Bing wallpaper for mobile

Hottest Latest
A swim in the sky
A swim in the sky
A lap in the Sky Pool may have you holding your breath, and not just because you"re underwater. With the streets of London looming 10 stories down, the view through the pool"s clear bottom is a bit freaky to all but the fearless. But swimming here is a one-of-a-kind experience, and for some lucky residents of these twin apartment blocks near the US Embassy, a convenient way to pop in on neighbors the next building over.Desktop Version
A learning garden
A learning garden
Today we’re at Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire, England. The gardens have gone through many changes since 1931, when Beatrix Havergal and Avice Sanders first began turning the grounds of a country house into an educational public garden. (Waterperry grew much-needed produce during World War II.) The gardening school at Waterperry closed in 1971, and now the land is owned and operated by the School of Economic Science, which uses some of the buildings for study projects and retreats. Waterperry is a wonderful example of classic English gardening. Visitors can stroll through the aromatic knot garden seen on our homepage today, or explore other parts of the gardens, including orchards, a nursery, and a museum.Desktop Version
Glendurgan Garden hedge maze is 186 years old
Glendurgan Garden hedge maze is 186 years old
Created by Alfred Fox in 1833 to entertain his 12 children, the cherry laurel hedge maze at Glendurgan Garden was designed to resemble a serpent curled in grass. In addition to the maze, Glendurgan also includes an amazing collection of exotic plants that Fox obtained on his travels and imported from abroad. Luckily, the temperate climate of Cornwall, in South West England, allowed rare imports, like bamboo, Brazilian giant rhubarb, and tree ferns to thrive in this valley garden. In 1962, the Fox family gifted the gardens to the National Trust, a UK charity that works to preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty.Desktop Version
A theatrical dream
A theatrical dream
The work of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is the stuff of dreams: melting clocks, burning giraffes, weird objects suspended in midair. Gaze at a Dalí and you may find yourself gripped with a strange sense of familiarity, like your subconscious has visited this strange place before. But what if you could literally step into a huge Dalí piece?Desktop Version
Sleep tight, little hedgehog
Sleep tight, little hedgehog
Though they may seem exotic to most people in the Americas, wild hedgehogs are quite common in much of the rest of the world. The tiny creatures are usually nocturnal and use their spiky exteriors to protect themselves. Each hedgehog has about 6,000 quills, but the quills aren"t poisonous and don"t easily detach, like those of the also-quilled (but completely unrelated) porcupine.Desktop Version
Spot on for International Cat Day
Spot on for International Cat Day
One of the smallest of the big cats, the leopard is known for its shy personality, athleticism, and its spots, called rosettes. You can find leopards in many parts of Africa and Asia, but the subspecies pictured here roams the semiarid terrain of Sub-Saharan Africa. Skilled climbers and predominantly solo travelers, leopards can often be found draped along the branch of an acacia or other tall tree. They climb trees to hunt, but also to eat—they don’t like to share food, and they like to eat slowly.Desktop Version
A big place to shop small
A big place to shop small
Small Business Saturday started in 2010 to get shoppers out of the big box stores the day after Black Friday to support local retailers instead. The US is home to more than 30 million small businesses (500 employees or fewer), representing 47 percent of private sector employees. Of course, the concept of patronizing local merchants is nothing new. Here in Marrakesh, Morocco, souks (markets) like this one in Jemaa el-Fnaa Square have long been a big part of daily life, as well as major tourist attractions. During the day, musicians, dancers, and even snake charmers entertain shoppers as they search for crafts, clothing, and other goods. At night, the focus shifts to dining, with dozens of stalls offering different specialties and takes on traditional Moroccan food.Desktop Version
Nesting season for the leatherbacks
Nesting season for the leatherbacks
This time of year is nesting season for leatherback sea turtles in the Atlantic. After mating at sea, these big mamas—leatherbacks are the largest of all turtles—haul themselves up onto beaches in the same region where they were born. The turtles dig out nests in the sand and lay a clutch of about 80 fertilized eggs the size of billiard balls. They"ll repeat this ritual a few more times before returning to their migratory lives in the open ocean. About 65 days later, turtle hatchlings will start to poke up through the sand and make a dash toward the safety of the sea. But the odds are against them: Only 1 percent of the hatchlings will live to reach sexual maturity, at around 16 years old.Desktop Version
World Jellyfish Day
World Jellyfish Day
Today we"re celebrating World Jellyfish Day—even though these creatures are best described as otherworldly. Despite their alien qualities (not to mention their inability to vocalize), jellyfish have a lot to say to us about the history of life on Earth.Desktop Version
