Bald Eagle

A Bald Eagle in the Air

The Bald Eagle. Open winged. High in the air.  Showing us his beauty. The beauty of a real raptor. Sadly I have never seen one in wildlife. Just at bird shows. It`s not a european bird, and my area has no more eagles. Here are just airplanes in the air, and some hawks. So I have to go to bird shows. This Bald Eagle shots are taken on my last holiday at Gran Canaria. At the Palmitos Park exotic Birds free flight show. With my Nikon 70-200mm lens. No I spend money for a hew lens. I need something that goes till 500mm or more.

Historical Satellite Dishes

Historical Satellite Dishes

There are a lot of Molinos and Molinas around Fuerteventura. They have a different architecuture as the windmills in north europa. There wings have the size of satellite dishes for broadcastind something. So for me they look like a kind of historical satellite dishes. Like they have broadcasted something centurys ago with thouse historical satellite dishes. A signal to the great ships who conquered the new world. But the wings size makes sense because Fuerteventura is full of wind. You have more a problem with to much wind as with to low. A lot of Thouse Molinos and Molinas are very small. I guess many farmers have had there own.

Pájara

Pájara Mountain Sundowns

Traveling the FV-605 road from La Pared to Pájara. On the half way, a view kilometers after crossing the FV-618 to Cardón you will get higher into  the mountains. After a view minutes you are at a high level of about 500 meters. And there is a bouth sides parking place with a footway up to the top. The Point is called Sicasumbre viewing point. You have a great view to both sides of the mountain there, and into a yellow red shining valley till Pájara. No plants or trees in your way. Fast moving clouds in the sky. So thats the place where I did my sundown pictures. But beware, its an very high wind blasting area. And with that wind it could be 10 to 15 degree colder.

Wenn man die FV-605 von La Pared kommend Richtung Pájara fährt, kommt man ein paar Kilometer nachdem sie die FV-618 Richtung Cardon gekreuzt hat zu einem Parkplatzt. Etwa auf 500 Meter Höhe. Dort gibt es einen Fußweg hoch auf die Bergspitze. Ausgeschildert sind Aussichtspunkte in Spanien immer als Mirador. Sehr wichtig, da es in den Bergen von Fuerteventura kaum Möglichkeiten gibt neben der Straße zu halten. Von dort hat man eine super Aussicht zu alles Seiten. Über das Tal das Richtung Norden nach Pájara führt. Oder Richtung Südspitze der Insel wo die Sonne unter geht. Das ist die Stelle von der aus ich diese Sonnenuntergansbilder gemacht habe.

San Sebastian

San Sebastian de La Gomera

Some ferry impressions of San Sebastian de la Gomera. Thats what you see when you took the ferry from Tenerife to la Gomera. The harbour and the cityline of San Sebastian de la Gomera. The main village on la Gomera. Because La Gomera has no airport, you have to take the ferry or a boat to get there. And the island welcomes you with his nice little main village. It was out strartingpoint for a hikingtrip to La Gomeras well known rainforest out there in the hills. The so called fairytale forest. There are a lot of backpackers on La Gomera, its a great nature.

desert vineyard

A desert vineyard

A destert vineyard. Thats how they growe grapes and make wine on Lanzarote. In an vulcano based desert area near the city of Yaiza. The stone walls are to protect the grapes from the wind. Ity a very try area, mostly no rain. Therefore they dig thouses holes wherethey put the grapes in. They are like a funnel. The stones are vulcano based. The stones suck the humidity right out of the morning dew and the funnel brings it to the plant. An impressive desert vineyard. It must be a very arduous kind of work, planting in such an try area. The desert vineyard

Tailed Jay

The Tailed Jay – Graphium Agamemnon

This is not a typical christmas posting. I have no girl with a sexy christmas dress for this year, or a spanking santa. This year its a butterfly called the Tailed Jay (Graphium Agamemnon). I have to admit that I have no idear about butterflys. I am just into pictures and I have never done butterfly pictures before. I googled the name, before I wrote the posting 🙂 This tailed jay lives in a huge butterfly house in Gran Canaria. I was there with my Sigma 150mm macro and a monopod. I actually came for the birds, not for the butterflys and it was my first time in an butterfly house. First I watched the russian tourists there who tries to catch some butterflys with there iPads and iPhones, but only got unsharp pictures 🙂 Well, thats the benefit of an camera with a fast lens and a high ISO range .-)

Puerto de Mogan

Puerto de Mogan

Puerto de Mogan – The small village in the south of Gran Canaria. Easy to reach with the local bus system. You dont need a car to go there. There are less parking possibilities in Puerto de Mogan and its a small village so you can do everything there by foot. I went there wit the local bus direct from Maspalomas. Its about halt an hour. Just for a day trip. Its a nice little village for relaxing, drinking some coffe or walking around. They have a lot of flowers there, white painted houses with blue doors. The bay beach is wind and waves protected, so take your swimming things with you.

