Carole Merch

Let'd be honest! We've All Dated a Man that We Would Feed to the Tigers.

Yellow-billed Stork, Mycteria ibis, on the swampy shore of Lake Naivasha nature Reserve, Kenya, East Africa . The lake has a surface area of 139 km², and is surrounded by a swamp the home of many bird species. Canon 500D, Tamron zoom lens. (Featured in Animals of Africa, the Best of the Best, & Other Groups.)

The gardens are located on the upper tier of St. Peter & Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The bastion's lower tier contains the Saluting Battery. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. The gardens were originally used to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue of the Order of Saint John, but were opened to the public following the end of the French occupation of Malta in 1800.

East African Rainbow Agama Lizard, Agama agama lionotus, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. After turning up his colours the male bobs his head as he approaches the female and then mounts her for copulation. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in African beauty, & Other Groups.) (1777 views at 12 June 2015)

Macro of a magenta cymbidium orchid.

Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, in grasslands of Amboseli National Park, Kenya, East Africa. Kori Bustards are the heaviest flying bird at about 12 kilograms. It spends most of its time on the ground, foraging for the seeds and lizards which make up most of its diet. Canon 500D, Canon 100-400mm lens. (Featured in The Birds, and Others.) (1598 views at 16 May 2105)

Maasai are cattle herders in Kenya & Tanzania, East Africa. Their main wealth is in their livestock, especially cattle, but also sheep, goats and donkeys. In many ways the Masai have managed to retain their traditional culture, though pressures have been put on their society by children having to attend government schools & by land laws & National Parks rules, however they maily dress in traditional clothing & jewellery & practice a rural lifestyle centred on cattle. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in International Showcase & Other Groups.) (3867 views at 3 July 2015) .

Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae. With over 1,500 species, Begonia is one of the ten largest angiosperm genera. The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia. Begonia Rex is noted for its splendid leaves rather than its flowers. Canon 500D, macro lens. (Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it.)

The Cattleya Orchid is commonly known as the Corsage orchid. It has frilled flowers in pinks, purples, yellows and white. Cattleya is a genus of 42 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America. Many hybrids have been developed. Macro view. Canon 500D and Macro lens (Featured in the Enchanted Flowers group.)

Macro of a Cattleya Orchid. The Cattleya Orchid is commonly known as the Corsage orchid. It has frilled flowers in pinks, purples, yellows and white. Cattleya is a genus of 42 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America. Many hybrids have been developed. Canon 500D, macro lens.

F-III in flypast at low altitude at Adelaide Airshow sponsored by the RAAF. Edinburgh Air Field. Canon EOS, zoom lens.

Closeup of a Red-billed Toucan, Ramphastos tucanus. (Featured in Amazing Wildlife.) The Red-billed Toucan is distributed in the Guyanas, and in north-east Amazonian Brazil east of the rio Negro and mainly north of the Amazon. It is usually included in the same species as Cuvier's Toucan R. t. cuvieri. South America. Canon 500D, Tamron 18-270mm lens. (Featured in Amazing Wildlife & Other Groups.) (1199 views at 8 June 2015)

Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus. Alternative names are: Swainsons Loris, Blue Mountain Lorikeets, Bluey, & Green Collar Lorikeets. The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects. These parots are common throughout the metropolitan area of Adelaide. This one was photographed in the walk-in aviary in the Adelaide Zoo. Canon 450D. Tamron zoom lens. (Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it.)

Portrait of a Toco Toucan, Ramphastos toco. The Toco Toucan is distributed in the rain forests of Guiana, Brazil, N. Argentina. The Toco is the largest of the toucan family with a large lightweight beak and a body with a length of 25 inches. The large beak also has a narrow tongue used for eating small fruits & insects off trees. Canon 500D, Tamron 28-270mm lens (Featured in Snaptacular, & Other Groups.)

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) Oakden Native Fish Sanctuary, South Australia. This colony of Ibis is in the heart of the Adelaide suburbs. The colony has grown to over 400 in a very short time and many of the local residents are fed up with the noise and stench as their houses are so close to the small park where the colony resides. The birds are protected. At the end of the breeding season it is anticipated that the vegetation where they are nesting will be cut down to encourage them to move on. For those of us who don’t live right next door to them it seems a real shame, as the birds feed on many of the parks and school ovals in the vicinity and are delighted in by the wider community. It points out the difficulties that...

Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus. Alternative names are: Swainsons Loris, Blue Mountain Lorikeets, Bluey, & Green Collar Lorikeets. The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects. These parots are common throughout the metropolitan area of Adelaide. Canon 450D. Tamron zoom lens. (Featured in Love These Creatures, & Other Groups.)

