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Great Backyard Bird Count — This colorful foursome resting on a tree limb during a winter in France is a group of great tits, one of the most common bird species seen across most of Europe and Asia and in parts of North Africa. Belonging to the same family as North American chickadees, great tits are beloved for their colorful plumage and acrobatic antics while feeding in backyards and in gardens, which makes them an ideal mascot for the Great Backyard Bird Count.Desktop Version

Batten down the hatches — The athletes on these boats are jockeying for position at the start of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Island (pronounced ‘Mack-i-naw’). The ‘Mac,’ at 333 miles long, is the world’s oldest and longest annual freshwater boat race. It’s an amateur event, but make no mistake, these sailors know their stuff. Many go on to race in the America’s Cup. This year’s race is held this weekend. The boats set sail—smallest to largest—just off Chicago’s Navy Pier, passing by the city skyline as we see in our image. When crews pass under the span of the mighty Mackinac Bridge—connecting the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula—Lake Michigan becomes Lake Huron, and the island appears.Desktop Version

A grotesque scene — "Goofy" might be a better descriptor, but these seabird statues lining an outer wall of an Ecuadorian cathedral are called "grotesques"—the architectural term for a statue ornamenting the side of a building. But hang on…don"t we call those "gargoyles"? Not exactly. Gargoyles are simply grotesques that boast a specific, practical feature: spouts that convey water from rain gutters away from the building.Desktop Version

An octagonal architectural treasure — Built in the 1240s by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in southeast Italy, Castel del Monte (Castle of the Mount) features an unusual octagonal design. Eight stone walls stretch between eight octagonal towers and enclose an octagonal courtyard. Each of the two floors also has eight trapezoidal rooms. Acclaimed and protected as a World Heritage Site in 1996, the castle symbolically reflects a harmonious integration of classical Roman, Arabic, and medieval architecture and design—and to some, its octagonal symmetry suggests a connection between heaven and earth.Desktop Version

Women s History Month — To celebrate the start of Women"s History Month, our homepage photo features a candid shot of members of the US Army Nurse Corps in 1944. The women are shown in between training exercises while they await deployment to the South Pacific near the end of World War II. At the time, all who served in the Army Nurse Corps were women, and the units were all segregated. And though the need for nurses was urgent, the army had set a quota for just 160 Black nurses. By the end of the war, that number had increased to nearly 500.Desktop Version

Bathing in the light of Pride — In June 2020, Lincoln Center, New York City"s premier arts complex, lit its iconic plaza and fountain in the colors of the rainbow for the first time. It was as a tribute during Pride Month to Pride celebrations and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQI+ rights movement. The theme of this year"s NYC Pride celebrations is "The Fight Continues," in recognition of the advancements that have been made over the last 51 years and to highlight the ongoing struggle for equality.Desktop Version

Aug 18, 2023Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

These stunning stone spires, rising from the forest in China"s Hunan province, are said to have inspired the floating mountains of the movie "Avatar." There are more than 3,000 of these quartz-sandstone pillars in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, often swathed in mist, part of a spectacular landscape that has inspired generations of painters. These days, they are popularly known as the "Avatar Mountains" and one, the 3,544-foot-high Southern Sky Pillar, was officially renamed as "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in 2010, the year after the blockbuster movie was released.Desktop Version

World Theatre Day — What better place to celebrate World Theatre Day than the ancient theater of Taormina, Sicily, an amphitheater built in the Hellenistic style of the Greeks in the third century BCE. The venue was later expanded by the Romans and is one of the signature sights in Taormina. And if you look in the upper-right corner of the photo, that"s Mount Etna giving a performance of its own, spewing a little ash and smoke.Desktop Version

Dalyan, Turkey — Among the remains of the ancient Anatolian port city of Kaunos are these carvings in the sheer rock walls above the Dalyan Çayı River. Overlooking the modern-day city of Dalyan, Turkey, what appear to be ornate cliff dwellings are really the weathered facades of tombs for the elite of a once-forgotten society.Desktop Version

