WALL INSCRIPTIONS, CALENZANO ALTO, ITALY

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Wall Inscriptions, Calenzano, Italy 2Wall Inscriptions, Calenzano, Italy 4Wall Inscriptions, Calenzano, Italy 3Wall Inscriptions, Calenzano, Italy 1

CUBAN EMERALD HUMMINGBIRD, ABACO, BAHAMAS

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I photographed this tiny bird from a distance last month. Normally these Abaco images would appear on my main website HERE but I am planning a more detailed hummingbird post with close-ups for there, so I’m putting these ones here instead for the very small readership I have for this somewhat untended site. These images are exactly as taken – no colour tweaking, no sharpening, no photoshop  – and may not stand enlargement and close scrutiny, because I was several yards away. On the other hand they give a very good idea of how this bird feeds –  and besides, the plants are pretty… The red plant is known as a ‘firecracker’Cuban Emerald Hummingbird in flight, Abaco Bahamas 1Cuban Emerald Hummingbird in flight, Abaco Bahamas 2Cuban Emerald Hummingbird in flight, Abaco Bahamas 3Cuban Emerald Hummingbird in flight, Abaco Bahamas 4Cuban Emerald Hummingbird in flight, Abaco Bahamas 5

STAIRS OF NEW YORK

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Stairs NYC 1Stairs NYC 2Stairs NYC 3Stairs NYC 4Stairs NYC 5Stairs NYC 6Stairs NYC 7Stairs NYC 10Stairs NYC 11

THE NEEDLES, ISLE OF WIGHT

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THE NEEDLES, IOW – A COUPLE OF CONVENTIONAL TOURISTY SHOTSNeedles IoW 1 Needles IoW 2

LESS CONVENTIONAL EVENING SHOTS (nb unmodified images – no P/Shop!**)Needles IoW 3 Needles IoW 4 Needles IoW 5** and no sepia filter, in case you were wondering…

ROOSEVELT ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE NYC

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220px-Blackwell_Island_Lighthouse

ROOSEVELT ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE NYC

This New York City lighthouse is situated at the northeast tip of Roosevelt Island, in the East River. It is also known as Blackwell Island Lighthouse, named for the family that owned and farmed the island more than 200 years ago, and whose farmhouse (1796), recently-restored, can still be found nestling among the towering apartment blocks [a subsequent post on the farmhouse is planned]. The lighthouse is also known as Welfare Island Lighthouse, reflecting the use to which the island has been put in more recent times for hospitals, an asylum, and a penitentiary.

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The 50 ft octagonal lighthouse was built of stone in 1872 under the supervision of architect James Renwick Jr, and is a designated ‘New York City Landmark’. It operated until the 1940s, and has subsequently been restored, most recently in 1998. Despite several legends that are attached to the building, its function in a busy tidal shipping channel was prosaically practical. 

new-york-aerial-1NYC Aerial 2Roosevelt Island Lighthouse 1

The area shown above is known as Lighthouse Park. Like many waterside features on this side of the City, it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The green lift bridge visible below is the Wards Island Bridge, also known as the 103rd Street Footbridge.

Roosevelt Island Lighthouse 2Roosevelt Island Lighthouse 3

This photo, mainly of a ring-billed gull, was taken from near the lighthouse during a period of sub-zero temperatures. The freighter in the channel has its entire foredeck thickly covered in ice.Gull, Ship & Lift Bridge, NYC

CANADA GEESE ON ICE, PROSPECT PARK BROOKLYN

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Gone Fishin' MatCanada Geese Prospect Park 1 Canada Geese Prospect Park 2 Canada Geese Prospect Park 3 Canada Geese Prospect Park 4A close-up of the photo above shows a goose using its tail to stabilise its ice landingCanada Geese Prospect Park 7Bandy legs also seem to be “in” this season…Canada Geese Prospect Park 6

This is probably my last post on this blog for a couple of weeks, while I am away “on-site” at main blog HQ . Posting using an iPhone is a fiddly exercise, and the photos and formatting always have to be redone from scratch… Apologies that this site is so casual, with half-finished projects galore. Half-started, even. And also, apologies if I leave replying to comments for now until we get back…

GULLS ON ICE: PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN

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Prospect Gulls 2 Prospect Gulls 3 Prospect Gulls 4 Prospect Gulls 5 Prospect Gulls 6 Prospect Gulls 7 Prospect Gulls 8Prospect Gulls 1The gulls above are mainly ring-billed gulls of various ages, from last year’s fledgelings to mature adults of 4 years or more. To cope with landing on ice, they had to lower their undercarriages in very good time…

HERRING GULL Larus smithsonianus

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Herring Gull 5LIKE LOOKING AT HERRING GULLS? CLICK HERE

ROCK BEAUTY Holacanthus tricolor

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Rock Beauty Desktop WP clip

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS REEF FISH SPECIES? CLICK HERE 

RED-TAILED HAWKS IN CENTRAL PARK & PROSPECT PARK, NYC

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CENTRAL PARK

Red-tailed Hawk CP 7Red-tailed Hawk CP 1

PREPARING FOR FLIGHTRed-tailed Hawk CP 6Red-tailed Hawk CP 3Red-tailed Hawk CP 4Red-tailed Hawk CP 5

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYNRed-tailed Hawk PPB 6Red-tailed Hawk PPB 5Red-tailed Hawk PPB 1