Blogging with mehar_mah

Castle on the hill! Cherry blossoms and Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan by Tororo. In honour of Castle Day in Japan, we're featuring Himeji Castle - one of the most pristine examples of traditional Japanese castle architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Castle Day is on April 6 (or 4/6) because the Japanese character for castle (城) is read as 'shiro', and the Japanese pronunciation of 'four' is 'shi' and 'six' is 'ro'. Samurai warrior Akamatsu Norimura built Himeji Castle in 1333 as a fortress. Over the years, the structure has been remodelled many times and buildings were added as it changed hands. The castle even survived World War One unscathed while surrounding areas were bombed mercilessly. Today, it’s perhaps the best-known castle in Japan.

This shy guy here, is hiding for what! Why do elephants hide in the first place? ... Because they're so good at it. And none are as skilled at self-concealment as this specimen from the Loxodonta genus of African elephants - namely the species laprofolis. These mammoth creatures roll in the mud, getting covered in seeds which stick to their grooved hide. When it rains, the seeds sprout into dense, leafy growths which camouflage the huge beast as it wanders the savannah. Don’t believe us? Maybe take a closer look at the species’ name and see if you're still not convinced it exists. Either way, it’s best to be on your guard today, who knows where the next elephant of surprise will come from? This image is taken from  Marakele National Park, Limpopo, South Africa, by  Staffan Widstrand.

Spring is here! This image is a former waste water treatment field and it's called  "tricky field", situated in Berlin, Germany. These fields were once used for filtering waste water but there they are a sight for sore eyes and nature lovers. These trees, however reducing in numbers but nonetheless, give a breathtaking view in spring season. The “Berlin Rieselfelder” were created by James Hobrecht at the end of the 19th century for the purification of Berlin's wastewater.  Today, all of the trickle fields are out of order, but in 1928 around 10,000 hectares were used for wastewater treatment.  Wastewater treatment plants have now taken over the tasks of the trickle fields, which existed not only in Berlin, but throughout Germany. So lets celebrate spring and save water for the next generation.

A stormy crested tit, Scotland Three more wintry days! Scottish people believe that the last three days of March is borrowed from April that's why are called 'Borrow Days'. March normally consists of lots of weather lore— one is springy and breezy, the other is wintry and snowy and the last one is rainy and sleety, according to Scottish folklore. These days are considered the wintry lapse and some think, they are ill-omen to reduce the businesses and makes birds frozen on their perch on the branches of trees. So today, in this image a b lack crowned  tit  ( Parus rubidiventris)  is perching on a tree in a stormy weather. Its  body is 12 cm long and is characterized by black crown feathers and chest pockets, white cheeks, gray upper body, no wings, gray lower body, and brown rump.  Young birds are dark and have a short plumage.   Generally they inhabit in alpine forest areas nearly 2000 meters above sea level, often active in alpine coniferous...

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge over the Cooper River, South Carolina, USA An illuminated pathway! This cable-stayed bridge has one of the largest spans in the western hemisphere and is particularly impressive in the dark when it is illuminated.  When opened in 2005, the eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge replaced the two older, dilapidated bridges that previously ran over the Cooper River.  It can withstand wind speeds of over 480 km / h and 7.4 magnitude earthquakes on the Richter scale.  And that's really necessary as: ​​Many of the more than 134,000 residents of Charleston in the US state of South Carolina can still remember Hurricane Hugo, which swept across the port city in 1989.  While earthquakes do not occur particularly often in Charleston, caution is still advisable. The 1886 earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of over 7.3 almost completely destroyed the city at the time.

Cape Formentor Lighthouse, Mallorca, Spain A long drive along Mediterranean!  Cape Formento stands at the southernmost tip of Mallorca.  For nearly a century, Cape Formento has attracted countless tourists to visit, its magnificent scenery and steep cliffs are breathtaking. It's really exciting to see the magnificent rocky landscape of the entire island at Cape Formento.  Cape Formento also has a wealth of tourist facilities and lighthouses for tourists to visit.  Gaze at the deep Mediterranean Sea, the sigh of admiration for the amazing beauty of Mallorca is spontaneous.  If the weather is clear, you may also see Balearic Island in nearby Menorca.

