The Mandarin Duck

The Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata), or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized, East Asian perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.

The adult male is a striking and unmistakable bird. It has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The breast is purple with two vertical white bars, and the flanks ruddy, with two orange "sails" at the back. The female is similar to female Wood Duck, with a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye, but is paler below, has a small white flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill. The Mandarin ducklings are almost identical in look to Wood ducklings, and appear very similar to Mallard ducklings. The ducklings can be distinguished from Mallard ducklings because the eye-stripe of Mandarin ducklings (and Wood ducklings) stops at the eye, while in Mallard ducklings it reaches all the way to the bill.
The species was once widespread in eastern Asia, but large-scale exports and the destruction of its forest habitat have reduced populations in eastern Russia and in China to below 1,000 pairs in each country; Japan, however, is thought to still hold some 5,000 pairs.
Specimens frequently escape from collections, and in the 20th century a large feral population was established in Great Britain; more recently small numbers have bred in Ireland, concentrated in the parks of Dublin. There are now about 7000 in Britain, and other populations on the European continent, the largest in the region of Berlin.
Isolated populations exist in the United States. The town of Black Mountain, North Carolina has a limited population,[citation needed] and there is a free-flying feral population of several hundred mandarins in Sonoma County, California. This population is the result of several mandarin ducks escaping from captivity, then going on to reproduce in the wild.

Keukenhof

Keukenhof ("Kitchen garden", Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkøːkə(n)ˌɦɔf]), also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world's largest flower garden situated near Lisse, Netherlands. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, which covers an area of 32 hectares.

Keukenhof is located in South Holland in the small town of Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region".
Keukenhof is open annually from mid-March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather.
Keukenhof is situated on 15th century hunting grounds. It was also a source of herbs for Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut's castle, which is the source of the name Keukenhof (it served to provide herbs for the castle's kitchen). Rich merchants took over the grounds after the Countess's death. VOC captain and governor Adriaen Maertensz Block lived there in his retirement years in the 17th century in the country house (now known as Castle Keukenhof) which he had let built in 1641.
In the 19th century, the Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt assigned the landscape architect Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, who had also worked on the Vondelpark, to design the grounds around the castle.

The garden was established in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids – and help the Dutch export industry (the Netherlands is the world's largest exporter of flowers). Keukenhof has been the world's largest flower garden for over fifty years.

The Wildcat

The wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a small cat found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. Because of its wide range, it is classed by the IUCN as Least Concern. However, crossbreeding with housecats is extensive and has occurred throughout almost the entirety of the species' range.
The wildcat shows a high degree of geographic variation. Asiatic subspecies have spotted, isabelline coats, African subspecies have sandy-grey fur with banded legs and red-backed ears, and European wildcats resemble heavily built striped tabbies with bushy tails, white chins and throats. All subspecies are generally larger than housecats, with longer legs and more robust bodies. The actual number of subspecies is still debated, with some organisations recognising 22, while others recognise only four, including the Chinese mountain cat, which was previously considered a species in its own right.
Genetic, morphological and archaeological evidence suggests that the housecat was domesticated from the African wildcat, probably 9,000-10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East, coincident with the rise of agriculture and the need to protect harvests from grain-eating rodents. This domestication probably occurred when grain was yielded from the Agricultural Revolution onwards, which was stored in granaries that attracted rodents, which in turn attracted cats.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.[6] This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. According to a study published on 1 October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985.
The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating $1 billion per year

Butchart Gardens

Robert Pim Butchart (1856–1943) began manufacturing Portland cement in 1888 near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jennie Butchart (1866–1950) came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.
In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island.

