Nice job on the cat, looks very natural
I didn’t paint that bird, she came like that.

This is the state fish of Hawaii, the name is much bigger than the fish it’s a
humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Jumpugly, very nice painting. Len

Jumpugly
Impressive picture!!!
Whaw

Amen Commodore! I usually get a bit more concerned with the young ones once mom has thrown them out. They get a bit desperate for food and sometimes get interested in the grills and especially garbage left unattended or not disposed of properly. Not long ago a 2 year old walked up on my neighbor's grandkids next door. He's a big tough old dude and the bear hightailed it out of there after some hollering. My wife will not walk the lake without me or friends.

Last year we hiked Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. We were ordered to have bear spray. But, that was for Mountain Lions as much as black bear.

BTW: Mountain Lion that I just painted and added to friend's diorama.
😉

We have the same problem around my house Jumpugly. OOh, I see a a big dog in the woods, oops, it's a bear.

These nice birds show up often at my bird feeder, it's a flicker. This one is the female, the male (of course) is much better looking.

Fortunately, this particular photo was caught on my neighbors trail camera! 😁

Hey Jumpugly, of course this is a big boy!
It's not a very clear photo, but I understand if you used the zoom and didn't get closer, ahahahah.
However, the place where you are staying is fantastic.

This big boy (300 lbs +) was about 75 yards behind our lake cabin. As long as he stays away from my Caltex Lumba-Lumba I won’t get too bothered. 😉

Hi Chris, they are fallow deer (Dama Dama) right?
Do you know that I saw them very close to my city a few years ago?

Thanks, they are cute aren't they. Got to keep the photos coming!

Chris

Beautiful Chris.

Goslings.

Hi Wolle, yes I still dive from time to time.
The video shots are taken by me with a GoPro type video camera (in reality the Nilox costs much less, around 50 or 70 euros).
I had some more beautiful ones, of: octopus, moray eels, congers and other fish but I can't find them.
There is no age limit for diving.
There are many interesting places for diving but to return during the day I go to the Roman coast.

Hello
Alessandro, are you going diving yourself? Great, I've only been snorkeling so far. But I'd like to try diving again.

Some nature images.

P.S. Sorry there is an error in the last video. When we caught the snake and then released it it was still classified as Coluber Viridiflavus, today it is classified as Hierophis Viridiflavus.












P.S. Sorry there is an error in the last video. When we caught the snake and then released it it was still classified as Coluber Viridiflavus, today it is classified as Hierophis viridiflavus.

Beautiful.

Hello
Our "Common Dragonwort" is blooming for the first time in 2 years. It smells really disgusting.

I found another nice picture of my workshop here.

Beautiful photos CommodoreH.
How lucky to go to Costa Rica, one of the countries with the highest biodiversity.
I'm fascinated by loricati.
In my opinion that is an American crocodile (scientific name: Crocodylus acutus), can you confirm me?

Hi Chris, congratulations for your photos you are really good.
I had imagined it was a sparrowhawk that we in Italy call "Sparviere" or "Sparviero".
I am passionate about animals and can often recognize them at first sight, so much so that when my friends find a snake or an insect or other unusual animal they send me photos asking me what species it is.
I try never to use the common name (which changes from state to state but also from region to region and creates confusion) but the scientific name, because thanks to the Limneus binomial it is unique throughout the globe without the possibility of error.
I also love falconry and some time ago a friend brought us home a trained falcon but the photos were on his old cell phone.
On my current phone I found these recent photos of a highly trained bird of prey, do you know which one it is? He is not endemic to Italy.
And then there are these cute reptiles, which I adore.

This is Chesterton windmill which is only a few miles away from me. Unfortunately at the moment the sails have been removed for repair.

Yes, a sparrowhawk. We've had them in the garden a number of times over the years, usually at the expense of some other bird. They should have called it something else though as they often take larger birds, in this case a pigeon. Caught red beaked!

I take all sorts of photographs but mainly landscapes and for the last few years birds.

So now I am looking through what pictures I have handy on my computer which are worthy of posting.

Here are a few shots taken in Costa Rica

Great bird picture!

Definitely a fierce predator, not a a chickadee.

Hi ChrisF, beautiful bird of prey.

It looks like a sparrowhawk to me.
Do you agree with me?

To be clear, I use the scientific name (according to Limneus): Accipiter Nisus.

Another one of our garden birds!

Hi Dave, I wrote you a private message.
For the moment I have only indicated the places of archaeological interest that concern classical civilization.
I left out those too far from the city center.

In the next messages, I will include places relating to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Barique, the Neoclassical and subsequent periods.

Great scenery, thanks for showing.

Fantastic nature, CommodoreH!

Commodore-H,
Banff National Park is one of my favorite places.
I've only been several times, but I'm always blown away by it's beauty!
Thanks for posting those pics, it brought back happy memories.
Dave B

Hi Dave, this is nothing don't worry. They were just some photos I had on my phone.
Then I'll send you what I told you privately.

I had to dig up this picture of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. This has to be one of the prettiest places on earth.

