Tag: #tour

Moose Maneuvers

Even more exciting than spotting my first moose was watching a spontaneous show of behavior between two male moose in the presence of a female and calf. Joining a Brushback Wildlife Tour in Grand Teton National Park one evening at dusk was definitely worth the investment.

What are these two moose looking at, you might ask? All eyes are on a mother and calf grazing on the nearby hillside. The young buck just wanted to get close enough to say hello, but the senior moose (notice the superior headgear), would block his path. Young buck takes a few steps to the left, Big Moose takes a few steps to the left. A few steps to the right are also blocked.

#moose, #behavior, #male, #grandtetonnationalpark, #sony, #sony100-400mm, #wildlife, #brushback, #nationalparks, #wyoming, #nature
A younger male moose tries to approach a mother and calf, but the dominant male moose blocks his path. No way, Jose. It’s not happening! Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
#moose, #wildlife, #wyoming, #male, #rack, #dominant, #behavior, #noway, #grandtetonnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nature, #sony
As the younger male inches forward, casually munching on some grass, the dominant male keeps an eye on both the intruder and the mother and calf.

Light was low, and I had to increase my ISO to 3200 and use a tripod on the Sony aIIr7 with the Sony 100-400mm lens in order to capture these images.

Alnwick’s Poison Garden: fun facts

The Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland (a northeast region of England) taught me about the chemical properties of many common plants. Here is a sample list from the notes I took.

#echium, #echiumvulgaris, #vipersbugloss, #flowers, #sheep, #england, #wildflowers, #burr, #poison, #blue, #purple, #nature
Echium vulgaris or viper’s bugloss contains burs that catch in sheep’s throats if they graze on it, and it also affects the liver.

The beautiful poppy flower is the source for opioid medications as well as the dangerous illegal drug heroine.

#poppy, #bud, #opium, #opioid, #heroin, #chemical, #flower, #england, #castle, #garden
Poppies are a source of opium.

Willow tree bark contains salicylic acid, an ingredient of aspirin. This compound is a natural pain reliever, not a poison.

The Rhubarb leaf and about 3″ of the stem near the leaf contains oxalic acid, which in enough quantity can cause liver failure.

Laburnum has a pea-like berry. Four of them could kill a child. However, the entire plant is toxic.

Periwinkle lowers your blood pressure, and is now used to treat childhood leukemia.

The seed of berries of the Yew are toxic, yet are used in chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Giant hogweed, Heracleum, causes a horrible rash that can last up to four years when skin that has contacted the plant is exposed to sunlight.

The bitter honey of the common Rhododendron is poisonous.

Foxglove can give you heart palpitations if you handle it. All parts of the plant are poisonous, even deadly, if swallowed.

Break a laurel leaf and smell the almond scent at your own risk. You are inhaling cyanide, which prevents oxygen from bonding with your blood. People who trim laurel or handle the trimming must be careful.

Rosemary oil and Juniper berries? Avoid them while pregnant.  They can cause miscarriage.

Did you learn anything new?

 

From the top of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle towers over today’s modern city of Edinburgh, Scotland from its perch atop Castle Rock. From the top on a clear day, you can enjoy a beautiful vista clear over to the harbor at the Firth of Forth.

#view, #vista, #edinburgh, #castle, #clearday, #travel, #castlerock
Fantastic view from Edinburgh Castle, looking east. Notice the 16 century dog cemetery in the lower right of the photo.

The Castle holds within its walls numerous buildings built from the 12th century to the 20th century. The oldest building is the tiny Saint Margaret’s Chapel, just large enough to hold about 10 people, if they aren’t too large.

#stmargaret, #edinburghcastle, #oldestbuilding, #edinburgh, #castle, #chapel
Tiny St. Margaret’s Chapel from the 12th century, restored in the 18th century.

The newest building is the Scottish National War Memorial, built after the First World War to commemorate the Scots who gave their lives in wartime.

#edinburgh, #castle, #memorial, #scotland, #remembrance, #travel
The Scottish National War Memorial, dedicated in 1927 features beautiful architecture and stained glass windows.

The Upper Ward and the huge cannon “Mons Meg” represent the 15th and 16th century, a period when the castle was the site of battles.

#flag, #castle, #edinburgh, #tickets, #history, #tour, #travel
The Scotland flag flies (featuring Saint Andrew’s cross), and the summer sun illuminates the 15th and 16th century buildings of the Upper Ward of Edinburgh Castle.

There is much more to discover in Edinburgh Castle, including the Crown Jewels (which may not be photographed), the Great Hall, a suffocating old prison and a military history museum.

#prison, #dark, #crowded, #history, #conditions, #edinburgh, #castle
Can you imagine living in filth in this old prison within Edinburgh Castle? How many men to a hammock?

Buy your tickets ahead of time online, and allow yourself plenty of time on what will hopefully be a clear day.