Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)

A stunning bird found in the savannas, open grasslands, and woodlands of Africa. Its length is about 14 inches (35 cm).
It is commonly seen in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and South Africa.

Photography by Ana Silva

#birds #nature #wildlife

Mine #CatsNoirFriday selfie just for my beauteous babies. Love & hugs to you all ❄️💙❄️

Japanese thimbleweed
December 15th 2023

Abstract painting in shades of blue, with texture and shades of purple and maroon in fine lines, a section of a larger painting

a section of a painting, a contemplative piece. I always love looking at the parts as well as the whole, always something to see and learn.
🤍🕊️
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#artistsonbluesky #blueskyartshow #abstractart #abstractexpressionism #art #artist #womensartbluesky #abstractartist #blueskyart #oregonartist #oregon

"Clinging to the rugged bark of a tree trunk, a gold-fronted woodpecker pauses mid-ascent, its body angled with purpose and poise. The bird’s plumage is a striking mosaic: black-and-white barring across its back and wings, like a woven pattern of shadows and light, and a vivid red patch crowning its head like a ceremonial crest. Though the name suggests gold, the golden hue is subtle—likely shimmering near the nape or forehead, catching the sun in fleeting flashes. Its beak is sharp and sturdy, built for tapping into bark and secrets beneath. The woodpecker’s claws grip the tree with ease, anchoring it against the vertical grain of the trunk. Around it, green leaves blur softly in the background, suggesting a canopy above or nearby, while the tree’s bark is deeply textured—cracked and furrowed like an old map. The bird’s posture is alert but calm, as if listening to the tree’s inner rhythms. Against the backdrop of filtered light and foliage, the woodpecker becomes both scout and sentinel—an emblem of persistence and precision in the forest’s quiet architecture." - Microsoft Copilot

Rustic Resonance

I was going to crop this photograph to focus on the gold-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons), but I decided I liked the look of the old tree. I took the photo in Roatán, Honduras.

That's not a winter beach bro, this is.

Shhhhhh. Frozen beach is the best beach and most people not knowing that is one of the key charms.

Winter beach. My happy place.

#CapeCod

A fishing boat off the shore, in front of the sunset’s colors.

There’s a fishing boat out there today. He turned his lights on as it got darker. #sunset #photography #baja

A large-breed, mostly white with brown colored dog, standing alone on a hillside.

From 2021 - Tijuana, Mexico
#dogsofbluesky #dogs #photography #tijuana #baja

A row of trash barrels used by the campground, with the ocean as a backdrop.

Campground trash barrels at sunset. Not many people camp here during the winter months, just the devoted surfers. #beachlife #baja

A hot red sunset with a man fishing into the surf.

Santa Ana wind conditions brought us summer-like weather for December. #beachlife #bajacalifornia

A looking up view of giant Douglas Fir trees.

Some giant, ancient trees in the forest. The predominant tree here is the Douglas Fir.

#forestFriday #forest #trees #adventure #travel #nature #views #landscape #hiking

Dec/o24 #ShoreAcresS.P #Oregon

I would of luved to have hiked upon this cool Art… happy to see it in a Artful photo…

Skies trees& grasses reflected upon a garden pond….lights underneath shaped in the image of several fish, not unlike the camera shy real ones

Meditation pond’s reflections of nature with a few deeper artful additions…. #ShoreAcres #PNW

A historic step for New Brunswick’s artists! The Status of the Artist Act creates a clear framework for hiring professional artists under fair and respectful agreements.

https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/culture-heritage/arts-culture/status-artist.html

midnight flame
#photography

Inward Light
#photography

Anna O

Yuki Ryota 幸亮太
crow in the cherry tree

"The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism."
- Hannah Arendt

In a breathtaking, fleeting moment, the majestic Cuernos del Paine are enveloped by intense morning light, while jagged granite peaks lurk behind ominously. Torres Del Paine, Chile.

#photography #bluesky #landscapephotography #nature #mountains #naturephotography #landscape #travel #sunrise

Waters of a stream on this pacific beach so nearly home….. #SevenDevils+1 #PNW

Awesome aurora happening overhead in Yellowknife, NWT

go.theauroraguy.com/webcams

A photo of a wide, flowing creek lined with trees and fall foilage on both sides. The fall colors are red, brown, and yellow. There are also green ferns mixed in with the fall foilage.

Porter Creek, Capitol State Forest, Washington State.
This is one of the first places I went when I moved up here. My dog Rocky loved hiking here. It is a happy place with great memories.

#river #water #Forest #trees #views #landscape #nature

The sun coming up over the snow covered Thompson River, in the Interior of British Columbia. The sky is cloudy, and there are mountains and trees in the distance.

Let there be light. 🥶

#Scape #clouds #XtraXmas #snow #sky #BlueSkyArtShow #FavoriteThings #nature

Ink and watercolour painting of an ivy-covered tree with bare branches against a cloudy winter sky. Several jackdaws are perched in pairs in the tree, silhouetted against the sky

Jackdaws looking for the gap in the clouds - ink and watercolour.
🪶
#artAdventCalendar

For a bit of bright colour on a grey morning how about a Turquoise-fronted Amazon in Brazil. #birding #birdsoftheworld

Somebody sent me this pic of these…. #Ballershrooma’s