In 1907, 65 year old garden designer Isaburo Kishida of Yokohama came to Victoria, at the request of his son, to build a tea garden for Esquimalt Gorge Park. This garden was wildly popular and a place to be seen. Several prominent citizens, Jennie Butchart among them, commissioned Japanese gardens from Kishida for their estates. He returned to Japan in 1912.
In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921. They named their home "Benvenuto" ("welcome" in Italian), and began to receive visitors to their gardens. In 1926, they replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden and in 1929 they replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden to the design of Butler Sturtevant of Seattle. Samuel Maclure, who was consultant to the Butchart Gardens, reflected the aesthetic of the English Arts and Crafts Movement.
In 1939, the Butcharts gave the Gardens to their grandson Ian Ross (1918–1997) on his 21st birthday. Ross was involved in the operation and promotion of the gardens until his death 58 years later.
In 1953, miles of underground wiring was laid to provide night illumination, to mark the 50th anniversary of The Gardens. In 1964, the ever-changing Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate the 60th anniversary. In 1994, the Canadian Heraldic Authority granted a coat of arms to the Butchart Gardens. In 2004, two 30-foot (9.1 m) totem poles were installed to mark the 100th anniversary, and The Gardens were designated as a national historic site.
Ownership of The Gardens remains within the Butchart family; the owner and managing director since 2001 is the Butcharts' great-granddaughter Robin-Lee Clarke.
 In 1982 the Butchart Gardens was used as the inspiration for the gardens at the Canadian pavilion opened at Epcot Centre in Orlando Florida.

In December, 2009 the Children's Pavilion and the Rose Carousel were opened. The menagerie includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras and mirrors the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors. The designs were hand picked by the owner, in consultation with an artist from North Carolina. The carvings were done by some of the few remaining carvers of carousel art. Each animal is carved from basswood and took many months to complete. There are also two chariots able to accommodate disabled persons.

The tulip fields of Holland

If the sight of daffodils and other spring flowers raises your spirits after the greys of winter, why not pop across to the Netherlands and see the tulip fields in all their myriad colours? Let our gallery whet your appetite for the glory in store.

Each year, from March to May, the Dutch countryside becomes a sea of tulips, hyacinths and all manner of other flowers. Mere photos can only give a hint of the pure explosion of colour and scent all around. Amsterdam's bulb belt stretches for thirty miles from Haarlem, just outside the capital, to Leiden. Known as Bloembollenstreek – bloem is bloom or blossom, bollen is bulbs, and streek is region – it's a low land area close to the North Sea coast with a sandy soil and mild wet climate that makes it ideal for bulb cultivation.

The best way to view the sights is to rent a bike and cycle, maybe along the trail that links Oude Wetering and Gouda, or the one from Gouda to Willemstad where there is the attraction of the traditional Dutch windmills to add to the picture-perfection of the views. There's the chance to attend the biggest flower auction in the world at Aalsmer, or visit the Keukenhof gardens and have your breath taken away by the spectacle produced by over seven million flowering bulbs. “Get on you bike” never sounded such fun!

White crow

This crow has all white feathers and pink feet, legs and bill. These are all features of albino birds; however, a full albino bird should have red or pink eyes while this bird’s eyes. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology explains: “Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the production of melanin in the body. Albinistic birds have pink eyes because without melanin in the body, the only color in the eyes comes from the blood vessels behind the eyes.”
This crow normally behaves among her black relatives.

Blue rose

       Blue roses, often portrayed in literature and art as a symbol of love and prosperity to those who seek it, do not exist in nature as a result of genetic limitations being imposed upon natural variance. Traditionally, white roses have been dyed blue to produce a blue appearance. In 2004, researchers used genetic modification to create blue pigmented roses. A blue rose is traditionally a flower of the genus Rosa (family Rosaceae) that presents blue-to-violet pigmentation and also the Morganus Clarke sunflower seed disposition, instead of the more common red or white variety.
     In some cultures, blue roses are traditionally associated with royal blood, and thus the blue rose can also denote regal majesty and splendor. In Chinese folklore, the blue rose signifies hope against unattainable love.
     Due to the absence in nature of blue roses they have come to symbolise mystery and longing to attain the impossible with some cultures go so far as to say that the holder of a blue rose will have his wishes granted. 

