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Male hooded merganser, Oregon
Male hooded merganser, Oregon
Each fall, Oregon"s quiet waterways become seasonal waypoints for hooded mergansers—small diving ducks native to North America. They are agile divers, plunging beneath the surface to catch fish and other prey. Males, known as drakes, stand out with their fan-shaped white crests, dark heads, and chestnut-brown sides, while females, called hens, are brownish gray with smaller crests. Oregon"s lakes and wetlands provide sheltered feeding grounds as these birds migrate or winter across the continent.Desktop Version
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day
Every February 2, the world turns its eyes to a furry little forecaster with a penchant for popping out of holes: the groundhog. Legend has it that if this pint-sized predictor sees its shadow, winter drags on for six more weeks. No shadow? Spring is just around the corner. It"s a quirky tradition that turns a small rodent into a celebrity meteorologist.Desktop Version
Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
When a bird is called a starling, you"d expect it to be a bit of a show-off. True to its name, this little creature knows how to steal the spotlight. From shimmering feathers that glint green and purple in the sun, to its ability to mimic sounds, the starling is the headline act. Originally native to Europe and Asia, the common starling has spread across the globe. In the 19th century, a group of them were introduced to New York"s Central Park by an enthusiast of birds mentioned in Shakespeare"s plays.Desktop Version
Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Nestled in the Urseren Valley at about 4,715 feet, Andermatt is a charming Swiss village embraced by the majestic Alps. Long a vital crossroads, it"s linked by three iconic passes—Gotthard, Furka, and Oberalp—each enhancing its allure as a gateway between regions and cultures.Desktop Version
Black History Month
Black History Month
Some months arrive quietly, but February knocks on the door, flips on the spotlight, and says, "Let"s give credit where it"s long overdue." That"s the spirit of Black History Month—a time to celebrate African American achievements, confront hard truths, and honor those who shaped the country. It began in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week. The week grew, spread through schools and communities, and by 1976 it officially expanded into a month.Desktop Version
Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales
Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales
Water spills in clean lines at Sgwd yr Eira, one of South Wales" most distinctive waterfalls. Its Welsh name means "Waterfall of Snow," referring to the pale curtain of water sliding over the rock face. What sets this waterfall apart is access. A narrow path leads visitors behind the falling water, immersing them in sound, light, and movement at close range. Sgwd yr Eira lies within Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, often called "Waterfall Country" for its network of rivers and falls carved into wooded gorges. Well-marked trails connect this waterfall to others along the River Hepste, making it a popular stop on longer hikes. Above the valleys, the landscape opens into rolling moorland and long ridgelines where upland paths are shaped by wind and changing weather. These contrasts define the park, where open, exposed uplands give way to sheltered water, tying the landscape together.Desktop Version
International Sloth Day
International Sloth Day
How good would it feel if you could just hang out and do absolutely nothing all day? That"s exactly what sloths do, and today, we celebrate them. International Sloth Day honors these unhurried creatures and reminds us that life doesn"t always need to be rushed. Sloths are tree-dwelling mammals native to Central and South America. Their deliberate movements conserve energy, avoid predators, and even allow algae to grow on their fur, creating green camouflage among the canopy. Hoffmann"s two-toed sloth, pictured here, is a prime example of the slow-paced lifestyle typical of all sloths. It spends most of its time in the trees, occasionally descending to the ground to move to a new one.Desktop Version
A herd of impalas, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
A herd of impalas, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
What stands out about Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa isn"t just the wildlife—it"s the long-term commitment behind it. Since 1926, its 58 square miles have supported research and monitored wildlife behavior in their natural habitat. Located within the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, it is home to Africa"s Big Five. Londolozi is part of a larger open system that connects with Kruger National Park, allowing animals such as elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, zebras, and many antelope species to move freely without fences holding them back.Desktop Version
Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Xwejni Bay in Gozo, Malta, has a way of making everyday elements look like a quiet choreography between sea, stone, and sun. You can"t help but pause and look closer, right? Centuries back, families began carving these limestone pans, shaping hundreds of basins that trap seawater with each wave. Once the water settles in, the sun"s heat does the rest, slowly evaporating it into natural Mediterranean salt. Gozo became a salt-making hub because its limestone coast is easy to shape, and its warm, dry summers keep the crystallization process steady. The first crystals form around May, marking the beginning of the harvesting season. Workers rake the salt by hand, sweep it with brooms and brushes, gather it into small piles to dry for another day, then bag it and store it in the caves.Desktop Version
Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Dragon"s Eye sounds like something pulled from legend, and standing on Norway"s Uttakleiv Beach in the Lofoten Islands, it"s easy to see why. The formation, carved into ancient rock and framed by sand and sea, looks uncannily alive, as though the land itself is watching you. Shaped over thousands of years by ice and water, it has become one of the region"s most captivating sights.Desktop Version
Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye
Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye
As evening settles over the town of Göreme in the heart of the Cappadocia region of Türkiye, dusk reveals a landscape forged by nature and centuries of human presence. This scene is part of Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1985 for its exceptional combination of early cultural history and geological formations. These formations, often called "fairy chimneys" or hoodoos, began as layers of volcanic ash that hardened into soft stone following eruptions of ancient Anatolian volcanoes. Over time, wind and water carved the pillars, ridges, and valleys that define the region today.Desktop Version
Celebrating 78 years of Everglades National Park
Celebrating 78 years of Everglades National Park
On Florida"s southern tip lies one of the United States" most unusual landscapes. The Everglades is not a typical swamp or river. It is a slow, shallow sheet of water that drifts south across flat grasslands toward Florida Bay, linking forests, marshes, mangroves, and coastal prairies. This subtropical wilderness supports hundreds of species, including alligators, manatees, and the endangered Florida panther. On December 6, 1947, the United States established the Everglades National Park, protecting over 1.5 million acres and shifting conservation toward preserving entire ecosystems rather than isolated landmarks.Desktop Version
Fibonacci Day
Fibonacci Day
Look closely at this ammonite fossil. Its swirling shell, once home to a prehistoric sea creature, holds a mathematical secret—a spiral pattern. Each new chamber is proportionally larger than the previous one, maintaining a consistent growth ratio, often associated with the Fibonacci sequence.Desktop Version
Polar Bear Week
Polar Bear Week
What"s drawing scientists, travelers, and cameras to Manitoba, Canada, this week? Polar Bear Week is here, and it"s more than a date on the calendar. For over a decade, Polar Bears International—a non-profit organization—has invited people to stream live cams and follow daily updates as the bears head to Hudson Bay. It"s a week of learning and a call to protect a fragile ecosystem.Desktop Version
Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
Hidden just outside Juneau, Alaska, the Mendenhall Glacier feels almost unreal, inside and out. Step into one of its rare blue ice caves, and the world turns quiet and luminous, with light filtering through centuries-old compacted ice. The glacier stretches about 13 miles from the Juneau Icefield, slowly flowing toward the valley below and reshaping itself year by year.Desktop Version
The Wave, Vejle, Denmark
The Wave, Vejle, Denmark
Architecture blends art and technology, expressed through the built form. While many designs focus primarily on function, some buildings give equal weight to visual impact. A strong example is The Wave building complex in Vejle, Denmark, where sculptural design and practical housing come together seamlessly.Desktop Version
Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
There are big statues—and then there"s the Leshan Giant Buddha. Carved into a riverside cliff at the confluence of the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu Rivers in Sichuan, China, this statue is an ancient engineering marvel. Construction began in 713 CE under a monk named Hai Tong, who hoped that the Buddha"s presence would calm dangerous river currents that threatened passing boats. He was so devoted that when funding ran out, he reportedly gouged out his own eyes to prove his sincerity. Construction took roughly 90 years and was completed long after Hai Tong"s death. At 233 feet tall, it is the largest stone Buddha in the world. Its shoulders stretch about 92 feet wide, its ears measure nearly 23 feet long, and each foot extends over 28 feet. Drainage channels built inside the statue protect it from erosion, helping explain its remarkable preservation for more than 12 centuries.Desktop Version
Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain
Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain
The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is a chronicle of Spain"s layered history. It began as a church built by the Germanic Visigoths, before being transformed into a mosque in 784 CE by Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. Its vast hypostyle hall, a space supported by rows of columns, features the famous red-and-white arches shown here. Today, it contains more than 850 columns, many reused from Roman and earlier Visigothic structures.Desktop Version
Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain
Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain
Spring hits differently in Cieza. It doesn"t gently unfold—it erupts with color. Between February and March, this small city in Spain"s Murcia region is the epicenter of "La Floración," the flowering of peach trees. In a matter of days, more than 12,000 acres—Spain"s largest municipal peach production—transform into the sea of color we see in today"s image.Desktop Version
Celebrating Yi Peng
Celebrating Yi Peng
What would you wish for if a single lantern could carry your heart"s desire skyward? Tonight, in northern Thailand, the Yi Peng festival offers that chance. This centuries-old Lanna tradition celebrates the 12th lunar month with glowing paper lanterns—khom loi—that are released to honor the Buddha. Each lantern is believed to carry away misfortune and light the way toward a brighter future. Children steady the lantern frames, elders whisper blessings, and the crowd pauses as hundreds of lights drift higher than the trees. Farther south, the same full moon watches over Loy Krathong, a sister festival, where candlelit rafts glide across the water.Desktop Version
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
Tonight, Halloween casts its spell—and only a few places on Earth carry a mystery quite like Bran Castle in Romania. The fortress was built in the 14th century and has withstood wars, monarchs, and shifting empires. But here, legends speak louder than history. Perched between the regions of Transylvania—renowned for its chilling tales—and Wallachia, once ruled by Vlad III Dracula, the castle evokes a haunting legacy. Vlad"s ruthless reputation inspired Bram Stoker"s 1897 Gothic novel "Dracula." Though the story is not set at Bran Castle, its looming form and persistent rumors of Vlad"s presence blur fact and legend, forever linking it to one of humanity"s most enduring tales.Desktop Version
Cherry blossoms at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
Cherry blossoms at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a 36-acre urban oasis along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, is one of the city"s most beloved green spaces. Each spring—typically from mid-March to early April—it transforms into a sea of soft pink and white as cherry blossoms bloom. These vibrant trees along scenic walking paths offer a peaceful escape in the heart of the city. The park also features notable landmarks like Salmon Street Springs, an interactive fountain with numerous water jets, and the Portland Saturday Market, a favorite local destination.Desktop Version
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Beneath Heidelberg"s winter sky in Germany, stalls sparkle with snow globes, each capturing the spirit of the season in a miniature world. Today, Christmas—a Christian celebration of faith, light, and togetherness—invites us to welcome warmth and joy into the coldest days of the year. Across continents, candles glow on windowsills and garlands twine through homes and streets.Desktop Version
A traboule in Lyon, France
A traboule in Lyon, France
In Lyon, France, you don"t just walk through the city—you glide through it. The traboules, a network of hidden passageways threading between courtyards and buildings, turn a simple stroll into a treasure hunt. They were the original shortcuts, allowing residents to dodge rain, carry goods, or move discreetly through the medieval quarters. Today, they"re less about practicality and more about discovery. These passages date back to the fourth century but became essential during the Renaissance, when silk traders used them to shuttle delicate fabrics safely from workshops to the river without braving the weather. Later, during World War II, Resistance fighters used the traboules as escape routes.Desktop Version
St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Picture a small island rising from the Cornish sea, connected to the mainland only when the tide retreats. For a few hours a day, you can wander across a centuries-old granite causeway made smooth by pilgrims and fishermen. This is St. Michael"s Mount, just off the coast of Marazion, in Cornwall, England. Managed by the National Trust and home to the St. Aubyn family since the 1600s, the mount blends myth, medieval history, and sweeping coastal views.Desktop Version