La Graciosa

La Graciosa

Sadly we have got windy weather and a cloudy sky on our day trip to the smal canary island La Graciosa. I just can imagine how beautyfull La Graciosa would be with bright sunlight and a blue sky. But for all that I enjoeyed my trip to La Graciosa very much. It is the smallest inhabiteted island of the canaries. It has only 29,05 square kilometers and its in the north of Lanzarote. We took the ferry from Orzola to Caleta del Sebo, the small main village. After a lunch break we went out for a short hiking trip over the island and took the last ferry back to Lanzarote. And the bus back to our horror hotel in Costa Brava.

Exotic Birds free flight show Palmitos Park, Gran Canaria

Exotic Birds

Some for european eyes exotic birds in flight. Taken at the exotic birds free flight show in Gran Canaria. Precisely at Palmitos Park. A medium large Zoo in the south of Gran Canaria. They offers amongst others a exotic birds free flight show, birds of prey show and a butterfly house. The two mentioned shows and the Butterfly house are for me the key reasons to visit this Zoo. I am not a fan of Orca or Delphine shows.

Die Exotische Vögel show war neben der Raubvogel Show und dem Schmetterlingshaus einer der Gründe für mich den Palmitos Park auf Gran Canaria zu besuchen. Delfin oder Orca Shows sind nicht so mein fall, da geh ich lieber zwei mal durchs Schmetterlingshaus und versuche schöne Bilder zu bekommen.

Colorfull snail shell on the crater bottom of Lanzarotes Vulcano Montana Roja

A snail shell at the crater bottom.

First I found a snail shell. On a place I dont expect to found anything. I was on my way to the top of Lanzarote`s Montana Roja. A 200 meter high and dead old vulcano in the south of Lanzarote, near Playa Blanca  Than I found a nother colorfull snail shell. And than a lot of snail shells. Seems there is more life in old vulcano craters than I expected. Specialy on islands full of sand and stones. The bottom was full of small plants, snail shell`s, some rabbits and lizzards. More natural vegetation  as I saw in the rest of the island.

La Gomera

Some coastline impressoins of La Gomera

When you come down the road from the La Gomera rainforest mountains, the first things you see are some houses and the atlantic see. It goes staight ahead down to the coast. In this case the north east coast of La Gomera. With Tenerife in the background. Its a complete change of colors. The dark green and spooky forest on the top, with all the fog and clouds passing throu and the sunny coast with beaches and the blue sea. White painted houses with red roofs, banana plantations and very curvy roads. It was a stop back on my way to the ferry in San Sebastian. I have been on La Gomera for a hiking trip. And thouse pictures are beside impressions from this trip. It was not a phototrip 🙂

Butterflies

The two dancing Butterflies

Two beautyfull red Butterflies having fun with each other on a closed hibiscus blossom. I have never seen butterfly making love before and I don`t expected that they are doing it tail to tail 🙂 They where so busy whis themselves thaty they don`t noticed me and my 150mm Sigma macro lens. Going close was not difficult. Getting enough light for a closed apperture and for a fast shutter speed was the chellenge here 🙂 You can`t see it but they are indoor pictures. Taken at Palmitos Parks  House of Butterflies. The Butterfly House and the exotic birds flight show are a good reasen to visit this medium size Zoo in the south of Gran Canaria. The Bird House at Palmitos Park is not as big as Loro Parques Bird flight area but they have a raptor and exotic birds flight show there. And a huge House of Butterflys. Using my Monopod for all thouse photos was no problem. No one of the officials cares about my monopod and 150mm macro lens. This is also a plus. You are not everywhere welcome with professional photo stuff.

Ich habe mir eigentlich die Gedanken darüber gemacht, wie sich Schmetterlinge überhaupt fortpflanzen. Jetzt weiß ich es 🙂  Aber ein wenig überrascht war ich schon im ersten Moment, vor allem darüber das sie sich überhaupt nicht gestört gefühlt haben. Sie waren einfach zu sehr mit dem Flattern und rum hüpfen beschäftigt. Nah ran zu kommen war also schon mal kein Problem. Eher das Licht, um eine möglichst kurze Belichtungszeit zu erreichen und die Blende einigermaßen zu machen zu können. Was man nicht sieht, das ganze spielte sich im Schmetterlingshaus ( House of Butterflys) des Palmits Parks auf Gran Canaria ab. Wegen des Schmetterlingshauses und der Vogelflugshow hatte sich der Besuch dort für mich gelohnt. Delfinshows interessieren mich nicht, und gegen das Vogelhaus im Loro Park kommen sie dort auf keinen Fall an. Wenn man das kennt und als Maßstab nimmt ist man eher enttäuscht.