The penguin migration to Brazil 

    More and more often in winter season for the South hemisphere (from June to August) people find penguins on the beaches of San-Paula and Rio-De-Janeiro. Sometimes penguins are even in sub-equatorial waters of Brazil North-East state Baia.

   As the zoo doctors explain penguins come to Brazil from Patagonia, where they live in colonies. The liitle penguins, who have lost their colony, the strong Falkland stream brings to the tropical Brazil waters. In such a way penguins can overcome up to 5000 km and come to Brazil beaches hungry and tired, some of them even die.
    The specialists ask people to call for qualified help at once in order to save these beautiful and funny birds. The ornithologists help beirds and then return them to Patagonia. 

The 6 dolphins fountain

     This unusual fountain is built on the lake. The dolphins are made of tree and bush leaves. Tonight the leaves  shine and change their colour, and the water shines green.  There are a lot of bushes and flowers around the fountain, which also change their colour and shine. Also there situated a lot of benches. Everyone who wants to come there or just comes there consequently enjoys the beauty of the nature. It's very beautiful at night!
     By the way, do you where the fountain is situated?

White Tiger

    One of the most well-known and interesting mutation is appearing of white tigers. Such species of tigers is called Bengal tiger, who has black-brown stripes on his white fur, and also they have blue eyes.  Such a colour appears rarely among the animals, but it's normal for those, who live in zoos.
     The first mention about such tigers are dated 1951, when the hunter found the little white tiger and brought it to the zoo.
     In general in the world there're about 130 tigers, who live in zoos.
Have you ever seen such an animal?

The Waterfall Djur-Djur

   From the Armenian the name of the waterfall means "water-water". It's one of the most affluent waterfalls of the Crimea, which is situated on the territory of Alushta in the ravine Haphal, which was made by the action  of the river East Ulu-Usen.
   This waterfall is the most powerful in the Crimeaб it dosn't dry up even in the driest period of summer.
   If you come up the waterfall along the river, you can see the picturesque  panorama of cascades .

Top 10 of the biggest birds in the world

10th place: The Emperor Penguins (the biggest among the other penguins).

9th place:  Steller's sea eagle (lives in the Far East and is one of the species, protected by the Red Book).

8th place: Bustard(дрофа) who lives in the fields of Eurasia.

7th place: Crane ( lives almost everywhere).

6th place:  Dalmatian Pelican(кудрявый пеликан) (his weight is 14 kg).

5th place: Black vulture (usually lives in the mountains of South Europe, Northern Africa, Asia).

4th place: Swan (the weight is 15 kg).

And the list of the winners!!!

3rd place gets Albatross, who is the symbol of frightening dreams of sailors.

2nd place gets cassowary(казуар)б who is the biggest bird in Australia and New Guinea. It can't unfortunately fly, but is rather good runner.

At last the 1st place gets ostrich. This bird also can't fly, but still can run with speed 70 km per 1 hour. Its weight is 130 kg.

The Floating Fountain

     Isn't this fountain a miracle? The floating fountain? Doesn't it look strange?
Really, in fact this fountain was created and founded by Isamu Noguchi in 1970. Such a fountain is situated in Osaka, Japan.     
    The most interesting fact is that the fountain is on the pillar, which is situated under the water and in addition to it is absolutely transparent.
   In fact, it seems that such cubes are flying in the air because of water stream hold them. The fountain produces the water in such a manner so that the water makes it <fly>.
    for the creation of such a fountain was used special technology of water supply.

Bath of youth in the Crimea

The Bath of Youth (Karagol [Black Lake]) is formed by Auzun-Uzen river (stream) at the Grand Canyon of Crimea.
The bottom and stones is visible through the clean transparent water.
In fact it's a micro-lake. Very often this bath is called Black Lake, its depth is 5 meters. The bath is filled with waters from streames, which are rich with silver.
Believing the native livers and guides, this lake can make any human younger than he is.
Of there are a lot other lakes in Grand Canyon in the Crimea.
The beaty of the bath can't be described, you must only see it with your eyes and enjoy its beauty, fresh air and the suurounding nature, and of course the beauty of the Grand Canyon.
You won't regret!!!

