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  • Cicada insect, Queen Charlotte Track, South Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_5159_cicada-insect.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists.
    10GLA-3027-31pan_Grinnell-Lake.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists. (Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping images.)
    10GLA-2680-82pan_Grinnell-Lake.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists.
    10GLA-3303-p2.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists.
    10GLA-2712-p1.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists. (Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping images.)
    10GLA-2683-85+87_Grinnell-Lake.jpg
  • Angel Wing and Mount Gould tower over blue-green Grinnell Lake and bear grass on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax, or synonym Helonias tenax) is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. Bear grass (also called squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass) thrives after fire clears surface vegetation. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 named glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear as soon as 2020, say climate scientists.
    10GLA-3258-p1.jpg
  • Wilbur Wright bronze bust.  Wright Brothers National Memorial (or Kill Devil Hill Monument from 1927 to 1933), located in Kill Devil Hills, in Dare County, North Carolina, USA, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. The memorial tower, built in 1932, was designed by Rodgers and Poor, a New York architectural firm. From 1900 to 1903, Orville Wright (born August 19, 1871 - died January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912) came here from Dayton, Ohio, attracted to the area's steady winds and privacy. The town of Kitty Hawk (established in the early 1700s as Chickahawk) was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first controlled, powered airplane flights six kilometers (4 miles) away near the sand dunes known as Jockey's Ridge.  In the two years afterward, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed wing flight possible. The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of "three axis-control", which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium, a method which became standard on modern fixed wing aircraft.
    08NC-1015.jpg
  • Wright Brothers National Memorial (called Kill Devil Hill Monument until 1933), located in Kill Devil Hills, in Dare County, North Carolina, USA, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. The memorial tower, built in 1932, was designed by Rodgers and Poor, a New York architectural firm. From 1900 to 1903, Orville Wright (born August 19, 1871 - died January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912) came here from Dayton, Ohio, attracted to the area's steady winds and privacy. The town of Kitty Hawk (established in the early 1700s as Chickahawk) was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first controlled, powered airplane flights six kilometers (4 miles) away near the sand dunes known as Jockey's Ridge.  In the two years afterward, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed wing flight possible. The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of "three axis-control", which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium, a method which became standard on modern fixed wing aircraft.
    08NC-1018.jpg
  • Wright Brothers National Memorial (called Kill Devil Hill Monument until1933), located in Kill Devil Hills, in Dare County, North Carolina, USA, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. The memorial tower, built in 1932, was designed by Rodgers and Poor, a New York architectural firm. From 1900 to 1903, Orville Wright (born August 19, 1871 - died January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912) came here from Dayton, Ohio, attracted to the area's steady winds and privacy. The town of Kitty Hawk (established in the early 1700s as Chickahawk) was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first controlled, powered airplane flights six kilometers (4 miles) away near the sand dunes known as Jockey's Ridge.  In the two years afterward, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed wing flight possible. The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of "three axis-control", which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium, a method which became standard on modern fixed wing aircraft.
    08NC-1009.jpg
  • Wright Brothers National Memorial (called Kill Devil Hill Monument until1933), located in Kill Devil Hills, in Dare County, North Carolina, USA, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. The memorial tower, built in 1932, was designed by Rodgers and Poor, a New York architectural firm. From 1900 to 1903, Orville Wright (born August 19, 1871 - died January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912) came here from Dayton, Ohio, attracted to the area's steady winds and privacy. The town of Kitty Hawk (established in the early 1700s as Chickahawk) was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first controlled, powered airplane flights six kilometers (4 miles) away near the sand dunes known as Jockey's Ridge.  In the two years afterward, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed wing flight possible. The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of "three axis-control", which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium, a method which became standard on modern fixed wing aircraft.
    08NC-1011.jpg
  • A jet departing El Calafate International Airport (code FTE, 20 km east of town) flies over Lake Argentina in the southern Andes mountains, north towards Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. Glaciers grind rock finely into glacial flour which flows suspended in water into the lake and creates a bright turquoise color. El Calafate is named from a little bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries that is very common in Patagonia: the calafate (Berberis buxifolia), Spanish for "caulk". El Calafate is an important tourist hub for Los Glaciares National Park, including Perito Moreno Glacier. The foot of South America is known as Patagonia, a name derived from coastal giants, Patagão or Patagoni, who were reported by Magellan's 1520s voyage circumnavigating the world and were actually native Tehuelche people who averaged 25 cm (or 10 inches) taller than the Spaniards.