"Mt. Fuji and Sakura" Yamanashi, Lake Kawaguchi Today is "Sakura Day"! This is the cherry blossom anniversary established by the Japan Sakura Association.  3 × 9 = 27, March 27, from 3 (sa) 9 (ku).  The current season is the 72nd season of cherry blossoms, and this year is March 25.  It is said that the cherry blossoms are starting to open ... At the foot of Mt. Fuji, the cherry blossoms at Lake Kawaguchi will soon be in full bloom.  The walking trail around the lake is lined with about 200 cherry blossom trees, making Mt. Fuji look like a picture frame.

Aerial shot of grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) at the surface among bull kelp in Vancouver Migration in progress In late winter and early spring, thousands of grey whales, many with calves in tow, swim by coastal waters of B.C. as they migrate from the warm waters of Baja California to their summer feeding grounds in the north. Come winter, they pass by again on the swim south. The entire roundtrip route clocks in at about 19,000 kilometres, making grey whales among the longest migrators of animal kingdom. Because they travel close to Vancouver’s coastline, it's also one of the few whale migrations that can be seen from shore.

Azaleas in bloom at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, South Carolina Pretty in pink, and purple, and red... Azaleas in peak bloom are a stunning sight at the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens near Charleston in the US state of South Carolina. Together they create a vibrant forest of blooms spanning hundreds of native and hybrid varieties, including 15 azaleas once thought to be extinct. Founded in 1676 as a rice plantation, Magnolia introduced an extensive network of dams and dykes built along the Ashley River for irrigating fields for rice cultivation. These earthworks were created by African slaves from rice-growing regions of West Africa and their descendants. Botanical gardens were an early feature of the plantation; some sections of Magnolia's gardens date back 325 years.

The Federseesteg at dawn near Bad Buchau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Morning mood at the lake The Federsee near Bad Buchau is located in the middle of a large moor area, so access to the open water is not easily possible.  Thanks to the Federseesteg, walkers can reach the water with dry feet.  It leads from Bad Buchau's edge over a length of 1.5 kilometers through scattered meadows and reed landscape to the lake shore and ends at a viewing platform in the lake. With an area of ​​1.4 square kilometers, the Federsee is Baden-Württemberg's second largest lake and is protected together with the surrounding moor area.  The variety of plant and bird species is unique.  A visit to the Federsee museum in Bad Buchau is recommended.  Finds of prehistoric pile dwellings and replicas of bog villages can be viewed there.

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, England for Tolkien Reading Day It's Tolkien Reading Day! For Tolkien Reading Day, we're featuring Oxford University's Radcliffe Camera, home to the world's largest archive of J.R.R. Tolkien's original manuscripts and drawings. While Tolkien never worked in the Radcliffe Camera (Latin for 'room'), he both studied here at Oxford (graduating in 1915 with first-class honors in English language) and taught here as a professor of Anglo-Saxon and later as a professor of English language and literature. During his years at Oxford, Tolkien wrote 'The Hobbit' and its sequel, 'The Lord of the Rings', along with other books and research. In 2003, the Tolkien Society organised the first Tolkien Reading Day to celebrate and promote the works of Tolkien. They selected March 25 since it was the day that the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated, and the Black Tower destroyed in the 'Lord of the Rings'.

Crimson rosella with juvenile, Victoria, Australia Snack time for the crimson rosella Everybody loves a little snack, and the cheerful rosella is no exception. The bird, which is native to Australia (but has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island) will happily feast on tree blossoms, berries and insects, but more commonly nibbles on seeds of eucalyptus, grasses and shrubs. Make sure to pay close attention to its colour though, because there are actually three variations of rosellas. The crimson rosella, with a red plumage (the layer of feathers that mostly cover a bird) and bright blue cheeks. Then there is the ‘yellow rosella’, which has the areas of crimson replaced with a light yellow and greener tail, as well as the ‘Adelaide rosella’ which can range from yellow to a reddish-orange in colour. If you do happen to spot one out in the wild, don’t be scared - the birds are relatively familiar with humans and are known to accept hand-held food.

Balloon over Lavender plantation, Brihuega, Guadalajara province, Castilla La Mancha, Spain

A little owl love on Mothering Sunday A love so pure and so selfless! This little owl is shown feeding her baby son as we celebrate Mothering Sunday in the UK. The UK’s smallest owl, they reach full height at around 20cm– so are quickly caught up by their offspring. With striking yellow eyes and a mottled brown and cream colouring, it is not unusual to spot little owls sitting on fence posts like this one during the daytime, scouring the ground for food – from crickets and beetles to small mammals. They nest in holes – usually in trees but, thanks to their small stature, can set up homes in abandoned rabbit burrows and cavities in buildings and rocks. The little owl was introduced to the UK in the late 1800's and is now largely found in the farming landscapes of southern and south east England. They raise their young between May and July and are quite chatty, so listen out for their distinctive calls - the males can be particularly noisy when establishing their territo...