It s World Bee Day
It s World Bee Day
Today we"ve buzzed to Provence, France, to enjoy this scenic view brought to you by bees. These hard-working insects are key pollinators of flowers, like the sunflowers and lavender seen growing here. That’s why beekeepers have strategically placed these hives near the flower crops. Bees are also critical for the pollination of fruits and vegetables—about a third of the food we eat is a result of honeybee pollination. In the US, honeybees, whether tended by beekeepers or living in the wild, pollinate about $20 billion worth of crops every year. That"s a lot of gold—and doesn"t even include their delicious honey. So today on World Bee Day, we invite you to stop and smell the flowers and give a nod to the bees that help color our world.Desktop Version
Summer winds down in the Hamptons
Summer winds down in the Hamptons
As summer unofficially wraps up, we"re looking at Reedy Island, an islet that sits in Moneyboque Bay, across from Westhampton Beach on Long Island, New York. The Hamptons is a collection of villages and hamlets with plenty of sandy beachfront that have long been a popular upscale summer destination for New Yorkers looking to escape the city. This year, that migration started early, as city dwellers headed east in the spring in search of space to social distance. In summer, the beaches, of course, are the main attraction, but the area is also known for dining and nightlife (complete with celebrity spotting), wineries, and family-owned farms and farm stands. And the end of summer isn"t all bad news, at least for the local economy. As temperatures cool and crowds (usually) thin out, the farms shift gears to apple cider and pumpkins, and by November, the harvesting of Peconic Bay scallops begins.Desktop Version
Coming home to roost
Coming home to roost
From North America to Western Europe, northern gannets live all along the North Atlantic coasts. These large birds spend most of their lives at sea, following schools of sardines, herring, and other small fish that they feed on. During breeding and hatching season, northern gannets often return to the same colony locations year after year, where thousands of birds may gather to nest and rear their young. This group is busily collecting nesting material on Great Saltee Island, the larger of the two Saltee Islands, about 3 miles off the coast of southern Ireland. Both Great and Little Saltee are largely unoccupied, well, unless you count all the birds.Desktop Version
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Think of this special spot as the place where two different Alaskas meet—its vast icy north and its verdant maritime south. Glacier Bay is named for this area"s dominant feature, the rivers of ice that carve the landscape and periodically calve icebergs into the sea. On February 26, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge declared much of the land around the bay a national monument. The protected area was greatly expanded in 1980, when a 3.3-million-acre expanse of glaciers, fjords, rainforest, coastline, and mountain peaks was named a national park and preserve.Desktop Version
A path lain with petals
A path lain with petals
Pisgah National Forest, in western North Carolina, is primarily a hardwood forest boasting 500,000 acres of mountainous peaks and cascading waterfalls that attract hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, and more. But from mid-May to mid-June, the crowds flock here to hike trails that lead to incredible views: acres of native Catawba rhododendrons in full blossom.Desktop Version
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
These dancers from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma are preforming a ceremonial Gourd Dance at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in New Mexico, an annual gathering that also includes art, demonstrations, a rodeo, parades, and other events. We’re featuring the image in honor of Native American Indian Heritage Month, which is observed each November. The commemorative month celebrates the contributions of Native Americans to our national culture. In honor of this event, we invite you to learn more about Native people in your region.Desktop Version
Happy Mother s Day
Happy Mother s Day
Zebras can walk within 20 minutes of being born, but they still need help from mom. On Mother"s Day, we"re looking at a Burchell"s zebra mother and foal. For the first two days after the foal is born, the mother will keep it close by and limit contact with other zebras, so the foal gets to know her by sight, smell, and sound. Over the next year, the foal will follow its mother, learning what to eat, where to migrate in the dry and rainy seasons, and how to avoid predators. Those might not be the exact skills your mom taught you, but she surely played a part in your survival and growth—so be sure to wish her a happy Mother"s Day today.Desktop Version
Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Observed annually on the first Friday in June, National Doughnut Day isn’t a marketing ploy by the American Bakers Association. It actually commemorates the women of the Salvation Army who cared for soldiers serving on the front lines of World War I in Montiers-sur-Saulx, France. After several weeks of inclement weather, the demoralized soldiers’ spirits were lifted by a taste from home. The Doughnut Lassies, as the Salvation Army women became known, are often credited with popularizing the doughnut after soldiers returned home after the war. Later, during the depths of the Great Depression in 1938, Chicago’s Salvation Army began National Doughnut Day as a fundraiser to help those in need. The Salvation Army celebrates National Doughnut Day these days by delivering thousands of doughnuts around the country.Desktop Version
The crossroads of empires
The crossroads of empires
Today, we"re 11,000 feet above sea level in the city of Cusco, in the Peruvian Andes. Cusco is considered the historical capital of Peru, a designation that"s even enshrined in the country"s constitution. The city served as a capital for the Incan Empire in the three centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.Desktop Version
Venture into a prehistoric gallery of art
Venture into a prehistoric gallery of art
In the fall of 1940, a group of boys exploring the outdoors in the Dordogne area of southwest France came upon the entrance to a cave–and unwittingly discovered a treasure trove of prehistoric art. The walls of the cave now known as ‘Lascaux’ are covered with hundreds of images–giant drawings of bulls, horses, and humans–created some 17,000 years ago, in the Upper Paleolithic Period. The cave was opened to the public in 1948, but after several years, scientists observed that the artwork was being damaged by carbon dioxide, heat, humidity, and other contaminants produced by an average of 1,200 visitors who explored the caves each day. To protect the prehistoric masterpieces, the cave has been closed to the public since 1963. Today, the closest you can get is viewing full-scale replicas at the International Centre for Cave Art in nearby Montignac, where our homepage image was photographed.Desktop Version
Flock together for Cousins Day
Flock together for Cousins Day
Are these chicks cousins? Perhaps. Caribbean (aka American) flamingos, like all flamingo species, lay just one egg per year, so chicks of the same size are more likely cousins than siblings. These chicks and their hovering parents are in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatan Peninsula, a critical nesting colony for Caribbean flamingos. They’re highly social birds that live in colonies of thousands, so they have plenty of opportunities to celebrate Cousins Day today. Here’s to you, cuz!Desktop Version
The tallest animal in the world on the longest day of the year
The tallest animal in the world on the longest day of the year
Happy summer! Today marks the first full day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Today also happens to be World Giraffe Day, so we"ve picked this Rothschild"s giraffe dining on tree leaves in Kenya"s Lake Nakuru National Park to honor both occasions.Desktop Version
Decorating for Diwali
Decorating for Diwali
During Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, vibrant patterns of all shapes and sizes are created on the floor out of materials such as colored rice, sand, and flower petals. The charming Indian folk art, called rangoli, is usually made near the entrance of a home to welcome guests and deities, and is said to bring good luck on special occasions. Celebrations might be a bit different this year, but buildings will still be brightened by these decorative drawings, twinkling lights, and small oil lamps, known as diyas.Desktop Version
International Lighthouse Weekend
International Lighthouse Weekend
This solemn beacon set atop a rocky outcropping is in a country usually associated with sand and sun, making this a side of Spain many do not often see. We"re looking out at the sea on the Costa da Morte, or Coast of Death, a nasty name for an equally nasty (but beautiful!) stretch of Galician coastline in the extreme northwest of Spain. We"re featuring Costa da Morte during International Lighthouse Weekend because mariners are never happier to see a lighthouse than when they"re sailing this coast, known as the Bermuda Triangle of the Eastern Atlantic.Desktop Version
Manatee Awareness Month
Manatee Awareness Month
Today we wish this gentle giant of Florida"s warm waters a safe and happy Manatee Awareness Month. Closer cousins to elephants than to fellow sea mammals such as whales and dolphins, manatees follow a fully herbivorous diet of sea grasses and other marine plants—so these fish hanging out with our buddy here needn"t fear becoming a manatee"s lunch.Desktop Version
Looking down on the Otter
Looking down on the Otter
Otter Creek is the longest river entirely contained within the borders of Vermont and has been an important waterway since people settled in the area around 10,000 years ago. Originally an important trade route for the indigenous Abenaki, Algonquin, and Iroquois nations, it remained a vital part of the economy of the early European settlers and up through the 19th century. It winds through some of the Green Mountain State"s most scenic towns, from Brandon to Middlebury to Vergennes, and empties into Lake Champlain. It is also the water source for more than one of Vermont"s many microbreweries, including Otter Creek Brewery. With at least 60 breweries serving just over 600,000 people in the state, Vermonters lead the nation in beer brands per capita. Cheers!Desktop Version