    05ARG-50203.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3453_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3326_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3218_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3210_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3209_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3207_Galapagos.jpg
  • Frigatebirds (in the genus Fregata, in the family Fregatidae) sail the breeze over a ship in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, 972 km west of the continent of South America. Related to pelicans, some call them a "frigate pelican". They have long wings, tails and bills and the males have a red gular pouch that is inflated during the breeding season to attract a mate. Frigatebirds are pelagic piscivores which obtain most of their food on the wing. A small amount of their diet is obtained by robbing other seabirds, a behavior that has given the family its name, and by snatching seabird chicks. Frigatebirds are seasonally monogamous, and nest colonially. A rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-4614_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3428_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3300_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3291_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3222_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3180_Galapagos.jpg
  • Six-spot Burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae, a black insect with 6 red wing spots, in the Zygaenidae family) sip nectar from a Knapweed (Centaurea) flower. Hike the dramatic Sentier des Chamois from Verbier, in Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
    16SWI-7413.jpg
  • Shree Airlines helicopter. On a hill overlooking Namche Bazaar, Shyangboche Airstrip (3750 meters or 12,303 feet) can be reached by helicopter but is generally not used by fixed wing aircraft due to the loose pebble surface. Many trekkers get up before sunrise and walk up to the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters near here to take in the impressive views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku, Ama Dablam (6856 m or 22,493 ft). Sagarmatha National Park (created 1976) was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
    07NEP-3279.jpg
  • Martins Bay Hut dormitory wing. Hollyford Track, Fiordland National Park, Southland region, South Island of New Zealand. We enjoyed an easy 3-day version of the Hollyford Track: Day 1: fly from Milford Sound to Martins Bay, walk to its oceanfront Hut, and see New Zealand fur seals. Day 2: jetboat on Lake McKerrow to Pyke River Confluence, hike to Hidden Falls Hut for overnight lodging. Day 3: tramp out to Hollyford Road end to our prearranged car shuttle. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-2236.jpg
  • A common raptor found throughout Japan is the black-eared kite (Milvus migrans lineatus), a a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Unlike others of the group, black kites are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their angled wing and distinctive forked tail make them easy to identify. They are also vociferous with a shrill whinnying call. The black kite species (Milvus migrans) is thought to be the world's most abundant bird of prey. Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
    1810JPN-5320.jpg
  • A Six-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae, a black insect with 6 red wing spots, in the Zygaenidae family) and a tan colored Lepidoptera (butterfly or moth) sip nectar. We loved hiking to the quiet retreat of Berghotel Obersteinberg, which offers tremendous views of waterfalls and peaks in Upper Lauterbrunnen Valley, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe. Lit by candle light at night, this romantic escape built in the 1880s recalls an earlier era without power. The main luxuries here are flush toilets down the hall, and traditional Swiss hot meals. The private double rooms lack electricity, and bowls of water serve as bath and sink. Obersteinberg is a 2-hour walk from Stechelberg, or 4 hours from Mürren, in one of the world's most spectacular glaciated valleys. From Obersteinberg, don't miss the 2-3 hours round trip to the deep-blue tarn of Oberhornsee in the upper glacial basin, beneath snowcapped Grosshorn, Breithorn and Tschingelhorn. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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  • The Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys) is a small duck of South American forests. Photographed in the Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6G 3E2, CANADA. The Ringed Teal breeds in northwest Argentina and Paraguay, plus Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay. Their habitats include tropical, swampy forests and marshy clearings in well-wooded lowlands, as well as secluded pools and small streams. They use long toes and strong claws to perch on tree branches. The drake has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks and a salmon-coloured breast speckled in black. A black band runs from the top of its head down to the nape. Females have an olive-brownish back with the head blotched and striated in white, with pencilled barring on a pale chest and belly. Both have a dark tail, a contrasting pale rump, and a distinctive white patch on the wing. Bills are grey and legs and feet are pink in both sexes. Pairs easily bond.
