Wild Adventure of a Man and his Dog in Breathtaking Nature Photographs

Well, few things in the animal kingdom are very stronger than the bond between people and dogs, and it is the modest but powerful force behind this relationship that gives illustrator John Stortz’s photos their charm. When he travels throughout the United States with his attractive and fittingly named dog Wolf, he takes photographs of some of the stunning locations they’ve visited. Without any doubt these’re great adventures, excellent shooting, and most magnificent travelling companion a man can have.

The faithful dog, whose full name is “Wolfgang” teamed up with Stortz when he adopted Wolf from a shelter about two years ago, their Instagram is really a desire to browse, as the photographs of the lovely wolf-like Wolfgang are punctuated by Stortz’s striking illustrations. However Stortz draws a diversity of subjects, his affection for nature and the Inspiration of Wolf on his work is clear. Be sure to take a lovely look! The added dimension of the relationship between photographer and dog makes the difference between sighted and reading the photographs.

The Majestic Beauty of Earth From Above

Our planet earth is extremely beautiful, that has captured by British Photographer Peter Adams with stunning images of African deserts, plunging waterfalls and Arctic snows capes from 3,000ft, is making some of the world’s greatest landscapes look like captivating works of abstract art. The nature lover photographer travelled thousands of miles to document the varied surfaces of the planet (all from high above). The 55-year-old, from the Cotswolds, snapped the images while flying in light aircraft, helicopters and gyrocopters over some of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world, including Yellowstone National Park in the US and Namibia’s Namib Desert.

From high above, Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring looks like an alien volcano, while the desert in Andalucia, Spain looks like a scene from Mars. Some of his most remarkable photographs were captured in Australia, where he flew over the blue waters at the Great Barrier Reef and a beach in Queensland, where the sand meets the sea to create an outstanding swirling pattern. Moreover another image from Queensland shows the destructive force of lightning, as a green forest is marred by a patch of grey, dead trees. In other scenes, travelers look like ants as they snap photos of a superb waterfall in Iceland, and strips of land nestled between canals in northern Holland look like brushstrokes. Peter’s work has been featured in publications around the world and he has been recognized with several awards and honors, including 2003 Travel Photographer of the Year.

Source: Charismatic Planet

A New Bird “Cryptic Treehunter” Discovered in Brazil

Brazilian ornithologists Dr. Juan Mazar Barnett & Dr. Dante Buzzetti of the Center for Ornithological Studies in São Paulo have discovered a new species of bird that likes to lives in the dense, humid forests of northeastern Brazil. The bird named is “Cryptic treehunter” (Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti), is a member of the South American bird family Furnariidae (ovenbirds). According to the team, the Cryptic treehunter is one of the rarest birds in the world. The lovely bird is about 22 cm long, with the tail more than one-third of the length and weight is about 48 g. The bird crown and forehead are jet-black, and back of the neck, the back, and the rump are cinnamon-brown, however the tail is pale orange-rufous, with the central rectrices darker dorsally. The throat, sides of the head, supercilium and supraloral-stripe are pinkish-buff, while lower throat and the sides of neck are cinnamon-brown. The breast, belly, and underwing coverts are cinnamon. The Cryptic treehunter is described from a specimen that for many years had been confused with another species, the Alagoas foliage-gleaner (Philydor novaesi).

“The new species differs from the Alagoas foliage-gleaner by its considerably larger size, heavier body-mass, darker and more uniform forehead and crown, absence of buffy periocular-feathers, and a pale orange-rufous tail that contrasts with the rump and the rest of the dorsal plumage. The bird has a flat-crowned appearance and a larger, deeper-based, and generally stouter bill,” and the new species belongs in the genus “Cichlocolaptes”. The BirdLife International Brazil Programme says we expected that a maximum of 5 to 10 pairs may have existed in the entire reserve in 2004; though, the number of birds remaining is likely lower. At Frei Caneca, we guess that no more than one or two pairs survive. We’re proposing that this species should be categorized as Critically Endangered at a national and global level, and we ponder the situation of its conservation to be dangerous in that it’ll entail urgent action to avoid its global extinction. Source: Sci-News

The Tree like Dracaenas is Perfect When You Need a Strong Accent

Among the tallest of houseplants, the treelike dracaenas are perfect when you need a strong accent. They’ve swordlike leaves, often with attractive variegations. Although they are single stemmed, several plants of different heights can be grown together in the same pot for a bushier look. They are easy to grow plants, very tolerant of indoor environments. 

Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana” sometimes called “corn plant” has leaves that resemble those of corn, with a yellow stripe down the middle. D. marginata (dragon tree) has a cluster of red-edged leaves atop a tall stem that twists in picturesque ways. In the variety “Tricolor” the leaves are green, red and yellow. D. deremensis “Warneckii” has rather stiff leaves, striped with white. All these can grow to the ceiling eventually. If you want a more compact dracaena, grow D. surculosa (D. god-seffiana), called “gold-dust plant” which only grows a few feet tall. The flat oval leaves are dark green with cream-colored spots; in the variety “Florida Beauty” the leaves are so spotted they’re almost all white. 

How to Grow Dracaenas

Dracaenas will tolerate quite low, though brighter light will bring out foliage variegation better. They’ll also tolerate low humidity to some degree, but they do prefer warm rooms. Plant them in an average potting mix, repotting any time they look crowded. Well, water freely from spring to fall keeping the soil evenly moist but never letting them become waterlogged. In winter let the soil dry out between watering. Feed every two weeks or so during the growing season. Plants can be cut back to 4 to 6inches, and new growth will sprout. New plants can be propagated by removing and replanting suckers that form at the base or by cutting sections of the canes that have at least one node and laying them on moist sand. Source: Charismatic Planet

1200fps documenting video movement of Cheetah

A video shot at 1200 fps documenting the movement of a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) over a set run. These felines run faster than any other land animal — as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft) — and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3 seconds. Video: Gregory Wilson. Source: Wikipedia

Yamdrok-Tso lake, China

Dazzling Yamdrok-tso is normally first seen from the summit of the Kamba-la (4700m). The lake lies several hundred metres below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. For in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang (7191m). Yamdork-tso is shaped like a coiling scorpion. It doubles back on itself on the western side, effectively creating a large island within its reaches. For Tibetans, it is one of the three holy lakes (the others are Namtso and Manasarovar) and home to wrathful deities. Devout Tibetan pilgrims circumambulate the lake in around seven days.

The lake is one of three holy lakes in Tibet. It is the largest freshwater lake at the south foot of the Himalayas with an area of about 638 square kilometers. The lake is in a length of 130 kilometers and a width of 70 kilometers. The surface of the lake is about 4,441 meters above the sea level. It is quite a deep lake as the average depth is about 20-40 meters and the deepest point is almost 60 meters below the surface.

Satpara Lake, Pakistan

Satpara Lake, Pakistan is also called “Sadpara Lake” actually is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the country offering trout fishing, and row boating. Satpara Lake is a natural lake situated about 9 kilometers (5.59 miles) north of Skardu (the capital of Baltistan), in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Situated at an altitude of 2,635 meters (8645 feet) the lake is reached after 20 minutes of jeep drive from Skardu. The lake is fed by Satpara Stream. It works as a key water supply source for the Skardu Town. It is spread over an area of 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles). There is fairy-tale picturesque island in the center of lake. One can use a country boat to reach the island. A story about this lake is famous among local people that there is a gold mine in bottom of this lake. They believe that this is the reason why its water seems to be shining in the day time.

Sutherland Falls and Lake Quill,New Zealand

Sutherland Falls and Lake Quill,New Zealand, is a real paradise with breathtaking views, endless majestic mountains interspersed with lakes and rivers.Sutherland Falls, is an awe-inspiring vision of nature and known worldwide.It is fed by Lake Quill, whose waters can be attributed to several glaciers. These falls were discovered in 1880 by a prospector and explorer, Donald Sutherland. With a total drop of 580 metres in three leaps, they soon attained fame as the ‘highest fall in New Zealand’, although this claim has since been challenged. The falls became a popular stop on the Milford Track, which tourists began to use in 1888. Two years later a young surveyor, William Quill, climbed up beside the fall. The tarn which feeds the falls was named Lake Quill in his honour.