Magic beauty of a black orchid

     Black orchids are mysterious flowers. You hear about them in witchcraft stories, in spooky legends and in myths. They are described as fantasy flowers that have magical powers. In reality, the black orchid is just and exotic and intriguing flower that is becoming a rarity as each day passes by, due to the continuous destruction of its natural environment.    
 Encyclia cohleatum is the official name for a black orchid. The black orchid is the national flower of Belize and, of course, is black in color, boasting purple veins.
     A black orchid was a rare plant found only in South America. It was held sacred by a local tribe, who considered themselves its guardians. When botanist George Cranleigh stole a black orchid, the natives captured, tortured and mutilated him for his crime.  This is the story of the little mystic black orchid.
    Black orchids are a symbol of power and absolute authority. It is generally known that black is an imposing color, symbolizing authority and submission and, combined with the luxurious beauty of the orchid, the black orchid came out symbolizing great power . Although it is thought of having dark connotations, the black orchid is a sign of the elite class. They are formal and very classy.

The biggest butterfly in the world

The Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath) is a birdwing butterfly found in New Guinea, and is the second-largest butterfly in the world.

It has a wingspan up to 28 centimetres . This makes it the world's second largest butterfly, after the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing. The African Giant Swallowtail reached an almost equal wing span.

The males have black, yellow and green wings and a yellow and black body, while the females are brown and white on the top wings and yellow on the bottom wings. The female is typically larger than the male. Flight is leisurely, but controlled and powerful. Males pursue their females for long distances, rising high over the forest canopy then folding their wings and diving down to tree level to mate, even though they risk hindwing damage by the sharp tarsal claws of females.

The Goliath Birdwing takes an approximate 15 minutes to emerge from its chrysalis because of its large wings.

The miracle made by people

The Dubai Fountain is a record-setting choreographed fountain system set on the 30-acre manmade Burj Khalifa Lake, at the center of the Downtown Dubai development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was designed by WET Design, the California-based company responsible for the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel Lake in Las Vegas. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 25 colored projectors, it is 275 m (902 ft) long and shoots water 240 feet into the air accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music. It was built at a cost of AED 800 million (USD 218 million).

The name of the fountain was chosen after a contest organized by the developer Emaar Properties, the result of which was announced on 26 October 2008. Testing of the fountain began in February 2009,[3] and the fountain was officially inaugurated on 8 May 2009 along with the official opening ceremony of the Dubai Mall. On 2 January 2010 the length of Dubai fountains was increased to 275 m (902.2 ft)

You know nature is powerful and ready always for making miracles.It's unique.Nature always tries to make pleasant things for us to enjoy.

One of such miracles is the strange, sometimes funny, but at the same time exciting thing - a shape of the islands.

I suppose you to look at some photos of different islands, which are situated in different corners of our planet.

Island Flores, Indonesia. 

Dubai. 

The Gutierrez lake in Patagonia. 

Enjoy!!!

How do you like these photos?Would you like to visit such islands?

The Highest Mountain in the World

Almost everyone knows that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world and climbers from everywhere travel to Everest hoping to earn the distinction of climbing the "World's Highest". 
 The peak of Mount Everest is 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) above sea level. This high elevation gives Mount Everest the distinction of being the mountain with the highest altitude.
It's interesting to know information from the history of the mountain. In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India established the first published height of Everest, then known as Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest. Although Tibetans had called Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was unaware of this because Nepal and Tibet were closed to foreigners.