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  • The metallic green "rose chafer" (or goldsmith beetle, Cetonia aurata) reaches 20 mm long and has a distinct V-shaped scutellum (the small area between wing cases). Reflection of circularly polarised light makes the beetle appear metallic green in color. Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvicka jezera, in Croatia, Europe) was founded in 1949 and is honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site.
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  • A Six-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae, a black insect with 6 red wing spots, in the Zygaenidae family) sips nectar from a Knapweed (Centaurea genus) flower in the Dolomites, Italy, the Alps, Europe. Geisler/Odle Group, near St. Magdalena (Santa Maddalena). See the valley and municipality of Funes (Villnöss) in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), Italy. Enjoy great hiking here in the vast Nature Park of Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps, Europe. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-30033_Six-spot-Burnet-moth_kna...jpg
  • The metallic green "rose chafer" (or goldsmith beetle, Cetonia aurata) reaches 20 mm long and has a distinct V-shaped scutellum (the small area between wing cases). Reflection of circularly polarised light makes the beetle appear metallic green in color. Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvicka jezera, in Croatia, Europe) was founded in 1949 and is honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site.
    13CRO-112_Plitvice-Lakes-Croatia.jpg
  • A Six-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae, a black insect with 6 red wing spots, in the Zygaenidae family) and a tan colored Lepidoptera (butterfly or moth) sip nectar from a Knapweed (Centaurea) flower in Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
    05ALP_0127-moths-Knapweed-Centaurea.jpg
  • Shree Airlines helicopter. On a hill overlooking Namche Bazaar, Shyangboche Airstrip (3750 meters or 12,303 feet) can be reached by helicopter but is generally not used by fixed wing aircraft due to the loose pebble surface. Many trekkers get up before sunrise and walk up to the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters near here to take in the impressive views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku, Ama Dablam (6856 m or 22,493 ft). Sagarmatha National Park (created 1976) was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
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  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) takes wing from an iceberg which was calved from South Sawyer Glacier, seen via day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord from Juneau, in the Alaska Panhandle, USA. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
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  • A wing of The Butterfly formation was vandalized in 2006, in Caverns of Sonora, Sutton County, Texas, USA. The world-class Caverns of Sonora have a stunning and sparkling array of speleothems (helictites, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coral trees, and other calcite crystal formations). National Speleological Society co-founder, Bill Stephenson said, after seeing it for the first time, "The beauty of Caverns of Sonora cannot be exaggerated...not even by a Texan!" Geologically, the cave formed between 1.5 to 5 million years ago within 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) Segovia limestone, of the Edward limestone group. A fault allowed gases to rise up to mix with aquifer water, making acid which dissolved the limestone, leaving the cave. Between 1 and 3 million years ago, the water drained from the cave, after which speleothems begain forming. It is one of the most active caves in the world, with over 95% of its formations still growing. Sonora Caves are on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio, Texas.
    1403TX-433_Caverns-of-Sonora_Texas.jpg
  • Fly over blue ridges of coastal desert hills between Lima and Cuzco, Peru, South America. Coastal Peru is one of the driest deserts on earth, watered only by rivers descending from the Andes mountains. Published in a poster addressing altitude sickness, by a medical student at USC, for use at an international health conference.
    03PER-01-01-Dry-coastal-Peru-aerial.jpg
  • La Virgen de Quito, on Panecillo hill, is an aluminum statue of the winged virgin (45 meters tall), inspired and enlarged from Bernardo de Lagarda's 1734 sculpture on display on the main altar in San Francisco Church, Quito, Ecuador, South America. This madonna was created in 1976 by Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras. The virgin stands on top of a globe and is stepping on a snake. The wings are unusual in the tradition of madonna icons. Seen to the south of downtown Quito, the Panecillo hill looks like a “small bread roll” (its Spanish translation) and stands at about 3000m (9840 feet). Before the Spanish arrived, the Incas worship the sun on Shungoloma, or Hill of the Heart (present-day Panecillo).  Later, from 1812 to 1815, the Spanish constructed a fortress on the hill to control people below. Visit from Old Town via inexpensive taxi. See panoramic 360° views of Quito from here, best early in the morning (around 10:00 am), before the clouds form on nearby mountains. On a clear day, see Cotopaxi in the distance.  UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America.
    94GAL-02-05_Virgin-of-Panecillo_Quit...jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years.
    09ECU-5136_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Tufted Puffin flaps its wings in a pen at Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA.
