part of Kagoshima Prefecture. It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan's oldest living trees. Trees more than 1000 years old are affectionately called yakusugi (a combination of Yakushima and sugi, the Japanese word for cedar), the most ancient of which may be over 7000 years old.

The island's cedar forests were logged extensively in the past, particularly during the Edo Period for the production of cedar shingles. Today the forests have well recovered from past logging and are a national park, while some areas were declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1993.

Yakushima, Japan

February, 2020

Lilium (members of which are true lilies) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range extends into the northern subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies.

La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.

Diglossa albilatera

(White-sided Flowerpiercer / Pincha flor)

12 cm (4.7 in). The male White-sided Flowerpiercer is all black with white tufts on the sides. The female is a uniformly rich brown with white tufts on the sides.

The White-sided Flowerpiercer (Diglossa albilatera) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. The hooked, upturned bill is used to puncture the bases of flowers for the purpose of feeding on nectar. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest at altitudes between at least 1800 and 2800 m.

Source: Wikipedia

Abbotsbury subtropical gardens

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset

The gardens are situated in Abbotsbury, Dorset about 10 miles from Weymouth. In the late 18th century a family called Fox-Strangeways built a house and garden on the site (1765). This was maintained until 1913 when the house burnt down. It was decided not to rebuild the house, the family moved elsewhere but the walled garden remained until the present day. The family still owns the garden which now extends to a 20 acre or 8 hectares site. It is filled with many exotic species, both formal and informal gardens. Wooded walks and walled gardens feature throughout. Because of its microclimate many plants survive and flourish outside a greenhouse. The downside to this is, severe frost and rain can cause havoc to plants and trees. In 1990 severe storms damaged many of the rare plants. Many of these however, have been replaced by younger specimens. Another feature of the garden is that there are a number of geographically sectioned areas for specific zones.

We visited again in 2020 and had cake and tea in the restaurant. Very well worth the visit.