Bewick's Swan (Cygnus columbianus)

I was at Slimbridge WWT again yesterday, and the Bewick's Swans were there too, but only a few of them, normally you would be able to see several hundreds of them, the weather must be gentler than it used to be.

 Are you laughting at me?

Pintail (Anas acuta)

I took a trip to Slimbridge WWT,  and found it was full of Pintails, about 75.

Ag Taisteal Na Blarnan - The Chieftains

Tapir

Not raining today, but, damp and dull, hence the Tapir.

National Geographic Society

Picture: Bob Bushell

Tapirs look something like pigs with trunks, but they are actually related to horses and rhinoceroses. This eclectic lineage is an ancient one—and so is the tapir itself. Scientists believe that these animals have changed little over tens of millions of years.

Tapirs have a short prehensile (gripping) trunk, which is really an extended nose and upper lip. They use this trunk to grab branches and clean them of leaves or to help pluck tasty fruit. Tapirs feed each morning and evening. During these hours they follow tunnel-like paths, worn through the heavy brush by many a tapir footstep, to reach water holes and lush feeding grounds. As they roam and defecate they deposit the seeds they have consumed and promote future plant growth.

Though they appear densely built, tapirs are at home in the water and often submerge to cool off. They are excellent swimmers and can even dive to feed on aquatic plants. They also wallow in mud, perhaps to remove pesky ticks from their thick hides.

New World tapirs generally live in the forests and grasslands of Central and South America. A notable exception is the mountain (or woolly) tapir, which lives high in the Andes Mountains. Woolly tapirs, named for their warm and protective coat, are the smallest of all tapirs.

The world's biggest tapir is found in the Old World—Southeast Asia. The black-and-white Malay tapir can grow to 800 pounds (363 kilograms). It inhabits the forests and swamps of Malaysia and Sumatra.

All four tapir species are endangered or threatened, largely due to hunting and habitat loss.

Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

Wet, drizzling, morbid..................................the weather.

This one is normal, unlike the others...........................

Well, it's been drizzling, and I'm bored, so, I have started to play around

REDDER THAN USUAL

SEE THROUGH

Psychedelia

BLACK AND WHITE

Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)

A beautiful Owl in Europe and Asia, it is known as the Indian Great Horned Owl. In Great Britain, it has only just started to breed, not that a everyone agrees with that, well I do, so there. They are special. 

This eagle owl mainly feeds on small mammals in the 200–2,000 g (0.44–4.4 lb) weight range, such as voles, rats, mice, rabbitsand hares. However, prey can be killed up to the size of both fully-grown foxes and marmots and young deer (up to a mass of 17 kg (37 lb)), if taken by surprise.

In central Europe, hedgehogs are often a favorite prey item, being eaten after the owl skins off their prickily backs. Eagle owls may habitually visit refuse dumps to predate rats. The other significant group of prey for Eurasian Eagle Owls is other birds and almost any type of bird is potential prey. Common avian prey includes corvids, grouse, woodpeckers, heronsand, especially near coastal areas, ducks, seabirds and geese.  Other raptors, including large species such as Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) and the largest buzzards, are regularly predated as well as almost any other type of owl encountered. When there is an opportunity, they will also prey on reptiles, including large and venomous snakes, frogs, fish and even large insects and earthworms.

Hunting usually consist of the owl watching from a perch for prey activity and then swooping down swiftly once prey is spotted. The prey is often killed quickly by the eagle owl's powerful talons though is sometimes bitten on the head to be killed as well. Then the prey item is carried off to be swallowed whole or torn into pieces with the bill. Occasionally, they may capture other birds on the wing, including nocturnal migrants which are intercepted in mid-flight. Larger prey (over 3.5 kg (7.7 lb)) is consumed on the ground which leaves the owl vulnerable to loss of their prey or even predation by predators such as foxes. The dietary preferences of the species frequently overlap with the larger Golden Eagle but direct competition is uncommon due to differing times of activity between the species.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, You didn't think I did it, lol. I did take the picture.

When I look into your eyes - Santana