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  • A fountain statue portrays a winged boy carrying a fish in the Thanksgiving Room at Allerton Garden on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Address: 4425 Lawai Rd, Koloa, HI 96756. Nestled in a valley transected by the Lawai Stream ending in Lawai Bay, Allerton Garden is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (ntbg.org).
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  • A fountain statue portrays a winged boy carrying a bird in the Thanksgiving Room at Allerton Garden on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Address: 4425 Lawai Rd, Koloa, HI 96756. Nestled in a valley transected by the Lawai Stream ending in Lawai Bay, Allerton Garden is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (ntbg.org).
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  • A statue of the winged Lion of St. Mark, one of two patron saints of Venice, rises on a tall granite column erected in the 1200s in Piazzetta San Marco, in Venice, Veneto, Italy, Europe. The winged Lion of St. Mark, which appeared on the flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Venice, is still featured in the red-yellow flag of the city of Venice (with six tails, one for each sestiere of the city), in its coat of arms, and in the yellow-red-blue flag of the Veneto region (which has seven tails representing its seven provinces). The winged lion also appears in the naval ensign of the Italian Republic, alongside the coat of arms of three other medieval Italian maritime republics (Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi), as well as the Golden Lion, awarded at the Venice Film Festival. Venezia is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region, named for the ancient Veneti people from the 900s BC. The romantic "City of Canals" stretches across 100+ small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea between the mouths of the Po and Piave Rivers. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a staging area for the Crusades, and a major center of art and commerce (silk, grain and spice trade) from the 1200s to 1600s. The wealthy legacy of Venice stands today in a rich architecture combining Gothic, Byzantine, and Arab styles.
    13ITA-10367_Venice-Italy.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5130_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years.
    09ECU-5127_Galapagos.jpg
  • This massive stone winged Garuda statue kneels in front of Trailokya Mohan Narayan Temple (left), which is dedicated to Vishnu or Narayan, in Durbar Square (Palace Square, or officially called Hanuman Dhoka), Kathmandu, Nepal.
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  • A sphinx moth (or hawk moth, Sphingidae family, order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Sphingidae is best represented in the tropics but species inhabit every region. Sphingidae are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability, assisted by narrow wings and streamlined abdomen. Some hawk moths, like the hummingbird hawk moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. This hovering capability has evolved only three times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids. Sphingids can swing hover (move rapidly from side to side while hovering). Some of the sphingids are some of the fastest flying insects, capable of flying at over 50 km/h (30 miles per hour). They have a wingspan of 35-150 mm.
    09ECU-1815_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, South America. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3398_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) emerges from its chrysalis. It is a North American butterfly with a range from the Northwest Territories along the eastern edges of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada mountains, southwards into central Mexico. Its wings feature an orange and black pattern, and over most of its range it is a Müllerian mimic with the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). In Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys share the pattern of the Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and in Mexico they share the pattern of the Soldier Butterfly (Danaus eresimus). The caterpillar feeds on trees in the willow family Salicaceae, including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus). The caterpillars sequester the salicylic acid in their bodies, which makes them bitter, and upsets predators' stomachs. As further protection, the caterpillars, as well as their chrysalis stage, resemble bird droppings. Adults are strictly diurnal, they fly preferentially in the late morning and early afternoon. The Viceroy is the state butterfly of Kentucky. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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  • Peaceful Byodo-In Temple is in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, at 47-200 Kahekili Highway, Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The Byodo-In Temple ("Temple of Equality") was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. This Hawaii State Landmark is a non-practicing Buddhist temple which welcomes people of all faiths. One statue from a pair of "Chinese phoenix," called Hou-ou (or Hoo-oo) in Japanese, raises its wings on the rooftop of the Amida Hall (Amida-do), also known as the Phoenix Hall (Hoo-do). The legend of the Chinese phoenix, a male and female pairing called Fenghuang, arose 7000+ years ago (whereas the later Greek myth of the Western world's phoenix derived independently from ancient Egypt and Arabia). Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu is a half-scale replica of the original Byodo-in Temple built in 1053 in Uji, Japan (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
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  • The Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
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  • East African Crowned Crane (or Crested Crane, Balearica regulorum gibbericeps), Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. This bird species is about 1 meter tall, weighs 3.5 kg, and has a wingspan of 2 m. Body plumage is mainly grey, with predominantly white wings. The head has a showy crown of stiff golden feathers, white sides of the face, and bright red inflatable throat pouch. Their long legs help wade through grasses.