Are you older than this lake? — If you were born before summer 1991, the answer is yes. Sorry if you already felt a bit long in the tooth, but it"s true: Until 30 years ago, Lake Pinatubo was just a rumble in Mount Pinatubo"s magma-filled belly. It was a calamitous eruption on June 15, 1991—one of the 20th century"s most powerful—that blew off Pinatubo"s original summit and formed a vast crater, which gradually filled with water as greenery reclaimed the summit.Desktop Version

Relationship status: It s complicated — By posing for us, are these red-billed oxpeckers imposing on the impala? Well, science hasn"t quite decided on this one. The relationship between parasite-eating birds and hoofed mammals was once considered a textbook example of mutualism, with oxpeckers cleaning up the ticks and fleas that bug the bigger beasts. Which is what we"d like to think is going on here.Desktop Version

A castle fit for a count — Peeking out above the trees in the Făgăraș Mountains of Romania is Poenari Castle, a fortress steeped in history and legend. In the 15th century, this castle was occupied by the notorious ruler Vlad III, aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Vlad Dracula.Desktop Version

White Sands National Park turns 90 — If today"s photo evokes some chilly feelings inside of you, surprise! That"s not snow, but part of the largest gypsum dune field on the planet. We"re at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, which was first established as a monument on this date in 1933 and then became a national park in 2019. Roughly 4.5 billion tons of gypsum sand has massed in the Tularosa Basin over the past 12,000 years, having worn off the surrounding mountains. Thousands of species live in the park, many of which have evolved to have white coloration, allowing them to blend into the environment.Desktop Version

International Rock Day — Today is International Rock Day and we"re giving due respect to these geologic wonders. It might seem odd to sing the praises of rock, but think about it. Rocks have been with humankind since the beginning. From tools to housing to weapons, they"ve been key to our survival. A period of our history was so reliant on rocks that it will be forever known as the Stone Age. We would not be where we are today without the many minerals found on our planet, so rock on!Desktop Version

Helloooooo, Innsbruck — Today we"re featuring the Four Hills Tournament, a set of four ski jump events that starts today. This image shows a jumper in the 2017/2018 competition. The annual tourney, which wraps up in early January, starts in the German towns of Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and then moves to Austria, with events in Innsbruck, like the qualification run in today"s image, and Bischofshofen.Desktop Version

Make your way up a picturesque passageway of Chefchaouen — You may not be familiar with the name Chefchaouen but its blue beauty is immediately recognizable. Nestled against the Rif Mountains, the city is well known for the medieval walls washed in a hue that mimics the sky on a summer day. There are many theories as to why the walls are this color—some suggest it was thought to repel mosquitos; others say it follows religious beliefs that associate blue with heaven. No matter the reason, the blue creates photogenic passageways, one of which we are admiring here. As you wander through the city, you’ll find the market filled with handmade textiles and other colorful local goods. The locals are mostly Berber, Jewish, and Muslim people who are famously friendly and laid back. Chefchaouen is also brimming with aromatic cuisine that draws visitors from their explorations to the many popular bakeries and restaurants.Desktop Version

Canadian Thanksgiving — We"re looking at a fall sunrise in Alberta, Canada, in honor (or should we say "honour") of Canadian Thanksgiving. The holiday is officially celebrated on the second Monday in October, though many families gather the previous day. The first known Thanksgiving celebration in Canada was organized by English explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578 when he reached Newfoundland. Years later, American loyalists who were faithful to England during the Revolutionary War moved to Canada and brought traditions with them, such as eating turkey on Thanksgiving. As in the US, a Canadian Thanksgiving table is likely to have a horn-shaped cornucopia filled with festive-looking fruits and grains. The menu often includes turkey, but also regional dishes like salmon and Nanaimo bars—a layered chocolate dessert.Desktop Version

Whale hello there! — It"s whale-watching season here off the coast of Massachusetts and these humpback whales and their seagull friends are in a feeding frenzy. Here"s a little tip if you ever find yourself seeking out humpbacks: Look for birds. Where there are swarms of dive-bombing birds, there will be fish, and where there are fish, there may be humpback whales.Desktop Version