Yes, you can swim in it, but it's a glacial lake and is very cold

⛵

Alessandro,
Thank you very much!
Lesser known spots might just be the answer on a "tourist heavy" day.
I appreciate the time you took to do this for me!!
Dave B

Hi Dave, sorry for the delay.
In the meantime, I will briefly describe the photos I inserted.
In message 22:
Santa Maria Maggiore (one of the four major patriarchal basilicas of Rome); the elephant is instead a sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (one of the greatest sculptors and architects who ever existed) which is at the base of one of the thirteen Egyptian obelisks in Rome; local road; Hadrian's temple, Casina delle Civette at Villa Torlonia; Villa Torlonia; Aurelian Walls in the section near Via Appia; Castle of Julius II in Ostia (seaside district of Rome); some monuments of Ostia Antica such as the macellum and the theatre; Nomentano Bridge (small fortified medieval bridge over the Aniene river); Tower of the famous Marquis del Grillo; Trajan Markets, Claudian Aqueduct; area of ​​the Marcello theater, Campo dei Fiori with the statue of Giordano Bruno located precisely on the spot where he was burned alive for heresy by the Roman church; synagogue; typical sculpture on the corners of ancient and noble buildings in the historic center.

In message 21:
Statues of the Dioscuri; Statue of the Dying Gaul; Flaminio obelisk, house of the owls, Porta San Sebastiano, Roman aqueducts, fountain of the turtles, clivius of Scauro, Romanesque bell towers, tower of the Militia, lodge of the knights of Malta, obelisk of the Pincio, Tholos-shaped temple.

Wolle a good morning deutcher Modellbau Freund,
i have wrote this already on many occasions. This is such a nice, well organised, friendly forum where nobody throw stones to each other. If you have a problem it's solved in 2 replies!
Has it to do with the age of the people on this forum😊😊😊😊 or is it that we are still well educated people who respect each other

I love this forum.
🤗Everyone is nice, helpful beyond our hobby and boundaries, and everyone is in a good mood.

Of course Dave, I will try to show you the places that all the guides will be able to point out to you and the lesser-known ones.
Give me time and I'll show them to you on the map.
I will also specify the ones I have already posted but be careful, some are too far from the center. For example, the aqueducts are beautiful but they are located in a park on the outskirts.
I will focus on the places along the route between two main monuments.
I will write to you privately but if anyone is interested I can reply on the forum.
Are you interested in everything or do you have predilections?
For example, are you very religious? Then I will be more careful to point out sacred places and relics to you.
Do you love sculpture or painting more, or architecture?

Alessandro,
I understand we have conversed in private.
I was making a (weak) attempt at humor.
However, there is some truth in what I said.
The "off tourist radar" places you posted are intriguing.
The pictures you have posted are amazing!
If there are any that you recommend, I'd love to know which ones they are.
We are staying at Hotel Colosseum, which is close to the Rome Train Terminal.
Hoping we can at least briefly hook up.
Dave B

Hi everyone, just trying to find some time to catch-up and have been viewing these awesome photos 👍👍

Hi Dave.
As I wrote to you privately, I hope to have a meeting with you that day, even if it is brief. Unfortunately I do not speak english.

As for the main places to see in Rome, I hope you will be able to see as many as possible, but it will be impossible to see them all.
Even today I go out with my son and visit new places that I have never seen. The historic center of the City is the largest in the world and various historical and artistic periods overlap, classical antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the neoclassical etc.etc.

I hope you have wonderful days and a wonderful holiday.

Wow, great pictures.
Thank you for showing👍

We went on a road trip at the beginning of April, chasing the perfect spot to witness the Total Solar Eclipse.
On the way there, we took the opportunity to tour "Fantastic Caverns", a HUGE cave. Big enough that the tour is on a trailer towed by a Jeep.
Here are some pictures from inside the cave, and also obligatory pictures of the eclipse.
Dave B

We were out for a sunset pontoon ride tonight, and saw our resident Loon couple with their baby riding on one of their backs.
I love listening to their call.
Dave B

Here’s my selection from my files for animals and nature, except the one of Lincoln cathedral which I think is stunning. I believe when it was built for 400 hundred years it was the tallest building in the world!!!

Alessandro,
Fine ..... I'll just have to come and see the places you won't post, in person!
Be forwarned, I'll be there late morning on the 17th!
Dave B
PS the stuff you posted is beautiful too. Send me directions to them :-)

and even other little-known places...

Speaking of beautiful places.

I won't show you well-known images of my city.
Flavian Amphitheater (better known as Colosseum), San Pietro in Vaticano, San Giovanni, San Paolo, colonna Traiana, Roman Forum and Palatine, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Castel Sant'Angelo etc. etc. you could see them in any history or art book.

I will post lesser known photos.

Hello, I've been browsing through my archives again and found some more nice pictures.

Nice pictures, thanks for showing. It looks like the duck is looking for the sun lounger.
😉😆😉

Feeding sting rays in Tahiti, it's a nice place.

A duck move into our pool last summer