    1409IN-085_zoo.jpg
  • The Lineolated Parakeet (or Linnie, Barred, or Catherine Parakeet, Bolborhynchus lineola) is native to highland forests of southern Mexico to Peru and Venezuela. The bird is green with black bars on the wings, plus many color mutations from breeding. Photographed in Bloedel Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park, 4600 Cambie St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bloedel Conservatory is a domed lush paradise where you can experience the colors and scents of the tropics year-round, within Queen Elizabeth Park, atop the City of Vancouver’s highest point. From Little Mountain (501 feet), see panoramic views over the city crowned by the mountains of the North Shore. A former rock quarry has been converted into beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park with flower gardens, public art, grassy knolls. In Bloedel Conservatory, more than 200 free-flying exotic birds, 500 exotic plants and flowers thrive within a temperature-controlled environment. A donation from Prentice Bloedel built the domed structure, which was dedicated in 1969 "to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants," and is jointly operated by Vancouver Park Board and VanDusen Botanical Garden Association.
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  • Australian Pelican on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10793_Australian-Pelican.jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans walk in line on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10772_Australian-Pelican_Walpo...jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans preen on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10770_Australian-Pelican_Walpo...jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans preen on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-10760_Australian-Pelican.jpg
  • A young Nazca Booby (Sula granti) fledges new wings on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5353_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3293_Galapagos.jpg
  • Nesting with egg. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3286_Galapagos.jpg
  • Chick. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3276_Galapagos.jpg
  • The mischievous kea (Nestor notabilis), the world's only alpine parrot, is native to South Island, New Zealand. The bird is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange under its wings. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The big golden mask of Seto Bhairab (or White Demon) dates from 1794 in the time of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third king of the Shah Dynasty, in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal Airlines uses this mask in their winged symbol. By the way, "Royal Nepal Airlines" dropped the "Royal" word in 2006, to be consistent with Nepal's interim parliament rejecting the Monarchy. In Newar mythology, Seto Bhairab showed disrespect towards the important goddess Mahakali, tempting her terrible retribution. When Seto Bhairab later offered a cock as an offering of respect, Mahakali first refused the rooster, then suddenly bit the head off as a bloody warning to Seto Bhairab: "Don't upset the hierarchy of the gods". For ten days once a year during the Indra Jatra festival (and the coinciding festival of the Living Goddess) in September, this Seto Bhairab mask is uncaged, and devotees shower him with rice and flower petals, while rice beer is poured through his fearsomely fanged mouth. Men struggle with each other to drink from the sacred brew, which is blessed by the rain god Indra, the ancient Vedic god who came with the Aryan forefathers from Persia to India, many centuries before Christ. The rest of the year, terrifying Seto Bhairab is kept safely caged behind a wooden grille,  on the Deotali Mandir royal temple. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Cloudless Giant Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) is a small to midsized butterfly in the family Pieridae found in the New World.  The caterpillar will form a chrysalis that is pointed at both ends and humped in the middle. The chrysalis will be either yellow or green with pink or green stripes. From the chrysalis comes a large butterfly (2 1/8-2 3/4 inches) with fairly elongated but not angled wings. Their range is wide, from South America to southern Canada. They are most common from Argentina to southern Texas and Florida, but are often visitors outside this range becoming more rare further north. The common habitats of this butterfly are open spaces, gardens, glades, seashores, and watercourses. The adult butterfly feeds on nectar from many different flowers with long tubes including cordia, bougainvillea, cardinal flower, hibiscus, lantana, and wild morning glory.  Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
    0809ZOO-112.jpg
  • The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a parrot native to southeast Australia and Tasmania (and introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island). Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington. The bird is around 30 cm long, with a red head and upper breast and white cheeks. The rest of the breast is yellow becoming more greenish toward the abdomen. The feathers of the back and shoulders are black with yellowish margins, giving rise to a scalloped appearance. The wings and lateral tail feathers are bluish while the rest of the tail is dark green.
    0809ZOO-062.jpg
  • Clark's nutcracker (or Clark's crow; Nucifraga columbiana, in the family Corvidae) was named after explorer William Clark. The bird is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers (the outer ones are white). The bill, legs and feet are also black. Photographed at Glacier Pass in Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA.