Feast of the Donkey — This fuzzy donkey feeding on the leaves of a cherry tree probably doesn"t know that today was once celebrated as the Feast of the Donkey. We think any day is a good day to celebrate donkeys. They"ve carried the load for humans for more than 7,000 years, so let"s give them some love. More than 40 million donkeys do the heavy lifting around the world today, with 11 million in China alone.Desktop Version

Diving into World Oceans Day — Humans have been trying to construct artificial coral reefs since at least the 1950s, with only marginal success. But in 1979, German scientist and inventor Wolf Hilbertz created ‘Biorock,’ also known as ‘Seacrete.’ Hilbertz found that by directing a low-voltage charge to a metal frame submerged in seawater, calcium and other minerals in the water would build up on the frame. This mineral coating is so similar to the mineral composition of natural reef substrate that it creates a good habitat for the growth of corals. After the minerals have begun to coat the surface, divers transplant coral fragments from other reefs, attaching them to the structure’s frame. These coral pieces begin to bond to the accreted mineral substrate and start to grow, typically faster than in natural environments. Eventually the reef looks and functions like a natural reef ecosystem rather than an artificial one.Desktop Version

Blink and you ll miss it — The mountain hare is doubly hard to catch sight of, because along with its tremendous speed, it"s terrifically well camouflaged. These two traits help the iconic species survive in the rugged mountains and uplands of northern Europe and Asia—this hare is dashing across a heath in the Scottish Highlands. When they have to, these speedy leporids can dart away as fast as 50 mph, at least for short distances, allowing them to outrun predators and disappear safely into the heather. But a would-be predator may not even spy them to begin with—mountain hares change coats, or molt, several times a year, their fur going from brown and gray in summer, to white-gray in winter, helping them to blend into their surroundings whatever the season.Desktop Version

Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France — We"re sorry. The scratch "n" sniff option was not ready in time for this photo, so you"ll have to imagine the intoxicating fragrance wafting over you... Today we"re in the lavender fields that carpet the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France. A rolling 300 square miles of flowers color the landscape as far as the eye can see. Vincent van Gogh spent time here, and featured lavender in some of his paintings. June is the start of the lavender season, and though it runs till August, peak viewing (and smelling) time varies a little with fluctuations in temperature and rainfall. There are lovely villages that you can meander while visiting the lavender fields, stopping for a pastry or crunchy-soft baguette at an outdoor cafe.Desktop Version

Design for Each and All — Happy International Design Day! It"s been said the best designs are the ones you never notice, but this giant yellow polka-dotted pumpkin on Japan"s Naoshima Island is kind of hard to miss. The sculpture is the work of Yayoi Kusama, an avant-garde artist active since the 1950s and known for crafting outlandish, repeating patterns in bright colors. Polka dots and pumpkins are her most famous motifs, showing up not only on her sculptures but in her paintings, performance pieces, and films.Desktop Version

Last stop before leaving the solar system — Official telescopic confirmation of Neptune"s presence in our solar system came on September 23, 1846, and it was a big deal partly because Neptune is the only planet in our solar system not visible with the naked eye. Credit for this discovery inspired a dust-up in the international astronomy community, as scientists from both Britain and France claimed they had been the first to predict the existence and position of the eighth and most-distant planet in our solar system before it was seen through a telescope. Eventually peace was brokered, and credit is now shared between the two factions.Desktop Version

Happy Birthday, Eiffel Tower — Locally, it"s called "La dame de fer," which translates to English as "The Iron Lady." To the rest of the world, it"s the Eiffel Tower, a landmark nearly synonymous with all things Parisian. It"s one of the most recognizable structures in the world and the most visited monument with an entrance fee. The Eiffel Tower took 500 workers two years, two months, and five days to complete. Most of the structural work was finished by the end of March 1889 and to celebrate, the builders led a group of government officials and journalists to the top of the tower on March 31. It was, at the time, the highest man-made structure in the world. With the addition of a new radio antenna on March 15, 2022, the Eiffel Tower grew an additional 20 feet and is now 1,083 feet tall, just in time for its 133rd birthday.Desktop Version

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