The Guajara mountain

Guajara Mountain a part of the caldera Las Canadas

Mostly the Guajara mountain stands in the shaddow of the Pico del Teide. thats sad, because the Guajara is allways a visit worth. There is no ropeway or road to the top, but you dont need to be an climbing expert to get on top. Good hiking boots and enough time are enough. On top you are on an high level of 2715 meters with a view over the south of Tenerife, Cran Canaria and La Gomera. On the North side you can look over the the Caldera Las Cañadas with one of the best viewes for the Pico del Teide. On the last picture you can see a Guardia Civil helicopter you . The start searching a missing hiker who startet one day before us to climb up to the top. Its not a very risky tour but at this time of the year there are some slippery frozen parts on the way. So its better to do a guided tour. In the 10 days we stay on this island, they don`t found the missing hiker.

Ein klein wenig steht der Guajara immer im Schatten seines kleinen Bruders Pico del Teide. Wobei ich muß sagen, als Berg hat er mir wesentlich mehr spaß gemacht. Auf der Wanderung hat man sehr wenig Leute getroffen, und oben waren auch keine Massen zu sehen im Gegensatz zum Teide, wo einem sehr viele mit Flip Flops besohlte Touristen per Seilbahn entgegen kommen. Von der Sicht her ist man auf 2715m Höhe weit über den Wolken und kann bei gutem Wetter den Flughafen, Costa Adeje und auf jedenfall Cran Canaria und La Gomera sehen. Es gibt einen leichteren und einen schwierigeren Weg hoch zum Guajara. Wir sind den schwierigeren hoch, und den leichteren wieder runter. Schon alleine damit noch etwas Zeit zum Fotografieren bleibt. Die hat man beim Aufstieg nicht wirklich.

Puerto de Mogan

The beach side of Puerto de Mogan

Puerto de Mogan, the small beautyfull fishing village in the south west of Gran Canaria. With the white painted small houses, alle Palms and flowers around, Puerto de Mogan realy looks like it was just build for travel catalogue pictures. OK not all of Puerto de Mogan looks realy nice. There are also some „Cement Castles“ as we call in germany the quick buils tourism hotels of the 80th. But they are a little bit away from the coast side of the village. Fot the most people its important how the beach and the water area looks like. And I can say. beautyfull. The beach and the harbor are man made, not natural as in Maspalomas. Because of that the beach of Puerto de Mogan is sheltered from the wind and the water is a little bit warmer. Its perfect for a nice day trip. To have a little swim, a good meal, and to walk around. We have been there with the public bus system. It works very good on Gran Cararia and it is cheap.  But please, take a look at the pictures and you wiill see what I mean.

The La Orotava Vale with Pico del Teide in the Background

La Orotava Weather View

At a high level of 1000 meters you have good view over the Orotava vale with his coniferous forest, the clouds coming from the atlantic ocean an the north east side of the vulcano Pico del Teide.

Auf 1000 Höhenmetern hat man eine gute Übersicht über das Gebiet von la Orotava welches sich von der Küste bei Puerto de la Cruz bis hin zum Pico del Teide erstreckt.

 

 

Hawk

A proud hawk – The beauty of a flying hawk

A beautyfull hawk flying high into the sky. It was a very sunny day at Palmitos Parks  hawk free flight show. Mostly blue sky just some clouds. Perfect for taking hawk pictures. I have no realy tele lens just my Nikon 70-700, my universal weapon 🙂 So with this lens its hard do take some hawk pictures in real wildlife. I hope to get a 150-600 or 200-500 some day, till then I have to go to bird shows like this for taking hawk or birds in flight pictures. The Palmitos Park is a nice little zoo in the south of Cran Canaria. They have a lot of free flight raptors in ther free flight show, such as Eagles, Marabous, Hawks, and a show with exotic birds. I can also recomend the big butterfly house. The rest is zoo standard. Some meerkats, turles, apes, a botanic garden, the usual zoo stuff 🙂 But the birdshow impressed me very much. Its not only the birds, its the the whole surrounding thats impressive. Not build in the middle of a city, like most of the zoos, the Palmitos Park is build deep into a canyon, it gives a nice atmosphere tho the whole setting.