    1609WAL-252.jpg
  • Clark's nutcracker (or Clark's crow; Nucifraga columbiana, in the family Corvidae) was named after explorer William Clark. The bird is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers (the outer ones are white). The bill, legs and feet are also black. Photographed at Glacier Pass in Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA.
    1609WAL-246.jpg
  • A fly lands on an Alpine yellow composite wildflower blooming at Bötzel pass in the Alpstein limestone range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Compared to bees, flies (as pictured) have just one set of wings (not two) which stay out when at rest (not folded), and their bodies just get dusted with pollen (not caked). The aster, daisy or sunflower family (Asteraceae or Compositae) is the largest family of vascular plants. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-1518.jpg
  • East African Crowned Crane (or Crested Crane, Balearica regulorum gibbericeps), Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. This bird species is about 1 meter tall, weighs 3.5 kg, and has a wingspan of 2 m. Body plumage is mainly grey, with predominantly white wings. The head has a showy crown of stiff golden feathers, white sides of the face, and bright red inflatable throat pouch. Their long legs help wade through grasses.
    1409IN-090_zoo.jpg
  • East African Crowned Crane (or Crested Crane, Balearica regulorum gibbericeps), Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. This bird species is about 1 meter tall, weighs 3.5 kg, and has a wingspan of 2 m. Body plumage is mainly grey, with predominantly white wings. The head has a showy crown of stiff golden feathers, white sides of the face, and bright red inflatable throat pouch. Their long legs help wade through grasses.
    1409IN-089_zoo.jpg
  • Lion doorbell button, Venice, Italy, Europe. The winged Lion of St. Mark, which appeared on the flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Venice, is still featured in the red-yellow flag of the city of Venice (with six tails, one for each sestiere of the city), in its coat of arms, and in the yellow-red-blue flag of the Veneto region (which has seven tails representing its seven provinces). The winged lion also appears in the naval ensign of the Italian Republic, alongside the coat of arms of three other medieval Italian maritime republics (Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi), as well as the Golden Lion, awarded at the Venice Film Festival.
    13ITA-10241_Venice-Italy.jpg
  • Australian Pelican on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10756_Australian-Pelican.jpg
  • A moth with blue wings and orange head contrasts with red and orange window drapes at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1840_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) flaps wings at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5261_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) flaps wings at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5246_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3389_Galapagos.jpg
  • White downy chick. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3380_Galapagos.jpg
  • The white morph of the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3271_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3259_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3254_Galapagos.jpg
  • The mischievous kea (Nestor notabilis), the world's only alpine parrot, is native to South Island, New Zealand. The bird is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange under its wings.
    98NZ-14-21-Kea-alpine-parrot.jpg
  • The mischievous kea (Nestor notabilis), the world's only alpine parrot, is native to South Island, New Zealand. The bird is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange under its wings.  Rob Roy Valley, Mount Aspiring National Park, Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    07NZ_1104-Kea-parrot.jpg
  • A butterfly with white spots on black wings and yellow body marks sucks nectar from a flower. Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden was founded in 1926 in Trenta Valley, now part of Triglav National Park (Triglavski narodni park, TNP), in Slovenia, Europe. This pleasant horticultural monument displays plants mostly native to the Julian Alps. It is also known as Alpinum Juliana, or in Slovene: Alpski botani?ni (botanicni) vrt Juliana v Trenti.
    11SLO-8307.jpg
  • A hoverfly explores a daisy on Mount Dickerman, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA. Hoverflies are expert hoverers, and they mimic the appearance of wasps & bees as a defense. Syrphid flies, flower flies, or hover flies are in the family Syrphidae, of which there are 1000 species in North America (in the order Diptera, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda). Hoverfly larvae commonly eat aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects. Adult hoverflies feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew, and are true flies with only two wings instead of four which most insects have (such as bees & wasps).
    05DIC_14.jpg
  • Shooting Star flower in Spray Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. Dodecatheon is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the Primrose family, Primulaceae. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join the crown. The genus is largely confined to North America and part of northeastern Siberia. Other common names are American Cowslip, Mosquito Bills, Mad Violets and Sailor-caps. A few species are grown in gardens for their showy and unique flower display. The stamens are thrust out with the sepals bent back. The flowers are pollinated by bees, which grab hold of the petals, buzz their wings, and vibrate pollen off the anthers (buzz pollination).
