DESKTOP 3293 - WINTER'S WEB

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

DESKTOP 3289 - FISH TANK

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3272 - OTHERWORLD GATE

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and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

DESKTOP 3253 - RAINY

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
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DESKTOP 3193 - DUCK AND COOTS

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3174 - AQUARIUM

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
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DESKTOP 3165 - SHY DOG

He's very outgoing once he gets to know you!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 3091 - TESSELLATION

Tessellation:  An arrangement of shapes closely fitted together, especially of polygons in a repeated pattern without gaps or overlapping.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 3040 - KINGFISHER

Kingfishers are to be found all over Australia, but ­predominantly in coastal regions. We have 10 native species, including the kookaburra, which is the largest. Kingfishers nest in tree hollows, in burrows in riverbanks and in termite nests. They feed on small animals, including fish, frogs, yabbies, snakes, insects and nestlings of other birds. 

 

Covered in brilliant green, blue, turquoise and orange plumage, some kingfishers were once in danger of being hunted to extinction for their feathers. Despite their elaborate appearance, these stocky birds are tough, and hunt by darting upon prey in a flash of colour from branches above the river or forest floor. The kingfisher’s heavy beak is the perfect tool for killing victims quickly – they smack their hapless prey against tree branches before swallowing it whole.

 

The Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx [Alcedo] azurea) length, 17–19cm; wingspan, 25–29cm makes its home along the banks of coastal and inland rivers, swamps and mangroves. During breeding season, it lines its nest with fish bones and scales. Found along much of our northern and eastern seaboards, as well as Tasmania, this species hunts for small mammals, reptiles, fish and frogs. This one was seen in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne. They are shy birds, usually keeping out of sight and easily disturbed if encountered, flying off rapidly.

 

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 3033 - LUNCH

A hungry fox, a careless duck, a lunch date.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3019 - AQUARIUM

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3003 - TEA-TREE

White's Tea-Tree, Leptospermum whitei, is a sturdy, often multi-stemmed shrub reaching up to 5m in height (under ideal conditions). Its preferred habitat are margins of coastal swamp forests and tidal waterways (here growing on the banks of the Werribee River). The species is named after Cyril Tenison White (1890-1950), botanist. Young bark is mid-brown in colour turning grey with age and has a rough fibrous texture where old bark is shedding in papery short strips.

Flowers appear in tight clusters over spring to early summer featuring five bright white and obovate shaped petals characteristic for the Leptospermum genus. They measure up to 12 mm in diameter when fully opened. Young green stems are covered in short fine hair. Simple leaves with an alternate arrangement are; up to 3 cm in length, elliptic in shape with entire margins, hairless, dark green, rather dull on top, thick with a stiff texture. Venation is obscure except for mid vein. Leaf apex is acute ending in a blunt point, base shape is cuneate. The petiole is nearly non existent at 1 -2 mm in length.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 2979 - NATURE

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
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DESKTOP 2973 - ASWAN, EGYPT

Aswan, formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate. Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dams on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Aswan is the ancient city of Swenett, which in antiquity was the frontier town of Ancient Egypt facing the south. Swenett is supposed to have derived its name from an Egyptian goddess with the same name. This goddess later was identified as Eileithyia by the Greeks and Lucina by the Romans during their occupation of Ancient Egypt because of the similar association of their goddesses with childbirth, and of which the import is "the opener". The ancient name of the city also is said to be derived from the Egyptian symbol for trade, or market.

Because the Ancient Egyptians oriented toward the origin of the life-giving waters of the Nile in the south, Swenett was the first town in the country, and Egypt always was conceived to "open" or begin at Swenett. The city stood upon a peninsula on the right (east) bank of the Nile, immediately below (and north of) the first cataract of the flowing waters, which extend to it from Philae. Navigation to the delta was possible from this location without encountering a barrier. Nevertheless, local water transport around the city is carried out by the picturesque feluccas, which make for fine sailing.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
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DESKTOP 2965 - SPRING

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DESKTOP 2957 - SUBTLE

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

DESKTOP 2904 - PUDDLE

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DESKTOP 2883 - GOLD & COPPER

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DESKTOP 2837 - SEAGULL

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
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DESKTOP 2813 - ROCK, WATER, LEAF

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
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