Beautiful clouds

Every day our nature makes us little presents. One of them as it seems to me are clouds. But not simple clouds which we can see everywhere...But such as we can see on the photos.
As for me i've seen clouds which have had some special unusual shape.As for example they had a shape of swan, ice-cream, flower, cat....etc.
And the one wish I always have, looking at them, is to touch them, to feel their softness.

Look at some of these strange, unusual, exciting clouds.
What can you say about them?What feelings do these pictures arouse inside of you?

Lake Baikal

This lake is situated in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water.
Lake Baikal is the deepest and  the clearest of all lakes in the world.
Lake Baikal was known as the "North Sea" in historical Chinese texts. It was situated in the then Xiongnu territory that stretched from the empire of the Han Dynasty in the south, to the Siberian taiga north of the lake, and saw military excursions led by the army of the Han Dynasty engaging the Xiongnu during the Han-Hun Wars.Only a few information was known to Europeans about the lake until Russia expanded into the area in the 17th century. The first Russian explorer to reach Lake Baikal was Kurbat Ivanov in 1643.

Semiramida's Gardens

Semiramida's gardenns are one of the 7 miracles of he world. Relying on the legend, it's well known that the king of Assyria Nawuhodonosor ordered the masters to create the most beautiful place for his wife to walk and enjoy the calm of the nature.

As a construction gardens were built as a pyramid, consisting of 4 levels. The gardens are green almost all the year.

I think it's the most pleasant and calmest place i've ever wanted to visit.

And you? Would you like to have such a present? 

The arbor of winds

The arbor is situated in Gurzuf, in the Crimea on the height 1450 m. The top of the rock, where the arbor is situated, is called SHAGAN-KAYA(from Turkic "falcon rock").

It was built in 1956. The arbor consists of many columns, on the floor there's a mosaic, symbolizing wind rose. Strong winds blow often here, their speed is about 40 m/sec.

Staying in this arbor you will feel real freedom and, of course, enjoy the sights of the Black Sea.

Ghost Valley in the Crimea

The valley of ghosts is one of the most mystical and mysterious places on the map of the Crimean Autonomous Republic.
 It's situated on the top of the Demerdzhi mountain valley, which means “blacksmith” (from Turkish language). 

By the geological data the place, where the valley is situated, 800-1 million years ago was covered by a river. Rocks consist of  pebble, modified by wind and time. All the rocks have their own bizarre shape and everybody sees in it what he wants. In the certain time of the day shadows and mist make interesting, mysterious and even a bit frightening figures.

But there's 1 more interesting fact. In this valley special plants grow, which  release substances at night, which lead to hallucinations.

So, enjoy the mysterious beauty of the GHOST VALLEY!!!!

The smallest bird in the Earth

Have u ever thought about the smallest bird on our planet?Or about its name?

So,the smallest bird is humming bird (colibri). The biggest size of this bird is 22 cm, and the smallest - 6 cm. In general there're 350 species. They live almost everywhere.

Especially like flowers, as they feed on their nectar. 

Usually people call them as "topaz hummingbird", "emerald neck", "flying amethyst" and "fire topaz". Don' t u suppose why? Only look at these beautiful, tender creations and you'll understand everything!

Isn't this bird a miracle of our nature?

The warmest season of the year has passed by. Where did you spend it?Did you like your rest?Would you like to change something?Please,share your thoughts.

The highest waterfall of the world is Salto Angel, (Salto Churún Merú) which is situated in Canaima National park, Venezuela. It's height is 979 metres.
River: Gauja (Rio Gauya), tributary of Rio Churún. The last in turn is tributary of Rio Caroni. The name - Gauja - to the river has been given by Latvian Alejandro Laime, who was the first to reach this waterfall by land. The other Gauja river is located in Latvia - in fact it is among the most beautiful rivers of Latvia. Often there is made mistake by telling that this waterfall is on Rio Churún.
At the lower part the waterfall is 150 m wide. Europeans discovered the waterfall in 1935. Waterfalls is named after James Angel - American adventurer, who had to make an emergency landing with his plane nearby in 1937.