Lenticular clouds over Mount Rainier, Washington A peak in the clouds World Meteorological Day brings us to Washington’s Mount Rainier, a huge stratovolcano with a habit of creating its own weather systems. Jutting out about three kilometres above the surrounding landscape, its high altitude interrupts the flow of air that comes in off the Pacific Ocean, creating unusual weather such as the saucer-shaped clouds on our homepage. They’re called lenticular clouds, and because of their distinctive appearance, they've been suggested as an explanation for some UFO sightings. Thanks to the science of meteorology, we know they’re a normal weather phenomenon, commonly occurring on the downwind side of obstructions such as mountains, buildings, or other tall structures.

Women climbing a stepwell near Amber Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Stepping down the ancient stairwells of Jaipur Stairwells  originated in western India over 1,000 years ago as way for people living in that arid climate to get easy and reliable access to fresh water, even during the driest months. The Panna Meena Ka Kund stepwell in Jaipur is a classic example of the beautiful geometric architecture used to produce them. Most stepwells also feature shaded side chambers where locals (primarily women) can gather to escape the heat of the day. In this image, one can see obvious signs of previous high-water marks on the well’s walls as seasonal fluctuations and the changing climate affect water levels throughout the region.

Honeybee approaching the flower of a common pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany Hooray, Lenz is here!.  Beginning of spring We welcome the beginning of spring with this wonderful picture of a honeybee approaching the bloom of an ordinary pasque flower.  The flower, which is widespread in Western and Central Europe, is one of the early bloomers and shows its flowers from March to May.  At the beginning of the flowering period, the plants are often in an attractive contrast to the garden, which still looks wintery. Unfortunately, the population of the common pasque flower is considered endangered.  In many German states it is threatened with extinction, in some regions such as Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen it is already extinct.  As colorful and tempting as the flower looks, people should keep their distance, because all parts of the plant in the common pasque flower are very poisonous.

Portrait of poet Pablo Neruda projected on a building in Santiago, Chile It's World Poetry Day For World Poetry Day, we're seeing the stylized visage of poet Pablo Neruda projected on a building in his native Chile. World Poetry Day was established by UNESCO to acknowledge 'that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings'. Neruda, a Nobel laureate generally held up by Chileans as their national poet, made his early mark with famously racy love poetry. But his palette of questions and feelings evolved, expanding into surrealism, epic history, and radical politics. His death in 1973 after a bout with cancer was mourned publicly by Chileans - in defiance of newly installed dictator Augusto Pinochet, whom many Chileans link to Neruda's untimely passing. For World Poetry Day, UNESCO encourages embracing the tradition of reciting poetry for an audience - so keep your eyes peeled for poetry slams and other gatherings of langu...

Mobile bookstore in Douai, Picardy, France A well-cooked Stephen King, please!  For lovers of reading Today's photo shows "La Baraque aux livres" (a nod to the emblematic french fries huts of the region), a traveling bookstore that circulates in the streets of Douai.  The owner of this second-hand bookshop located at 7 rue Léon Gambetta in Douai decided in 2016 to become mobile and go directly to meet the locals to create even more proximity with his customers.  La Baraque aux Livres mobile offers second-hand books of all kinds, from art and history books to comics, manga, novels and paperback books, all carefully selected and sorted.  If you go through Douai, try to catch the bookmobile!

Beehive domes in the Bungle Bungle Range in the Purnululu World Heritage Listed National Park More than meets the eye Welcome to Purnululu National Park, a World Heritage Listed site that managed to be one of the world’s best kept secrets until relatively recently. Although it has existed for around 350 million years and respected by its Indigenous Australian custodians for upwards of 40,000 years, it wasn’t until 1983 that the area became public knowledge after airborne treasure-seekers stumbled upon the area while making a documentary. Nowadays, the park’s most popular area is the Bungle Bungle Range, also commonly referred to as the Bungle Bungles. With soaring rocks rising 250 metres above the grasslands, many people liken the maze of domes to giant beehives, however you needn’t worry about pesky stingers - it’s in look only. The formations were instead created over the span of 20 million years as water gradually eroded the orange and black-striped karst sandstone into t...