    0907SPR-002.jpg
  • The Golden-breasted Starling, Cosmopsarus regius also known as Royal Starling, "the most beautiful starling in the world", is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, passerine in the starling family. The adult has a metallic green head and upperback, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young is duller than adult. The Golden-breasted Starling is distributed to the grassland, savanna and shrubland of northeast Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Golden-breasted Starling is a social animal, living in groups of three to twelve individuals. Its diet consists mainly of insects and termites. The female usually lays between three to five pale green eggs with red speckles. The nest is made in tree holes, using leaves, roots and other vegetation. Widespread throughout its habitat range, the Golden-breasted Starling is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
    0809ZOO-219.jpg
  • The Golden-breasted Starling, Cosmopsarus regius also known as Royal Starling, "the most beautiful starling in the world", is a medium-sized, up to 35cm long, passerine in the starling family. The adult has a metallic green head and upperback, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young is duller than adult. The Golden-breasted Starling is distributed to the grassland, savanna and shrubland of northeast Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Golden-breasted Starling is a social animal, living in groups of three to twelve individuals. Its diet consists mainly of insects and termites. The female usually lays between three to five pale green eggs with red speckles. The nest is made in tree holes, using leaves, roots and other vegetation. Widespread throughout its habitat range, the Golden-breasted Starling is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-214.jpg
  • The Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a North American butterfly with a range from the Northwest Territories along the eastern edges of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada mountains, southwards into central Mexico. Its wings feature an orange and black pattern, and over most of its range it is a Müllerian mimic with the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). In Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys share the pattern of the Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and in Mexico they share the pattern of the Soldier Butterfly (Danaus eresimus). The caterpillar feeds on trees in the willow family Salicaceae, including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus). The caterpillars sequester the salicylic acid in their bodies, which makes them bitter, and upsets predators' stomachs. As further protection, the caterpillars, as well as their chrysalis stage, resemble bird droppings. Adults are strictly diurnal, they fly preferentially in the late morning and early afternoon. The Viceroy is the state butterfly of Kentucky. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA.
    0809ZOO-125.jpg
  • The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a parrot native to southeast Australia and Tasmania (and introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island). Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington. The bird is around 30 cm long, with a red head and upper breast and white cheeks. The rest of the breast is yellow becoming more greenish toward the abdomen. The feathers of the back and shoulders are black with yellowish margins, giving rise to a scalloped appearance. The wings and lateral tail feathers are bluish while the rest of the tail is dark green.
    0809ZOO-058.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip's Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3202.jpg
  • One statue from a pair of "Chinese phoenix," called Hou-ou (or Hoo-oo) in Japanese, raises its wings on the rooftop of the Amida Hall (Amida-do), also known as the Phoenix Hall (Hoo-do) at the 1968 Byodo-In Temple, in Valley of Temples Memorial Park, island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The legend of the Chinese phoenix, a male and female pairing called Fenghuang, arose 7000+ years ago (whereas the later Greek myth of the Western world's phoenix derived independently from ancient Egypt and Arabia). Peaceful Byodo-In Temple is in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, at 47-200 Kahekili Highway in Kaneohe, Oahu. Byodo-In Temple ("Temple of Equality") was built in 1968 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. This Hawaii State Landmark is a non-practicing Buddhist temple which welcomes people of all faiths. The Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu is a half-scale replica of the Byodo-in Temple built in 1053 in Uji, Japan (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
    1701HAW-0333.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3202_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a North American butterfly with a range from the Northwest Territories along the eastern edges of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada mountains, southwards into central Mexico. Its wings feature an orange and black pattern, and over most of its range it is a Müllerian mimic with the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). In Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys share the pattern of the Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and in Mexico they share the pattern of the Soldier Butterfly (Danaus eresimus). The caterpillar feeds on trees in the willow family Salicaceae, including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus). The caterpillars sequester the salicylic acid in their bodies, which makes them bitter, and upsets predators' stomachs. As further protection, the caterpillars, as well as their chrysalis stage, resemble bird droppings. Adults are strictly diurnal, they fly preferentially in the late morning and early afternoon. The Viceroy is the state butterfly of Kentucky. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-126.jpg
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