Portrait of a Toco Toucan, Ramphastos toco. The Toco Toucan is distributed in the rain forests of Guiana, Brazil, N. Argentina. The Toco is the largest of the toucan family with a large lightweight beak and a body with a length of 25 inches. The large beak also has a narrow tongue used for eating small fruits & insects off trees. Canon 500D, Tamron 18-270mm EF lens (Featured in Closeups in Nature.) (1345 views at 2 June 2015)

A closeup of the remains of a huge forest tree which has been folssilized, or pretrified. (Step back a moment and it may look like a landscape with cliffs and strata.) The Petrified Forest, Namibia, Africa.

A dreamy landscape caused by haze in the late afternmoon in the Naukluft Mountains, Namibia, Africa.

She Did It!

For all you cool cats and kittens

Women performing a welcome dance in a Maasai village, Tanzania, East Africa. (Featured in Ancient Relics, Customs and Sites, & Other Groups.) In many ways the Masai, who live in both Tanzania and Kenya, have managed to retain their traditional culture, though children are now expected to go to government schools, & pressures have been put on their society by land laws & National Parks rules, however they maily dress in traditional clothing & jewellery & practice a rural lifestyle centred on cattle. (Canon 500D, zoom lens)

A small passerine bird of Australia the White-browed Wood Swallow is subtley coloured in pastel tones of grey and pink with a white brow. Canon 6D, zoom lens. (Featured in Local Critters.)

Tribute sculpture to Sir Winston Churchill. The gardens are located on the upper tier of St. Peter & Paul Bastion, which was built in the 1560s. The bastion's lower tier contains the Saluting Battery. The garden's terraced arches were built in 1661 by the Italian knight Fra Flaminio Balbiani. The gardens were originally used to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue of the Order of Saint John, but were opened to the public following the end of the French occupation of Malta,1800.

Thomsons Gazelles, Eudorcas thomsonii, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Tommies as they are known are one of the most common antelopes in Africa. Thomson's gazelles are 53 to 67 cm tall and weigh 13 to 24 kg, females, 17 to 29 kg, males. The males have slender elegant horns. They are prey for all the great predators, especially cheetahs. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in Amazing Wildlife, and Other Groups.) (1145 views at 17 June 2015)

Looking down from the rim of the canyon the Tsauchab River flows though the Sesriem Canyon, but it is usually as dry as in this image. At the entry to Sossusvlei is the Sesriem Canyon. As a result of erosion over many centuries, a narrow gorge of about one kilometre in length was formed about 30 to 40 metres deep. Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namibia, Africa.

Dorinda - Clip

Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius. One of the largest animals of Africa which are adapted to living in water during the day especially in hot weather; coming out of the water on cooler days and at night to graze. Hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa being reponsible for more human deaths than any other animal on the continent. The pink is a natural excretion which acts as a sunscreen. Canon 450D, zoom lens. (1458 views at 10 June 2015)

Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus. Alternative names are: Swainsons Loris, Blue Mountain Lorikeets, Bluey, & Green Collar Lorikeets. The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects. These parots are common throughout the metropolitan area of Adelaide. This one was photographed in the walk-in aviary in the Adelaide Zoo. Canon 450D. Tamron zoom lens. (Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it, & Other Groups.) (1016 views at 15 July 2015)

Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus. Alternative names are: Swainsons Loris, Blue Mountain Lorikeets, Bluey, & Green Collar Lorikeets. The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects. These parots are common throughout the metropolitan area of Adelaide. This one was photographed in the walk-in aviary in the Adelaide Zoo. Canon 450D. Tamron zoom lens.

Zebra, female & foal. Plains or Savanna or Common Zebra, Equus quagga, Serengeti National park, Tanzania, East Africa. Zebras are African equids best known for their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds. Canon 500D, zoom lens. (Featured in African Beauty, & Others.)

Ford Thunderbird, 1963 model at the Lobethal Grand Carnival of Vintage and Classic Cars. Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

Lesser Flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor). Some of the population of 2 to 3 million flamingos which feed in Lake Nakuru National Park. Kenya, East Africa. Lake Nakuru lies in the Great Rift Valley. Canon 500D, Canon 100-400mm lens (Featured in Amazing Wildlife & Other Groups.)

Sunset in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa. Canon 500D, zoom lens.

At the top of a kopje, looking out across the landscape of the Southern Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Kopjes are large granite outcrops often with subsiduary boulders on the top. Canon 500D, zoom lens. Featured in The World as we See it, or as we Missed it, & Others.)

Stunning reflections on Cromwell Dam, South Island, New Zealand. A perfectly still day provided the opportunity for these magic reflections.