Grass Green Tanager: A Distinctive Small Passerine Bird

The striking Grass Green Tanager is a small passerine bird, belongs to tanager family. This is beautifully distinctive and well-named bird and the only member of the genus Chloronis. The bird is 20 cm in length and weighs 53g and it lives in and around subtropical and found temperate forests in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru at elevations of 1500–3350 m.  This bird is often seen in mixed species flocks, and usually travels in pairs or in groups of 3-6 individuals. It forages mostly on upper half of short trees and eats fruits and insects. It is recognized as perch almost horizontally, and its nest is made of mosses and ferns, and its eggs are gray with light purple-grey dots. Almost the full bird is clad in bright green, relieved only by the chestnut face mask and ventral region, while both the chunky bill, and the legs and feet are deep red. It is one of the most impressive tanagers in the cloud forest.          Source: Charismatic Planet

Forest of the Yew

This forest is called "Forest of the Yew" or "Tosande Forest." It is one of the largest concentrations of Tejos the world. This tree inspired by the terrifying ghost tales of talking trees. There Quoits has a face. They twist themselves as distant tree that you see, he is one of the very young (has 400 years). The "Tosande Forest" is located just 5 km from, Cervera de Pisuerga, Palencia, Spain.

Ruddy Kingfisher

When you’re a beginner, and you get excited about seeing beautiful birds of any kind. However when you’ve been photographing or bird watching for some time, it's all about ticking off groups of birds. Well, the attractive ruddy kingfisher also called Halcyon Coromanda is an average sized tree kingfisher which is commonly distributed in east and Southeast Asia, ranging from South Korea and Japan in the north, south through the Philippines to the Sunda Islands, and west to China and India. It is a migratory bird in the northern part of the range migrating as far south as Borneo during winter.

In the vicinity of southern parts of its range, the ruddy kingfisher is uncommon in Japan, where it is extremely sought after by birders. The global population size has not been computed, but the species is reported to be extensive but usually rare and uncommon. Ruddy kingfishers inhabit forested areas from the temperate to tropical zones, often in thick jungles and rainforests. The bird size is reaching approximately 25 cm; the ruddy kingfisher has a very big, bright red bill and equally red legs. The body is rust red, usually deepening to purple at the tail. There is slight sexual dimorphism though some sources state that male birds are somewhat brighter in plumage.

Such as kingfishers, ruddy kingfishers usually feed on fish, crustaceans, and big insects; however in areas with less running water, they’re famous to take frogs and other amphibians. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to loss of coastal mangroves as well as occasional collisions with lighthouses and collection for taxidermy Due to its preference for heavily forested areas, the kingfisher's high, descending call is more often heard than the bird itself is seen, and these birds usually travel singly or in pairs. The binomial name recalls the Coromandel Coast of India.

The len ticular cloud formation creates a breathtaking image over the conical-shaped Klyuchevskaya Sopka mountain in east Russia.

The len ticular cloud formation creates a breathtaking image over the conical-shaped Klyuchevskaya Sopka mountain in east Russia. (Photo: Ivan Dementievskiy). Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia and the highest active volcano of Eurasia. The volcano is part of the natural Volcanoes of Kamchatka UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wine Glass Vine (Ceropegia)

Ceropegia is a genus of plants within the family Apocynaceae, native to Africa, southern Asia, and Australia. It was named by Carl Linnaeus.

If you climb 8,300 feet mountain you can enjoy free night in this Hut

What a lovely offer of sleeping in the Mountain Hut If You’re willing to climb 8,300ft. This mountain-top hut with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Julian Alps in Italy is free to stay for anyone who knocks on its door. You’ll have to hike 8,300ft up Foronon del Buinz Mountain to get to it. This is commissioned by the family of the late mountain climber “Luca Vuerich”, who died in an avalanche in 2010, this strange prefab wood cabin by architect Giovanni Pesamosca is situated on the Ceria-Merlone trail and has been offering a safe refuge for hiking nature lovers since it is opened for public in September 2012. The clever chapel-like design prevents snow from piling up on it, and its south-facing opening lets the sun melt any snow that builds up during winter. It is really interesting due to the high altitude; the building materials for the hut were flown in by helicopter more than 18 trips. A team of 12 professional workers, mountain rescue volunteers and Luca’s friends then put the 16-sqm structure together in a one day. For the less adventurous, there is a vast network of same huts scattered throughout the Alps at much lower altitudes, though you may have to pay to stay. Some even come with staff on duty in the summer that can cook and clean the place for hikers.

Stunning Photographs of Jumping Cats

It is well believed, that cats are a near-universal symbol of grace and poise, and they’ve marvelous balance and are said to always land on their feet. Although when cats up in the air, like these 15 jumping cats at play, they retain an elegant athleticism that most of us lack on or off the ground. Cats love to jump when they play, but it is highly appreciated to never throw them just for a mere photo. The incredible ability of cats to make always land on its feet, which is beautifully display in numerous of these photograph, is called the “Righting Reflex”. An in depth study was done in 1987 on 132 cases of cats that had fallen from high-rise windows in New York found that their injuries would rise from floors 1-7 but would then radically decline above 7 stories. One explanation could be that, after a firm distance, cats reach their non-fatal terminal velocities and are skilled of spreading themselves out and gliding to decrease the severity of their injuries.

Largest Turtle

A leatherback turtle, the largest turtle ever found, weighing over 900kg, and it was more than 100 years old, 1988.

Rolling Coconut Tree

This 'rolling coconut tree' is on Chole Island in Tanzania.  The circular growth is caused by the absence of a particular growth hormone called auxin. Auxin permits it to grow towards or away from something when it is being touched. In essence, this tree thinks that something is touching it.